Island Road Trip, Day 8

After being on St. Martin for more than a week now I felt that it was time to do some more exploring around the island. Up to this point I had been to both the french and the dutch sides but I had not see much more than what can be seen from the local buses. That along with the fact that I had to move from Shrimpy's to a different airbnb on the Dutch side compelled me to rent a car for a couple days.

I shopped around online and found that by the time I added the insurance that Sixt was one of the less expensive options. I rented the smallest (cheapest) car they had since I didn't need much; as it turned out I got a nearly new Hyundai i10 (looks like a Honda fit). When I picked it up it only had 170km on the clock and not hardly a scratch or scuff to be found (one small scuff on the pass side near the wheel well). I started my trip with a stop at Topper's Restaurant and Bar since I had heard that the food was good. I also knew that I may not have find another place with such good parking and known good food for a while once I set out. Even though hurricane Irma is now 2-years in the past much of the island is still trying to recover. The issues they seem to be facing not only come from the fact that the destruction was so massive but also form the both the local governments and the insurance companies.

After lunch I began my journey around the island by heading out of Simpson Bay towards Philipsburg. I made stops at various places around the island to enjoy the view and take photos. Some of the places I stopped seemed like they were recovering well (Philipsburg and Grand Case) while others were still seemingly struggling to recover (Oyster Pond and The French Quarter). I also stopped at a free museum called "The Old House" which was quite neat. According to the signs around the property the foundations were built in the 17th century and its been rebuilt a couple times. There is a nice viewpoint behind the house that gives a view of the salt ponds and the ocean. You can also see a vacation home development too.

I really enjoyed touring around St. Martin by car, it allowed me the freedom to "stop and smell the roses" as I pleased. While it may have been more fun to have someone else with me I also enjoyed the solitude of my drive around the island. I am sure that I will have another opportunity to do more exploring in the not too distant future.

View from Bell's Lookout

Oyster Pond from the hill behind 

View from Rotary Lookout Point

Abandoned food truck at Rotary Lookout Point

An old boiler from the sugar mill at "The Old House" Museum 

View from behind "The Old House"

Wild flowers behind "The Old House"