I'd like to preface this by saying this is not my first trip by any means butit is my first trip report. For Chanukah I got a very fancy Sony Clie Palm Pilot and started to take notes on it for my trip report. Off course at home, all my data is backed up daily on my home computer, not the case on vacation and of couse something happened and I lost all of my data near the end of the trip. SO much of this info was in my over 50 year old very cluttered brain. Please forgive spelling grammer etc. This is the best board for many things (I love and appreciate it) but it's not the best for editing. <br><br>[color:448800]It seems like this was our best trip ever and our most trouble free. <br>After goodbye pizza with daughter & granddaughter (who was babysitting my Mr. Peanut doll for me) hubby and I headed down to Marriott at Philly airport via auto drop off. We stayed the night boarded the USAIR flight the next morning and although it left a tad late arrived on time. <br><br>We rented from Thrifty got our white Corolla and zipped to the Pelican. We had two nights in a rented studio and our own week on a reassigned one bedroom, due to repairs being done this week to our own unit. Although I thought more than 2 days notice would have been nice (and they actually tried to stick us with a crappy unit) check in and transfer was unusually painless. Pelican has improved quite a bit. But they still has a long way to go to be restored to even near their former glory and I find it doubtful that that will ever happen - but one never knows. <br><br>We brought with us real bagels and fresh ground coffee from home. We shopped the first day (Thursday) for staples at the grocery on the grounds of the Pelican, which is actually quite well stocked - so we had good rich French/Dutch butter and cheese etc. for our bagels and half & half for my coffee. Saturday when we checked into our unit for the week we went to the new market that opened where the Food Center on Bush Rd. was. - and its GREAT ! It's called the Grande Marche. It's clean, well stocked, the help is helpful. Unlike last year, when it seemed like nothing we looked for was available, Diet Pepsi, Snapple, Droste Choclate and flavored Perriers were plentiful and reasonably priced. The cashier at the Grande Marche told me the prices were cheaper than the Food Center were - she said - I know I used to work there.<br><br>Beaches: We were at the height of laziness this trip. We started out for convenience on the beach at Pelican, a man made beach with calm warm waters, that at one time we would have never considered except for first/last and it really looks like it's going to rain days. On Sunday we finally drove to Orient Beach (took an hour) and proceeded to CoCo Beach (where we have always sat). The cost to rent two chairs and an umbrella $17.00. As is our custom we bring water, Snapple, Diet Pepsi etc in a cooler. The young man who was happy to take our $17.00 informed us that they did not ALLOW "personal drinks" on "THEIR" beach. He told us it would be OK today but not to let it happen again. Since I know all beaches in SXM are public beaches, I could have had a discussion about this with him BUT decided that was unnecessary. This is vacation and I am not at work was my mantra. We always eat at the CoCo beach restaurant when we sit there, not this time - walked down to Pedro's (see food report). The rest of the trip (four days) we decided to save the time and money stayed on Pelican beach - talked to nice people had a great time it didn't take anything away from the trip. We actually intended to go to Mullet Beach but the week got away from us.<br><br>Food: Food: Our tradition is to have pizza the first night in town, but since we had it before leaving we opted for a change and we to Hot Tomatoes. I had an awesome brisket with heavenly sweet potato concoction and hubby had duck that he said was OK but he also had the same sweet potato concoction and agreed that it was heavenly.<br><br>Second night was pizza, Le Bar de la Mar Marina in Maigot, it was fine, service seems not be what it once was. I've eliminated them from my list of places to go.<br><br>Third night was Tropicana, Marina Port la Royale, I had Mahi Mahi to die, for and hubby had one their fixed price dinners (which is the bargain on the Island at $25) Onion Soup, Pasta with Salmon and Shrimp and Creme Brulee. I adore Creme Brulee so ate hubby's Creme Brulee and he ordered the "special dessert" and all I can say is ooo laa laa.<br><br>The Fourth Night we grilled at "home" with rice and nice fresh produce from the Grande Marche we made salad. This had followed lunch at Pedros - good meaty ribs with a nice salad (fries for hubby). $10 for nice filling lunch - actually better (and cheaoer if we card) than anything we've had at on CoCo Brach - so I guess, Mr. I Own The Beach did us a favor.<br><br>The Fifth Night was TTOL party night and dinner at Mary's Boon. Dinner was scrumptious Lobster Creole with all the fixins and some of the best plantain I've ever had. A decadent dessert followed (no Weight Watchers meeting for me this month).<br><br>The Sixth night was supposed to be an eat in night but there was some confusion about who was supposed to defrost the steaks - but who cared - like my granddaughter says - PIZZA NIGHT ! We had pizza (and drinks) at La Belle Epoque (also Marina Port la Royale). It was good. People we had met raved about it. I could not see that much difference between that and the rest of the pizza on the Marina.<br><br>The Seventh night we had dinner with Gretchen (greels) and Kenny (her hubby), who I had been emailing with, before the trip, but met at the TTOL party on 12-16, at the Mini Club (Front de Mer Claude Pont). Wednesday is their buffet with lobster, beef, roast pig, chicken and more stuff that I can't remember (they make the best Guavaberry colada in town) it's served with all the salads, soups, breads, sides, desserts and all the wine you can drink for $40 pp. The entertainment is a wonderful gentleman who has been there for years. I often think I come back for him as much as the good food. BUT this time our new friends made the dinner extra special [img]/images/icons2/laugh.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/kiss.gif[/img]. Another reason that TTOL is the greatest - it brings folks together from all over. But I digress.<br><br>The Eight and final night we dined again with Gretchen & Kenny again back at Tropicana. I had wonderful Sea Bass, hubby chicken stuffed with lobster, I'll let Gretchen & Kenny report their own dinner's but we order the special deserts and again ooo laa laa. Again the dinner and company was superb. We said goodbye ( or so we thought) in the pouring rain to Gretchen & Kenny who are staying on the Island for another week. <br><br>We also bought/ate baked goods (pastries - told you about that Weight Watchers thing didn't I[img]/images/icons2/oink.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/oink.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/oink.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/oink.gif[/img]) at both the bakery on Billy Foly Rd and the one across from Hot Tomatoes. Both good. Seemed like the selection at the bakery across from Hot Tomatoes was better. Hubby said he thought the prices maybe have been better too. <br><br>Shopping: We have been buying our jewelry from Hiero at Little Europe (on Front St.) for years. He is a gentleman and a pleasure to do business with. I find that he does not play games. He and his wife are such wonderful people (and his son goes to Temple U (my alma matter). He also has the most beautiful pieces (in my opinion). So this is where we shopped. This year purchases mostly for hubby & daughter (back home). <br><br>We attempted to buy directly from the Ma Dou Dou "factory", but Mr. Ma Dou Dou was a no show [img]/images/icons2/madoudou.gif[/img][img]/images/icons2/madoudou.gif[/img] . The Grande Marche had a nice selection of Ma Dou Dou (rums and spices) so we made those purchases there. <br><br>My Lily doll was available at a store called Style in the Maho Bay Marketplace, it is not the same as the Lulu doll. <br><br>Trip Home: Checkout was a breeze since we were checking out a day early we did not have to be out of our unit at 10 am (a nice change). We did go early to airport to drop of bags and found US Air counter does not open until 12 pm. Stopped picked up pastries went back to unit and ate. We went back to airport at 11:45 am and we second in line to check in. US Air opened promptly - and the first three passengers (including us) had all checked baggage hand searched. No problems - changed our sets to exit row, paid our departure tax and were free for the day. We stopped on our way back to say goodbye to Dicky and thank him again for making the party such a success. We sat at the bar chatting with Dicky (well Dicky and I were chatting and drinking - hubby was just chatting ). The next thing we know Gretchen and Kenny stop in - what a great surprise. More chatting (no more drinking hubby flagged me) more hugs and goodbyes and off to do some last last minute shopping and picking up carry on bags from Pelican. Like I said final check-out was easy. Car return no problem and line to go through security at airport no problem. <br><br>The flight left about 10 minutes late and would have been on time coming into Philly but there was no gate for the plane to pull up to - which cause about a half hour delay. I must say the food on the plane both coming and going was like pig slop, the service marginal. Customs was well staffed no delays. Our car came we were off toward home on I 95 and that's when we knew our vacation was really over. <br><br>All in all the Island hasn't looked this good in years. It was lush and green and beautiful. We decided if this wasn't one our best times on the Island we can't remember one much better. Of course we've has great times bringing friends and family to SXM and sharing the Island with them but there was something about making new friends on the Island that made this trip extra special. </font color=448800>