5 Reasons to Visit the US Virgin Islands

Traveling can be a very enlightening experience that can make you grow as a person. It is also great to expose your kids to traveling at a young age, so they can experience other cultures and have a better understanding of the world. Yes, airfare is expensive, there’s no way around that, but with a little bit of saving up, your family can have a vacation of a lifetime that won’t break the bank! The United States Virgin Islands is a wonderful place for your family to visit for a number of reasons!

1. If you are a US citizen, you don’t need a passport

Not all of us have passports, especially the kids of the family. Here, in the USVI, if you’re an American citizen, you don’t need one! It’s a great place to take the whole family, without the headache of traveling in and out of counties.

2. It is incredibly beautiful

There’s no question about it, the Virgin Islands are gorgeous! There are a number of picturesque overlooks and fantastic snorkel spots that you have to see to believe. Instead of staring at that poster of a beach you bought for your cubical, skip your morning coffee run and save an extra $7 a day for your next vacation. Then, you're one step closer to making your dream a reality.

3. It’s a great way to see the Caribbean

Everyone dreams about their perfect Caribbean vacation, and the Virgin Islands are rich with Caribbean culture! It’s easy to get to, since it’s an American territory, but it feels like you’re in a whole new world!

4. Great weather

The winter months can become quite dreary in many places, but not here in the Virgin Islands. It’s sunny, with the occasional rain fall, and averages mid-80s year round! Instead of locking yourself indoors during the winter months, plan a trip to get away! It can boost your morale and leave you feeling refreshed!

5. Tons to do!

You’ll never run out of things to do in the Virgin Islands! From hiking trails, to boat trips, there’s always something going on. Don’t forget to try zip lining at Tree Limin’ Extreme also! This canopy tour is sure to make for a memorable vacation!

Our Bar: Da Lime in Da Coconut

    We believe in having a good time at Tree Limin’ Extreme, so it only made sense that we add a bar to the mix. Located in Yacht Haven Grande directly beyond the welcome gate, you are guaranteed to spot this colorful kiosk. Whether you’re walking off the cruise ship, or staying on the island, Yacht Haven Grande is a must see area, loaded with high end shops, great food, and not to mention, Da Lime in Da Coconut! Don’t be fooled by this fun sized bar, we have a wide variety of drinks to choose from! Our unique blending machine concocts over 50 different delicious frozen rum drinks, and nonalcoholic smoothies, so everyone in the family can have something to enjoy! Since we are located in the Caribbean, we specialize in rum, but that doesn’t mean we are limited to just that! We also have a large selection of other alcoholic beverages, like beer, vodka, and tequila. 

    There are a lot of bars to choose from when visiting St. Thomas, so why choose Da Lime in Da Coconut? That’s easy to answer. First of all, the friendly staff. Almost all of our bar tenders are also zip line tour guides, so they sure know how to entertain a crowd! Also, we always have great music playing that’ll keep your good mood going. Another reason to choose Da Lime, is the atmosphere. It’s a safe, relaxing place, where you can choose to either sit at the bar, or at a table, for a more intimate feel. The location is pretty great as well! It’s a short walk from many of the cruise ships, and is a great way to start or end your day in St. Thomas. 

    Don’t know what to order? Maybe I can help! Want something fruity and frozen? Easy, just about anything on the frozen drink menu will do! There are a number of flavors to choose from, so just ask your taste buds what fruit they are craving, and we will have it! If cocktails are your thing, don’t be shy to ask. We know you’ll love our rum punch, painkiller, cruzan confusion, and much, much more. Another popular drink is obviously, Da Lime in Da Coconut. We machete open a fresh coconut, and mix the coconut water with 3 shots of delicious Cruzan rum shots, and of course, the squeeze of lime! And if you like surprises, ask our bartender what their specialty is! You won’t be disappointed! 

    So come on down today! Order a drink, listen to music and meet new people. Also, if you’re looking for something to do to make your vacation more memorable, don’t forget to ask our bartender about zip-lining!

The Origins of the Lucky Coconut

    Lucky was once an average, everyday coconut, but there was always something unique about him; he had a dream. He spent his days high up in the trees longing for adventure, but he knew that a coconut’s life was anything but exciting. 

    One stormy night, the wind was so strong that it forced the palm trees to sway back and forth violently. This scared all of the coconuts in Lucky’s bunch, but not the fearless Lucky. This gave him the sense of adventure that he lived for and was enjoying the ride! As the wind rocked them back and forth, Lucky leaned with the sways to give himself extra momentum. “What in the world do you think you’re doing Lucky?!” One of the coconuts in Lucky’s bunch yelled.
    “Just having a little fun, that’s all.” Lucky replied with a giggle. He didn’t get why everyone else didn’t understand him.
    “Well you should stop before you shake us all off!” Another one of the coconuts exclaimed with anger and concern. “It’s not my time to fall, and I don’t think it’s yours either!”
    Lucky thought nothing of this. He kept having fun while the rest of the coconuts angrily glared at him. All of a sudden though, Lucky felt himself shaking loose from the tree. He’s seen other coconuts fall before, but never knew what happened to them once they were disconnected from the bunch... nobody did. Once it was “there time”, they would take part in the goodbye ceremony, but it wasn’t like Lucky to take part in any coconut traditions. If he wanted adventure, he knew he was going to have to make it happen on his own time. Lucky started swinging harder and harder, and before he knew it, he was flying in mid air. He could hear all the other coconuts in his bunch yelling his name in concern, but Lucky toned them all out; today was the day he was going to start living his dream. The impact was so hard, it knocked Lucky unconscious. 

    The next morning, Lucky awoke with a splitting headache, but an even greater sense of curiosity and adventure. In the distance, he heard a rustling noise and decided to go investigate. He pushed past the thick bush and saw an old coconut. “Ahh, hello there friend.” The elderly coconut said in a raspy, yet wise voice. “What is such a young coconut doing here on the forrest floor?”
    “Umm, there was a storm last night, and I shook myself off,” Lucky said hesitantly, “all I want is more adventure in my life.”
    “Well if adventure is what you want, you came to the right place, son.” the wise, old coconut replied with ease. “What’s your name?”
    Lucky came closer and replied, “Lucky. Although I wouldn’t say that name is very suiting for a coconut like me... my life has been anything but.” 

    “Here, eat this,” the old coconut pushes something out of the grass and toward Lucky, “It’s no use to me, since I’ve just about ran my course, but a young coconut like you, with so much drive and ambition, would be worthy.”
    Lucky eagerly rolls towards it. “What is it?” he asks naïvely.
    “It is the lucky mango.” He said in a low, serious tone, “Anyone who takes a bite of this mango will be granted with an aura of luck. This means if you take a bite, you and everyone around you will be Lucky.”
    “How could I refuse!?” Lucky asked without hesitation. Then he leaned over, and took out a big bite. 
    The wise coconut looked pleased, and said “I hope you will put your powers to great use.” Before Lucky knew it, the old coconut rolled off into the thick bush, and he was once again alone. 
   “Where to start?” Lucky thought to himself, “I have a whole island to explore, and all this luck to put to use!” He knew the ocean wasn’t far from where he was, at least that’s how it looked from the top of his coconut tree. Once he gathered his thoughts, he mapped out his location, and knew if he rolled down the hillside, he would eventually get to the beach. While rolling down, he thought back to the days where he would look out into the distance and dream of touching the cool ocean water… nothing was going to get in his way. 

    Soon, he reached the bottom of the hill side, and knew there was still a ways to go. Even though Lucky was getting tired, he wasn’t going to give up that easily. “If only I could have a little help.” He thought to himself. Just when he was feeling slightly discouraged, he heard something approach him from behind.
    “What’s a little coconut like you doing in my yard?” The giant creature asked Lucky. “There aren’t any coconut trees around here.”
    Lucky shook in fright, “What are you!?”
    “Haven’t you ever seen a dog before?” He big black lab asked, “Anyway, you still haven’t answered my question.”
    “Oh, um, sorry.” Lucky said, still frightened, “I rolled here. I’m just trying to get down to the beach.”
    The big dog shook his tail, “Why didn't you just say so? My owner is about to take me there right now!”
    Lucky started to ease up a little, “Great, mind if I hitch a ride, I am a lucky coconut, you know?”
    “Even better,” barked the dog, “I hope you don’t mind, I gotta put you in my mouth.”
    “Try not to bite too…” and the dog clamped down on him and pranced happily into the back of the pickup truck before Lucky could even finish his sentence.
    Once the dog was in the bed of the truck, he dropped Lucky. “Sorry I had to do that, my owner is always in a hurry. Humans, you know?”
    “Ha, yeah.” Lucky replied unconfidently.
    “Anyway, my name is Spot. I know, I know, pretty generic, but hey, my owner is great and pretty generic himself.” Spot said while pointing out a single white spot on his face with his paw.
    “I’m Lucky.” He replied.
    “I know you’re lucky, but what’s your name?” Spot asked while leaning his head to the side.
    Lucky then realized that his name might get a little confusing, “I’m Lucky, the lucky coconut.”
    “Oh I see,” barked the dog. They sat in the bed of the truck for a few more minutes, talking about adventures, and other little things. Lucky noticed that Spot was a very excitable creature, which made him even more enthusiastic about the adventures yet to come. “WE ARE HERE!” Spot exclaimed and started to jump around for joy. His owner opened the drivers side door and in his hands he had an old looking, brightly colored ball.
    “Hey Spot! Look what I found in the car, your favorite tennis ball!” Spot started wagging his tail even faster. Then the human said “and I also found 20 bucks! Man this is our lucky day, boy.”
    Spot, with toy in mouth, rolled Lucky off of the truck. “Hope you like the beach!” Spot said muffled, because he was still holding the ball in his mouth.    
    “Thanks!” Lucky replied and started to roll onto the sand for the first time. It was so warm, and a lot harder to roll in than Lucky anticipated. As he slowly rolled further into the beach, he heard people talking all around him.
    “Oh my! I just found my sunglasses!”
    “I just got a call from my boss, I guess I just got promoted!”
    “What?!? Buried treasure?!”
    Lucky ignored everyone he rolled passed, unaware that he was making every ones' day, and had his eye on one thing; that beautiful clear water. He has dreamed of this day his whole life. He slowly dipped his body in, and the water was everything he ever wanted and more. It was so cool and refreshing! He floated in the water as the minutes passed by without a care in the world, until he felt two small hands grab onto him. “I’m onto my next adventure already?” he asked himself. It was a little girl, about 10. She walked over to her backpack and put Lucky in there. “Oh no! I’ve been kidnapped!” Lucky thought to himself. Just as he started getting worried, he heard voices in the distance.
    “Honey, get your things, we need to get ready to go zip lining.” A woman said.
    “Okay, mom.” said a much younger voice, Lucky had assumed that was the voice of his kidnapper. After a few minutes of being tossed around in the backpack, he couldn’t hear the voices anymore, just music, and this calmed him. The ride was short, and when the car stopped, Lucky was getting excited to see what adventure was next.
    Still nestled in the backpack, Lucky knew something crazy was about to happen, since he kept hearing the little girl tell her mom how nervous she was. He didn’t know what zip lining was, but he knew whatever it was, it was going to be an adventure! After a few still moments passed, he heard someone announce that it was time to go. Lucky was in for a treat!
    Through the tour, Lucky was having a blast! Every time the little girl was about to take off, he would feel the coconut water pumping throughout his shell! “What a rush!” Lucky was thinking! The little girl and him would shout simultaneously as they flew through the trees. When the tour ended, Lucky knew that he truly was a lucky coconut!
    When the little girl reached the bottom, the mother took the backpack that’s been acting as Lucky’s harness. “What’s in your bag?” She asked her daughter and she felt around the outside, touching Lucky in the process.
    “Sorry mom, I took a coconut from the beach. Can I keep it?” She asked with a sad tone in her voice.
    The mom unzipped the bag and then pulled Lucky out. “No we can’t. They won’t let us take this on the plane. We are going to have to leave it here.” Said the mother, trying to not upset the child.
    “But mom,” the girl wined, “that coconut is lucky, I swear it is. I was so nervous, but with that coconut, I felt safe. Pleaseee.”
    The mom sighed, “How about we leave it here, so that it can bring luck to all of the other people who are nervous just like you were?”
    “Okay mom,” the girl agreed, “if it can help others like it helped me, it belongs here.”
    Lucky felt more self worth at this moment than he ever had in his whole life. Dreaming for adventure, wanting to meet new creatures, helping others; his life was fulfilled and he wanted to give back.

     To this day, Lucky the coconut is still at Tree Limin’ Extreme giving his luck to all of those who zip line! So don’t forget to rub the lucky coconut before you head on up!

The Benefits of Coconuts

Who doesn’t love smooth skin and soft hair? Better yet, who doesn’t love a refreshing drink? Coconuts can give you all that and much more. They are said to have many great health benefits, and are a really useful beauty product for both your hair and skin. While you're visiting St. Thomas, please take advantage of our abundance of coconuts! No need to worry about climbing coconut trees around the island if you want to get yourself a fresh coconut, there are so many places where you can buy them locally! 

Even better, since you’re drinking all that rum on vacation anyway, you might as well try something a bit healthier! Here, at Da Lime in Da Coconut, you don’t have to worry if our coconuts are fresh! They are picked right off the palm trees throughout St. Thomas. We don’t just put the lime in the coconut and shake it all up, we also put three shots of deliciously flavored Cruzan Rum in it too! You’ll be feeling good after drinking our tropical concoction, but you’ll be feeling even better when you eat the coconut flesh on the inside. Can you say yum?

Drinking coconut water is more than just delicious, it’s nutritious. Most of us don’t get our recommended daily nutrition, but adding coconut water to your diet can make this important task much less tedious. On the go? Well, pack a bottle filled with coconut water and drink it throughout the day! Exhausted and ready to crack open an energy drink? Drop that highly caffeinated beverage and sip on some coconut water. Your heart and body will be thanking you later!

Health Benefits

1. Cardiovascular Health

Drinking coconut water helps increase good cholesterol and prevents plaque build up! Coconut water is packed with magnesium and potassium which is great for people who suffer from low blood pressure. If drunk regularly, it can also prevent heart attacks, and heart strokes.  

2. Boosts metabolism

Like most fruits and vegetables, coconut water can boost your metabolism. An increased metabolism is great because it gives you more energy and helps you lose fat faster! Who doesn't want that?

3. Digestion

Fiber is important for your digestive system, and good news, coconut water is a great source of fiber. It helps you stay full and can ultimately help you loose weight. 

4. Dehydration

As a cure for dehydration from diarrhea, stomach flu, hang overs, etc., there's no doubt that coconut water is a great way to rehydrate. Because its electrolyte and plasma content is so similar to human blood, it is found to help replenish the body fast! 

5. Natural Energy Drink

While drinking energy drinks can be tasty, they also can be bad for your health. Instead, reach for some coconut water! It is low on sodium, rich in potassium, and much less sugar! Its electrolytes keep you hydrated and stay focused. 

6. Muscle Cramps

Coconut water is packed with potassium, which can help relieve muscle cramps! Get those painful charley horses? Drink coconut water to prevent the painful cramping! 

7. Bloating 

We all have those weeks where we don't have time to eat right and get bloated. Well, try drinking some coconut water to help the process of digestion along. Constipation can cause major bloating, but with a little help from our friend, coconut water, your digestion can get right back on track. 

8. Manages Stress

Coconut oil has Vitamin B which helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression.  

9. Kidney Stones

Anyone that's ever had a kidney stone knows that they are no fun! The potassium rich coconut water helps dissolve kidney stones and prevent them all together! 

10. Antioxidants

You see this word everywhere, but what does it mean? Antioxidants help fight disease and infections, along with increasing your over all health. 

Beauty

1. Oily Skin

Coconut water rubs off excess oil from your skin and takes that greasy shine away from your face, leaving it with a healthy glow. Also, this miracle beauty product doubles as a non-harsh acne remedy.  

2. Moisturizers

Because coconut water is light, it is a great moisturizer for both summer and winter. You can use it all over your body and isn't rough on your skin. 

3. Conditions hair

When longing for soft hair, you can turn to pricy products that can pack a punch on your wallet, or you can turn to mother nature for help. Sometimes you can't beat natural remedies. Coconut water can moisturize your hair and make your hair silky smooth. 

4. Prevents hair breakage

Coconut water contains lauric acid which can shield the hair proteins.

5. Helps hair grow

Coconut water can wash the scalp clean with anti-fungal properties, which help support hair growth. 

Save money by switching out some of your typical beauty products with natural coconut water!

So, do something good for your body! Indulge in a healthier lifestyle by switching out the bad for the good! You will feel the difference. If you want to buy some coconut water back home, make sure to check the label. Many companies will add extra ingredients that take away from the nutrients that you desire. Also, don't forget to head down to Da Lime in Da Coconut while you're in St. Thomas so you can get your very own "Lime in Da Coconut"! 

Line One

Imagine, you're trekking up the stairs to go ziplining for the first time; your hearts pumping and your mind is racing! You reach the top of the platform and see a spectacular view that leaves you breathless. You're so hypnotized by the scenic view that in no time at all, you're standing at the edge of the platform, looking at the forest floor below. You hear your family beckoning you from the other side, almost like a hazy dream. You take a breath in and a single step out. A feeling of liberation rushes over you as you fly effortlessly through the rain forest, conquering your fear of heights. As you see yourself closing in at the end of the line, the only thing that comes to your mind is "Let's go again!"