A couple weeks back Ali and I were hiking back to the boat from the grocery store, where we had purchased way too much. We were struggling with all the bags, and regretting our decision to leave the kids at home. As we were walking I said, “If we are ever driving past someone and see them with a bunch of grocery bags in their hands we are stopping to give them a ride.”
Fast forward a few days and I’m walking down the same road with a big laundry bag over my shoulder when I hear a honk right behind me. Annoyed at first—assuming they were honking because I was walking on the edge of the road—I turned around to find a lady waving for me to get in. A local lady, just as friendly as can be, saved me a sweaty fifteen minute walk, for no other reason than kindness. I don’t know how the universe works, but I was grinning ear to ear over the thought that just the promise of doing something good in the future resulted in present day good karma.
On really windy days we jump in the dinghy and race straight upwind about half a mile or so, then flop over the side with a line and “float snorkel.” We always see something interesting when we do this. Spotted eagle rays, huge starfish, big fuzzy hermit crabs, massive queen conch, and also lots of little things like pretty shells, cool looking fields of grass, or an old piece of broken china. The kids always end up swimming a couple miles, zipping back and forth, back and forth, while I just ride comfortably along with the dinghy doing all the work for me.
We’d been meaning to check out the Botanical Garden here on St. Croix, but had figured it was closed due to COVID. But it turns out they just closed the shop and put a box out front for you to leave your money in. Perfect. We only saw one other person the whole time we were there. We all loved it, too. They had a great map that the kids took charge of, and had good signs explaining everything. It’s an old sugar mill, which on St. Croix means it was a slave run sugar plantation. A beautiful place, but with that underlying horrible history, as well, making for some very good conversations.
Just a little spot off the road to play around for a while.
We could use a bigger desk. Ouest doing some art with her online Spanish tutor. She is just turning one year with her tutor and is basically fluent now.
We got a lot more slave history at Fort Christiansted. We had nearly finished our wanderings in there when a new park ranger came on duty and insisted on giving us all the nitty gritty. Nice guy, but let’s just say he didn’t have much of a kid filter on him. This fort was built probably with 5% pirate protection on its mind. The other 95%, and a good chunk of the canons, were pointed inland to put a quick stop to any slave revolts.
Goodnight.
32 Comments on “Touring St. Croix”
I showed my grandkids, ages 9,7, and 4, your website and they were so engrossed seeing your pictures and videos of your trips that we had to see them all starting with the Bahamas. They are your youngest fan club. They absolutely loved it! On another note my wife and I will be shopping this weekend on the Chesapeake for a Grand Banks . Next year we are planning on being in the Bahamas. Hope we cross anchorages some day…….Bob
Awesome, Bob! We welcome all in our Fan Club. 🙂
Cannot go wrong with a Grand Banks on the weekends. Send us some photos with the grandkids when you get out there.
I simply love your life and world. I read and enjoy every post.
Thanks, Jacquie.
All day and into the night. A reading machine.
We couldn’t be more pleased. Yesterday sitting up on the flybridge with the whole family with noses in books. I just smiled.
Please adopt me.
🙂
Ah, a nice flashback. Thanks. We really enjoyed St. Croix. I wish we could have spent a little more time there but it was July and we sailed from there to Grenada. So glad we didn’t push our luck. This was the year of the big storms, 2017. They got hammered.
Mark and Cindy
Oh wow! Yes best to keep moving that late in the season. We are feeling the ticking ourselves mid-April.
Pure magic of everyday cruising life!
Thanks again for the the Spanish tutor recommendation! Stella has been working with Gisa for a couple of months and has progressed more than in the 2 years for Spanish classes at “regular” school.
That’s great! Ouest’s one-year is next week, and it amazing the progress. Now to get Lowe into it.
Awesome. The kids are getting so big…
You aren’t kidding…food expenses are getting big too. 🙂
Did I meet your family at Nauti Bar & Grille in March?
That depends. Were we friendly, well-behaved, and leave our server a good tip? Then yes, that was us. 🙂
You should rent a car and go see the beer drinking pigs at the Domino Club, our kids loved it!
Thanks. Did it, go back a few posts.
Rent a car not only to visit the Domino Club to see the non-alcoholic beer drinking pigs, which is located on the west end of the island in the rain forest. But visit the Monk baths and Estate Mount Washington while you are out there.
Hi Pamela, yes saw those cute pigs and the Monk Baths (by accident) – Estate Mount Washington looks awesome. Thanks!
Such a beautiful island to explore.
I loved your story and miss the island so much . I lived in St. Croix for four and a half years . I’m naturally from Puerto Rico and currently living here and still i call St. Croix my home . Left many friends there and I’m still trying to find my son’s kindergarten teacher Terry Johansen she’s retired now .
She lived or lives on the East end of the island . If someone happens to come across the Johansen’s please let me know …I lived there in the early 90’s and lost touch with her and her husband Larry .
Enjoy the island it definitely is paradise
Hi Sara, it truly is a wonderful place. We were talking about how big PR is compared to here, as there were times we wanted to visit a town in PR but it was a days drive away – now we dart across the STX in under an hour.
I hope you get in touch with Terry and Larry Johansen!
Love St.Choix I lived there for 3 1/2 years my son was born there have not bin there ever since did love the people the beautiful cristal waters of the Caribbean my little brother Captain Jose Bacallao and his beautiful wife Sue I am so proud of him he does the tours to Buck island he has bin there since 1983 and never left and don’t blame him it is a beautiful island 🏝
Glad to see more people enjoy the island too
Hi Nercy, Oh you are definitely due for a visit. How wonderful for your brother and wife — getting out to Buck often has been a treat. 4 months for us so far – hope our photos are glowing of the island. It’s beautiful.
Is the cost of living and cost of rentals as high as I am reading about? What is the best unbiased source for researching that?
I’m not sure we haven’t looked into living/renting here. Just visiting for us.
We were on St. Croix., just a month ago.
Loved it! We did a self tour of the Botanical Gardens. We stayed at the Buccaneer.
Very laid back beach was clean and safe.
Bought groceries… aka munchie at the bayside grocery store.❤️
Enjoyed a awesome dinner at “The Goat”
Highly recommend if it open- I think they are there seasonal.
Will be back again!!!
J 2
Sounds like an awesome time. Nice.
Any chance you could recommend the Spanish tutor?
For sure – https://funspanish.net/spanish-for-kids/
I live you on Saint Croix and the ocean and beaches are absolutely breathtaking! The views from the top of the the hills take my breath away!
There is a lot of history here and it’s very fasinating. Most of the people here are very nice and inviting but quite a few are not.. The roads are in absolute shambles and I’ve had several flat tires.. Good luck finding the kind of groceries that you normally eat in the United States. We consume mostly organic in the US but you can’t find much here at all. A lot of products here come from China. A lot! The markup for groceries here are right around 50% compared to the US. The grocery store parking lots are in terrible disrepair. They never clean there parking lots. Ever! It has been quite an adjustment for us. A-day at the beach melts all of our concerns away and make it more pleasant. You either have to look past all the filth and the bums, the drug dealers, the huge potholes in the roads and crumbling buildings beyond repair or you won’t make it here. The infrastructure on this island needs desperate help but I truly believe that will never happen. It could be such a beautiful Island and very profitable for the much needed jobs here. Their poverty rate is extremely high! But we love it here. We will continue to snorkel, hike and take trips out to Buck Island on sailboats; the snorkeling there is absolutely fantastic! We’re not sure we will miss it when the time comes for us to leave..
Absolutely great place to visit but not to live.