Just to tie in with this last comment about the beachside bars serving as community centers. We loved Skinny Legs and we made several trips out to Coral Bay to hang out with Moe and have a cheeseburger. It's a whole different vibe out there. Everyone knew each other and it was mostly locals, a very laid back place...

Having been there a couple of times, I can't disagree with the article about STT. But we've all lived or visited somewhere that's had it's problems and still enjoyed going there. And you can hate a good place too. Don't want to minimize the problems, but at least when you're caught in traffic on STT, you are caught on a island in the Carribean, most likely on your way to some place NICE, and can see the ocean round every turn. Would enjoy that today as a matter of fact!

"The top island in the Caribbean was Dominica..."

One must wonder at the island features used to determine the top island. Dominica doesn't have much in the way of beaches and the few they do have are mostly rocky, black/gray sand. Most vacationers in the Caribbean expect better beaches than those on Dominica and for most tourists, swimming in rivers and enjoying locally grown produce can't compensate for the lack of beautiful beaches.

please read the entire article ... it's islands, not just in the Caribbean, and their sustainable tourism features and how they are managing the evnironment, the culture, climate change, and the tourist overkill (their word) - not beaches, not retaurants and "favorite" destinations - and the fact that people don't go in huge numbers to those islands that don't offer beaches, etc. is exactly what is "saving" them. It states, "Tourism is a phenomenon that can cook your food or burn your house down. In other words, we all risk destroying the very places that we love the most."

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html

"The results show that beach-blessed islands draw sun-and-sand resort tourism development that can get out of hand quickly, although there are exceptions. Multiple cruise-ship crowds can also overwhelm an island, transforming it.

No surprise, then, that cloudy, beach-poor islands score well. Yet even these cooler islands are sometimes losing traditional families to soaring real estate prices.

All the islands that follow, even the lowest scoring, have great experiences to discover. To protect them, to restore them, we must value them as much as resort developers and cruise companies do. Even more."

Article writtin in the the VI Source it couldn't have been said any better.

APPLES AND ORANGES

Dear Source:

I am writing this letter because I believe that St. Thomas's identity has been misunderstood by National Geographic Traveler Magazine and by those who contributed to its St. Thomas rating.
St. Thomas happens to possess one of this region's finest seaports. Because of that fact, St. Thomas was destined to have a lively and raucous history, a great historic district – I understand ours is one of the largest intact historic districts under the American flag, and a lively and beautiful present.
Yes, we have cruise ships arriving at breakfast time and leaving at or shortly after sunset every day in season and most days off-season. In season, we often have several in port at one time, (although I have never seen 10, occasionally there are seven). From my perspective, as I make breakfast on our gallery overlooking the harbor, there is nothing more beautiful than the great silent boats gliding in, the sun hitting only their easterly flanks, ushered carefully in by the tiny pilot boats and coast guard cutters. Even though these boats are modern and big they do not look out of place in this setting of red roofs, shutters, white walls, step streets and turquoise waters of this old harbor town. I have been making breakfast in this spot since 1993.
As the harbor wakes up, I can see traffic on Veterans Drive snaking along the water's edge. First are the trucks of construction workers and delivery men, then folks bringing kids to school and going to the office or the legislature, and the workers in the downtown shops and vendors plaza setting up their wares. In Frenchtown, the fishermen have returned at dawn with their fresh catch sold there and in Market Square and in Hospital Ground. The newspaper hawkers have been up and at it from the start keeping everybody posted on goings on in this community and the world.
Meanwhile the day is underway. Ferry boats are coming in and out of the harbor from St. John and Tortola; the sea planes are landing and taking off for San Juan and St. Croix; day sailors are heading out; and, in season, the crews of mega-yachts moored directly on the harbor apron are polishing and provisioning their gleaming charges. Downtown is full of hustle and bustle on foot – probably it always has been this way. However, if you get off the shopping drag and take a historical tour, guided or not, you will see some great Danish tropical architecture, cool step streets, hidden courtyards, hidden views, lush trees and flowers, much magic in the old town.
The harbor is again the focal point as the day draws to a close. As the shops close, the cruise shippers go back on board, the commuters gradually clear the street, and quiet descends on Charlotte Amalie. On the Western side of the harbor, Frenchtown, Hassel Island, East Gregorie Channel, Water Island and Elephant Bay with its sailboats at anchor join sky and sea to provide the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Harbor lights come twinkling on. The cruise ships are all lit up and look like big white wedding cakes as they silently pull away from the dock towards the open seas, one by one; the little pilot boats and coast guard cutters giving them a safe send off and then zipping home themselves.
This community is tremendously diverse and has always been so. There were the days of the pirates, then the days of the slave traders, the colonizers and the freed black community, then the days as re-coaling port for the great steam ships, then the transfer to the US and its military administration and its popularizing of recreational scuba diving, to finally, the modern age of tourism and district and territorial governance. During all these eras there were people of all races, creeds and colors, just as in the rest of the world's great seaports. St. Thomas today is an amazing melting pot. One third of St. Thomas' population is foreign born and almost all of these are from the other Caribbean islands. St. Thomas is only about 10% white, and not all of these are Americans. Two hundred years ago, there was a major in-migration of French from the island of St. Barts. And there are still descendents of original Danish and Dutch colonists. The island's culture today is a rich blend of people from the Virgin Islands - our proud hosts, and people from Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Tortola, St. Martin, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and from other Caribbean islands, as well as African American and white American transplants.
Of course St. Thomas is more than a port. It is a beautiful island of white sand beaches, uninhabited off shore keys and mountains sweeping down to the turquoise sea. It was inevitable that it would be developed for tourism early and greatly, with such easy access provided by seaport and airport and a ready market of Americans ready to travel. It has its pristine areas, but it is not an eco-tourism destination. It is, however, proud to support St. John's ecotourism environment by enabling people to live and visit on St. John. It does so by receiving and shipping goods, foodstuffs and building materials, by providing air access via airport and seaplane, by providing the district hospital that serves St. John and administers St. John's community health center, and by providing much of the labor that commutes to St. John every day to do the work of tourism and construction there. St. Thomas also hosts retail outlets of food and household goods that St. John depends upon and that St. John residents take the barge over to go to - Cost U Less, Home Deport, PriceMart and Kmart to name a few big ones. This modern commercial activity may not be pretty, but it is well zoned and it sure enhances survival for us all.
Can St. Thomas improve? You bet! And for the wake up call factor alone, I almost didn't write this letter. But the reality is the National Geographic Traveler article was comparing apples and oranges when it included St. Thomas with eco-tourism islands. I would like to see us compared with other great historical port islands to see if the extras we have to offer in our beautiful resorts, in our opportunities to enjoy sand and sea, in our wonderful cultural tapestry, in the sheer loveliness of the surroundings doesn't just put us right at the top of the list.
With good will to all islands everywhere.

Pam Eckstein
St. Thomas

Love it! Very well written!
Thanx for sharing!

You know, One port does not an Island make. Sure CA is touristy. Same could be said for Cruz Bay on STJ, to a lesser extent of course but it's certainly not the National Park everyone loves either. What do ya expect. We happen to enjoy both and accept what they have to offer. If you don't like all the people or activity then don't go to Town. We happen to love STT for all it's wonderful people , awesome sights, sounds and natural beauty. IMHO, to hell with national geographic. Like their some sort of renowned experts on Island life. When did they enter the judgemental field anyway. I always thought they were about Discovery and History. Take it to heart if you like and stay away, but Oh what a wonder you will be missing. Folks should spend some time truly discovering these Island jems and not just walk down Veterans Drive at prime time or drive past a back street "low rent district ' if you will, before painting everyone and every thing on the Island with the same broad stroke. It just ain't right..

Another great reponse to National Geographic Traveler Article

Shame on National Geographic Traveler
by Courtney Jackson
Dear Source:

Eckstein had it right when she said that you were comparing apples to oranges. In reading the article, you mentioned that some of your so-called experts were people well traveled and some that have lived in the islands for short periods. I wonder why it never crossed your professional minds to confer with transplants like Eckstein, and other individuals that have more than a cup of coffee stay in the islands. St. Thomas is not perfect, I do not believe anyone will argue that point, but it is also not very limited in amenities, scantly diverse, or potentially difficult in access as many of the other islands mentioned.

Let us not forget that St. Thomas is the major seaport in this area that not only feeds clothes and supplies the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, but a stopping point for goods and wares that feeds and clothes the entire Caribbean. I live in Louisiana, which is home to another major seaport city, in New Orleans. New Orleans is a great tourist destination as well, with the casinos, Bourbon Street and the French Quarters. Much like St. Thomas, the food and shopping is excellent as well, and the residents are a venerable melting pot from just about any place that you can name. If you are looking for a place to get away and relax away from crowds, tourists, and the hustle and bustle of a port city, then you need not go to New Orleans. This is a city that never sleeps, and this type city is the kind of place that is more comparable to St. Thomas. I do not know how many of your other islands can compare in this way to St. Thomas.

When outsiders that do not know the history of St. Thomas look at our island, they always seem to think it should be a place to get away from the influences of everyday life. I say, you need to wake up! St. Thomas is not a deserted island, or scantly populated piece of land out in the ocean. It is a living, breathing, proud, hardworking, and bustling port city with a population that rivals many cities in the U.S. mainland. This distinction brings all of the same influences and issues that you would find in any busy port city. Therefore, National Geographic Traveler, and anyone else seeking to visit, evaluate or relocate to the St. Thomas, should really do their homework, and understand truly the type of community that they will be entering when they come to St. Thomas.

In addition, I would tell you to interview leaders in the community of these islands and any other island in your survey, along with transplants and business leaders. You may get a more balanced assessment of the area in this approach. Furthermore, I would tell you to read Pam Eckstein's letter in response to your rating, then tell us how much of that information was known by your professionals and or shared by your writers.

National Travelers such as you should never miss the boat this badly.

Courtney Jackson
Baton Rouge, La.

I didn't say it before but each time I read a post defending St. Thomas they are spot on about it being a great diverse destination in the Caribbean but not without its common and unique problems that many islands face. But the point of Nat'l Geographic was not to rate it as a destination, the hotels, the restuarants, the activities, but as a warning to her that her concerns and care of the environment, the culture and other aspects as a SUSTAINABLE destination should be monitored more closely. It was a shot across the bow. a wake up call that St. Thomas, and not St. Thomas alone, is being loved to death! There are islanders who are aware, very aware and are taking steps to adress the problems of pollution, air quality, noise, buiding codes, development, infrastructure and amenities that will entice more visitors to come and make it more pleasant when they do. My first visit - at least I still recognize the place unlike St. John that has taken on a whole new persona - was years ago when water was pristine and it was the ideal Caribbean get-a-way. And one cannot ignore the toll that hurricanes have taken on the island not just physically but people went elsewhere and found other "spots" and no one could control that! The planes became bigger, they flew further and faster and opened more opportunity for Caribbean travel to more remote spots as the flights got cheaper.
Times have changed, people have changed, travel has changed. the economy has changed. And most islands have changed but not with the caretaking that was necessary. The shopping used to compete with St. Martin with the high end shops and LeEscargot was world-class dining. Boxes and boxes of fine champaignes were delivered to cruise ships and women dressed - even in fur wraps - for dinner. (thank goodness that changed!) . Up until recently visitors still respected the local customs and didn't appear in the shops in swim clothes or half naked which I've noticed more and more of.
It's still a great island with wonderful beaches, great restaurants, and a great destination but if it wants to keep up with the neighbors it has some work to do - that's all they are saying. Of course we didn't like the article - I don't think we were supposed to but it was supposed to make someone take notice and maybe spur them to action. No one really wants to go to an island that is in disrepair with resorts closed or in disrepair , with air and water pollution, dead and dying coral because the cruise ship passenger - who spends very little on the island btw - is the ideal visitor as they arrive on floating city blocks for a few hours. Neither is a sustainable destination one that is overgrown with MacMansions with every toy imaginable popping up on every inch of land creating run-off and polution, destroying native trees, flowers and animal life with traffic jams and jeeps running around spewing tons of emissions into the air and water and stresssing the resources beyond capacity.
It doesn't have to be Disney - real people live and work there - it doesn't even have to be perfect - and it isn't, it wasn't and never will be Disney (thank goodness). But, it's not too late IF action is taken. I still consider it my second home and have wonderful memories of long ago and very recent and I have to admit that I've never really had a "bad" experience but I can laugh at the taxi drivers who want to take me back to the ship and almost go just to get them to stop asking incessently, (now I know I'm a visitor - they never used to ask!) I even exchange pleasantries with the hawkers when they entice me into the stores which I have no intention of going into. But there is problems and they have to be addressed - and some are tackling them - and let's hope that the next time the Nat'l Geographic comes to town, they won't come on a cruise and will see the rest of the island and the changes that have been made to make it even better for all of us - visitor and resident alike.
okay - now I'll get off the soap box - it's been bugging me and I feel better!
Happy T'day

Very well said, CShell. Under the new administration some sensible change has already started to come about and one can only hope that this very much-needed change for the better will continue. Cheers!

Rhea,
I completely agree with you. first of all, this is just one article in a magazine, and just because its written doesn't automatically mean its true. All magazines do their rankings, and the rankings are usually a complete bs. Its a way for them to increase circulation and advertising rates. There is really no way to rank different islands. Each island is special to different people for different reasons (everyone has their own opinions and that is how the world is). These types of rankings are always biased and subjective. Its like ranking beaches, that is completely impossible to do, yet, every travel publication ranks beaches on an annual basis.
STT is a developed island, and of course it has its share of problems with development, pollution, crime, lack of money to improve infrastructure and etc. Please show me a place that doesn't have any of these problems. Of the blue color local people I know, about 65% came from other islands (some illegally) to make a living and send money back to (Dominica), St Lucia and etc) to help their families. Yes, tourism and development can have a negative impact on environment, however, it does provide for a living for people who live on the island. This is called progress and with it comes the environmental price. I guess, some tourists, including the DreamConch, would prefer to see a really green island with no development, except for the one hotel where (s)he is staying and all the locals running around naked and starving. If cruise ships are so bad in pollution, what about the airplane that the DreamConch took to get to the island? I am sure it is not the greenest means of transportation. Why not get a small sailboat and use the wind power to sail from Kansas? Also, at home, do you bike to work on a bike made out of 100% recycled parts and that did not require any energy during the manufacturing process or tthat no energy and pollution was produced to ship it to the country from China or to the store? What I mean is that it is very easy to start complaining (which is what I am doing as well) and not to look at yourself.
STT is a great island, like all the other islands around. You cannot rank islands, like a lot of other things, and if you think that all the development is really so bad, please find a better way to employ people who live in the area. Its too easy to come here for one week a year and start complaining about high rise hotels, shopping and number of tourists. We live in the 21st century and this is what it is
thats it for me

Thanks srob
I have always wondered when I read some of these postings that talks about the development of STT. "Some" of these people who are complaining come from places where they have all of the modern amenities to make their lives better, but they always seems to have a problem with the level of development and progress that has taken place in STT. I sometimes wonder if they are that concern and proactive in their home communities concerning the environment and the rapid development that has taken place throughout the mainland where forest and wetland has been destroyed in the name of big business and housing development. I guess they think that we will look better in our grass skirts and Thatch roofs houses. This would be a great conversation piece when they return back to the mainland so that they can talk about the savages that lives in STT. In addition to how backward and third world the island is. We are Americans and we want all of the same opportunities that our country has to offer just like everyone on the mainland. Why do you think that the US has this huge problem with illegal immigration, it's because people are seeking a better way of life. This problem is not just limited to the mainland, it's also a huge problem in the VI. As said before, by no means is STT a Eco-tourist destination but that does not mean that the island is lacking in pristine areas. Some areas in STT are some of the most beautiful that I have seen. As I said before yes STT is not perfect and has plenty of room for improvements, but I would not change our way of life. Some of those islands that were rank very high on that " list", wish the had a 1/5 of the tourist that STT have. Tourism has provided a better life for the people of the Virgin Islands and until there is something, else, it is what has sustained the economy. Have I done anything to improve the quality of life on STT? Yes I have, I have written to the Governor on several occasions requesting that he initiate a tree planting program to replace many of the trees that were destroyed in hurricanes or either by development. This is especially true on the main road that leads from the airport. This area needs a major beautification overhaul. I have nothing against any island in the Caribbean. I truly think that all of them are unique and have their own charm.

Tourism has provided a better life for the people of the Virgin Islands and until there is something, else, it is what has sustained the economy.

But the article agrees completely as do many altho "better" is truly a subjective term depending on your life on the island. The warning is that since the island is so dependent upon tourism, then rourism should be maintained and SUSTAINED at a level that people enjoy visiting. The alernative is not so rosy.

i didn't see anyone calling for nekkid islanders, grass skirts or even thatched huts (which by the way when built over water or even in the sand can be delightful - and you used to be able to get them for about $5US a nite in Mexico on the sand just inches from the Caribbean Sea. They used gasoline to wash the hut's tiled floors 'cause it was cheaper than water - no smoking for sure! Nor do I see anyone asking you to give up the "luxuries" that we enjoy stateside nor not have the "quality of life" amenities. Just because this article points to islands, doesn't mean that other tourist destinations are not suffering the same fate.

There are many things that one can do, simple little things, to contribute to the quality of life in the USVI and stateside and even worldwide. I remember places on STT and STJ where they used to have the sailors refrain "if it's yellow ... " posted! I remember Cruz Bay being polluted - and not just with the runoff of mud and gunk. Do you recall the notorious Tootsie Roll beach? So there has been progress and improvements but progress also comes at a cost. . The island's community has to make some hard choices.

Your plan is wonderful to beautify the airport road ... first impressions are lasting ones, but why just write a letter to the governor. Why not do it or organize a group to do the deed? Everyone can do a little, from not putting cigarette butts in the sand or water, leaving your bottles or cans for others to pick up and dispose of , not walking on coral, not dragging your dingy onto the beach that is preserved, to bigger things - where do those live-a-borads in those nice little bays dump their collected waste? Do they really follow the rules? If the problems continue to compound, you'll find that the tourism has gone elsewhere - to other spots where they aren't nekkid (or SXM where the tourists are) and then where will you be?

One of my most amazing snorkeling experiences was the Tobago Cays but I am sure that with all the day trips and visitors flocking there now, it will not be the same. It will still be wonderful but ... things change. The Baths on Virgin Gorda where they've built paths and bridges ... what a shame ... but it is the price one pays. And those lovely gated communities with all the amenities and McMansions remind me so much of home - and I hate them here as much as there and they are nothing but eyesores. I only have to look a short distance down my own beach here at home to see some of the worst looking things jutting into the sand ... but that's what some call "progress."

It's not about whether St. Thomas is a good or bad destination, we know it is, but the article says love St. Thomas - and if you look most of the islands in the Caribbean basin did not do great - but do not love her to death. It's about sustaining what St. Thomas has, taking advantage of the positives and making it better for visitors and residents alike. Before you can change, you have to identify what needs to change. Agree or disagree but those are the problems that they found. Use it or don't.

And I know the knee jerk defensiveness that exists among those on St. Thomas - lived it, been there, done that and it hard not to react but react in a positive way and make things happen. An islander certainly has much more investment in sustaining tourism than does the tourist or visitor.

Your plan is wonderful to beautify the airport road ... first impressions are lasting ones, but why just write a letter to the governor. Why not do it or organize a group to do the deed? Everyone can do a little, from not putting cigarette butts in the sand or water, leaving your bottles or cans for others to pick up and dispose of , not walking on coral, not dragging your dingy onto the beach that is preserved, to bigger things - where do those live-a-broads in those nice little bays dump their collected waste? Do they really follow the rules? If the problems continue to compound, you'll find that the tourism has gone elsewhere - to other spots where they aren't nekkid (or SXM where the tourists are) and then where will you be?

Cshell...totally agree with you there. When we go to any beach, an extra bag is brought along. There's no excuse for anybody not to do that. Do I like picking up other peoples trash? No, but it's just a little thing that I can do.

How do you stop somebody that you see what on coral...come on...they must know not to do that. I saw it last time we were down there and i still can't believe it.

As far as the dinghy statement. We brought ours up onto one beach...Hawksnest? Is that a protected beach? What are the ramifications from doing that? Just curious on that. If we knew we were doing something that we shouldn't of been doing, we would of never done it.

Apart from all that's been said already, what can we ask visitors to help us do? Obviously visitors aren't familiar with the political setup here in the Virgin Islands and we certainly don't expect them to be. They're here as visitors and there are indubitably more than enough ecological issues back in their home towns to keep them busy. Simple requests of visitors might be:

1. PROPERLY DISPOSE OF YOUR TRASH! Wherever you go, pick up your trash and take it with you. Don't leave it in anything but a proper garbage receptacle and don't throw it either into "the bush" or out of your car window. Out of sight is NOT by necessity out of mind. As a longtime resident I "take on" locals who do it but visitors should know better. (And I've taken on a few of them too over the years!)
2. CONSERVE WATER!
(a) DON'T FLUSH UNLESS YOU MUST! Although larger hotels have their own de-sal water supplies, water is still an expensive commodity here. If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down. If anybody needs an explanation of the intricacies of that procedure, just ask and I'll be happy to elaborate! "Brown" tissues should be flushed. Don't try and flush tampons, even allegedly biodegrable ones. Wrap them up and put them in the garbage.
(b) SAILOR SHOWERS! You'll probably notice that there are few bathtubs here. But don't assume that taking a long shower, even if your shower is equipped with a very adequate but "low flow" showerhead, is OK. What we do here is turn on the water for a good douse, turn off the water (most savvy residents and rental owners install low-flow shower heads which have an on/off button on them,) soap up, turn the flow back on to rinse off. Same with brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Don't leave the water running!
3, DON'T LEAVE YOUR BUTTS ON THE BEACH! And don't throw them down the toilet bowl, either. You can grind out your cigarettes in the sand but then please put them either into an empty soda or beer can or a plastic baggie and properly dispose of them either in a public dumpster or receptacle as you leave the beach or in the garbage container back at your hotel or villa. The cigarette filters take years to degrade and are poisonous to our sealife.

And never, ever, whether you're on a packed tourist boat or a private charter or a bareboat, throw your butts, bottles and/or cans overboard. We have enough problems with global warming problems and its consequential depletion of our coral and sealife. That said,

4. DON'T STEP ON THE CORAL! I've seen an incredible depletion in coral life on both STT and STJ in the last 20 years. Spots that used to be filled with thriving and vibrant colourful joy to the snorkelling beholder have become mere parodies of their former selves. Maybe to the inexperienced snorkeller it's still a joy to behold but I can tell you that it's nothing like it used to be. There are places where the coral is completely dead and the greyness looks like a graveyard with only a few surviving small fish hunting and pecking amongst the debris.

When I asked a tour operator a year or so about the difference, he explained it away by saying that hurricane Mariiyn in 1995 created awesome damage to the reefs surrounding STT. This is what what he had been told to say and I only told him later what BS that was. Hurricanes can wreak havoc but sealife comes back very quickly once things have settled down a bit. BUT, VISTORS, DON'T STEP ON THE CORAL, PLEASE, CORAL IS A LIVING ORGANISM AND WHEN YOU STEP ON IT YOU CRUSH AND KILL IT! Snorkel over it, admire it, watch the fish doing their thing in and about it but please keep both your finned or barefoot feet off it.

Many of us residents do our part in picking up other people's trash, For me it's almost a daily routine because I'm right on a main road. I'm always picking up styrofoam food containers, drink containers, bottles which have been just tossed out of cars.

So, visitors, please do try and do your part while you're here but also do your part back home. Cheers!

Isn't it sad that our planet has gotten to this point?

It's a coincidence that I'm sitting here watching Animal Planet about hawaii. They are struggeling with the same kinds of problems that affect alot of tourist destinations.

I'm watching people on snorkeling trips standing on the coral (why don't the tour operators say something!!!). I'm watching seals that have plastic wrapped around their snouts. Turtles with plastic bags stuck in their throats. This just makes me sick. An albatros that had plastic toys, lighters, golf balls, etc. in their stomachs, no food. They are saying that there is more plastic on the ocean, floating, then there is food. Just dead birds everywhere. Their bellies full of plastic.

This is not a specific problem to the USVI's...it's global.

altho it's in the Pacific ...

The so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a stewy body of plastic and marine debris that floats an estimated 1,000 miles west of San Francisco, is a shape-shifting mass far too large, delicate and remote to ever be cleaned up, according to a researcher who recently returned from the area.

But that might not stop the federal government from trying.

Charles Moore, the marine researcher at the Algalita Marina Research Foundation in Long Beach who has been studying and publicizing the patch for the past 10 years, said the debris — which he estimates weighs 3 million tons and covers an area twice the size of Texas — is made up mostly of fine plastic chips and is impossible to skim out of the ocean.

"Any attempt to remove that much plastic from the oceans — it boggles the mind," Moore said from Hawaii, where his crew is docked. "There's just too much, and the ocean is just too big."

The trash collects in one area, known as the North Pacific Gyre, due to a clockwise trade wind that circulates along the Pacific Rim. It accumulates the same way bubbles gather at the center of hot tub, Moore said.

A two-liter plastic bottle that begins its voyage from a storm drain in San Francisco will get pulled into the gyre and take weeks to reach its place among the other debris in the Garbage Patch.

While the bottle floats along, instead of biodegrading, it will "photodegrade," Moore said — the sun's UV rays will turn the bottle brittle, much like they would crack the vinyl on a car roof. They will break down the bottle into small pieces and, in some cases, into particles as fine as dust.

The Garbage Patch is not a solid island, as some people believe, Moore said. Instead, it resembles a soupy mass, interspersed with large pieces of junk such as derelict fishing nets and waterlogged tires — "an alphabet soup," he called it.

Also, it's undetectable by overhead satellite photos because it's 80 percent plastic and therefore translucent, Moore added. The plastic moves just beneath the surface, from one inch to depths of 300 feet, according to samples he collected on the most recent trip, he said.

By Moore's estimation, the "floating landfill" is also simply too far from land to conduct any meaningful cleanup operation. It's about 1,000 miles west of California and 1,000 miles north of the Hawaiian Islands — a week's journey by boat from the nearest port. It swirls in a convergence zone located about 30 to 40 degrees north latitude and 135 to 145 west longitude.
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Pacific-Garbage-Patch30oct07.htm

Another STTResident missed is turning off the lights and a/c if you aren't home or using them .- one of my pet peeves .. not only is it a waste of expensive electiricity, it makes noise that sometimes drowns out nature.

Does National Geographic Magazine arterial concern us as visitors, yes very much so!

Over the years my caueer has caused us to work & live in over twenty five different places in the USA. My wife & I are international travelers for the last twenty years. Two years ago we spent almost three months touring all around Australia. Australia is very interesting but expensive to live there.

Last winter we spent in Mexico and drove over 2000 miles following the Mayan ruins all around the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico and their people are very interesting. We really enjoyed our visit but the water and beaches are no where as nice as St Thomas beaches. So far we have not seen any other place better the St Thomas that we would consider moving to.

We have been to St. Thomas 4 different times and enjoy the people & the beautiful island. Our last visit was three years ago. The last time we stayed for a month and had a great experience. Yes, there are way too many cruise ships & we heard about visitors being robbed and even shot during hold ups - if St. Thomas wants to continue to attract visitors, your leaders can not allow crime to out of control. If people do not feel safe to visit places like Aruba, tourist will stop visiting.

We are planning to return and spend Jan & Feb 2008 on St. Thomas. We are early retirees and if this two month visit is positive we maybe looking to buy a condo on St. Thomas.

The things that we are the most interested in learning more about on St. Thomas is:

(1) Quality of island life at an affordable price.
(2) Cost of housing with a view, available services & safe area.
(3) Public safety, crime & quality police protection.
(4) Quality of healthcare & cost of insurance.
(5) Ability to meet & make new friends with the locals.
(6) Political leadership & stability.
(7) Cost of island taxes.

We are really looking forward to our visit to St Thomas again. We have invited many of our friends down to visit with us while we are on St. Thomas. Hopefully everyone will have a safe & fun filled enjoyable time.

Eugene, if you haven't already been to our other website http://www.vimovingcenter.com, you should. There you will find general information on some of the topics you mentioned. There is a discussion board on that website; the topics are focused on moving/living in the VI.

There are a few books like the Settlers Handbook to the USVI and Life in the Left Lane which are about moving/living in the USVI: you can find them at http://www.vitraders.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=V&Category_Code=rel.

Hope the resources mentioned help with your research.

PS: You can go between this site and our other site using the Relocation Guide tab at the top, right of this page, and between the message boards using the Other Message Board link just under the books, also on the right side.

--Islander

Go to Nassau Bahamas................doesn't hold a candle to St. Thomas................enought said!!!!!