My previous Dining in St. Thomas: Part 1 blog post was written for the thousands of folks who visit St. Thomas on cruise ships and are seeking a place to eat while shopping in downtown Charlotte Amalie.  For those who are lucky enough to stay on the island for extended periods of time, St. Thomas offers a large choice of restaurants from the laid-back waterside bars to some of the best fine dining available anywhere. ... Read More

A second post about evening dining at St. Thomas will be posted shortly.

There are two very distinct, different crowds that frequent the many and varied restaurants found on St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands.  With the most generous allowances on duty free shopping in the Caribbean, St. Thomas is a shopping haven second to none and a favorite stop on the itineraries of virtually every cruise line.... Read More

There is nothing quite like the year-end holiday season on St. Croix.  We start the festivities early and continue well past New Year’s.  This season is one of the best displays of the diversity of peoples, cultures and beliefs all rolled into events all around the island.

The holiday season starts off when the street decorations provided by the Gentlemen of Jones appear in Christiansted.  The tradition of lighting up the town began 50 years ago by the original group of friends who ultimately became know known as ... Read More

Question:  Doris asks, Would it be best to stay on St. Thomas or St. Croix to take advantage of shopping and sightseeing, along with limited crowds?

Answer: Vicki Nelson, who recentled contributed a series of posts on St. Croix, responds: St. Thomas and St. Croix offer different experiences for shopping.  St. Thomas has far more shops many catering to the thousands of cruise ship passengers that arrive there most days.  St. Croix has fewer shops and tend to feature locally made, custom jewelry... Read More

 
We are on the downhill slide of our time on St. Croix for this trip.  Since the last report we had the great experience of helping rescue a number of baby Hawksbill turtles.  As can happen, when they hatched there was apparently a light in the immediate area that led them away from instead of toward the sea.  The babies were put in a cool spot until after sunset, when they were taken to the sea and hopefully a long life.... Read More

 
The diversity of St. Croix always amazes me.  Last week I went shopping with girlfriends who represented a virtual United Nations - one Dane, one Pole and one Brit joined me in Christiansted.  We visited and made purchases in a variety of shops and took a lunch break at Rumrunners, located in the Caravelle Hotel  on the waterfront side of Caravelle Arcade. From our harborside table we watched the boats bobbing at anchorage and the seaplane taking off and landing nearby.... Read More

Our latest venture took us north of Frederiksted on a quest for lunch. A easy search given there are a number a spots from which to choose.  All of them  provide a friendly Crucian atmosphere where you feel right at home even if it is your first time there.  We made Rainbow Beach our choice, from the picture below you can see the beach is pristine.  After the all-American cheeseburger fare and a couple of adult libations, it was off for a touch of dessert at none other than Armstrong's Ice Cream Shop on Centerline, aka Queen Mary Highway.  Armstrong's has been a St. Croix institution since 1900 and features real honest-to-goodness homemade ice cream -- the kind with the chunks in it.  In a few weeks the annual Guavaberry ice cream day will be here.  Yes, only one day a year is that special treat available.  ... Read More

 
A fellow passenger, waiting with me at the airport luggage carousel summed it up.  "It's beautiful, It's beautiful.  After three visits it is still beautiful."  I assured him after 35-plus (I've lost count) visits it is still beautiful.  We are settling into our island lifestyle and today was devoted to enjoying the unspoiled Dorsch Beach on the far west end. Sunset was a bevy of colors and light tonight, but no green flash.  Dining has included great Puerto Rican fare at Villas Morales last night and a yummy Sunday brunch at Beachside Cafe at Sand Castles on the Beach. 

Weather conditions are mid to high-80s and the refreshing tradewinds, known as Christmas Breezes this time of year, are constant. For U.S. citizens, no passport is required to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands and the duty-free allowance is $1600 per person.  I welcome any questions.  More to come.

This is the first in a series of posts from Vicki, who will be sharing information and experiences from her second home on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands where she and her husband have been part-time residents since 1987.  During that time they have built a house, rebuilt a house (thanks to Hurricane Hugo), owned a condo and are now happy to be renters with a lot less work involved.  She first began helping people plan their travel to the island in 1990 via online bulletin boards.  Over the years she has answered hundreds of questions about the area and looks forward to responding to yours.