Sunrise at Point Udall
While sunsets are known worldwide for their romantic ambiance, sunrises seem to be sadly overlooked. Watching the sunset on a day you have spent with someone you love is certainly beautiful, but to watch the sunrise with that special someone is to see the promise of a new day dawn. If you are lucky enough to be here on St. Croix, the best spot to catch a stunning sunrise is Point Udall.
Point Udall is located on the East End of St. Croix, and is known for being the easternmost point in the United States. Atop Point Udall is a towering sundial known as the Millennium Monument. The Millennium Monument was built for the New Year’s celebration in 2000, and it marks the azimuth of the first sunrise of the new millennium to touch U.S. soil. For many residents, Point Udall has become a gathering place to watch the first sunrise of each New Year with family and friends.
Sunrise at Point Udall on New Year’s Day 2017 (Photo by: Kurt Schindler)
While there is something special about being the first people in the U.S. to see the sunrise, Point Udall also happens to be a perfect spot to watch the day dawn because of it’s landscape. Located at the tip of a peninsula formed where Goat Hill rises sharply from the Caribbean Sea, Point Udall is surrounded by ocean vistas and reef-laden bays on three sides. As the sun begins to peek over the horizon, beautiful shades of orange, gold, mauve and purple begin to color the sky and reflect off the ocean.
As more daylight begins to break across the East End, a glow is cast across the Millennium Monument and moves west to light up the rugged landscape of Goat Hill and Buck Island. The refreshing salt air breezes across Point Udall and the East End slowly begins to come to life. If you are fortunate enough to be here at this time of time, take some deep breaths and appreciate the moment…it is incredibly serene to silently watch the sunrise over the sea as you listen to the waves crash on the beach below, especially when you have someone with which to share the experience.
I highly recommend that you take the opportunity to watch the sunrise from Point Udall. It feels almost like you are watching the daybreak from the edge of the earth. Depending on the time of year you may have to get up really early to get a good spot before the sunrise begins, but I promise that it will be worth it!
– Jennie Ogden, Editor
