Hilltop Apartments Anguilla

... a community feeling to it, especially because we visited in the low season, hurricane season. The steets were very quite, many shops were closed and not many tourists were visiting the island overnight.

We stayed for 2 nights and almost didn't made it back to St. Maarten because a hurricane was passing close by and the seas were too high for boats to run. So we ended up taking a plane.

... We passed by Maho Beach, and unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to see a 747 fly overhead and land. We drove through all the other small cities along the coast. Though the landscape is different from Aruba and the Dominican Republic, they all share that relaxed “island” feel.

So where will our next adventure be to and when? You’ll have to wait and see.

Most of our days were spent visiting the French side of the island. We spent a long and lazy afternoon at Le Galion Beach so our little one could play in some shallow water. It’s a perfect beach for families with small kids or infants due to the calm waters. In fact, even in the shallowest of waters we saw some fish ...

... and around the Caribbean. Beware of traffic in Philipsburg as there is a drawbridge that gets raised certain times of the day and causes a backup on the roads for up to 20 minutes sometimes. Also, keep in mind that St. Maarten is a cruise port, so going out shopping when the ships are there can be more crowded.

St. Maarten is quite mountainous compared to Aruba. The roads are windy at times and very tight. Having a small car ...

... an adventure we went. Captain Oliver’s Marina is just down the road on the French side where we found a neat harbor-side grill, a place to rent fishing poles, and boats galore. Once we had explored all the marina had to offer, including the talking parrots, it was time to eat.
Points be damned, cream sauce rules! We topped off the meal with desserts of homemade Apple Tart w/ vanilla ice cream (Cindy & ...

... 0-8-1-4-7.... NINE Jeff called out, followed by the announcers NINE! Jeff had won!! Jeff literally ran across the room to claim his prize...and announced to Beau Beau and all that he was giving his prize to his Mom. Mom came to the front of the room and gave Jeff a long, enduring hug....it was a poignant moment for all!! Jeff's win was a harbinger for the night to come as the lucky group was on their way to the Casino. Jeff ...

... Cindy, who is tonight suffering 3rd degree burns on both legs remarked "my legs never burn"! Becky, the fairest maid on the island, slathered with SPF50 escapes the burn. Lastly Jeff hit the pool, spending time gazing out at St. Barts from the infinity edge of the pool. He perhaps spent a few minutes too many for his shoulders sake, as the burn would not be denied. The rest of the afternoon was lazy, filled with naps, reading ...

... and everything went perfectly with the wind and our crews performance. Our boat pulled out in front and won by 3 lengths!!! Wow!!! What a ride!!!

Afterwards, we did some shopping in the stores near the dock. The stores were interesting and the variety of wares being sold was vast. After that, we boarded the ship. We couldn't stop talking about and reliving our experience aboard the Stars and Stripes. We shamelessly bragged about it to our table mates at dinner.

... some stalls where locals were selling tourist trinkets and other handicrafts. We looked around and bought a few things but Shea was really looking for a hat to cover her head. The sun was really beating down on us today! There wasn't really much else to see and do here in Marigot. We took a few photos of the harbor, the fortress on the hill, and some silly photos of ourselves with a canon. Still looking for a hat, we went into the West Indies ...

St Maarten We woke up in St Maarten, had our usual breakfast at the buffet. Bagel with cream cheese and hashbrowns for me. Marc usually got a bowl of cereal and some fruits. Our plans for St Maarten were to take a bus tour of the island. It's a pretty poor island, so much of it is run down and ghetto. We learned there used to be salt mining and ...