Sounds like you have every thing pretty well planned. We stayed at Cottages Oct.'05 and are going back next month. It's very laid back, relaxing. You'll be close enough to the beach to take a dip before breakfast which you can prepare in your room, if you so desire. Don't forget to rent a car. There are so many good restaurants on STX that you will only want to go back to try the ones you missed. On the west end you have Beachside next door, Blue Moon and St. Tropez in F'sted and Sun Set Grill north of town. The Rainbow Beach bar is nice for a casual meal. And if you want pizza, the Lost Dog is the place to go. This is just a start on the west end. There is so much more. When you're in the rain forest make sure you find and stop at the Domino Club. Try Norma's Mamawana and feed the beer drinking pigs.
Paul at Cottages will be able to give you all the info you need.

Bassman, thanks so much for your response. Norma's Mamawana sounds good to us. What cottage did you have last time? We are planning on staying at Crow's Nest. Have a fabulous trip. Be safe.

We went to STX last June and stayed out on the East End at Chenay Bay. We were there for 10 days and did tons of exploring. If you have a car (a definite must in my eyes), here are some of the spots I would recommend. The drinking pigs were one the highlights. My kids just thought it was hysterical. And the mammawanna's are quite tasty (althought potent) as well as the johnnycakes. To see the pigs, you have to go before 4 pm. The bar itself is pretty neat. We couldve sat there all day. While in the rainforest, go to the Leap. Its a mahogony woodworking shop....very interesting. You can buy things there but it's where they work so it's nothing fancy. That's what we did when we went over to the west end. If you like to hike to out of the way places, take a trip to Point Udall and hike down to Jack and Issacs beaches. They are beautiful. It's a hot hike, so take lots of water. But it's worth it. Also, a trip to Buck Island is a great day. If you are big beach goers, we hit ALOT of the beaches so please feel free if you would like me to tell more about that. We ate at ALOT of great restaurants too. I have a travel report if you look back in the archives in late June and early july (it was in installments).
The island is beautiful and there weren't alot of people. That was great for us but Im sure not great for the tourism industry. The weather was fine too.
Have a great time and please feel free to ask any questions.

We stayed in Cruzan and will be in the same room this November. It has two patios. The larger one is over looking the ocean, is perfect for eating breakfast and dinner when we done go out.

To experience St.Croix inside and out, book a trip with Tan Tan Tours (www.stxtantantours.com). It was the highlight of our trip. Wave Phillip and his group of guys are fantastic! You will see places that you won't be able to on your own. Just hang on for dear life!

Denise