Full Moon in St. Croix

For the past couple of nights, the full moon has lit the sky so bright making everything glow with a silver aura that is pure magic. As is the tradition here in St. Croix, this weekend offers plenty of full moon celebrations to pick from. Most beach restaurants host full moon parties that are serious fun. Or if you time it right, you can go over to Point Udall, which is the easternmost point of the island (and the U.S.), and watch the moon rise over the water. I got to see the moon rise at Pt. Udall a year ago and it took my breath away. As the moon cleared the horizon it was so huge that we were dwarfed, and so bright that you could see with the naked eye the moon craters in fine detail.

Of the many activities, tonight we've selected a moonlight hike to the Ham's Bluff lighthouse, located on the northwest end of the island. Our guide is Olasee Davis, a renowned ecologist who is a walking encyclopedia about the history, culture, ecology, botany and conservation of St. Croix. I'm looking forward to this hike.

Tomorrow we'll attend a full moon party at Rainbow Beach with Kurt Schindler, our favorite island musician. From his website (www.kbschindler.com) bio: "Noted for his live show which consists of him playing numerous instruments. He may start off with the guitar rhythm track, and then add a bass line, then some mouth percussion, vocals, flute, dijereedoo, etc. All of this is done live with nothing ever pre-recorded to the amazement of the audience." He does amaze and pack the house. There's a very strong flamenco influence in his guitar playing which makes his songs irresistible, so the dance floor is always hopping with people of all ages.

A few months ago during a full moon party at another west-end beach bar, we got to see the simultaneous feat of the sun setting over the ocean and the moon rising over the hills, all flawlessly coreographed to the rhythm of Kurt's flamenco guitar. It was the best show I've seen yet.