St. John

Tuesday, December 3rd
Seabourn Sojourn
Cruz Bay
St. John, USVI
Arriving:  7:00 AM
Departing:  3:00 PM
Partly Sunny with Showers - 84 Degrees

Yesterday, we were in the town of St. Johns on the island of Antigua.  Today, we are in the town of Cruz Bay on the island of St. John.

St. John is the smallest, the most beautiful, and the most natural, of the three US Virgin Islands of the Lesser Antilles.  The United States bought the islands, St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix, during World War I for $25,000,000.  The islanders were granted the vote in 1936, and greater independence in 1954.  St. John has remained pristine and largely undeveloped thanks to Laurance Rockefeller who donated 56% of the landmass of the island, and most offshore rights as well, to create Virgin Islands National Park in 1956.

In addition to, and within the boundaries of, the national park, Laurance Rockefeller's other legacy is the Caneel Bay Resort.  Built on and around the ruins of a nineteenth-century sugar plantation, Caneel Bay has been host to "celebrities, politicians, and industrialists."

"Set on a 170-acre peninsula amid the lush beauty of the Virgin Islands National Park and seven picturesque beaches, Caneel Bay is a breathtaking destination on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Discovered by Laurance Rockefeller while sailing with the Rockefeller family, this Caribbean hideaway is accessible only by boat or ferry and its beaches are widely considered to be among the best in the world. A steadfast environmentalist and preservationist, Laurance Rockefeller was dedicated to creating a destination that would live in harmony with its natural environment."

Trunk Bay is the most famous and photographed beach on the island, the national park has twenty hiking trails, and Annaberg is the more famous and visited sugar plantation, but there is no better place to resort and relax than Caneel Bay, as Greta Garbo did whenever she wanted to be alone.  With 170 acres, there is plenty of room.

Next Stop:  Isla Catalina