Must Do’s in St. Croix

So what do you do when you find yourself in one of the prettiest islands in America? Well this list is here to help! Saint Croix is home to a population of about 50, 000 people, and it is split into 2 parts, Christiansted and Frederiksted. I visited this Summer and stayed with my God Parents, which meant that I would get the most immersive experience, because I was rolling with the locals. They took us to tourist hot spots, showed us some of the local secrets, but they left the most important detail for last… Wild chickens walk around! We found a lot near number 3 on this list. Speaking of, Let’s start.

1. The Jump Up Festival
   • Street vendors, sugar cane, steel drums, shops, and several moko jumbies are just some of the extraordinary things you will be exposed to at this festival. This festival happens quarterly, and is fun for people of all ages. The boardwalk and a couple blocks are shut down and transformed into a celebration for the entire island. While walking down the street you will be persuaded to go to one of the Street Vendors as the aroma entices you. The traditional food made in front of you by the locals makes it taste even better. The drinks given to you in a coconut with sugar cane from the dessert vendors, assure the festival will leave a sweet and satisfied feeling in your mouth. While savoring the food, you will get in a dance-y mood as you hear the harmonies of the talented steel drummers. There are multiple bands volunteering to play and lining across the street. They play popular music from the year, and you will find yourself singing along as they play. The performers range from elementary students to adults, and all of them were nice, so once they are finished definitely walk over and strike up a conversation with one of them after congratulating them for their performance. One way to immortalize the memories you make at the festival is buying a souvenir, and most of the shops have special offers for this event. But my favorite part of the entire festival were the Moko Jumbies. These are locals that dress up in costumes and use ten to fifteen foot stilts to perform dance routines and socialize with the attendees. If you can catch their attention for long enough and tip them($5 will work), then they will bend down and take a photo with you. They are my favorite part because not only are they fun to look at, but they also have historical relevance, as moko means god and jumbie means spirit. Moko Jumbies will do stunts and entertain you through out the night.
   • In conclusion, this was my favorite experience at Saint Croix because it was an electrifying celebration in which locals and tourist alike came together to celebrate the culture, past, present, and future of the island.
2. Point Udall
   • Whether you are patriotic or not, this spot needs to be on your itinerary.
   • This landmark is located in the Eastern most part of the United States and is one of the most picturesque locations on the island. It’s a sundial, and according to the inscription on its side – the shadow of the pole on the true north line designates local noon time daily. It was erected on January 1st, 2000 in honor of the new millennium as a means to connect the past, present, and future.
   • The view overlooks the shore and the side of a cliff, and you will often times be able to see boats or helicopters coming by. The day I went there a helicopter did stunts! Udall is directly next to a hiking trial leading to the Jack and Isaac Bay Preserve which is 301 acres of secluded beaches, and only accessible from the hiking trial. These beaches are hidden treasures on the island.
   • Whether you are a geography buff or just want to take some pics for the ‘Gram, this is the place to go.
3. Fort Christiansted National Historic Site
   • This Fort was built in the 18th century and exemplify the beliefs of the time. It was originally made to be a part of a triangle defense of the harbor with Fort Sophia Fredrika and Fort Louise Augusta. However, it was never used in battle, and ended up storing a lot of gun powder and prisoners. Most commonly, it was used in slave revolts, afterwards the slaves would be thrown into the dungeons. It was horrifying to see what conditions they were held in, as today you are able to walk through the cramped spaces of the dungeon that echo of the atrocities of yester-year and make you feel relieved that we live in better times. There are also different exhibits in which you see what the room would have looked like in the past, one example was the arsenal room. There are educational signs that you will see while exploring the fort which will help explain what everything is.
   • This fort has a lot of historical significance a well as beautiful architecture, so I highly recommend that you visit the National Historic Fort.
4. Beaches
   • Saint Croix’s shore is too beautiful for you to not take a dip. There are a variety of beaches to choose from depending on whether you prefer soft or strong waves, a lot or a little bit of seaweed, a crowded or isolated beach. Each beach that I went to had different aspects that made it special…
     • Buccaneer Beach: The ocean was clear with calm waves, but a lot of coral and rocks. There is a restaurant on the beach that is beautiful and delicious, called ‘Bureguards on the Beach’.
     • Buccaneer Mermaid Beach: This side of the ocean had much stronger waves and more people. There were no rocks or coral, and they had really cool palm trees that had been twisted and bent due to hurricanes that continued to grow.
     • Tamarind Beach: this is a more locally known beach instead of a tourist beach, and there were no palm trees but rather big circular trees with thick trunks and leaves. It had a minimal amount of seaweed and there was barely any coral.
5. Hamilton’s Legacy
   • If you are a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play Hamilton than you know that Alexander Hamilton, the United States first secretary of treasury, was from the Caribbean, or more specifically Saint Croix. There is a plaque on the building that used to be his house, and it lists off all of the other important businesses the building has been including a library, hotel, retail store, and news paper printing press. Even though it is called the Hamilton House plaque it fails to mention Hamilton anywhere but in the title. This is because there is a scale house not so far from there that Hamilton worked at where his entire family tree is, and his Saint Croix heritage is shown.
   • Even if you are busy, be non-stop like Hamilton and educate yourself on one of the founding fathers of America, who was also an immigrant.