Greetings!
For those of us who have never met, my name is Fred Kleber, my call is K9VV, and I live on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I usually operate with NP2X, a club call.
The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of three islands; St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. St. Thomas (population ~45,000) is the island most familiar to everyone since it has a deep water port adjacent to the main town of Charlotte Amalie, and hosts over 1,500,000 cruise ship passengers per year. It is famous for it’s duty free shopping and it’s multitude of tourist related activities.
St. John, (population 3500) just north and east of St. Thomas, and almost as big as St. Thomas, is accessible only by ferry. A full 2/3 of St. John is a national park, so there is nowhere near the development that you see on St. Thomas. There are a few beautiful hotels, but it’s just a more quiet and private place.
St. Croix (population ~35,000) is the largest of the three islands and about 35 miles south of St. Thomas. It is home to two rum distilleries. (Cruzan & Captain Morgan) There are a number of nice hotels and resorts on St. Croix, but it is not as “touristy” as St. Thomas. St. Croix is also home to the only casino in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If you are visiting us for the first time or a veteran of many trips, make sure you pack your sunscreen! The tropical sun is blistering hot and the UV rays are much hotter than in the states!
Enjoy your stay!
Fred Kleber, K9VV / NP2X