Re-connecting with Nature in the Virgin Islands

Originally Published:  June 2010

When the plane landed at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas this past April, I was too focused on the job at hand to get excited like I usually do when my husband and I are hanging out alone in the Caribbean. I didn't gaze out of the window of the 747 and catch my breath at the sight of the unbelievably beautiful sea that - on a whim - changes from turquoise to sky blue to emerald green (and back again) nor did I change into my swimsuit in the tiny airplane bathroom so I could immediately jump into that same delicious and ever-changing sea. Instead, my focus was on the 9 adolescent girls I had in my care, 8 of whom had traveled as a group all the way from California (and 1 we picked up in Boston) to spend 10 days on the island of St. John at Cinnamon Bay in the US Virgin Islands National Park. With one more Adventurer to pick up at the local craft market in Charlotte Amalie, the 10 girls plus my staff of two still had to make our way - by ferry - to St. John, one of three main islands in the United States Virgin Islands and then by open air taxi to Cinnamon Bay, our home away from home.

With their eyes wide open and with adolescent excitement mixed in with the Caribbean air ("Are we there yet?!"), it wasn't until we had all loaded onto the ferry and were well into the 45 minute boat ride that I actually started to relax and take in my surroundings. The smell of the salty sea, the low but noticeable humidity, the lone bird gliding along with the ferry, and the view of St. John in the distance. We're almost there, I thought. We're almost home. After arriving at the Cruz Bay ferry dock and taking a quick look around town – a great place to pick up souvenirs and enjoy a fine meal, by the way – we took a short open air taxi ride on a single lane winding road to Cinnamon Bay, one of several bays on the island, but one of only two campgrounds (the other is Maho Bay). After checking in, we made way to our accommodations and I finally exhaled. I was back at Cinnamon Bay and Part Two of the adventure was about to begin.

The Virgin Islands National Park - covering approximately 60% of the island of St. John - is the ideal place to explore with family, friends and groups to reconnect with nature. There is no doubt that it could easily be confused with paradise. With over 12,500 acres of tropical flora and fauna (5,000 acres of which was donated by the Rockefellers in 1956) on St. John, the park contains subtropical forests, mountains, white sand beaches, coral reefs, magnificent sea life, over 20 miles of trails and hiking, and many ruins and other historical sites of great archaeological interest. Cinnamon Bay not only boasts a calm coastline, but it has its own archaeological dig site where artifacts from the past “are still being explored and unearthed.” And while I remember every single minute of every single day that we were on our adventure, our visit to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins was one trip that stood out.

After listening to all of my little city-fied girls complain endlessly about walking up a 10 foot slope (“It’s too hot,” “Can’t we drive?” “I need more water,” etc.), I very calmly reminded them of where they were and how the slaves that worked on the plantation didn’t have sunscreen, sun visors, water, shoes, or open air taxis to take them from one place to another. If the slaves complained, there were likely repercussions. Clearly, the message was received, as they were silent for the rest of the day. I was proud of them, though. Nothing beats experiential learning. Taking meaning direct from experience is what travel and realigning with nature is all about. If you’ve never ventured into the Virgin Islands National Park and you want to experience a different type of vacation (think eco) without 5 star accommodations or maid service, I highly recommend Cinnamon Bay. You can choose from tents or cottages, there's a good restaurant, a general store, a water sports shack and a beach store where you can rent snorkel gear.

And if it’s spring and you see a group of screaming-meemy girls having a great time, please be sure to come on over and say hello. You'll know who we are by the smiles on our faces.