Just a quick trip report from our recent visit:

Observations:
October is indeed a slow month, but we never had any difficulties finding something to do or somewhere to eat. We actually enjoyed the slow pace and quiet days on the beach.

Accommodations: We rented a studio apartment from ZuZu in Mont Vernon. The apartment was oceanfront and we enjoyed waking to a sunrise every morning. The residential atmosphere at Mont Vernon was very nice and the only caveat we would have is the hiking to and from your car, especially in the evenings as parking can be an issue. We discovered that the gate to the entrance/side road opens by 8 AM and found that to be a much easier walk. Two or three days we simply walked the beach and enjoyed that very much. No wi-fi, but there is an internet cafe and a small grocery at the entrance.

Restaurants:
California (artichoke with goat cheese appetizer - yum!)
L'Estament - the best find this trip. Carol, one of the owners and hostess is absolutely charming and we felt we were being welcomed into her home. The food was excellent, even the five vegetable side dishes that accompany the meals. If you get a chance, try the truffle salt that comes with the lobster dish...amazing!
Le Taitu - cozy dining, great value
Bamboo Bernies - I was craving a hamburger!
La Bogada - tapas the last night with our new friends. We all ate until we were full, tried almost everything on their menu, had a couple of drinks and the bill for the four of us, including tip was only $120.
Daniel's By The Sea - the busiest place we dined. Good value and excellent service
Dinghy Dock- great prices, lots of food and a fun place to hang out. Cindy and Kurt are awesome.
Aloha - leisure lunch with a couple of margaritas on a lazy hot afternoon. (try the lychee rum!)

Beaches:
Um, I mean "Beach" as we ended up at only one. We thoroughly enjoyed how quiet Orient was. We lunched at Pedros and Aloha once and brought cheese or sandwiches for the remaining days. I noticed the TTOL flag one afternoon and introduced myself to Carol and Eric. One of the things I love about the island and this board is that everyone can be a friend and conversations are so easy. We also met a couple that we instantly connected with and spent several afternoons with them.

Fun Stuff:
-During one of our afternoon chats with our new friends, we talked about doing a daysail. That evening, Greg and I met Captain Guy of the Wrangler, along with his first mate, Kurt at Dinghy Dock. We spent a couple hours talking about everything from fishing to Philly Cheesesteaks and ended up taking a tour of his fishing yacht. Long story short, two days later, we were trolling out to St Bart's, doing a bit of fishing and swimming and spending a glorious afternoon with Captain Guy, Kurt, and our new friends. We caught a few small tuna, which we released and a couple of really ugly fish that I cannot recall their names. It was a very casual day and I can now say that I have catered on a yacht. What fun.

-Greg let me drag him into DK one day and he indulged me with a beautiful 50th birthday bracelet. (One of these days he is going to learn to just keep walking by that place!)

Sand gravity, good friends, great food, a few ti punches, new adventures, a small earthquake and a week in the sun of St Martin with the man of my dreams. Just doesn't get any better than that, no matter which month we visit.