Guavaberry trees (myrciaria floribunda) can be found growing wild on various islands throughout the Caribbean. Guavaberry is similar to guava (myrtaceae) only in that both are tropical fruit trees with smooth bark. Unlike guava, guavaberry is rare and not commercially grown. Guavaberry (aka rumberry) is primarily known in the Caribbean for making rum. Early settlers … Continued
Did you know… Natives of St. Croix are called Crucians/Cruzans Cruzan Rum began on St. Croix in the late 1790s by the Nelthropp family. Local mills crushed the sugar cane that was eventually distilled into rum. Visitors to St. John will find Cruzan rum in abundance, filling the shelves of bars and grocery stores with … Continued
Do you know the story of the statue in Cruz Bay of the man blowing a conch shell? One of several “Freedom Statues” on display throughout the territory, they commemorate the slave revolt and fight for emancipation. 2017 marked 100 years since the US purchased territories in the West Indies (known as the US Virgin … Continued
Sunday, May 12th is Mother’s Day this year, so here’s to all the great maternal figures out there – we couldn’t have done it without you! The celebration of mothers dates back to ancient Greeks and Romans, when festivals were held in honor of the mother goddesses, Rhea and Cybele. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated across the world. Thailand … Continued
Easter in the Virgin Islands is more about worship, celebration, family and food than it is about bunnies, candy and colorful eggs. The Caribbean is predominately Christian and so Easter church services are heavily attended. Only fish is served for Easter Sunday dinner and only black and white is worn. No red meat is eaten … Continued
St John Historical Society celebrates its 45th year. On April 7th they will celebrate their anniversary at Lucky Chops in Cruz Bay at 3:30pm. For over 4 decades the founding members have researched, preserved and shared the history of St John. If you have ever looked into the islands past, you will see incredible stories, … Continued
Built in early 1899 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Silver Cloud (originally christened Helen S) has spent time as a much needed pilot boat in rough weather, a fire boat during WWI and WWII, and even a sunken ship in the 1950’s. She was raised in the 1960’s by a christian missionary and served many years … Continued
Each year on St. John hundreds of thousands of hermit crabs – known in the islands as soldier crabs – descend from the mountains and congregate near the water’s edge, awaiting some unknown cue to all head into the water to lay their eggs. A scientist in Australia explains the reason for the soldier crabs’ … Continued
The famous St. John petroglyphs are located at the upper waterfall in the Reef Bay valley, just off the Reef Bay trail in the Virgin Islands National Park. Studied by archeologists for decades, the petroglyphs are rock carvings made by Taino indians as early as 500 AD. The carvings, also found along the … Continued
