Valentine’s Day 2021–St. Croix USVI

Perhaps Newton’s Third Law explains it best. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. On Valentine’s Day 2020 the air was bubbling with love and optimism. Going in to Valentine’s Day 2021 is the opposite. Such are the inevitable ups and downs of life but I’m determined to make the most of the weekend.

Redeeming 20,000 frequent flyer points, I booked a roundtrip ticket to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. I left ORF about 6:30 AM and was beachside in time for lunch.

I’m spending the first two nights at a hipster, boutique hotel (adults only) on the west end of the island called The Fred (@sleepwithfred), short for Frederiksted. The USA bought the islands from Denmark in 1917 for $25,000,000; thus the Danish names. The whole concept of territories sounds a lot like taxation without representation to me. Not sure why we don’t either allow our territories to become independent or make them states like Alaska and Hawaii so, at least, they’ll get to vote. Having said that, there are many small and large advantages to traveling in the Caribbean while still being in the U.S. including the language, the dollar, electrical outlets, and the rule of law. Since it’s all U.S., there are no forms, no customs, and no passports required.

To find live music, I had to drive about 30 minutes on the left side of roads with serious potholes and no street lights to Christiansted. It would have been so much easier to stay in my room but I was determined to lift my spirits. Once I arrived, finding a parking space and making my way to the venue on the boardwalk was another adventure but it was worth the effort. A live band and lots of friendly people combined with random things like a school of tarpon that swims around the pier hoping for crumbs and a guy walking around with a Golden Retriever pup created a fun vibe.

Day Two starts with coffee, breakfast, and work via laptop by the ocean. Then a 40-minute drive to the north side the island for the top-rated hike. There’s very little traffic which I appreciate since driving on the left is a bit of a challenge. I have to really focus. Interestingly, the vehicles are from the U.S. and have steering wheels on the left which makes me wonder why the island still drives on the left. Jeep seems to be the preferred vehicle on the island which makes a lot of sense given the road conditions and the weather.

Signage is sparse but Verizon and iPhone maps work pretty well. To get to the Annaly Tide Pools, drive to the Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort. Stop at the gate and the security guard will direct you to off-street parking and the short walk to the trail head. My iPhone maps sent me way up the mountain which was scenic but not the way to the trail.

I saw several mongoose, lots of lizards, a variety of birds, and dozens of hermit crabs along the walk through the rainforest. There were very few people hiking so I had the trail almost to myself. Once I got to the beach, there were several Jeeps that had brought people in to see the crystal clear, warm, tide pools but they were leaving as I arrived so I got to swim peacefully in the tide pools along with tropical fish and let the water rushing over the top of the rocks massage my shoulders. Heavenly! There’s a whole system of connecting tide pools but I didn’t explore past the first two.

The hike took about an hour each way and I stayed at the beach and tide pool another hour so it was a full afternoon. My protein bar and bottle of water sufficed but the romantic in me thought it would be a wonderful spot for a picnic and bottle of wine shared with the right person.

I returned to The Fred just in time to get a shower and dress for sunset, complete with a green flash, and dinner with friends.

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Day Three moved at island time. No hurry, no schedule. Coffee at a local cafe across from the beach,

sitting in a beach chair watching the ocean roll onto the shore then back out again,

driving from the west end to the north side, walking around Christiansted and stopping for lunch,

before checking in to the Buccaneer (@thebuccaneerstcroix). The resort is beautiful and my room has a large balcony with this amazing view.

Construction on the Buccaneer was first begun in 1653 and this choice property has been the home of many past dignitaries. It was converted from a castle/private estate to a hotel in 1947. Three beaches, three restaurants, tennis courts, a golf course, a spa & athletic center, two pools, and a dock are spread over more than 100 acres. I walk everywhere but there are golf carts and eager staff available. This is a view of the main building from the Grotto Beach. That was my favorite beach because it was always almost empty — so peaceful and quiet which is what I need most; sunshine, palm trees, and quiet time to think or to erase thoughts from my mind. There’s a tiki bar with a sweet, young woman offering cool drinks but I never saw more than 4 or 5 people on the entire beach. It seems people prefer the Mermaid Beach where there’s a cafe & bar, games, and is more central & more social. All the beaches that I’ve seen on the north side of the island have white sand and look like travel posters.

After getting checked in and enjoying the beach for a while, I decided to brave the roads again to drive to the Palms at Pelican Cove for live music and a fire dance show. A couple from Utah plus Tim, a NYC public school teacher, let me sit in the empty chair at their table just proving once again that there are kind, interesting, fun people everywhere.

Everything I want to do is outside and naturally social distanced but there are still COVID restrictions and people seem respectful of them. I’ve been asked to show my negative COVID-19 test a couple times. There is temperature taking at the gate to the resort, hand-sanitizer and masks pretty much everywhere, restaurants/bars close at 9:00 PM; it’s similar protocol to back home. No dancing!

Valentine’s Day 2021

Sunday morning, up at 5:30 AM for the short drive to Point Udall, the easternmost point in the U. S. Territories, for sunrise.

Back at the resort, a light rain passed over leaving this beautiful rainbow.

Part of the day was spent roaming around the Buccaneer with love songs in my head. It’s a day when we celebrate love so it’s no surprise songs kept creeping into my mind — “You are So Beautiful to Me,” “Here, There, & Everywhere,” “The Look of Love,” “Is This Love,” “Something,” and so many more. Where better to lie back and listen to music in my ear buds than under a palm tree on a white sand beach? (Aside: The weather is miserable back home — ice, power outages, sleet & rain for days.)

It certainly helps to know locals! Michael and Liz invited me to brunch at the Deep End with Steve Katz on guitar … old friends, excellent music, good food, and gorgeous scenery. The good life!

It might be boring to some, but walking on the beach at sunset is my idea of the perfect ending to any day. And, the sunset was spectacular! The air is consistently about 82 degrees (27.8 C) mid-day and 70 (21 C) degrees at night; the water is 80 degrees (26.5 C), perfect for rushing up on my sandy feet. This is what I want to remember when I think of Valentine’s Day 2021. I want to remember the feel of the sand and water and the look of the sky in all it’s glory; an acute awareness that I’m but tiny spec in this big, beautiful, uncontrollable world.

Monday, February 15 begins with a peaceful drive to Point Udall and another beautiful sunrise.

There are a couple beaches and parks nearby so I walked a trail before heading back to the Buccaneer. Next trip I need to walk the entire trail to Jack & Isaac Bay because I hear it’s gorgeous at the beach.

I planned a half-day trip to Buck Island but the currents and winds were too strong so all boat trips including snorkeling and diving were canceled. No worry; the resort is so large, there were places I still hadn’t seen. I borrowed a snorkel and mask from the dive shop and stayed close to shore. The currents were, indeed, strong and I got slammed onto some coral with sea urchins while trying to gracefully get out of the water. My hands took the brunt of it and I’m a little concerned about splinter pieces of sea urchin but I did the best I could to remove them then applied some neosporin from my travel first-aid kit.

The Whistler Beach had no one at all on it.

This big iguana was just sunning on the boat dock. My version of the iguana’s pose was a frozen drink under the shade of a palm tree. So peaceful. It’s a struggle to get up to shower and dress for dinner. All too soon, another magical sunset appears and the day is over.

My room is very large and elegant with big French doors leading to the marble veranda. I sleep with the doors wide open so I can feel the breeze and hear the waves. Last night it started to rain which only added to the orchestra of natural sounds lulling me back to sleep. By morning, it was sunny again. This place really seems too good to be true. I feel rejuvenated already. Somehow, my sense of peace and wholeness is being restored with each passing sunset.

Last day–Tuesday, February 16 Michael and Liz surprised me with this very beautiful bracelet from Sonya’s where Liz works (https://www.sonyaltdstore.com). The Crucian hook is their special design. If you wear the bracelet with the hook pointed inward, it means your heart is taken. If it’s worn with the hook facing outward, it means you’re single. There are many original designs including one for each hurricane that hit St. Croix recently.

The flight home was easy and half-empty. No worry at all. I highly recommend St. Croix as a great option for a Caribbean getaway.

PS: First day back home I went to the doctor to get some of the sea urchin splinters out of my hands. It’s 36 degrees F and raining. Can I hold onto any of the sunshine I found in St. Croix?

“No borders, just horizons – only freedom.” – Amelia Earhart

“Looking hard into your eyes
There was nobody I’d ever known
Such an empty surprise to feel so alone.” Jackson Browne