With winter well under way in Albuquerque and more snow on the way, I find myself wishing I was back in the Caribbean, soaking up the sun. When my wife and I took our new baby to St. Thomas to meet his grandparents for the first time a couple of years ago, it was a perfect escape from the winter blues.
Looking south over Charlotte Amalie into Long Bay. Hassel Island in the center, Water Island to the right.
The Virgin Islands are split between the US and Great Britain, with the main US islands being St Thomas, St. John and St Croix, with a plethora of smaller islands dotting the surrounding waters. While St. Croix is a good distance off from the others, just visible on the southern horizon, most of the islands (including the British ones) lie quite close to each other.
Hans Lollik Island in foreground, British Virgin Islands Little and Greater Tobago out to the right.
It seems that every direction you look presents a view of small and in some cases uninhabited little islands. Some require your own boat to get there, but several are accessible by ferry. One of these is Water Island, separated from the port at Charlotte Amalie by a narrow channel, and a perfect day trip if you are staying on St. Thomas.