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To explore outside Charlotte Amalie, rent a car or hire a taxi. Your rental car should come with a good map and perhaps a GPS unit; if not, pick up the pocket-size Road Map St. Thomas–St. John at a tourist information center. Roads are marked with route numbers, but they're confusing and seem to switch numbers suddenly. Roads are also identified by signs bearing the St. Thomas–St. John Hotel and Tourism Association's mascot, Tommy the Starfish. More than 100 of these color-coded signs line the island's main routes. Orange signs trace the route from the airport to Red Hook; green signs identify the road from town to Magens Bay; Tommy's face on a yellow background points from Mafolie to Crown Bay through the north side; red signs lead from Smith Bay to Four Corners via Skyline Drive; and blue signs mark the route from the cruise-ship dock at Havensight to Red Hook. These color-coded routes are not marked on most visitor maps, however. Allow yourself a day to explore, especially if you want to stop to take pictures or to enjoy a light bite or refreshing swim. Most gas stations are on the island's more populated eastern side, so fill up before heading to the north side. And remember to drive on the left!
Giant bubble makers, a rainbow-colored gear table, and a larger-than-life abacus are just a few of the interactive exhibits at this indoor, family-friendly, play-and-learn museum. Science was never so fun!
Watch jets land at the Cyril E. King Airport as you dip into the usually calm seas. Rocks at either end of the shoreline, patches of grass poking randomly through the sand, and shady tamarind trees 30 feet from the water give this beach a wild, natural feel. Civilization has arrived, in the form of one or two mobile food vans parked on the nearby road. Buy a fried-chicken leg and johnnycake or burgers and chips to munch on at the picnic tables. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.
The museum houses fishing nets, accordions, tambourines, mahogany furniture, photographs, and other artifacts illustrating the lives of the island's French descendants during the 18th through 20th centuries. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
Popular for its bars and restaurants, Frenchtown is also the home of descendants of immigrants from St. Barthélemy (St. Barth). You can watch them pull up their brightly painted boats and display their equally colorful catch of the day along the waterfront. If you chat with them, you can hear speech patterns slightly different from those of other St. Thomians. Get a feel for the residential district of Frenchtown by walking west to some of the town's winding streets, where tiny wooden houses have been passed down from generation to generation.
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