NikoleRob
SBH Member
10 Year Anniversary Trip
Sorry this is long overdue. I will edit later to drop in some pics!
Day 1 – June 29, 2013
Arrived at the Atlanta Airport early. It was our first time at the new International Terminal. Not only is it very nice, but check-in was a breeze! We cooled our heels at the Delta Sky Club with a mimosa (or three) until it was near our time to depart. The flight to St Martin was smooth and easy. Since we didn’t check a bag, going over to the Transfer Desk for our boarding docs for WinAir was really quick and simple. Not checking a bag was a good idea!
Rainy weather made the quick flight to SBH a little bumpy, but not so bad, overall. The rollercoaster landing certainly lived up to expectations. All in all, other than Nikole exclaiming “we’re going to die!” it was quick and painless.
The Eden Rock folks met us and whisked us away for the 90 second drive to the hotel. Their staff was warm, welcoming and extremely helpful. Checking in was relaxed and efficient. I can’t say enough about the staff there. A nice note, wishing us a happy anniversary, along with a chilled bottle of Champagne was waiting for us in the room.
Our room, the Frigate Suite, was a sort of loft suite, with a wonderful view to the north and east. The upper and lower decks outside were spacious and remarkably private, as was the small private pool.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, and enjoyed a fantastic dinner that night at On The Rocks. The artichoke risotto appetizer was one of the best things I have ever eaten. And the wine list was surprisingly good. We had a Chateau Lafon Rochet, a wine we have had in the past, but not for years. Wonderful. The view was excellent, as well. We had a brief rainstorm that night, and the plastic shades were quickly drawn, and then withdrawn again as soon as the shower was gone. We will be back there for dinner on future trips, whether we stay on the Rock or not.
Day 2 – June 30
For our first full day, we elected to stay in St Jean, and enjoy the beach by the hotel. We started the day, the same way we would start every day – in our little private pool with a cup of coffee, watching the sun rise over the hills. After a walk along St Jean Beach, we settled in to our lounge chairs. Our beachside service at Eden Rock was spot-on. We never wanted for cold water or an adult beverage. There was a little rain off and on, but not enough to drive us inside. There was enough, however, for a double-rainbow to the west. Beautiful! We are generally early eaters, and one thing we had to adjust to was not being able to grab dinner, or lunch or a snack any old time we wanted. We walked to Andy’s for an early dinner, only to realize that nothing opens for dinner until 7:00. So, back to On The Rocks for a drink (or three) and we decided that dinner (and the view) was so good the night before, why not just stay for dinner again? The chef did not disappoint.
Day 3 – July 1
Our first day exploring. Getting used to driving on the narrow roads and sometimes steep hills in an under-powered car took a little time, but eventually I got the hang of it. Our plan was to spend the morning on Shell Beach. But, somehow I managed to get turned around in Gustavia’s one way streets and found myself headed instead for Saline, after passing the turn-off for Gouverneur. So, Saline it is! We were the first ones on the beach that day. It was beautiful to see such a gorgeous beach so completely pristine and natural. Nikole was even inspired to sunbathe “like a French girl” for a while. The waves were strong that day, and at one point, I was driven into the sand, face first, by a particularly large wave. Dazed, I managed to get myself back to shore and nursed a mild headache for the rest of the day. I never saw my sunglasses again, either!
After deciding the waves were just a little too much for us, we headed back to Gustavia, and this time found Shell Beach. We spent the next couple of hours snorkeling, gathering a new shells as souvenirs, and enjoying lunch at Do Brazil. My mahi cabob was outstanding. Nikole’s tuna was very good, if a little over cooked for her preference. A very nice morning, overall!
We spent the afternoon looking for replacement sunglasses, and having some drinks at Nikki Beach. I really didn’t feel like driving, so one more dinner at On The Rocks that night. Excellent, again.
Day 4 – July 2
The morning looked to be rainy, so we drove around the east side of the island, exploring a bit. We came upon the trail to the Natural Pools, and decided to take a hike. The rough waves crashing on the rocks, and the landscape were so different from what we had seen so far, that we were both glad that we made that side-trip. We found the pools, took a break and found a little shelter from the rain. The hike back was wet, but it was so beautiful that we stopped for pictures often. The rain stopped by the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the beach, by our hotel. I discovered that my blue suede shoes were not made for hiking in the rain. My feet had turned blue! I’m sure I was a sight, sitting under our umbrella with my blue feet. That afternoon, a friendly yellow lab showed up on the beach, and followed various people walking or running along the beach. He acted as though he belonged with whatever people he found, and we watched him walk or run with several different people over the course of the afternoon.
Dinner that night was at Andy’s, and was wonderful. Nikole had pasta, and I a simple pizza. And after dinner, the vanilla rum flowed, and flowed and flowed.
Day 5 – July 3
We decided that, after breakfast, we would make the hike to Colombier for some snorkeling. I knew from reading that there were two paths, one steeper, the other longer. Not exactly knowing where we were going, we ended up at the Lookout, where we would take the steeper path. The views from the lookout were incredible, and worth the steeper hike to the beach. I would describe the path like as being like a staircase, but I have never seen stair so steep as these were in some places. At some points, the hike was more like “organized falling.” But the views we got from time to time as we descended made it all worthwhile. And then, there was the beach…maybe my favorite. We snorkeled along the reef to the right for a while. Nikole found a lobster, and I wished I hadn’t left my camera on the beach. I later swam back out with the camera, and found the lobster, still in the same spot, and took a picture. The hike back up to the car was a challenge, but we made it!
After getting back to our room, we decided we were too tired from the hike to drive anywhere else, so we had lunch and spent the afternoon next door at Nikki Beach. With a Miami Beach sort of atmosphere, I really didn’t expect the food to be as good as it was. And the drinks were rather good as well. The people watching was a sport all in itself. Before dinner, we spent some time on our lower deck, and saw a sea turtle swimming right by the deck! We would discover as the week went on, that this turtle would show up around the same time every day, like clockwork. Dinner again that night at Andy’s, followed of course by vanilla rum, and we called it a night!
Day 6 – July 4
We both woke up feeling a bit “off.” We were never sure if it was our bodies adjusting to new foods and such, or if perhaps we had something at Nikki that mildly disagreed with us. We spent the morning of our anniversary driving around the island, exploring. We found La Petite Colombe in Lorient, and picked up some bread to snack on later. Lunch was at Maya’s. By the afternoon, we were both feeling better.
Dinner reservations were for 7:00 at L’Isola. We arrived in Gustavia early so we could shop and explore. As a bit of a watch collector, I was overwhelmed by the selection within just a few blocks. We stopped for drinks at a wonderful bar on the east end of the harbor and watched the sunset, before walking over to L’Isola. L’Isola: the food, wine, service and atmosphere were all amazing. I am so glad that we spent our special night dining there.
Day 7 – July 5
Gouverneur Beach was highest on our list of things to do that we had not yet done, so the morning’s itinerary was not even a question. We made a side trip to La Petite Colombe in Lorient to pick up sandwiches for lunch, then it was off to the beach. Once again, we were the first ones on the beach. And what a beautiful beach! Gouverneur might have to be my favorite beach yet. The surf was not quite as rough as Saline a few days earlier, but it was every bit as beautiful. We spent the morning swimming, walking along the shore, and sunning. When we were hungry, we enjoyed the best ham sandwiches we had ever eaten. And when we had enough sun, we headed back to the hotel for some rest.
For our last night, we decided to head back up to On The Rocks for a drink (and view) and then walk back down to Andy’s for dinner. Along the way, we stopped at some shops to pick up gifts for our friend who was dog-sitting for us, a cigar for me for later, and some spices from a local spice store, to bring back with us. Dinner was great, of course, as were the endless glasses of vanilla rum. Then it was time to go back to the room and pack up for the trip home.
Day 8 – July 6
Check in was easy. The travel back, stressful. Delta had contacted me some months before to let me know that our return flight time had shifted, to about an hour earlier. At the time, I contacted WinAir to see if I needed to change our connection to SXM. I was told that we still had 90 minutes, and that was plenty of time. No worries! When our WinAir flight was delayed later and later, I began to think that maybe 90 minutes was not enough after all.
We finally arrived at SXM about 20 minutes before our departure time to Atlanta. We ran to the bus, and ran inside to the transit desk. They directed us to the kiosk to print our Delta tickets. Nope. We were too close to departure to print. The Transit desk folks said all we could do was go though immigration, go to the Delta desk, get our tickets there, and go back through security. We were past out of time. No way that was happening. Finally, one gentleman took pity on us, and walked our passports through security and upstairs to the gate, while we waited. To our great relief, he came back with our printed boarding passes! After getting past security and going upstairs, we ran to the gate just in time to board. I wish I had thought at the time to take just another few seconds to get the gentleman’s name, so I could thank him properly. Without him, I’m not sure how or when we would have made it back. It certainly would not have been on that flight.
Return-travel stress aside, we had the trip of our lives, and we were not yet on the ground when we began planning our return. The flight next July is already booked, and we every day I look forward to it!
Sorry this is long overdue. I will edit later to drop in some pics!
Day 1 – June 29, 2013
Arrived at the Atlanta Airport early. It was our first time at the new International Terminal. Not only is it very nice, but check-in was a breeze! We cooled our heels at the Delta Sky Club with a mimosa (or three) until it was near our time to depart. The flight to St Martin was smooth and easy. Since we didn’t check a bag, going over to the Transfer Desk for our boarding docs for WinAir was really quick and simple. Not checking a bag was a good idea!
Rainy weather made the quick flight to SBH a little bumpy, but not so bad, overall. The rollercoaster landing certainly lived up to expectations. All in all, other than Nikole exclaiming “we’re going to die!” it was quick and painless.
The Eden Rock folks met us and whisked us away for the 90 second drive to the hotel. Their staff was warm, welcoming and extremely helpful. Checking in was relaxed and efficient. I can’t say enough about the staff there. A nice note, wishing us a happy anniversary, along with a chilled bottle of Champagne was waiting for us in the room.
Our room, the Frigate Suite, was a sort of loft suite, with a wonderful view to the north and east. The upper and lower decks outside were spacious and remarkably private, as was the small private pool.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, and enjoyed a fantastic dinner that night at On The Rocks. The artichoke risotto appetizer was one of the best things I have ever eaten. And the wine list was surprisingly good. We had a Chateau Lafon Rochet, a wine we have had in the past, but not for years. Wonderful. The view was excellent, as well. We had a brief rainstorm that night, and the plastic shades were quickly drawn, and then withdrawn again as soon as the shower was gone. We will be back there for dinner on future trips, whether we stay on the Rock or not.
Day 2 – June 30
For our first full day, we elected to stay in St Jean, and enjoy the beach by the hotel. We started the day, the same way we would start every day – in our little private pool with a cup of coffee, watching the sun rise over the hills. After a walk along St Jean Beach, we settled in to our lounge chairs. Our beachside service at Eden Rock was spot-on. We never wanted for cold water or an adult beverage. There was a little rain off and on, but not enough to drive us inside. There was enough, however, for a double-rainbow to the west. Beautiful! We are generally early eaters, and one thing we had to adjust to was not being able to grab dinner, or lunch or a snack any old time we wanted. We walked to Andy’s for an early dinner, only to realize that nothing opens for dinner until 7:00. So, back to On The Rocks for a drink (or three) and we decided that dinner (and the view) was so good the night before, why not just stay for dinner again? The chef did not disappoint.
Day 3 – July 1
Our first day exploring. Getting used to driving on the narrow roads and sometimes steep hills in an under-powered car took a little time, but eventually I got the hang of it. Our plan was to spend the morning on Shell Beach. But, somehow I managed to get turned around in Gustavia’s one way streets and found myself headed instead for Saline, after passing the turn-off for Gouverneur. So, Saline it is! We were the first ones on the beach that day. It was beautiful to see such a gorgeous beach so completely pristine and natural. Nikole was even inspired to sunbathe “like a French girl” for a while. The waves were strong that day, and at one point, I was driven into the sand, face first, by a particularly large wave. Dazed, I managed to get myself back to shore and nursed a mild headache for the rest of the day. I never saw my sunglasses again, either!
After deciding the waves were just a little too much for us, we headed back to Gustavia, and this time found Shell Beach. We spent the next couple of hours snorkeling, gathering a new shells as souvenirs, and enjoying lunch at Do Brazil. My mahi cabob was outstanding. Nikole’s tuna was very good, if a little over cooked for her preference. A very nice morning, overall!
We spent the afternoon looking for replacement sunglasses, and having some drinks at Nikki Beach. I really didn’t feel like driving, so one more dinner at On The Rocks that night. Excellent, again.
Day 4 – July 2
The morning looked to be rainy, so we drove around the east side of the island, exploring a bit. We came upon the trail to the Natural Pools, and decided to take a hike. The rough waves crashing on the rocks, and the landscape were so different from what we had seen so far, that we were both glad that we made that side-trip. We found the pools, took a break and found a little shelter from the rain. The hike back was wet, but it was so beautiful that we stopped for pictures often. The rain stopped by the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the beach, by our hotel. I discovered that my blue suede shoes were not made for hiking in the rain. My feet had turned blue! I’m sure I was a sight, sitting under our umbrella with my blue feet. That afternoon, a friendly yellow lab showed up on the beach, and followed various people walking or running along the beach. He acted as though he belonged with whatever people he found, and we watched him walk or run with several different people over the course of the afternoon.
Dinner that night was at Andy’s, and was wonderful. Nikole had pasta, and I a simple pizza. And after dinner, the vanilla rum flowed, and flowed and flowed.
Day 5 – July 3
We decided that, after breakfast, we would make the hike to Colombier for some snorkeling. I knew from reading that there were two paths, one steeper, the other longer. Not exactly knowing where we were going, we ended up at the Lookout, where we would take the steeper path. The views from the lookout were incredible, and worth the steeper hike to the beach. I would describe the path like as being like a staircase, but I have never seen stair so steep as these were in some places. At some points, the hike was more like “organized falling.” But the views we got from time to time as we descended made it all worthwhile. And then, there was the beach…maybe my favorite. We snorkeled along the reef to the right for a while. Nikole found a lobster, and I wished I hadn’t left my camera on the beach. I later swam back out with the camera, and found the lobster, still in the same spot, and took a picture. The hike back up to the car was a challenge, but we made it!
After getting back to our room, we decided we were too tired from the hike to drive anywhere else, so we had lunch and spent the afternoon next door at Nikki Beach. With a Miami Beach sort of atmosphere, I really didn’t expect the food to be as good as it was. And the drinks were rather good as well. The people watching was a sport all in itself. Before dinner, we spent some time on our lower deck, and saw a sea turtle swimming right by the deck! We would discover as the week went on, that this turtle would show up around the same time every day, like clockwork. Dinner again that night at Andy’s, followed of course by vanilla rum, and we called it a night!
Day 6 – July 4
We both woke up feeling a bit “off.” We were never sure if it was our bodies adjusting to new foods and such, or if perhaps we had something at Nikki that mildly disagreed with us. We spent the morning of our anniversary driving around the island, exploring. We found La Petite Colombe in Lorient, and picked up some bread to snack on later. Lunch was at Maya’s. By the afternoon, we were both feeling better.
Dinner reservations were for 7:00 at L’Isola. We arrived in Gustavia early so we could shop and explore. As a bit of a watch collector, I was overwhelmed by the selection within just a few blocks. We stopped for drinks at a wonderful bar on the east end of the harbor and watched the sunset, before walking over to L’Isola. L’Isola: the food, wine, service and atmosphere were all amazing. I am so glad that we spent our special night dining there.
Day 7 – July 5
Gouverneur Beach was highest on our list of things to do that we had not yet done, so the morning’s itinerary was not even a question. We made a side trip to La Petite Colombe in Lorient to pick up sandwiches for lunch, then it was off to the beach. Once again, we were the first ones on the beach. And what a beautiful beach! Gouverneur might have to be my favorite beach yet. The surf was not quite as rough as Saline a few days earlier, but it was every bit as beautiful. We spent the morning swimming, walking along the shore, and sunning. When we were hungry, we enjoyed the best ham sandwiches we had ever eaten. And when we had enough sun, we headed back to the hotel for some rest.
For our last night, we decided to head back up to On The Rocks for a drink (and view) and then walk back down to Andy’s for dinner. Along the way, we stopped at some shops to pick up gifts for our friend who was dog-sitting for us, a cigar for me for later, and some spices from a local spice store, to bring back with us. Dinner was great, of course, as were the endless glasses of vanilla rum. Then it was time to go back to the room and pack up for the trip home.
Day 8 – July 6
Check in was easy. The travel back, stressful. Delta had contacted me some months before to let me know that our return flight time had shifted, to about an hour earlier. At the time, I contacted WinAir to see if I needed to change our connection to SXM. I was told that we still had 90 minutes, and that was plenty of time. No worries! When our WinAir flight was delayed later and later, I began to think that maybe 90 minutes was not enough after all.
We finally arrived at SXM about 20 minutes before our departure time to Atlanta. We ran to the bus, and ran inside to the transit desk. They directed us to the kiosk to print our Delta tickets. Nope. We were too close to departure to print. The Transit desk folks said all we could do was go though immigration, go to the Delta desk, get our tickets there, and go back through security. We were past out of time. No way that was happening. Finally, one gentleman took pity on us, and walked our passports through security and upstairs to the gate, while we waited. To our great relief, he came back with our printed boarding passes! After getting past security and going upstairs, we ran to the gate just in time to board. I wish I had thought at the time to take just another few seconds to get the gentleman’s name, so I could thank him properly. Without him, I’m not sure how or when we would have made it back. It certainly would not have been on that flight.
Return-travel stress aside, we had the trip of our lives, and we were not yet on the ground when we began planning our return. The flight next July is already booked, and we every day I look forward to it!