I had never been to the US Virgin Islands and knew very little about them. Keisha Nelson from Marketplace Excellence, who works for the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, asked if I would like to take a press tour to St. Croix.
I was skeptical because I didn’t know if this was real. I had such a horrible 2018 and had gone through so much with my sister’s premature death that I felt like I needed to get away and escape for a while, but I didn’t know where to go. When I got the call, I wasn’t sure if it was real because I had never met Keisha. But I decided to take a chance, and I’m glad I did.
The Hurricanes of 2017
During Hurricane Irma and then weeks later with Hurricane Maria, the three Islands – St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. Johns were devastated. I remember when the Hurricane hit, and I knew my friend, Nina Gross was trapped there. Thankfully, she could get out, but thinking about her safety and the safety of everyone else on those islands scared me.
I had flashbacks to Superstorm Sandy. It was a nightmare. I knew what these people were going through, and my heart yearned for a quick recovery.
Many of the people who were hit by Superstorm Sandy are still dealing with issues of raising their homes nearly six years later. I knew that the recovery for the US Virgin Islands would be long.
The US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism’s goal is to educate the community that St. Croix although still in recovery, is a viable travel option.
I took a chance, and after The Running Event in Austin, I got on a plane and headed to St. Croix.
What I noticed…
When I got to the Miami airport and waited in the waiting area for our plane to board, I noticed that everyone seemed to know each other. I felt almost like an outsider. People hugged and kissed each other as if they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. The plane ride there was like a party. People were laughing, talking and I could feel the love.
When the plane landed, I got my luggage and was a little nervous about how someone would recognize me. I saw a beautiful woman all dressed up in heels, standing with a younger woman with luggage. “Are you?” I mouthed. I didn’t want to shout.
“Hilary?” Sharon Rosario said. “I’m Sharon Rosario from the Department of Tourism. This is Rachel Morris of Men’s Health Magazine.”
I shook their hands and got into a taxi with them. We went to pick up Heather Gibbs from the PR agency and Dawn Roberts of Pathfinders Magazine. A woman from the local St. Croix newspaper was also in the taxi. Dawn and the woman from the newspaper laughed as if they knew each other.(It turns out they went to college together.)
The taxi driver, Claudius, took us to the Buccaneer Hotel, where we got our rooms and keys and settled in. Each reporter had her own room. When I walked into mine, I was in shock. It was gorgeous! The room faced the ocean and the running trail. It had two large beds, a walk-in closet, and a jacuzzi tub. I was in heaven!
That evening we went to a lovely restaurant and walked around town. We were all loopy after being up since 3 am that day, so we headed to bed early.
The next day…
The next day, we went on an Island food tour. After that, I picked up my number for the St. Croix Triathlon. This is one of the most challenging courses around. They call it the Beauty & the Beast Triathlon because the Beast is an incredibly steep hill that goes up 7/10 of a mile. Along the route, you see magnificent scenery. The terrain in St. Croix is hilly.
I was supposed to race the sprint, which consisted of an 800-meter swim, an 8.5-mile bike ride, and a 4-mile run. Sounds doable, right?
No, after hearing the race director talk about the route and say that it feels more like 20 miles than 8.5 miles, I started to rethink the entire race.
I didn’t feel ready to conquer the hills. Over the summer, I did a triathlon with rolling hills out in the Hamptons and my chain kept dropping, and I fell three times off my bike. I didn’t want to do that again.
So, I dropped to an AquaRun, which cut out the bike. (Although I brought all my bike gear, after seeing those hills, I knew I made the right decision.)
After listening to some pro triathletes talk about the course and course management and attending the mandatory meeting before the race, we returned to the hotel.
Dawn and I enjoyed the beach. I went swimming to see if I could still swim after being out for nearly six weeks due to a sprained wrist.I swam just fine.
We went to dinner at the Terrace Lounge in the hotel and went to bed early.
The day of the triathlon…
We woke up at 4 a.m. and were ready for the car at 5:15 a.m. We needed to be there early because all the roads were closing for the triathlon and would reopen 8 hours after the start of the race.
My race was a blast. (You can read a detailed description on the ATriathletesDiary.com blog.) I loved the water. I actually saw a turtle during my warm-up swim!
The run was fun, too. I enjoyed every moment, even though it was quite challenging and extremely hot. The race directors did a great job ensuring sponges and ice cubes were on the course.
When the race was over, we hung out for a while and then went to a local pub for cheeseburgers. I was “dying” to have a cheeseburger because I hadn’t eaten at all before or during the race.
I returned to the room while the other two journalists, the PR woman and Sharon from the Department of Tourism, went to a coconut fair.
An Aquarium in the Water
Instead of going to one of the oldest plantations, we took a catamaran to Buck’s Island and went snorkeling. The first spot was where it was known to have turtles. I didn’t see any. However, I enjoyed swimming back and forth across the Island in the turquoise blue water. I was totally in my happy place. I saw some fish along the way. It was incredible.
The next stop on the boat was at a reef. This was the nicest reef I had ever seen. I’ve been to several Caribbean Islands and have never seen a reef like this. It was huge. I felt as if I were swimming in a fish tank. Sometimes the reefs were very close but I didn’t go near them. I just looked at the beauty of the fish and the reefs. It was fascinating to see all the fish in different colors. I knew my husband would be jealous. He loves snorkeling.
Before returning to the hotel, we went for a beer tasting at Leatherback Brewing. The server, Christine, competed against me in the AquaRun. “You kicked my ass in the run,” I said to her, smiling.
“Yeah, that’s true, but you beat me on the swim,” she said. I hated that swim.” She ran fast—an 8-minute mile in that heat. I was impressed.
After returning to the hotel, relaxing, and enjoying our room, we ate dinner at a very nice restaurant in town.
The people of St. Croix
I now understand the dynamics of the plane ride to St. Croix. I started to feel connected to Dawn, Rachel, Heather, and Sharon, as well as the people I met there and on the Island. Everyone was so incredibly nice everywhere we went, including at the race. It was a feeling that was quite special.
I wish I could describe it more, but all I can say is I would love to emulate that feeling again. I think the only way is to move to St. Croix or visit often. I loved that it was the United States Virgin Islands and everyone spoke English.
St. Croix is a special place. I highly recommend experiencing it for yourself. The next blog will discuss the top experiences in St. Croix.
