Off-Season in St. Croix

We spent most of our days at the various beaches trying to visit as many of them as possible. The water is shallow and clear, with coral reefs sometimes starting only several feet from the shore. Wear SPF 45 and reapply. The sun is intense and we all got sun burnt.

Several days after we returned, my wife and daughters were noticing 'dandruff' in their hair. In spite of their long hair (you know the kind that clogs bathroom sinks!) protecting their scalps, they all were sun burnt where their hair parted and it was peeling. I wore a ball cap most of the time, so fortunately did not experience the flakes in my hair.

Tourism is down this time of year, especially as our vacation week lapped into August. About half of the stores and restaurants were closed as the owners were on their vacation. Some of the stores and water sports companies were offering limited hours, so we adjusted our schedule to their availability.

Quick Tips:

Call places before heading out. We spent part of three days trying to schedule parasailing, only to learn that the person offering this water sport only worked when he wanted to. Certain restaurants were closed or had shorter hours.

Schedule Sweeney's Safari Tour before arriving at St. Croix and try to go the first part of your time there. See my journal entry on this tour for more information. His tour identified lots of places we would have liked to visit.

We were advised (and tried to follow) to return to the condo area by nightfall. The crime rate is higher during the off-season, and safety was emphasized by many people. The nightlife at St. Croix is minimal, so returning to the condo when dark was not a burden.

Best Way To Get Around:

I do recommend getting a rental car. We had a little Honda and did just fine along the narrow roads and parallel parking. A car allows you to quickly travel to the various beaches and get around during the day.

The streets are not well marked. Actually, most of them are not marked at all. There as some highway signs, but as one person explained, no one knows the roads by the numbers. They had to put the numbers on the roads to receive federal funding for the roads. We finally determined that the best directions are by landmark. We were so turned around and lost the first couple of days, even on this small island. We started recognizing landmarks and asking for those type of directions instead.

The Budget car rental person did not give good directions. We finally found a customs officer (still in uniform) at a grocery store and she literally led us to the condo facility. We never would have found it otherwise.

The condo was very clean and included sufficient service-ware and cookware. We quickly discovered that eating out at St. Croix was pricey, so chose to have breakfast at the condo each morning, and sometimes we would pack a picnic lunch. (There are two grocery stores close to Mill Harbour, one in walking distance.) Towels and bedding for six people were included, but for bathing only. Fortunately, we packed beach towels for ourselves and hung them over patio chairs each night to dry.

The master bedroom had a queen size bed, but we quickly found that it was two mattresses pushed together. There was a large air mattress stored under the bed to be pulled out for sleeping two other people. The second bedroom had two twin beds. The girls said the beds were hard and uncomfortable. Each bedroom had it’s own air-conditioning unit. We kept the bedroom doors closed and ran the air-conditioners. The front steel door allowed a cool breeze throughout the rest of the unit so we were sufficiently comfortable.

Mill Harbour has it’s own beach, but the description on the brochures is misleading. Yes, it is a sandy beach, but it’s a very rocky entrance into the water. Big rocks, like a rock wall. A sandy entrance into the water was two units east, minimal walking distance, and open to the public. However, Mill Harbour’s beach chairs stayed on their property, so we were without chairs when swimming in the ocean.

Mill Harbour does have a wonderful swimming pool and we took late night dips into the water several evenings after sunset. There were numerous chairs around the pool area and Smuggler’s Inn bar was connected to the pool area for a drink or a snack.

Washing machines and driers were in a separate unit, costing $1.75 to wash and several sets of quarters to dry. We washed our beach towels and some of the sand filled clothes about mid-week. Even though we were keeping them dry, the beach towels were smelling pretty fishy!

Mill Harbour had their own patrolling security with a guard posted at the entrance each night. The area is surrounded with a high chain link fence to provide extra protection.

After our late evening arrival on Sunday, we were glad that the restaurant was still open for service. A large party had just been served, so we were told it would be a half hour delay until more food could be prepared. We purchased a drink from the bar and strolled around the pool and beach area until we could be seated.

We all had sandwiches that night which were really good. My wife and I had grilled mahi-mahi and had the side order of homemade onion rings. The food portions were adequate and I was able to get my fill by eating the rest of my daughters' sandwiches.

We ate there again on Friday night for their weekly special. The all-you-can-eat barbecue was $13 and included ribs and/or chicken, salad, bread and several choices of side dishes. There was music and dancing, with many people that must have been "regulars" there for the evening. Dancing was open to everyone. Herb included dancing with one of my daughters and even the barbecue chef was out dancing. The atmosphere was comfortable and friendly.

We were told that Saturday night was also another specialty night with dinner and dancing, although we did not attend because we wanted to try other places too.

The area is divided into two sections, both covered and set up for dining. The first section was open on three sides and more of the smoking group seemed to sit here. The second section included the bar with a large mural. The lady serving drinks on the mural only showed her backside, but she was topless. On the opposite wall from the bar was another mural. The server was discretely covered, but minimal clothing was implied. This section also included several televisions, one above the bar and the other in front of the mural. The ceiling fans kept the area cool and comfortable.

Several evenings, after swimming in the Mill Harbour pool, I had a few drinks and visited with Herb. He had considerable knowledge of the island and his recommendations on activities were on target.

The food was good, reasonably priced for St. Croix, and the service was great. Herb and Paulette, along with all the people working there were extremely friendly and superb at making visitors feel welcome.

The parking lot on this place is huge. The advertised Live Entertainment on Thursday through Sunday nights must justify that much land exclusively for parking. We simply did not see large parking lots as a norm on this island and I was surprised to see it for a burger place.

We all order the cheeseburger. You can select American or Swiss cheese, and get your choice of slaw, potato salad, and something else with your sandwich. Bacon and other topping are extra. The burgers are large and one was enough to fill me up, although I did take a few bites of my daughters' after they had finished. The slaw was good, crispy vegetables without too much dressing. Like most restaurants, the food was a bit pricey. This is the first time I paid $8 for a cheeseburger for lunch.

My beer was cold and my wife had the restaurant favorite drink of 'Lime in Da Coconut'. She's not sure what all was in it besides rum, but she thought it was an excellent drink for that hot day. Since this was our last day on the island, we ordered a piece of rum cake to share. It was a light cake with a sweet icing, having a slight taste of rum. I was surprised as I expected rum cake to be more like a Christmas fruitcake. I guess that’s why I held off having some until the last day. I wish I had known better because I would have had more cake during the week.

The tables are underneath an awning, on a gravel surface. There’s plenty of the ‘tradewinds’ blowing off the ocean to keep cool in the outdoor facility.

Driving directions: This one is actually easy to find as it’s on highway 82 about 3.5 miles east of Christensted. Go through the downtown area of Christensted, past the fort. Keep following that road as it winds it’s way outside the city. There are actually a few signs stating "82" and one sign pointing to Divi Casino. Just past the intersection with highway 60 (where the road will curve to the left and highway 60 is to the right), the parking lot will be on the right. Remember, you will be crossing traffic when turning right into the parking lot. Be sure and look for oncoming cars first!

RumRunners is located on the waterfront, part of the Hotel Caravelle. You'll run right into it as you walk along the boardwalk. They offer breakfast, lunch (with strict hours), happy hour and dinner. Their specialty is the seafood, including 'catch of the day'.

The tables actually have tableclothes and they provided real service-wear - no plastic or paper. The drinks were in glasses, not stryofoam cups, and the amount of ice was generous so the drinks were cold.

The restaurant is open on three sides with ceiling fans to help keep things cool. A lobster cage is just off the boardwalk but I did not see any lobsters inside. There is a rocky section along the front, between the boardwalk and the restaurant. We watched as a family of crabs crawled out from the rocks and scooted across the restaurant floor over to our table. I pointed out to my youngest daughter that the crab salad she was eating was probably the baby crab's daddy. She quickly put her fork down and could not eat any more of her lunch. I then finished off her meal.

We really liked their salads. Most of the lettuce served on the island was not very fresh and crisp, however RumRunners must have had a different supplier. Their fresh vegetables were exactly that: fresh. The salad included strips of summer squash and carrots along with several different types of greens. The salads were topped with generous portions of lobster or crab. We also tried their wraps, with the Cruzan wrap being the favorite. The inside had rice, various types of seafood and spices frequently used on the island. The fish and chips special was okay, containing a bit too much fried food for me.

My very favorite was one of the specials ordered by my oldest daughter – Angel hair pasta with lobster. The pasta was cooked perfectly and wrapped around large pieces of lobster. The sauce was superb. It was a light sauce, not tomato based, but full of seasonings and spices that I could not identify. It was great. I appreciated the large portion so I could finish it off after she had her fill. If the angel hair pasta is on the daily special menu, I recommend getting it.

Entries for lunch started around $10, plus drinks and tip. We were spending as much for a lunch as we expected to spend for dinner meal. The restaurant prices everywhere were expensive, so this was inline with the rest of the island.

Just like most of the eating establishments along Christensted's boardwalk, three sides are open with the front facing the water. The bar was on the back side with a row of traditional bar stools along the outside of the bar. While we were there, several people strolled up to the bar and took their drinks to go. There were other people plopped on the bar stools and were enjoying their cold brews under the breeze of the ceiling fan.

We sat at a small table, just under the awning, enough to be out of the sun, but well within the cool winds off the ocean. The bartender came out quickly to take our order. Three different types of beer were brewed here - Blonde, Red and Mango. I've had many renditions of Blonde and Red beers before, but I have never heard of, let alone tried, a Mango beer. I had to order it. When else would I have another opportunity?

My wife was hedging with her order. She told the bartender that she would like to try the Red beer, but that just sounded like too much for right now. The bartender quickly asked her if she'd like a half-glass? Perfect solution.

The beer was served quickly, some of the fastest service we experienced on the island. Most restaurants were casual and laid back; getting drinks took as along as 30 minutes in some places. The two glasses of beer were on our table within a few minutes, before my wife had returned from the restroom. My wife was also pleased that soap was supplied in the restroom. She and the girls had not found soap to be an available commodity in most restrooms, so the cleanliness was appealing.

We shared sips of each other's beer as my wife wanted a taste of Mango beer. We both agreed it was a smooth beer and not as sweet as we expected. The half glass of beer was still generous and my wife could not finish it.

The lunch and dinner specials were posted on a white board and the selection looked very good. The Happy Hour prices, seafood options and even the steak selection were appealing. We had already made dinner plans for that evening, otherwise would we have stayed here for dinner.

The daily specials were posted on a white board at the bottom of the stairs. My youngest daughter and wife split one of the specials as it included half lobster, shrimp and Mahi-Mahi grilled steaks. My oldest daughter and I shared a medium shrimp pizza which we ordered off the menu. The lobster special was $30 so I'm glad they wanted to share one serving!

This was the evening of our first full day in St. Croix, so we were asked our waiter for his recommendations on some possible drinks. I was served a Pain Reliever; my wife had Rum Punch; my oldest daughter received a Marilyn (strawberries, other fruits and local rum), and my youngest daughter had a frozen concoction named Mud Slide. The girls immediately detected the amount of rum and my youngest jumped back in her chair after taking her first sip. The waiter explained that these are not "States" drinks. Rum is very inexpensive in St. Croix so liberally added to every drink. So we noticed! The girls drank lots of water along with their dinner and slowly sipped on their drinks. They decided to ask for "virgin" versions of a cool drink or to ask that a very small amount of rum be used in their drinks. That’s a good suggestion for anyone wanting to try different beverages, but not wanting all the extra alcohol.

The dinners were very good. The lobster, shrimp and Mahi-Mahi were cooked perfectly and quickly eaten by my wife and daughter. The accompanying pasta salad was not that good. They should have selected the coleslaw or other side dish. Our pizza was very tasty. The sauce was creamy and the shrimp topping was more than generous. We ate as much as we could and still took three pieces of pizza back to the condo with us. Our waiter supplied a carryout pizza box so we were able to get it home with ease. The cost of the meal for two shared dinners, four drinks and an appetizer of conch fritters was $84.

The view of the bay and the island was beautiful from the balcony. We enjoyed the slow pace of the dinner and watched the sunset behind the mountains of St. Croix.

Off the Wall is an open air restaurant, with the kitchen and part of the bar the only sections under cover. A jazz and blues band plays there Wednesday through Sunday nights, from the hours of 6 - 9. (Most places close by 9 or 10, so this is not surprising.)

The picnic tables are spread out over an area that overlooks Cane Bay. The water was rushing over the rocks that were lined up along the shoreline. The view was beautiful and relaxing. We did not arrive until 8pm so most other patrons had left or were leaving by then. There was only one other group of people in the restaurant.

The jazz band was great. The volume was ideal for the for small space and the trumpeter was strolling through the restaurant as he played. Actually, the band was the best part of our experience at Off the Wall and I'm glad I left a tip in their jar. They deserved it much more than the restaurant employees.

We were treated as if our request to eat dinner was a big hassle. The waiter immediately informed us that the kitchen closed at 9pm, even though it was only 8pm. We offered to just get sandwiches to make things easy, but he was still put out.

The girls asked for water and received bottled water (no glasses until they asked for them). We later read that some of the locations outside the two cities do not have filtration systems for their water, so getting bottled water was appropriate. We ordered some chips and salsa as an appetizer, finally waving down our waiter down to see if they would be served soon. These homemade chips tasted like those from a bag and the salsa was more similar to watered down catsup.

Close to 9pm we finally got our dinners. The sandwiches were okay, at best. Everything was over-spiced and difficult to eat. My wife scraped everything off the top of her Mahi-Mahi grilled steak sandwich and was able to eat the fish. The girls tried to do the same with their burgers and were not quite as successful. My Philly sandwich was impossible to finish. Our total bill was $70, all for terrible service, and food we could barely eat.

Don't waste your time or money at this restaurant.

We paid $12 to the ferry service for our short ride over to the island and strolled down the path from the dock to the restaurant. Hmmm.. Did we have the correct evening? The restaurant was nearly empty, and we did have our choice of tables. The server took our drink orders and also questioned the legal drinking age of my daughters. Up to this point, no one else had asked their age when they ordered a drink (and no other person asked for their age during the remainder of our vacation).

The buffet included all kinds of salads, several side dishes and three main dishes. I selected barbeque chicken along with grilled mahi-mahi steaks. I sampled the prime rib when returning to the buffet table for a second trip. The side dishes were ordinary offerings: potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni & cheese, green beans, etc. Everything I tasted was good, not spectacular, but good. The dessert table included a variety of cakes and we each picked a different one. Of course I tested them all by swiping bites off each of the plates.

A steel bowl band played during dinner and continued through most of the evening. The music varied from island type calypso, to crooners’ music, to rock and roll. As I listened, the words "There is a house in New Orleans" popped into my head. Sure enough, the five piece steel bowl band performed House of the Rising Sun, and they did a good job!

The Mocko Jumbies, the Caribbean equivalent of the boogie man, strutted out on stilts, dancing with the children and other guests. He walked through the dining area, accepting tips from those who wanted a picture. After he exited, the main restaurant area darkened for the performance of the fire eater. No pun intended when one of my daughters commented, "He’s a hottie!" We felt the heat of his flames during his session due to the closeness of our table. A group of native dancers completed the evening entertainment after a short intermission. We could have skipped the last dance as the program extended too long.

The buffet and show cost $23 a person, with drinks extra. The bill automatically included gratuity and I’m glad I noticed so I didn’t pay it twice.

I’m glad we attended this event, especially with the limited nighttime opportunities. I’m not certain that I would feel obligated to go again.

Getting there was fairly easy. We drove east out of Christensted on highway 82, one of the few highways that was marked. We kept driving and driving, but I didn’t worry about missing Point Udall. As long as the island continued ahead of me, we were not at the eastern most point. We passed by the Countess’ palace, a beautiful structure sitting on top of the hill. There are several stories about the Countess and how she came to settle on the island. She apparently married a Count, from some country (varies depending on who tells the story), and he either died, divorced her, is living up there with her, all depending on who is telling the story.

Shortly after the palace, a road breaks off to the left as highway 82 curves to the right. The public beach at Cramer Park bay is visible, so turn left on this road. Continue following it along the winding coastline until the road stops at Point Udall.

The road circles around the monument and I did the correct thing by circling round the left. Two other vehicles arrived while we were taking pictures, and one circled around the right. The other vehicle honked at them. They were probably shouting, "Crazy tourist. Drive on the left!".

The view was beautiful. Buck Island was off to the north and desert like mountains were jutting up behind us. Nothing but water was visible to the east. South of Point Udall are several beaches, but they require hiking down the hillside. My wife and daughters did not have on sturdy shoes for that type of trip (flip flops were just not sufficient) so unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to visit those beaches.

From Point Udall, drive back to highway 80 and continue going left. At some point, it turns into highway 60 and curves around the south side of the island. We drove by Divi Casino and several sections of beautiful homes. Highway 60 curves around to straight north and reconnects with highway 80 right before the restaurant Cheeseburger in Paradise.

We didn’t spend much time at Point Udall because there wasn’t much to do except look and take some pictures. I’m glad we took the time however because now I can say that I’ve been there!

We started our tour in the Great Hall, a building made just for the Botanical Garden, incorporating some of the existing buildings that were on the property. Weddings, parties and other events can be held in the Great Hall and there had been a large local festival there the Sunday prior to our arrival.

Just outside the Great Hall is remains of worker's homes, now surrounded by flowers and other bushes. Sweeny stopped at a tree and pulled off some fruit. He bit off the top and squeezed the insides into his mouth. He then offered a piece of fruit to me and said, "Try it." I did. The seed was large and the fruit was difficult to pull off the seed just using my mouth. It had a tart taste and was good. I didn't get sick afterwards, so it must have been edible!

We entered into the tropical area. Sweeny explained that the botanical society is trying to restore this area back to its original vegetation prior to the clearing of all the land for sugar plantations. He identified the various types of trees, flowers, and plants. He poked a hole in a termite channel to show us the insect life. He explained about the river drying up and the impact to the land.

We stopped momentarily in the Fern House to see the different types of native ferns. We moved on to some of the areas around the other ruins. There was a cactus garden built around the ruins and Sweeny picked off a section of cactus that we could bring home with us. He said, "No dirt, no roots". He suggested that we plant it when we get home and it will grow. (I did successfully pass through customs after declaring this cactus, so he was right!)

We continued walking past some small gardens and an old smokehouse, progressing into an area called Wedding Bower. Sure enough, they were setting up for a wedding that was scheduled for the next day. We stopped long enough to take pictures.

The gift shop was air conditioned and had some nice items. My wife finally found the needed gift for one of our friends so we made the quick purchase before getting back on the bus.

The tour costs $4 per adult and includes a guided 20 minute walking tour through the area, starting with the simmering of the molasses to the shipping and distribution. After the last stop on the tour, the guide turns into the bartender and supplies ample samples of the various rum to the visitors.

When we first pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised at the size of the factory. It was very small and we only saw a handful of employees. For as much rum that is produced here, I truly expected there to be more buildings, taking up more real estate. They have things managed in a tighter, but efficient work space.

Outside the parking lot are the remains of a sugar plantation windmill, surrounded by seven flags from the seven different countries that claimed St. Croix. From there we walked up a steep set of stairs to the molasses boilers. The smell is pretty intense.

We walked by long troughs and our guide explained that all the waste is pure and put back into the water. One of my daughters asked if it hurt the fish any, and the guide guaranteed her that it's all natural and does not harm the ecosystem. From there we moved into the barrel room where the rum is stored and aged. The guide explained the different aging systems used for the various rums. The rain water is captured and stored in cisterns underneath these buildings. The rain water is then used to dilute the alcohol to rum.

After viewing this section, we returned to the visitor’s center for our complimentary testing session. We were all given shots of Single Barrel and it was good. Several of us tried other shots of different rums and learned that the Cruzan flavored rums are more meant to be straight. My daughters, both of legal drinking age, were not too keen on the shots (good for them!) so the guide offered to fix them some mixed drinks. One daughter had Rum Punch and the other had Cruzan Sunset. They were both mild drinks, with minimal alcohol. He fixed my wife a drink named Hawaiian Sunset that was a sweet and easy drink; however, it had a mixture of 3 different flavored rums. I had a Pain Killer which I think must have been at least 50% rum.

Don't buy your rum here. It's cheaper at KMart (just up the street on Highway 70) and you get a carrying box for the six bottles.

I was very glad that we were on the Safari Tour when stopping here. I wanted to taste some of the rums and rum drinks, but did not want to drink and drive – especially drive on the left! Happily, I left the driving to Sweeny.

Tour guides show information about the house. The design is to allow for cool tradewind breezes yet have protection against the hurricanes. The walls are three feet thick and the mortar was molasses. The pitch of the roof was designed to offset the high winds of a hurricane. The inside furniture is mahogany as this tree grew in abundance on St. Croix. The tour guide described the different types of furniture, paintings, and other bric-bracs, sharing where they were from and why they might have been found in the plantation house. We were only permitted to stand in a small section of the rooms and in the hall. Most of the house was roped off.

The side room off the main house displayed information about sugar and molasses plantations. There was map that identified all the numerous plantations back in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Documents pertaining to the plantation such as census records and assessments were also displayed.

Parts of the kitchen and slave quarters were being maintained while we were there, so we did not get to view them. We did see one section that described the life of a slave on this plantation, including records of ownership and issues with runaway slaves.

A small section of land was set aside for growing sugar cane, just to show how the product looked as it grew. Just beyond this area was the can processing equipment. Everything was nicely labeled, describing how sugar cane was processed.

The animal meal was originally used to crush the juice from the cane with slaves also assisting with this laborious task. A windmill was the next used to grind the sugar cane, taking advantage of the tradewinds off the ocean. Even later came the steam mill engine and chimney which improved the amount of juice pulled from the cane.

There were remains of the Sugar Factory, where the extracted juice was cooked and crystallized into sugar. The by-product of molasses is then used for rum.

There was a horse on the property, standing in the shade of the chimney. At first I thought he was friendly animal, but he tried to bite my daughter’s hand when she carefully reached out to pet him. I suggest staying away from him if you’re visiting.

The gift shop was air-conditioned, so I spent some time in there looking at things, just to cool off. It was a hot day!

The boat ride to and from the island was fun and relaxing. The crew identified the houses of various people (including Ted Kennedy’s) and explained the buoy system which is a roadmap for navigating between the underwater coral reefs. Water, pop and beer were available for a nominal fee during the hour trip over to the island.

We anchored on the western side of the island and everyone practiced snorkeling. Lessons were provided for those learning how to snorkel. The water was pristine and crystal clear. Soon Sammy the Stingray showed up to swim with us. The crew had informed us of this friendly sea creature so I was a bit prepared when this large black fish swam just under me. After practicing for 45 minutes we reboarded the boat and headed over to the east side of the island.

The boat pulled into a designed area, described as a parking lot for boats, and we jumped into the water to start navigating the underwater trails. We joined up along with one of the two crew members and followed them through the trails. Gordon held onto a float so that people could hold on if they were not comfortable swimming the entire distance. Additionally he would dive down to the bottom to sweep away the sand and sediment from the trail markers so we could read them.

We had an hour and 45 minutes to snorkel in this area. I spent most of my time carefully navigating around the coral reef walls. My wife found a school of bright blue fish and she was following them around as they navigated through the reef. The time went by too quickly.

The crew recommended reapplying sun screen so we put on more SPF 45 during the trip home. By then it was too late. We were all a bit red from the snorkeling even though we had coated ourselves with waterproof coverage on the trip out to the island. The sun is intense!

There are day long trips but we did not even try to schedule one. When asking people for their recommendations, no one suggested the day long trip. They said it only included extra time for lunch and a bit of hiking, not worth the extra money.

This was the highlight of our vacation!

The bus is open on both sides, with an enclosed cab for the driver. Sweeny drove us through Christensted out highway 70 towards Fredericksted for the first stop of our tour. Throughout the drive, Sweeny explained the political system for Virgin Islands and how the territory differs from one of the 50 states. He described the demographics of St. Croix based on information from the 2000 census. As we drove by the university and two public high schools, he shared information on the educational system, and percentages of career choices for graduating students. He listed off the major employers of the island, the type of business performed and impact to the people of the island. He was a walking encyclopedia of St. Croix information!

The tour included stopping at Botanical Gardens, Cruzan Rum Factory, Whim Museum and Plantation, city of Fredericksted & Fort Fredericksted, driving through the Rain Forest, driving by the scenic golf course and Columbus’ Landing at Salt River. Some of these places I have described in separate journals because they are worth a visit even if you don’t take Sweeny’s tour.

After our first three stops, we were in Fredericksted, and stopped to eat at a deli. Sweeny took our sandwich orders while at Whim Museum so they were ready when we arrived. After eating, we drove over to Fort Fredericksted to view the building and sightsee. When the rain stopped, we reboarded the bus and took off for the rain forest.

The Rain Forest is about 6 miles long and only about a quarter mile wide. The rough road winds through this majestic area and the bus was able to handle the road with ease. As we slowly drove through this section of the island, Sweeny described the impacts of Hurricane Hugo. He shared his personal experiences, the sounds, the noise and the after effects. He talked about the community gathering to support all the survivors and the efforts of rebuilding. He narrated stories of people who were swindled by companies promising to rebuild and stories of people who chose to move on. I was fascinated by his stories.

After exiting the Rain Forest, we drove by the golf course and sets of beautiful homes. Sweeny frequently stopped, allowing us to take pictures of the scenery. We ended up on highway 80, traveling along the northern coast of the island. We passed by Cane Bay and stopped to take pictures of Christopher Columbus’ landing.

The tour lasted an hour longer than scheduled, and I enjoyed every minute!

We found the beach after a long and windy drive along the shoreline. The roads are not well marked, but we could decipher the map well enough to know that we should stay close to the water as we meandered across the island. When driving east on highway 80, the road curves between two restaurants. Be sure and follow that curve around otherwise you will miss the beach. There was a bit of parking close to the beach, next to a picnic area, and there was a parking lot across the street. Someone mentioned that there is a parking lot fee, but we did not see one.

Snorkeling equipment can be rented for $12 per person for 24 hours. The Cane Bay Shop also offered scuba diving equipment and lessons. We watched as a small group of people were given their diving lessons in the shallow water off the beach. The instructor was very patient and thorough with his students.

Snorkeling was great. The only concerns we had were the sea urchins. This beach was full of them and I was not keen on getting any closer to them than necessary. We were careful whenever we stepped on the floor to ensure we would not land on coral (very sharp) or a sea urchin (very painful).

We met lots of friendly people on the beach. Most were there for the snorkeling. A group of people had rented a motorized float so they could snorkel out further and have the "power" to return to shore. Another couple rented a sailboat and a paddleboat and they cruised through the bay waters. A friendly dog joined our group for a while and begged me to play catch with him. I’m not certain if he belonged to someone at the beach or a family who lived nearby.

Our day at Cane Bay beach was extremely relaxing, just what we had wanted.

According to lore (as published on the Internet when searching for the words ‘shopping’ and ‘Croix’), the hook bracelet originated in St. Croix. The hook is worn either up or down, depending on your luck or love. The popularity has spread throughout the Virgin Islands, targeting the vacationing college students. According to my daughters, our vacation would be deemed a failure if we returned without the coveted bracelets.

We started the hunt for the hooks in downtown Christensted. The girls’ concerns about finding bracelets were immediately relieved as we saw the numerous open jewelry stores. These bracelets were everywhere, ranging in price from an inexpensive $10 to top-of-the-line gold in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.

The shopping area in downtown Christensted is fairly small, just about a 6-block square section. We spent most of our time on Company Street and King Street, as they had the best stores for our price range. My wife and I felt comfortable letting the girls wander from store to store by themselves, asking them to check in (via cell phone) every so often.

Some of our favorite were:
Sonya’s - This jewelry store had reasonable prices for the types of bracelets my girls wanted. The bracelets were hand-wrought, and each bracelet is different. Sonya also provides guarantees and options to "upsize" to a nicer bracelet at a later date.
Mitchell, Larsen Studio - This art store displayed and sold decorated glassware, Christmas ornaments (one is usually selected to represent VI on the White House tree), bowls, sun-catchers and other items. The prices were reasonable, and the store was air-conditioned. I let my wife browse here for as long as she wanted.
Baci Duty Free Liquor and Tobacco - The liquor prices are not the cheapest, but the carry-on carton was great. The carton cost $2 with a liquor purchase and was worth the money. We filled our cartons with the permitted 6 liters and did not have any issues getting all of it home.
Tropical Wave - The girls fell in love with the cool and comfortable tropical outfits from this store. There was not a dressing room, so they were trying clothes on over their swimsuits. The prices were not unreasonable, as long as the girls wear these clothes again!

Overall, the shopping in Christensted is somewhat limited. With the exception of liquor, the prices of jewelry, perfumes, and other items were the same cost as those back home. The saving is in the lack of sales tax.

My favorite part of shopping was finding the air-conditioned stores and visiting with the proprietors while my family perused the stores. I received some sympathy and understanding, along with the opportunity to cool off from the hot sun.

Columbus Landing Beach – This beach is located on the north side of the island, off highway 80 on the east side of Christainsted. Drive past the marina for about a quarter mile to reach the site of the 1493 historical landing of Christopher Columbus. Equipment can be rented at the marina. Greeting visitors to this beach is a large green dumpster full of trash. Unfortunately, the idea of people discarding their trash in the dumpster failed because the beach was littered with garbage. Although the view was beautiful, our stay here was short.

Jack and Isaac’s Bay Beaches - These two isolated beaches are just off Point Udall and accessible by foot only. We saw cars parked along the road and found the hiking trail used to get to these beaches. There are not any facilities at these beaches, just pristine, white sand along with privacy to swim in calm water. My wife and daughters did not bring sturdy shoes (only flip-flops) on the trip to Point Udall, so we lost the opportunity to hike down to these beaches. Due to the isolation, I suggest visiting these beaches with a group of people.

Sandy Point Beach - On the night of our arrival, our host took a red pen and drew a big X across this beach on our map. He explicitly stated, "Don’t go there." This beach is the longest white sand beach and has a Turtle Nest reserve; however, the area is crime ridden and full of problems. Sweeny, our tour guide, told me that I could take our family to this beach as long as we did not go past the one building; however, I was concerned about the safety of my family and decided to forego swimming at this beach.

Fredericksted Beach - This beach is just off the city of Fredericksted and includes minimal facilities. Restaurants and bars of Fredericksted are nearby, but I did not see any public restrooms or equipment rental places. A long pier extends into the ocean and scores of kids were jumping off the pier into the warm water.

Cramer Park Beach - This public beach is literally off the highway while driving to Point Udall. Restroom and picnic areas looked new. These facilities are distributed along this lengthy beach, so people have many choices when defining their swimming area, making it private or as communal as desired. Parking lots adjoin the beach for easy access. The entire area appeared clean and well maintained.

As with any trip to the beach, a small waterproof container or pouch should be used to store the car keys and other items. I constantly checked for my items as I swan to ensure they were still attached.

The bay area directly in front of the beach resembles a boat parking lot as numerous water crafts were docked in designated places. I was surprised at the closeness of the swimming area to the boating area. The water in the bay was clear and about 15 yards out, I found a conch shell with some fishy type animal inside. Keeping the shell underwater, I hollered at my wife and girls to come over and see my discovery. They were impressed too and we all started looking for other types of sea life. Of course, we only noted our findings and left all shells in the water.

The hotel on the cay looked in sad condition. At first I thought the lack of attention to cleanliness and maintenance was due to the off season; however, some locals informed me that the owners elected to allow the hotel to delay from a premier state to its current mess. Unless the hotel was renovated, I wouldn’t stay here.

The restaurant and bar on the beach were expensive and the food was not that good. We had sandwiches for lunch, blah and tasteless. We should have packed a picnic lunch rather than eating there. The servers were rude, rushing us through our lunch meal as if they could not wait until we left.

We attempted every day to schedule some of the water activities with St. Croix Watersports located on the Cay (phone number 773-7060). When we finally found the owner at the rental shop, he recognized our name from the numerous messages we had left for him, but he never bothered to call us back. A hotel employee informed us that the owner only works when he wants to and if he doesn’t want to work, he won’t rent out any of his equipment. We were greatly disappointed with this type of service. We kayaked one day, but he refused to offer jet skis or parasailing that week.

Overall, the beach area is well maintained and excellent swimming. Other families must have agreed with my assessment as the beach was full with other swimmers that day.

This beach was beautiful, plenty of white sand and warm ocean water. Inviting chairs with cushions could be rented for $5 a day (or complimentary for Chenay resort guests), but the hammock was free. A small swing set with some attached equipment sat in the sun just behind the sandy beach area, giving kids other play choices besides swimming. Snorkeling and boating equipment could be rented (didn't get the exact amounts) and I understood that Chenay resort guests also received these without charge. A small island was just outside the bay and a couple at the beach told us that it took them 13 minutes to kayak out there. That would have been nice.

I sat on the beach letting the waves lap up over me. Schools of small fish were swimming around me, nibbling at my legs and I was watching them when suddenly something was wrong. The last wave pushed water way over my long swim trunks and a collection of these little fish floated inside and were nibbling were they shouldn't be. I jumped up fast and let all the water (with the small fish) out of my trunks!

Down the beach about 50 feet, several families had set up pup tents and were apparently planning to spend the day at the beach. The section of beach where they were located was not as nicely maintained as the beach area directly in front of the resort. We did not see any trash or excessive weeds in the resort beach area, as if the resort employees only focused on keeping their section of the beach pristine.

Other than the nibbling event, this was the most relaxing beach. I did not snorkel here because there was not coral reefs close by for optimum snorkeling and the water was so clear that we could see the ocean life from the surface.

If I were to return to St. Croix, I would seriously consider staying at Chenay Beach resort. They were well equipped for families and even though the nightly / weekly fees were higher, they included equipment rental. The beach here was wonderful and having this quality of beach readily available would have been worth extra money.