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B M & T ••• January/February 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 42 The Buccaneer sits on 340 acres and features an 18-hole golf course, three beaches, a water sports center and 138 spacious guest rooms, all offering expansive terraces or balconies with sea and island views. Its hill- top main building is the place where American statesman Alexander Hamilton lived as a child. The illegitimate son of James Hamilton (of a prominent Scottish family) and Rachel Faucett Laven (daughter of a doc- tor-planter on Nevis and the estranged wife of a me rchant), Hamilton and his brother lived with their parents in the main hotel when his father came to collect a debt owned by a firm in St. Kitts. When Hamilton became the first Secretary of the Treasury, he would write of the happy days that he spent at Estate Shoys, The Buccaneer's official name. The Buccaneer is owned by the Armstrong family who came to St. Croix from Scotland and England nearly 300 years ago, and if vis- iting, be sure to meet Elizabeth Armstrong, the general man ager, who is the ninth generation of Armstrongs on St. Croix. Personable and charming, Armstrong personally hosts a cocktail reception for guests each Tuesday and will beguile you with stories of The Buccaneer's storied history. If planning a meeting, check out The Buccaneer's Beach Meeting Room which seats 80 theatre-style and 50 classroom style, or The Brass Parrot Room, offering spectacular views and which seats 100 inside and 60 more on the balcony. Other meeting spaces include The Mermaid room which seats 125 in a beachfront setting and The Golf Pro Shop Veranda for after golf gatherings and casual awards parties. Additionally, a must-see is the resort's luxury Beach House at Whistle Point which debuted this year, located on private Whistle Beach. Our group dined at the six-bedroom enclave, which features a manor house, two cottages and a villa. With stunning sunset vistas and a view of Buck Island Reef National Monument, the Beach House is a perfect setting for family reunions, wedding parties and corporate retreats. On my second day, I took in the resort's pristine beach and received Mockie Jumbie lessons from native son Willard John. John teaches the art of stiltwalking, based in West African religious origins, but now used to entertain. A trip later to downtown St. Croix helped to sort out the island's com- plex history, and I was delighted with the history lesson that I received. During a one-hour walking tour, National Park Service interpretive ranger Benito Vega Jr. captivated my group with a summary of the early beginnings of St. Croix, and artfully explained the influence of seven countries on the island. Engaging and knowledgeable, Vega noted that the Danes, for example, kept excellent records, therefore much is known about the fate of many Africans and their descendants, including the Maroons who revolted against slavery and fled to the mountains. If visiting, stop by The Scale House and see the actual scale where slaves were weighed when they were taken off ships, and visit the local fort that protected the island. You also can explore several churches and see impressive architecture influenced by the Danes, known for enforc- ing strong building codes. Following my tour, I stopped for lunch at the Palms at Pelican Cove, a lovely award-winning beachfront hotel with a family atmos- phere. Surrounded by coconut palms and tropical flowers, The Palms offers 41 rooms and a conference and banquet room that can seat over 100. Recently, St. Croix has hosted several groups of 200 or more, and for large groups, the Diva Carina Bay Resort and Casino offers one of the largest meeting spaces on St. Croix, With 6,301 sq. ft. of interior space and 2,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space for meetings and events. The all-inclu- sive property has 180 spacious beachfront guest rooms, featuring chic decors and tropical elegance. St. Croix is blessed by beautiful turquoise water, and a highlight of my visit was a half-day sail on the catamaran, Renegade, owned by Big Beard's Adventures. The sail includes a stop for snorkeling and a barbecue beach party on Buck Island Reef National Monument, established by a Presidential proclamation in 1961 and expanded in 2001. The procla- mation preserves one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea and is a nesting habitat for the hawksbill, green and leatherback sea tur- tles. I later checked into the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort and Buccaneer Golf Course •pg_40-45__BMT_pg3-58 2/27/14 4:55 PM Page 42