Visitor Highlight: The Snorkel Spree of “Beach Boys” Leclere
Family Time with Iguanas and Buccaneers
Visit St. Maarten once in a while interviews visitors to learn from their island experiences. Todays special guests are Steve Leclere, his wife Jenna and sons Beau and Brooks of Austin, Texas. It was the second trip to the Caribbean for the LeCleres, after a sailing trip from the British Virgin Islands. In daily life, Steve is partner in an investment company; Jenna works in risk management at the University of Texas.
Son Brooks loved to see the Flying Dutchman Zipline at Rainforest Adventure Park. Though he was not old enough for the “big” zipline yet, he did enjoy the smaller zipline on top of Sentry Hill. Brother Beau loved the many iguanas hanging out “on top of the mountain”. “Views alone are worth the trip to the top” was Steves experience of the park, as the St. Maarten weather was on their side. “We had amazing panoramas on top of the platform as the weather was very clear, with many Caribbean islands in sight”. Another attraction of choice was the Philipsburg visit, when the boys went all piratey at the Rusty Parrot buccaneer ship.
Beach Hunting
The upper deck gave Beau and Brooks an imposing view on the mega yachts in port. “Beach boys” Leclere, permanently armed with snorkel gear throughout the trip to explore different shades of deep blue waters, kept track of their beach visits and plunged in as soon as they spotted a new one. This eagerness for sandy shores led to an impressive score of visiting over seven beaches in just as much days. Great Bay Beach, Orient Bay Beach, Maho Beach to see the airplanes fly over, Grand Case and Cay Bay / Indigo were all checked out by the youngsters. Some tranquil family time at Baie Rouge and Friar’s Bay will linger as the most pleasant memories of the holidays.
And those were only the ones on the St. Maarten / St. Martin mainland. Island hopping to , blessed with two additional beaches to hunt for, ranked high on their top experiences. Again an island equipped with Beaus beloved Iguana creatures. It became mother Jenna’s favorite stop: “An ideal swimming spot for kids, an excellent beach with great food in the beach clubs”. An Aquamania sailing tour by catamaran also ranked high on the best experiences list, touching base on Anguilla. Steve advises this tour as “A reasonable price for a day well spent”. LeClere senior adds smilingly : “What made this a great holiday, is that I think the current age of the kids is a great match with what the island has to offer. They can swim very well. We do the tours, enjoy the environs and bring the snorkel gear, they do their thing and tire themselves out – which gives us in turn a relaxed evening”. A free family tip on St. Maarten from the LeCleres.
Hop and Other Culture, but no Longhorns
A bit of St. Maarten / St. Martin history and nature was also enjoyed, at the Amuseum Naturalis on the French side. Dad Steve explored St. Maarten culture his own way by living up to an old holiday hobby he shares with Jenna’s father, exploring local craft brews. He gave Pelikaan Beer and SXM Beer a try, and both hop products could take away his expert approval.
The status of St. Maarten as “culinary capital of the Caribbean” was well celebrated during their stay. Amongst the Leclere restaurant visits was a “bellyful” at Aziana’s, the Lolo’s in Grand Case, a sunset snack in Friar’s Bay, a restaurant in Indigo, local favorites Mark’s Place and Emilio’s were part of the cuisine journey. On an island tour, passing by Porto Cupecoy, Steve could not but make a picture of himself and Brooks in front of “Steve’z” cafe, a tip he got from an old friend. Tortugas proved a good spot to witness the Maho Beach plane spectacle.
If any regrets for Steve, it was that he was not able to move in time to one of the local sports bar to see his team the Texas Longhorns play during holidays. But LeClere can live with that: “Texas plays every week, but exploring two Caribbean destinations on one island is quite a once a year job”.
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