We spent our last day at St Maarten on the sailboat Random Wind. What a GREAT trip…The owner of Random Wind is Diane (I’m afraid I don’t know her last name…)…she and her two children live on the boat. She is a single mom, and does an amazing job…she makes the trip so much fun. You feel so welcomed and comfortable….you can have whatever you want to drink, from Bloody Marys, Margaritas, Rum Punch, Beer, Soda, water…what ever. She cooks and feeds you a wonderful curry chicken with rice and green salad with bread for lunch…there was a mid-day snack and an afternoon snack.

She picks you up in her dinghy and takes you to the boat…she serves everyone a round of drinks and she starts visiting with everybody…it is a nice leisure sail to a beach where they anchor…you can go snorkling and swimming…you can swim to the beach…while lunch is being prepared. After lunch we sailed to another beach. Kelly and I rode up on the Bow seat at the front of the boat…that was a lot of fun. It was like being on a rollercoaster…I highley recommend trying the seat if you ever get a chance.

The second anchor spot, they set up a trapeze swing from the spinnaker boom…that was soooo much fun. You climb up onto the top rail and you hold onto the trapeze bar and they tell you when to lift your feet and swing out with the rock of the boat…then you let go and drop into the sea…fun…Kelly and Scott did the trapeze about a dozen times or more…Every one on board tried the trapeze at least once. Then we headed home…It was an amazing day…a nice way to end a great vacation.

If you are ever in St Maarten, we highly recommend booking a trip with Random Wind, it is worth every penny…..  Randomwind.com

Because I was so busy having a great time swimming and holding on…I am afraid, I didn’t  take many photos…

Captain Diane – Owner of the Random Wind…an amazing women

The Random Wind

Kelly and June on the Random Wind

June and Kelly riding on the Bow Seat

Kelly swinging on the trapeze

Kelly…getting ready to drop into the water

Diane was in the water and caught Kelly in mid-air turn

Scott swinging on the trapeze

Scott making a splash…

One of the days at St Maarten we took the ferry over to St Barth Island…actually Scott, won a free ferry ride to St Barths….playing bingo…which was great….St Barths is French…we rented a very small car to visit the island. The ferry ride was nice…it include beverage service..the Captain told us all if we did good (don’t get sea sick) on the ride over we could have all the beer we wanted on the return trip home…which was included in the price of the ticket..it was a nice deal…of course the only beer they served was Coors…not really my favorite…but…I could say…it was the thought 🙂

Here are the photos of from St Barths….it is a very expensive island..they use the Euro but will accept US dollars…it was a great day…All the beaches have tile signs with the name of the beach..we made it to most of the beaches…but not all..we didn’t have that much time on the island. I would say the sand is very fine, very soft…..very white…it is slightly different then St Maarten. It was a great day!

The first thing I see as we pull into Port at St Barth’s

St Barth’s Airport…that is a really short runway.

Sign for St Jean Beach

St Jean Beach….very nice..pretending that is our yacht anchored at the beach…I wish…

Grand Fond sign

Grand Fond Shoreline – St Barth’s

Saline Beach Sign

Walking to Saline Beach

Kelly sittting on Saline Beach…enjoying the day

Saline Beach – St Barth’s

Gate to board the ferry back to St Maarten…goodbye

Ferry pass back to St Maarten

We had the great pleasure of going to St Maarten for a week (7 days on St Maarten) with Scott and Diana Cross…We had a great time! Weather was nice….beaches nice…great friends…Here is the first over view of the trip and there will be two more post for the special day trips we took while on the island.

We took our time traveling which was great…no pressure. Our trip started Wednesday night. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Burlingame for an early flight on Thursday morning. We shared a room…they said the beds were queens size…I’m not sure I agreed..the beds seemed very small…It was hard to sleep because we were all excited to go. We went to dinner at Steelhead Brewery in Burllingame…it was a great start.

First night dinner at Steelhead Brewery in Burlingame

Took the hotel shuttle to the airport and bright and early Thursday morning. Made it to Miami Florida with no problems. We had separate rooms at Miami Hilton…we had the Hilton Honors status and had a room on the 12th floor…very nice view.

Hilton Honors room at Miami…we each had our own room…nice

Our view from our room in Miami Florida

We found this great restaurant called the 94th Aero Squadron, it was set up like a Normandy Farm from World War 2 with military equipment..it was right across the street from Miami Airport…we had a great food and a really good time..

Dinner at the 94th Aero Squardon..excellent place to have dinner

Kelly, Diana and Scott – 94th Aero Squadron restaurant

Awwww – Scott and Diana stealing a kiss at dinner

Watching the clouds during dinner

No problems on our flight from Miami, to Saint Maarten…We made it….Views from the plane and our room and from the bar on the beach…

Flying to St Maarten…what a view on the plane

Welcome to St Maarten

View of pool from our room

The bar in the pool..nice….just down the elevator

View from the balcony

View from the balcony…Simpson Bay

View from our balcony…Simpson Bay

Diana….feet in the water…we are sitting at the bar at the hotel…..nice, we made it!

Sott….feet in the water…we are sitting at the bar at the hotel…..nice, we made it!

 

June….feet in the water…we are sitting at the bar at the hotel…..nice, we made it!

Diana & Kelly….feet in the water…I’m not sure how we didn’t get a solo photo of Kelly…must have been one to many drinks?? or we must have relaxed really well.

We did get Kelly relaxing in the pool.

We hopped on the local bus system and took a day trip to Philipsburg…definitely toursist central…….but a fun day wandering through the shops and having lunch..

We are in Philipsburg..the usual sign board photo..you just have to do it! This is Scott and Diana

Ok, so now it was our turn in the sign board photo..whoo hoo.

Interesting Bar…it wasn’t open yet, when we went through town.

Beach at Philipsburg, St Maarten

We went across the street from our hotel and had dinner at Skip Jack’s restaurant….

Kelly and Diana picking their dinner at Skip Jack’s restaurant

Dinner selected…

Dinner served…

These are photos as we wandered about St Maarten…

This is Saba Island….view from our room

Recycled anchor balls ..into art, at one of the many beach bars

Can’t help myself…you have to try for the artist photo…

Nice paint job on a scooter on the French side of St Maarten

Nice paint job on a scooter on the French side of St Maarten

One evening we went over to the Sunset Bar and Grill which is literally at the end of St Maarten Airport runway. I saw it when we flew into St Maarten..this resturaunt is on one side of the runway…you watch the planes come in and land and take off..you can watch and see the jet wash rough up the ocean…it is really a sight to see…the planes coming right at you..there are a lot of signs posted about the jet wash and not standing on the road…of course there are always people who don’t have a clue and will stand there…it was a great place to watch the sun set and the flights come and go…

Watching the planes at Sunset Bar and Grill

Watching a flight leave St Maarten…sitting at Sunset Bar & Grill

Photos on our last day…it is always so hard to leave..but you also get excited to go home and be in your own bed..and see your pets and family…had a great time..would do the trip again!! Thank you Scott and Diana for sharing your trip with us..we enjoyed it very much!!! Whoo Hooo…Kelly and I also got two stamps in our Passports!…simple things can make us so happy..

Enjoying the view..our last day…and our last drink at the bar at the hotel

Good bye St Maarten..that is our hotel right at our wing tip…

Heading home…farewell…St Maarten..hope to see you again

Flying to Miami…tail end clouds from Sandy…