I'm a history buff, so I love the historic area of Christiansted. There are numerous museums and the fort to tour. Government House is not exactly open to the public most of the time. I was able to get a private tour once, but if pressed for time I'd miss that. I'd rather do Fort Christianvaern, the Steeple Building and some of the smaller sites all within a couple blocks of each other. You can get a great picture of Government House from the street - the most impressive room is the former ballroom, especially if you have read "The Governor General's Lady".

Hello,

Definitely spend time visiting the fort in Christiansted. The Steeple Building is interesting. You can look at Government House from the road, just to see it. The Scale House - you can take a peak at it too. All of this is in a small area so you can walk from one to the next. The NPS has a little store/information center in the building with the Scale House - you can start there and get a map and let the ranger give you some tips. One of my favorite views is standing on Protestant Cay and looking back at Christiansted - very picturesque.

Whim Plantation and Laweatz Museum are interesting too and worth visiting.

I noted on another post you mentioned LEAP. I visited there the last time I was on St. Croix and it was a little spooky. There was one guy there and he didn't say anything to us, even when we greeted him; he just continued running his machines (and yes he heard us). One of my friends said eek I feel like we should run quickly before we start living a horror movie scene. It was a big barn like structure, work shop. Very dusty, with a few mahogany pieces on display for purchase. Maybe I caught it on an off day?? Anyone else been there?

--Islander

Thanks Islander for the tips and for the heads up on LEAP. I love furniture and looking at well made or historic pieces. I thought maybe that is what we would see but it sounds like we could skip that and spend that time elsewhere.

Thanks again!

Thanks Joanne for your advice. Can I ask how you got a private tour? Architecture, interior design, furnishings, etc is my passion and would love to see the inside even if it did take up quite a bit of time.

Hello SoCalGal,

Ok - historic furniture/properties! Visit Lawaetz Museum for sure. And Whim Plantation - the Whim Plantation also has a store that has pieces. So you can look at those in addition to the ones in the great house.

You need to plan a trip to St. Croix when Landmarks is doing the House Tours ;). http://www.stcroixlandmarks.com/tours.html

--Islander

Wow, those tours look great. Maybe next year :). I am also looking forward to soaking in just the overall history of the island--like visiting the Scale House (I believe this is one place slaves were sold). Anything that is "old" fascinates me.

When you say "great house" which one are you referring to?

Thanks for your never ending wealth of information!

We were able to arrange a private tour because, over the years, we've become friends with someone who knows someone who works in Government House. I'm sure there might be other ways, but I don't know them 🙂 I do know that they give planned tours to large groups of visiting Danes because I had friends that were able to piggy-back onto one of those. Maybe Islander has some ideas?

Quick story - When we met our guide for the tour of Government House we discovered that, although he's a native Crucian, he graduated from a college very close to where we live in upstate NY. Small world!

It just now occured to me that you might want to check with Sweeny Toussaint of Sweeny's Safari Tours http://www.gotostcroix.com/safaritours/ as he knows almost everything! You might also want to consider booking a tour with him, as his tours hit everywhere you want to go. He is also a lovely man and a native Crucian with an immense knowledge of the island.

Thanks Joanne. I will definitely look into Sweeny's Safari Tours. I aprreciate your help!

May I suggest Rumrunners as an historic place because that's where my wife "Calypso Katie" and I met the Blister Sisters aka Joanne and Kathy.

Islander: We went on an excellent island tour with Rudy of Rudy's Taxi. He took us to the Leap and we were greeted by a very friendly gal who gave us a very nice little tour of the workshop. I think most of the eight of us purchased some little mahogany nick nack or something. It was also very close to the beer drinking pigs bar so of course stopped there, fed pigs, drank "mammawannas", ate coconuts, and talked smart. And as a timeshare owner on Protostant Cay I'll have to agree with Islander on the view of Christiansted Harbor from the Cay. Spectacular!

As a bit of a history and military buff, I love looking at the layout of Christiansted Harbor. The fort, the cannon mounts on Protestant Cay and I guess there used to be cannons just across from the Cay to the east, on the point. Incoming bad guys wouldn't have stood a chance in the crossfire. The harbormaster used to be located on Protestant Cay. Heard it's called Protestant Cay because at one time when the Catholics ruled the island...the Protestants were buried on the cay.

Wife says ten months and we're back for two weeks...mentally have never left.

Hey great minds thinking alike! Kerry and I were discussing this just alittle while ago --- where we'd recommend going, and we both thought of the tour thing,too. That's what I'd do! Don't they take you somewhere to eat,too?

Sandcrab - I've missed you!!

There are still cannonballs in the water near the fort. In November 1999 my sister and I had our visit extended courtesy of hurricane Lenny. When curfew was finally lifted (or maybe not, can't remember, might be the rum) one of our fellow captives took a quick run down to the waterfront to survey the carnage. He came back with a barnacle encrusted cannonball that had been heaved up to "dry" land by the ocean. What I wouldn't give to have that piece of history (although you do have to wonder what Customs thought of it on his way out of town!).

See you next March - we're booked 3/11-3/18. Kerry, Paula - what about you? We're also planning a trip for late October of this year!

Joanne, Paula, Kerry, Islander et al,

Looking back at my own post...I am Protestant...albeit a bit backsliding...I would love to be be buried on Protestant Cay but hopefully not for a year or two.

Miss you too Joanne, what cordial and lovely ladies, you and your sis. I think I told you, our entire group raved about the Bombay Club and that's saying something because we didn't have a bad meal anywhere. I think my worst meal was when I reached in my cooler for a beer and came up with and tasted a Diet Sprite. Disgusting!

It's supposed to be about 44 degrees here tonight with NW winds 10 to 15 MPH but Paula, do to our horsecrap weather, we have no poisnonous snakes or spiders...but then neither does St Croix. What am I doing here?

Geez, and I thought I had it bad when I needed to use a space heater in my office with one week until it's June! Whay am I here?

Enjoy the long weekend everybody!!!!!!!!

Hey Joanne and Sandcrab!

Gee, we could use some of that St Croix weather here too, it's HOT and humid-- just miserable. Kerry's talking about a 2 week trip down to the island the 1st two weeks in Nov now because we just found out our daughter is expecting a baby in Jan and since she's a new teacher will need me to keep the baby in the spring when she has to go back. (Unless she just subs this year-- in that case we'll still go next spring) Naturally in November it's still hurricane season, and we have a history of bringing rain with us wherever we go! Never fails. Joanne have you been down there more than that one November? When I was a kid I don't remember it raining that much in Nov, but now it seems to more.

Sandcrab-- St Croix may not have poisonous spiders and snakes, but dont forget about the centepedes!! I remember as a teenager while babysitting I heard the unmistakable scratching sound they make when crawling underneath a sliding patio door. I frantically searched for something to kill it with and just as I saw one about 8" long and 1 and 1/2 in. wide wiggle in I grabbed the iron skillet from the ladies stove and got it! Booiiiiinnnngggg! I felt like a cartoon character! Yuck. Not to scare anyone, though, they're not poisonous unless you're allergic to them I believe. And we rarely saw them. This was around new housing.

Oh great, now you have me thinking about the Bombay Club and that wonderful garlic ranch salad dressing... and I've started my "vacation" diet just today. 🙂

Paula and Joanne,

Centipedes ya I forgot. Have been warned before but have only seen one in a jar at a dive shop near the boardwalk I think. I may have thought I saw one after a day of Cruzan because everything was multiplied. I saw no'see"ms with many legs. Go figure.

We're going to be grandparents too for the first time in October. Calypso Katie has become nuttier than a fruitcake over the deal. I hate the thougt of sleeping with a grandma. Always worried about getting run over by a reigndeer. Have you heard that song down there?

Sold our condo in Fargo the day we listed it. Calypso is going to get an apartment to base out of on her work days. Due to no apartments accepting large dogs, me and Gypsy will have to move to our lake cabin full time beginning August 1st. Poor me, living at he lake full time with a freezer full of beef, a fridge full of beer, a bar full of rum, internet hook-up and Direct TV. What will I do, what will I do?

Just read the Virgin Islands Newsletter and saw a 73 year old man drowned in the pool at HotC. I just thought, at least he died happy.

Islander,

My wife and I visited the LEAP about a year ago and we got the same impression. We felt like we were intruding.

The only thing that made our visit interesting is that my in-laws had purchased a beautiful coffee table and set of end tables from the LEAP back in the mid 1970's and the fact that my wife had lived on the island back during that time. They struck up a conversation about the former owner and how things used to be back then. Other than that, we just walked around a bit and finally left.

The drive back there is beautiful though. Some nice ruins along the old road in. If you are looking to purchase unusually beautiful custom funiture, this is the place to go. As a tourist site, it is a nice drive but not much once you get there.

Kerry

Definatley make a trip during the House Tours. We made three of the six or seven tours this last February and it is worth the price of admission. You see million dollar homes to homes that are over 300 years old. Very interesting and a great way to meet people as well. Outstanding views of the island from the homes.

Kerry

We've been going in late October/eartly-to-mid November (in addition to March) for about 8 or 9 years. Mostly we've had great weather in the fall - sometimes even better than in March, sometimes it's been a little gray. In any case, since we're from upstate NY, it's hard to argue with being in sandals and shorts at that time of year!

We're already booked for next March (11-18), haven't booked the fall yet, but it will be late October for work reasons, probably 10/22-29. Sure hope we can meet up within the year!

Sandcrab - you poor thing! Do you need any help with that rum? TV would need to be set to college football though - I believe it will be on almost every day starting this fall!