Christian Single...

THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS:

AN ALL-AMERICAN CARIBBEAN VACATION

Glimmering bays, shimmering seas, powdery sand beaches, towering green hills, warm climate, relaxed lifestyle, unsurpassed shopping--the U.S. Virgin Islands offer a true all-American Caribbean vacation ideal for singles.

The USVI lie in the vast crescent chain of the Caribbean Islands, with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean sea washing their shores. They are about 1,000 miles from Miami and about 1,500 miles from New York City.

More than two million visitors come to the USVI each year. The three principal islands to visit are St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. St. Croix is the largest and lies entirely in the Caribbean Sea. St. John and St. Thomas are next to each other thirty-five miles away, between the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

St. Thomas is the busiest and most-developed of the three islands, with a bustling cruise ship port and many elegant resorts. Nearby St. John is small and serene. To the south, St. Croix, provides the ideal mix of her two sister islands, with two distinct towns to visit and a wide range of accommodations.

The advantage of a USVI vacation is simple--you get the best of the Caribbean with American convenience. That means no passport, no visa, same money, and the same language. It's simply "Americaribbean" convenience.

Columbus came upon the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. He named them "The Virgins" for St. Ursula and her beautiful 11,000 seagoing virgin followers.

The islands remained relatively untouched by civilization well into the seventeenth century. At various times, Holland, France, England, Spain, and Denmark all struggled to claim the Virgin Islands. Finally, in 1917, the U.S. purchased all three islands from Denmark for $25 million.

This purchase marked the beginning of an American tourist boom in the USVI. The lure of the islands continues for all types of tourists today.

There is much to attract singles to the USVI. There is a wide range of accommodations to meet any budget, excellent sports, history, sightseeing, world-class dining, super shopping, and much more. You may come alone, but you quickly find many friends.

On St. Croix, accommodations range from complete resorts with 18-hole golf courses to seaside hotels to hotels in the middle of a harbor town. The island features world-famous snorkeling at Buck Island, a rain forest, the Cruzan Rum distillery, and lots of history.

St. Thomas is one of the hottest places in the Caribbean for new mega-resorts--complete with their own shopping arcades and nightclubs. St. Thomas has the busiest cruise port in the Caribbean, infinite shopping stops, great views, and some great beaches.

You can get away from it all on St. John. The island is more than one-half national park. You can stay in the lap of luxury at Caneel Bay or the Hyatt Regency or you can "rough it" at one of two excellent campgrounds. Watersports, hiking, and history are the saving graces on St. John.

This is the Caribbean at its easiest and it's now even easier to get there. In conjunction with St. Thomas's airport expansion, several of the largest carriers have expanded service to the USVI. Both American Airlines and Delta Airlines have recently introduced new flights to St. Croix and St. Thomas. Continental Airlines also serves St. Croix and St. Thomas from various U.S. markets, through Newark.

For further information on "America's Paradise," contact the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Tourism, 1270 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, 212/332-2222 or 800/USVI-INFO.