Recent Stories
Visitors discover Cruz Bay’s character
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands — Toronto natives Cathy and John Fletcher have left a chilly fall in Canada and entered tropical paradise. Fresh off of their Caribbean cruise ship in nearby St. Thomas, the two strolled hand-in-hand, eagerly exploring a small— yet bustling— village. They indulged in boutique shoppingRead More…
Preservation critical for park’s fragile reefs
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands— The unforgiving sun beats on my neck and back as I stretch my limbs and float above the water, head down, snorkel up, fins wailing in the picturesque sight that is Trunk Bay on the island of St. John. As I gasp for air dueRead More…
Restoration of Hassel Island planned
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands— Just like the Coliseum in Rome, the Aztec pyramids in Mexico, or the Great Wall in China, Hassel Island holds and tells the story of St. Thomas’s past; from the Arawak Indians to Caribbean pirates. Once a striving island, located just off St. Thomas, HasselRead More…
Reef Bay Trail provides nature encounters
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands— Standing face to face with a buck, viewing the magnificence of the plunging waterfall and observing the historical Petroglyphs were only some of the many highlights of my three-hour hike through Reef Bay Trail. St. John’s Reef Bay Trail in the Virgin Islands National ParkRead More…
Kayak tour shows best of St. Thomas
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands— “Hike the pristine, deserted 15-acre island of Cas Cay,” announced the Virgin Islands EcoTour web site. Fifteen acres? I can’t go up three flights of stairs without feeling winded, let alone hike 15 acres. Obviously not the outdoorsy type, a kayak-hike-snorkel ecotour was proving toRead More…
Parasailing offers breathtaking views
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands– As a child, I always wanted to know what it would feel like to have wings and glide above the clouds as a bird overlooking everything and everyone below. Being able to parasail for the first time over the turquoise-blue waters of the U.S. VirginRead More…
Park works to improve local relationships
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands— It’s a typical warm and sunny November morning in Cruz Bay, St. John’s largest town and home to the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center and headquarters. On the athletic field next to the Visitor Center, boys ranging in age from 8 to 14 engageRead More…
Lush tropical plants, views draw visitors
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands— Before you land on St. Thomas Island’s Cyril E. King Airport, you will see spectacular bird’s eye views of islands of lush, ridged green hills over bright turquoise waters. From the airport on St. Thomas island, you can take a 12-passenger taxi-van, the standard formRead More…
Preservation critical for mangroves
CRUZ BAY, U.S. Virgin Islands– Mangroves have been a common theme throughout my South Florida upbringing, but their need for preservation and vitality has not. Weekends jet-skiing in the Florida Keys and vacationing in the Caribbean have allowed mangroves to hold one specific description in my memory bank…dark, slushy andRead More…
U.S. Virgin Islands
A stunning island getaway The U.S. Virgin Islands National Park offers many surprises. Visitors will find the extraordinary Caribbean island scenery to be memorable. From the deep forest greens of the trails to the many shades of blue in the waters along the secluded white-sand beaches, the park offers oneRead More…
Tram offers easy way to tour Shark Valley
HOMESTEAD, Fla.— Many South Floridians grow up without ever visiting Everglades National Park, only an hour or so drive from the metropolitan Miami area. Driving to Everglades National Park takes you through a variety of landscapes. You start at the concrete jungle of downtown Miami. The route down U.S. 1Read More…
Shark Valley tram shows best of Everglades
SHARK VALLEY, Fla. — Most of us remember our infamous school trips to parks, zoos and forests filled with boring guided tours and useless group activities. The tram tour of the Florida Everglades was a refreshing change from what I remembered as a child. The tram travels through Shark Valley.Read More…