Posts Tagged ‘virgin islands’
Taking Your Dog To St Croix
June 13, 2010
Whether you would rather clear mountain air or the ozone-rich, salty air of the sea, you can find places to take your dog for a walk that are very pleasant, even when you are on holiday. If you are a nature lover and a dog lover, you could choose a vacation destination with nature and your dog in mind.
City-bound hotel holidays or long, driving holidays are not very pleasurable for your dog. If a dog is going to be at home all day, he would rather be in his own home all day. Likewise, with driving. He might beg to go the mall with you in the car, but doing a coast to coast run in a hot fortnight in June, is not really what he is all about.
Therefore, if you are planning a vacation that you think your pet would not really enjoy, why not do him and yourself a favour and leave him behind? Leave him with a dog-loving family member or friend or board him in a kennels that you have researched well yourself.
There are literally hundreds of boarding kennels in operation in every state and often there are thousands. Most of them are good, some are outstanding and the owners of some could do with a stiff talking to. I put my dog in one once that I had not checked out well enough and went away for two weeks. When I got back four hours early, they were not ready me and my dog was dirty and forlorn.
I felt awfully guilty and my dog would not ‘speak’ to me for a week. Really! No eye contact, no tail wagging, would not always come when called, no joyous running about, just a hang dog appearance for seven days. She must have felt that I let her down badly, which of course I had, by not checking up on the kennels.
A tremendous place to take your dog is St Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The US Virgin Islands are literally part of the United States of America and you can go there without a passport, with your US dollars and with your dog.
Not every hotel allows animals just as in continental USA, but there are loads that do. There are also package holidays that will take you and your dog from the airport to the island hotel and back again all for one price.
Of the four main islands in the US Virgin Islands, St. Croix is most likely the best option for going to with a pet dog, because it is less heavily populated than the other islands and is by far the largest.
The hotel or resort will almost certainly not provide feeding dishes, bedding and toys but they will certainly have a shop where you can buy such things. It is probably not worth bringing your own either unless you have a large suitcase and a generous weight allowance. Food for your dog will also be extensively available on the island, of course.
St Croix has a variety of types of landscape and plenty of activities to take full advantage of them. There are beautiful tropical beaches perfect for swimming or playing in the waves; there are the undulating plains of the old plantations, which are perfect for long walks and there are hills, mountains and rain forest to explore with your dog too.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.
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St Croix, The US Virgin Islands
April 17, 2010
Saint Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands, which lie 1730 miles east south east of Miami and 93 miles west of Puerto Rico. This sector of the Virgin Islands has belonged to the United States since 1917 when they were acquired from the Danish government for $25m in gold to protect American shores from German U-boat attack.
At the time, it was feared that Germany would subjugate the islands and construct submarine pens there in order to harass American supply shipping, which was essential to the allies in Europe during the First World War.
The US Virgin islands is a group of about 60 chiefly uninhabited islands, the four biggest of which are called St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island. (By the way, ‘Saint’ is pronounced in the English manner). The Islands’ inhabitants, however, have other names for these four which are Twin City, Rock City, Love City and Small City respectively.
Christopher Columbus landed there on November 14th, 1493, but there is evidence of human habitation on the island going back to 5000 BC. In fact, the Arawaks and the Caribs made up the islands’ population, before the Europeans got there.
Possession of St Croix and the other Virgin Islands changed a lot over the following centuries, but it became infamous to many people as Santa Cruz, which is its Spanish name. As Santa Cruz, St Croix featured prominently in 17th and 18th century stories of pirates and buccaneers on the Spanish Main.
In fact, after Spain first took control of the island, it changed hands seven times; having been Spanish, British, French, Maltese, Dutch, Danish and now American. The residents of the US Virgin Islands are now US citizens and carry US passports. They also use the US dollar and US laws.
St Croix was an agricultural powerhouse in the Caribbean until the 1960′s when the local government decided it was time to industrialize. The island is now home to HOVENSA, one of the largest oil refineries in the world.
There is also a sizeable distillery, the Cruzan Rum Distillery, which used to make rum from sugar cane grown on the island. Sugar cane, or its extract, molasses are now imported from the Dominican Republic to make Southern Comfort and Cruzan Rum. Diageo is arranging to build a distillery there too in order to produce Captain Morgan Rum.
Residents of the island call themselves Crucians. However, there is a lot of debate about what constitutes a ‘real Crucian’. Many say that a Crucian is someone who was born and raised on St Croix, while others claim that descendants of the slaves that the Danes took over in 16th and 17th Centuries are the only true Crucians.
Many Crucians can track their ancestry back to Puerto Rico or other Virgin islands as the sugar cane industry attracted a lot of migrant workers in the 1930′s, 40′s and 50′s. There was also an influx of down-islanders (ie from other Caribbean islands), as the locals say, after the industrialization of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands in the 1960′s and 1970′s as tourism and petrol became more central to the economy.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.
St. John Travel Information
March 16, 2010
If you are looking for a relaxing time in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and to immerse yourself in true, natural, unspoilt surroundings, then St. John stands out as the obvious choice. With around two-thirds of the Island designated as National Park, it is the most undeveloped and laid back of the large U.S. Virgin Islands. However, that is not to say that it is the ‘boring’ choice. There is plenty to do and see there if you are looking to spend a day away from one of its many stunning beaches.
As well as secluded, scenic beaches, you will also find the following…
- Awe-inspiring tropical forests
- Interesting ecological tours
- Exquisite dining
- Buzzing nightlife
Of special note, and something which should not be missed under any circumstances, is the Virgin Islands National Park. It includes hiking trails and a wonderful range of wildlife, some of which is unique to the Island. The beaches within it, which are open to the public, are some of the best to be found anywhere in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Staying in either Cruz Bay or Coral Bay, which are the two main towns on the Island, allows easy access to restaurants and shops. There are plenty of hotels and resorts to choose from, which range from the quaint to the exceedingly lavish. Making reservations early is always advisable as finding anywhere to stay at the last minute is normally impossible.
Lots of visitors to St. John find themselves returning there year after year, as they have been unable to find a destination that gives them everything that St. John does. If you are still in doubt as to whether it is the right destination for you, find some pictures of it. After seeing the beaches and the National Park, you will be left in no doubt that St. John really is the destination of your dreams.
Find out more about the Island of St. John and St. John condos by visiting cruzbayusvi.com
Cruz Bay Tourism
March 14, 2010
Cruz Bay has a distinctive atmosphere that sets it apart from other towns in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There is a perfect combination of West Indian tradition and contemporary attitudes.
The locals who live their permanently are supplemented by a cosmopolitan mix of predominantly European and American tourists, many of whom, attracted to the quietly exotic, yet comfortably familiar getaway, visit there annually.
It is the site of most of the Island’s restaurants, bars, stores and dive centers, and pretty much all visitors to St. Johns spend at least some time there. Yet, despite being the center of commerce for the Island, it is nearer to being quiet than it is to being busy.
The pace of life there is considerably slower than in a U.S. or European coastal town, and tourists cannot help but be influenced by the Cruz Bay vibe, making it easy to forget about work and the pressures of your day to day life.
The restaurants in Cruz Bay offer the very best in fine dining, and you can sample truly exquisite Caribbean cuisine at any of the many beachfront restaurants. There is a quite buzz about the nightlife, which creates a pleasant atmosphere for relaxing, talking and drinking.
If you fancy a day or two away from the multitude of beautiful, secluded beaches that are located just 5-20 minutes away from Cruz Bay, then you can hike through the Virgin Islands National Park, rent a jeep and ride around the Island, or browse the quaint shops that line the alleys and backstreets of the town.
You could also partake in some of the wide variety of water sports activities available. Scuba diving tours tours to offshore reefs are very popular, as are jet skiing and parasailing.
Whatever you choose to do with your days, you can be sure that the weather will not be a hindrance to you, as the weather in Cruz Bay ranges is nearly always excellent.
Find out more about Cruz Bay and Cruz Bay Virgin Islands by visiting http://cruzbayusvi.com