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ST CROIX 2024 DAY 1
Day 1: Rise and shine...we're headed to the Virgin Islands!
After our last cruise to the Mexican Riviera (and what a freezing time that was), we decided to head back to the Caribbean where the water is warm and clear and the air matched that description as well.
I swore we were going to stop visiting the places we go to so often, so that meant that we needed to find a 1) new island/place we've never been to or 2) one that we have only visited by cruise ship and never done a land vacation to before.
My top pick was Bonaire. I have never been, always wanted to go, and after researching it, I found that there were so many things to see and do there. However, everything I tried didn't pan out on the flight to get there. We just couldn't find decent tickets either by direct flights or using cheaper flights into Aruba and flying over from there.
So...I decided on St Croix instead. We've only been once by cruise ship and honestly we were never really "on" the island other than to transfer from bus to our boat tour. So why not give it a shot!
This trip would include our family of 3 + "Karl" that you met on our last cruise vacation in April. We were about to give him a real Caribbean experience.
So let's get this review started.
We were in great "SPIRITS", at least the best you can be in when you are up at 5am and out the door by 5:45am and it's still dark out. We would have left earlier however we had to circle back around because I forgot my cell charger. Back out to the car and Sakari forgot her sandals so back into the house again. Ok, I think we have everything now. You would think for someone who plans a trip months and months ahead of time and literally starts packing and gathering things the minute a trip is booked would have it together a little more than I do (not to mention I consider myself a pro at this vacation thing at this point...at least in my families eyes.)
If you haven't guessed by now, we are flying with Spirit this time around. They had some great deals. I tried to put a bid in to upgrade our seats to the "big comfy seats in the front" but was quickly shot down with my measly lowest bid possible. However, when we made it to the counter, the rep ask if we'd like to upgrade our seats to the "Emergency Exit Row" for more leg room. I didn't think children were allowed to sit in that row, but I guess after a certain age they can. I ask the rep several times "We will be all sitting together like our seats are booked now right? As in two in front of the other two right?" He assured me several times "yes". I said ok and the he ask about upgrading to a big front row seat for $21...the catch was there was only 1 seat. Nope, no thank you and I'm not interested in paying more for the flight. You had your chance with my bid that you didn't accept.
Now we usually fly with Southwest and it is in an entire different area of the airport. Spirit was located with all the big name companies and WOW it was a different world over there! They had plenty of food places and just a much bigger area.
They started telling people in "Zone 1" to line up only to tell them to "sit down, there's been a delay due to weather." We were Zone 2 and I had no idea what that meant. We are rewards members now and figured we would be in Zone 1. I would later find out that if you were bringing a personal item on the plane then they put you in Zone 2. I guess it really doesn't matter since Spirit has assigned seats.
We were finally called to board the plane and it was now 8:46am. The mandatory plane touch for good luck was commenced.
We found our seats in the big-leg Emergency Exit Row...only they had put us 3 on one side and 1 on the other. Poor Karl was going to sit by himself where Sakari would spend the rest of the flight asking "Are you ok?" "Are you lonely over there?" "Are you scared by yourself?" "Are you sure you're ok?" I mean he was right there.
Just look at the leg room his 6'2" self had...what could possibly be wrong??
We finally took off at 9:25am (we were supposed to leave at 8:58am) so not too bad. Our pilot told us he is "going to go fast to make up time to get to our destination as close as possible to the scheduled time".
HOWDY Y'ALL! I have to say I ended up with the crappiest window ever and had to look out the one behind me just to get pictures.
As we were heading into Ft Lauderdale, I spotted a Celebrity cruise ship in port.
We arrived with enough time to get something to eat and then we were off on our second flight into St Croix...only this time we were in our assigned seats and poor Karl was a little cramped with his long legs. I, however, was rewarded with someone's inconsiderateness to others property...just so rude and disgusting.
I read a book, I slept a little, then read some more then started wondering which little island was going to be ours for the next 10 days.
We started getting lower and knew that we were coming into St Croix. I would take multiple pictures hoping that I would later go back and maybe spot our place. I would find out we were coming in the opposite direction and didn't get a picture of it. Darnit!
Here's the tip of the island on the west end at Sandy Point Beach:
It supposed to be the most beautiful beach on the island but we would not be visiting it because they have restrictions during certain times of the year when there is turtle nesting going on (April 1 to September 1). More pictures of the National Wildlife Refuge at Sandy Point as we moved along:
Sandy Point Road and the Administration Building as you head East toward Whites Bay.
In these pictures you can see the main highway (Melvin H Evans Hwy) as you are coming into the airport:
We landed at 5:03pm (original time was to be 4:47pm).
Getting off the plane in this style always excites me!
We walked off the plane and right outside the building. You had to walk along the building to the end to go back in and grab your luggage. As soon as you walked out of the building the car rental companies were lined up. We headed to the end and the hubby suggested that while him and the kids waited on the luggage to come out, I should head over to do the paperwork for our car rental.
We rented a car with Avis (although others suggest a different company) because we had a great deal with one of our credit cards for a huge discount and they provided the insurance. We had also signed up and are a preferred member with upgrades. I completed the paperwork and they told me to take pictures and video's of the car in case there were any damages. I managed to take 35 pictures and a video of the entire car. I wasn't about to be blamed for any of the scratches and dents already there (and there were a lot of scratches!). I would later find out why it was in the shape it was in. We ended up with a pretty dark blue Equinox SUV.
The family had gathered the luggage and despite having an SUV, we were still packed in with one of the luggage sitting in the seat with Sakari and Karl.
As always, I had put markers in my MapsMe app to use for driving and we were pulling out of the airport ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD at 5:38pm and on our way to our rental home.
We stopped at a gas station along the way for some pop and a gallon of water. That should do us until we could make it to the grocery store. I opened my Diet Pepsi and just about spit it out. YUCK! It tasted as if someone had played spin the bottle with it and shook it up it was so flat! Well, I didn't have any choice I guess.
As we were headed to the East End of the island I would soo learn why this car had so many scratches on the sides...they do not cut the brush along the side of the road and most roads were fairly skinny with no shoulder on the side of it...just over grown brush.
The roads were twisting and turning and up and down. You had to hug the side of the road because you never knew what might be coming around the corner you couldn't see around. I'm pretty sure I heard Karl gasp a few times along the way. Then there was this vile smell and I shouted "KARL!!! COULDN'T YOU WAIT TO GET OUT OF THE CAR?!?" He swore it wasn't him. Eww!
We were getting closer and our home was....up on this hill...
I had actually looked at the condo's below that but the pool was a public pool for the community and you had a long distance to walk to it (or drive).
Nope, we were going on up that hill and over it to the other side. Our sign at the entrance at the foot of the hill we were about to climb:
The beginning of the climb up:
I promise you it got steep at the top with driveways to homes on the side that some you couldn't even see if another car was coming. Eek...what did I get myself into. Sakari's first words was reminding me that it felt like one of the places we had stayed at in St Thomas.
Once we made it to the top, the security gate was open and I knew exactly where to go...back down the hill. Our house was at the bottom and I had previously pulled up Google Earth and "walked the street" to take a peek at it.
It's funny how pictures make it seem not too steep but I wouldn't even want to walk this street.
We had finally made it! Home Sweet Home for awhile at least. It was now 6:32pm. Our house was situated along a strip of houses in the front row and we happen to be the last house at the end of the walkway. It was beautifully landscaped along the way!
Once you walk in the door, you are in the living room and a dining room. Now let me tell you what...it WAS HOT outside and inside, it was even HOTTER! We immediately turned on all the a/c units to get it cooled down. Whew!
The only drawback to this place was the small kitchen. But it came equipped with everything we needed and more.
Off to the side was a huge bedroom and even a closet full of snorkeling mask, fins, several coolers for the beach, beach chairs and if you so inclined to play some tennis in the 100° weather, there were supplies for that as well.
The master bath was big with a double sink and the largest walk in shower I believe I have ever had at a rental on vacation before. Off to the side of that was the toilet area, which could be accessed from the bathroom or from the dinning/living room area.
There were french doors in the bedroom that led out to the swimming pool and also 2 sets of french doors in the living room as well. (Notice Sakari immediately went out to the pool and started cleaning it as soon as we arrived). They had several lounge chairs, a grill, table and chairs, and a cart with floaties, mats and pool noodles. The area also had privacy blinds around the pool so that others going down the street could not see up to the pool.
In order to get to the other bedroom, you had to go out to the pool area and access it. But It was the same set up at the other bedroom. That is also where you will find the washer and dryer.
The road in front of us (or I should say under us because it was down below):
Although we could see the ocean from our house, it was a bit away from us. I'm sure you could see better if you had one of the homes sitting higher up on the hill. It was definitely not the ocean front property that I "normally" book.
We put everything away and we were starving at this point. I had packed a bunch of non-perishables and had also brought along meat and cheese that I had frozen prior to the trip. I even had tons of condiment packets. Everything was either still frozen or still cold and able to eat. Everything had made it on the long hot trip with nothing spoiled. I decided it had been a long day of traveling and I was tired. We opted for fried bologna sandwiches for an early dinner.
Sakari and I had a rejuvenation after eating and decided to go for a swim. The boys were tired and decided to call it a day. After swimming for around an hour, us girls headed in and we were all in bed asleep by 8:30pm. Whew what a day.
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