ScenicBoys

Virgin Islands - Montage Finale

And at last we present the finale to our Virgin Islands adventure!

ScenicBoys: Virgin Islands from scenicboys on Vimeo.

We began the last portion of this trip by driving north from our Eco-tent at Concordia to the Brown Bay Trail on the north shore of St. John.  We parked just east of Hermitage and hiked about a mile out to Brown Bay - on the lookout for some well preserved ruins.  This site (rumored to be haunted by the plantation era family who once lived there) was the site of the first slave uprising in the Caribbean Islands.

We poked around this area for quite a while, admiring the coral masonry and scattered shards of glass and fine china dishes.  Dusty found a small porcelain figurine head near one of the larger rooms.  Though tempted to keep this amazing discovery, leaving it behind was the right thing to do.

later that evening we drove back out to Lameshur and climbed along some boulders until we found a gorgeous spot to enjoy the fleeting sunset.  The colors of the sky were spectacular and the lighting was just perfect.  It was a toss-up whether we should sit and admire the view, or snap pictures of everything around us.

We managed to do both. :)

The rest of our time on St. John was spent exploring the island's interior and visiting as many beaches as we could swim, hike, or drive to.  A true gem of the Caribbean, this island will hold a special place in our hearts for a long time to come.

Virgin Islands - Part 3

By the 4th day of our trip, we were well aquatinted with St John and its roads and beaches. Everyday we wanted to see something new and even though it's a relatively small island (less than 20 square miles), it was very easy to explore a new beach or new trail everyday. 

ScenicBoys: Virgin Islands - Part 3 from scenicboys on Vimeo.

The location of Conordia (our "tree house" hotel) couldn't have been in a more convenient spot. A mile drive along the southern coastline and we were at a hub for most of the islands interior trails. With our Caribbean field guide, St. John trails map and plenty of water, we set out on an afternoon hike into the Virgin Islands National Park.

200 years ago this island was home to wealthy sugar cane plantation owners and the thousands of slaves brought here to work them. Skeletons of these once prospering mansions and mills still remain throughout the island, but now only offer a glimpse into the powers that use to thrive here. 

The stunning Great House ruins top a hill that overlooks the jungle between it and Reef Bay. A peek inside the house reveled colorful paint still adorning the arches  and ceilings.

Continuing down the hill toward the ocean, the trail was flanked by long stone fences that marked boundaries of the sugar cane fields. It wasn't hard to picture scenes of men and women working in these fields, while the owner looked down from the hilltop mansion. 

At the end of the trail was the steam mill where the sugar was processed. A bat colony is currently inhabiting this large structure and it was quite fascinating to see these creatures hanging from the roof. Thankfully they slept through our brief visit.

After a visit to the petrogliphs and a few lonely beaches, we got back to the jeep and made our way to the more populated northern coast. 

Cinnamon Bay is one of the longest and most beautiful white sand beaches in the Caribbean. There was a gathering of young locals playing vollyball and enjoying the water. We admired the cute boys for a bit, then continued down the beach to a more secluded spot to go snorkeling.

Our day came to an end while watching an amazing Caribbean sunset, while we lounged au natural on our patio, eating homemade fish tacos. A perfect ending to a perfect day of fun.