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Nice article about St. Croix
Nice article about St. Croix
St. Croix residents not afraid to rebel
Often overlooked St. Croix is considered to be U.S. Virgin Islands' hidden treasure
October 15, 2006
BY ROSALIND CUMMINGS-YEATES
St. Thomas lures the cruise ships. St. John boasts pristine beaches and unspoiled natural wonders. But for fascinating culture and history as well as a gorgeous Caribbean landscape, nothing beats St. Croix.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, located in the eastern Caribbean, 1,100 miles southeast of Miami, attracts thousands of tourists with the busiest harbor in the Caribbean on St. Thomas and the stunning national park of St. John.
Although it's the largest and most laidback of the three islands, St. Croix often gets overlooked and designated as the Virgin Islands "hidden treasure."
With an impressive history of resistance and African cultural preservation tucked into a dazzling seven-mile wide stretch of lush tropical flowers, plants and sand, it won't remain hidden for long.
Surrounded by turquoise waters and overflowing with bright red or pink hibiscus flowers, cascading bougainvillaea and magenta bunches of small-petaled ixora blossoms, St. Croix is paradise indeed. Banana plants and mango and papaya trees grow everywhere. Mongooses and iguanas scamper around sweeping hillsides and eye-popping pink and yellow homes.
Known for its friendly, low-key, locals, St. Croix exudes small-town charm despite being the territory's most populous island with 62,000 residents. Although not as touristy as St. Thomas, St. Croix possesses a handful of hotels and inns, the most notable of which is the Buccaneer, a sprawling resort set atop a 17th century estate.
Rated "one of the 500 best hotels in the world" by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the Buccaneer lives up to its reputation.
Equipped with an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and three private beaches, the resort defines Crucian luxury. With airy rooms and suites furnished with ocean views, patios and Jacuzzis, guests are almost tempted to stay inside. An intact sugar mill -- constructed from limestone from the days when the hotel was the Estate Shoys sugar plantation -- stands in the middle of the property as a reminder of St. Croix's complex history.
Ancient energy
The EstateWhim Plantation Museum, built in 1793, illustrates another level of Fredriksted's significant history. Featuring the Virgin Islands only restored windmill and a 1,000-year-old tamarind tree, the former sugar plantation vibrates with ancient energy.
The greathouse, cook house and servants quarters all stand in tact, with pieces of furniture and utensils placed just so, as if their owners will soon return. A census on the greathouse walls reveals the most insight into plantation life. A list of slaves, with ages ranging from 2 to 83, identifies their moral codes -- whether they are honest, hardworking or obedient, as well as if they were born on St. Croix or in Africa. The twist is that the master's family members are also listed, with their moral codes plainly exposed. Museum admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children 6-12.
On the way back from the EstateWhim Plantation Museum, a stop by Armstrong Ice Cream promises an essential St. Croix experience. The Armstrong family has produced high quality, homemade ice cream since 1900 in a small, unassuming storefront with a few chairs and booths. With sumptuous flavors including passion fruit, mango, soursop and gooseberry, the shop delivers the fruit-flavored essence of St. Croix delights. Ice cream cones, shakes and cups range from $1-$3.
Subhead
Nicknamed the "Twin City," St. Croix consists of two towns, Fredericksted and Christiansted. Filled with 18th century yellow brick buildings and narrow, bustling streets, Christiansted personifies old world flair. The focal point for St. Croix shops, restaurants and art galleries, this is the place to experience the island's culture.
A St. Croix institution, Harvey's Restaurant sits in the heart of downtown Christiansted. Run by the sweet-faced Ms. Harvey, who's as famous for helping to raise NBA star Tim Duncan as she is for her cooking, the one-room eatery fills with locals every afternoon. With hand-sewn lace curtains, doily tablecloths and a menu scrawled on a chalkboard, Harvey's brims with old fashioned charm. Taste St. Croix favorites such as red pea soup, conch with butter sauce, stewed goat and fry pot fish with fungi, which is a cornmeal pudding. Wash it down with tamarind, guava or soursop juice or pleasantly bitter mauby, which is made from tree bark. Prices for entrees range from $7-$12
Colorful landscapes, smiling children and vibrant carnival scenes jump out of St. Croix artwork, the best of which can be found in Christiansted art galleries.
Twin City Coffee House and Gallery showcases a host of St. Croix artwork every month. Cozy and blazing with color, from the tapestries on the tables to the woven pillowcases on the couch, the bilevel gallery is run by local artist Diane Butler and Theresa Calpano. St. Croix scenes such as a photo of a turtle underwater by Marjo Aho for $220, "Downtown" an oil painting featuring the green, blue and pink buildings of downtown St. Croix by Isabelle Picard for $600 and "African Dance," a striking portrait of a kneeling naked woman with a scarf on her head and a background of dancers by Kendi Peguero for $475.
At Yellowhouse Gallery, Judith King, a Lombard native who settled in St. Croix in the '60s, presents whimsical drawings and paintings in her small, tangerine-splashed boutique. "A Day At The Beach," a tropical-colored oil painting, displays swaying palm trees, hammocks and laundry hung behind little houses, swaying in the sea breeze. "Cell Phone" features a market scene with a woman weighing fruit on a scale with roosters and girls in uniforms running in the foreground for $220. "Mocko Jumbi," the West African stilt figure that's a fixture in carnival culture, is fashioned out of local tan tan pods, leaves from the flamboyant tree and papier mache for $145.
At Mitchell-Larsen Studio, seahorses, hibiscus and fish peek out from brilliantly hued art glass. Artist Jan Mitchell fashions glass plates, ashtrays and picture frames from her studio upstairs. Individually designed from handmade molds, the artworks are popular St. Croix souvenirs. Yellow, green, red and blue art glass decorated with everything from mermaids to palm trees range from $24 to $50.
Representing history, natural beauty and culture, St. Croix guarantees visitors a real glimpse of paradise.
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates is a Chicago based free-lance writer.
Although St. Croix's Salt River Bay is the only known site where explorer Christopher Columbus set foot in U.S. territory, the island's history really begins with the sugar plantations. After it was colonized by Spain, England, the Netherlands, the Knights of Malta and France, Denmark bought St. Croix from France in 1733.
The island was divided into 400 estates and cultivated sugar plantations powered by enslaved Africans. By 1800, St. Croix claimed 200 sugar plantations and 26,500 enslaved African workers. The strong African spirit could not be subdued, however. Maroon communities of runaways survived in the hills of St. Croix and free blacks doubled there numbers by buying their freedom with money earned as artisans, or by raising and selling produce.
In the quaint town of Frederiksted, arched colonnades and a sleepy waterfront belie its significant history. Also called "Freedom City," Frederiksted boasts the historic Fort Frederik, a crimson structure with white trim that borders the waterfront. It was here that emancipation was declared in 1848 and where the Virgin Islands witnessed one of its worst uprisings.
On July 3, 1848, 8,000 enslaved Africans surrounded the fort. Led by General Buddhoe, a literate master sugar boiler, he demanded freedom for all the enslaved or Frederiksted would be burned down.
Secured within the fort, the Danish prepared to fire their cannons but they couldn't. Buddhoe had ensured that all the gun powder was eliminated. The Danish governor Peter von Scholten was forced to declare emancipation on July 3, 1848, 17 years before the United States. The area surrounding Fort Frederik displays a sculpture of Buddhoe as well as a statue of a freedom fighter blowing a conch shell, signaling freedom. To this day, although they are American citizens, Crucians celebrate their independence on July 3. Admission to Fort Frederik is free.
By 1878, a form of serfdom had taken the place of slavery. Workers were forced to sign one-year contracts that wouldn't allow them to leave the plantations they worked on. Their wages were miniscule and they resented the indentured servitude that the plantation owners had created.
Led by Queen Mary, a young field worker, they burnt down Frederiksted and surrounded the fort again, demanding fair wages. This labor rebellion ended the contract labor laws and Queen Mary survives as the Virgin Islands most recognizable freedom fighter. St. Croix's highway is named for her and a popular children's rhyme commemorating her role remains popular: "Queen Mary/Oh Where you gon' go burn? /Queen Mary/Oh where you gon' go burn?/ Don't ask me nothin' at all/ Just give me the match and oil."
More <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/trav ... e">here</a>
Often overlooked St. Croix is considered to be U.S. Virgin Islands' hidden treasure
October 15, 2006
BY ROSALIND CUMMINGS-YEATES
St. Thomas lures the cruise ships. St. John boasts pristine beaches and unspoiled natural wonders. But for fascinating culture and history as well as a gorgeous Caribbean landscape, nothing beats St. Croix.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, located in the eastern Caribbean, 1,100 miles southeast of Miami, attracts thousands of tourists with the busiest harbor in the Caribbean on St. Thomas and the stunning national park of St. John.
Although it's the largest and most laidback of the three islands, St. Croix often gets overlooked and designated as the Virgin Islands "hidden treasure."
With an impressive history of resistance and African cultural preservation tucked into a dazzling seven-mile wide stretch of lush tropical flowers, plants and sand, it won't remain hidden for long.
Surrounded by turquoise waters and overflowing with bright red or pink hibiscus flowers, cascading bougainvillaea and magenta bunches of small-petaled ixora blossoms, St. Croix is paradise indeed. Banana plants and mango and papaya trees grow everywhere. Mongooses and iguanas scamper around sweeping hillsides and eye-popping pink and yellow homes.
Known for its friendly, low-key, locals, St. Croix exudes small-town charm despite being the territory's most populous island with 62,000 residents. Although not as touristy as St. Thomas, St. Croix possesses a handful of hotels and inns, the most notable of which is the Buccaneer, a sprawling resort set atop a 17th century estate.
Rated "one of the 500 best hotels in the world" by Travel & Leisure Magazine, the Buccaneer lives up to its reputation.
Equipped with an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and three private beaches, the resort defines Crucian luxury. With airy rooms and suites furnished with ocean views, patios and Jacuzzis, guests are almost tempted to stay inside. An intact sugar mill -- constructed from limestone from the days when the hotel was the Estate Shoys sugar plantation -- stands in the middle of the property as a reminder of St. Croix's complex history.
Ancient energy
The EstateWhim Plantation Museum, built in 1793, illustrates another level of Fredriksted's significant history. Featuring the Virgin Islands only restored windmill and a 1,000-year-old tamarind tree, the former sugar plantation vibrates with ancient energy.
The greathouse, cook house and servants quarters all stand in tact, with pieces of furniture and utensils placed just so, as if their owners will soon return. A census on the greathouse walls reveals the most insight into plantation life. A list of slaves, with ages ranging from 2 to 83, identifies their moral codes -- whether they are honest, hardworking or obedient, as well as if they were born on St. Croix or in Africa. The twist is that the master's family members are also listed, with their moral codes plainly exposed. Museum admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children 6-12.
On the way back from the EstateWhim Plantation Museum, a stop by Armstrong Ice Cream promises an essential St. Croix experience. The Armstrong family has produced high quality, homemade ice cream since 1900 in a small, unassuming storefront with a few chairs and booths. With sumptuous flavors including passion fruit, mango, soursop and gooseberry, the shop delivers the fruit-flavored essence of St. Croix delights. Ice cream cones, shakes and cups range from $1-$3.
Subhead
Nicknamed the "Twin City," St. Croix consists of two towns, Fredericksted and Christiansted. Filled with 18th century yellow brick buildings and narrow, bustling streets, Christiansted personifies old world flair. The focal point for St. Croix shops, restaurants and art galleries, this is the place to experience the island's culture.
A St. Croix institution, Harvey's Restaurant sits in the heart of downtown Christiansted. Run by the sweet-faced Ms. Harvey, who's as famous for helping to raise NBA star Tim Duncan as she is for her cooking, the one-room eatery fills with locals every afternoon. With hand-sewn lace curtains, doily tablecloths and a menu scrawled on a chalkboard, Harvey's brims with old fashioned charm. Taste St. Croix favorites such as red pea soup, conch with butter sauce, stewed goat and fry pot fish with fungi, which is a cornmeal pudding. Wash it down with tamarind, guava or soursop juice or pleasantly bitter mauby, which is made from tree bark. Prices for entrees range from $7-$12
Colorful landscapes, smiling children and vibrant carnival scenes jump out of St. Croix artwork, the best of which can be found in Christiansted art galleries.
Twin City Coffee House and Gallery showcases a host of St. Croix artwork every month. Cozy and blazing with color, from the tapestries on the tables to the woven pillowcases on the couch, the bilevel gallery is run by local artist Diane Butler and Theresa Calpano. St. Croix scenes such as a photo of a turtle underwater by Marjo Aho for $220, "Downtown" an oil painting featuring the green, blue and pink buildings of downtown St. Croix by Isabelle Picard for $600 and "African Dance," a striking portrait of a kneeling naked woman with a scarf on her head and a background of dancers by Kendi Peguero for $475.
At Yellowhouse Gallery, Judith King, a Lombard native who settled in St. Croix in the '60s, presents whimsical drawings and paintings in her small, tangerine-splashed boutique. "A Day At The Beach," a tropical-colored oil painting, displays swaying palm trees, hammocks and laundry hung behind little houses, swaying in the sea breeze. "Cell Phone" features a market scene with a woman weighing fruit on a scale with roosters and girls in uniforms running in the foreground for $220. "Mocko Jumbi," the West African stilt figure that's a fixture in carnival culture, is fashioned out of local tan tan pods, leaves from the flamboyant tree and papier mache for $145.
At Mitchell-Larsen Studio, seahorses, hibiscus and fish peek out from brilliantly hued art glass. Artist Jan Mitchell fashions glass plates, ashtrays and picture frames from her studio upstairs. Individually designed from handmade molds, the artworks are popular St. Croix souvenirs. Yellow, green, red and blue art glass decorated with everything from mermaids to palm trees range from $24 to $50.
Representing history, natural beauty and culture, St. Croix guarantees visitors a real glimpse of paradise.
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates is a Chicago based free-lance writer.
Although St. Croix's Salt River Bay is the only known site where explorer Christopher Columbus set foot in U.S. territory, the island's history really begins with the sugar plantations. After it was colonized by Spain, England, the Netherlands, the Knights of Malta and France, Denmark bought St. Croix from France in 1733.
The island was divided into 400 estates and cultivated sugar plantations powered by enslaved Africans. By 1800, St. Croix claimed 200 sugar plantations and 26,500 enslaved African workers. The strong African spirit could not be subdued, however. Maroon communities of runaways survived in the hills of St. Croix and free blacks doubled there numbers by buying their freedom with money earned as artisans, or by raising and selling produce.
In the quaint town of Frederiksted, arched colonnades and a sleepy waterfront belie its significant history. Also called "Freedom City," Frederiksted boasts the historic Fort Frederik, a crimson structure with white trim that borders the waterfront. It was here that emancipation was declared in 1848 and where the Virgin Islands witnessed one of its worst uprisings.
On July 3, 1848, 8,000 enslaved Africans surrounded the fort. Led by General Buddhoe, a literate master sugar boiler, he demanded freedom for all the enslaved or Frederiksted would be burned down.
Secured within the fort, the Danish prepared to fire their cannons but they couldn't. Buddhoe had ensured that all the gun powder was eliminated. The Danish governor Peter von Scholten was forced to declare emancipation on July 3, 1848, 17 years before the United States. The area surrounding Fort Frederik displays a sculpture of Buddhoe as well as a statue of a freedom fighter blowing a conch shell, signaling freedom. To this day, although they are American citizens, Crucians celebrate their independence on July 3. Admission to Fort Frederik is free.
By 1878, a form of serfdom had taken the place of slavery. Workers were forced to sign one-year contracts that wouldn't allow them to leave the plantations they worked on. Their wages were miniscule and they resented the indentured servitude that the plantation owners had created.
Led by Queen Mary, a young field worker, they burnt down Frederiksted and surrounded the fort again, demanding fair wages. This labor rebellion ended the contract labor laws and Queen Mary survives as the Virgin Islands most recognizable freedom fighter. St. Croix's highway is named for her and a popular children's rhyme commemorating her role remains popular: "Queen Mary/Oh Where you gon' go burn? /Queen Mary/Oh where you gon' go burn?/ Don't ask me nothin' at all/ Just give me the match and oil."
More <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/trav ... e">here</a>
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
