U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, December 1, 2011 – The Department of Tourism is proud to report that four of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ beaches have received the prestigious Blue Flag certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Blue Flags were raised today at Lindbergh Bay at the Emerald Beach Resort and Great Bay at The Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas; Trunk Bay on St. John and Pelican Cove at the Palms at Pelican Cove Beach Resort on St. Croix.

The exclusive Blue Flag eco-label is awarded to beaches and marinas worldwide that meet the program’s 32 criteria, which mandate standards for water quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management. As a result, guests of these four newly-flagged public beaches can rest assured that they will have easy access to information and services including: updated details on water quality, trash receptacles, guidelines on beach code-of-conduct, safety guidelines, signage displaying educational information about the beaches’ eco-systems, regularly cleaned bathroom facilities, lifesaving equipment, wheelchair access and facilities for the disabled.

“It’s no secret that St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are home to some of the most pristine beaches in the world,” said Commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “Today, we wave these Blue Flags as testaments to the outstanding quality of our beaches and the sanctuary they provide travelers around the world in search of an inimitable island escape.”

The Blue Flag certification is just one more reason why St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are appealing to the growing segment of eco-conscious travelers. Not only is the Territory home to the Virgin Islands National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, but it also offers award-winning eco-resort accommodations – most notably Maho Bay Camps and Estate Concordia Preserve – and a plethora of sustainable outdoor activities like snorkeling, diving, hiking, paddle-boarding, kite-surfing and kayaking.

About the Blue Flag Program

The Blue Flag is an International highly recognized eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a nongovernmental environmental organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE is represented by national organizations in each of the participating countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, New Zealand, North and South Africa. To learn more about the Blue Flag program in the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit www.blueflagusvi.org.

About the U.S. Virgin Islands

When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel—including on-line check-in—making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever.  As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Here, U.S. residents receive a $1600 duty-free allowance – the highest in the Caribbean. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/USVITourism) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/VisitUSVI).

From the Clean Water America Alliance newsletter

U.S. Rum Industry: Setting New Standards for Environmental Protection

The U.S. Virgin Islands’ government and Cruzan Rum, owned by the newest Alliance partner, Fortune Brands, have come together to form a public-private partnership to help set a new U.S. rum industry standard for environmental protection with the construction of a new Cruzan Rum wastewater treatment system. The new facility, on the island of St. Croix, comes as part of the U.S. Virgin Islands government’s 30-year partnerships with its rum makers to modernize the industry and set new standards for sustainable rum production.

The state-of-the-art Cruzan Rum wastewater treatment plant will prevent the release of 150,000 pounds oxygen-demanding organic material, which impairs water quality, into the ocean and will cut fresh water consumption by almost 40 percent per proof gallon of rum produced. A new fermentation and distillation process will use advanced scrubber technology to recover ethanol, lowering emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by more than 90 percent. Mechanical vapor recompression will evaporate excess water, recycle that vapor, compress it and reuse the water, increasing energy efficiency. U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. noted that through “the implementation of this modern production and filtration system we will finally see an end to the brown stain in the waters off of St. Croix.”

Picture 13The Virgin Islands government and Fortune Brands recognize the mutual benefits of collaborating to grow the Cruzan Rum brand; secure environmental and production benefits and significantly increase local government revenue that can be reinvested in economic development. The Alliance promotes these types of partnerships that achieve both environmental and economic benefits for local communities.

Good rum and a clean environment, I’ll drink to that.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

Christiansted, the capital of the Danish West Indies from 1755 to 1871, is one of two main towns on St. Croix. Located between a busy seaport and green hillsides, the town is well known for it’s many historic yellow buildings. The one square mile town of Christiansted offers you a unique opportunity to visit a historically important town as well as to partake in shopping and dining in a modern setting. Christiansted has maintained it’s Danish architectural richness and offers many buildings and structures of interest, like cobblestone walkways, old churches and imposing fort Christiansvaen.

The Christiansted historical area encompasses about 27 acres and is maintained by the United States National Park Service. It is located along the Christiansted waterfront and it includes what used to be a busy Danish business and trading center. It was once the area used to dock ships carrying human cargo, rum and molasses bound for the triangular trade route through the Caribbean to Europe and Africa. Christiansted is a very interesting town and well worth exploring. (From www.vinow.com)

The harborcam image that refreshes every 20 seconds or so. The Christiansted Harborcam is a streaming image, depending on your internet connection and ours! The Christiansted Harborcam is always on and is open to the public from the boardwalk location captured on the camera. Rum Runners is opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as a Sunday Brunch. The Rum Runners Deck Bar (where the camera is situated) is a cozy and welcoming bar on the water. So, grab something refreshing, and then get on your phone to tell friends and family back home you are waving to them – live – from St. Croix.

Over and out from somewhere south,
Have a great weekend.
RumShopRyan

Fine beaches, lush forests, historical landmarks, and a touch of Europe make a visit to St. Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands, a journey through land and time. The attitude of this island is fun-loving and welcoming to tourists, so start planning a jaunt in this direction if you feel like sampling the finest features that the Caribbean has to offer.

Eighty two square miles is a lot of ground to cover, so a little investigation into the sights and sounds of St. Croix will better allow you to do and see what you want while you’re here, while saving time for plenty of lounging on the beach, of course. History buffs, party animals, and nature lovers will all have several options, so prepare for endless entertainments to punctuate your vacation of variation.

To relive St. Croix’s past, a full tour of the island might be a good idea. Definitely make a stop at Estate St. George Botanical Garden, a fertile area of land that contains the ruins of a 19th century sugar cane plant, rum distillery, the worker’s buildings that accompany them, as well as a stone dam and watermill. Salt River is the place where Columbus first set foot on “Santa Cruz” in 1493 during his second voyage to the Caribbean. Finally, Whim Greathouse, which has been restored to its original glory after having been built over two hundred years ago, is where you’ll view the windmill, main house, and several other structures that help to define St. Croix’s image. A museum will help explain what you see and a gift shop will supply you with souvenirs.

The rainforests of St. Croix make for another eye-popping adventure. Though owned privately, several acres of land in the western part of the isle are accessible to the public and reveal clusters of mahogany trees, Tibet trees, and yellow cedars. Listen for the sounds of mountain doves and take a few moments to breathe in the fragrant, fruit-scented air. For a one-of-a-kind token of your trip, order a sculpture made from these very trees by the artists who work in the area. As you watch the woodcarvers in action and then commission them to create a piece of furniture to be sent to your home, you’ll know you’re doing something special.

Buck Island

For more traditional island pursuits, you’ll want to save plenty of time to hang out at the parks and beaches that sweeten the shores of St. Croix. Buck Island Reef is home to a National Monument; the only underwater park in the country. This expanse of terrain is filled with lovely beaches and plenty of recreational amenities like picnic tables and barbecue pits. Cramer Park is another choice that makes getting together for food, drink, and even dancing an easy choice. Live music is a regular occurrence on the weekends while the weekdays stay a bit quieter.

Christiansted Harbor

From the Danish-influenced towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted, which appreciators of architecture should definitely take note of, to the peaceful forests and beaches, St. Croix has what it takes to make a vacation memorable. By seeing the sights and allowing yourself to enjoy some downtime as well, the few days you spend here will be both enriching and relaxing, an unbeatable combination.

St Croix Carambola Resort

To fully take advantage of all that is here in St. Croix, it would be wise to consider renting a vacation home in order to ensure that your home base is a stress-free part of your getaway. A seaside villa that gives you goose bumps when you first lay eyes on it will serve as a good omen for the entire trip. Unpack your bags and settle in to the sound of the waves hitting the beach, and leave the windows open all night to watch the curtains sway with the gentle breeze.

If traveling with several people, vacation homes keep everyone happy by providing lots of space and entertainment options. This means no arguing over what channel to watch on TV (not that you’ll be doing too much of that) and no running out of clean towels. Small groups and couples will be equally well taken care of, as a number of cozy little casitas make for the possibility of a true escape from reality.

St. Croix is a heavenly place to spend a few days, so if the mood has struck, start planning a trip today. Go online to reserve the perfect St. Croix Vacation Rental for your needs, and let the island take it from there.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Caitlin_Moore

The American Caribbean, the US Virgin Islands are diamonds among the blue waves. This week let’s focus on St. Croix, located about 40 miles south of St. Thomas, it seems to be left out at times. The spot light is now on you STX!

I love stories about people who decided to break the social norms and live a different life. This story by Gary Pierce and his wife did just that. The island hopped the Caribbean and lived on their sailboat. The kind of life that many fantasize about but think they can never pull it off.

If it’s something you want to do, quit making excuses and pull the trigger.  Life is too short. Get out there and live your dreams.

Living in St Croix

We experienced living in St Croix for 3 years. We loved every moment of it. You should have seen the view we had…of course we were anchored in Christiansted harbor. We were living on a sailboat.

How did we get ashore, simple we had a dinghy that got us from the boat to the shore. After the first year we bought an island car, a Honda that served us well. It took some getting used to driving on the left (or wrong) side of the street. When the US bought the Virgin Islands in 1917 from Denmark, they were driving that way…and folks I want to be far, far away if they ever decide to make the switch.

St Croix is the largest of the Virgin Islands and is a US territory…like Guam. What that means is you cannot vote for President, but you pay US taxes, and have all the rights and protection afforded US citizens living in the 50 states.

It is 28 miles by 7 miles;   you can easily drive all over the island in a day, making stops for shopping, eating, etc. But there is no rush; the locals sure are not in a hurry. You will find the locals warm and friendly with tourism a big part of the local economy.

Cruise ships call on St Croix. The cruise ship dock is in Frederiksted,the second largest city on St Croix. We enjoyed sharing stories with cruise ship passengers who were floored that we were living in St Croix. Hey it sure worked for us living on a sailboat 200 yards from the harbor walk. Restaurants, shops and all the historical sites within easy walking distance.

The church we attended was downtown, 2 blocks from the dinghy dock. The church was first built in 1740 and improved in 1834. It was complete with a governor’s box, marble floors and a beautiful mahogany altar. We enjoyed it and spent many a Sunday afternoon as guests of locals who attended church and lived there all year. We came to the mainland in the summer, hurricane season.

The climate is very nice year round, 80 during the day and 70 at night. The only heavy coat I saw in St Croix was in the freezer section of the big grocery store on island.

At close to 18 degrees north latitude we knew what Jimmy Buffett meant by changes in latitude changes in attitude. We enjoyed living in St Croix, you will too. Enjoy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_P_Pierce

The Christiansted Harborcam is always on and is open to the public from the boardwalk location captured on the camera. The Rum Runners Deck Bar (where the camera is situated) is a casual and welcoming bar on the waterfront. So, grab a cold rum runner or frosty beer, and then get on your phone to tell friends and family back home you are waving to them – live – from St. Croix! I think that will make the just a tad bit envious. What do you think?

Cheers to the Salt Life,

RumShopRyan