Although Altoona Lagoon does not normally come to mind when recommending the great beaches of St. Croix, we found that it is really quite a special place. We met Susanna, the lady who's responsible for all the lovely trees and flowers planted throughtout the lagoon area. She was wheeling her wheelbarrow full of new plants, on her way to the garden she's also maintaining at the end of the beach. She stopped to talk to us and tell us about the progress of the huge planting project she'd taken on when she'd retired back in the 90's. She said she's happy to be doing something worthwhile for the people of St. Croix to enjoy. ... and enjoy it we did. As we spent our morning painting, we savored the great views, some of us captivated by Christiansted and the harbor, others by the radio tower on the bluff extending into the sea. We were charmed by the gentle lapping of the sea as it hit the shore a few feet away, and cooled by the shadows created by the pavillion and trees. We watched as the Roseway set sail with it's group of students on board, and then returned a little while later, only to set out again with a new group. A few sailboats tacked past us on their way to Buck Island and a few other boats made their way through the channel heading out to sea. We were all happy with our painting results and, yes, we will return to Altoona once again when the "winter people" are with us!
Ginger
