Looking for a quick island getaway but wanting to stay in the US, I found myself in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. My friend from the British Virgin Islands insisted I go there instead. However, I wanted to support the US economy for a change.
easy like sunday morning!
St. Croix was a breeze to get around. It’s not a very large island (about 22 miles long and 8 miles wide). I rented a car and took my first shot at driving on the left side of the road. Since then, I’ve become a pro at driving on the wrong side. The most opportune time NOT to forget to stay on the left is when making turns or coming out of roundabouts. Otherwise, driving on the left side of the road is pretty straightforward.
lots to do
Spent most of the time sightseeing and in the water. There’s a casino on the island which the natives are pretty proud of so I was curious to check out. Not to play but just to poke my head in. I can’t relate to gambling my hard earned money knowing the odds are against me.
Dining options are endless with a diverse selection of cuisines.
Golfers will fall in love with St. Croix. There’s an abundance of golf courses on the island and The Buccaneer may have the largest of all with a well landscaped 18-hole course.
Spending time in the towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted resulted in quite the history lesson. Lots of diversity amongst the people, arts, music, and food.
After four days, realized a week was too much time on the island. From my hotel, I took the Renegade sailboat to Buck Island Reef National Monument. The coral and underwater trails are stunning. If you love to snorkel or dive, you must visit Buck Island while in St. Croix. My former colleague from St. Croix had relocated home and highly suggested a visit to Point Udall. While this wasn’t very far from my hotel, the directions to get there weren’t so clear. The signage was buried in the lush foliage that grew wild. It took three or four attempts before I figured out which way to go and stopped driving in circles.
As a traveler that loves a road trip, I like to note milestones and markers along the way such as the highest point on the Mississippi River, or the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, or in this case, the most eastern point in the United States.
Arriving at Point Udall softened the annoyance from all the wrong turns. The view is grand. Back in 2000, they installed the Millennium Monument which is a sundial marking the azimuth of the first sunrise that year. Since this is the first place that American soils see the sunrise (rise on the east, set on the west), I was happy to stand here in the blazing hot sun and take in the breathtaking view and fresh air. Not only will you feel a sense of freedom up here, but the monument is also free to visit.
Lastly, there’s no way I could miss a tour of the Cruzan Rum Distillery and more importantly bring some of the flavored rum home!
Been to the US or the British Virgin Islands? What did you think? Sound off in the comments about the best places to explore.
