It’s the elder Treemeat’s birthday today. Happy birthday dad!
I need a lens hood something fierce.
In 1944, when the US acquired Water Island for $10,000, they began building a defense installation called Fort Segarra. Plans included barracks, gun emplacements, watchtowers and underground bunkers. It was not finished before World War II ended, but was used for years after as testing grounds for poisonous gases.
From one of the few days on the main island, full of tourists and locals, with very little overlap between them.
From a brochure found at the wreck: “Indulge yourself on one of our Big Party or Romantic Dinner Cruises. You’ll be dazzled by the colors of the setting sun and twinkling lights of Charlotte Amalie harbour. The Amalie Queen is a 90 foot replica of a riverboat and carries up to 160 guests on our twin decks.”
We took a trip over to Cokie Beach, on the main island of St. Thomas one day, and much fruity alcohol drinking ensued.
In 1950, the US Department of Defense turned Water Island over to the Department of the Interior, who leased it to Walter Phillips, a private developer, for $3,000 dollars a year. A hotel, the Water Isle Hotel & Beach Club, was built on the island, and operated for over 30 years, when in 1989, Hurricane Hugo severely damaged the hotel and it was abandoned.
Hurricane Hugo practically destroyed Water Island in 1989. Many property owners, rather than rebuilding, simply abanded the island. The one’s who did stay cleaned up by filling a secluded harbor with the remnants.
Made it to St. Thomas, a ferry ride from here gets us to Water Island.
Taken moments before finally leaving the States. You can see a faint grid in the sky of the first one, created by the self-enlarging shade dots embedded in the windows at Detroit Metro. As the day got brighter, the dots got larger.