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madisoncty
madisoncty
Winterset, Madison County, IA
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Trip so far freedomfighter 10 hours ago Staying at a villa overlooking Happy Bay and Friars Bay. We are very pleased so far! Here is a link:

https://vrbo.onelink.me/ItNz/cptrqodx

Restaurant opinions so far:
Friars Bay Beach Cafe: Good food, great service, chill vibe, no sargassum
Oasis Restaurant, Oyster Pond: Worth the drive. Great food, great service, awesome live music.
L’Atelier, Orient Village: One of our favorites. Awesome steaks, poached egg app is amazing, service is top notch.
LaPiment, Orient Village: Was once a favorite. This time, overcooked fish, mediocre service, a disappointment. Won’t go back.
Aloha, Orient Beach. Today was our third visit. This is going to sound crazy, but they may have provided the BEST overall experience. The food is AWESOME, the cocktails are AWESOME, The service is AWESOME! We are Americans. Sunday is the day that the French are dining out. We were warmly greeted by four members of the staff today. Going back tomorrow!
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Sargassum update, French side freedomfighter 11 hours ago We have been on the island since last Wednesday, staying in a villa overlooking Happy Bay and Friars Bay. There is zero sargassum in the water or on the beach at those two locations.
We have also spent time on Orient Beach. There has been very little sargassum in the water or on the beach from Coco to the south end of the beach. There are stacks of decaying sargassum in between the resorts and beach bars. It looks like the sargassum is being pushed to the vacant spots and piled up there. From Coco north to Mont Vernon the piles of sargassum are huge and the smell is disgusting! Even at Coco it’s pretty bad. When walking Orient, we turn around at Coco and head back the other way. Heading over to Ma Doudou tomorrow. Will check out the situation at the Ferry pickup to Pinel then.
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Credit card for car rental insurance SXMScubaman Yesterday at 08:59 PM Since Barclays converted to Citi and Citi no longer will cover the Collision on car rentals what card do you use that covers the Collision?
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Stumbling across the finish line. wabid 06/06/2026 08:04 PM Packing and putting together our final details for our arrival on the 10the. I am bumbling and stumbling towards the finish line, which is the threshold of our Apt. at the SBR.

I am doing my best to make the least stressful departure as possible. You see, I traveled extensively in my career and my colleagues would jokingly call me the "anal retentive traveler". Extensive notes, printed reservations, Mapquest maps. (for the kids following at home... Back in the day we used Mapquest. Which is like Google Maps...but on PAPER!). As time marched on, Everything eventually was consolidated to my Palm Pilot (Smartphone that did not make phone calls) and now my Mobile. The habit has not left me.

Last time we visited, it was my 6 year old's first visit and we were joined by nieces, nephews, parents. Way outside my "zone" of perfection duh cloud love. Too many connecting flights, short layovers, and so many spinning plates.

This year. Simplicity. Afternoon flight from Madison, WI, to PHL, overnight at the airport hotel, and the next morning a simple walk to the morning flight to SXM. Fingers crossed.

Moving on.... My wife asked about something this morning about Zbest. We were discussing how much cash we are bringing and she remembered that Zbest was very appreciative of anyone who brought US $1 bills to them and offed free coffee etc. for certain amounts. Is that still a thing?

Anyhow looking forward to next week. And, maybe...just maybe, you will get a arrival report on Wednesday. cheers
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Bar Code jazzgal 06/06/2026 05:40 PM I follow them on Facebook, and they posted the following yesterday:

Dear Clients,

We are excited to announce that Bar Code is back with a fresh new concept while keeping the same great atmosphere and good old vibes you know and love. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and would be grateful if you could help spread the word that Bar Code has returned!

We look forward to welcoming you back for great food, drinks, music, sports, and unforgettable moments. See you soon!

The Bar Code Team


This was accompanied by a photo showing a full house. I wish them well.
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Heading home SXMScubaman 06/06/2026 10:44 AM After 4 weeks the time has come to head to PJIA for the long trip home.
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One by K Hope Estate summer sale erb923 06/04/2026 07:48 PM If anyone on the island, check out this store for some nice clothes or branded stuff. Big sale this weekend until Saturday, nice place for lunch as well.
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After nearly a week...thoughts.. Manpot 06/04/2026 03:30 PM As said..very quiet with no cruise ships (Yipee).The weather has been very dry and breezy with some Sahara dust coming and going. Everything is open so it's a great time to come on down..folks still like reservations at places like The Sugar Mill ( they have been hosting some large private parties) but most places are glad to see you. Food..as always ..the Mill is great..Sebastian's is doing some improvements over the summer. The food at Myett's with Plum Rose in the kitchen is very good indeed..and reasonable..as is the the food at Tramonti,The Sugar Mill beach bar. I had a shrimp roti there last night for $20 that was one of the best ever..after a killer cheeseburger ($16)and fries at Gene's in Sea Cow's Bay for lunch.Getting work done on CRC with some, hopefully, nice surprises after a great lady friend comes down..who is a top Beverly Hills designer ( does post Premier events)..and has some ideas for the place..Little Apple Bay 90210!! Looking forrad to seeing best friends in a few days..life is good on Little Apple Bay..BTW..Tramonti, The Sugar Mill beach bar is open for dinner Tues day thro Sat, and has a great Sunday brunch..with bottomless Mimosas!!!
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Best mobile provider STT Merky Water 06/04/2026 04:07 AM Hello all, I’ve done some searches here but cannot seem to find any info on what’s the best mobile coverage/cell service on St. Thomas. I heard it’s between AT&T and T-Mobile in an old YouTube video but I don’t know if that still is true. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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maho robbery & cycle accident mahokid 06/03/2026 12:08 PM On another social media site

Looks like robbery directly across from Royal Islander La Plage
I know jewelry store directly across has double security doors since they got robbed and owner beaten just over a year ago
So sad this keeps happening
Of course, get away on cycles

Also cycle skids out, not sure where
Looks like driver was wearing a helmet

I'm sure more information will be popping up
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