Oh, I'm sorry. Does your perfect day not involve lounging on a beach chair positioned precisely under a palm tree and munching on junk food while sipping rum cocktails?
Well mine sure as hell does.
Our recent unexpected trip to St. Croix was simply chock full of surprises. There's an uncomfortable freedom that comes when your type A personality is asked to take a five while someone else does all the planning for you. Flights, hotel, events all plotted out by someone else. It's forced trust. And it's kind of exhilarating, though more than a bit unsettling.
After a somewhat harrowing taxi ride from the airport, we turned onto the long, palm-lined driveway of The Buccaneer, and we knew we were in for a treat. With the large main house, golf course, tennis courts, scattering of oceanside rooms, beaches, and pathways, it immediately reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing - Sous Chef and I stayed there last year and enthralled in its sprawling yet simple vibe - but with way less pine trees and way more sand.
We were greeted with a complimentary rum punch that, thanks to a full day's worth of travel, went straight to my head. We excitedly made our way down to the beach, though the cafe was already shut down for the day and the darkening beach was quiet. After a quick dinner in the lounge (and the discovery of Pain Killers), we were ready for bed.
The next morning we quickly staked out some prime beach real estate, moving a couple of chairs into a little nook sheltered by palm trees on three sides. There's just something magical about sitting underneath a tree, be it maple, sycamore, oak, or a tropical cousin. It's like nature is giving you a hug.
After that, we only had two decisions left: what to do and what to eat. The "doing" ended up being a melange of relaxing activities: crossword puzzles, music, beach walks, novels propped up on knees and closing our eyes and just breathing.
What to eat? That was a whole other ball game - complete with hot dogs, I might add.
What do you normally eat on vacation? Do you try to stick with your diet and only indulge periodically? Or do you throw in the towel and go whole hug until you're nearly bursting with sugar and saturated fat? If you're me, you go somewhere in the middle - you just eat what looks good.
On this particular day, that meant cubano sliders - ham and pulled pork, melted Fontina cheese, and a tangy mustard relish served on a mini brioche bun - and a hot dog topped with guacamole, bacon, and roasted red peppers. With cocktails on the side, of course.
I'm pretty sure my insides had no idea what to do with the onslaught of fat- and sugar-laden calories. But my head sure did:
Just take it all in and enjoy.
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