St. John On Foot and By Car
By Randall and Rebecca Koladis
$29.50 U.S.
(+ $3.00 for shipping and handling)
About Our Guidebook
Our St. John Virgin Islands Guidebook, St. John On Foot and By Car, is meant to provide visitors with an introduction to the history, culture, beaches, hiking trails and flora and fauna of St. John. By following the three self-guided walking and motor tours,
visitors traveling to St. John learn about many things including its first inhabitants (now extinct Ciboney people) dating back to 1500 BC, St. John’s discovery by Columbus on his Second Voyage to the New World, and St. John’s later colonization by Denmark in the 17th century – a time when sugar was king and European nations were scrambling
to claim valuable sugar islands in what’s now the U.S. Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean. In sharing the history of St. John, please be assured that we do not support any ideology, including the ideology of colonialism. We tell the story of the history of the colonial period of the Virgin Islands and St. John, and we strive to the best of our ability to tell it to its fullest extent.
History and Historic Sites
While following the three walking and motor tours in our St. John travel guide, visitors learn about St. John’s colonial past by visiting historic sites such as the ruins of former sugar plantations, bay rum stills,
and grave sites. Readers are also made aware of St. John’s Revolt of 1733 (and its causes and outcome), which was one of the earliest, most organized, and most successful enslaved labor revolts in the history of man’s struggle for freedom and equality.
Other attractions include sites of colonial Moravian missions, a former British battery, and a Danish fortress where the historic 1733 St. John Revolt began. There
is also a visit to mysterious rock carvings (petroglyphs) along the Reef Bay Trail, and a stop at a former St. John estate house once occupied by a tragic young Danish countess. Along the way, visitors become acquainted with local customs and traditions and are introduced to some of the many colorful personalities who once made St. John home.
Our history concludes with events leading up to the U.S. acquisition of St. John in 1917 and the eventual formation of the St. John Virgin Islands National Park in 1956, a momentous event due largely to the efforts of Laurance S. Rockefeller and other early visionaries who recognized the need to preserve St. John’s beauty and natural surroundings for the enjoyment of future generations.
National Park
Today the St. John Virgin Islands National Park encompasses almost 58% of the the island’s land area and includes more than 18,000 acres of offshore underwater habitat. The Park boundaries include over twenty-three hiking trails, which are open to the public and described in our travel guide along with maps showing their location. These trails help connect visitors with the beautiful beaches, bays, mountains, and historic past of St. John. Visitors also get acquainted with St. John camping opportunities at Cinnamon Bay, Concordia, and Estate Susannaberg.
Beaches
Our guidebook contains a descriptive list of St. John’s beaches, including world famous Trunk Bay beach.
Flora and Fauna
There is also a collection of checklists that help visitors traveling to St. John identify some of the island’s more common flora and fauna.
We are confident readers will find this guidebook an invaluable addition to their St. John visit.
My Island Ways, Inc.
A non-profit corporation formed in the State of Delaware, USA for educational purposes