Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LONE EAGLE IN PARADISE
Lindbergh Bay takes its name from Colonel Charles Lindbergh, who landed at a field
here with his famous Spirit of St Louis in 1929. The 'Lone Eagle,' or 'Lucky Lindy,'
was on a goodwill tour of the Caribbean and Latin America following his 1927 non-
stop solo crossing of the Atlantic by airplane. Lindy definitely had luck with him
when he plopped the Spirit down in a small open space between the sea and the
mountains on the edge of the bay that now bears his name.
A year later, Lindbergh returned to the bay in a Sikorsky seaplane. Lindy became
convinced that St Thomas was the perfect refueling stop for a commercial flight
between the US and South America. And because of Lindbergh's visits, Pan Americ-
an Airways' Flying Clippers began making regular stops at St Thomas in the 1930s.
The Cyril E King Airport now has extended its runway to more safely accommodate
modern jets. Of course, plenty of contemporary passengers may wish they were still
landing aboard one of the Lone Eagle's graceful clippers after a brake-screeching,
gut-in-the-mouth landing aboard a Boeing 757.
Brewers Bay
FAMILY BEACH
Located behind the University of the Virgin Islands on Rte 30, Brewers Bay is beloved by
students, local families and shell collectors alike. The long strand has almost no shade but
features very sheltered water and plenty of shallow areas for kids. On weekends, lots of
West Indian families come here to cool off. There are no facilities other than snack vans
serving pates and cold Heineken beers. Quietude can be in short supply because the air-
port's busy runway lies just across the bay. The area clears out fast come nighttime. Brew-
ers is the one beach that can be reached easily by Vitran and safari buses, which make runs
to the college campus.
Honeymoon Bay Beach
SECLUDED BEACH
When handsome Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett needed a handsome beach as a backdrop for
the film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Honeymoon won the role. See the Water
Island boxed text,
Click here
, for details on this gem.
