Mar 2008

A view down the beach at Buck Island National Park near St. Croix - Sailboats bring snorkelers out here each day

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Sunset at "Off The Wall" - a little joint on the beach at Cane Bay

Hilary and I headed south for a little mid-winter getaway last month, spending a week on St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. We had a great time - the weather was great and there was plenty of time to relax on the beach and explore some of the island's history.

(photos courtesy of Hilary E. Parkinson and Bryan V. Gibb)

The main battery at Fort Christiansvaern on St. Croix, USVI

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I know, I know, when you think about Denmark you think about Vikings, Legos, tasty breakfast treats - maybe my great Grandfather Jens Nicholi Kreuger Johannsen - but did you know that the Danes were slave holding Caribbean sugar barons as well? Yep. The sugar trade in the 17th and 18th centuries was just too lucrative to leave it to the English, Spanish, French, Maltese and Dutch, so the Danes got themselves a few islands too....

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See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Located just southeast of Puerto Rico, St. Croix is one of three U.S. Virgin Islands - one time zone later than the east coast and 1,729 miles due south of Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Christopher Columbus himself came ashore at Salt River, on the north side of St. Croix on November 14th, 1493 and was quickly chased off by the arrows of the native Arawak people. The Italian was undaunted though, and returned later to kill most of them in the name of God and the Queen of Spain.

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Bryan strikes a pose in front of a restored windmill at the Wim Sugar Plantation Museum near Fredericksted

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For years the island was held by various powers, but in 1733 St. Croix was purchased from the French West India Company by the Danes and soon became the heart of the Danish sugar trade in the Caribbean. Based on the labor of enslaved Africans, the sugar trade enriched generations of Danish traders and plantation owners. The slave trade was abolished on the island in 1848, but slave ownership persisted until as late as 1867. The island is dotted with the ruins of windmills that suppled the power to process sugar cane into sugar, molassas and yes, the prized Cruzan Rum.

A map of St. Croix during the Danish period - 1754

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The main house at the Wim Plantation - first established in the 18th century

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An old sugar-cane processing still on the Wim Plantation

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The United States bought St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John from the Danish in 1917 for $25 million in gold in order to keep the Germans out of the Caribbean. Just a few hundred yards out into the ocean from our hotel, the water goes from 20' to over 13,200' - from light green to deep, dark blue - perfect for German U-Boats...

A view from the road as we approch our home for a week - the Carambola Beach Resort

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Our resort was lovely and a real bargain. Based on the price, we were prepared for something a little ratty, but the resort was beautiful, the beach was deserted and the room was spacious and clean. It had a big bedroom, living room, huge bathroom and a screened in porch.

Hilary gets her first look at the beach near our room

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The view from our screened in porch

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We ate breakfast each morning on the porch - here Hilary studies her birding book, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Caribbean Bananaquit

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A local dove visits us as we wait for our lunch

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The beach was only about 75 yards from our room and most of the time we were the only ones down there

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The resort is tucked into a valley at the base of steep mountains and is full of local flora

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The Carambola was separated from the more settled part of the island by rocky surf-swept coastline

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The island was crawling with critters - birds, mongoose, geckoes, sea turtles, conch and lots of bright green Iguanas!

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Another view - parts of the beach were rocky and home to lots of spiney sea urchins, but there was a smooth part perfect for swiming

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Cocoanuts overhead

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There were hammocks placed here and there around the resort - you were never far from one if the powerful need to lounge overcame you

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Hilary (in red) wanders up the beach one evening

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Hilary really starting to dig this beach vacation idea...

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The sun finally drops below the mountains to the west - look out, night time temperatures plummeted from a day time high of 83 to as low as 75!

Seen enough? Ready to book your own trip? You won't be disappointed! Here is the web site: http://www.carambolabeach.com/

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Yes the resort is secluded, peaceful and beautiful, and yes, the weather is perfect and the sea inviting, BUT, there is also lots to see and do on the island. One of the first things we did was explore more of the Capital city, Christiansted. About 65,000 people live on the 28 by 7 mile island, and the biggest employer is not tourism, but a refinery on the south side of the island. Consequently, there really were not that many tourists around - we kept seeing the same people all over the island and never felt crowded at all. Whenever we did see large groups of people, they were invariably Danish. Apparently there is some nostalgia for the colonies back in the old country...

First things first - in St. Croix, you drive on the left - all the more confusing since all the cars have the steering wheels on the left just like on the mainland

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The historic part of Christiansted is protected and preserved by the U.S. Park Service - your tax money at work!

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Painted bright yellow, Fort Christiansvern used to protect the Danish harbor from the English, Spanish, and yes, even Pirates!

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A view of the old town to the south from the Fort

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Hilary ponders the defensive position of the battery

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Another view

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A stockade from which even Jack Sparrow could not escape!

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Later in the week we visited Fredericksted, a smaller town on the other end of the island, to see another fort and the then vacant cruise ship pier

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The interior of the fort in Fredericksted

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We explored the "rain forest" on the west side of the island, but all we found was a creepy old collection of shacks with scriptural warnings, so we moved on!

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After settling into our hotel and exploring the island a bit, we booked passage on a catamaran sailboat through "Big Beard's" tour company to take us out the Buck Island for a day of snokeling. The day finished off with a BBQ on the beach back on St. Croix.

Hilary, myself, and another couple from Chicago were the only Americans on the tour, the other slots were filled with 25 good natured and leathery Danish retirees in speedoes... Good times.

After a 45 minute sail out to the island, we spent some time on the National Seashore's gentle, white sand beach

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Buck Island is administered and protected by the National Park service, and no food or fires are allowed on the island

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It was a bit windy and the current was strong, but the front of the boat was best place to ride

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Buck Island from the east, quite close to the underwater snorkeling "trail" we explored

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Hilary gears up

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After snorkling for a bit in a strong current we were hungry - good thing they took us to this beach for a BBQ

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Our boat at anchor

On old sail made for a useful shelter as we waited for the fresh Mahi Mahi to grill up

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Time to head back to Christiansted, and then the Carambola

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The trip to Buck Island was a highlight of week. The crew was cheerful, the weather was nice, and we even learned a few words in Danish... For more on this day trip and others, take a look here: http://www.bigbeards.com/index.htm

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As many of you know, wherever I travel I am always looking for good local food. I subscribe to Anthony Bourdain's philosophy that food is one of the best ways to get to know a place and its culture better. This trip was no different, and Hilary and I sought out the freshest fish we could find and explored indigenous West Indian cuisine.

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Bryan in front of Harvey's Restaurant - Good to see the locals are politically sophisticated!

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Our research suggested that the best place to try West Indian food in Christiansted was at Harvey's Restaurant. The small restaurant is in an old building on Company Street in the historic downtown. Interesting historical detail - In 1765, Alexander Hamilton lived on Company Street with his mother Rachel after his father abandoned them...

The first time we showed up (on Presidents Day) it was closed, but we tried again and were not disappointed. Harvey Junior was at the bar, and his Mother was in the kitchen. The special on that particular day was conch in butter sauce - tender and flavorful - and spicy goat curry. Both dishes also came with a side of "fungi", or corn meal mixed with okra - a savory polenta like side dish. Harvey Jr. welcomed us warmly and explained each dish to us in detail. Be sure to visit next time you are in Christiansted!

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/caribbean-and-bermuda/virgin-islands/st-croix/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654634294

Most of the people on St. Croix are ethnically Afro-Caribbean, but the island is a real mixture of Puerto Ricans, Rastafarians, Cruzans, and white mainlanders. Everyone speaks English, but many on the island also speak Spanish, and/or a strongly accented local dialect similar to Jamaican English.

As a part of the United States, there is a U.S. Post office, a few Air Force cargo planes at the airport, a McDonald's or two, and they had their Democratic primary the week before we arrived (Obama 76%, Clinton 24%)

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One of two Baobob trees on St. Croix - this one is in a parking lot, the other is near the west end of the island's "rain forest"

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For good local seafood, we found our way to a harbor-side bar called Rum Runners. It doesn't look like much, but our guidebook promised good food at reasonable prices.
http://www.rumrunnersstcroix.com/
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Perched right on the water, Rum Runners keeps its local lobsters in a tank below the dining room floor

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The view from out table at Rum Runners

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Bryan digs into a plate of conch fritters - a local delicacy!

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Hilary enjoys a plate of fish tacos filled with fresh Mahi Mahi pulled from the sea that morning

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We asked one of the crew-members on our sailing trip to Buck Island where to get some good local Caribbean lobster and he sent us to Duggan's Reef on the east end of the island.

Funny enough, when we got there one of the other crew members, Mike, was our waiter, so we got the best table in the place...

Hilary enjoys the Queen's Throne at Duggan's

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The view from the dining room at Duggan's

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Duggan's is an interesting place - a little bit of Boston in the Virgin Islands. Yep, we flew four hours south to eat at a seafood restaurant with Red Sox, Holy Cross and BU pennants on the wall. The owner is from Massachusetts and proudly notes on the back of the menu that Senator Kennedy eats there every time he is on the Island and former Red Sox and Yankee pitcher Roger Clemmons has been there twice - no doubt between injections.

http://www.caribbeanedge.com/st_croix/restaurants/duggans_reef.html

For those of you who have never had Caribbean lobster, they don't have claws, but do have large, fat tails and flesh that is sweet as candy....

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Bryan in the King's throne

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Finally, our favorite place to eat on the island was "Off The Wall" at Cane Bay. This little spot right on the beach had a perfect view, lousy pizza, but great burgers. No indoor seating here - its all al fresco. Right next to the world famous Cane Bay "Wall" scuba diving location (where the ocean depth goes from 20' to 13,200' in a few hundred yards) "Off the Wall" is worth a visit!

Hilary enjoys a large, fruity and STRONG drink at the bar on Cane Bay

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Bryan awaits his bad pizza, but at least the view is superb!

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This was the first time I had ever been to the Caribbean and I cannot wait to go back. We loved St. Croix - it had everything you could want in a beach getaway, but was also quiet, affordable, easy to get to, and offered up lots of interesting historical field trips for your nerdier side...

Next on the agenda? Quebec City and Montreal in July.

Finally . . .

A late evening view of Buck Island from Point Udall (the eastern most point in the United States BTW...)

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It has been awhile since I have created any entries on here - been working away at my new job - but I HAVE to get out of town on occasion...

Last month my girlfriend Hilary and I went on a day trip to Luray, Virginia to go Spelunking!

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This is a very shallow pond in the caves - the reflection of the formations above give it a sense of depth.

Those of you who live in the Washington, DC area have probably seen the TV spots for Luray Caverns. Although from afar it seems like like a tourist trap, but once you pay your $15 and get underground it is really quite dramatic...

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Another view

So, what is the difference between a stalagtite and a stalagmite? Here is an easy way to remember: Stalag-tites are "tight" to the ceiling, stalag-mites "might" reach from the floor to the ceiling......

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This particular formation looks like dripping cake batter!

Created by the slow draining of an inland sea 200-600 million years ago, Luray Caverns was "discovered" by a local tinsmith and photographer in 1878.

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Ms. Hilary Parkinson in the hole...

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A vertical tower formation

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In one portion of the cavern with particularly good acoustics they set up an organ years ago.

A dedicated music lover scoured the cave to test the tone given off when certain stalagtites were struck with a rubber hammer. He designed an organ where the keys are connected to a series of hammers throughout the cave. When it plays the tones echo throughout the cavern...

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Another view of the organ

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One of the more impressive columns

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Stalagtites come in many shapes and sizes - these are "pencil-like"

There were no animals or insects in the cave as it is a sealed system, but there are some creepy characters found in the shadows...

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For more on the Caverns, visit their website here: http://www.luraycaverns.com/index.html

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As an added bonus, your ticket to the caves also grants you admission to the transportation museum next door... To be honest, it was kinda creepy...

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The first wheeled vehicle. I suspect this is a recreation, and not the original....

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The carriages and cars where cool, but the place was full of creepy manequins to add to the "realism" of the transport museum experience...

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All the President's initials found on old Ohio license plates - THIS is the kind of thing you didn't know you needed to see until you actually stumbled upon it...

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Creepy manequin in a fur coat...

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The creepiest of all creepy manequins...

After a chilly picnic nearby it was back home for another working week... Man, we need a VACATION! (Next stop, the Caribbean!)