St. John USVI Day Trip: Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins

We decided to spend the day in St. John. It would not be a proper trip if I did not incorporate some history in it, thanks to my mom. My mom suggested we stop and visit the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins and walk the Trail. It is a historic landmark in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.

Established in the late 1700’s by Danish colonists Annaberg Plantation was farmed by enslaved workers. Producing 100,000 tons of sugar a year based on 1,300 acres of sugar cane. They also produced molasses and rum. Annaberg Plantation gives you a glimpse of the plantation’s role in the African slave trade.

Some parts of the plantation have been restored but, you will see mostly ruins. Everything is marked and you get a summary of the building that you are exploring. There is a map to follow and you can see the enslaved people’s quarters, where they worked and the guardhouse to prevent them from escaping.

The enslaved people at Annaberg Sugar Plantation were one of the first group to rebel and start the revolution of 1733 to fight for their freedom. It is a great tour to take and explore our history. The architecture is beautiful even though it is ruined. Visit the Annaberg Sugar Plantation if you can.

Day Trip Details: We left St. Thomas around 10:00am and caught the barge (car ferry) over to St. John to spend the day. There was a port fee and ticket fee per person traveling on the ferry. It was about $50/roundtrip for all of us. My mother, brother and bonus dad traveled that day.

In addition to visiting the Annaberg Sugar Plantation we drove around the island and visited a few beaches, stopped at a couple of overlooks and took many pictures. We also found the best roadside restaurant to get authentic island cuisine. The Hillside Terrace Bar & Restaurant did not disappoint!

For lunch I had stewed mutton, dumplings, plantains and fungi. I ate every bit of it and the food was DELICIOUS! After we ate, we stopped by Mongoose Junction to check out all the shops before ending our day and heading back to the port so we would not miss the ferry back to St. Thomas. It was a good day!

If you are visiting the Virgin Island, take an opportunity to island hop for a day or two. There is so much to see and do. My next stop will be St. Croix. I have only been to St. Thomas and St. John. I have also visited the British Virgin Islands in the past and am itching to return.

Do you like island hopping when traveling?

How to Explore St. Thomas USVI in Seven Days

Explore St. Thomas USVI

I will give you a quick backstory. I used to live in St. Thomas for a couple of years in the late eighties. I lived in Mahogany Run, went to Peace Corps Elementary School and was introduced to Girl Scouting. Hurricane Hugo was the reason I left, and my parents sent me to live with my grandparents’ state side. I visited again in 1992 when my baby brother was born, and I had not been back until recently. My mom stayed and has been living in St. Thomas for years with my bonus dad. My mom usually travels to see us, and I FINALLY decided to stop procrastinating in the middle of a pandemic and just book a flight to visit.

Pain Killer Cocktail at Emerald Beach Bar

I honestly believe it is one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. If you are curious about flying during COVID-19, I wrote about it in a previous post and you can check that out. I had a list of things that I wanted to do because honestly after 27 years I am a total tourist, and EVERYTHING has changed. I wanted to venture back to what was familiar to me and it was shocking. The elementary school where I once went has been renamed and rebuilt. I used to go to class in trailers, it is now an actual building.

Megan’s Bay Beach

Mahogany Run looks the same with the exception that they have not maintained the golf course after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Maybe it is on a list of things to do eventually. It was a great place to live and play! I went to Megan’s Bay Beach because that is where we would go frequently, and I remember spending lots of time there as a child. My dad used to work at the Virgin Islands Daily News, that is where we stayed during Hurricane Hugo hunkered down. So, naturally I went back to visit, and it looks the same from the exterior. I did not go inside. Maybe, I will schedule a visit when I go back. 

French Quarter Bistro Beignets

Okay, now that I have told you about all the spots, I needed to hit so I can reminisce a bit. I will tell you about my adventures. On day #1 I just wanted to relax and wind down from traveling but, I immediately wanted to hit a local bar and get a cocktail. My brother was also visiting, and he was my partner in crime for EVERYTHING! He took me to French Quarter Bistro in Frenchtown where I had a Rum Punch, the BEST beignets and chicken gumbo. This became a staple in our stay. It was just a convenient hang out spot close to the house. They also have a great Cajun pasta and make incredible pain killers, which was my drink of choice for most of this trip.

Foot in the Sand at Emerald Beach

On day #2 we went hiking above Brewer’s Bay and boy let me tell you. Your girl was not ready! Grandfather Mountain did not prepare me for this hike. It showed me just how out of shape I am. Lol! My sixty plus year old mom was doing better than me on this hike. She is a trooper for real! First, it is steep, and you cannot get around climbing giant rocks. When you get to a certain point, you will start to see markers and rope to help you along the way. The view from the top is rewarding! It took us about three hours total to climb to the top, take pictures, take in the scenes and return to the bottom.

Hiking Above Brewer’s Bay

When we were finished, I was HANGRY! So, we stopped by a food truck on the side of the road by Brewer’s Bay Beach. I had a chicken patte and it was DELICIOUS! We also carved in some beach time at Lindbergh Bay. I knew I was going to feel the aches and pains set in the following day, so I did not plan anything too heavy. On day #3 which happens to be New Year’s Eve we hung out in Frenchtown for a bit and then headed over to Chicken & Bowling to bring in the New Year. After that we headed to a secluded spot with friends to dance the night away. Overall, it was a good day and I brought in the New Year with good people!

Brewer’s Bay Beach

Happy New Year! Day 3# was a miscalculation on how we should have proceeded with day#2. Lol! My mom planned for us to spend the day with family at Camp Umoja and go kayaking. So, I may have had one too many drinks and was slightly hung over the next morning, but you know… The struggle was REAL and, we got through it! My brother and I had to lean on each other. It was hysterical to watch! However, I had the BEST time! I pushed myself to go kayaking and exploring the private beaches we were around. I find the private beaches to be more beautiful and secluded. I enjoyed it better than most of the tourist attraction beaches we visited. It was a whole vibe and great photo shoot locations.   

Kayaking at Camp Umoja

On Day #4 we visited 99 steps and skyline drive overlook.  99 steps are a historic site where Charlotte Amalie residents built from bricks that came from the ships from the old world, then they would return to Europe with products from the islands. There is a good lookout at the top with a view for pictures. I keep falling into these fitness excursions, thanks to my mom and brother. Lol! We then ventured to skyline drive overlook which is another lookout point that you can observe and take photos. You can see harbor views of Charlotte Amalie, Hassel Island, Water Island and beyond!

Secluded Beach

Sunday Funday on day #5 which we started off with brunch at Bella Blu in Frenchtown. I had the Belgian waffle with fresh fruit and bottomless mimosas. As we were enjoying our food, we started discussing additional brunch spots which lead us to Old Stone Farmhouse as brunch spot number two. I had the flourless chocolate cake with berry coulis and fresh berries, some of my brother’s French Toast and a taste of a Friend’s Cajun Skillet because I am greedy. Lol! I paired my chocolate cake with an old fashioned and it was PERFECT! The place to be on Sunday for Brunch!

Flourless Chocolate Cake – Old Stone Farmhouse

We then ventured to Mountain Top to take in more gorgeous views and have one of the world-famous banana daquiris. It was quite tasty, and the view was picture perfect. I like that at each overlook you get to view a different part of the island and lookout to the other islands in the distance. We also shopped and bought some souvenirs. Of course, we had a whole photoshoot, and I could not leave without getting pictures with the pirates. If you want to see the FULL recap of this trip, you can check out my St. Thomas highlight on Instagram. It is all there, I promise! We ended the evening in Red Hook having dinner at the Caribbean Saloon right by the marina.

Me & My Pirate

We took a day trip over to St. John on day #6. The barge (car ferry) was our transportation over to St. John. It was less than thirty minutes to arrive. You pay a port fee and then a fee for each passenger traveling. It was about $50.00 roundtrip for us. We visited a few of the beaches on the island. Maho Bay was probably my favorite because it is not as busy as some of the other beaches. I had a quick photoshoot, and I loved the way the pictures came out. We also visited the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Trail and Ruins. It was a whole history lesson, and I am glad we stopped and visited.

On the barge…

Before heading to lunch we stopped at the Trunk Bay lookout and it was the most gorgeous view. Proceed to the photo! We had the BEST lunch at Hillside Terrace Bar and Restaurant. Talk about authentic island cuisine, I had mutton, dumplings, plantains and fungi. I honestly cannot wait to get back there. We visited Mongoose Junction, the premier Shopping & Dining destination before we headed back to St. Thomas. I like being able to island hop when traveling. If the British Virgin Islands were open, I would have visited Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Yost Van Dyke. I like the baths and cannot wait to get back!

Trunk Bay Overlook
Shopping: Rainbow Tanzanite Jewelry
Shopping: Pandora Travel Charms

Welp, I had an exciting seven days and six nights! On day seven, I went to Beverly’s on Main Street to shop and buy duty-free alcohol to bring back home. I usually focus on liquors that are not available here. They also have a nice selection of jewelry for reasonable pricing, so I bought a rainbow tanzanite ring that I am absolutely in love with and it matches my Apple Watch Band. I also went to Pandora located at Havensight to purchase a destination charm for my travel bracelet. Every time I travel, I look for a Pandora so I can add a destination charm to my travel bracelet. I did not get used to the no tax thing, my entire trip. I kept paying for things and weirded out that that there’s NO TAX!

St. Thomas Wall Art

I had the best time in St. Thomas USVI, and I cannot wait to get back! I have so much more to do and explore. I knocked out a good chunk of my list but, there is much more…

What Traveling During Covid-19 Looks Like

I will say that I have traveled a few times during this pandemic, however I did not fly anywhere until recently. Eased into taking a few road trips and driving to my destinations. In May 2020 I went to Savannah Georgia and visited the beach. In June I went to Grandfather Mountain North Carolina and had the best time. I recently decided to book a trip to St. Thomas USVI for New Year’s Eve and everything went seamlessly. In preparation for the trip, I had to take a COVID-19 test within five days of travel and have a negative result. I also had to do a pre-screening on the Virgin Islands Travel Portal and get approval to travel.

I flew Delta going to St. Thomas and felt very safe due to all the safety precautions that were being taken. In the terminal they promote social distancing and block off every other seat, so you are never sitting next to anyone. Once you enter the plane, they give you a Purell hand sanitizing wipe so you can wipe down your personal area. The middle seats are blocked off and you are never sitting directly next to anyone. You must wear your mask the entire flight except for when you are eating or drinking. Luckily I got a whole row to myself and took the window seat. The isle seat is what I initially paid for. I spread out and propped my leg up to get comfortable and that is exactly how I flew and even got a nap in!

The plane is cleaned and disinfected in between flights and they offer you hand sanitizer and sanitizing cloths throughout the flight. I had my own bottle of Purell hand sanitizer on me. You get a snack while in fight, it is in a plastic bag with the traditional Biscoff cookies, crackers, bottled water, napkins and hand sanitizer. The flight was smooth and seemed to go by quickly. Once I landed in St. Thomas, I had to line up in order to go through their COVID-19 screening requirements once you deplane. You are greeted by the military and medical personnel in hazmat suits. Your temperature is immediately taken.

Once they have taken your temperature you need to have your documents ready that show your negative COVID-19 test results along with the travel portal approval email. After you get through that part, you are greeted in the airport and offered a mask and hand sanitizing wipes in a small United States Virgin Islands tote bag. Then you are free to meet up with your family, friends or take a taxi to your hotel, resort or personal residence. Full transparency, I went and settled in and headed straight to a restaurant for a cocktail. My first cocktail of the trip was Rum Punch, and it was DELICIOUS!

St. Thomas has COVID-19 rules in place to promote safety when out and about. You must always wear your mask in public places especially when they are heavy traffic areas. Most establishments will not allow you to enter or serve you without a mask on. If you are at a restaurant or bar you can take off your mask once seated. If you are standing in a bar or restaurant, your mask must remain on until you are seated at a table. Most bars are open, but you cannot sit at the bar. You will be seated at a table and a server will wait on you. You cannot order directly at the bar due to restrictions.

Most restaurants and bars will do last call in between 11:00-11:30pm Midnight is the cutoff for serving alcohol and most places will start to shut down. Police and Security are patrolling the streets to make sure establishments are adhering to the laws or they will be fined and can ultimately be shut down for not following the rules. Honestly, I have never felt this safe traveling and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Traveling is a personal choice, and I chose to travel because I go out into the world daily to work and must take these same precautions. It is all in your comfort level and the precautions you take.

St. Thomas has their set of rules that you must follow when visiting, and I had no issues with any of them. I will share my experience visiting St. Thomas and St. John real soon. So, Stay Tuned…

Have you traveled anywhere during COVID-19? How did you feel, and would you do it again?     

Rosé All Day at Seasons 52

I recently had the opportunity to experience the Seasons 52 Summer Menu paired perfectly with Rose cocktails. The menu changes with the season and I can really appreciate that. My reservation was for 7:00pm and it turned into a Girls Night Out! My sister and one of my close friends joined me. They are both “Foodies” and LOVE a good wine. The Summer menu looked so delicious. The Rose menu looked enjoyable and we all settled on the Rosé Sangria.

It includes Rosé, honey-lavender syrup and a splash of soda. The Rosé Sangria was so refreshing, and the presentation was beautiful. Garnished with lavender and a lemon wedge. I’ve never been able to have Sangria due to some of my food sensitivities and how they soak the fruit, so this made my day. I also LOVE lavender so when I saw it on the menu it was an easy decision to make. We browsed over the menu for a moment to decide on an appetizer and entrees.

Zach, our server was very informative and patient with us and our never-ending questions. We started with the Roasted Tomato Flatbread. It was so flavorful, we just wanted more! The Roasted Tomato Flatbread is mozzarella, parmesan and basil. (520 cal) Everything looked so good and I opted to get the Bistro Steak (medium-well) for my entrée. (460 cal) It’s prime sirloin, roasted green beans, marble potatoes and red wine sauce. My sister Laing ordered the Wood-Grilled Filet Mignon. (440 cal)

That entrée came with roasted mushrooms, green beans and Yukon mash with red wine sauce. My friend Tee ordered the Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon served with Seasonal Vegetables (Summer Squash, Toybox Tomatoes, Onion & Green Beans). It’s on the menu for a limited time. Everything was plated beautifully. It’s funny because we were taking pictures of everything before we ate it and Zach would come to check on us and we hadn’t tasted our food yet. Living that authentic food blogger lifestyle! Ha!

Seasons 52 gives you 100% fresh all the time. You can taste the freshness and wood fired grill in your selections. We also got a chance to taste the Ahi Tuna Tartare compliments of the chef, which is handline tuna, wasabi-avocado mousse and tropical salsa. (480 cal) It was DELICIOUS! I don’t usually count calories but, I like the fact that everything has the calories listed on the menu. It’s great for those who do count calories. After our first round of Rosé Sangria, we had to get another! It was so GOOD!

Seasons 52 is a great dining choice for American Cuisine paired with a variety of wines. You have a choice to order by the bottle or glass. It’s a chic and upscale yet relaxed setting with an amazing staff! The Raleigh location is conveniently nestled at Crabtree Valley Mall. They are open daily for lunch and dinner while brunch is available on Sundays. They also have happy hour Monday-Friday for specialty small plates and flatbreads alongside wine, beer and cocktails.

Restaurant week is around the corner July 19th-August 18th. For a limited time, you can experience a three-course meal of fresh seasonal offerings at a great price. Don’t wait to make your reservation.

Disclosure: I was hosted by Seasons 52 to preview their seasonal Summer menu. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and completely my own. #RoseAllDay All Summer Long! #Hosted

Rosé All Day All Summer at Seasons 52!

You Don’t Want to Miss the 2019 NC InflueNCe Meet-Up

I’m excited about the first of many NC InflueNCe Meet-Ups. It will take place on Saturday June 29th at Provident 1898 in Durham, NC. InflueNCe is a one-day blogger/influencer intensive with two panels on social media monetization and pitching brands for partnerships. It will be a day of learning, networking and growing your brand by learning from eight successful panelists who will share their experiences and journey with you. Also, giving you actionable steps to level up!

Yours Truly will be on the “Pitches Get Riches” Panel where I will share how I prepare myself before reaching out to a brand and the step by step process until the actual pitch. I’ll also share the importance of following up with a brand until you get a NO, which most of the time means NOT RIGHT NOW! Lunch will be provided and there will be an after-hours mixer at Unscripted Durham, so we can wind down from a long day of intensive learning.

NC InflueNCe tickets are going fast! Get yours before they’re gone! https://www.tinyurl.com/y3t9gv5c #InflueNCe2019 Click To Tweet

Tickets are going fast! Get yours before they’re gone! The ticket price is less than a one-hour consultation with one of the panelists and you get a whole day with eight of them! Seriously speaking, MY hourly consultation fee is almost double the InflueNCe ticket price. So, let’s put into perspective that you get eight successful panelists that are sharing valuable information with takeaways from 9am-4pm. That’s a no brainer to me!

Leading up to the InflueNCe Meet-Up, The Lux Blog will be scheduling LIVE Facebook and Instagram Interviews with the panelists s that you can learn some more about them before the meet-up and what you can expect on that day. If you haven’t already… Like and or Follow The Lux Blog on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all things NC InflueNCe and catch the LIVE interviews. I hope you’ll join us! I can’t wait to see everyone and spill the beans on pitching and making Shmoney!

Will I see you at the 2019 NC InflueNCe Meet-Up?

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!