usvi-on-line
St. Croix Trip Report-Slim Line addition
St. Croix Trip Report-Slim Line addition
OK team
We just got home at 2am. I have committed to writing this report. I am sending this report because we had a hard time finding reports on St. Croix. I'm not much of a story teller so I will do my best.
Dates: September 21 - September 28, 2008
Teammates
Everyone in our group of 5 is a 40ish professional and a well seasoned traveler. We have been to STT (2x) as well as STJ and we were looking for something local and different.
Weather
We too got caught off guard by the weather. Driving for the first time in the rain was an adventure. We are an easy going group who enjoys a challenge so this was not an issue.
Pest
OMG. We are from the Midwest so humidity and mosquito's are usually not an issue. However, the mosquito's here work in groups and they are very good a what they do. We spent at least $75 dollars on the candle repellents. I thought we may have been special until I realized that I had a better chance of finding repellent in a C-store than finding a warm sandwich. Note: Bring the heavy duty stuff from home. You could spend a fortune here on the stuff.
Villa
We stayed at Sugar Bay House in Sugar Bay. We usually rent villas and have become spoiled over the years. This particular unit however is truly over the top. If you get an opportunity visit their website. We had 4 bedrooms for 5 people. The house has more than the basics and Vacation St. Croix and the team, make sure that all services and requests are handled professionally and expeditiously. Kudo's to Anne. She met us at the airport and waited patiently while we haggled with the Budget Rent a Car people. She even took us to the grocery store and waited the entire time while we shopped. Note: We spend 1.5 hours and spent well over $500. Talk about patient.
(another note: we looked into having our villa provisioned. However, the cost was hmm shall I say cheaper to buy it yourself)
Peter, our property manager is really a nice guy. He made every attempt to make sure we were comfortable and new about the house and the island. On two separate occasions, Peter came in the middle of the night to look at our AC and unlock one of the bedroom doors. Truly a gem of a guy.
Locals
Everyone was warm and welcoming to us. We usually get around on our own using local maps. We spent the pre-planning portion of our trip identifying local hot spots and restaurants. We like to go off the beaten path and discover new things. I want list all the local dives but I will encourage you to turn into any of the roadside bars/restaurants and take a chance. No bad experiences here.
Tourist Stuff
*Casino Divis-clean and I did not see anyone smoking. Again the local were welcoming and even offered help on playing some of the
games. Note: I got pretty PO'ed when I noticed the floor manager disciplining an employee at one of the tables. Not cool
and not professional. That actually dampened my experience.
*Point Udell-US eastern most point. Beautiful surrounding with may beaches and cut aways along the way. Good place if you want
some privacy. We actually had a helicopter fly 150 feet away from us. Pretty cool.
*Christiansted-Lost to do here. Don't let the cosmetics derail you. Get out of the car and look around. You'll be surprised at what you will
find. Good restaurants, bookstores for everyone.
*Board walk Christiansted-Parrots Cove. Stop by and see Crabby. Don't let the name fool you. He make a ferocious margarita.
*Fredericksted-Coconuts on the Beach is to die for. On Sundays they offer BBQ. Some of the best beef brisket I have ever had.
*Grocery Stores-Plenty of places to stock up your villa. I recommend Plaza Extra. One stop shop for all your provisioning needs.
*Duggans Restaurant-Best stuffed lobster in the world. This place in right on the beach and offers 4-star dining in a quaint ocean side
environment. Don't miss this one.
Special Notes:
*Cooler-We traveled with a cooler full of meats. I know this has been discussed before but you cant beat your home town
selections and the cost of meat here is high. We also used the cooler to bring home some of the local rums.
*Clothing-You really can travel with one bag of cloths. Don't give the money to the airline. Save it for tipping the locals.
*Car Rentals-Make absolutely sure you get as much of the sand out of your rental. Some agencies charge for the extra clean-up.
*Departure-I can't stress enough the importance of arriving at least 2 hours minimum when returning home. You will need every minute.
Remember, island time is not our time.
*Rush Hour-Don't mistake your rush hour for the island rush hour. Driving on the left does not compare to the congestion this place
sees after 4pm. Plan ahead.
*Off Season-Call ahead to ensure that they are open. Many boat rentals and other restaurants were closed during our stay. Also, many
of the places we dined at had limited choices. No issue though. Just order something else.
All in all, I think St. Croix may have been the best experience out of the three islands. The pace is much slower and the people seem a little warmer. We have already started the countdown to our next experience.
Feel free to shoot me your questions. Hopefully this will help others considering travel to STX.
T-minus 364 and counting
We just got home at 2am. I have committed to writing this report. I am sending this report because we had a hard time finding reports on St. Croix. I'm not much of a story teller so I will do my best.
Dates: September 21 - September 28, 2008
Teammates
Everyone in our group of 5 is a 40ish professional and a well seasoned traveler. We have been to STT (2x) as well as STJ and we were looking for something local and different.
Weather
We too got caught off guard by the weather. Driving for the first time in the rain was an adventure. We are an easy going group who enjoys a challenge so this was not an issue.
Pest
OMG. We are from the Midwest so humidity and mosquito's are usually not an issue. However, the mosquito's here work in groups and they are very good a what they do. We spent at least $75 dollars on the candle repellents. I thought we may have been special until I realized that I had a better chance of finding repellent in a C-store than finding a warm sandwich. Note: Bring the heavy duty stuff from home. You could spend a fortune here on the stuff.
Villa
We stayed at Sugar Bay House in Sugar Bay. We usually rent villas and have become spoiled over the years. This particular unit however is truly over the top. If you get an opportunity visit their website. We had 4 bedrooms for 5 people. The house has more than the basics and Vacation St. Croix and the team, make sure that all services and requests are handled professionally and expeditiously. Kudo's to Anne. She met us at the airport and waited patiently while we haggled with the Budget Rent a Car people. She even took us to the grocery store and waited the entire time while we shopped. Note: We spend 1.5 hours and spent well over $500. Talk about patient.
(another note: we looked into having our villa provisioned. However, the cost was hmm shall I say cheaper to buy it yourself)
Peter, our property manager is really a nice guy. He made every attempt to make sure we were comfortable and new about the house and the island. On two separate occasions, Peter came in the middle of the night to look at our AC and unlock one of the bedroom doors. Truly a gem of a guy.
Locals
Everyone was warm and welcoming to us. We usually get around on our own using local maps. We spent the pre-planning portion of our trip identifying local hot spots and restaurants. We like to go off the beaten path and discover new things. I want list all the local dives but I will encourage you to turn into any of the roadside bars/restaurants and take a chance. No bad experiences here.
Tourist Stuff
*Casino Divis-clean and I did not see anyone smoking. Again the local were welcoming and even offered help on playing some of the
games. Note: I got pretty PO'ed when I noticed the floor manager disciplining an employee at one of the tables. Not cool
and not professional. That actually dampened my experience.
*Point Udell-US eastern most point. Beautiful surrounding with may beaches and cut aways along the way. Good place if you want
some privacy. We actually had a helicopter fly 150 feet away from us. Pretty cool.
*Christiansted-Lost to do here. Don't let the cosmetics derail you. Get out of the car and look around. You'll be surprised at what you will
find. Good restaurants, bookstores for everyone.
*Board walk Christiansted-Parrots Cove. Stop by and see Crabby. Don't let the name fool you. He make a ferocious margarita.
*Fredericksted-Coconuts on the Beach is to die for. On Sundays they offer BBQ. Some of the best beef brisket I have ever had.
*Grocery Stores-Plenty of places to stock up your villa. I recommend Plaza Extra. One stop shop for all your provisioning needs.
*Duggans Restaurant-Best stuffed lobster in the world. This place in right on the beach and offers 4-star dining in a quaint ocean side
environment. Don't miss this one.
Special Notes:
*Cooler-We traveled with a cooler full of meats. I know this has been discussed before but you cant beat your home town
selections and the cost of meat here is high. We also used the cooler to bring home some of the local rums.
*Clothing-You really can travel with one bag of cloths. Don't give the money to the airline. Save it for tipping the locals.
*Car Rentals-Make absolutely sure you get as much of the sand out of your rental. Some agencies charge for the extra clean-up.
*Departure-I can't stress enough the importance of arriving at least 2 hours minimum when returning home. You will need every minute.
Remember, island time is not our time.
*Rush Hour-Don't mistake your rush hour for the island rush hour. Driving on the left does not compare to the congestion this place
sees after 4pm. Plan ahead.
*Off Season-Call ahead to ensure that they are open. Many boat rentals and other restaurants were closed during our stay. Also, many
of the places we dined at had limited choices. No issue though. Just order something else.
All in all, I think St. Croix may have been the best experience out of the three islands. The pace is much slower and the people seem a little warmer. We have already started the countdown to our next experience.
Feel free to shoot me your questions. Hopefully this will help others considering travel to STX.
T-minus 364 and counting
Thanks for the STX report. I remember trading posts with you on ViNow when you were planning your trip. Sounds like everything went well – except for the ‘squitos after that tropical depression went through and soaked STX.
Sugar Bay House is indeed a great property. We toured the villa when we were on island this year and got to meet Pete - he called himself the "proprietary manager" and we all had a good laugh about that. He seems like a great caretaker – there if you need him but not intrusive. The day we were there he was preparing for an arrival - he likes things just so, that’s for sure. How did you like Columbus Landing Beach? Things were pretty churned up there this past trip and there was quite a bit of wave action and I wondered about the snorkeling off that beach. Totally agree about Marti Gotts' staff at Vacation St. Croix - great group! For a return trip, how about the east end?
Sugar Bay House is indeed a great property. We toured the villa when we were on island this year and got to meet Pete - he called himself the "proprietary manager" and we all had a good laugh about that. He seems like a great caretaker – there if you need him but not intrusive. The day we were there he was preparing for an arrival - he likes things just so, that’s for sure. How did you like Columbus Landing Beach? Things were pretty churned up there this past trip and there was quite a bit of wave action and I wondered about the snorkeling off that beach. Totally agree about Marti Gotts' staff at Vacation St. Croix - great group! For a return trip, how about the east end?
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Sugar Bay House Website and location
just wanted to weigh in on a few of the comments on this trip report.
great trip report and I am too very happy that St croix is getting more notice. We have been associated with it for over 20 years and every time we go back we say " wow we still love this place". It is basically a hidden gem!
Re Sugar Bay House, I am the owner. If anyone wants to view the website as suggested the url is www.sugarbayhouse.com
Also the house is on the North Shore, overlooking the Salt River National Park and Sugar Bay.
Also totally agree with you about Peter and Vacation St Croix. We are very lucky to have found such great people to care for the property.
great trip report and I am too very happy that St croix is getting more notice. We have been associated with it for over 20 years and every time we go back we say " wow we still love this place". It is basically a hidden gem!
Re Sugar Bay House, I am the owner. If anyone wants to view the website as suggested the url is www.sugarbayhouse.com
Also the house is on the North Shore, overlooking the Salt River National Park and Sugar Bay.
Also totally agree with you about Peter and Vacation St Croix. We are very lucky to have found such great people to care for the property.
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Also Forgot to mention....
There are lots of pictures of the villa on Sugar Bay House on the site.. www.sugarbayhouse.com
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California Girl
