I have put some sporadic stuff together in the past few days. My trip is about to end and I wanted to put together a much more detailed overview for those wanting to travel to St. Croix. I wrote a post on the history of St. Croix that you ca find here:
https://steemit.com/history/@nedspeaks/history-of-saint-croix-fascinating
Americans bought the island from the Dutch in 1917. St Johns and St Thomas islands came as a package deal. The American interest was to stop the European military incursions into those areas.
Nowadays the island is in ruins due to the hurricanes. I have seen thousands of Americans from mainland America that are here helping restore the island. With all resources, I think it will take years to get life back to routine. It may be hard to believe but there is still no power on most of the island. You see crews on every street corner working day and night. Here is the crew from NY.
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There are 2 main areas where tourists go. Christiansted and Frederiksted. The above picture wad taken in Frederiksted. The efforts by FEMA are heroic in the face of what has happened. FEMA has housed many workers in different locations. To understand the enormity of task, note that this cruise ship is leased by FEMA just to house some of the workers.
FREDERIKSTED
This is the hardest hit area as the storm approached the island from that area. It amazes me how a hurricane can remove 10-20 feet of sand over such a vast area. I will have pics below where you see the rocky beach. This was all sand once. Before the pics a few words about the town. It is also known as the FREEDOM TOWN. the Dutch abolished slavery and town was the site of emancipation of slaves. The town is well known for its beaches of white sand, shopping galore around Strand street and the majestic pier. Currently most shops are closed and the roads are in ruins. The town is actually 30 years younger than CHRISTIANSTED was primarily developed as a deep sea port to enhance commerce. Christiansted has nearby shallow barrier reefs preventing such trade. The town gets even livelier the moment a cruise ship docks here. Here are some pics of the beaches and the absence of sand. You can’t deny the beauty though.
I am staying right by SAND CASTLE and COTTAGES BY THE SEA. Great places to stay if you wish to visit in 2018.
The first pic is my view from my cottage. The rest are the establishment pics.
Here is the beach side cafe where I had a lot of delicious meals. Great friendly staff, gorgeous views and delectable food.
The place is nearly empty but the chef at the grill is smiling. He knows his good days are just around the corner.
CHRISTIANSTED
This is the largest town in St. Croix. It is the former capital of the Dutch rule. Thus many historic buildings from that era are preserved. That makes it good for a days tour if history is your thing. The town is situated on the water and was damaged by the hurricanes but much less than Frederiksted. Near strand street is a beautiful shopping area. Let’s go through the heart of this town in a bit of detail.
These pictures are from the dock where most adventure tours leave. I am heavily tanned and can be seen in some of the pictures. For a laugh, see my previous post named Man Tan.
Here is a seaplane taking off. See the pics in succession.
The Boardwalk
There are a few restaurants on the boardwalk. I ended up at ANGRY NATES.
Yep, the menu
I noticed Calamari on the menu. Now you couldn’t keep me out. They take fresh octopus and prepare it right there.
On a full stomach, we headed off shopping and sightseeing. This is all near strand street. If you get chance in life, book a full day trip with BIG BEARD ADVENTURE TOURS. Great service and memorable tours.
Souvenir shops abound.
Next 2 stops are for girls. If you are a female tourist in St. Croix, you must go and shop at these 2 places. First is TROPICAL BRACELET FACTORY
The above place is famous for its St Croix hook designs. Here is what we bought.
The second place I am recommending is CRUCIAN GOLD
Here is what we bought.