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how to get to Mountain Top with Rental car

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how to get to Mountain Top with Rental car

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(@boilerup)
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Hello,

I will be on Island next week. I will have a rental car and will be driving to Mountain Top from the Charlotte Amalie area. I believe that the way I go is to head up Mafolie Road past the switch back, go just past 40 (Skyline drive) and take a left on 37 towards Drakes Seat. Please confirm and let me know how I should get there. I assume that I can take my rental car there.

Carl

 
Posted : March 20, 2011 6:50 pm
(@vi-lover)
Posts: 519
Honorable Member
 

You can certainly take the rental car there. Paved roads. It is a little confusing at times. GET A MAP! That will help. Also - the roadsigns help. Keep looking for the signs!

It's worth the small stress. The new building is great and the view is the BEST!

Good Luck! Have Fun!

 
Posted : March 20, 2011 9:23 pm
(@boilerup)
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Hello,

I was there several years ago and I do have a map, but I'm still a bit confused as to which road to take since it's not really clear. I even have a nice island map from when I stayed on Island at Bolongo last summer. We did not go last summer since MT was closed due to the fire.

So I guess I'm still looking for some more definitive directions.

Thanks.

 
Posted : March 20, 2011 11:31 pm
(@exit-zero)
Posts: 871
Prominent Member
 

From the waterfront parking lot at the fort - take the street between that and the Federal Building North about 3 blocks til the stop sign at the bottom of Mafolie Hill - go left up the hill and left at the road for Mafolie - past the hotel and right at the intersection up the hill toward SIB'S - left at Sibs all the way to the top-- take a right at the Y - there is a sign - if you start going downhill ----- you have missed that turn!

 
Posted : March 21, 2011 12:01 pm
(@boilerup)
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

So I think you are saying don't go all the way to 40? Or can you get there two different ways.

It looks like there is a road in yellow marked 33 on the map (see below link) (after the switch back) and then there are a few other unmarked roads near the mafolie area. I don't know what sibs is either.

We are on the island for limited time due to cruise schedule so I'm trying to maximize my time and not spend a lot of time lost looking for MT. I've been on island before and I know how beautiful the island is, I'm just not in the mood for a LOST tour that day... 🙂

I have a printed version of the following map:

&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virgin-islands-on-line.com%2Fst%2Fst-thomas-map.shtml&size=421KB&name=St.+Thomas+Map+-...&p=St+Thomas+USVI+Map&oid=55328ca4157c158f2c81f40599ed0d69&fr2=tab-web&no=3&tt=160&sigr=11seds75l&sigi=11leee7bc&sigb=1340l8819&.crumb=CUrdkUSXPKG

Thank You.

 
Posted : March 22, 2011 2:41 pm
(@stt-resident)
Posts: 3316
Famed Member
 

You'll only be on two main routes, go from Rte 35 to Rte 33. Sib's is a restaurant which will be facing you as you take the directions which exitzero has provided. It's really not that complicated so don't worry, exit's giving you landmarks in case the route numbers aren't obvious (and half of us who live here don't know the route numbers anyway!).

 
Posted : March 22, 2011 3:15 pm
(@itsconnie)
Posts: 10
Active Member
 

Didn't you always have to look for the banana? :o)

 
Posted : March 22, 2011 6:25 pm
(@exit-zero)
Posts: 871
Prominent Member
 

Thanks for the help from STT Resident -- once the directions degenerate to Route #'s I am doomed.

 
Posted : March 22, 2011 7:17 pm
(@stt-resident)
Posts: 3316
Famed Member
 

exit zero wrote:
Thanks for the help from STT Resident -- once the directions degenerate to Route #'s I am doomed.

Ditto. I was poring over both the online map the OP linked as well as hard copy maps I have looking for the route numbers in order to try and be helpful. Too funny.

I remember (literally) donkey's years ago when I was a relative newbie (around three to four years at that time) and a traveling nurse to whom I'd rented a room in my house at the time was invited to dinner by a local hospital employee. Since the roomie didn't have a car she asked me if it would be OK if she asked the lady if she could bring a friend. No problem. I got on the 'phone with the lady and she gave me directions to go up the Donoe Bypass and then turn right at the flamboyant and then go lef' and right, etc.

I managed to find the apartment which was in the Donoe housing projects and had a wonderful evening. Exit Zero I'm sure knows about the sketchy history of the Donoe projects and that there are few whites who would even venture in there. Sad but true. But I learned a lot that night about how many of the locals live. Family members came in and out of this little high-rise dwelling with a tiny kitchen and sleeping areas separated by curtains with food offerings and good cheer. The traveling nurse and I stood out like sore thumbs in our whiteness but were treated as part of the family. It was a wonderful experience which obviously I cherish to this day a couple of decades later.

That said, I wish she would have saved me some directional angst by telling me from the get-go that she lived in the Donoe projects. I guess she was somehow embarrassed and I felt badly about that once I realized to where I was headed. Would I have gone there if she'd told me she lived in the Donoe projects? Of course I would given the circumstances and, given the opportunity, I'd accept a similar invitation right now. Any invitees out there?

So getting back to directions, visitors simply need to understand that most of us simply don't know most route numbers and, when you ask questions about them we have to do some pretty heady research. Bear with us as we try to guide you. Seems that some of the rental cars have GPS systems installed but I wouldn't bank on them.

 
Posted : March 23, 2011 12:41 pm
(@boilerup)
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Hello,

Thanks for all your responses, I can certainly understand that and I've heard about locals not knowing route numbers in the past. I was looking at the maps so that is what I was trying to use as my guidelines. Maybe there are even signs for Mountain Top, I'm not sure. I think I've got my route that I will take.

From listening to all of your directions and looking at google maps/satellite, I have decided on the following:

From downtown CA, head up towards Mafoli Road, take that all the way near Drakes Seat, go past Drakes Seat to the first major switchback on the left, turn left, then when right at the top of the hill which is another sharp right turn. Then take my first left, go to the Y and take the RIGHT side of the Y. I think that should get me there.

Let me know if my intentions are drastically wrong.

How is the weather there today? It looks great on the web cams.

Carl

 
Posted : March 23, 2011 4:20 pm

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