Part 1: On the Way There —Annaly Bay / Carambola Tide Pools

After a long car ride to the west end of St. Croix, we were more than ready to hike!

The journey to the tide pools started with some uphill climbing—but don’t worry, uphill comes with rewards. When we were up high, there were plenty of spots to stop, breathe, and feel the breeze ruffling through my handsome fur. Since I’m a small but mighty dude, my human dad even lifted me up a few times so I could enjoy the views. (Perks of being adorable.)

But don’t let the uphill scare you—there’s downhill too! Honestly, it all felt balanced.  just like my daily diet of food, treats, and the greatest delicacy of all… poop. (My humans insist that part should not be in my diet, but I say, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!”).

Anyway, back to the actual blog.

The trail had some remarkable trees growing tall, and several that had fallen across the path. It’s a more challenging hike through the rainforest, so I imagine it’s harder to get equipment in to clear obstacles off the trail. The good news is, my family is resourceful. Even in the trickier spots, my humans used the fallen trees to their advantage. They did the same with roots. The key is figuring out which roots are helpful and which ones are sneaky. My humans call the ones that act like little stairs “helping roots,” and the ones that pop out of nowhere “tripping roots.” Learning the difference is very important when you’re a dog with extremely enthusiastic paws. I like climbing. I especially like climbing up the steeper, rockier edges of the trail. My humans say I look like a mountain goat when I do that. Honestly? I take that as a compliment.

As a pup who spends most of life close to the ground, I notice all the subtle changes in the terrain. This hike was more than roots and rocks. As we got closer to the ocean, the soil shifted and turned lighter in color. Before long, there was even a hint of sand under my paws.

When we finally reached the coast, we didn’t know exactly what to expect—but what we experienced was breathtaking. Despite the sandy trail end, the beach itself was a shoreline made of smooth stones that clicked and rolled under the waves. The sound of the ocean rushing in and out was amazing. I’ve never been to a beach like that before.

If I’m honest, it was a somewhat strenuous hike in. Sometimes the journey is hard, but a lot of the time it leads to something wonderful. My humans have been talking a lot in the home about something called Advent and how this hike reminded them of that. They are working to be present in the journey (the beautiful parts and the challenging parts) while holding hope for what’s to come. I believe that incredible things are worth the wait.

And speaking of things worth waiting for… there’s so much more to say about the tide pools. But… you’ll have to wait until Part 2 drops later this week.