October first marks a dark, yet triumphant day in Virgin Islands History – the infamous St Croix Fireburn or Fyah Burn of 1878. If you are familiar with the US Virgin Islands, you may have heard of the heroines of this day, locally known as “The Three Queens” (actually there are four). Often they are […]
St Croix History
Who wants to Sleep with Fred? I do! I do!
Hip. Modern. Historic. That may sound like an oxymoron, but “The Fred” St Croix’s first new hotel to open in 30 years is all that and more. Patience and perseverance have absolutely paid off with the opening of The Fred. Working with Historic Preservation and Coastal Zone management to open the beachfront boutique hotel complex […]
Bringing St Croix’s Danish Colonial Past into the Digital Age
In late January 2017, I had the opportunity to work with a film production company capturing background video (b-roll) for a series of interviews about the digitizing of historical records for the Danish Archives. The Danish National Archives in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the transfer of the Danish West Indies to the United […]
1 little Island with 3 National Parks!
St Croix may be a little island only 26 miles long and at it’s widest about 6 miles across, but we are blessed with THREE National Parks ensuring that we preserve and protect our beautiful environment while enjoying the great outdoors and learning about the island’s history. Whether you’ve got a National Parks Pass or […]
Luck of the Irie: St Croix’s Irish Connection
Each year on the Saturday closest to St Patrick’s Day, Christiansted goes green as revelers flood the streets clad in t-shirts and costumes while cheering on the Annual St Patrick’s Parade. With the Irish diaspora representing over 100 million people, the raucous holiday is celebrated more outside of Ireland than within. And here on St Croix, […]
Agrifest: A Caribbean Country Fair
Each year President’s weekend brings a celebration of Caribbean agriculture to the Big Island. Agrifest is the largest country fair in the Caribbean showcasing local produce, livestock, food, music and more. Once known as the bread basket of the Caribbean, St Croix’s rolling green hills and fertile lowlands have recently rebounded with an agricultural renaissance. […]
Columbus Landing 1493 St Croix
Updated October 11, 2021 In 1493 Christopher Columbus landed on what would later become St Croix, US Virgin Islands at Salt River Bay changing the course of the island’s history and setting the stage for 7 European Flags to fly over the island. This is the only spot in the United States where Columbus actually landed […]
Travel Channel’s Real St Croix
When producer and television host Shane Reynolds (aka Shane O of Color Earth Productions, Shane Untamed on NatGeo) contacted me about filming an episode of his new Travel Channel series Real on St Croix, I was so excited! I got to become friends with Shane and his wife, Romona, on their last trip to St […]
Emancipation Day: A Truly Crucian Story
While many across the United States and its Territories observe the 4th of July holiday celebrating American Independence, July 3rd marks a very important holiday here in the US Virgin Islands – Emancipation Day. One of my favorite books is Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende which tells the harrowing saga of Zarité from her […]
Transfer Day in the Virgin Islands: Seven Flags Over St Croix
Living in the Virgin Islands it seems like every other week there is a holiday. Particularly because we celebrate all the traditional US Holidays, but there are also some important and historical USVI holidays in the mix. Each March 31st we celebrate Transfer Day in the US Virgin Islands. So what the heck is Transfer Day anyways? Since […]
