Where it all began

As I start this journey what better way to start than where my first out of country experience was. It all started with a birthday trip to the beautiful island of St Croix USVI. I learned about St. Croix long ago from a friend of my sister. She was from the island, which enticed me to investigate it more as I got older. Something told me that is where I wanted to spend my birthday week this particular year. So, one of my oldest and dearest friends booked it on a whim. We get to this island we know very little about, jump off the plane and feel at home. There was a sense of peace and comfortability as soon as I got off that plane that day. We got into our rental car just to figure out they drive on the left side of the road there, it was something we had to get used to, but we caught on quickly. We stayed at the Carambola Beach Resort; it was GORGEOUS! Something that we had never experienced before, and we were ready to see everything this place has to offer. We booked a half day excursion to Buck Island and snorkeled at the national reef that is right by Buck Island. The reef, the fish, the boat ride, and the island itself were mesmerizing. The crystal-clear water and the white sand of Buck Island, just to die for. The national reef, the colorful fish, the underwater life of the ocean that was right in front of me was hypnotizing. I am a water baby through and through, so to be in this beautiful ocean water and see some of the most beautiful fish and ocean scenery I could see was peaceful. As we finish this half day tour, we get off at the Christiansted Boardwalk and find some food to eat before heading back across island to our next planned excursion. The boardwalk has some awesome food at some really great places. They have Shupe’s, which has a great menu for food as well as drinks and great nightlife. There is The Mill, that has amazing pizza. There’s Rum Runners, which have a great mix of everything, and you can even dine next to the rocks and see the water. There is Brew STX which has a great mix of everything as well. We decided on Shupe’s and their amazing burger! So, after eating we were headed to do some kayaking in Salt River Bay, which is one of the few Bioluminescence Bay’s in the world. Now as I mentioned previously, I am a water fanatic! So, to be able to experience the bioluminescence bay in person and not see pictures online was breathtaking. For those of you that are not familiar with this it is when the dinoflagellates emit luciferin, a chemical that creates a bright glow when it combines with oxygen. The luciferin makes the microorganisms appear to sparkle underwater. So, if you are in a clear kayak, it literally looks like there are millions of stars under your boat shooting through the water. It was amazing to say the least. There are jellyfish that you can pick up and play with that also light up due to them eating the organisms. You can watch fish swim through the water as they light up and when you look up into the sky as you are in your kayak you are captivated by the millions of stars that you can see in the sky. There are no lights to drown out the sky, so you get to take in all the stars and night sky’s beauty. That night, we saw 3 shooting stars back-to-back. I believe in that moment I completely fell in love with St. Croix. It was the perfect way to end our night. The next day we headed over to the Carambola Zipline tour. This tour has 3 total ziplines, they kind of ease you into it. The first line is short and simple, its an elevation of 515ft with a vertical drop of 27ft that brings you to about 50ft above the valley, the second line is just over a half mile long at 2,473ft in length and has a vertical drop of 205ft and is about 200ft above the valley, the last line is the fastest of them all, this is 1,382 ft in length and about 85ft above the valley floor and the vertical drop is 144ft. The last line brings you back down to the base where there is a beautiful historic sugar mill for a great photo opp., I have never been on a zipline and our experience with the guides was nothing short of amazing. They not only were informative but made it fun, they even helped guide us to some good local food spots. The locals are amazing, friendly, and accepting. They just ask that you respect their culture and respect their island. They don’t want anyone that is going to come over and try to change what works for them so well and what they have been doing for generations. I have visited St. Croix more times than I can count now. We have a house there now and know that island but learn more about it every trip we go. I will break down all the different excursions to do on the island in more posts.

-Vic