The next stop on our cruise was Saint Thomas. Along with St. John and Water Island, St. Thomas forms a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the U.S. We docked near the capital and port of Charlotte Amalie and caught a shuttle to the Paradise Point aerial tram up Flag Hill.
The ride takes around seven minutes, rising 700 feet (210m) to the top. Not nearly as hair-raising as the tram in Palm Springs, but some of our friends were in a car that stopped and swayed quite a bit. So glad I wasn’t on that one.
This greeted us at the top:
The views were spectacular . . .
The ship on the right is ours.
Couldn’t resist shooting the bright colors around the tram.
One last look:
Many years ago, I saw a photo of this view in a magazine and told myself I would go there one day. Very cool to see it in real life!
Then we were off on a tour of the island, driving up narrow winding roads through the hills. We stopped for drinks at this place with a colorful circle drive:
There we saw a view of the other side of the island.
You are looking at Magens Bay, which is pretty famous for its beauty. What a great place to swim and snorkel.
The pirate theme is pretty big in St. Thomas. Blackbeard’s Castle is not far from where we docked.
The last stop was a shopping area near the ship.
If you’re into jewelry, perfume or liquor, the duty-free shops are everywhere.
One of the palms was flowering.
Again, we had perfect weather. My husband and I seem to have good weather karma when we travel. We often hear that the weather was terrible just before we arrived. Hoping this karma lasts . . . .
Great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Pearls & Prose 
Even when you’re shooting a paradise panorama, you will notice the little things (“couldn’t resist shooting the bright colors around the tram”). Tres impressive, both macro and micro. Merci!
Pas de quoi. 🙂
What a pretty place !
I also like the bright paint colors everywhere.
St. Thomas was lovely. Didn’t get to see enough of it, but that’s the price of cruising.
The little white houses dotting the hills are so neat. From this angle you can’t see any roads to get there.
I had the same reaction to a photo of Positano, Italy. I saw that photo and dreamed of going. Someday I will. I keep the photo on my refrigerator. 🙂
Oh, Positano has been on my list for a long time too, Jackie. I’ve been to Italy, but missed that part.
I’m glad it was so beautiful. Sometimes when you wish to go somewhere it’s not as you pictured it once you’re there. The views were spectacular.
I love that flowering palm tree.
Yes, you can really get stuff built up in your mind. My experience has been that most places were even better than I imagined, which is really nice.
I’ve been swimming in Magen’s Bay. it was a wonderful day if my memory serves me correctly. Rum punch on the beach and lazing about. Wonderful photos. It’s been over 15 years since I was there
Lucky you!