Buck Island & Cruzan Rum

if they're not too old send them on the 4 wheel drive off road jeep tour with tan tan tours,truly a blast

We always recommend Capt. Heinz and the Teroro for a BI trip--unless they want the rum punch, drinking partying type of day, then I guess Big Beard

Schedule the Cruzan Rum tour with another activity in that part of the island. It only takes 30 -45 minutes from the time you arrive until you are sipping rum after the tour. They run the bottling line infrequently if ever.

Jim

Hi SunOrSki, this is a great time (I hope) to ask one of my related questions, that might also help you with your friends. OK, let me preface this with: I know, there is no perfect answer... it depends on what people like. But, if you (STX residents) could plan a day for visitors that had never been to St. Croix, and were statesiders, what would that day look like:
- breakfast where?
- maybe a short walking tour after breakfast to see some historical landmark or local point of interest?
- maybe Buck Island half-day trip (no meal)?
- late lunch where?
- can a jeep ride fit here?
- back to hotel to clean up?
- outside dinner where?
- a few drinks at a fun night club? Or, is there a family-friendly bar (if kids) for just a drink and short visit with locals/friends? Is there a place to see movies outdoors (not a drive in... does Buccaneer do anything like this???)?

Salt river kayak tour.

I know that I'm probably invading this topic, but my mom and aunt will be visiting in January. BUT, they are not water people. In fact, they can't swim and are scared of the water. They are in their 60's, and not in perfect shape. So, as you are recommending things for SunOrSki, do you have any other ideas for non-athletic, scared of water, don't like the heat visitors???? Oh, they don't drink either, so even the Cruzan Rum tour is out of the picture. HELP!!!!

well we have a nice air conditioned library downtown lol,,whim house,laweatz(sp) house over in f'sted,put them on the sweeneys safari tour bus for a very safe and mild island tour,casinotake them out to the beach shack by the pool at gentle winds for lunch and off the wall for dinner

Meowruff,

The botantical gardens
Whim Plantation
The Fort
Shopping
Lunch at the Mermaid at the Buccaneer
Dinner or lunch at Carambola
Walking the grounds at Carambola to look at all the different plants.
Anna's coffee shop
The bookstore next door
A driving tour around the island with photo opportunities
Sunset Jazz

Since Tammy and trw stomped on most of my recommendations, Some of the Churches and Cemeteries are interesting.

Sorry Lizard, giggle giggle, I was just coming back to post that the churches and cemeteries are interesting as well. Great minds think alike.

Tammy, HA HA so true!

Sunorski - I definitely recommend the Tan Tan Tours ( www.stxtantantours.com ) - you can save a couple of bucks and only do the 1/2 day tour and they will still get to see a lot.

I haven't done it but some people I know went on a sunset sail on the Roseway ( http://worldoceanschool.org/summer_schedule.htm ) and really enjoyed it.

First stop Cruzan . . . turned away because we got there at 12:45 and they took a late lunch so tours restart at 1:30. Went to airport trying for 3rd time to exchange rental for larger vehicle . . . failed again. Drove out to Point Udall. Guests loved that as well as Cramers Park where we found not another living soul . We did see a FedEx truck pass by which made us laugh . . . where would it be going? Then we saw it went up the drive to the telescope (what is that thing anyway?). Next stop Cheeseburgers in Paradise for pretty darn good burgers. Then Mermaids at Buccaneer for Painkillers. Back to airport . . . still no vehicle exchange, Plaza Extra, KFC in Frederiksted because boyfriend had stayed home and missed the burgers and we were still full. We had a fun day but still need to go back to rum factory, airport and BI. I would love to do the tan tan, kayak, and jet ski tours recommended . . . but not sure we'll have that kind of time. If we do I am thinking the 1/2 day tan tan to the tide pools might be best. Plus . . . I have not taken them to the Domino Club yet which is funny since it's right around the corner and we've passed it at least 6 times since they've been here.

Thanks for the info so far. If I run out of ideas when they're here, I may send them to your house...

Curious . . . is the Buck Island trip a "must see" or would time be better spent doing a different tour?

JUST MY OPINION!! Please do not support or encourage the beer drinking pigs. Thank you.

Buck Island is DEFINITELY a must see. Turtle Beach is unquestionably the nicest beach on STX. Ever guest I've ever had loves going to the beach, and when I take them to Turtle Beach on Buck Island, they squeal with delight every single time. Also, the snorkling is the best on STX if they're into that.

Big Beard's is usually the most reliable way to go if you can't find a private boat to take you.

They have been giving them NA beer for a long time now.

JUST MY OPINION!! Please do not support or encourage the beer drinking pigs. Thank you.

Norma is one of the nicest people on Earth, and the Domino Club is many people's (including mine) FAVORITE bar on the entire island. There is NOTHING like it on any of the other Virgin Islands. Sitting there, sipping a Mamawanna while eating a johnny cake and fried chicken leg slathered in Norma's special hot sauce is tough to beat. Go there on the last Sunday of any month and you'll see Kurt Schindler, STX's best native musician, play his heart out.

If you don't like the beer drinking pigs, fine. But, do yourself a favor and see Norma. Visiting STX without stopping by the Domino Club is almost sacriledge. It'd be like going to New York and not visiting Manhattan.

FWIW, the pigs are only fed non-alcoholic beer. And, I've never seen a newcomer to STX not be delighted by them. Your milage may vary.

they get na beer now BUT only after she got in trouble years ago because the pigs were dying of alcohol poisoning,really one can see all the drunken pigs they want downtown,lol

I don't have any problem with The Domino Club or Norma (don't know her). I went to see the pigs. They stay in a stall without room to turn around. The person who took us in said they don't come out of the stalls. When we asked "Don't they EVER get out?", she told us they don't like to come out. So these hugh hogs stay penned up and tourists with NA beer get scared when handing them the beer and throw it at them, so as often as not, they get hit in the face with a beer can. I am certainly no expert on porcines and what they like or don't like, but I see it as disrespectful and degrading (I won't call it cruelty, because maybe it's not.) . This subject has come up before, and I will say the same thing. Maybe, just maybe, this is a better life for the pigs than being bacon in a pan!

trw, you are hysterical!! Glad you're back to posting regularly.

I haven't seen anybody suggest horseback riding. It's another great way to experience STX.

If you want to gallop on the beach, ride in the surf and have a more "energetic" horseback experience in the Cane Bay area... contact Stephen O"Dea at 513-4873

If you want a more gentle, slow-moving ride on the west end, contact Jill at 772-2880.

I have no commercial interest in either of these and offer them simply as suggestions.

They still end up as bacon.

They still end up as bacon.

Do they really? So what would beer fed bacon taste like? Maybe the guys could skip the beer and bacon next Thanksgiving, and just go for the bacon!