In the Seattle Times, Roger Peterson writes that St. John and the other islands are a little exotic but still easy to visit because no passport’s needed.
Check the National Park Service site www.nps.gov/state/vi/ — to see what you can do at Virgin Islands National Park, including snorkeling and sailing.
The smallest of the three major islands is St. John — www.seestjohn.com/ _ — where the snorkeling guide takes you to spots such as Hawksnest Bay, a convenient and popular beach where a reef waits for you just a few yards off the shore, or Cinnamon Bay, a popular windsurfing beach where snorkelers can explore an old airplane wreck. Some of the same spots are covered in their beach guide. And don't miss their photo and video galleries.