Where to Take the Family
PUTT WITH PRIDE Let the little ones improve their swings with private golf lessons at the Carambola Golf Club. Call for reservations. $45 to $55 plus course fees. 340-778-5638, www.golfvi.com
GIDDYUP! Canter through the rainforest on your gentle steed. Paul and Jill’s Equestrian Stables offers rides for kids 5 and up. The trip takes you down the beach, past ruins, through pastures and up into the rainforest. $60 per person. Route 58 at Sprat Hall just north of Frederiksted on the west end. 340-772-2880, www.paulandjills.com
PONDER A PALM Wander through the landscaped ruins of a 19th-century Danish sugar-cane plantation at St. George Village Botanical Garden, a 16-acre park with more than 1,500 exotic plant varieties. Daily 9 a.m.‑5 p.m. except Christmas day. Adults $6, children 12 and under $1.
340-692-2874, www.sgvbg.org
CATCH A STAR Search for starfish and conch at Chenay Bay (but please don’t remove them from the water). This beach offers shallow water with a grassy bottom, the perfect habitat in which to spot these wondrous creatures. A beach playground and kids’ menu at the resort make this a good stop for lunch or dinner. Route 82 east of Christiansted. 340-773-2918
PLAY WAR Explore Fort Christiansvaern, built by the Danes in 1738 and fully restored with formidable dungeons, cannons and battlements. Open weekdays 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Adults $3, children under 16 free. Downtown Christiansted
HAVE FORTITUDE Visit the holding cells of Fort Frederik and have Mr. McBean give you the grand tour, history included. Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults $3, children 16 and under free.
340-772-2021
BREATHE EASY Snorkel the underwater trail at the Buck Island Reef National Monument. Equipment and easy instructions are provided by charter operators. Departs from the Christiansted boardwalk, Green Cay Marina or St. Croix Yacht Club
LAND A WHOPPER Schedule a day of sport fishing for kids 8 and up, and search offshore for marlin or mahi-mahi on a 38’ Bertram equipped with bait and tackle. Rates start at $450 for a half-day trip. 340-773-2628, www.caribbeanseaadventures.com
PLANT A FLAG Visit Salt River Bay, the site of Columbus’ first arrival in the Virgin Islands, in 1493. There is a ceremonial Taino Indian ball court. Free. On the north side of the island, east of Christiansted. 340-773-1460
GO EAST, YOUNG MAN Travel to the Millennium Monument at Point Udall, a desertlike promontory at the easternmost point in the United States. On the way, spot the Contessa’s Castle (a private home) and St. Croix’s component in the Very Long Baseline Array, a huge radio-telescope antenna operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Follow route 82 east out of Christiansted to the end of the road
STEP INTO HISTORY Tour Whim
Museum, a restored 18th-century plantation greathouse. Exhibits include a windmill, a watch house, a cookhouse and a bathhouse. The museum is usually open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., but hours vary seasonally. Adults $8, seniors and students with ID $5, children 6-12 $4, under 6 free. On Centerline Road near Frederiksted.
340-772-0598,
www.stcroixlandmarks.com
TRY A KAYAK Paddle through Salt River National Park and Ecological Preserve on a three-hour trip for ages 6 and up. Touch a jellyfish, lick a mangrove leaf, watch iguanas scurry, and explore Indian burial grounds. Or try a moonlight tour aglow with bioluminescence and ghost stories. $45 per person. 340-778-1522, www.stcroixkayak.com
The emerging art scene
St. Croix is a haven for artists and photographers. Here's where you'll find their work.
THE CARIBBEAN MUSEUM CENTER FOR THE ARTS A new showcase for regional talent, this museum holds a permanent collection of 60 original paintings by artists from 14 Caribbean islands. Housed in a 1780 Danish building facing the Frederiksted waterfront, the museum also hosts frequent special exhibitions, an artist in residence and exhibit openings. Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free. 10 Strand Street, Frederiksted. 340-772-2612, www.cmcarts.org
ART THURSDAY CHRISTIANSTED GALLERY WALK During this after-hours SOHO (south of Hospital Street) event, you can meet artists at eight private galleries and chat about their newest works over a complimentary glass of wine. First Thursday of the month, Nov.-May, 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Free.
340-773-7376
STARVING ARTISTS DAY Wander around the grounds of Whim Plantation Museum to enjoy this Crucian-style
country fair with original works, prints,
historical photos, crafts and local foods. Held three Sundays each year, in March, August and November. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $5, kids free. Route 70 (Centerline Road) two miles east of Frederiksted.
340-772-0598, www.stcroixlandmarks.com
