2010-23 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Hello All,
Departing Dominica Emerald Princess was set on a north westerly course for our overnight passage to St. Thomas. And, by 8:15 the next morning we were berthed at the dock.
St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island are the four main islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). They are a territory of the United States. Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is the territorial capital. The island is about 32 square miles and has a population of about 52,000. This is about 47 percent of the total for all the USVI’s.
The islands have been a lure for nations around the world. Flags of six countries have flown over them. Settlements on the islands date to 1500 BC. During the First World War, the United States bought the Virgin Islands for 25 million in gold from Denmark. In the 1950s, St. Thomas became a tourist and duty-free shopping mecca and enjoys this status today.
When the captain gave the all clear to disembark folks started pouring off the ship. They were either getting in line for one of the many shore excursions available or looking for a cab into town for some serious shopping. Here is a shot of the stern of the ship we took while waiting for our tour to depart.
Departing Dominica Emerald Princess was set on a north westerly course for our overnight passage to St. Thomas. And, by 8:15 the next morning we were berthed at the dock.
St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island are the four main islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). They are a territory of the United States. Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is the territorial capital. The island is about 32 square miles and has a population of about 52,000. This is about 47 percent of the total for all the USVI’s.
The islands have been a lure for nations around the world. Flags of six countries have flown over them. Settlements on the islands date to 1500 BC. During the First World War, the United States bought the Virgin Islands for 25 million in gold from Denmark. In the 1950s, St. Thomas became a tourist and duty-free shopping mecca and enjoys this status today.
When the captain gave the all clear to disembark folks started pouring off the ship. They were either getting in line for one of the many shore excursions available or looking for a cab into town for some serious shopping. Here is a shot of the stern of the ship we took while waiting for our tour to depart.
Lots of folks were taking advantage of the many
different water excursions available. There were sailboats, dive boats, and
tour boats all loading with passengers for a beautiful blue sky day full of fun
and adventure.
We chose a 3-hour tour by land
called “Views of St. Thomas.” Our thought was it would be a good way to capture
the scenic beauty of the area with our cameras. So we loaded onto our open-air
tour bus and started climbing up the steep hills of the island. We traveled
along Skyline Drive where we could view nearby St. Johns, the British Virgin
Islands, and the harbor of Charlotte Amalie below. Our first stop was at a
fruit stand high on a hillside that offered some great views of town and the
beautiful water beyond.
This was our ride for the
tour.
A stop on our tour that we
particularly enjoyed was the St. Peter Great House and Botanical Gardens,
located on the other side of the island from Charlotte Amalie. Nestled high
above Hull Bay sits this magnificent villa on an 11-acre estate. The scenic location
was originally part of the 150-acre plantation named St. Peter. The main house
boasts classic West Indian architecture. For those of us interested in the
beauty of nature we found the lush tropical gardens amazing. There were more
than 20 varieties of orchids and 400 species of Caribbean plants and fruits. It
was a magnificent place to visit that included some spectacular views.
These shots were taken within the great house. There were large windows on both sides of the house that could be opened to take advantage of the tradewinds.
These shots were taken within the great house. There were large windows on both sides of the house that could be opened to take advantage of the tradewinds.
Imagine the view you would
have while sitting at the dining room table. The table sat eighteen people!
A huge deck offered some
spectacular vistas. Hull Bay in the following photos was one of them. At the
end of the bay there is a beautiful white sand beach. It looked to us like an
ideal place to snorkel with little wave action.
We meandered around the estate
on the board walk trails taking in the plants and birds. There were way more
than we have room to share with you. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk. Here are
just a few of the flower photos we snapped.
Below are two Parrot Flowers.
The one on the left is in full bloom while the one on the right the buds have
not yet burst open.
Our next adventure took us to
Paradise Point where we caught a tram to the top. The views from the top were
spectacular. The photos below are of Charlotte Amalie and the harbor. There
were two other cruise ships in the harbor. The Celebrity Solstice is on the
right, and on the left is our sister ship, the Ruby Princess. In the distance
on the other side of the harbor is our ship, the Emerald Princess. It is such a
pristine harbor with amazing blue-green water.
What a treat to see this
beautiful island on such a gorgeous Thanksgiving day. St. Thomas is definitely
a place that we’d like to see more of--maybe another time. At 5 PM we let go
our lines and started for our next port of call--the Princess Cays. We stood on
the deck as we worked our way out of the harbor. It is such a beautiful area
that we couldn’t resist taking a few more photos.
St. Thomas is a clean
beautiful island and one that is worthy of visiting.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns