Good2Go2STX

Good for you. Don't forget the get together at off the wall on the 14th at 6pm so we can all get to know each other. I will get to STX on the 8th of sept and looking forward to meeting you all

Becky,

Congrats on the probable move.

If you want to see something very special here that's easily assessible, take the Western Road north out of Fredericksted nearly to the end where the National Guard office is. Most people don't drive this far north because they assume there's nothing there. But there is! There's a huge set of lunar-like tidal pools at Ham's Bluff Bay Beach. Find it on a map. Go on a windy day, and the waves crashing on the pools are incredible.

You'll see a lighthouse up on Ham's Bluff. If you want, you can climb up there. The overgrown dirt road starts where the coconut palm trees are back behind the National Guard fence. Take your time. It's perfectly safe. From near the lighthouse, you get a spectacular view of St. Croix's North Shore. You'll likely see a bunch of wild goats on the windy and desolate rocky cliffs. If you're gutsy, you can go near the edge of the cliff by the lighthouse and look down to Maroon Hole, a surging tidal pool. Runaway slaves stayed in a cave there with poison arrows jutting out until they were taken to freedom in Puerto Rico. Others leaped to their death from the top of the cliff when the saw the authorities coming.

I think you will like the lack of snow!

Regarding the Maroon Hole cliff, I think I should add that runaway female slaves sometimes pushed their children off the cliff before jumping themselves to escape being enslaved again. We have some fantastic scenery and interesting history in the USVI!

Thankyou for the hot tip. I do a lot of hiking with my dog up here so I look forward to findining some safe places to hike while the husbands working. As for the history that is another thing Im excited to learn more of. I sure hope I'll be out by the second of October. I'd be out with my husband on the thirteenth but I'll let him get the condo ready and my sister's restaurant's opening October 1st up here and I wouldn't miss that for a thing.

My wife and I will be in STX on Oct. 2 and are always looking for good places to eat. Where is your sister's restaurant and what kind of fare does she serve?

Sorry I must have been vague. I'm not moving to St Croix until my sister opens her restaurant up in Indiana. I don't want to miss her opening night.

There are so many good restaurants on STX though. There is a fantastic restraunt called TuTu____(something) that serves great italian food. I had a seafood pasta medley that I devoured and of course the terimisu.

The Golden Rail was great for the size portions and the price. Also, we met more locals there.

Rumrunners was fun to go to since your right on the water and they have fantastic seafood salads, not to mention their tuna pate with mango was a great appetizer.

Hope that may help a tad.

It's Tutto Bene you're thinking of...

hi FormerOhioGuy
I'd like to suggest that you be a guide on a hike for some of interested in hiking. I use to do some hiking in Seattle, beautiful place to hike if you get the chance. I planned on bringing them, do you recommend it? I think someone once recommended you do this as a side job for tourist. You seem to love it and have so many interesting tid-bits you'd be great. Or maybe a book.
take care all. glad to see francis went north
doreen

FormerOhioGuy,
Where is Hams Bluff Beach in relation to the alumina plant?

Quite a drive... about 30-35 minutes.. Hams Bluff is on the NW corner of the island, the alumina plant is on the south shore.

You can get to Ham Bluff from Fredericksted. Take the main street through F-sted and drive north along the coast. There are some nice beaches along the way. The main road then goes past two columns that are part of an old Danish estate gate. The road becomes pretty narrow. Simply take the road all the way to the end, and you'll be at the National Guard office. Park off the side of the road just outside the fence. The trail up to the lighthouse is back behind the office where the coconut palms are. The trail is very overgrown, but if you take your time, you will get to the lighthouse. The view is fantastic. If it's clear, you'll get an excellent view of Puerto Rico to the northwest.

Thankyou. I'll return there for sure!

I don't think it's Puerto Rico.. It's actually Culebra and Vieques. PR isn't visible from STX... or is it? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, I guess I should have qualified what I said. According to Exploring St. Croix: A Guide & Memento for Visitors & Residents (Shirley Imsand and Richard Philibosian, Travelers Information Press, Pasadena, 1987), "On a crystal clear day you can see the peak El Toro of the Luquillo Forest of Puerto Rico, 3524 feet high, 65 miles away."