Photography

My Serendipitous St Croix-Ireland Connections

September 16, 2022 by Cindy @ MyStCroix.VI Leave a Comment

Charlene & I at the Van Morrison concert in the heart of Belfast

In August 2022, I took an epic trip to Ireland full of adventure. The global pandemic had put a pause on my European adventure that I had planned for 2020, and so when I was ready to travel abroad again – I thought of my friend who had extended the invitation to visit Ireland.

The Emerald Isle has always been on my “to do” travel list. And it just so happens that a dear friend of mine who previously lived on St Croix had moved to Belfast as a teacher over a decade ago. Charlene and I met while performing many moons ago in various Caribbean Community Theatre productions and became fast friends sharing not only a love for musical theatre but our Irish Catholic heritage and Boston area roots.

If you ask anyone who really knows me, St Patrick’s Day has always been my favorite holiday (next to Christmas, of course) and my favorite band of all time is hands-down, U2. And, like millions of others across the globe, my family is part of the vast Irish diaspora. So, after a chat with my friend via Facebook Messenger it was settled. I was heading to Ireland!

How are the St Croix Seaplane and Ireland connected?

Over the years, many have asked me why St Croix has such a big St Patrick’s Day parade celebration and I’ve written about the complicated historical past here – St Croix’s Irish Connection. But, St Croix also has another more modern connection to Ireland – one of Éire’s favorite daughters, the famed fiery red-head and Hollywood starlet, Maureen O’Hara (1920-2015).

Maureen lived here on St Croix for many years with her third husband, United States Air Force Brigadier General Charles F. (Charlie) Blair, Jr. Charlie was an aviation pioneer and the founder of “Antilles Air Boats”, the predecessor of today’s seaplane operation in Christiansted & Charlotte Amalie Harbors. With $10,000 he bought a Gruman Goose (an amphibious plane), hired five employees and started what would become the largest seaplane airline in the world with a fleet of 27 planes. And he did it all right here on St Croix!

Charles Blair with his Goose – from AntillesAirboats.com

Maureen owned and edited the Virgin Islander travel magazine from 1976 to 1980 when she sold it to USA Today. Maureen and Charlie would often fly from St Croix to Ireland with multiple stop overs for fuel, including in Nova Scotia where they are remembered fondly. Though a highly honored and experienced pilot, Blair was killed when the Goose he was piloting crashed en route to St Thomas on September 2, 1978, killing him and three others aboard. You can still see Maureen and Charlie Blair’s home sitting high atop the hill above Christiansted. Over the years its fallen into some disrepair, but local rumor has it that it’s being renovated right now and will become a rental villa in the future.

St Croix was a Celebrity Hotspot

One of Maureen’s frequent leading men and one of her best friends was John Wayne. He visited her and Charlie on St Croix several times over the years. She entertained other Hollywood celebrities like Ginger Rogers, Jason Robards, Victor Borge, and Lauren Bacall. Maureen was well known for her hospitality and deep love of St Croix, referring to it often as her favorite island.

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in *The Quiet Man* (1952)

My personal favorite Maureen O’Hara story comes from my time as a wedding planner. About a decade or so ago, I planned the wedding of a truly lovely couple. The bride, Jenny, had been born on St Croix when her father worked for the Hess Oil Refinery. She only lived on the island for the first few years of her life, but it was still very special to her. During the wedding reception, her father got up and shared a touching story. When Jenny was a toddler, the family attended the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade and Maureen O’Hara was on one of the floats (this may have been the year that she was the Grand Marshall). Maureen saw little Jenny and handed her a lucky Irish penny. Over the years and several moves, unfortunately, the penny was misplaced by her parents. So, before the wedding, Jenny’s father wrote a letter to Maureen O’Hara sharing the story of the lost penny. Well, don’t you know that Maureen not only sent back a lovely letter, but a shiny new lucky Irish penny to gift Jenny at her wedding. (yep, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house and I’m a little teary now retelling it, lol)

My St Croix-Ireland Connections Begin

So that’s the back story. Fast forward to my 2022 Irish Adventure. I spent the first four days of my trip with my friend, Charlene, in Belfast (which I absolutely LOVED). My very first night included an outdoor Van Morrison concert in Belfast Square. Epic! For the first part of my trip, we visited many of the filming locations from Game of Thrones up along the breathtaking NorthEast coast of Ireland, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour on the outskirts of Belfast, and St Patricks Cathedrals in Armagh (more on all of at my new Travel website Exploranista.com )

Following my stay in Belfast, I rented a car and took off on my own adventure. I had plotted on my Google map the places in Ireland that my family emigrated from about 200 years ago. So, leaving Belfast, I headed out on my heritage trail. One of those was Sligo on the North West Coast of the Republic of Ireland. There, I spent some time exploring the Neolithic burial ground at Carrowmore and then drove down through the breathtaking Connemara mountains with a plan to head to Galway.

The megalithic tombs at Carrowmore are older than the Egyptian Pyramids!

I have an Addiction to Photography

Driving through the beautiful Connemara Mountains

Well, my incessant need to stop every mile to take pictures of the insanely gorgeous landscape across Ireland got the best of me and I was just exhausted. But, I was still a couple hours out of Galway where I’d booked a hostel for the night. It was only $25/night so it wasn’t a big deal to be charged but not make it. I checked out a few hotels and bed and breakfasts along my way but everything was booked solid. I really wanted my own room that night so that I could get a good night’s sleep, but things weren’t looking promising.

So, I cranked up my U2 playlist, left the windows open to the cool air and sang my heart out as I drove through the valley and the misting rain. And then I saw the most vibrant rainbow that I’d EVER seen in my life! I thought it must be a sign. It was the golden hour and I also saw a couple more photo opportunities that I just couldn’t pass up. Because, when would I be right there again, ya know?!

I got back on the road and saw, I kid you not, three more incredibly vibrant rainbows. The last rainbow was in a town called Oughterard (pronounced OOK-ter-ard in Gaelic) and right there was the sign for a Bed & Breakfast. It was now around 8:30pm and I thought they would probably just laugh me out the door at that hour. But, instead they were the most warm and welcoming folks of my entire trip (besides my friends in Belfast, of course!).

A Warm Irish Welcome

They had just gotten a cancelation which worked out for us both. I had a wonderful, relaxing night of sleep after a hot bath and some tea and an incredible home-cooked breakfast the next morning. Over breakfast, I plotted my navigation plan for the day.

If you’re traveling through Ireland, I highly recommend a stay at the Carrowntober House B&B!

You see, I had plans later that afternoon to meet up with the sister of my St. Croix friend, Christine, who lived just North of Galway. Christine had suggested that if I was headed out her sister’s way , I should stop by so she could show me around some of the countryside that many visitors to Ireland miss. Prior to my trip, Cait and I connected on Facebook and made a plan to meet up. Ironically, it turned out that she was right across the lake from the Carrowntober House B&B where I was. I decided at breakfast to take a look at my Google Map to see if there was anything of interest nearby the area for me to explore quickly before I hit the open road. And I found a place right around the corner that I’d seen several signs for the day prior – “The Quiet Man Bridge” – so I figured I may as well check it out. And bonus, it was on my way!

The Quiet Man

That, my friends, is where the magical St Croix connection day started to occur. I’m sure that Irish fairies from behind the rainbows I saw were involved. Because, unbeknownst to me, “The Quiet Man” (1952) was an Academy Award winning film starring – wait for it – Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne! And it was just the beginning of the adventurous day ahead.

I drove over to the Bridge and pulled out my trusty Canon EOS 6D Mark II to capture this beautiful and iconic spot in the middle of the idyllic Irish countryside. There’s a wonderful sign on the bridge marking the point in the film where John Wayne sits on it and looks across the land during one of the opening scenes. (I watched the film after I returned and recognized the bridge, but the growth around the stream has changed quite a bit!)

Looking back at the Connemara Moutains from the Bridge

After exploring the bridge, I headed on my merry way to drive down the Wild Atlantic Way and over to Headford to meet Cait. The plan was to meet her after lunchtime and I thought “what a fun coincidence to find that little bit of a St Croix connection along my way”. It really made me smile!

My trusty travel companion – driving on the left-side of the care wasn’t bad at all!

Of course, the trip took me a bit longer than planned due to the multiple photo stops I made along the way. Thankfully, Cait, was very understanding of my snails pace! Eventually, I made the decision to skip a brief stop in Galway (next trip for sure!) and headed directly to Headford. I had to drive South and then back North to get around Lough Corrib (one of the largest lakes in Ireland).

Kismet in the Irish Countryside

I finally made it around 3pm with a bit of that infamous Irish drizzle following me. Cait was delightful and showed me around her family’s country home complete with dwarf goats, chickens, and a couple of adorable pups (I felt right at home!).

Then we headed out to explore the historic and entirely cool ruins of the medieval Franciscan Ross Errilly Friary that was founded in 1351. I was thrilled to experience the drizzling rain of Ireland and was thankful I’d bought the perfect rain slicker in Belfast that kept me warm and dry.

Finishing up the tour of the Friary, Cait suggested we head up to the village of Cong, where she works. We had a little more time and there were a few of the sights and a pretty village square. We made our way, parked, and walked through the ruins of the medieval 12th-Century Cúnga Fheichín (Cong Abbey) that anchors the little hamlet.

If you’ve never had it, Irish chocolate is insanely good!!

Then, we popped over to the shop she works in as it was closing and headed back to the car park. (that’s a parking lot for you yanks) Right before it, we had to stop to snap a picture of the “famous statue”… of Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne! Don’t you just love coincidences like this?! This unplanned excursion was pure kismet. It was those fairies again, I tell ya!

Sculpture of John Wayne & Maureen O’Hara from *The Quiet Man*

It turns out that Cong was one of the main towns for filming where many building exteriors and pubs were featured. There’s even the local Quiet Man Museum with tours and a replica of the cottage from the film. I was so excited that this was the end of a day of exploration that started serendipitously with the Quiet Man Bridge! And Cait was thrilled to hear about the connection with St Croix where her sister now lives. The day was perfectly capped off with a scrumptious, locally caught salmon dinner at one of the nearby inns. (It was so delicious and I was so hungry that I actually forgot to take a picture!)

Everything about Ireland captured my heart. From the North Eastern shore near Murlough Bay that reminds me so much of St Croix’s South Shore to all of the St Croix connections along the way. It’s just another of the many things that I love about island life. No matter where you go in the world, you’re certain to find St Croix connections along the way, whether history or friends you’ve met on the island. Travel is a truly gift!

If you’re interested in following more of my travels abroad, pop over to Exploranista.com

Epilogue

Upon my return to St Croix, I decided I had to watch “The Quiet Man” so I did a quick search on my Amazon Prime. Wouldn’t you know it, the movie was showing the very next morning on one of my Sling TV channels. I recorded it and watched it the next night. I love classic old films and was surprised I’d never seen it before.

It was really fun to watch, but I will remind – especially the young ladies who may be reading this – it was released in 1952 and depicts the 20’s era in the Irish countryside. The Irish were (and to an extent still are) very conservative Catholics. So, there’s no need to find a marriage broker and ask your parents or your older brother where your dowry is. We’ve come a long way from those days baby!

2023 Limited Edition St Croix Wall Calendar

Last Minute Tips for Watching the Solar Eclipse on St Croix

August 21, 2017 by Cindy @ MyStCroix.VI Leave a Comment

If you are lucky enough to be with us here on St Croix in the US Virgin Islands for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017, I’ve compiled some handy information for safely viewing the eclipse from the island. #1 Tip: Remember to NEVER look directly at the sun.

What is a Solar Eclipse?

A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon’s orbit causes it to move directly between the Earth and the Sun casting a shadow onto Earth. Where the Total Eclipse is visible at the maximum coverage, only the Corona (sun’s atmosphere) will be visible as a ring around the dark circle. The Total Eclipse is only visible to a portion of the Earth in a path about 70 feet wide. Here on St Croix, we’ll witness a Partial Solar Eclipse covering about 75% of the sun.

What’s the Big Deal?

This is the first time since 1979 that the total eclipse will be visible in the United States. And that last time that it traversed across the entire United States was 99 years ago! Here on St Croix, we won’t see a Total Eclipse, but we are in the 75% zone, so will see a crescent of the sun remaining. Still pretty cool if you ask me!

Map of Total Solar Eclipse 2017 — Path of August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse. St Croix is the little blue dot. See CNN’s interactive map here

When Will it Happen on St Croix

On Monday August 21, 2017 the Partial Eclipse will begin on St Croix at 2:15pm. The Maximum Eclipse will happen at 3:37pm and last about 2 minutes. The Eclipse will be fully completed at 4:48pm. For a cool video diagram of exactly what we can expect on St Croix go here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/us-virgin/christiansted

How to Safely View the Eclipse

Unless you really know what you are doing and have the proper solar filters, don’t risk your expensive cameras. Use your smart phone in Selfie mode to save your eyes and your equipment.

If you have an iPhone, Apple has confirmed that taking images with your phone will not hurt your phone’s camera sensor. However, they do not recommend continually focusing your camera at the sun for a long period of time.

“You could point your iPhone at the sun right now to take photos and the camera’s sensor and the lens would not be damaged. and the same is the case for the solar eclipse, according to Apple.” – USA Today

And make sure that you are shooting in “selfie mode” with your back to the sun. Here’s a test image I did this morning taking a photo of the sun (the sky was overcast but gave a pretty cool effect!)

Tips for getting a great shot with your iPhone

Use a Tripod or set your camera down to rest on something (safely of course).
Use “Selfie Mode” so that the camera is facing you with the sun to your back to protect your eyes.
Use the timer on Selfie Mode so that your finger doesn’t cause shake to occur even on your tripod.
You can place polarized sunglasses or a UV camera filter in front of your iphone lens for added effect, but it is not necessary.
Again, DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! EVER.

Want to Just Safely Observe the Eclipse? Here are some handy ideas for Pinholes and just using shadows from your hands or the trees from NASA: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/2d3d-printable-pinhole-projectors

Luck of the Irie: St Croix’s Irish Connection

March 17, 2016 by Cindy @ MyStCroix.VI 3 Comments

Each year on the Saturday closest to St Patrick’s Day, Christiansted goes green as revelers flood the streets clad in t-shirts and costumes while cheering on the Annual St Croix St Patrick’s Parade. With the Irish diaspora representing over 100 million people, the raucous holiday is celebrated more outside of Ireland than within. And here on St Croix, it’s done with true Crucian gusto, though many don’t realize the strong Irish heritage that St Croix has.

Planning to attend? Visit the St Croix Calendar for parade dates.

The St Croix St Patrick’s Day Parade got it’s official start in 1969 when a group of local businessmen got together on March 17th and started to talk about local celebrations. They wondered why an island that celebrates with any excuse, didn’t have an official St Paddy’s celebration. So, they took matters into their own hands, got a flatbed and a piano, and drove through the streets of Christiansted singing Irish and local songs. Today, that tradition has grown into the annual parade and after-party featuring bands on floating stages and throughout the town. During the parade, local majorette troupes, high school bands and carnival troupes tramp through the streets celebrating their Irish Caribbean Heritage on an island full of Armstrongs, O’Bryans, O’Neales, O’Reillys, and more.

St Croix is proud of its diverse heritage that comes as a result of having flown the 7 flags of 6 different nations and the Knights of Malta since Columbus first landed in 1493. Though the Irish flag was not one of those, the island’s strong Irish connection is clear. It began alongside the Caribbean’s dark past and history with the rise of the sugar trade in the 1700s. Along with other European nations in the eighteenth century, Ireland’s wealthy merchants got even wealthier with the trans-Atlantic slave trade. While not as successful in colonizing as the English, French, Spanish, and Dutch, they were the vast majority on the island of Montserrat with a strong presence on neighboring Antigua and Nevis that began in the 1600s. There, merchants established plantations worked by both African slave labor and indentured farmers from Ireland.

www.mystcroix.vi — St Croix’s importance to the sugar trade can be seen by the many Sugar Mills that dot her landscape to this day.

In 1733, the Danish West India Company purchased the island of St Croix and began to develop their colony. The Danes had the money and mercantile expertise but lacked the experience and manpower needed to develop sugar plantations on the fertile island. So, they recruited Irish Montserratians and laborers directly from Ireland to move to the new Danish colony on St Croix. One of those Irish Montserratians was Nicholas Tuite who eventually owned 7 Crucian plantations and was part owner of 7 more. At the height of the sugar craze in the West Indies, St Croix was dotted with over 150 Sugar Plantations and was booming. “In 1760 [Tuite] journeyed to Copenhagen, where Fredrick V appointed him chamberlain and paid tribute to his role as founder of Denmark’s Caribbean empire. … slave-trading and plantation-owning had made him the friend of kings.” – History Ireland: The Irish and the Atlantic slave trade.

While there were a few wealthy Irish plantation owners like Tuite, most of the Irish who initially populated the Danish colony on St Croix were laborers. And while many of the West Indians today bear the Irish surnames of the former slave owners, many also have shared heritage from the Irish laborers who became a part of the eclectic cultural fabric of the island and intermarried with those of African descent. And that brings us to the beautiful diversity of the St Patrick’s Day parade on St Croix.

If you haven’t yet been, be sure to make plans for next year. Slainte!

Irie St Croix Ball Cap

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Singin’ Da Blues in Frederiksted

January 21, 2016 by Cindy @ MyStCroix.VI Leave a Comment

Last night the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, aboard the sold out Holland America MS Nieuw Amsterdam, hit St Croix’s shores and turned the town of Frederiksted Blue. Not only a thrill for passengers aboard the rockin’ ship, but residents and visitors to the island were treated to a day filled with fun, food and great music with the community event on the Frederiksted waterfront. From 10am to 9pm the street was lined with vendors selling locally made crafts and delicious homemade West Indian treats. And of course, there was plenty of Cruzan rum flowing.

The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise is no stranger to St Croix and has made many stops here over the years, becoming an anticipated event. Cruise passengers enjoy stellar lineups – this cruise included Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Latimore, Colin James and more (check out the lineup here) – and a weeklong music fest that takes place both onboard the ship and in each port. Musicians hold jam sessions on board often into the morning. It’s one big ole party ship!

Welcome to Freedom City | Frederiksted, St Croix

The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise aboard the Holland America MS MS Nieuw Amsterdam

When cruise ships are in port, the main waterfront road is closed and local food and craft vendors line the way.

You just never know who you are going to bump into here!

There’s no better way to enjoy the Blues than with the Caribbean Sea and a beautiful sunset as the backdrop!

St Croix’s own Eddie Russell Band opened the festivities and Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Nights closed out the show.
The Blues Cruise lineup featured Ruthie Foster Band, North Mississippi Allstars, and Latimore.

Some of the sights and sounds! Check out more on our Periscope Katch.Me Channel

The crowd on the waterfront cheered as the sun dipped below the horizon.

There was no shortage of good eats to be had with the terrific array of local vendors!

The Blue Moon Cafe, long known for their New Orleans influence and love of the blues, was hopping all night long.

Thanks for a great time Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. Hope to see you back in 2017!

You can enjoy a smaller version of this event on the last Friday of each month with Frederiksted Sunset Jazz. Just bring a chair or a blanket and relax as you watch the spectacular West End Caribbean Sunset while listening to local and visiting jazz bands.

Did you attend the show? Let us know in the comments below! Click here to browse more St Croix inspired photography

The Ultimate 5 Day St Croix Itinerary

June 15, 2014 by Cindy @ MyStCroix.VI 2 Comments

st croix us virgin islands vacation itinerary

So, I have friends from High School coming to the island for the first time later next week. Of course, I want to show them the very best that St Croix has to offer, so I’ve put together the ultimate St Croix Itinerary to make sure they see the island, experience the culture, and go back home raving and telling all their friends about what a magical place St Croix is. I’ve got five days to convince them that our little sunny island is the bomb-diggitty so here are my suggestions for the ultimate St Croix experience.

Arrival Day – relax, check-in and make your way into Christiansted to the Boardwalk for harborside sunset cocktails. Then head over to one of my favorite St Croix restaurants, Savant, for a delicious dinner on the über sexy back patio under the stars.

Day 1

Rum Tours! If you’ve heard of St Croix, you’ve likely heard of Cruzan Rum – but did you know that Captain Morgan Rum is also made here on St Croix? And both plants offer cool tours and, of course, tastings! I recommend heading first to the Captain Morgan Experience Center. The tour there is about an hour and you get two drink tokens to sample the goods in the Captain’s Lounge. The Captain Morgan plant is state-of-the-art and mostly automated. The Experience Center offers a museum-like walk through the history of rum, piracy, and the Caribbean.

After the tour, head West on the Melvin Evan’s Highway and take a right at the second set of lights – follow that Road down to the Cruzan Rum Factory. Here, the Nelthropp Family has been (and still is) making rum since 1760! You’ll take a tour through their facility and see how their hand-crafted rums are made and learn all about the rum-making process. As you wind your way through the warehouses of vats and rum aging in oaken barrels, you’ll end up at the appropriately named “Don’t Hurry” lounge. This is the perfect spot to sample the MANY flavors of Cruzan Rum and the bartenders will share with you their favorite recipes. And don’t forget to grab rum to take home! Travelers over 21 years of age can bring home 6 bottles of alcohol as long as one was made in the Virgin Islands. Price-wise, this is actually one of the best places to make your purchase and they’ll even box it up ready to check-in at the airport. Of course, you’ll want a few bottles to enjoy while you’re here too!

After learning everything there is to know about rum, take a ride up into the “rainforest” to the world-famous Domino Club to visit the “beer-drinking pigs”. It’s worth the trip just to sample some of beloved former owner Norma’s original mamawana which is a secret recipe of rum and spices that’s carefully aged. Sip it, shoot it or have it in a mixed drink … I love the “Mama Rosa” which is mamawana and ruby red grapefruit juice. Refreshing!

Following the Domino Club, come down the hill and head west to one of the Frederiksted Beach Bars which is the perfect spot to lime for the rest of the day and watch the sunset into the Caribbean sea. If you’re lucky, you may even catch the fabled “green flash”.

Day 2

Sleep in. Now that you’ve been properly indoctrinated into the rum culture here on St Croix, it’s time to hit the beach. Grab some snorkel gear and head out to the North Shore of St Croix and hit Cane Bay Beach. This popular beach is not only an awesome place to get in some excellent offshore snorkeling but it’s also the place to see the world-famous Cane Bay Wall.

If you’re a certified diver, you can grab tanks and head out on a spectacular and easy shore dive that will have you peering over the underwater cliff into the abyss. Over the side of the wall, you’ll often encounter sea turtles, schools and schools of bright tropical fish, and the occasional reef shark looking to see if anyone has a lionfish treat for them.

After a late morning/early afternoon of beach time, walk across the street and grab lunch from The Landing. This funky little beach bar has some of the best food on the North Shore and a fantastic array of fruity, frosty cocktails at their walk-up bar.

If you’re up for some more activity following lunch, take a hike down to the Annaly Bay Tide Pools – there’s a trail from the Carambola Beach Resort public parking lot. The hike takes roughly an hour in and an hour out. You’ll go up and downhill each way. It’s not a killer hike but is a moderate one. So be sure to bring a backpack with water and wear sneakers or tevas. Once you are down to the beach landing, you’ll climb over some rocks to get into the pools – so flip-flops aren’t recommended. Be sure to make your way back at least an hour and a half before sunset to ensure you have plenty of light on your way back.

Head back to your accommodations later in the afternoon to wash off the salt and sand and then treat yourself to a relaxing evening at one of Christiansted’s finer restaurants. St Croix has become a beacon on the culinary map developing some super start chefs. Each April the island boasts a week of food-centric events, seminars and competitions with the St Croix Food & Wine Experience. It also attracts some renowned chefs from across the country who share their talents and passion for the art of eating.

Day 3

Head out to the Eastern most point in the United States. If you’re an early riser, you can even try to catch the sunrise and be the first peeps in the US to feel the warmth of the sun on your face. From there you’ll see a little parking area and the entrance to the hiking trail down to Jacks & Isaacs Beach. This pristine white sand beach is surrounded by reef and coral heads and so has some of the best snorkeling on the island. There are no facilities so you’ll want to bring down a backpack with water, snacks, etc. to make a day of it. And don’t forget sunscreen!! I recommend bringing and wearing a rash guard to protect your back while snorkeling too. You can read about our fun family day a few years back at Jacks & Isaacs.

Beautiful Jack's & Isaac's Bay — Beautiful Jack’s & Isaac’s Bay

Following the day exploring the beach – stop by Ziggy’s Libation station on your way back. This fun little gas station/bar/deli is a popular happy hour spot for locals. Take a break and play corn-hole or if you’re there at the right time, sign up for one of their famous “Dinners on the Deck” by the uber talented Chef Aaron.

The Libation Station at Ziggy's — The Libation Station at Ziggy’s

Day 4

You’ve explored both ends of St Croix and honed your snorkeling skills, so now it’s time to head out to Buck Island Reef National Monument! Book a full day or a half-day trip out to this little gem that sits 2 miles off of St Croix’s North/East coast. In the 60’s this was a favorite spot of the Kennedy’s and so President John F. Kennedy designated it a National Monument to preserve it. Nowadays it’s managed by the National Parks and this uninhabited island is actually less than 1/3 of the park – the rest is below sea level. To get there you must book your trip with one of the official concessioners licensed to take guests out to Buck Island. Tour operators will supply you with snorkel gear (unless you have your own to bring along) and instruction for newbies. You’ll spend about an hour or so exploring the underwater trail and reef on the east side of the island. This spot has some of the most diverse schools of fish and marine life in the Caribbean and is featured in 1,000 Places To See Before You Die – so don’t miss it! Full day trips on Big Beard’s Adventure Tours include a beach barbeque on a secluded beach back on St Croix just across from Buck Island.

Big Beard Adventure Tours Buck Island MJS Visions — Big Beard’s Adventure at Buck Island. Photo by www.mjsvisions.com

Day 5

Spend the morning in historic downtown Christiansted to get in a little shopping and explore St Croix’s history. This 18th Century Danish colonial town was once the capital of the Danish West Indies and is a beautiful example of neoclassic Danish architecture. The town itself is on the National Register of Historic places. Take a self-guided walking tour through the Christiansted historic district starting at Fort Christianvaern. Here you’ll find the National Park Service office and can pick up a map that will lead you to historic points of interest following your exploration of the fort. Throughout the district you’ll find shops that house local artisans and jewelers – you simply MUST bring home a St Croix bracelet, all the cool kids where them. For true. You’ll find plenty of treasures to bring home to friends and family and to remind you of your St Croix experience.

In the afternoon, wrap up your St Croix adventure with a magical riding tour with Cruzan Cowgirls Horse Riding Tours. Most rides head out from Rainbow Beach in Frederiksted. You’ll explore the beach and the rainforest while riding horses who have been lovingly rescued and rehabilitated by Jennifer and her family. Read more here! After your ride you can catch one more West End sunset with a cocktail and reminisce about your week.

There are SO MANY things to do that I didn’t get to in this itinerary, but it’s a great first introduction to the island – so you’ll just have to plan another St Croix vacation to get to everything! Ready to explore? Plan your trip here.