St. John - US Virgin Islands National Park

[Kc2edh]

Next month I am headed to the Virgin Islands National Park with an ecotourism class for a week of hiking, kayaking, and public service. It will be an amazing break from northern New York's steady below zero weather. We'll be camping in the Cinnamon Bay campground on the north shore of St. John, and cooking the majority of our meals there. Not all activities have been planned yet, and since I've never been there I'd like to ask if anyone has suggestions for places worth seeing and photographing.

I also can't decide which cameras to bring, right now I'm thinking an old beater Xenar Rolleiflex along with an Olympus XA2. Rolleiflex can come out when I have time to meter and set up the composition, XA2 in my pocket for quick shots when on the move. As much as I'd like to bring my Bronica ETRSi, it is heavy and takes up significant backpack space especially with the metered prism. I also don't want to make myself a target by walking around with a big (and not terribly antique looking) camera around my neck. Has anyone travelled much with an ETR? I also have available a Canon AE-1, OM-10, Yashica-12, and a few cheap 35mm P&S.

Any suggestions? I'd also love to hear about anyone's experiences down there, positive or negative. While I understand St. John is a safe place, I've heard mixed reports about theft even out of locked vehicles.

 

[sir_mamiya]

Lucky you! I was down in St. Thomas and St. John this time last year. It was my second time traveling down there and it is absolutely magical place. St. John's is by far the better of the two islands. Less people, smaller, less traffic as most of the island is a nature reserve. I took a ferry from St. Thomas to St. John for a day hike and brought along my Mamiya 6. I would definitely bring a rig that is light and compact. The terrain is rocky and hilly and also can be very hot. You're not going to want to fuss with light meters and such. I hike up around Lind point and Salomon Bay. The trails were very rough. Rocky. There were a few trail heads that started out from the Visitors center north of Christian Cove. Good luck and enjoy your trip. Make sure to share some of your photos.

 

[gone]

It's been a while since I went there, but it's surely the same. DO bring lots of good color film. If you have an underwater camera, by all means bring it. Otherwise, travel light. Things will walk away down there if you aren't sharp, especially if you go over to St Thomas. There's a ferry that you can catch over to Tortolla, and that is the thing to do. Beautiful, pristine beaches that you have to get to by boat only, but there's some you can drive to as well. The water is so beautiful.

Rent yourself a little car and see it all. When we needed to crash, we just went to people's homes, knocked on the doors, and negotiated a nightly rate. You get a better vibe if you pay extra for dinner, and you will eat w/ everyone in the home. The British islands are run much better than the US islands. As for things to see, it's the islands! The beach and the water are where its at.

 

[Kc2edh]

Thanks for the advice! Good idea to pack light, I'll probably end up bringing the XA2 along with a 35mm SLR. While I love medium format it might not be the best fit for this trip. I totally planned on shooting color, I'd imagine the landscapes are amazing. Might have to find out more about Nikonos cameras, we'll be spending plenty of time around the water.

We'll be renting a few vans as soon as we land on St. Thomas before taking the ferry to the national park on St. John. My college only allows those with no tickets or traffic violations to drive during school activities, and I'm one of the few in this class certified to drive. Never driven on the left before, it's going to be an experience!

 

[benjiboy]

Reminds me of a cartoon I once saw in a newspaper depicting a woman in a travel agents shop that has a big poster on the wall adversing The Virgin Islands asking "do have any Caribbean islands you don't have to be a virgin to visit".