That's great you're coming to St. Maarten! You've come to the right site for info because many of the people who post on this forum are long time SXM visitors and possess a wealth of knowledge about this island. Renting a car is smart choice, especially if you are staying at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort which is a little bit off the beaten path IMO. Let's start with groceries and the closest place that I can think of is a place called 'Super 2-3 Market' which would be roughly a mile to the west of where you are staying near the McDonald's restaurant in the Dutch Quarter. It's been a little while since I've spent time in this area, but you would follow Oyster Pond Road west and then southwest until you hit Bishop Hill Road where you take a right turn. Follow this past Parrotville Bird Park (recommended -- really nice man runs this place) until you reach the traffic circle. You'll pass the McDonald's on the traffic circle and exit on to Illidge Road and the market will be on your left hand side with parking in front. As with any Caribbean Island, I would highly suggest going during the day light hours and lock your rental car at all times while leaving nothing of value inside it. Not trying to scare you at all, but just good common sense for visitors. This would be the closest place to Oyster Pond, but someone on the board might have a closer location. What I might suggest instead is after you land and get your rental car, there is a very nice Carrefour Market on Bush Road in Phillipsburg which would be on your way to the Oyster Bay area so you could stop there and load up on groceries en route to OBBR.

As for beaches, I have read where the ones in the Oyster Bay area have been in rough shape lately with lots of sea grasses washing ashore, etc. I would suggest a few beaches on the french side to the north starting with Orient Beach which would be a mere 10 minute drive. Lots of places to eat and drink right on the beach (Kontiki, Bikini Beach, etc.) and an abundance of beach chairs and umbrellas to rent. Of course, the southern end of this beach is 'Plage Naturiste' or a nude beach which is actually clothing optional. Worth a visit if that suits your taste, but if not stay north of the rocks that separates this portion of the beach. A little further north in the area known as Cul-de-Sac you can catch the Pinel Ferry which will take you over to Pinel Island (Ilet de Pinel) which makes for a nice day trip and also offers beach chairs for rental and a place to have lunch called 'Yellow Beach.' Other beaches on French St. Martin that I have been to and recommend include Grand Case, Anse Marcel, Friar's Bay, and the secluded Happy Bay Beach which may be the most beautiful beach on all of St. Martin.

Since you have a rental car, I would also suggest driving over to the dutch side and near the airport there is Simpson Bay Beach, Mullet Bay Beach (on calm days), and the famous Maho Beach where the incoming aircraft land directly over your heads! Adjacent to Maho Beach is the Sunset Beach Bar which has a nice restaurant and a nice little gift shop that my wife likes to visit.

For things to do there is the aforementioned Parrotville (in the Dutch Quarter), but another interesting place is Loterie Farm which is actually a nature preserve and offers some nice hiking trails and a place to have lunch along with some scenic views. There are also plenty of casinos on Dutch St. Maarten, but since I have never won money at any of them I can't provide a casino recommendation to you. In Phillipsburg, in the southeast corner of the island the sea port has ferry boat excursions that you can take to other nearby islands such as Anguilla and St. Barths. Both are beautiful, but the ferry ride on the Great Bay Express can get a bit choppy so we bring peppermints along if the ride gets a little harsh. St. Barth's is a very pretty but very expensive french island with lots of high end shopping, but it's hard to get around unless you rent car over there. Taxi fares are outrageous so don't do that!

St. Maarten has a plethora of great dining spots on both sides of the island. Whatever your taste is, you'll find it here. Some of my favorites from the past include Mark's Place (near the Carrefour Marker) in Phillipsburg, Chesterfield's (near the cruise port), Jax Steakhouse in the Maho area, Topper's (on Welfare Road in the Simpson Bay area), Zee Best Bakery (breakfast), Bistrot Caraibes in Grand Case, Spiga (also in Grand Case), and Le Piment in the Orient Bay Village. I have not dined in the Oyster Pond area in the last several years, but I'm sure some others can provide you with some recommendations near where you are staying. Keep in mind that most (if not all) of these places offer both indoor and outdoor seating so simply request that if that's your preference. Hope this is helpful!