Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
Sage Mountain National Park
PARK
(Ridge Rd; admission $3; sunrise-sunset)
At 1716 feet, Sage Mountain rises higher
than any other peak in the Virgin Islands. Seven trails crisscross the 92-acre park, including
the main trail that leaves from the car park and moseys up through a pseudo rainforest. A
sign showing all the routes is at the trailhead.
The park is not a rainforest in the true sense because it receives less than 100 inches of
rain a year. However, the lush area possesses many of the characteristics of one and offers
cooling breezes and spectacular vistas of both the US and British Virgin Islands. Travelers
should keep an eye out for the 20-foot-tall fern trees that have not changed since the days
of the dinosaurs. Hummingbirds, kestrels and martins are a few of the birds you may see.
Allow two hours for your rambles. The Mountain View restaurant at the trailhead is good
for post-trek refreshment.
To get here, start in Carrot Bay and follow the Windy Hill Rd to a four-way stop. Turn
right and you're on Ridge Rd, which will take you to the turnoff for Sage Mountain Rd.
Callwood Rum Distillery
DISTILLERY
(Cane Garden Bay; admission $2; 7:30am-5pm)
Just off the North Coast Rd at the
west end of Cane Garden Bay stands a stone plantation building dating back more than
300 years. The Callwood family has been producing rum here for generations, using cop-
per vats and wooden aging casks in much the same fashion as they have for centuries. A
small store sells the delicious local liquor and offers tours through the atmospheric struc-
ture (highly recommended). The distillery is the oldest continuously operated one in the
Eastern Caribbean.
North Shore Shell Museum
MUSEUM
(Carrot Bay; admission free but donation requested; varies)
It's more of a folk art
gallery/junk shop than museum, but it's funky by whatever name you call it. It has so many
shells it looks like it was built from a mound of beached conch. The hours vary depending
on when the proprietor, Egbert Donovan, is around to show you through. He'll also encour-
age you to buy something or to eat in the upstairs restaurant.
