SXM Finale Day 12

Check out day from the Garden of Eden, the Grand Case Beach Club. Check out time was a generous 11AM, and we had a 3:45 flight back home to Hot'lanta. Slept in a little, didn't really get going until about 9AM, albeit reluctantly. The day dawned clear, and the views from the balcony of the beach of Grand Case to the left and the peninsula of the Sunset Beach Club to the right were spectacular in the clear morning sunlight.

We packed for the trip home, and I was surprised at the lack of sadness and dread I normally feel when leaving the beach, especially from such a wonderful environment as the Saints Maarten and Martin. The trip had been everything I had hoped for a 25th Anniversary, and I knew that Lynn felt the same way. It was our second vacation without our children who are now 22 and 18 and the opportunity to spend time together alone in such a setting was beyond our most optimistic expectations. Don't get me wrong, we would have loved for the kids to be there, but, hey, it's a 2nd honeymoon!

We walked around the resort one last time and took some of the best pictures we got, the morning sun was unabated, illuminating the gorgeous grounds and revealing colors in such a way as to inspire awe. We still had the ubiquitous rum punch to deal with, and I must admit, I partook in trying to get my money's worth before we left. A T-shirt in the Buccaneer Beach Bar said, " You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning", and I'm leaving paradise and I'm going to enjoy it! I notified the cleanup crew that there was rum punch to be had in our fridge and to have at it!

Check out was a breeze, and we bought the bottle of spiced rum in the painted bottle from the room bar as well as the extra bottle of wine, and we still had the original bottle given to us when we checked in for the ride home. We checked out the Logo Shop at the resort before we left and bought a bevy of souveniers, 2 hats, and many T-shirts. Reluctantly, we left the Grand Case Beach Club in search of a lunch where we could keep an eye on the car.

I had thought we would eat our goodbye meal in many places- Marigot, Simpson Bay, the airport area or Grand Case..........we decided to eat at one of the lolo's in Grand Case, where we could park in sight on the street. We hadn't been to a lolo, and it was something I wanted to experience. We had seen the "Under the Tree" lolo and we weren't impressed, as it seemed dirty and unkempt (hey, I know it's a lolo, but .........). The lolos in Grand Case are not what I had envisioned from what I had read. I thought they would be roadside open BBQ pits, but they were establishments in the very middle of "gourmet row" on the main street on the beach. We parked on the side of the street on the main drag and ventured into the 4 lolo's, situated in a square in the middle of Grand Case, to check out our best option.

We got there about 10AM, and the various lolo's were just getting ready for lunch. We checked out one of them that had sample dishes under display and I quickly decided I wanted the stewed ribs.........but we were early and and they weren't quite ready for lunch. I ordered a rum punch instead and wandered over to the "Talk of the Town" who was ready for lunch business before the others. They had 2 drum BBQ pits crankin' and a surplus of food all ready for lunch, including multiple side dish containers ready to go. Lynn had BBQ ribs and I had the ribs and chicken, both with french fries and beans and rice, a very filling meal, very cheap. Being the BBQ affecianando I am, I had to ham it up and they allowed me to take some pictures at the grill. After lunch, we walked the immediate area around the lolo, took some pictures on the beach and the street with perfect sunlight. A freelance vendor hawked fresh coconuts with a machete to whack them open on "A1A"

All too soon it was time to head to the airport......We drove the road from Grand Case to Simpson Bay, through Marigot, and I snapped pictures through the windows of the car while driving, trying to capture island flavor. We stopped at Zee Best for a chocolate almond crossaint for Lynn and a final visit to a wonderful memory. From there, we drove towards the airport, and stopped at a cigar shop I had seen previously. I asked the shopkeeper for recommendations for Cuban cigars and bought a couple of Serie P's, of which I still have one........:>)

We arrived at Princess Juliana Airport at about 2PM, and there was Leslie of Kenny's Car Rental flagging us down and assisting us with our luggage. The entire car rental experience was seemless, and I fully recommend Kenny's Car Rental. We checked our bags and headed into the terminal to watch the England-Tobago World Cup match while waiting for our flight home. Incredibly, I ran into a couple who I went to high school with, taking the same flight ...........it's a small world!