Day 1
While I had planned a 4-day itinerary it did not go quite as planned, per usual. We decided to take an unholy flight at 0515. However, we were flying out of Pensacola Florida from Fairhope Alabama. This means we had to be up by 2 am to leave for the flight. My little sister and I managed to not sleep at all because we got distracted watching Grey’s Anatomy. When the alarm went off at 2 am we tossed the bags in my rental car and made our way to the airport. We parked in the economy lot where a shuttle was already waiting. Pensacola airport is relatively small and very easy to maneuver through. We made it through to our gate in about 30 minutes. We flew Delta. As you will learn in these posts I am not a huge fan of Delta. Our layover was in Atlanta. I was stoked to be able to hit the Delta lounge with my Amex lounge access however, as of January 1st basic economy tickets no longer have access to the lounges. Kill me. Instead, we got to purchase overpriced airport breakfast and coffee. From ATL we took a 3-and-a-half-hour flight to STX (St. Croix Airport). Once we landed the humidity nearly knocked the breath out of me. I live in Georgia so I was impressed. I had booked us a Jeep through Budget a few weeks in advance. Once off the plane, I beelined for the rental car booth. Unfortunately, the line was already on the road. I waited about 40 minutes in line. When I got to the window they informed me that they had overbooked the jeeps and they no longer had one available for me. They said Avis had one that they would give to me at the same price. We had to start the rental car process all over again with them however, they were charging us an extra $100. I booked my rental car through Amex so I requested a statement of nonavailability from Budget to try to dispute with my credit card after the trip. The manager was very uninterested in providing this. All of a sudden they had a jeep available. So an hour and a half later we finally secured our whip for the week. Our plan for our first day was to do the Anally Bay Tide Pool Hike however it is a 5-mile hike and we were going to be racing daylight if we had attempted it by then. So we decided to switch it up. We started by heading to the one-of-a-kind “jungle bar” in the heart of St. Croix’s rainforest, Domino Club. They close at 5 and we had just happened to catch the last tour of the day. We were able to purchase a beer each and go feed them to the pigs. No one call PETA, It is alcohol-free beer. It was so cute! One pig in particular was a diva and would only accept the beer if you cracked it and poured it in its mouth where as all the others would eat the can whole. Afterwards, we ate the most delicious burrito and had mamawanna to drink. I highly recommend both! Additionally, they had some homemade hot sauces that I could have drank they were so delicious! We bought some cool stickers but lost them of course. Afterwards, we headed to Hammas Bay Lighthouse to do the quick 2-mile hike. It was an easy hike with some great views right past the lighthouse. Afterward right down the road was the Monk Bath House. This was stunning. We stayed and watched the sunset here and loved every second. We started the drive across the island to Christensen to check into our hotel, the King Christian Hotel. On our way, we stopped at a grocery store to grab some water and snacks. I wanted to note that all of the food we purchased did not taste very fresh. We found street parking and were finally able to check in for the night. This hotel was precious! When I say I was obsessed I mean that with every fiber of my being. Here was my only issue. The hotel only has 4 rooms that have double beds. All the rest are single beds. We booked a deluxe room that had a couch to accommodate. We ended up in a corner deluxe room that did not come with the couch. They were so great though. They accommodated us in an additional room for the first night then moved us to the original deluxe single room with the couch the next night. The staff was so incredible here I cannot recommend this hotel enough.
Day 2
I woke up before my dad and sister and got ready. I headed downstairs to VI Coffee Roasters St. Croix and got a small cup of coffee and cheese Danish. It was quite pricy. I paid $12 for it and was not overly impressed. Afterward, we walked to the pier to go on our snorkeling tour. We went through Carribean Adventures. This was such a great tour, especially for the price. The crew consisted of 3 people, Abbi, Cici, and Easton. They were so welcoming and professional. We sailed out to Buck Island Beach. As many may not know St. Croix has been a playground for U.S. Presidents for a while now. In 1948, the Government of the Virgin Islands established Buck Island and its surrounding reefs as a territorial park. In 1961, control of the island was transferred to the National Park Service, and later that year President John F. Kennedy, in recognition of the need to preserve for scientific and educational interests “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea,” established Buck Island Reef National Monument by Presidential Proclamation (No. 3443). Finally, on January 17, 2001, President William J. Clinton expanded the Monument’s size by 18,135 acres.
This beach was stunning. Cloud white sand beaches and the most crystal blue water. There were conch shells everywhere on the sands. The water was so salty you could just lay in it and float. There were virtually no waves. It was surreal. We stayed in this location for one hour. After we sailed over to the coral reef trail. The group on the boat split into two and went with a guide each. After following the trail we were given time to go explore on our own. Well, we were in buddy teams but you get the gist. Right before we were about to sail back a small dingy with three people signaled for help. The motor had given out and they asked for a ride. Abbi our captain graciously gave them a tow back to their sailboat on the other side of the island. We then continued back to shore listening to a banger playlist and drinking unlimited rum punch. Talking and laughing with the crew and other passengers on the boat. We had such a great time. Adults were $85 per person and 17 and younger were $65 per person. We rushed back to the room to get ready for our reservation at Ama at Cane Bay. This was hands-down the best restaurant we ate at during our entire trip. It is an oceanfront sustainable seafood restaurant with a craft cocktail bar. They work with local farmers and environmentally responsible fishermen. Everything we ate was divine. There is very limited seating and highly recommend a reservation at least two weeks in advance.
We ordered the following from the incredibly talented chef, Faheem Maolud:
Crab Souffle Dip
Chef’s bread | 15
Crispy Pan Seared Salmon ( MY FAVORITE)
Pan-seared salmon, sautéed brown butter spinach, coconut curry bisque, micro green salad, charred lemon vinaigrette | 38
Almond Crusted Mahi
Almond crusted mahi, mandarine coconut broth, Caribbean salsa, coconut rice | 34
Flourless Dark Chocolate Rum Cake
Cruzan spiced rum syrup, salted chocolate ganache | 15
The service, the location, the food, absolutely everything was perfect! I would go here a million times over. We returned to the hotel and settled in for the night. Also, bonus points if you color coordinate and take photos because we are obsessed with our little family portraits!
Day 3
We woke up entirely too early. My dad wanted to watch the sunrise at Point Udall, the Easternmost point in the United States. So of course, we obliged. We woke up at 6 am and started the mad dash out to the edge of the island. We were running a little behind but caught the tail end of the sunrise. Point Udall is a sundial which I thought was neat. On the way back we also stopped in to see the giant radar. After grabbing a couple of photos and enjoying the sunrise we went to Toast, a restaurant in town for breakfast. It was recommended to us on the boat by another couple. I will be honest, I was not a fan. Neither was my father. My little sister, however, did like her Arepa so do with that information what you will.
We were all pretty exhausted by this point. I decided to go check out the national park, Fort Christiansvaern next door before I went back to the room to take a quick nap. Around lunch, we all got ready, grabbed some coffee at Rogue Cafe, and headed to hike the Anally Bay Tide Pools Trail. About ten minutes into our drive the sky fell out. It was pouring rain but we were not about to miss out on this hike altogether. We wrapped our phones and the camera in a plastic bag and hit the trail. We slipped all over the muddy trail but after about 3 miles we finally made it. The beach itself was like nothing I had ever seen before. The rocks were green, black, and red. They were glistening from being soaked in the rain. There was coral of all types and sea sponges perfectly scattered all over the beach. It was absolutely stunning. Getting to the pools is only possible during low tide. Make sure you look this up before you start this hike! We very carefully climbed our way into the tide pools. They were very cloudy from the rain and dirt but we were still glad that we had gone. It rained the entire four hours we were there. Soaking wet we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We attempted color coordination again but not as successfully as night one. We took the free ferry from our hotel to the island across the way. Dad got scolded by the man on board for standing up. It was very awkward. Before taking off he asked him to sit (the seats were wet) but he sat. However, the man decided to give him a lecture on the importance of sitting the entire way to the island. Here they are renovating a hotel that I am very excited to see. The same guy, Chris who owns all the other up-and-coming entertainment in Christensen is the one developing it.
After exploring and taking photos we headed back to have dinner at El Leon. I do not recommend this restaurant. We made reservations during happy hour. We were then told happy hour only includes the drinks, not the food. Their website did not say that at all. We purchased chips and guacamole. It came with the saddest amount of chips and then we had to pay for additional chips. The tacos tasted rancid. And to top it all off we didn’t even get the happy hour prices on the drinks when the check came. I will get off my soap box but I was not impressed at all. Afterward, we were so tired from the day that we decided to grab a scoop of ice cream go back to the room pack, and head to bed early.
Day 4
Slept in this last day. We needed it after this whirlwind trip. I was the first up again and decided to grab some coffee from Cafe 50 USVI. This place was so great and the employees were so helpful! They provided me with an excellent recommendation on where to get a bracelet that I really wanted to purchase. After securing my coffee and souvenirs I headed back to the room. Brenna ran to grab her and Dad coffee and Dad went to grab the jeep while I checked out from the hotel. We loaded up and I ran to get my National Park passport stamped and take some photos of the hotel before we left. From there we had planned to get lunch at Blues BBQ which is a veteran-owned restaurant. There were two precious veterans there when we arrived. It turns out they are closed on Mondays. The gentleman who handled their social media and online presence had passed away and they do not have any access to passwords or the ability to update anything. I genuinely felt for them. It looked and smelt so good. They were prepping meats when we were there and I would have loved to try it. I am going to post some information on them anyway. Blues is located on Northside Road in La Grande Princess and offers an extensive menu from their food truck and Backyard BBQ. In addition to their famous “succulicious” slow-smoked brisket & pork, Blues offers hot dogs, fish, burritos, Italian sausages, brisket chili, and daily specials. Dine in the Backyard, enjoy ice-cold drinks at the bar, or carry out your order. Blues offers live music; on Thursdays, Fridays, and most Saturdays! Monday – Wednesday 11:00am-7:00pm, Thursday 11:00am-8:00pm, Friday 11:00am-9:00pm, Saturday 11:00am- 6:00pm, and Sunday brunch from 10:00am-2:30pm.
From there we headed to Hay Penny Beach to see the low coconut trees. It was cute but only a quick pit stop on our way to Captain Morgan’s Distillery. The distillery was designed so nicely. However, the “tour” was a disappointment. Everything you were going to see in the tour you can just walk in and see in the one room. You did not get to see any of the factories and none of the restaurants were up and running yet. Apparently, they used to give tours of the factories but after new management took over they no longer do. This cost is $15 per person. After the disappointing “tour” we went to La Reine Chicken Shack. This food was absolute fire. Completley worth the hype. I recommend the chicken, potato salad, and cole slaw! From there we made the mad dash to the airport to get our rental car turned in on time. The employees from Budget were terrible … again. We finally got through the airport. For such a small airport it was extremely hectic. I recommend arriving at least an hour early for your flight if not 2. The waiting area is just one giant open room. There is however a space to the left of the snack stand that has nice tables and chairs. More lounge style in that section with lots of ports to charge electronics with.
Honorable mentions we wanted to try but were unable to during this trip:
Horseback riding on the beach with Cruzan Cowgirls. We tried booking with them but they were not available for the dates that we were there. My sister especially loved them because all of their horses are rehabilitated rescues. The majority of the income from this business is used to benefit the homeless and abused horses in St Croix.
Waves Hotel – This hotel was owned by Chris, the same guy who owned The King Christian Hotel, where we stayed. This location though is much more remote in Northshore but beautiful and would be good for honeymoon couples.
Shaw Shank Redemption Beach – The 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. The iconic ending scene where Red finds Andy again at Zihuatanejo Beach in Mexico was actually shot at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Sandy Point is one of the longest white sand beaches in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as one of the most beautiful ones. Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public.
Christopher Columbus landing site – Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve on St. Croix contains the only known site where members of an expedition led by Christopher Columbus set foot on what is now United States territory.
Below is the original itinerary I had created for us that did not quite go as planned but would still be great for others to use! Use at your own risk haha!
