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| In the US Virgin
Islands, taxis are typically multi-seat, colorful, and al fresco. Taxi
prices are controlled, and reasonable. Many visitors, however, prefer
to rent a jeep and explore the island on their own: rental is approx.
$65/day; the island's safe to explore solo, and the traffic's light. |
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| Above: a hiking
trail in the
Virgin
Islands National Park rises over Cruz Bay. The Park was created
by
Laurance Rockefeller in the fifties. (He also
negotiated the right to have the only resort on the island for thirty
years-- Caneel Bay resort.) Check the Visitors' Center in Cruz Bay
for
Park
activities such as hikes with Park rangers, snorkel trips, and nature and history talks. Though
small, St. John has some dramatic history, such as a briefly-successful slave revolt. |
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| A terrific outing
on St. John is a boat trip to a good snorkeling spot. Above, the Sadie
Sea takes guests on full-day tours with three snorkel stops. As a
bonus, guide/owner Sandy West spins great island tales. Call 340-
776-6922 or book
online. |
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| Kids as young as
six can snorkel and thrill to the sight of sparkling colorful fish. |
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St. John has crystalline water, and lovely coral in many
spots. And of course, the boat outing itself is beautiful. |
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| Another
recommended outing is a visit to Trunk Bay, below: one
of the most photogenic beaches on St. John, and part of the National Park. |
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| Admission to
Trunk Bay is
$4/person (-family annual pass costs $15.) Put on your flippers and hit the
Snorkel Trail, where underwater signs provide info about coral and
fish. |
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| If you eat at the
snack bar at Trunk Bay, you might see a a mongoose sneak out of the
bushes to grab a munch. |
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Also, at Trunk
Bay, you can try
Snuba: an underwater almost-scuba
experience. (You breathe through hoses connected to an air tank on the
surface.) Ages 8 and up can snuba with only brief instruction.
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| Sugar was once
king on St. John as on other islands, in the plantation days. Little remains of that era, except for
fragments of sugar mill ruins. The picture below was
taken at Caneel Bay resort; the tree on the right is the poinciana, one
of the beauties of the Caribbean when it's in bloom. |
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