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Universal Orlando Resort: Where to Stay & Play for a Few Days

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My recent stay at Universal Orlando Resort was so much fun and I’m going to share and highlight my favorite moments with you. First and foremost, I stayed at the Cabana Bay Beach Resort on the property which allowed me early access (one hour) to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. It was my first time experiencing Diagon Alley™. I took advantage of the complimentary shuttle service to Universal Studios Florida and was able to … [Read More...]

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Navigating Disney World During a Pandemic

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Taste the Flavors of St. Thomas USVI

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Navigating Disney World During a Pandemic

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I recently had an opportunity to visit Walt Disney World as part of my Goofy Getaways FAM Training. It was exciting and I was a bit anxious because even though some restrictions are being lifted, guidelines are more relaxed, and travel is starting to … [Read More...]

Taste the Flavors of St. Thomas USVI

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Comparing Three Different Sunrise Viewpoints on St. John

There's a particular hush that settles over St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands just before first light. The air cools, the trade winds drop, and the eastern horizon begins to blush with the kind of colour that doesn't quite exist in photographs. On a recent trip I made a point of catching daybreak from three different vantage points, each offering a completely different mood, and I thought the comparison might be useful for anyone planning their own pre-dawn adventure on the island.

For readers joining me from Australia, the experience has a few quirks worth knowing up front. Flying from Sydney or Melbourne to St. John usually means routing through Los Angeles or Miami, then a connection to St. Thomas, and finally a short taxi-and-ferry combination to reach Cruz Bay. The time shift of around fifteen to sixteen hours means that an Australian summer escape in December or January lands you in the Caribbean's dry season, which is the most reliable window for clear sunrise skies.

Setting the alarm: getting to St. John from Australia

The earliest ferries from Red Hook on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay start running around 6:30 am, but to catch sunrise on the north shore you'll need to be on the island the evening before. From Sydney, most routes I checked meant either a red-eye through LAX or a daytime flight to Miami followed by a mid-morning connection. The jet lag hits harder on the way back, so plan a buffer day in Brisbane or at home before committing to anything important.

A few details that feel pleasantly familiar to Australian travellers: the U.S. Virgin Islands drive on the left side of the road, so the muscle memory from home carries over. Renting a Jeep is the standard recommendation, and the steep, rutted roads up to places like Bordeaux Mountain feel a bit like the gravel tracks you find in the high country outside Melbourne or the back roads of the Blue Mountains. Local petrol is sold by the gallon, prices are listed before tax thanks to local conventions, and the speed limit signs are in miles per hour, which is the main adjustment.

Peace Hill: a drive-up dawn with wide horizons

Peace Hill is the gentlest of the three sunrise spots and the one I'd suggest for anyone who wants maximum reward for minimum effort. A short paved road branches off the North Shore Road just past Maho Bay, and from the small car park it's barely a two-minute walk through low scrub to an open bluff with the ruins of an old sugar mill. The windmill stones form a natural frame for the camera, and the view to the east stretches across the channel toward Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands.

On the morning I arrived, the sky moved through a slow gradient from indigo to violet before warming into a soft coral along the horizon. I had a thermos of coffee in the cupholder, which felt appropriately reminiscent of a Melbourne weekend routine, though the backdrop was unmistakably Caribbean. The only sounds were a few early birds and the distant hum of a fishing boat heading out from Hawksnest.

Peace Hill is a brilliant choice for families with small children, for anyone with limited mobility, or for travellers who simply don't fancy a pre-dawn hike. The flat, open space means you can spread out a blanket, and because the ruins sit in the middle distance rather than the foreground, the photographs feel both anchored and expansive at the same time.

Bordeaux Mountain: watching the light roll across the highest ridge

Bordeaux Mountain tops out at just over 1,200 feet and is the highest point on St. John, which means the sunrise here happens a few minutes later than at sea level but lasts a fraction longer. The road winds up through forest that feels almost Gondwanan in places, with mist often hanging in the valleys before the sun burns it off. There's a small observation area and a tower, and because the vantage is so high you can watch the light move across the island in layers: first the distant cays, then the ridgelines, then the bays and beaches below.

The atmosphere on the summit is noticeably cooler than the coast, so a light jumper is worth packing. I found the experience quite different from the coastal sunrises I'd been used to back home, such as watching dawn break over the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains. There's a stillness up there that suits a quieter kind of traveller, the sort who might otherwise seek out sunrise at Uluru or along the Great Ocean Road.

Bordeaux is the right pick for someone who wants solitude and a 360-degree panorama rather than a single dramatic horizon line. Because the sun rises slightly later here, you also get to enjoy the pre-dawn colours for a few extra minutes while still being in position for that first golden burst.

Ram's Head Trail: the pre-dawn climb for a cliffside view

Ram's Head is the most adventurous of the three options. The trailhead sits off the road past Salt Pond Bay, and the route covers roughly two miles round trip with some scrambling over rocks near the point. Starting in the dark with a headlamp is part of the experience. The footing is uneven and the last section requires a bit of balance, so I'd hesitate to recommend it to anyone who isn't comfortable on rough ground, but the payoff at the tip of the headland is unforgettable.

When I reached the cliff edge, the sky was just beginning to lighten behind Norman Island and the outer British Virgin Islands. The foreground rocks drop sharply to the sea, which gives the scene a real sense of scale. As the sun cleared the horizon, the water shifted from grey to a deep teal, and the entire arc of the BVI chain slowly came into focus. This felt closer in spirit to a sunrise walk along the coast of NSW, say from Coogee to Bondi, than to a fenced lookout with a guardrail.

The trade-off is effort: by the time I got back to the car I was already sweating, even in the cool of early morning. I treated it as the start of a longer day exploring the south shore roads, which worked well because the post-sunrise light over Salt Pond Bay and Drunk Bay is also lovely in its own right.

How the three sunrise points compare in atmosphere and effort

The three vantage points differ in three main ways. Peace Hill is the easiest to reach and gives a classic Caribbean postcard view framed by historic ruins, making it the most family-friendly. Bordeaux Mountain offers the quietest, most expansive experience and trades the foreground drama for layered distance, suiting photographers who like atmospheric depth. Ram's Head demands the most effort but rewards it with a raw, cliffside perspective that feels genuinely wild.

In practical terms, Peace Hill suits a relaxed morning before a beach day at nearby Maho, Bordeaux pairs well with a breakfast stop in Coral Bay, and Ram's Head works best as the start of a longer day exploring the south shore roads. Photographers will likely be happiest at Ram's Head for foreground interest, Peace Hill for silhouette compositions, and Bordeaux for sweeping landscapes.

Practical suggestions for Australians chasing dawn on St. John