St. Croix Feature Articles
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Corner Shop Turns Forty!
St. Croix's original
jeweler Sonya Hough celebrates 40 years on island. Sonya's jewelry is
all locally made and reflects St. Croix 's culture beautifully. Read
how she got started and the story of her success.
Click
here to find out more.
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Ramblin Afternoon
Learn about what
it feels like to be in sugar plantation ruins more than 200 years
old AND how an out of service aluminum plant still provides great
service to St. Croix. The St. Croix Landmarks Society provides a fun
and educational way to learn about our island's history through events
such as Ruins Rambles.
Go on a Ruins Ramble with us!
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Taste of St. Croix
Every April,
the St. Croix foundation holds their major fundraiser, A Taste
of St. Croix, a food and wine event. This event draws a large crowd
to sample the island's best appetizers, entrees, desserts and wine.
Click on the link to learn more and how you can get your tickets
in advance so you won't miss this event.
Click
here to find out more. |
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Accessible
St. Croix
With the
help of resident Michael Rodenhaver, we have put together a chart for our physically
challanged guests. Here- we list businesses that can accomodate
your special needs.
Check out our guide.
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Aerial
Tour of St. Croix
Besides
the climate, people usually fall in love with St. Croix's beauty.
What better way to see all there is to see than to have a bird's eye
view of it all. We recently experienced a wonderful day doing
just that.
Come fly with us. |
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AgriFest - Agricultural and Food Fair of the U. S. Virgin Islands
The Agriculture and Food Fair takes place every February and is a showcase for locally produced agricultural
products, livestock, arts and crafts and native cuisine. Throughout the weekend,
fair goers can sample foods such as kallaloo, maufe, and
local drinks like ginger beer, sorrel, passion fruit and maubi.
Come see what it is all about! |
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An
Island Safari
Follow
along on our island safari as we see St. Croix the best way there
is...guided by a local. Our stops include the St. George Village
Botanical Gardens, The Cruzan Rum Distillery, the Whim Plantation
Museum and a few surprise stops at some of St. Croix's best sights.
All this and a well informed narrator made for a great sight seeing
tour and a pretty good story, too.
Click
here to ride with us.
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Boat Parade
The St. Croix Annual Boat Parade takes place every December and is a fun way to help kick off the holiday season! Each year, the event gets bigger and better. Prizes awarded based on cheers from the crowd.
Click to read more and see photos from past parades. |
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Carnival
Photos
Did you miss last
year's Carnival? Shame on you! Well, to show you what a
great time you missed, we have put together some of our favorite photos.
Maybe this will convince you to make your travel plans for this year's
Carnival! You can never plan too early.
Click here to see some of our favorites from
past Crucian Festivals! |
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Castle
Nugent Eco-Farm
We
had the pleasure of tagging along with the St. Croix Hiking Association
on a walking tour of the Castle Nugent
Farm on St. Croix's south shore. From the very outset
(meeting time was 6:00 am) our group of 40 adventurers was enthusiastic
and inquisitive.
Our guide was Olasee Davis, one of the Caribbean's premier
historian-naturalists. His knowledge of the flora and fauna of
St. Croix proved, as the morning wore on, to be encyclopedic.
As we left the grounds of the Castle Nugent greathouse
and out-buildings (now doing double duty not only as a working farm,
but as a popular bed and breakfast) we passed a historic chapel turned
bungalow where the owner, Caroline Gasperi, resides.
To read more of our hike, click here.
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Crab
Races
Good,
clean, wholesome fun that the whole family will enjoy. It also
makes for a great date! We're talking about Tito and Sue's Crab
Races which happen twice weekly on St. Croix. Grab a friend, choose
your crab, and let the games begin!
To read more about Crab Races, click here.
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Cruzan
Rum, A St. Croix Tradition
Since
the early 17th century, St. Croix has been making use of its natural
resources locally as well as exporting them worldwide. A fine
example of this is the refining of sugar cane (once St. Croix's primary
cash crop) to produce rum. At one time, over 150 plantations were
producing molasses and rum at their factories. Today, the tradition
of making rum on St. Croix is carried on by the Nelthropp
family. Their brand, Cruzan Rum, has been voted one of the best
in the world. With visiting friends, I had the opportunity to
play tourist and tour the rum distillery to discover what goes
into making a world-class rum.
Follow along on a tour of the Cruzan Rum
Distillery to find out what makes Cruzan Rum # 1in the world. |
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Day
Trippin' to Buck Island
A
trip to St. Croix would not be complete without day tripping to Buck
Island. Located just 1 1/2 miles off the northeast shore of Christiansted,
St. Croix, Buck Island is easily accessible. As one of only three
Underwater National Monuments in the United States, Buck Island's
unsurpassed natural beauty will calm and invigorate you. Accessible
only by boat, there are several tour operators offering full and half
day trips to the small island. With even more enthusiasm than
I had on my first journey there, I signed up for a full day trip with
Big Beard's Adventure Tours, located in the heart of Christiansted.
Read about my sail to Buck Island and
beach BBQ. |
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St. Croix SCUBA Diving At Its Finest
St. Croix is very diverse in what it has to offer scuba divers. It is considered a premier Caribbean dive destination. If you are not a diver, you can participate in a beginner's dive course in the morning and be diving THAT afternoon! If you are an expereinced diver, then you will appreciate all that we have to offer.
Click here to learn more about St. Croix Diving opportunities. |
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Festivities
in Frederiksted
The
west end of the island has so much to offer. Calm waters, beautiful
beaches, museums, resorts, and places to eat and of course the sunsets!
. Click here to see a guide of
things you must see and do in Frederiksted! |
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Flora
and Fauna
A
brief but descriptive guide to St. Croix's most visible flowers, plants,
trees, and fruits. Before you pick and eat anything, you might
want to read this. |
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Half-Ironman
Triathlon
Once again, St.
Croix has been selected as a Qualifier
for the 2006 Ironman World Championships in
Kona, Hawaii. This event draws a large crowd of atheletes and supporters
every year!!
Click
here to read more
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Island
Hopping
Everyone dreams
of hopping from one island to the next on their Caribbean vacation.
It is really quick and easy to explore the other islands while enjoying
your stay on St. Croix.
Come
with us as we hop on over to St. Thomas for the weekend.
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The
Grange, An Historic Greathouse
A
rustic gravel lane, shaded by duel rows of lignum vitae and mahogany
trees, intrigued us one day as we were exploring St. Croix.
We turned in and were richly rewarded with our first sighting
of the historic 18th century Greathouse known as The Grange.
Amazingly, Jane, the custodian of the estate (now a private residence),
bade us park the car and she would give us an impromptu tour.
Click here to follow along on the tour. |
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Kayaks:
Not Your Average 3 Hour Tour
Come along with as as we take a kayak tour of Salt River with Caribbean
Adventure Tours. Learn about the historical and ecological importance
of this area while enjoying the beauty it has to offer. Click
here to read more.
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The
Lawaetz Family Museum
A
person would be extremely fortunate to have the history of one of St.
Croix's oldest and most interesting families, the Lawaetz family,
told to them by Kai and Irene Lawaetz, long-time Danish Crucians and
charming raconteurs. Recently,
we had just that unique fortune. We had come to Estate Little
La Grange to glimpse a bit of St. Croix's past. We came away with
so much more.
Learn about life through the eyes of
Kai and Irene Lawaetz. |
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Mango
Melee
In
2005, The St. Georges Village Botanical Gardens hosted the 9th Annual
Mango Melee. This annual festival is a celebration of the mango-
which can be made into delicious foods, drinks and condiments- and is
loved by Cruzans!
Learn more |
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Mardi
Croix
2006
marks the fourth year of Mardi Croix. This New Orleans style party
has a host of events including a pet parade, masquarade ball and
dinner, and of course, a parade with beads and all! Click
here to
see photos from parades past. Mardi Croix takes place in February.
Click here to see our calender for dates.
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Paul
and Jill's Equestrian Stables
See St. Croix from
a whole different angle... atop a horse!! If you like seeing new
places, especially off the beaten path, grab your camera and cowboy
hat because we have an adventure for you. Experience St. Croix's
tropical forest from the inside-out, eat fruit right off the trees,
and see the ocean from atop a breezy hillside. Paul Wojcie and
Jill Hurd, owners and managers of St. Croix's oldest and finest horseback
riding stable, invite you to explore a different side of St. Croix.
Follow us on unique, winding trails to
learn about St. Croix.
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Pets
From Paradise
St. Croix has many
wonderfull samll breed dogs who are looking for stateside homes. Read
about how you can help and make a difference in a dog's life by being
a volunteer for this program.
Click here to find out more. |
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Sprat
Hall Plantation
Sprat Hall Plantation
is the oldest plantation on St. Croix, dating back to when the French
occupied St. Croix, 1650-1690. It epitomizes all that is best
in the Virgin Islands. The weather and the water are perfect, the price
is right, the family was raised on the property and will tell you great
stories. Also on the property are best riding horses and instruction
in the Virgin Islands are located at Sprat Hall. There is a sense
of tradition no matter where you turn, best of all, there is plenty
to do: swim, sun, sightsee, ride, read, relax, and enjoy the lovely
climate and scenery.
Read about our weekend at this lovely
Estate. |
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St.
Croix Destination Wedding
This is truly a sweet story as told from the Father-Of-The-Bride- about
how happy he was that his daughter choose St. Croix for her destination
wedding.
Read
about how easy it was for his daughter to have the wedding of her
dreams in St. Croix - and some tips to help you plan yours, too!
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Sunset
Jazz
Sunset Jazz in Frederiksted
is a Frederiksted Economic Development Association (FEDA) event hosting
an impressive roster of local and international jazz musicians on the
third Friday of each month. Admission is free and families are welcome.
The music starts at 5:30 p.m. and continues for two hours. Click
here to find out more about this monthly event and read about one
of the featured artists. |
Baby Hawksbill
turtles emerging © GoToStCroix.com |
Turtles
Are People Too!
Every species on the earth has its specific place and particular
role in the ecosystem. Marine turtles are no different. They are a small
part of ocean species that need to be treated with respect and care, and
should be regarded as part of a rich marine heritage. They are among the
most ancient vertebrate species on the planet, dating back to the days
of dinosaurs and can provide important economic benefits to communities.
Read about St. Croix's efforts
to preserve these critters. |
Photos courtesy of
Doug Kaufman |
Under
the Sea Ceremony
Ed and
Molley Buckley, owners of S.C.U.B.A, celebrate their ten year wedding
anniversary by renewing their wedding vows underwater. From the time
they took the plunge to the live web cam champagne toast, we had it
covered. What a memorable event for everyone involved!
Read
More |
Photos courtesy of
Doug Kaufman |
Nice
Day for a Wet Wedding
St. Croix residents John Santino and Toni Wilson made history recently....by
breaking the Guiness Book of World Records for the largest underwater
wedding. 103 certified divers, including the bride and groom, submerged
for the brief nuptials at Rainbow Beach, easily surpassing the existing
record of 39 underwater guests. This
was indeed a real wedding, a great news story, and a wonderful way for
St. Croix to go down in history as the location for the world's largest
Underwater Wedding.
Check it out! |
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