My Home St. Thomas, USVI

St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island (new a few years ago) are the four main islands that make up the United States Virgin Islands. There a also many other smaller islands and a lot of cays dotting the ocean. We are situated mostly in the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean to the north. St. Thomas is 32 square miles with approximately 55,000 people and is the busiest and liveliest of the islands. Although, when compared to life in the states the lifestyle is very slow-paced and layed back. It is also very beautiful with the crystal aqua ocean and incredible views of other islands in the distance. If you love the beach and ocean and want to relax...Come to St. Thomas!!!

Quick Tips:

Unfortunately flight prices to St. Thomas are expensive. Tickets generally run cheaper and are more frequent when flying from the eastcoast. Sometimes flights are cheaper to San Juan, PR and then purchase a ticket to St. Thomas from there. It's an hour flight for about . Try Cape Air or American Eagle. Or if you can get to Miami cheaply, you might want to buy a ticket from there which I can guarentee being pretty inexpensive too. Tourist season starts picking up towards the end of October and runs through May. This is when it is most crowded and expensive. Of course, hurricane season is officially from June 15th until October 15th. It is not as crowded or expensive and the weather is beautiful year round, even in hurricane season except when there is a hurricane, of course! The chance of a hurricane while visiting is actually very slim. The two hottest months are August and September. They are NOT unbearable and should not discourage you from visiting then, but the humidity rises some and it's not as pleasant as the rest of the year.

Best Way To Get Around:

The easiest and most reliable way to get around would definitely be by renting a vehicle. I would recommend renting a jeep. It is a little bit more expensive than an economy car, but I would definitely pay the extra money if your budget allows. St. Thomas is very hilly with many steep, bumpy roads and a jeep would make the ride more pleasant and fun. It would also be handy for driving on some off-the-beaten-path dirt roads...where I think the best beaches and sites usually are! Plus you can forget about using car AC while visiting and removing the jeep top for a nice cool breeze and some sun! Remember drive on the left!

Duffy's is defiantly fun and worth a visit, although it is a little bit cheesy. I suppose that's what make it fun, though. Food is fairly cheap and actually really good. I usually get the Polynesian Pu-Pu platter that comes flaming with an assortment of meats and fruits on skewers. The wings are yummy too. Although just about everything on the menu is great, the main attraction is the tropical and party atmosphere and the crazy drinks and glasses. There is actually a menu of frozen drinks that come in all sorts of cheesy ceramic and plastic mugs that you get to keep...some even light up and they taste pretty good. If you are really daring order the mother of all drinks...The Volcano which you share with a few friends and get a whole production. Smoke machines, strobe lights and then the mechanical shark on the wall snaps his mouth open and closed as the 2001:A Space Odyssey song plays followed by Jimmy Buffet's Volcano. It's pretty funny. My favorite drink are Lime in Dee Coconut and The Funky Monkey. Everyone also gets a plastic flower necklace and a plastic lei when they first get there. Lots of coconut, bamboo and tropical island paraphernalia. Check out their website at www.duffysloveshack.com for their drink and food menus. There is also another Love Shack that opened less than a year ago on St. John.

Whenever a visitor is in town, I make a power boat rental a priority during their stay! It is by far one of the best and one of my favorite activities to do here. You can pick the boat up in the morning at 8:00 and explore most of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands along with all of the numerous cays until 5:00 in the evening. You can design your own personal itinerary for the day or just wing-it along the way! I have done this about 10 times now and I always like going to Jost Van Dyke first to visit either Foxy's Bar or Ivan's Stress-Free Bar in Great Bay or the Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay. Then, I usually go over to uninhabited Sandy Cay for the beach and snorkeling before heading to The Indians and Caves at Norman Island. These two destinations are by far the best snorkeling in the islands. The Indians are pinnacles that start out of the water and go almost straight down to a depth of about 40 feet. It's pretty cool because you can actaully snorkel this 360 degree "wall". In the neighborhood, the Willy-T is a floating bar off of Norman that is also worth a stop for a drink or a bite to eat. The Baths at Virgin Gorda are also a natural wonder worth visiting, but I usually choose not to go because of the distance. It can be done, though. You can rent either a 6 person 25' Fountain Power Boat or a 8 person 29' one. They come fully equipped with safety gear, first aid equip., VHF radio, bimini tops (for shade)and even an ice cooler. There is ample cushioned seating and hatches for your personal gear. I ALWAYS bring my snorkeling gear so I can jump in the water and check stuff out whenever. Nauti Nymph can hook you up with snorkeling gear and fishing poles. For about $100 more you can actually hire a captian, eventhough anyone without boat experince should be fine. They thoroughy brief everyone who rents from them. All in all, the day is full of truly georgeous natural sites above water and under as well!!!

This is by far my favorite beach on the island. It is one of the last few remaining deserted sandy beaches and is serene and beautiful.

All beaches are public to anyone by law, but quite a few are built up with resorts and frequented by the tourists staying there. Linquist is a local beach off the beaten path where it is rare you will find any tourists.

The sandy beach is curved in a large c-shape that is lined by coconut palms and forms a large bay in the middle. There is an excellent view of Thatch Cay followed by all of the other cays (Grass, Mingo, Lovango...)and St. John in the distance. There is good shallow water snorkeling on the left side of the beach as well as the right. I have seen baby lobsters, conch, sting rays, octopus and many, many fish. I have actually seen some people that have waded out with their poles on the right and fished. Watch for pelican dive bombing in the water to catch their lunch. The entire middle is all sandy and excellent for swimming. The water is very calm where you can even float around on a raft. If you have a cooler, bring a picnic lunch and stay for the entire day. I guarantee you will be one of the few people on the whole beach!

Linquist Beach is not on any maps and there are not even any signs to recognize where it is. So, to get there take Smith Bay Road (Route 38)towards the East End and look for a dirt road leading towards the beach. Be aware that if you have to ask directions most St. Thomians don't know road names and even less know route numbers...they just have always known where to go! It's not uncommon to be told to turn at the large Flamboyant Tree or turn right at the broken down car. The dirt road is on the left, after The Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and before Pavilions and Pools Resort. There is not really anything between, but when the road makes almost a 90 degree curve to the right, turn down the dirt road on the left. It is a short drive to Linquist Beach. Park on the side of the road in the sand under the trees and have a lovely day!!!

If you SCUBA dive, this is BY FAR the best dive operator on St. Thomas (and St. John). They offer half-day two tank dives and afternoon one and two-tank dives. They also offer weekly night dives with a full moon dive once a month and a weekly full day trip to the RMS Rhone (the best wreck dive around). There are a whole range of dive sites. My favorites are definitely "Arches and Tunnels" and the RMS Rhone. The Rhone is a world class dive of a Royal Mail Steamer that was taken down by a hurricane in 1867 while transporting cargo and passengers back to Britian. It is not worth missing if you are an avid diver.

The boat "Fool's Gold" is in excellent condition, the group sizes are kept to a minium, safety is a priority and the trip are all super fun!! They provide all of the gear....even a mask and fins if you don't have your own. The dive masters are very friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and really willing to share all that they know. Chris' prices are also very reasonable. Check out his website to see some of his package deals and also check out some of the dive sites. He also has two excellent dive shops and offers PADI Certification classes.

Very casual and laid back island bar although it is rarely ever boring there. It always seems like there is some sort of action going on or maybe it's just the drinks....All liquor drinks are pour-your-own! So if you order a drink the bartender gives you a cup with ice and puts a big bottle of your liquor(s) preference on the bar along with whatever mixer you chose. You then can pour-your-own glass. It's interesting to watch some of the regulars. Anything is a straight $3.50 unless you order a Cruzian Rum drink which is $2.50 since it is brewed on St. Croix and therefore extremely cheap. Unfortunately I don't ever take advantage of this great deal because I am more a beer drinker, but beers are reasonably priced $2.00 to $3.00 a bottle. The Warehouse also has a roll-for-your-tab option that I do take advantage of. Five dice, one roll for you and one for the bartender. Highest poker hand wins....double tab if you lose or FREE if you win!!! Ties to the customer! Two pool tables, juke box with good tunes, pin ball machine and Ms. Pac Man! No food, but good cheap "Texas Pit Barbecue" truck down below in parking lot and Wok & Roll Chinese takeout underneath bar.