This was our 4th trip to SXM, the most previous one in November 2004.

Travel: We stayed at a hotel near the airport the night before our flight and were able to park there during our trip. It’s just as cheap to stay the night and park at the hotel as to use the airport lot.(Park-Sleep-Fly)
Chicago O’Hare to SXM via Miami. The trip down went just like clockwork. On the return trip our landing in Miami was aborted and we made a second pass. They said it was because the rain forced us to a longer runway, but I did see another plane land on a crossing runway just about the same time, so who knows. It sure was nice to have the airline pay the departure tax this time. We used carry-on luggage only, which is a minor hassle on the plane, but really speeds things up on the ground. We still packed too much! We rented from Mickey at Tropical/Tropicana for the first time. This was the first time we had a new car and it was nice to not have to worry about bald tires. Everything went smoothly with the car, except there was no windshield solution. Easily fixed with a little water.

Accommodations: Thursday and Friday were at the Royal Turtle. We found the people very helpful, and the furniture nice and a beautifully tiled bath. But the room was not lighted well, small, and the floor was sticky. Breakfast at Turtle Pier is included. They have 3 special selections, which we found to be fine. The road and parking lot were a mess because of Airport construction, but there was always parking on the road, just across the street.
Then we moved to our 1 bedroom at Oyster Bay Beach Resort for the next week. Fortunately, we had a Marina view, which we love. We found the service and facilities here outstanding. We had to wait a little while to check in, but no other problems. And our loud obnoxious neighbors from our November trip where not around!

Beaches: We spent every day but one on Orient Beach. Every day was windy, but one was so bad we moved over to Baie Rouge. We like the sand and big waves there, but don’t venture into the Ocean much.

We finally got to meet Contessa and Sword. They had a nice big group and made us feel very welcome. I didn’t even need to pull out my TTOL flag, since it was already flying. We spent a lot of time with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Blow(I don’t think that’s their real names), who we met on a previous trip. We trade a lot of tips about SXM over the course of the year.

TTOL Party at Bikini Beach – It was worth going just for the Calamari, but we stayed for a quick dinner too. I love TTOL parties. Again, we met some great people and it was one the reasons we like St. Martin/Maarten. Thanks for arranging it Contessa and thanks to Elisa too.

Food: Definitely one of the highlights! (even after being on the South Beach diet for 14 months) We usually eat only one good-sized meal a day, so my report may seem a little short for a 9-day trip.
Sunset Beach Bar – We had arranged a head of time to meet Bill and Kathy (mocha) there our first night. We had never met but became acquainted through the magic of the internet and TTOL. We had a great time with them and finished our trip with them at the SSBB before the return flights.
Bay Watch – What else can I say? Ann lives for their Scallop Caesar salad.
Poulet D’Orleans Bananas - Tony makes great meals. It’s a shame more people don’t go there. There were actually 4 other people there the night we went. I had the Creole Chicken, Ann had the Creole Shrimp. About $55 including tip, appetizer, and a bottle of wine!
Bananas - (our first time) Got there about 6:20 and just beat the rush. Worth a repeat visit next time.
Lido – (our first time) I was a little under the weather one night so we got carry outs there. Good food! Whatever you decide on, order ½ as much as you think. Our combos added up to $15.
Le Fregate – This is a small restaurant in the Oyster Pond area. It’s getting popular; so don’t be in a hurry. We just had a pizza and some desserts. (Plus some wine) I would give the pizza 7 on a 1-10 scale, but the desserts were at least a 9.
Zee Best – We went for the appetizer dinner for the former owner of Le Piccolo in Cul-De-Sac. The appetizers run about $8-11. Two appetizers each, a dessert and a some wine makes for a nice evening.
I saved the best for last:
La Petit Auberge des Iles – Our favorite restaurant. It’s a small place on the Marina in Marigot. Their fixed priced menu is 23 Euros. I had the Chicken with Mushrooms. Ann had a combination of marlin, mahi-mahi and grouper. Bruno and Francoise do a fantastic job.

Doing Business on the Island: Two days before we left from the Chicago area, we put our house up for sale, since we just bought a new townhouse. By the time we got to SXM we already had an offer. I was forced to get a cellphone ASAP. Sitting on Orient beach under the sun negotiating the sale of our home is something I’ll always remember.

We missed our November St. Martin friends, but made lots of new ones. Hopefully we’ll be back in November. It won’t seem so long if summer comes early. But since we are moving from our home of 22 years, I don’t think we’ll get bored soon.