"Caribbean Splash" was the lead story in the Sunday Washington Post travel section, featuring all three Virgin Islands in words and photos that come like a breath of fresh (Caribbean) air.
Following a recent complimentary feature in the New York Times travel section, it looks like the territory is getting some sorely needed exposure in the frosty Northeast right where and when it still counts.
Describing the V.I. as an "odd blend of Caribbean culture and domestic familiarity," the articles were written by Carolyn Spencer Brown, who zeroes in on the spirit of each island without ignoring obvious problems.
To get to the really good part, though, Brown says, "In the end what really made the V.I. special for me – so special it was wrenching to return home – was the genuine friendliness I encountered. Everywhere."
"People in St. Croix look at St. Thomas and St. John as almost different countries," Brown heard, and bearing this in mind, set out for the big island.
Her travels in St. Croix, commencing with a seaplane trip from St. Thomas, took her, it would appear, to every leaf of the rainforest and every out-of-the-way little rest stop in between. Along, of course, with some of the more notable tourist attractions.
However, Brown seemed more interested in the feel of St. Croix than, say, a trip to Buck Island. She mentions a woman she met on St. Thomas, a 30-year resident, who had never been to St. Croix. It has simply never occurred to her. She noted the feeling of "detachment" she found in the Cruzans as opposed to their island neighbors.
She was quite taken with the beachfront bar Off the Wall, where she observed "tourists drinking their white zinfandel, and the local guys "slamming back Budweiser." And she spent time at Boz's up the road, as well, getting to know local folk. She said at sunset she felt "not just a long way from home, but from the other Virgins as well."
The disparity in the numbers of cruise ship calls between the islands didn't escape Brown's notice, nor the current economic condition of St. Croix. She mentioned the Divi Resort, noting the boost it is anticipated to bring to the island.
Brown devoted a lot of space to the island's history, from Christopher Columbus to Fountain Valley. She quotes Jacquie Hoare-Ward, innkeeper at the Hilty House Inn B&B. "This happened almost 30 years ago. It's amazing people still bring it up," Hoare-Ward said, summing up the opinion of most Cruzans.
Brown mentions Fredericksted and Christiansted, noting their uniqueness and history. "There are two real towns to explore," she writes, "not villages with soulless shopping bazaars, [but] with genuine historic character."
She concludes on a positive note — in fact, the whole article is positive – "the V.I. offers familiar comforts with just enough spice to make you feel far enough from home to forget about it for a while."
The story is currently on www.msnbc.com – Living & Travel section.
