99 Steps

[judyzoo]

think we'll just enjoy Herve & skip Blackbeards- If it is close top the botom of the steps where should we take the taxi to?

 

Herve is at the top of the stops, a very short walk to the left once you get to the top of the steps. Then you'll go up more steps that are part of the restaurant. I don't know whether they take reservations, but when I was there even though they were having a bar mitzvah inside there was still space outside on the patio (although the patio is somewhat small), where the view is really nice -- you can see the harbor and the ships and some of the island. And the food was delicious. I recommend it; it's peaceful and away from the crowds.

[scarlet4897]

So is Herve at the top or bottom of the stairs? I thought that Blackbeard's is at the top and then Herve at the bottom, but then I realized that Herve has amazing views, hence it must be at the top?

[judyzoo]

Herve is at the top of the steps (and a short distance to the left); Emancipation Park is at the bottom. I'm not sure where Blackbeards is, as I've never had the desire to go there, but I suspect that it may be further up the hill than Herve, i.e. further up than the top of the steps, but that's just a guess.

[scarlet4897]

I'm not sure if we'll pay the money to go inside Blackbeard's castle, maybe, but at least we can take it all in, maybe walk a little down the steps and back up? Who knows, but I really want to go to Herve for lunch for the amazing views and food! :D

[southbayer]

Is it worth a stop to see it ?

When we were at Blackbeard's a few months ago, it cost $25 to get in, although we made it for half price because it was just before closing.This is great if you like old historical buildings (we do), a great view, and even time to swim.

[hcat]

Thanks Judy--Herve is what we we'll do--hope we can be inside the restaurnat but will settle for the patio if need be.. & then look at some of the historic places on our own with the walking tour...we have snorkel trips for two other days of the cruise so this will be something a bit different--have already enjoyed St Johns on a prior cruise...but never went into the town.

[judyzoo]

I think you’ll enjoy walking around the town and seeing the historic places. That’s what I did the last time I was in St. Thomas, after having been there 5 or 6 times and never having really seen that part. I found it especially nice because it’s a bit away from the crowded main street and its jewelry and t-shirt shops. Much more civilized. And if you want to join the crowds, it’s still an easy walk to get there. BTW, I think the best view from Herve is from the patio, but that's a personal choice. Either way, enjoy!

[The Islander]

Hcat - If you are doing a taxi tour and getting dropped downtown for the shopping part and want to go to Herve's then you could walk there. Most taxis drop passengers by Emancipation Park/Vendors Plaza area. You'd walk up toward Post Office Square, cross the road, and then up some steps or a short ways up the road on Government Hill, Herves is right there. If you are just going to Herves by taxi then you can get dropped right in front of it basically. You can check their website to see about reservations http://www.herverestaurant.com/.

 

Scarlett - If your tour ends at 12 and you get dropped for lunch and then plan to head to the beach for 2pm you aren't going to have much time to shop. ;)

 

Nancie - There is a pool at Blackbeards. There are lounge chairs. The bar and food service is not full menu but there is food/drink available. It was bbq lunch the last time I was there, been a while, check with them and find out. http://blackbeardscastle.com/

 

Location: Blackbeards is at the top, the 99 steps go down the hill and intersects with a narrow road. Herves is along that road. There is another short flight of stairs from the narrow road down to Post Office Square or you can walk along the road. And Emancipation Park is just around the corner from Post Office Square.

 

Southbayer: Blackbeards is an old watch tower that was built to aid in the defenses of Charlotte Amalie during the Danish colonial days. The historical tower is joined by several historical homes on the same hillside to form the tour. If you enjoy historic homes + buildings then you should find it interesting.

 

--Islander

[Kittycat]

Sorry to butt in on this one, but this thread has been so interesting. Could we take a taxi to Bluebeard's Castle (what exactly is there apart from the Castle), stroll down the 99 steps (what will be see on the way) and arrive in the shopping centre? How far would it then be for us to walk to the ship - would we need a taxi?

[Ms411]

Kittycat, your post asked about BLUEBEARD's castle, which is NOT the same as BLACKBEARD's castle. Blackbeard's castle is up the 99 stairs near Herve's, whereas Bluebeard's is not in the main town area (though somewhat close).

 

IMO, the Blackbeard's website doesn't give enough info, so I suggest calling them for the latest fees, pool access, food/drink options, etc. Their number is 340-776-1234.

 

If you walk UP 99 stairs, you'll see a very nice neighborhood with restored colonial homes. You can see parts of some of the pirate statues, and some nice grounds. The view is even better than from Herve's. The castle is surrounded by a concrete wall, so you can't tour the castle without paying the fee, but you can get some feel for it by walking around the area.

[Kittycat]

Ms411, thanks for that - I mean't Blackbeard's Castle, and I agree with you tht their website isn't very informative. At the moment we're looking at doing a morning shopping trip of 3 hours and wondered if we could use that time to walk up the 99 stairs and admire the view - do you think this is feasible?

[Ms411]

Shopping times depend on how many shopaholics or powershoppers you have in your group. If someone has their heart set on a piece of jewelry, and is determined to get the best deal on the island, they'll need the entire day :) However, if you're mainly doing casual souvenir or sterling silver type jewelry shopping, 3 hours is more than enough to go up 99 steps and admire the view especially if you're coming before the weather cools down (before say Nov). If it's extremely hot outside, and you've been walking in the heat for 3 hours, walking to 99 steps/Herve's might not sound so attractive, and whatever's close and air-conditioned will probably be where you'll end up. I'd suggest you do that FIRST, and then shop, so you can do it before it gets too hot. Most tours give you 2 hours for shopping.

[reallyitsmema]

Kittycat, we took a taxi from the Mariner to Blackbeard's castle for $4 and walked down the 99 steps so it is very feasable. The man at Blackbeard's closed the door in our faces when we looked in the gate but if you walk around the fence to the backside you can see gorgeous views of the ships and the island. There is a statue around back and you can see the castle too. Was enough for us, wasn't worth the $12pp to go inside to us since we weren't going to stay there long and weren't going to use the pools. We walked down the stairs to the park and did a few hours of shopping. Was much easier coming down the stairs since it was so hot the day we were there. Hope that helps.:)

[Kittycat]

Thanks, we were thinking of doing a tour which offers up to three hours shopping before going to the beach and then sightseeing and as we're not really shoppers (apart from a few souveniers), we thought the 99 steps and Blackbeards, to look at the view, would suit us.

[2112]

I have some older (1993) photos of the 99 steps on my website:

 

http://www.pbase.com/2112/st_thomas_1993

 

There's a comment by a poster that those aren't the 99 Steps, but I think it is. We started as Blackbeards Castle and walked down to the government buildings.