Kellee Tracker: January 2017

Shortly after the US Presidential election, some wise friends realized that the long, cold inauguration weekend would be a good time to not be in the DC area. After a brief discussion, we decided to visit the US Virgin Islands for some snorkeling and warmer weather. Our base camp was a condo on St. Thomas overlooking the pool that would have been fine in itself, but we explored snorkeling beaches around the island and on neighboring St. John, too. It was also a chance to test out a tool for work, so you can see exactly where we went here: http://arcg.is/1HS1a

sunset from our accommodations

We kicked off our first full day by chartering a snorkeling trip to check out some offshore snorkeling spots. We ended up going to St. John's as well, where we saw sea turtles and later docked at a beachside restaurant for lunch.

Group snorkeling shot

Learned my snorkeling lesson in Jordan--so worth it to have a shirt to prevent sunburns on my back!

The green sea turtles enjoyed hanging out at this beach, and didn't seem to mind us following them.

Lunch break, and my first time arriving at a restaurant by boat.

There were plenty of beaches on St. Thomas just a short drive away. Secret Harbor was one of my favorites, in part because of the Ahi nachos served at their restaurant.

Enjoying Secret Harbor between snorkeling.

Delicious sushi nachos

The cruise ships dock every few days in Charlotte Amalie, and their impact can be felt on both islands. We waited until the boat left to see a little bit of the island's history.

Hiking up the 99 steps

Three Queens Fountain

View of Charlotte Amalie (sans cruise ships)

Our last full day we took the car ferry to St. John and explored their beaches. This island is dominated by a national park so the island felt a lot more wild.