Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

A case of asymmetric aesthetics: Home builders have crept up the slope to gain oversight of the harbor. Their views have improved. Boat owners have anchored in a harbor ringed by lush, forest-covered slopes. Their views have deteriorated as trees succumb to houses. Fast forward to see how many more houses degrade the viewshed from the water. [2014]

Cinnamon Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

St. John is just one of the Virgin Islands. It is one of the American Virgins. But there are also two other groups of Virgins: the British Virgins to the east and the so-called Spanish Virgins to the west. But the Spanish Virgins are part of Puerto Rico. All are part of the Greater Antilles, even though none of them are greater, in size at least. [2014]

Cinnamon Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Here is some widely touted advice for landscape photographers: Look for a frame to put around your subjects. Here, driftwood fits the bill. It focuses attention on the activities at sea and adds depth to the tableau. [2014]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hope you didn't take down your crèche the day after Christmas. The wise men did not arrive until January 6, which we call Three Kings' Day or Epiphany. Seems like today should really be the day of gift giving. Christmastide ended last evening, so it is now permissible to send the magi back to your attic for another year. [2014]

Cinnamon Bay Plantation, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Look at what is left of Cinnamon Bay Plantation, which was originally established by the Danes in 1717 with the labor of enslaved Africans. What was produced here? Sugar for the European market. Today, the ruins are part of the Virgin Islands National Park. [2014]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Sixty percent of St. John is protected by the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. Views like this should make us thankful for that protection. Otherwise, the whole island would be plagued by waterfront development and elite villas claiming every hillside. Speaking of plagues: Two hit St. John in 2017. One was named Irma and the other Maria. [2014]

Red Hook, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

There are two public high schools on the island of St. Thomas, and one is located here in Red Hook. When the day ends, students use the island's safaris to make their way home. Do you know what a 'safari' is? [2014]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

There are no cruise ships at Cruz Bay. They use the facilities on the neighboring island of St. Thomas. Here on St. John, you can have a true vacation: relaxing, quiet, colorful. [2014]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

How do you explain the staying power of punk rock? Bad Religion recorded its first album in 1989 and had its biggest hit in 2013 by appealing to a whole new generation. Can't tell you what the name of its top-selling single was, but this dude must have liked it. Can't tell you, but you could always look it up. [2014]

Salomon Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

How do you get to Salomon Bay? You either come by boat or hike about a mile through the tropical scrub forest. Needless to say, it's one of the underpopulated places on St. John. [2014]

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

The day begins when the cruise ships disgorge thousands of richlings onto the streets of Charlotte Amalie. Most head to the jewelry souk; a few board 'safaris' to see the rest of the island. The luxury liners are far too big to find a berth here on the old waterfront, so passengers are bused in from the island's two mega-terminals. [2013]

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

What's the largest cruise port in the Caribbean?  Charlotte Amalie. The city has invested in two huge terminals: one at the West Indian Company Docks and another at Crown Bay. Tally up arrivals for high-season January, and you might find almost a hundred ships coming and going. [2014]

Red Hook, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Red Hook is on the East End of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Pillsbury Sound lies beyond. Ferry connections are available to Charlotte Amalie, St. John, and Tortola. That's a lot of place names, but hearing each one is like receiving an invitation to explore. [2014]

Cinnamon Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Cinnamon Bay offers a captivating natural landscape, and there's just enough activity to make it an interesting human landscape as well. In fact, humanity and nature mesh quite nicely. Even the colors of the windsurf boards and sea kayaks are coordinated with their natural surroundings. [2014]

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

A shadow just doubles the aesthetic effect of a faux gas lamp. Design your night lights well for they may help brighten up the daylight hours too. Any evidence this lamp has roots in 19th century Danish design? [2014]

Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

In the middle of the plaza in Cruz Bay, a monument to freedom marks the 150^th anniversary celebration of emancipation. The boys at the foot of the monument, though, celebrate a different kind of freedom: the freedom offered by free WiFi. [2014]

Cinnamon Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin islands

The waters of Cinnamon Bay are so calm that paddle boarding is one of the most popular sports. It's a gentle way to spend the day and fits laid-back Caribbean culture perfectly. [2014]

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands are America's paradise in the Caribbean. We bought them from the Danes in 1917, and made them a part of the Anglophone world. The place-names, though, harken back to Danish history. The capital of Charlotte Amalie was named after King Christian V’s queen consort. [2014]