Day 4 - Became a pool only day. Dinner @ Pineapple Pete's. Lackluster service, food not up to their usual standard. Not our first trip there so this will not be a deal breaker. If it happens again it may be the last time they get a chance. During my pool time, I got some water trapped in my ear. Having trouble hearing. Hope it goes away overnite.

Day 5 - Water in my ear did not drain. Off to Maho Pharmacy 1st thing in the morning where they recommended swimmer's ear drops. Didn't work either. Paid a visit to Dr. Deketh @ Maho Clinic. Problem was not water but a chunk of wax. He flushed my ear and magically the issue was solved. $100 for appt. and treatment. Worth every penny. Sad to have lost most of a day dealing with this. Dinner @ Sale y Pepe. Great food. Odd service. See Mahokid's report for service details. Will return. Big hitch was a group of 30ish (age) men with a foul vocabulary right next to a table w/little ones. Went on for quite some time. Had to finally talk to management to get them to clean it up.

Day 6 - Last day. Lunch @ Tortuga. They rarely disappoint. Great sandwiches & a huge order of fries. Went booze shopping @ Gulmohar's. Got a couple of scotches not available here in the US. Did not rely on their inflatable bottle protectors. I had purchased my own before the trip & they worked great. Amazon can be your friend. Pool pals in late afternoon. Got a bit crisp. Not enough sunscreen. Dinner was pizza @ Fat Tony's. Met Mahokid & wife on our way in & their way out. It was good to see them one last time before our departure tomorrow. Great pizza. 2 beers & pizza $25. Got the chance to reacquaint ourselves with Bill & Elaine just prior to leaving. They are always a treat to converse with. Off to Stars for a little Blackjack. Played for about 2 hours. Lost $10. Cheap entertainment. Back to condo to pack.

Day 7 - Departure - Up early, finished packing. Dropped car w/Lesley @ airport. Surprise! All ticketed passengers are early so the flight leaves 30 minutes early!!! Flight uneventful. C & I took 30 minutes. Called hotel for pickup & it went smoothly as well. Arrived home in Punta Gorda around 7 p.m.

Sad that we didn't beach it this trip, but we live a short drive from beautiful beaches and can go whenever we want. Made new friendships & renewed old ones. Had a great time & I'd do it again tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing!

Love it when everyone does what they are supposed to do and show up on time to the airport....and you can board! Congratz.

Would you mind sharing what your meal was at Sal e Pepe?

No beaches?!! Wow, I'm astonished!

I had the rigatoni w/sausage and my wife had lobster ravioli. We split a Caesar salad. No dessert as the portions were very generous. We did have the obligatory limoncello aperitif.

The beach thing really isn't a big deal for us as we have them within 20-25 minutes of our home & they all have great facilities here in SW Florida. We usually go a couple of times per month to Boca Grande, Nokomis, or Englewood. We are somewhat spoiled by the easy access and good maintenance. Lifeguards in many areas too.

SXM is our eat, drink, chill @ pool, shop a bit, gamble a bit time. We have been there at least 15 times since 2000 and I'm sure the beaches will still be there & even better on our next visit. We really wanted to try Anse Marcel but the resort is closed for Sept. I understand that limits access a bit. Mullet would have been OK but the water was pretty rough during our stay and I'm sure the drop off would have been problematic for us as it is even during calmer times. We are a bit challenged by mobility issues and really need the calmer, more protected beaches.

Jerry, for a calm beach, head to Grand Case. Typically no drop off's, very calm, quite beautiful.

Thanks for the report. I will have to keep that hotel in mind in case I fly Jet Blue out of FLL in future.

Love reading reports and enjoyed yours.

Thanks for the reports.

The resort isn't even open yet at Anse Marcel, but there is an absolutely WONDERFUL beach bar at the opposite end of the beach from where the resort will be. Access is very easy - just a straight walk from the parking lot to the beach bar. However, I think the restaurant is closed for a month or so for vacation. It's definitely worth the trip when it's open.