The Natural Wonders Of Our St Croix Villa Rental
April 30, 2012
We never cease to be amazed at how beautiful Sugar Bay House, our rental villa in St Croix is! Many times the beauty comes from the natural wonders that surround us: the beautiful ocean and bay views, the brilliant turquoise color of the sea, the caressing of the tropical breezes, the vast number of twinkling stars in the night sky, the moon rising and shining a direct luminescent path across the bay below to our house, the magnificent orange sunrises, the birds, the flowers and last but not least the beautiful rainbows! Oh and by the way, the house is beautiful too but it is so enhanced by all these priceless 
natural wonders that surround us and that help make our st croix vacation rental such an amazing place to be.
Like this:
Weddings At Sugar Bay House, One of the Best St Croix Villa Rentals
November 19, 2010
Some of our guests who are coincidentally returning to Sugar Bay House, St Croix for a third time, recently shared some of their wedding photos with us and we thought that you too might like to see how Sugar Bay House, one of the
Get married in paradise!
best St Croix villa rentals could be used for a small romantic
The wedding party
wedding or any other celebratory event.
As owners we too have celebrated many occasions in the 23 years that we have owned the house. The outdoor living area around the pool just makes a party especially when the stars are twinkling above and the warm trade winds are gently blowing. It brings back so many happy memories with friends and family.
The beautiful bride
Many thanks to the Klines for sharing the photos of their wonderful family.
Beautiful Flora Abounds At Sugar Bay House
February 27, 2009
What Colors!
As I mentioned in the last blog entry, there is nothing so stress relieving as being surrounded by beautiful nature. The attached photo shows just one of the gorgeous types of flower that grow in the grounds of Sugar Bay House. The colors are just amazing especially when contrasted with the blue of the sky!
The flowers are also there for picking and we regularly have vases of bougainvillea around the house, to bring the outside in.
Also a tip if you love Hibiscus! They don’t last very long once picked but the more you pick, the more the flowers abound. However, if you put an open flower in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator then they will last much longer. This is especially great if you want to fill a hurricane lamp with them to create a wonderful candlelight display.
We love to experiment with the flowers at Sugar Bay House and the joy is that everything grows so quickly with just a little bit of water.
So if you go to Sugar Bay House, please pick the flowers and enjoy! Check us out at www.sugarbayhouse.com
How Beautiful Is The World At Sugar Bay House!
February 20, 2009
Peter our property manager recently sent me this glorious photo of sunrise at Sugar Bay House and it reminded me of all the natural beauty that surrounds us there.
Just One of Many Beautiful Sunrises at Sugar Bay House, St Croix
At times like we are all living through right now, we find being surrounded by such natural beauty soothing, a stress reliever that helps us think more clearly.
It also puts into perspective what is really important: health, loved ones, family friends and memories of simply being together. Why not experience this for yourselves? You can see more of this natural beauty by going to www.sugarbayhouse.com.
Decadence In Paradise! Our Outdoor Beds!
February 11, 2009
Until about a year ago, we had “standard” loungers around the pool. These we good quality, stylish and practical but, frankly, boring!
Then we happened to be in Miami and lay on a Queen-sized bed, on the beach which was both comfortable and much less boring! It just felt wonderful to lie on an outdoor bed and just relax.
Subsequently, we over-nighted at the Water Club in Puerto Rico on the way to St Croix and again found an oversized lounger on the roof top there. Truly decadent!
That was enough. With the help of a local carpenter on St Croix, we designed a hard wood bed frame which was about a Queen size. Then, we enlisted the local craftspeople to make gushy, outdoor mattresses and cushions that are quick drying.
The result we now have three decadent outdoor beds around our pool with one of them covered with a roof to provide a shady spot for reading or just sleeping!
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Trust us, as the markets crash, the economy tanks, there is nothing more stress relieving or decadent as lying out on one of these at night, with a cold drink in your hand looking up at the stars. You might even find yourself waking up in the morning as the sun rises!
Check it out at www.sugarbayhouse.com
Imagine yourself reading or just sleeping here!
Beach Picnics, Sugar Bay House Style!
February 4, 2009
A beach picnic, Sugar Bay House style!
As you have already probably gathered, my husband and I love to eat!! And one of our favorite ways to spend a day is to organize a beach picnic with great friends.
As part of my husband’s big birthday celebrations we actually had a picnic catered on the beach with steel drum music playing in the background. Bottom line, for us a trip to Sugar Bay House St Croix is not the same without a beach picnic.
Now this does n’t always have to be a big fancy affair. Frequently it might just be the four of us or even just the two of us. We just grab the portable charcoal grill we keep at the house, some beach chairs, the cooler, a pitcher of rum punches or a six pack of beers and head to the beach.
One of our favorite things to grill is marinated chicken. We just put some chicken in a plastic bag with some Italian dressing, throw it in the cooler together with some left over curried rice salad and some plantain chips and we have a great lunch. If we’re feeling particularly indulgent (which we usually do) then we will also throw in a bottle of cold white wine! Food has never tasted as good as when you have been swimming in gorgeous blue waters and sunning yourself quietly on a beautiful secluded beach!
Our favorite beach for a picnic is Shoys. This is a beautiful sandy beach that is never crowded and there is shade provided by the sea grapes that run the length of it.
We set up the grill in the shade, spread out a bright table cloth and spend the day in heaven.
Sound tempting? Well why not do the same when you rent our home which has all the equipment you need. Check it out at www. sugarbayhouse.com
A Cocktail For All Seasons
January 15, 2009
Enjoy one of Harry's Special Cocktails From Our Open Bar!
St Croix has a huge variety of liquors from all over the world which are available at the supermarkets and liquor stores at low, low prices and as a result my husband has become quite the mixologist.
So much so that when we celebrated a big birthday at the house (see previous blog entry!) he created a special cocktail for each guest that was a reflection of their personality and favorite tastes.
The full list of guests and cocktails is bound in a book in Harry’s Bar together with some individualized Sugar Bay House cocktail shakers. Here are some examples
The Berylissimo
(Beryl Ball)
2 oz. Mango nectar
½ oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Cream of Coconut
Dash of Grenadine
A non-alcoholic creamy, tropical drink
1. Fill shaker with ice
2. Add Mango Nectar, Pineapple Juice and Grenadine
3. Shake well
4. Add Cream of Coconut
5. Shake
6. Poor into tall glass
The Hughie
(Hugh Hoare-Ward)
¾ oz. Gin
¾ oz. Dry Vermouth
½ oz. Sweet Vermouth
½ oz. Orange Juice
A healthy martini-like drink
1. Fill shaker with ice
2. Add Gin, Vermouth and Orange Juice
3. Shake well
4. Strain into martini glass
5. Garnish with a slice or orange or an olive
The Fizzy D
(Dougin Walker)
2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Peach Schnapps
1 oz. Champagne
2 oz. Orange Juice
A sparking Orangina with a kick
1. Fill shaker with ice
2. Add Vodka, Peach Schnapps and Orange Juice
3. Shake well
4. Strain into champagne glass
5. Top up with Champagne
So if you visit Sugar Bay House ( check out our website at www.sugarbayhouse.com) , don’t forget to take advantage of our open bar and try a few of these that might be to your personality and tastes!
Harry’s Big Birthday!
January 6, 2009
Formal Dinner Under the Stars At Sugar Bay House
Sugar Bay House is a wonderful place for a big celebration where friends and family come together. We have owned Sugar Bay House for more than 20 years and have so many great memories of fun times.
Some of the events have been large ( like one of Harry’s big birthdays.. I’m not saying which one though!). Others are small and impromptu and invariably revolve around Harry’s Bar St Croix, the heart and soul of the house.
One of the biggest was a big birthday. We invited friends and family from all over the world and made it a week of celebrations. Our friends stayed in multiple locations, including Gentle Winds and other great vacation rental houses and boy did we have a great time.
We did everything from a great beach barbecue at Shoys to a trip to Buck island to dancing our hearts out on the deck on Sugar Bay House following a fantastic dinner prepared by Kathryn and Frank who used to own Bacchus.
The night was memorable for many things ( including the party ending in the pool.. check out the photos in the albums in the house if you stay at the house!) but perhaps one of the most enduring memories was of the full moon that rose that night and shone a path directly across the bay below to Sugar Bay House. It was an unbelievably beautiful thing and made us feel very blessed as we enjoyed the gorgeous setting with all our friends and family.
Now we are waiting for the next excuse for a celebration! If you are interested in whether Sugar Bay House is right for your celebration, check out our website at www.sugarbayhouse.com for more photos!
Thanksgiving Sugar Bay House, St Croix Style
November 25, 2008
It has become somewhat of a tradition for us to spend a warm Thanksgiving in St Croix and a cold Christmas in New Jersey.
Perhaps because we were not originally American, being raised in England and Australia, we have been able to experiment more than some families can do. After all, we don’t have any recipes that have been passed down through the generations, and which are demanded year after year because they are someone’s favorite and Thanksgiving would not be the same without them.
So how do we spend Thanksgiving Day at Sugar Bay House, St Croix…..
Well always with our boys, some great friends and a good meal.
We will usually relax around the pool most of the day with some great old calypso playing. Harry’s Bar swings into action at about 11am (for some reason we always feel like a frozen margarita about an hour earlier than when we are back in the mainland.. why is that?)
By about 2pm various delicious appetizers start to appear. Examples might include:
Grilled marinated shrimp
Ceviche
Guacamole ( made with local avocados if available)
Tropical fruit bruschetta
And the margaritas or maybe a mojito ( Harry’s Bar head barman, Harry, makes the best!) continue.
At about 4pm we all assemble in the shade of the dining pavilion and attack the main meal. This is the perfect setting as we can watch the comings and goings of the sailboats and kayaks in the bay below. The view is magnificent and the tradewinds cool us gently.
The meal always involves a traditional turkey.. sometimes rotisseried and sometimes just oven roasted, however, it is with the side dishes that we experiment. Somehow the traditional sides seem too heavy in the warm climate and so we might have:
Chilled green beans with red pepper strips
Rice and beans
Mango infused stuffing
Pineapple salsa
Dessert is almost always an apple crisp with a tropical ice cream sprinkled with rum or a liqueur.
By now the sun has set and the stars are shining brightly. If we are really lucky there is a full moon which shines a path across the bay below to Sugar Bay House.
The wine and the conversation flows. We laugh a lot and give thanks for all our blessings as we spend another glorious Thanksgiving in paradise. How lucky we are! You too could enjoy Thanksgiving or any other festive occasion at Sugar Bay House. Check it out at www.sugarbayhouse.com
Sugar Bay House, St Croix: Talk To Us!
November 21, 2008
In the olden days (about 5 years ago!), we relied on the entries in our guest book to get feedback from our guests. However with the advent of new social media technologies (like Facebook and Twitter) which our children have taught – I even now know what a “tweet” is – we realize that they are many additional fun ways to communicate with our guests.
For that reason we now have Sugar Bay House pages on Facebook and Twitter. Why not become a fan (on Facebook) or follow us on Twitter. That way you will easily get all the updates and know what is going on.
Our two sons are our first fans! I would hope so after all they have pretty much grown up having wonderful vacations on St Croix at Sugar Bay House! They learnt how to snorkel there, how to dive, how to race crabs, how to kayak, how to negotiate their own way down to the Marina Bar for breakfast and more importantly how to find the easiest way back up the hill!
So if you would like to record your memories of your stay at Sugar Bay House please do so. Visit out Sugar Bay House pages on both Twitter and Facebook. You can even share any photos of your time at the house, post reviews or simply keep up to date with everything to do with this piece of paradise.
If you would like to see more photos of our house, check it out at www.sugarbayhouse.com.
