Get Ready to Go!
Pack your camera, sunglasses, sunscreen (and that new bathing suit you bought in the spring that you did not use enough of this summer) and be ready for hot sun, warm water and cool drinks. Daily non-stop flights are available from Detroit.
You’ll land on St. Croix or St. Thomas, the two bigger islands, and claim your bags. No immigration and no customs to go through, but you will have to prove you’re American when you leave. So take your passport or birth certificate and photo ID. It’s really that easy.
The warm sun lands on your face and the aroma of salt water fills your nostrils, good-bye Midwest, hello Caribbean! The official language is English, the currency is the U.S. Dollar, electric current is the same as all of North America, and postage stamps are the same.
What does all this mean? You’ve landed on an exotic island with a different culture than your own, but you’re still in America. Most of your travel worries are now gone, with one little exception, they drive on the left.
The U.S. Virgin Islands offer the traveler a warm place like home year-round, without the difficulties of international travel. Like its name suggests, it is a territory of the United States and it is just 1,100 miles southeast of Miami in the Eastern Caribbean.
The Islands
St. Croix has a Dutch flavor with lots of history. St. Thomas is faster paced with fantastic shopping (it’s where all the cruise ships stop). St. John is for the Nature Lover as most of the island is a protected national park.
Spend your time on one island or hop around to all three. Fun and thrilling, it’s like going to three destinations in one trip. They have a ferry service, seaplanes, and helicopters providing easy access to the islands.
On-island, you may use the bus service, hail a taxi or rent a car. A full range of accommodations on all three islands await every budget from camping to luxury resorts. Food and drink are priced like most of the U.S. with familiar items on the menus. Try the seafood, fresh pressed sugar cane, and Caribbean-influenced cuisine.
With temperatures ranging from 77-83 degrees year-round, visitors may enjoy golfing, snorkeling, diving and kayaking to help the sun-filled days go by. A swim in the ocean or relaxing by the pool will help you to cool off. Perfect for couples, families or friends, go to the American-Caribbean, it’s sure to impress.
For more information
Visit www.visitusvi.com
Michael Dwyer is a freelance writer and travel columnist. Michael writes about happenings in the Rochester Area, travels across Michigan and destinations around the world. Contact him at Michael@RochesterMedia.com
About Michael Dwyer
We go to the US Virgin Islands every year. It is everything your article claims it to be. We relax and enjoy the most beautiful beaches in the world and are never at a loss for something fun to do. Great people, great food and a perfect place to reconnect with the one you love.
I went in the winter of 2010, stayed on St. Thomas but hit Trunk Bay on St. John’s – amazing beach & great for snorkeling. You’ll lot’s of the “one-horned butt fish” 😉