Dave's Travel Adventures: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 3A: Cruzan Rum Distillery)

DAY THREE: Monday, 2 June 2014

Insomnia woke me up earlier than I wanted, so I used the free WiFi to finish watching a movie on the Kindle, which brought me to 6am. I had my breakfast bar, and then went out for my breakfast beach stroll. I walked up and down the length of the beach twice, just so I could stay “connected” with the sandier portion (like what is on my business cards). I met a man from Missouri named Martin. He arrived last night with his wife and mother-in-law, and this was their first time on St. Croix. Martin said other than getting groceries, he had no idea what they were going to do. I spent a few moments telling him things I’d learned about the island, and gave him some recommendations.

After I had second breakfast (my protein shake), I went out and swam around the area. There weren’t too many people on the beach at all. I went to the front desk, and grabbed some snorkel gear. That enhanced my enjoyment even more. Beyond some of the coral shoals were sandy sections only about six feet deep, so the bottom could be clearly seen. I started out in front of the Palms dining area, and moved towards the Hibiscus (which seemed to be equally as empty).

I ventured farther out and came up to another shoal where I spotted a school of bright blue fish hiding under the receding ledge. Things were a little blurry because I didn’t have my glasses on, but I was able to match the fish to the pictures posted at the Palms’ beach to know what things were living out there. The fish were called Blue Tang.

After I was done snorkeling, I then put on some walking clothes and took a short stroll around the grounds in order to get some pictures of the area. At one point I stopped by the bar area to take some shots, and encountered the bartender Matt.

He’s previously travelled in

Jordan

and

Lebanon

, and he was about a dozen days away from a trip to

England

and

France

. We talked travel for a bit. When I mentioned I wanted to visit

Egypt

at some point (as that’s on my Bucket List), he scribbled the name of his uncle on a napkin, so I could contact him when I was ready to make some arrangements. That was awesome, thank you.

By the pool was a PADI instructor doing a dive certification course. The instructor was based out of Rum Runners (in Christiansted), and she said it would take two whole days to accomplish. I could also do the introductory course, which would take a single day. In the end I passed on both because this was a more-frugal trip than the previous, and I didn’t want to take a such a large chunk out of my already limited time for something I didn’t know when I’d be able to do again. Also, I wanted to find something nice for Rob & Lauren (if I could), so I want to devote some of the cash towards that.

After the walk, I was hungry so I had one of my sandwiches (which would’ve been packed in the cooler today), got cleaned up, and headed towards Cruzan. I still brought the cooler with me, but I just put my trail mix bag into that. I made sure to drink a bottle of water first, too.

I noticed the bar (lounge) section at Cruzan had been re-arranged. I joined a group of a half-dozen lead by Magda. She did much of the same stuff which was done on my previous tour. As there were more people with me, I was able to snap some shots as I went along.

I did have my picture taken with the full rum barrels. As we walked into the warehouse, I commented that part of my heaven looked like this. Magda let us know due to economic crunches, and competition from Captain Morgan, Cruzan was only producing about a third of the rum as they did the prior year. They were also going to discontinue the “Spiced 9” variety. I might have to get some while it’s still available.

Back at the lounge the complimentary drinks were done differently than I recall, but that might be because I was already hungry and buzzed when I got there last time. Magda let us know because it had been hot, they were out of sodas and most juices already for the rest of the day (it wasn’t even noon yet). All that was left was OJ and cranberry juice to make the plethora of available drinks.

I started out with a Painkiller, which was very smooth. Magda said we got two free drinks, plus four samples. I had samples of the clear Special Reserve, the Black Label, and then two of the flavored types (orange, and passion fruit). While the others of the group wolfed their drinks down and departed, I stayed and savored them. I even tried to start up a conversation with the father & college-aged son that had come in from Houston, but they were more interested in how quick, and how much, they could drink.

I told Magda about my travel blog, and she said she’d lived in Kentucky for awhile. She was gearing up for a trip soon too, even though she worked a couple different jobs. She felt it was important to get out and explore the area where you live. We talked about various places we’ve been as I worked on my second drink (the Cruzan Splash). She also gave me a sample of the Velvet Cinnamon, which I thought would be very good as a basis for a milkshake.

Looking at the bottles available for purchase, I only got another mini-set like I did the last time. Sure it’s quite cheaper here, I’m just concerned about the transportation home. And I only brought one bit of bubble wrap, which will most likely get used for whatever I find for Rob & Lauren. The shirts had different styles too, but I restrained myself and only purchased one. I mentioned to Magda how much I liked one of the previous ones I’d gotten, which had tribal markings all over it, and she said that had stopped being made before she came to work here (that’s why she wasn’t familiar with it).

While sitting there, some other patrons (who’d been on the tour after mine) talked about taking the “pour shot.” I had no idea what they were talking about, so I watched and listened. There’s a light fixture in the middle of the lounge which you stand under, and then arch your back backwards. The trick is to get yourself lines up with the mural on the fall wall, so it creates the illusion of having the rum poured down your throat. I game to do goofy stuff like this. It’s fun.