Trip Report Jan. 29th – Feb. 6th.

This year was a little different for us as we usually are on the island weeks 5 and 6. Going week four was a little different for a couple of different reasons. First of all the weather week 4 was not as good as week 5. Also, we have gotten to know some people that travel the same time each year that we missed this year. So, next year we are booked for weeks 5 and 6.

Flights: This year we took Delta from MSP to SXM via ATL. For the most part no issues, other than a 3:30 a.m. wake up call for a 5:20 flight. All went well we wound up arriving on time in SXM. We normally take the non-stop from MSP to SXM on Sun Country, but were not able to this year as they did not start their service to SXM until t he 30th of January. (Another reason for weeks 5 and 6).

Accommodations: We stayed at the Belair Beach Hotel ( Belair Beach Hotel ) for both weeks and it was great to be in our St. Maarten “home”. The place was looking great with a lot of improvements. (new tile, new showers in the second bathroom, and rumor has it some units have flat screen T.V.’s). Set up shop went over to Grand Marche for provisions and we were off and running.
We were off to our traditional first night dinner spot, Chesterfields ( Chesterfield's ) where we have never had a bad meal. It is a great spot right there at Dock Maarten. The service was very good and the food outstanding.

Beaches: Orient, Mullet, Maho, Little Bay, Dawn, Simpson Bay, and Great Bay. All were very nice and had some great days at the beach. Our first week the wind was up and Orient and Dawn were quite winding when we were there. We also had some small amounts of rain come through, but never a full day with the exception of the 30th where there were more clouds than sun and a couple of pretty big down pours. This was the day I had gone over to Maho to do some plane watching at my new favorite spot on Maho, the Driftwood Bar ( Driftwood Bar ). I love that place, the best was when it was happy hour and I asked for a Carib the bar tender asked me if I would like 1 for $2 or 2 for $3?, well I took the latter…

At Orient we mainly hung out at Orange Fever ( Orange Fever ) we found it to be a great spot. They have very comfortable chairs with tables and umbrellas which they rent for $14 for two, plus they give you two drink tickets. Probably the best thing is they have a private bathroom that is really nice. The food is also very good; we had cheeseburgers, fish and chips, and Pizza. For two of us to split a pizza with a BBC and a Carib for just of $20, I think is a pretty great deal.

At Dawn we ate at Beau Beau’s ( Beau Beau's ) both times. They were having a great special; a cheeseburger, fries, and coleslaw, and a Carib for $6.95! ( Beau Beau Special ) The great thing about this was B doesn’t like beer so she would order a BBC and I would get her beer!! I wanted to eat there every day! The service was great and so was the food. Parking is always a challenge at Dawn Beach, so the first week we used Mr. Busby’s chairs so we parked on the road by the pond, the second week we were visiting some friends at OBBR, so we were able to park in that lot and use Ms. B’s chairs. It is still hard for me to look down the beach at the huge sand castle (the Westin), it just doesn’t look right. I wish Scavenger’s was back, what a great place that was…

At Mullet, (Mullet Bay ) we at Rosie’s ribs on two separate occasions, wow, are they good. Mullet was absolutely beautiful, with very small waves and perfect weather. It was a little more crowded then I remember. It was the first time I saw Rosie’s new Shack which is quite impressive. ( Rosie's Shack )

At Great Bay we set up our Shopping Spot in front of One Eyed Jacks! It was an absolutely beautiful day. ( Great Bay ) The great thing was that B only showed up with big bags. It is the little shopping bags that make me nervous!! It was a great day fun to watch the America’s Cup boats and all the cruisers. (this is one of my favorite pastimes on the island, looking for the perfect cruiser).

Simpson Bay, Karakter ( Karakter ), a lot has been said about this place and we just love it. The food and service are all good, they place music for the beach that is a good mix and never too loud. The service is wonderful. I can’t recommend this place enough.

Some misc. items, we did the Lambada sunset trip again this year, it was very fun and always a pleasure to get the 21 “bun” salute at Cupecoy when we float on by. The staff and boat are great and we always feel it is worth the $25 to be out on the water at Sunset is something everyone who goes to SXM should experience. ( Sunset on Lambada ) The new roundabouts are really great, I was surprised to see so many. The statues in the middle are very cool, I really like the one in the middle region. The traffic was about the same as usual if not a little better, parking in Philipsburg is still bad, so we just park in the pay lot down by Greenhouse which works out fine.

We also went to Harmony Nights this year and most likely won’t be doing that again. We ate at Sky’s the Limit which was fine, but the hassle of getting in and out of Grand Case was amazing. I think I may have more of an issue because we stay at Belair which is about as far from Grand Case as you can get on the island. I am not a big fan of doing a lot of driving at night on the island anyway, also the parking and logistics of getting to and from are a major pain. If we were staying in Grand Case we would definitely go back, but do to the distance and parking, etc…we will probably pass going forward.

We did book a private charter this year on the French Cat One, a sailing catamaran out of the Marigot marina. We had 4 couples. ( The Boat Crew ) The day trip included drinks, lunch, a snack, a captain, and chef on board. We left Marigot at 9:00 a.m. and sailed to the north side of Anguilla (Sandy Island), then had lunch on the boat in Meads Bay ( Meads Bay from French Cat One ) which was absolutely beautiful. Then we stopped one more time on the south side of Anguilla at Shoal Bay West for one last swim and a snack. It was a great day and I would highly recommend this to any small group who enjoys a day on the water. ( SXM from French Cat One ).

I know I am forgetting a few things, and could ramble on about SXM for hours and hours. We had a great trip, it marked our 10th visit to the island. (I know that still kind of makes us newbies) We love the island, the people, and are looking forward to our next trip in 2011. It was great to see all the TTOLer’s at the Iguana Bar. Thanks to Philippe for the food and Norm and Betty for putting it together, and Bruce and Susan for the great name tags. (I really liked Norm’s).
Please send a PM if there is anything about our trip you would like more information about, I am always happy to share our experiences, and since I have already had to start the snow blower 3 times in 4 days talking about SXM helps ease the transition back into our reality here is snowy, cold Minnesota.d
Thanks for reading and have a great day.


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