THE ROCK IS FORMED The U.S. Virgin Islands, known as “America’s Paradise” has a long, complicated and quite interesting history. Geologists believe that 100 million years ago, the earth’s crust (tectonic plates) began shifting enough to cause the eruption of the volcano that created St. Thomas. Once the lava cooled (about 22 million years ago) […]
The idea has been around forever… the best way to understand a culture and its people is through the local food. That’s the point of the island’s original cultural, walking tour, St. Thomas Food Tours. About the Tour The two and a half hour stroll through the gorgeous warehouse passageways of Charlotte Amalie’s historic district […]
I’m constantly amazed that visitors to St. Thomas are so surprised by the unique and reliably delicious cuisine served on this “rock”. St. Thomas has been hosting travelers and vacationers for hundreds of years. It was a dependable inn at sea for explorers, the refuge for weary seamen, a natural stop-off for inter-island travelers and […]
This is really a story about how we come to call a place home. It is also a story about a day when an ill conceived dinghy rodeo took place in Coral Bay. It was one of those days that everything went so upside down that it left me wondering where in the world I had […]
The Virgin Islands is a paradise not only full of beauty but also an alluring history. Just below the surface of our ever changing sand and unbelievably blue waters is the story of square riggers battling for their crown, pirates trading goods and hiding in the protection of promises made by corrupt governors of St. […]
Native St. Thomian DaraMonifah Cooper is one of the bright stars of the Virgin Islands art world. An artist of many talents, she is also major community organizer and educator who dedicates herself to working with St. Thomas’ youth and teaches them about their culture through music, art, performance arts, and engaging in technology through […]
St. John, US Virgin Islands, affectionately nicknamed “Love City,” is the scene for some of the most fantastic Festival revelry in the Caribbean. The St. John Festival is a month-long celebration that kicks off energetically with live music and performances and ramps up to an awe-inspiring fireworks display in the Cruz Bay harbor on the […]
Rum is very much a part of Caribbean drinks culture. This is the home of rum and where some of the world’s best are made. So you probably won’t be surprised to find out that the Virgin Islands are home to more than a few excellent rum distilleries. Rum drinkers should definitely add the Virgin […]
Every year Carnival has a theme and 2017 celebrates our Centennial anniversary when the Virgin Islands officially became a part of the United States. St. Thomas is home to one of the largest festivals in the whole Caribbean and features food, games, music, and entertainment for people of all ages. It is an annual highlight […]
Last year I wrote an article about the unavailability of fresh produce in the Virgin Islands. The story went viral with over 17,000 people reading the blog and 2,500 sharing it on social media. Although my readership was greatly increased, which was a positive outcome, I was in for a rude awakening. The backlash was […]
Coral Bay’s motto is “Successfully avoiding progress since forever!” and they mean it. Welcome to a small corner of the world where folks would die for one another, yet they don’t know each other’s real names because everyone goes by a nickname. Coral Bay will have you wondering where the conveniences are hidden. They certainly […]
In an age of unlimited streaming movies, music and video games, how do we convince the next generation that folk ways have value and beauty? When any product we dream of is mass produced, available and affordable, why keep oral storytelling, boat building, basketry, herb lore, woodwork and sewing alive? These questions can be answered […]
If visiting the Virgin Islands has been on your to-do list, this is definitely the year to do it. 2017 marks the one hundred year anniversary of the Virgin Islands transfer from Denmark to the United States. There are dozens of fantastic events scheduled throughout 2017 to celebrate our rich yet complex cultural heritage – […]
Close to two thousand Caribbean writers have registered for the upcoming National Novel Writing Month 2016 (NaNoWriMo). Beginning November 1st, seasoned and green authors alike will dare to write 50,000 words in one short month. (That’s 1666 words per day.) Started in 1999, this personal challenge has grown from a handful of writers (21 the […]
