From the Garret: Archives

Limin* in St. Croix
*Crucian for "relaxing"

Don't throw things at me but my family and I went to St. Croix for my children's winter break. When we left Newark Airport in New Jersey, it was 15 degrees. When we arrived in St. Croix, it was 80 degrees. Of course, we had to return to Newark Airport where it was 18 degrees but at least I had a tan by then.

St. Croix has belonged to seven countries since Chris Columbus landed there in 1493: Spain, France, Holland, England (so one drives on the left side of the road), the Knights of Malta (I didn't realize they were considered a country), Denmark (for three hundred plus years), and the United States (Denmark sold it to us in 1917, partly to protect it from German submarines).
The Crucians were major producers of sugar cane (until 1965!) and conical stone sugar mills dot the island's high points. They got the best views because the hilltops had the best wind which the mills used for power. In addition, gravity powered the flow of the cane juice from the mills down to the processing plants.		Buccaneer Sugar Mill
The Danish influence is very apparent in the architecture of the two major towns: Christiansted and Fredericksted (named for the king of Denmark and his brother). Here's a "sidewalk" in Christiansted, kept nice and shady by the overhanging second story of the building. Aren't the uneven paving stones beautiful? They reek of history.
The flora and fauna are exotic and plentiful. The gorgeous flower blooms in the Botanical Gardens while the cute little lizard hung out on the outer wall of our hotel room.
I took a fascinating tour of the Cruzan Rum factory. These barrels are actually from a Kentucky whisky distillery. The rum distillery buys them (after one use!) and then keeps them for another thirty years. Cruzan rum is considered the smoothest in the world and the least hangover-inducing.
Of course, the best part of a Caribbean vacation, especially in the middle of February, is just sitting on the beach, staring at the incredibly blue water and listening to the palm trees rustle overhead. Add a pina colada to that and you have my idea of heaven!		Buccaneer Beach
Did I do any writing there? No, but I took a lot of notes and photographs. Now I just have to come up with a good plot to go with them. Then I can justify another trip to St. Croix-strictly for research purposes, of course. As the Crucians say, "Ar'ight!"