Birthplace of the Painkiller! Need I say more.  If you’re looking for a cool place to hang on the beach, you’ve found it!  The tunes are playin, the vibe is laid back and cool and the rum is a-flowin!  Not to mention that the beach is white sand and great for swimming.  All-in-all a perfect Sunday!

p.s. This is a local hot spot for those fortunate enough to have boats or friends with boats… and when in the VI do like the locals!

Our ride.

How many guys does it take to drive the dingy?

Posted on April 29th, 2007 by Administrator

Posted on April 29th, 2007 by Administrator
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We shoved off from the Bitter End in pursuit of a lazy Sunday afternoon and rum of course… on our way over to The Soggy Dollar (about an hour and a half) we came across some modern day pirates! ~ Yo Ho Ho

Posted on April 29th, 2007 by Administrator
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We decided to stay an extra day at the Bitter end and explore.

A friend I met at the beach

MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE … Finding Nemo Anyone???

Posted on April 28th, 2007 by Administrator
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If you yearn for the smell of the salt air and the wind in your hair and you hum Jimmy Buffet’s “A Pirate Looks at 40″ with a small grin on your face and a farway look in your eye … well then you simply MUST sail the BVI’s!If you aren’t a seasoned sailor (or lucky enough like me to have great friends with a fabulous boat) then you should go the route of a charter. There are many options out of St Thomas and the BVIs and typically they come with a Captain and first mate who are there to sail at your whim or make suggestions, cook you fabulous meals and pamper you along the way. From barefoot catamarans to yachts, you’ll find it all.
So April of this year - my friends and I (8 Adults and 2 Toddlers) set out to conquer the BVIs (hey we’re pirates at heart)… here’s our tale…
EARLY on Friday morning we set sail. Well most of us - the mommies and one daddy and the 2 boys beat us over by flying on the seaplane - 2 hours to cross in a powerboat vs. 15 minutes in a seaplane… the guys called Tom a “girl” for flying, but the Mommies were smart, they convinced him to fly with them so that he could carry all the stuff!
If you’d like more information on sailing through the BVI and booking a charter contact me at travel@suncelebrations.com or go to www.suncelebrations.com

Posted on April 27th, 2007 by Administrator
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Posted on April 27th, 2007 by Administrator
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…checking in at Customs - Road Town, Tortola, BVI

When sailing through the BVI from anywhere else - the first thing you must do is check in at customs.  This is another reason for chartering a boat if you are not a seasoned sailor.  The captain will be able to guide you through the process.  All I have to say is REMEMBER YOUR PASSPORT! (even if you are Canadian and have your birth certificate & green card) Otherwise, they won’t let you in!! …Trust me.

(unless you are luck enough to be travelling with a fast-talking attorney…phew thanks Josh!)

Posted on April 27th, 2007 by Administrator
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Today was a sad day. I kept meaning to pick up copies of the St. Croix Avis (local paper) each day… but never got to the grocery early enough to get them before they were sold out. Perhaps if I had I would have found out sooner than Wednesday - perhaps not. Today I found out that my friend Maria Henle had passed the previous Sunday after a short but feisty battle with cancer. (Pictured: Standing farthest right) I consider myself so blessed and honored to have gotten to know Maria over the past couple of years. She was an amazingly talented artist and was such a vibrant force of light. Even throughout her battle, she continued to send us all such positive narratives of her fight, she seemed to be able to find beauty in everything. I was so inspired and humbled with the way she sent us pictures of getting her hair cut after she began to lose it. She wore it like a badge of honor in her personal struggle - you may get me down, but you can’t take away my spirit.

Having worked with and become good friends with Maria’s dear sister, Tina, its funny that I met her seperately. I will always have such fond memories of Maria - we met taking belly dancing classes on St. Croix and our group along with our amazingly wonderful instructor, Hera, had so much fun together. It’s an empowering form of dance that makes every woman tap into her inner goddess… and we sure did that! I think with dance, though there may not always be a lot of talking, but there is a spiritual connection that happens with the energy in the room (or perhaps it was the exotic music combined with the tropical heat and humidity LOL) In any event, we all bonded. Hera was also getting married in Greece and invited us all… I was so sad when I couldn’t make it. But we all celebrated Hera’s good fortune with a beachside shower (the picture is from that wonderful evening).

Since I found out about Maria’s cancer, I have kept an image of one of her paintings on my computer desktop to remind me to think of her and pray for her. I will continue to look at that image and think of Maria, Tina, her mother and brother and all of the lives that Maria touched through her art and through her person. I am honored to have been one of them. To learn more about Maria and her art go to www.mariahenlestudio.com For information on Tina’s photography (featured throughout my site) www.tinahenle.com and their father, famed photographer Fritz Henle www.fritzhenle.com

Bless you Maria, we’ll all miss you.

Posted on February 7th, 2007 by Administrator
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On my second to last day at home on St. Croix, it was imperative that I celebrate it with my girlfriends. For us that means sun, sand, food and rum! My sister and I met Emma & Finn, Cathy (Emma’s very cool M-inLaw), Kristine, Christine & her little guy Dylan for lunch at Mermaid Beach at The Buccaneer Hotel. One of the best parts of living on the island is that you can spend an afternoon at one of the nicer resorts and “play tourist” drinking fruity concoctions with umbrellas and limin’ in the sun. At The Buccanner, you’ll pay a couple of bucks if you just want to hit the beach (for use of chairs and towels), but go for lunch and then use the beach. The food is on the pricier side (it is a resort) and the drinks aren’t cheap, but its worth a splurge every now and then. This palm tree-lined beach is gorgeous and not overly crowded (though more so than other beaches on the island). I highly recommend it for a girls day (or any other excuse you can come up with)!

Posted on February 7th, 2007 by Administrator
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So happy to be back on the island! 20 degrees and below in Massachusetts has been a chilling reminder of how beautiful the tropical weather is in the winter time. Sitting out on the patio of the house we are staying at and enjoying the breeze with a nice glass of wine is simply satisfying. Today, it was an invigorating trek to the tide pools. We started at the new entrance just outside the gate of Carambola. Now named the Trumbull trail (an homage to our recently retired infamous governor? Why anyone would name such a beautiful trail after him is a bit beyond me, but whatever) it is a 2.7 mile hike into the pristine beauty of the Annaly Bay tide pools. The moderate hike is energizing. I wouldn’t suggest the truly out of shape attempt it (there is a bit of uphill climb involved) but the trail is well blazed and there is no need to be a seasoned trekker either (I’ve done it with 10 year olds). You’ll break a sweat, but the majority of the trail is under cover of the forest, so not terribly hot (just a bit humid). Be sure when you get to the top of the last hill (tall grass will make you think you are in an episode of “Lost”) that you bear LEFT and do not stay straight (that trail almost requires rappelling gear). The gentle slope of the trail will bring you down to an access road where you turn right and head straight down to the beach. There you will find beautiful stones weathered and polished smooth by the pounding surf. The sound of the tide retreating through the rocks is a magical melody. Something reminiscent of the nature sounds played at expensive spas… and wait ’til you make it to the tide pool. I like to stop here and enjoy the sound of the surf and search for colorful and exotic shells between the rocks. I don’t often find really big shells, but I do find intact and colorful small to medium shells with a bit of searching. Once you’re ready for the most challenging part of the trip, head to the tide pools - to the left of the beach. You’ll need to climb over some of the rock outcropping then step into the water (as the tide pounds in, wait for a minute and the water will clear, the current is not strong but you want to make sure you get good footing). The brief climb around the point is the hardest, then you’ll need to climb up and over another small rock outcropping - there is a good foothold, you just have to look for it, hoist yourself up and you’re there! The view is amazing and there are hardly ever many people. You can avoid the hike by taking a jeep safari with “Waves” down to the tide pools, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I hike in. Floating in the calm aquamarine pool is truly a Zen experience. Often the waves will crash over, creating a temporary waterfall. You can’t beat it! I recommend wearing Teva’s for the hike (or sneakers and carrying a pair of water shoes - though the bottom of the pool is nice and sandy, there are some sharp rocks to climb over). You should also remember a few other essentials: a backpack with at least a good bottle of water per person, a camera (the views are to die for along the hike and at the pools) and a small snack for energy. The hike in takes about an hour, somehow it always seems shorter on the way back. There are no facilities and little cell phone service along the way, so be sure to let someone know you are going and when you plan to return for safety’s sake. Make a day of it, you’ll be glad you did!

Posted on February 5th, 2007 by Administrator
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Though my sister and I got a late start today, we were able to enjoy the last hour and a half of Sandy Point today. It was great, not too busy… in fact, it never is - no huge crowds of cruise shippers as its a long dirt drive down to the beach. Sandy Point is without a doubt, the most beautiful and pristine beach on St. Croix. Managed by VI Fish & Wildlife, the beach is critical habitat for the nesting leatherback sea turtle and a wildlife sanctuary. For this reason, it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and then closed completely for 2-3 mos during leatherback nesting season. During the sea turtle nesting season, you can sign up for group excursions to watch the nesting females and hatchling babies as they make their way to the safety of the ocean. These night excursions are limited and mainly for school children, but you can sign up via SEA (St. Croix Environmental Association) for one of the guided excursions. They start at sunset and can last until after 11pm if there is a lot of activity, so be prepared. It is soooo worth it! The night I went out almost 2 years ago, we started off the evening almost immediately with a nest hatching right near our group. Later that evening we saw two large females nest and a wily hawksbill made her way between our group as we all acted like “vegetation” so as not to disturb her nesting habits. It was truly remarkable. The beach is typically closed from May through July - so if you are on St. Croix at another time of the year, its worth renting a car or jeep and making the trek to the beach. Just remember with pristine beauty comes simplicity - so no facilities. But trust me, you won’t be sorry you made it!

Posted on February 4th, 2007 by Administrator
Filed under: St Croix, Things to do on St Croix, sea turtles, Beaches | No Comments »