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A Drive Around St. Thomas
Stop 2 - The Bluebeard's Castle Hotel
On a hill overlooking the Eastern side of Charlotte Amalie, sits the many white buildings of Bluebeard's Castle Hotel. The original hotel was built in the 1950s and became one of the first tourist-oriented resorts on St. Thomas. At the center stands a stone tower that, according to legend, was built by the pirate Bluebeard. Actually, it was built as a lookout tower in early 20th Century. The newer structure in the foreground of the picture above is the Alexander Farrelly Criminal Justice Complex, which houses the Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands and the local jail. The Federal Building and Courthouse (where I work) is located directly behind this building.
From its hilltop location, Bluebeard's Castle Hotel commands a specatcular view of the harbor of Charlotte Amalie. In the photo above, the lime-green, red-roofed building near the shore is the home of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. It was in the courtyard of this building that the formal transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States took place on March 31, 1917. The large red structure immediately to the right of the Legislature building is Fort Christian. Notice the many buildings on the side of the hills. Those are private residences, since most of the island's population live outside of the downtown district. The two tallest hills are Crown Mountain (middle, background) and Mountain Top (right, foreground). At Mountain Top you'll find a relaxing spot where you can get a birdseye view of almost the entire island, some local arts and crafts, and one of their tradmark Banana Daquiris.
Looking in the opposite direction from Bluebeard's Castle Hotel, you'll be greeted by this equally spectacular view of the Havensight area of St. Thomas. The government-owned West Indian Company operates the island's main cruise ship docks which, as in this picture, is usually filled to capacity. The Havensight Shopping Mall is located in an area immediately adjacent to the docks (hidden by the ships). This area of the harbor is also a popular spot for small private yachts to anchor.
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1996-2009 Arnold E.
van Beverhoudt, Jr.
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