Patio view at Sand Castle on the Beach

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

Think about the last time you vacationed at the beach — the warm weather, the soothing sound of waves lapping against the sand, a frothy frozen drink in your hand and a relaxed smile on your face as you and your girlfriend watched the Technicolor sunset.

Chances are at some point during that idyllic existence the two of you entertained the fantasy of leaving the daily grind in the dust, buying a business at the beach and living the lesbian dream full-time. More than likely, that fantasy was shattered as you reluctantly packed your bags at the end of the week and hopped a flight back home.

Well, meet Sheryl Smith and Simone Palmer — the women who made that universal fantasy their personal reality. The couple turned a St. Croix vacation into their very own lifelong Caribbean adventure when they purchased Sand Castle on The Beach, one of the first LGBT-owned beachfront properties in the Caribbean.

The venture began in 1999 when the couple escaped the harsh northeast winter to the tropical beauty of St. Croix. Enchanted by the incredible natural beauty of the island and charmed by the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, Smith and Palmer let their imaginations soar when they saw a real estate broker showing Sand Castle on the Beach, a late 1960s property renowned for both its title as the original Caribbean gay resort and its design by noted U.S. architect Richard Macdonald. The entrepreneurial seed was planted as the couple toured the gorgeous beachfront oasis and dreamed of owning and operating the resort full-time.

Dreams — especially those that involve uprooting one’s life, purchasing a resort and moving thousands of miles — aren’t realized overnight, but after substantial deliberation and negotiation the couple signed on in 2001 to purchase Sand Castle on the Beach. The resort opened under its new, hands-on ownership in January 2002 and one year later the complementary Beach Side Café began serving its award-winning fare.

Lesbian.com talked with Smith and Palmer about their stunning St. Croix property.

Congratulations on a successful 12 years with Sand Castle on the Beach! Please tell us about the accommodations at your resplendent resort.

Sand Castle on the Beach can accommodate over 40 guests in our 21 individual accommodations. Dolphin Villa is an exquisite 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom beachfront villa. We also have two 1-bedroom villas, five sea view suites, two garden view suites, three garden studios with balconies and eight economy “no frills” rooms for the more frugal traveler. Several of the economy rooms can be opened to include a full kitchen and living room space, as well.

What types of activities are available on-site at the resort?

We have something for every activity level. For the more adventurous types we offer kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving. For those looking to relax, we offer yoga, Ai Chi and, of course, the classic vacation favorites floating in the pool and reading in a hammock.

We also offer massage therapy for those seeking instant stress reduction and a fitness center with one-on-one personal wellness training.

The beach is replete with sea glass and seashells for those who enjoy collecting the treasures as they stroll the seemingly endless miles of beach. And diving, paddle boarding, jet skiing, hiking trails and horseback riding are all within a half-mile of the resort.

The Beach Side Café also offers live music every Saturday night, wine tastings with small plates on the second Friday of each month and imported beer tastings with food pairings on the last Friday of the month. The Iguana Lounge features a refreshing selection of frozen tropical refreshments, a wide array of world-class beers and an affordable wine list honored with the 2012 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Finally, of course, a romantic dinner on the beach is a favorite for many of our guests.

For those who have not previously visited St. Croix, what time of year would you recommend making the trip?

Any time of year is wonderful with the possible exception of mid-September through October when the Café and many of the island’s attractions are closed for the annual vacation. And for those looking for seclusion, Easter week might be a bit much, though those who enjoy a Mardis Gras atmosphere with camping on the beaches would love it.

What would you say makes your location unique?

The intimacy of the venue and the relaxed atmosphere provide the time and space to unwind without pretense. The island is amazingly welcoming – people congregate on the beach in the evening to watch the spectacular sunsets, providing an environment to make new friends or foster lasting friendships. Many of our guests return year after year to rekindle these friendships in the serene Sand Castle on the Beach environment.

Are you running any 2014 specials you’d like our readers to know about?

Yes! We’re very excited to introduce Lesbian.com’s readers to our little piece of paradise in the Caribbean so for those who book directly with Sand Castle on the Beach, we’ll apply a 15% discount off the room rates for 2014. Just use code Lesbian.com2014 at booking to get the discount.

For more information on Sand Castle on the Beach, visit www.sandcastleonthebeach.com or call 1-800-524-2018. And be sure to check out their beach cam, too.

The post Sand Castle on the Beach: A lesbian vacation dream come true first appeared on Lesbian.com.

If you’re among the millions who have been entrenched in the chilling effects of the Polar Vortex for the last several weeks, you may be daydreaming of a warm weather getaway. Recently, as the snow piled up on the deck and the temperature topped out in the single digits, I found myself doing just that. Anxious to convert that daydream into a mid-winter escape reality, I took to the internet to do a little research and discovered the best kept secret in the Caribbean – Sand Castle on the Beach in St. Croix.

Sand Castle on the Beach, a late-1960s property designed by renowned architect Richard Macdonald, is one of the first LGBT-owned beachfront properties in the Caribbean. The intimate venue can host approximately 40 guests in 21 individual accommodations, ranging from the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Dolphin Villa to a handful of sea view suites to several “no frills” rooms for the more frugal traveler.

The venue offers an array of enticing pursuits for every activity level, both onsite and within a convenient half-mile radius of the resort. For those looking to relax, Sand Castle on the Beach offers massage, yoga, Ai Chi and, of course, those classic vacation favorites – floating in the pool and reading in a hammock. For the more active vacationer, diving, paddle boarding, jet skiing, hiking, horseback riding or strolling the seemingly endless miles of beach collecting sea glass or shells are all conveniently available.

Adding to the luster of Sand Castle on the Beach is their Beach Side Cafe, which offers live music every Saturday night, wine tastings with small plates on the second Friday of each month and imported beer tastings with food pairings on the last Friday of the month. The accompanying Iguana Lounge features a refreshing selection of frozen tropical refreshments, a wide array of world-class beers and an affordable wine list honored with the 2012 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

St. Croix is known as a welcoming Caribbean destination and if you check Sand Castle’s beach cam at the right time, you will find visitors mingling on the beach each evening to enjoy the spectacular sunset together. The island offers spectacular weather year-round, though I learned you may want to avoid vacationing there during the annual holiday period from mid-September through October when the Cafe and many of the island’s attractions are closed.

For more information on Sand Castle on the Beach, visit www.sandcastleonthebeach.com or call 1-800-524-2018. Use promo code Lesbian2014 to receive a 15 percent room discount when booking directly through Sand Castle on the Beach and be sure to enter Lesbian.com’s exclusive Sand Castle on the Beach vacation giveaway.

The post St. Croix’s best kept secret: Sand Castle on the Beach first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Take your sweetheart on a romantic getaway to a lesbian-owned-and-operated resort in the heart of the sunny Caribbean.

Enter to win a complimentary three-night stay at Sand Castle on the Beach’s waterfront resort in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Our giveaway ends March 12, 2014. Only one entry per household. Round trip airfare, food and other expenses are not included. Winners will be notified by email, so give us a valid one, if you want to win.

ELIGIBILITY
• Entrants must be 21 years of age or older.
• Entrants must reside in the continental United States.
• No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Please see restriction details below.

Complete terms and conditions below.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions apply. One entry per household. You need not be present to win. Airfare, ground transportation, food, beverages and other expenses are not included and are the responsibility of the winner. Prize has no equivalent cash value. Prize is non-transferable.

From February 10, 2014, to March 12, 2014, Lesbian Ventures Inc. dba Lesbian.com, in partnership with Sand Castle on the Beach will promote via Lesbian.com and its social network the opportunity to submit an entry to win the prize detailed below.

ELIGIBILITY
Entrants must be 21 years old or older and reside in the continental United States. Any individuals (including but not limited to employees, consultants, independent contractors and interns) who have performed services for Lesbian Ventures, Inc., within the past six months, or any organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the contest or supplying the prize, and/or their respective parent, subsidiary, affiliated and successor companies, and immediate family and household members of such individuals, are not eligible to enter. “Immediate family members” means parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings or spouses. “Household members” means people who share the same residence at least three months in one calendar year.

HOW TO ENTER
Complete official registration entry above before 11:59pm on March 12, 2014. All Giveaway entries become the property of Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach and may be used by Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach for any purpose and in any media in perpetuity.

HOW TO WIN
The winner will be selected in a random drawing conducted from all qualified entries received by March 12, 2014. In the event that the original winner does not meet official rules or eligibility requirements, or he/she or parent or legal guardian forfeits the prize, Lesbian Ventures, Inc., will award prize to first alternate. Process will continue until prize is awarded.

All entries must be received on or before 11:59pm on March 12, 2014. The selection will be held the week of April 1, 2014. The winner will be notified by phone and/or email. Winner must provide proof that he or she meets the eligibility requirements outlined in these terms and conditions.

By entering, each entrant agrees to be bound by the rules. Lesbian Ventures Inc. and its promotional agents and sweepstakes co-sponsors are not responsible for illegible, lost, delayed or misdirected mail, errors in faxes or shipments, busy phone signals or incomplete entries.

PRIZE
One grand prize winner will receive a three-night stay at Sand Castle on the Beach in a partial ocean view or ocean view room. The resort is located in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Winner must claim prize and travel within one year of notification of prize. This prize has no equivalent cash value.

Prize is non-transferable. There may be no cash or other substitutions of prizes by winner. However, Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach reserve the right to substitute similar prizes of equal or greater value in the event the above prize is unavailable for any reason. Individual is solely responsible for all applicable federal, state and local taxes with respect to entire prize.

Winner must sign an affidavit of eligibility, release and indemnification form that releases, indemnifies and holds harmless Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach, its parent, affiliated, subsidiary and successor companies, and its respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives, advertising agencies and promotional sponsors from and against any and all harm, expense, liability or injury that may be sustained relating to or arising from participation in the sweepstakes or acceptance or use of the prize; and authorizes the release to use the winner’s name, likenesses, photographs, voices and biographical data for any purpose, in any media, unless prohibited by law.

Prize will not be released until Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach receive all required documents. Failure of grand prize winner to return the forms within the required timeframe will result in automatic forfeiture of prize and prize shall be awarded to an alternate winner. In the event of prize forfeiture, the winner will sign a prize forfeit form and return to Lesbian Ventures Inc. within ten (10) days of receiving the forfeit form.

UNFORESEEN EVENTS
Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach reserve the right to change this sweepstakes at any time for any reason that Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach determines. Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach reserve the right to announce any giveaway rules changes in print and online. Lesbian Ventures Inc. and Sand Castle on the Beach are not responsible for the inability of the winner to accept the prize for any reason.

The post Win a romantic holiday for two in the Virgin Islands first appeared on Lesbian.com.