May 14, 2006 – St. Thomians may have seen a new face – a wild-haired fellow in a rickety red jeep – in St. Thomas stores in recent months. This fun-loving character is the logo for an audio CD that directs one on their very own private tour of St. Thomas. What is the name of this tour? "Drive the Virgins."
Slip the CD into your own car and let it guide you over 30 miles of the most picturesque mountain roads in the Virgin Islands.
"Drive the Virgins" leads tourists and locals alike to prime photo locations and unspoiled beaches in the privacy of your own car, all without need for a map.
Produced by Sarah Hancock, "Drive the Virgins" is set to a background of island music performed by local musician Malverne Gumbs. The audio tour provides interesting facts about how the Virgin Islands were formed. It embraces the visitor with facts on the territory's diverse culture, the origin of Carnival, and how to discover our Danish cemetery tucked deep in the heart of Charlotte Amalie.
Hancock got the idea from a basement version on a cassette tape she heard abroad 5 years ago. "I knew I would produce my own tour some day so our visitors could learn about our beautiful island. But raising 3 children of my own and teaching 5 hearing-impaired children for 13 years, I just held tight to my dream of producing the tour. I wanted to do it the right
way!"
Hancock and her husband moved to the Virgin Islands in 1984. Together, they took Caribbean History at the College of the Virgin Islands and were enlightened about the mystique of the islands. Fascinating facts of the Virgin Islands kept presenting themselves in the years that followed, and Hancock continued to educate herself. After months of compiling her research, she began writing the narrative for this two-hour CD.
The research was easy in comparison to what came next. Sarah spent numerous hours and days on the road clicking her stopwatch and taking detailed notes on critical landmarks. Timing was the key. And then after a year, it was time to put it all together. The results are remarkable.
"Drive the Virgins" is a professional work that appeals to both visitors and to locals. The finished product has an eight-page foldout cover taken by renowned photographer Don Hebert. It was produced to help our travelling guests maneuver these sometimes puzzling roads, but has become a popular sell with locals who want to venture out or even pass it on to their guests who come down to the islands.
Hancock's's most recent endeavor in her new business is her Web site, which gives curious buyers a taste of what is available on the CD.
Priced under $20, Drive the Virgins is sold at some hotels, gift shops, Texaco Tutu and Red Hook's Chelsea Drug Store.
For more information contact hancock via e-mail.
