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.