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Personally, I believe no trip to St. Croix is complete without a voyage to Buck Island. What is not to love about the uninhabited island; the underwater snorkel trail, the pristine white, sandy beach, the hike to the observation point? Ok, maybe not the hike, but the view is worth the trip.
Well, congratulations Buck Island, you’ve just been named the second best snorkel spot in the US and Caribbean by Coastal Living magazine. I guess the secret is out. Buck Island is awesome and now the world is going to know about it!
For those of you who haven’t been to Buck Island, let me tell you a little about the island we know as paradise. The island is located about 1.5 miles northeast of Christiansted and is six thousand feet long and a half mile wide. The underwater trail is one of three in the United States, and is made up of 4,554 acre long reef that is home to coral reef patches and over 250 species of fish.
If you’re planning a St. Croix vacation or if you live here and haven’t been to Buck Island lately, check out our Buck Island page and let one of professional captains and crew guide you through the underwater trail. Half day and full day trips are available on sail boats and power boats. Believe me, this isn’t your average 3 hour tour! Don’t worry if you don’t have your own snorkel gear, or if your only snorkel experience is in the bathtub. Snorkel gear and lessons are provided on all trips.
I’m back from vacation! Where did I go, you ask? Well, it was more like, where didn’t I go! I went to Frederiksted, watched the sunset, strolled along the pier and hit up the shops. Drove through the rain forest and stopped to say hello to the pigs (for some reason the baby now thinks pigs say beer). Then, I headed North to Cane Bay for snorkeling and to explore Carambola. The next loop was a lovely tour of the South shore and East end of St. Croix, which included stops at the Buccaneer, Point Udall for some scenic pictures, the Divi for lunch and then Shoys Beach for more snorkeling. My vacation was in my own backyard and covered the entire island. The reason for the island vacation was that my hubby and I had family (the in-laws) and friends
(the in-laws brought a group of 12 friends from California ) and we were playing host, hostess and tour guides.
My father in-law, Ken, did a wonderful job planning the trip for the group of 14. He researched the airline schedule, chose the best villas for the group (thank you Gentle Winds), and with a little help from us, planned daily activities and island tours which included lunches and dinners out, a trip to Buck Island with Caribbean Sea Adventures, a sunset sail on the Jolly Roger and plenty of shopping! The group was able to explore a variety of beaches and take in the sights and sounds of our GREAT island.
Now, I am always nervous when family and friends come to St. Croix for the first time and this group was no different. My in-laws have visited about twice a year since we moved here in 2005 and they love it. I was just nervous about their friends reactions because they are some pretty serious travelers and have been to some amazing places. How would St. Croix rank? Would they be disappointed with the place that we love and call home? No need to worry. They loved it!!! All of it. They loved the free Cruzan Rum samples at the airport, driving on the left and getting lost, the snack shack at Gentle Winds, the old Danish Architecture, the history of the harbors and forts, the culture associated with the Mocko Jumbies, the beauty of the beaches and the calmness of the islanders. It shouldn’t surprise me, but they all fell in love with St. Croix for the same reasons I did. I knew they’d love our island, but I was relieved when I heard them say it over and over again.
I can’t say it was a relaxing vacation for me (because of the above mentioned nerves), but I had a wonderful time showing off the beautiful place that I call home. Is anyone planning a group vacation, family reunion or wedding on St. Croix anytime soon? If so, I’m sure my father in-law would love to come down and play tour guide!
Looking for something to do this weekend? How about checking out the Christiansted National Historic Site, for FREE. Yep, this weekend, June 20th and 21st there is no cost for admission into Fort Christiansvaern or the Steeple Building. If you can’t make it to the park this weekend they are also offering FREE admission July 18th and 19th and August 15th and 16th. Call it the NPS stimulus.
St. Croix is lucky enough to have three parks protected by the US National Park System: Christiansted National Historic Site, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. If you’ve never explored the Christiansted National Historic Site, now is the time to it. The 7 acre historic site is made up five historical structures including Fort Christiansvaern, the Scale House, The Danish Custom House, the Steeple Building and the Danish West Indie & Guniea Co. Warehouse. The park’s mandate is twofold - to preserve the historic structure and grounds within its boundaries, and to interpret the Danish economy and way of life here between 1733 and 1917. Click here to see photos of some of St. Croix’s historic buildings.
Fort Christiansvaern is full of history and the views of the Christiansted harbor are stunning. Explore the dungeon, latrine, and officer’s quarters and check out the cannons that helped protect the harbor.
The Fort is open Monday – Friday 8am-5pm, Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. I suggest taking 
the tour no later than 4pm – you don’t want to get locked in the dungeon. Make sure to stop by the gift shop in the old Scale House and say hello to Janet. She can answer all your questions and she has some wonderful books on St. Croix’s history. This weekend you can also get 15% off one item at the gift shop. Start your Christmas shopping a little early or brush up on your St. Croix knowledge.
So, pack a picnic and head to the park this weekend. Better yet, pack up the family, head to Christiansted and make a day of it. I bet you’ll be glad you did.
Forget what they say about menopause, when you are in your last trimester of pregnancy and walking in the hot Caribbean sun, albeit for a good cause, no amount of gatorade will make you feel better.
But that was only one small portion of the very high energy walk that was full of great ladies, encouraging supporters and perfect weather, despite the heat, that made it for the Women’s Coalition 25th Annual Women’s Race. Women from across the island and of all makes came out to push, run, stroll and hustle the 2 miles through Christiansted to recognize the issues facing women which the Coalition supports, including the struggle to end violence against women.
A pre-race warm up with DJ’d music gets the upwards of 500 women 
jumping and dancing and the race is a powerful visual of the community that supports the Women’s Coalition and their programs. The Women’s Coalition for the past few decades has supported countless women and families in many arenas. They offer crisis intervention, year-round advocacy, temporary housing, emergency aid and shelter, education and in-school workshops to name a few of their programs. Women wearing purple sashes represented those supporters who have walked in every of the 25 races held, and many were proudly in attendance.
The GoToStCroix Team was there too, continuing a smaller but still significant tradition, and the number of team members has grown along with our families. The race ended with welcome snacks, awards and music, as well as a cold beer at the Deck Bar for Team GoTo. For more information on any of the Women’s Coalition programs, check out their site or call them directly: www.wcstx.com or 340-773-9272.