Sprat Hall Plantation - St. Croix, USVI

A visit to Sprat Hall is like a vacation at someone's home, an event just right for those who will enjoy staying at a rambling old plantation house in the rural region outside Frederiksted.

More modern rooms and cottages spread out over the 20-acre estate, but the antique-filled guest rooms in the great house where owner Joyce Hurd was born are the plums. Some have four poster beds. All are filled with lovely old mahogany pieces that reflect an era long-gone. One
room is wheelchair accessible. Most of the rooms have air-conditioning and a television. If those amenities are important, ask for them when you make your reservation.

Joyce delivers fresh muffins and coffee to your room and the dining room where she serves dinner by request only has tables covered with hand-crocheted cloths. Family pictures dot the sideboards.

This is a place to relax with a good book or take a walk along the long stretch of beach located a good hike down a gentle hill. You can rent horses at the adjacent Jill's Equestrian Stables for easy rides through the nearby rain forest.

Ambitious vacationers will enjoy long treks along the flat main road that stretches past Sprat Hall. It runs from Frederiksted to Hamm's Bluff, both a good walk away best done in the cool of the morning. The road runs along the ocean, and it's easy to jump in for a swim.

If you plan on any exploring outside of the Sprat Hall area, either by yourself or with the eclectic collection of people who venture to this very special place, you'll need to rent a car.

When you're driving, Frederiksted is only a few minutes away. St. Croix's second town has several nice restaurants. Try the Blue Moon on Strand Street for interesting fare like luna pie - a phyllo pastry filled with tasty chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce. There's a few shops, an old fort that served as the centerpiece when slavery ended in 1848, and couple of historic churches, and a lovely waterfront walk to enjoy. The island's major town, Christiansted, is a good half-hour from
Sprat Hall, but definitely worth a stop when you're out exploring.