Traveling There: Flights connect from the United States to St. Croix's Alexander Hamilton Airport on American Airlines, routing through Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Flights between St. Croix and St. Thomas, the most populated U.S. Virgin Island, are also available on American. Other airlines that fly from the U.S. to St. Thomas include Delta and Continental. The Web links and phone numbers for these airlines are available at this magazine's Airlines page. Note that St. Croix time is one hour earlier than Eastern Standard Time. During Daylight Savings Time, St. Croix time equals the Atlantic Coast's EDT. Vacationers planning to stay at the Hibiscus Hotel can take a taxi for the 30-minute ride to the lodge. A car rental is suggested for island explorations and additional options for dining. Cars are available directly at the airport from Avis, Budget, and Hertz. Web links and phone numbers are available at this magazine's Autos page. A lower cost recommendation, with optional airport or hotel pick-ups is the local car rental agency, Olympic-Ace in the major town, Christiansted (phone 888-878-4227 from the U.S., or, locally, 340/773-8000). Drive defensively on St. Croix, minimize nighttime driving, and watch for potholes when off of the major roads.

Staying There:
The U.S. Virgin Islands are less than 100 miles east of Puerto Rico. St. Croix is the largest island and provides good variety for exploration: miles of coastline and beaches, the barrier reef, Buck Island Reef National Monumnet, just off-shore, the historic towns of historic Christiansted and Fredriksted, and the sites along the Heritage Trail, an island circuit that includes early Danish sugar plantations, Salt River Bay where Columbus landed in 1493, and the Cruzan Rum Factory. Our recommended guide book is Frommer's Caribbean 2004, with its excellent suggestions for restaurants and how to best explore and adventure the island. The best time to visit is November through May, when the average daily highs are in the low-mid 80 ºF range. Trade winds generally keep the island weather comfortable.

We found the option of staying at the Hibiscus Hotel provided a perfect balance of luxury, beach or pool lounging and good food (continental breakfast provided and tasty restaurant fare for lunch and dinner). The hotel is only a ten-minute drive from beautifully histoic Christiansted town, and a thirty-minute drive from exciting northern shore destinations such as Salt River Bay and Cane Bay Beach which provide great snorkeling, diving, and kayaking possibilities.

Although the U.S. Virgin Islands are part of the United States, U.S. visitors must have their passports for expeditious handling of security checks at the airport. Note that St. Croix residents pay U.S. taxes (which are used directly in the islands), but they do not have the right to vote in national elections. The currency is the U.S. Dollar and credit cards are accepted by almost all commercial establishments. To telephone St. Croix from North America, dial the area code, 340, followed by the local 7-digit phone number.

Useful WWW Sites:
Lonely Planet British Virgin Islands
VirginIslands.net
VirginIslandGuide.com
GoToStCroix.com
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism Guide
Hibiscus Hotel
Mile Mark Watersports
Caribbean Adventure Tours (kayak tours)
Sweeney's St. Croix Safari Phone: 800-524-2026, 340-773-6700

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