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Just briefly checking in from the (surprisingly well presented) Super 8 in Fort Myers, Florida. Just in case you thought I'd died in a horrible fireball or something! This is the first time since I left the UK that I've got online so you will hopefully excuse my tardiness in updating you all o the trip. I will try harder from now on but, please excuse me for now, it's been a long day and I need a nice hot shower!
[Editor's Note: Here is a link to the trip that Craig is currently on...]
Okay, so I didn't die in a horrible fireball yet. But I'm back at the airport (Orlando International) waiting on a flight for Miami where I connect to London. I'm pretty impressed to discover they have an open wireless connection here... good work. Normally they cost something insane like 10 bucks for 30 minutes. Wireless availability in general is quite poor in Florida it seems. Or maybe I've just been unlucky.
Anyway, it's been a great trip and, although I spent a lot less time in the car than I usually do (just 1400 miles) I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Especially the post Miami portion. The Keys were really good and it was fantastic to catch up with old friends (and make a lot of new ones) in Sarasota.
I'll update you once I've got home and uploaded some photos.
Craig, glad you have avoided any miscellaneous fireballs thus far -- I take it that MTJ was not a success for you in the field this time?Quote:
Originally Posted by UKCraig
Mark
Sadly not. Although, I have to confess, that's pretty much my fault for being lazy and not making any effort to update it after I was unable to get online for the first half of the trip...
Well I am back in the UK now. It is very cold!
As no-one, least of all myself, will be surprised to discover, the 1hr 10min lay over at Miami was no where near enough and, after leaving Orlando 1hr late you can imagine the excitement at Miami when I tried to make my connection. Especially when I learned that it involved a terminal change.
Thankfully, due to the kind assistance of a guy driving a golf cart, I made the gate just in time. They were waiting for me and the doors were closed and we were pushing back before I'd even taken my seat!
Of course this means that my luggage is MIA somewhere at MIA but hopefully that'll come in on tomorrow mornings flight. Whatever... at least I didn't get to spend 24 hours on the floor at Miami airport!
Small selection of photos now online! (not a valid link anymore)
Friday 16th November 2007
It could have been any weekday morning. The alarm goes off and it’s 5am. It’s dark and cold. Oh so cold. Out of bed and into the car. But this morning is different – I have an appointment with American Airlines. I turn right out of the close instead of left and head off towards Heathrow. I’m going off on my travels once more but, for some reason, it just doesn’t feel right. It’s not that I’m not looking forward to it – I am – but, erm, I dunno. It just didn’t feel right somehow. The usual nervous excitement isn’t there this morning. Maybe it’s that the much anticipated fight for the Nextel Cup title - which had spurred me into booking the trip - is all but decided? Maybe it’s a hangover from my previous trip which didn’t go exactly to plan? Maybe it’s just an increased familiarity which comes the more you visit a country? Maybe all those horror stories of death and terror on the streets of Miami that my workmates insisted on telling me were actually weighing on my mind? Who knows? Whatever, I certainly wasn’t planning on turning round and going back to my nice warm bed – no matter how appealing that seemed at the time!
Having deposited the car in the dodgiest ‘secure parking’ that I have ever encountered – and having been ranted at in Polish by the hired help – I was ‘whisked’ to the terminal in what must be the oldest shuttle bus in existence. As I stepped onboard I could swear I could see that the words ‘Sunshine Coach’ had been written down its side in a previous life. No matter, it got us there and, having battled through all the construction work and the lines of Police at the front door, made my way to check in. Three hours later I was onboard and hurtling down the Heathrow runway. It still didn’t feel right – something was missing.
The flight itself was a pleasure – the cabin crew friendly and professional, the food excellent and the legroom the best that I have experienced whilst flying transatlantic. I even worked some more on my plan to perfect the art of sleeping onboard a plane – I managed somewhere in the region of two hour which I congratulated myself on.
I have a thing about wine. No, not drinking it; seeing open bottles of it standing around waiting to be spilt everywhere. It a very strange phobia, I know, but when the girl sitting next to me ordered a bottle of red wine from the drinks trolley my heart rate shot up. For twenty slow and painful minutes it sat there waiting for the first glass to be poured and then, almost immediately, it happened. For some reason, unknown to anyone within 500 meters – including herself I am sure – she suddenly decided to stand up. It was mere milliseconds before the contents of the huge glass landed in the lap of my new (previously lightly coloured) trousers. Of course she was very apologetic but that didn’t really help all that much, nor did her attempts to mop up the mess with napkins (much as I enjoyed it at the time!) and I made a hasty retreat to the bathroom to try and clean myself up. It proved to be a futile effort – people would constantly stare at me and the apparent blood stain all over my trousers right up until I arrived at the hotel – but at least it gave me valuable minutes away from the silly bint in which I could calm down to the point that I didn’t feel the need to throttle her on my return to my seat.
Arrival at a US airport is a painful affair, there is no getting away from it, and there’s nothing that you can do bar grind and bear it. Arrival at Miami was no different but it was a strange experience to be greeted with much of the signage around the airport in Spanish with an English translation provided beneath, almost as an afterthought, for the benefit of the minority ethnic group.
After an hour or so I arrived at the front of the queue and was pleasantly surprised to find the immigration officer to be warm, friendly and welcoming. He took a look at my passport and noted the fact I was a regular visitor to his shores and stamped it without asking any questions at all. He asked my plane and, when I explained I was in town for the race, he excitedly told me how he lived across from the track and offer advice on a couple of his favourite restaurants. I wonder if he worked part time for the local tourist board but, whatever the reason for his chirpiness, I am grateful. Welcome back!
I picked up the car and made my way to the hotel that I had booked on Collins Avenue in the South Beach area. It took quite some finding but, when I did, I couldn’t for the life of me work out how I’d missed it. Being the tight arse that I am I didn’t want to pay 35 bucks for valet parking so found a parking lot a couple of blocks away near the Lincoln Road Mall for ten bucks a day. As I walked back through the dark streets those stories from my workmates were coming back to me and I was pleased to arrive at the hotel in one piece.
The Contiental Oceanfront Hotel wasn’t the fanciest hotel in the area, nor did I have the best room in the hotel, but I’d have found it very hard to complain as I’d got such a bargain price online and I was made to feel very much at home by the friendly and welcoming staff. I unpacked and grabbed a well earned shower before heading out to get a bite to eat.
Saturday 17th November 2007
I had tickets with my name on waiting for me at will call at Miami-Homestead Speedway but, for now at least, they would have to wait. Awaking early I set off from the back door of the hotel to watch the sun rise over South Beach. I’d worn my walking boots which was lucky as, before I knew it, I’d walked twenty blocks along the almost deserted beach (apart from a tramp and a couple of exercise freaks) and arrived at the end of the road – South Pointe Park – and could go no further. The sun was already starting to warm the air up and I stayed there for a few minutes talking to some guys fishing from the pier before heading back towards the hotel along Ocean Drive.
The area is famous for the people watching possibilities and the lovely old buildings of the Art Deco District – which Ocean Drive bisects – made a fantastic backdrop as I watched locals and visitors try to outdo each other in the posing stakes. I would have loved to stop and enjoy the al fresco breakfast experience myself but I had put myself behind schedule by walking so far and had to forego the posing and make do with a bag of cashews, a giant oversized Snickers bar and a can of Red Bull as I made my way back to the hotel for a quick shower and a change of clothes.
I retraced my steps of the night before as I made my way to – hopefully – retrieve the rental car. The local characters still looked a little menacing to someone more used to the quiet streets of suburban London but started to relax after striking up a conversation with a pretty brunette as we stood waiting for the lights to change.
The car was still where I had parked it and untouched – phew! I was starting to relax but then realised that I was being watched as I set up the satnav and, not wishing to be the next statistic, I took off without a clue as to which way I was heading. I soon found a suitable spot to pull over and was able to programme the device to take me out towards the vast Sawgrass Mills Outlet Center near Fort Launderdale, stopping off at Dolphins Stadium en route to pick up the traditional souvenir baseball which I bring back from all of my trips.
It transpired that the only shop open on the day was the Dolphins shop and they didn’t stock any baseball merchandise at all. I managed to find one later in the day from a small independent store in Sawgrass Mills but ended up spending very little money there in the end. I spent several hours exploring the shops but only picked up a couple of T shirts in the end. Seeing I’d flown in with a very large gap in my suitcase for the inevitable large stack of bargain clothing, that I fully expected to end up buying, I headed down to Homestead somewhat concerned that I would actually need to work out how use one of those huge laundry machines in the hotel!
It was nice to be able to cross another track off the virtual list and I was pleased to find that they had my tickets at will call. However, upon inspecting them, they had not given me what I had ordered so I was forced to join the back of the queue to speak with the supervisor. After some discussion, and a couple of phone calls, she decided that the simplest solution would be to start opening the envelopes containing other peoples orders until she found suitable pit and hospitality passes that she could give to me. I left the area promptly before she changed her mind and made my way to the vast area given over to trade stands and merchandising. I do hope those other people were able to collect their own passes without too much hassle!
A hundred bucks worse off I made my way into the track along with my carrier bag full of goodies from the #42 souvenir trailer and settled down for the start of the Busch race. It would start around ½ hour before sunset and the low sun proved to be a real issue in trying to follow the progress of the drivers in the early laps. I have no idea how difficult it must have been from the inside of the car but I am sure that they were even more relieved than the crowd when the sun finally dipped behind the grandstands.
Four hours later I was heading back to the interstate to return to the hotel on Collins Avenue for the evening. It was quite a drive back there from Homestead but I had booked it when I was unable to find anything closer online whilst planning the trip back home in England. It turned out to be a wise move as I passed not one single hotel or motel with a ‘vacancies’ sign out before I hit South Beach itself. Seems the race was a bigger event than I expected. And I still wasn't really 'feeling it'. hmmm...
Sunday 18th November 2007
It’s amazing how easily you settle into a new time zone when you fly east. I’d only been in the country for two days but the 6am (11am UK time) alarm seemed horribly early somehow. The plan for the day was to drive down to Homestead for the (last ever) Nextel Cup race and then on to the Ramada on Key Largo. Again I made the ‘walk of death’ to collect the car from the parking lot and, again, was to find the car was exactly where I’d left it the previous evening. Having left my favourite shirt in the room (as I would discover afterwards) the only thing that seemed to be missing was my brain.
I headed out of Miami and past an impressive line of cruise ships moored alongside the road. I hit the back of a queue of traffic and decided to open the roof of the car for the first time. I’m sure that I looked like a total tourist but I was really starting to feel at home. I’d left early as I wasn’t sure what level of traffic to expect but I made very good time and was soon parked at Homestead. I hovered around the car for a while, soaking up the atmosphere created by the numerous tailgate parties that were already in full flow, before making my way to the hospitality area where it was announced our guest speaker would be none other than Mr Jeff Gordon. I’ve never been a huge fan of Jeff but I was planning on cheering him on in the race as he tried to overhaul Jimmie Johnson so I thought it was only fair he came to visit us and thank me in person for doing so!
I like the whole hospitality package but it was had proved a particular bargain at Homestead as it also included the pitlane tour. Before we were led across the track and deposited in pitlane we had to sign the usual disclaimer that, should we be maimed or killed, we would not hold the nasty people who did it responsible. I have been signing these things for years and it’s not something that has ever concerned me – but I do confess to having some nerves when I crossed the track to be greeted by the worrying sight of Robbie Gordon revving the proverbial out of the #7 car. Given that guys record for wrecking I gave him a wide berth as I made my way down pitlane.
There wasn’t a huge amount happening in pitlane at this time – presumably everyone was avoiding the accident waiting to happen in the #7 – so I decided to go visit the #42 pit area to see if there were any photo opportunities to be had. There were a couple of Montoya’s pit crew there when I arrived and I got chatting with them. They were impressed that I’d come all the way from the UK to cheer for their driver and, when I told them it was the third time that year that I’d done so, one of them went and fetched the other guys who were working on the car inside the garage! After several minutes I went to leave and one of them offered me a small present from the back of the hauler – a wheel nut that was on the car when they won their first race in Sonoma. It was only a small thing but I was touched – you don’t get that sort of thing in Formula One!
I made it back to hospitality just in time to collect my lunch and find a place to stand for the guest speaker. I somehow felt rude eating in front of Jeff - I hope he understood. It was an interesting talk but, as soon as he’d finished and was ushered off stage, the fans started tearing the fixtures and fittings apart whilst the security people just stood by and watched them. Quite surreal. I really quite fancied one of the large banners that were hanging all around the marquee but, before I finally managed to sweet talk one of the security girls to lend me a knife, they’d all been removed. I helped myself to a nice length of bunting instead – it would look great in my kitchen – and then started to ponder what the hell the girl was thinking; handing out knives to random people in the midst of an apparent riot. Worrying.
Having stowed my ill-gotten gains in the trunk of the car I returned to the seat that I had occupied yesterday and sat and enjoyed the sun. The race itself started well, the #42 running very well, but tailed off towards the end as Montoya dropped back through the field. Dale Jnr - in his last race in the iconic #8 Budweiser Chevrolet - had a disastrous day, hitting everything in sight. It seemed kind of fitting somehow – the very first time I had seen him race was just up the road at the Daytona 500 in 2002. He had lost his father after he’d hit the wall at the end of the previous years 500 and, as if to prove something to the track, he was desperate to win that day. Instead he went out and hit everything in sight but he never gave up and kept getting back in the race. 2007 had been the only winless season of his career and, as if to prove something to the people who he felt had stolen the team that bore his name, he was again desperate to win. Again he wouldn’t win but you really had to admire the never give up attitude. I can’t wait to see him in a topline car next season.
After the race I trudged back to the car – yes, Johnson HAD won the championship… not what I had come to see – and slowly made my way back to the main road and turned south towards Key Largo.
The road onto Kay Largo was being reconstructed and they had routed us down what proved to be a terrifyingly narrow and bumpy alternative which. I lost count of the number of times I had to take avoiding action to avoid a head-on collision with oncoming cars that veered onto my side of the road. I was glad to finally reach the hotel in one piece and made my way up to my room to discover it was a room with a view. And a balcony. After my usual diet of budget hotels, and cheap motels, it felt very grown up! I picked up some snacks and some beer from the nearby gas station and returned to my room to chill out and reflect on the last few days before promptly falling asleep in front of the TV. It had been a long day and, remarkably, I still wasn’t ‘feeling it’!
Monday 19th November 2007
I drew back the curtains, stepped out onto my balcony and cast a glance across the beautiful boats in the Marina Del Mar. I watched the sun glistening on the water and the owners of the various boats going about their business. Suddenly – at very long last – I was feeling it. It was official: I was on holiday!
After an al fresco breakfast I went for a stroll around the marina and was surprised to find - amongst the various tour boats, dive boats and fishing boats – that the marina was home to the original African Queen. I’m afraid to say that it wasn’t very impressive but I snapped the obligatory photo nonetheless.
Having returned to the hotel I collected my bags and made my way to the car. I was setting off several hours late but, in keeping with being on the Keys, it didn’t seem to matter. I stopped off at Winn Dixie for supplies then headed off to my next stop: Bahia Honda State Park.
With the roof down, and the radio turned up, the drive down was most agreeable. I would often find myself veering off the road to take a photo or two, check out a gift store or take another photo but it didn't take too long to arrive at Bahia Honda Key. I arrived earlier than the check-in time for the campground but was invited to go into the park and explore before returning a couple of hours later when my pitch would be vacant and the office fully open.
I've never really been one for sitting on a beach but the white sand and warm clear water at Logger Head Beach was irresistible. Too irresistible it would prove for I arrive with no sunscreen and left with burnt shoulders! After exploring some more of the park - including Calusa Beach, the original Bahia Honda Bridge and a nature trail on which I was startled to (almost literally) stumble over a three foot iguana - I headed back to the campground office to check-in.
I was very excited to find that my pitch was just yards from the lapping waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Whilst I couldn't step straight out of my tent and dip my toes in the water I was close enough to make me feel like I was camping somewhere special. This initial feeling of content was soon tested when I pulled the tent from the bag and suddenly recalled, to my horror, that I never did get round to airing it after getting back from the infamous trip to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium two months earlier. In the Florida sun the tent would soon dry out and all I could do was hope that the only lasting damage would be the nasty smell that it now had.
I had initially planned to head down to Key West to see the sunset celebration at Mallory Square but, after several weeks of rushing around, I'd quickly settled in to the relaxed pace on the Keys and couldn't quite decide whether to go or to watch the sun set from the top of the Bridge. Eventually I settled on Mallory Square and I sped down to see what all the fuss was about. I managed a parking space right on the quay but, as I made my way towards the large crowd, I realised that I'd missed the magic moment by mere seconds. Genius! Never mind, tomorrow I'd be doing something far more exciting!
The drive back to the campground was great fun – roof down, heating on full and some banging tunes on the radio – and I was soon turning off the highway into the silence of the park. Back at the campground I sat and soaked up one of the most memorable scenes I can ever remember. Quite unspoilt by light pollution the night sky was majestic and the peace of the island was like something I’ve never experienced; the only sounds being the rustle of leaves in the wind and the gentle sound of waves breaking onto the nearby beach. After two nights in the hustle and bustle of South Beach I soon realised that this was much more my style.
Eventually the other occupants of the campground started returning and, the peace finally broken, I decided to head off to bed for an early night. The perfect day was rounded off by that most glorious sound of rain falling onto your tent – a welcome thing when you've been sweating in the sun all day – and, finally, one of the most exciting electrical storms that I have ever seen.
Now I was REALLY 'getting it'!!
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Tuesday 20th November 2007
There are three things that I always look to do when planning a trip through the US – take in a race, visit MLB ballparks and explore National Parks - and I soon realised that, as well as enjoying the sun that I was going for, I could do all three of these. I was sold and had soon booked my flights. I’ve never been a fan of flying – being cooped up in that metal tube for 10 hours whilst complete strangers share their germs (and the contents of their wine glasses) with you – but it is undoubtedly a necessary evil so you just shut up and get on with it.
There are three National Parks in Florida and I was off to see the first of the three today but it was not to be as simple as driving up to the front gate, waving my pass, and then exploring. Oh, no. The Dry Tortugas National Park lies 70 miles off the ‘Southernmost Point in the USA’ and, much like crossing the Atlantic from London, there was only one practical way to get there in short time – flying. But there was a problem with that; Dry Tortugas National Park comprises a series of tiny islands and, well, they just don’t let you build an airport in a National Park! So, until I inadvertently stumbled over a company called Seaplanes Of Key West, I was going to be stuck taking the daily ferry service.
I think it is fair to say that I had been looking forward to today ever since I found their website – somehow flying out and landing in the clear warm water surrounding Fort Jefferson – the largest brick building in the Western Hemisphere - seemed to be more attractive than flying American Airlines out of Heathrow. As it turned out; it really couldn’t have been any further removed from that grotty corner of West London if it had been built by Disney.
Not knowing what to expect, I arrived early for the flight and made my to the reception area in the corner of the tiny Key West Airport. I was introduced to the other three passengers – a middle aged couple from Wisconsin and a girl from New Jersey – before being handed a cooler box full of complimentary drinks (the dry in Dry Tortugas means there is no drinking water on the island) and ushered out onto the tarmac where Lou, our pilot for the day, was waiting for us. As we were all ready to go he suggested that we set off early. As we made our way towards the smallest plane that I have ever seen, let along flown on, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful old Biplane to my left – but more of that later!
We were soon in the air and thundering (for anyone used to the near silence of modern commercial air travel, just trust me when I say thunder is a very apt word) down the runway and up into the air. It was amazing to see from the air just how compact Key West actually was as I tried to shoot a few aerial photos. We headed out over an area known as ‘The Flats’ and somewhere about half way be flew over the two ferry boats slowly making their way out to the island.
We had soon arrived over the Dry Tortugas and, as we prepared to land, Lou circled around Loggerhead Key and Fort Jefferson which allowed us an opportunity to get some nice photos. Once we had survived the controlled crash into the ocean, we got our feet wet as we made our way from the plane, across the beach and onto the island. Jo and I decided to spend the morning exploring Fort Jefferson and chilling out on the beach but, before we knew it, Lou had returned and it was time for us to head back to Key West. The whole experience had been amazing but, next time, I would take the full day trip or maybe even explore the idea of camping overnight on the island.
Back at Key West I headed off to get a sense of the local area and my first port of call was for a photo next to the buoy at the Southernmost Point. I then abandoned the car in favour of a walk down the length of Duval Street, which really made me hungry, so I headed off along Front Street and into the marina area. After admiring the boats whilst I ate I made the long trek back to the car. By now, rather than the beautiful weather to be found back at Fort Jefferson, the weather had turned cooler and, as I found when I made my way to the end of White Street Pier, it had become extremely windy. This change in weather was concerning me because – remember the old biplane? – I had another appointment back at the airport.
Arriving back at the airport I wondered if the ‘once in a lifetime sunset biplane trip’ that I had signed up for would go ahead as planned. The wind was getting stronger and stronger which wasn’t a good sign but on arrival I was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem. We hopped into the plane – I was sat in the front seat with the pilot, Josh, behind me in the rear – and made our way to the runway to take off. What was kind of fun was that I had the full Biggles flying helmet/goggles combo to wear complete with intercom to the pilot.
I soon got the impression that Josh didn’t want to be there at all – he sounded thoroughly bored – and it began to grate that I was paying so much money for the attitude. But at least I had the glorious sunset to look forward to, right? Wrong, sadly. I sure saw a lot of cloud but a sunset? No, afraid not, we weren’t even facing the right direction at the time the sun went down. Shortly afterwards it was all over and we were back down on the ground – Josh making it very clear he wanted to be elsewhere and that he didn’t want to waste his time standing around chatting. It was a real shame that he had this attitude; the cloud I accepted as one of those things but I paid a lot of money for the experience of flying in the biplane and, whilst it wasn’t completely ruined by his attitude, It was certainly tarnished.
Ah, well, never mind; it’s only money, right? At least I can say I’ve been on a biplane AND a seaplane. In the same day! It was quite an experience and, despite Josh, I will remember that day for a long, long time.
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Wednesday 21st November 2007
Yesterday had been a long and tiring day but I woke unusually early this morning. It took a few moments to realise what had woken me but I soon realised that it was due to the large puddle that had appeared on the floor of the tent under the open door. So it had rained overnight again it would seem. Being that cold, wet and awake before sunrise I guess I could have been forgiven for thinking I was back home – it was somehow comforting that I didn’t have to hop in the car and head to work.
So, where was I going today? I didn’t really know. I did know that I wanted to stop at Biscayne National Park and, hopefully, Everglades National Park too. Apart from that it was a case of making it up as I went along, although I did have it in mind that I would be happy if I made it as far as Naples by nightfall. Tomorrow I’d head up to Sarasota to spend Thanksgiving with an old friend and, as I watched the sun rise over the ocean from Sandspur Beach, I started to worry how his new husband would appreciate me rocking up and sleeping in their spare room.
As soon as the sun was up I quickly packed away the tent, grabbed a nice hot shower and hopped in the car. I stopped at the gatehouse to enquire about possible campgrounds in the Naples area and ended up chatting with the ranger who was happy to open up the office and get me the information that I needed even though he wasn’t actually on duty. It summed up Bahia Honda State Park – absolutely fantastic – I would definitely return in the future and I would happily recommend it to others.
I made excellent time back towards Key Largo – evidently too good as I had to quickly pull off the road at one point in order to escape the attention of a State Trooper who I’d sped past – and pulled in to Biscayne National Park at 0945. I’d come for the glass bottom boat tour which leaves at 1000 and rushed upstairs to book myself a place but was informed that the usual tour wasn’t running today due to the murky waters caused by the high winds of the previous couple of days. Instead they were going to head out to Boca Chita Key – somehow it seemed a better option to me.
It was quite a long ride out so I was pleased that the park ranger onboard was, once again, able to give an entertaining and informative presentation. I do love the National Park Service! It was really interesting to get an idea of what The Keys would have been like prior to Henry Flagler built his famous railroad. The ranger pointed out how you could actually see the Gulf Stream on the water just off the shore and then the irreparable damage caused by inexperienced or incapable boat owners who had taken a short cut across the coral reef and destroyed both the coral and the sea grass.
As we made out way back to park headquarters I sat on the bow of the boat and the ranger, having finished his presentation and seeking to escape the never-ending questions from the couple from Tokyo, came up to join me. We sat up there for twenty minutes or so, exchanging stories of our travels through our respective home countries and talking about our future plans. For a while I felt like a real traveller but this was short-lived as he started to recount his trip through South America – suddenly I felt a bit inferior and promised myself that I would get out and see some more of this world of ours before I was very much older. But that would have to wait; for now my next destination would be the nearby Everglades National Park and, as luck would have it, the friendly ranger spent two years working there previously and offered some very helpful suggestions.
Back in the car, I set off in the direction of Shark Valley where I planned to ride the last tram of the day at 3pm. As I left Biscayne National Park I was surprised to see just how close it was to Homestead-Miami Speedway – the contrast between the two couldn’t have been greater.
By the time I arrived at the Shark Valley entrance of the Everglades National Park I was running rather later than planned and I didn’t think that I’d make the tram but I made it with (literally) seconds to spare. As I took my seat we set off – I couldn’t have timed it any better. Originally I had planned to hire a cycle and explore the loop at my own pace, but the ranger at Biscayne had suggested it is far more rewarding to have someone who knows what they're talking abou pointing things out on your first visit. I was soon very grateful to him for his advice as Everglades National Park was a very different park to I am used to. Very flat (obviously!) and, at first glance, a little dull but, with an expert pointing things out, utterly fascinating. I was very glad to have arrived when I did as I really would have missed out if I’d not taken that tour.
We arrived back at the tram station a short while after 5pm and I sat in the car and wondered where to go next. I had originally thought I would head over to Naples, leaving the last leg of the drive to Sarasota for the next day, but I decided that I should press on as far as possible. I finally got my sunset as I drove along the Tamiami Trail through Big Cypress National Preserve; absolutely stunning. As I drove on I started to feel a little faint, and then realised that I’d not eaten anything for almost 24 hours, so I pulled into a gas station for the usual healthy diet of road food – a packet of cashews and a can of Red Bull – which amazingly did the trick and I soon had a second wind. I pressed on; revelling in the moment. I don’t know what it is about me and my road trips but I do love being able to switch my mind off, turn the music up and concentrate on nothing other than what is in front of you whilst counting down the miles to your destination. Bliss.
Everglades City rushed past my window in a blur, as did Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers. I finally decided to call it a day once I was north of Fort Myers and pulled off the Interstate to seek overnight accommodation. I found a nice shiny new Super 8, the only ones I usually consider stopping at as the dirt and dust hasn’t yet had time to accumulate, and pulled in. I’d heard horror stories of travelling on the eve of Thanksgiving and wondered if I’d have a problem finding a room. I needn’t have worried as the Super 8 proved not only to be cheap and clean but it had enough spare capacity to cope with the unannounced arrival of the 101st Airborne. And it had wifi too which was a real luxury after a week away from my emails.
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Thursday 22nd November 2007
So, today is Thanksgiving, is it? Fantastic! But what exactly does that mean? I had the best nights sleep ever – no rain puddles on the floor this morning – which left me wondering if Thanksgiving was actually some sort of elaborate scheme dreamed up by the Super 8 management where, for one night each year, they wheel out the comfy beds to give thanks to their customers for putting up with the dust and poor service over the course of the rest of the year. I concluded that it was probably quite unlikely and that I’d just been really really tired when I arrived last night.
I checked out, grabbed some breakfast from the buffet then leapt in the car to go and battle this awful Thanksgiving traffic carnage that I had kept hearing about. 45 minutes later I was halfway to Sarasota and I had to send a text message to advise I would be arriving early! I have no idea where everyone was but, if Thanksgiving Eve (is there such a thing?) had been quiet then Thanksgiving proper was truly bizarre. I had been wondering how they managed to film the shots of an apparently abandoned New York City in the movie, I am Legend. The answer was glaringly obvious; they must have filmed it on Thanksgiving.
The last few miles were particularly surreal. I’d known Katie for several years and had heard so much about Sarasota over that time. When I finally drove past the ‘Welcome to Sarasota’ sign I felt almost emotional; like I was coming home somehow! To top it all, as I drove down the interstate with the roof down and the sun beating down, I was listening to ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ on the radio. Seriously, seriously strange!
It took a while to find Kate and Nicks apartment in the large development where they live but, when I finally found it, I couldn’t quite bring myself to knock on the door. I was worried that she might have changed in the year she’d been living in the US and that Nick might have serious concerns about an old friend of his missus turning up at their place - I know I probably would! Thankfully, after a deep breath, my fears were allayed and I was welcomed in by two people who made me feel immediately at home. I thank them profusely for that welcome.
After the obligatory house tour (I still can’t get over the size of properties in the US – amazing!) and the introduction to Lou, their beagle, we headed off for a guided tour of the area. I immediately felt at home in Sarasota – it actually had a proper ‘small town’ feel about it – and I fell completely in love with it when I realised the proximity to the beach. It was a million miles from my previous impression of Florida – which was some strange mix of theme parks and Miami Vice – this was a real town and a real community.
I’d tried not to have any preconceptions of what Thanksgiving would be like in the US as, invariably, you set yourself up for a fall and end up coming away disappointed but I really couldn’t help it. After all I’ve seen Friends on the TV! In the end it was everything I’d hoped for multiplied by ten – superb. Our hosts were fantastically hospitable and, despite them not knowing who the hell I was, were happy to have me join them in the struggle to eat the mountain of (beautifully prepared) food. Absolutely superb – I can see why it is such a tradition in the US – it’s like Christmas in the UK but without all the hype, hassle and family politics. I loved it!
We stopped at a local bar on the way back to their apartment and met up with a number of their friends. It was a great little place with a great atmosphere and it put me in mind of a good old English pub but with one fantastic addition: a huge firepit in the garden. I’ve never seen it before which, thinking about it since, is probably a good thing – if it had been in the UK then the punters would surely have burned the picnic tables, the fence, the chairs from the bar and, most likely, the bar itself.
Earlier in the evening Kate had suggested that we should head out to the midnight sales which left Nick and I reeling in horror at the thought. Suddenly, after four or five pints (not to mention innumerable glasses of wine, margaritas and assorted other goodies) Nick and I decided that it might actually be rather fun. Perhaps fun wasn’t the right word but it was certainly very interesting! We headed out to Ellenton Mall armed with all sorts of advice for back roads into the complex from people at the bar who had recoiled in horror at the very suggestion of hitting the mall. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve not seen anything quite so manic for many years… traffic tailbacks for miles around (literally) and people getting out of cars to remonstrate with other drivers who cut into the line were the tip of the iceberg. We were almost wiped out by some crazy rednecks (to whom DD most likely means Demolition Derby rather than Designated Driver) who seemed unable to comprehend there was a line of stationary traffic and proceeded on at unabated speed until the only option was to jam on the brakes and hope for the best. Thankfully they managed to miss us and ended up sliding down the embankment. It was truly insane. And that was before we got into the mall itself a mere two hours after we joined the back of the traffic queue!
I finally crawled into my bed in their spare room at some time after 0330. It had been a great day. I think it’s fair to say that I liked Thanksgiving. Can we have it in the UK now, please?
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Craig,
I love the addition of the photos.
How did you get them spaced three on a line? I looked at the source code, but I still don't see how you did this. But I like it!
Mark
I just used basic vB code to add them:
[url=aaaa][img]bbbb[/img][/url] [url=xxxx][img]yyyy[/img][/url]
Note the space between the two 'tags' rather than a line break.
Glad you like the addition of the photos - it was a good suggestion to add them - it really brightens the report up! How are you enjoying the report? I know it's a little long but hopefully it'll prove useful to others travelling through the area in the future.
{Editor's Note: Hah! I forgot when I added that page -- Good reminder!}
really enjoyed the read so far,sounds like a great trip,top pics to!!
Glad you're enjoying it! ;)
Friday 23rd November 2007
I was able to enjoy a lie-in this morning but I felt so sorry for Nick who had to be in work at something horrible like 0700. I’d like to think he made it on time but I have no idea as I slept right through and didn’t surface until mid morning. When I finally did wake up, I couldn’t wait to get in the car and head on out. Katie and I were off to Lowry Park Zoo for the day!
I hadn’t been to the zoo for years and years - although it was something that Katie and I said we’d do back in the UK – but, when she left the UK, my excuse to go and hang out at the zoo for the day left with her. I thought it only right that we should take the opportunity to right this terrible wrong!
I’m sure no zoo is ever going to be very popular with the environmentalists (the clue is in last ten letters) but Lowry Park Zoo, despite being voted #1 Family Friendly Zoo, has come in for particular criticism over the years. They claim that the animals are not well looked after and that their living conditions are not acceptable. They point to an incident in 2006, when a 14-year old tiger was shot after escaping from her pen, as proving their claims. The zoo has spent a large amount of time and money improving conditions for the animals in recent years and I looked forward to seeing for myself.
For the first (and, as it turned out, only) time on this trip, we had a few problems with the satnav directions and we did several laps of the industrial wasteland surrounding Ybor City. We both turned our noses up a little at the place but, it turns out, it’s actually quite a draw. I struggled to get my head round this concept when I was told but, to be fair, maybe we didn’t go down every road. I’m going to make a point of stopping by next time I’m in the area to see if there actually was something that I missed!
When we reached the zoo we struggled to park the car as the lot was rammed solid – surely a good sign – before handing over our money (quite a lot of it) and heading off to see the animals. I was particularly looking forward to seeing the turtles and the big cats but I loved it all. The elephants put on a show for us – I thought there was going to be violence for a bit there – although I don’t think it’s unfair to say they smelt pretty bad! I got to feed a giraffe which, even though it cost me three bucks for the pleasure, was pretty cool it has to be said. We were struggling to work out exactly where we were and where we wanted to go as there was just so many animals to see so we decided to get our bearings by taking a ride on the chairlift – another five bucks – where we finally got a grasp on just how big the place was.
A number of hours later we decided to head off back to the car – tired but happy – it had been a really good day; we’d had some great weather and seen some cool animals but, best of all, I’d finally got to catch up with an old friend over a year since I’d last seen her. It hadn’t been a cheap day by any means but we couldn’t resist stopping at the gift shop as we left (you really thought they’d miss another opportunity to make some money out of us?!) where we picked up a little present for Nick who was working both his and Katies shift at the bar, as well as a little souvenir for me!
I couldn’t go to Tampa and miss the opportunity to tick another ballpark of my list so we headed towards Tropicana Field in St Petersburg. The satnav worked just fine this time but, other than that, the plan was a total flop as the place was completely closed down and locked up. Even the shop was stripped bare and empty. It almost looked as if the tenants had done a moonlight flit! Damn them – the opportunity to pick up a Florida Marlins baseball would have to wait for another day.
We headed back towards Sarasota across the new Sunshine Skyway Bridge – the worlds longest bridge with a cable-stayed main span. It was a beautiful spectacle to watch the sun set across Tampa Bay as we crossed the bridge and I put my foot down to get to the other side (5.5 miles is a long way!) in the hope of getting a photo with the sun setting behind the bridge. We finally reached the other side and pulled off the highway onto the Skyway Fishing Pier – ingeniously constructed from the approach road to the original bridge. We never got that photo but it was good to get out of the car and marvel at the sheer scale of the bridge that I’d first seen back at home on the Discovery Channel.
After stopping at the apartment to take Lou for walkies we drove down to the bar where both Nick and Kate work. He’d been working since 7am this morning and, after I led him astray the previous evening, he was looking shattered. Katie dived behind the bar to help him out but he was kept busy until closing time whilst I sat on the other side of the bar drinking his beer and getting to know the locals. I felt somewhat guilty but I was, yet again, made so welcome that the feeling soon passed. It was soon silly o’clock the next morning and we were closing the bar up for the night. Even then though he didn’t slow down; offering lifts to his kitchen staff and making sure they got home okay.
I had come to Florida not expecting to like Nick for taking my friend away from me but I could already see he was a good man and that Kate had done exactly the right thing in relocating. The people were awesome, the weather simply fantastic and she’d found herself a good man. I was pleased for her but, as I lay there in bed that night, I couldn’t help but think… I could see myself living here. But that was just one of those things you feel whilst you're on holiday. Wasn't it? I guess we'd have to see...
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Sorry for the delay... been somewhat busy!
Saturday 24th November 2007
I was supposed to get up early this morning and head off to Daytona Beach to meet up with an old ‘friend of a friend’ who I’d not seen for several years. We’d arranged to meet up and share a couple of beers at the intriguing sounding ‘Turkey Trot’ at Daytona International Speedway. Rather foolishly I’d given in to the temptation to stay at the bar last night rather longer than I should. In the end I finally got back to the apartment at some time after 3am and decided then that I would set off to Daytona a little later than planned. The idea was to arrive in time to meet up with Ollie for dinner but, when I woke at midday, the plan changed again. No Turkey Trot for me this year… I hope that Ollie understands!
Nick had headed back to work again so Kate and I went to Perkins for breakfast. It was most agreeable and set me up nicely for the day ahead. After breakfast we drove to the bar to collect Kate’s car and ended up helping a guy outside the bar get his car running. It summed up the attitude of the people that I had met; where in England people would just walk by, here in Florida people were willing to do what they could to help. I liked that a lot.
We all said our goodbyes and, I have to confess, I had a real lump in my throat and drove off with a flourish (or rather a burnout on the wet parking lot!) I had arrived in Florida expecting not to be welcomed by Nick but left feeling that I’d made new friends. I’ll miss them all and might just have to take Nick up on his offer of returning soon.
By now it was getting on for 4pm so I put the pedal to the metal and headed towards my destination for tomorrow: Kennedy Space Center. I had no idea where I was staying so, when I saw a sign for a Tourist Info Center as I passed Lakeland I decided to swing on by in the hope that they could offer a lead on a nice state park where I could camp for the evening. It proved to be a surreal experience as the guy running the place refused to let me leave before he showed me his entire (very large) stamp collection! He did eventually furnish me with a brochure listing all the state parks in Florida and I left as quickly as I could before I was taken hostage and confined to a life in the store room.
I stopped for gas a while down the road and took the opportunity to peruse the state park brochure over a bite to eat. Unfortunately there was little suitable so I decided instead to head on past Orlando and see what I could find in Cocoa Beach where I had planned to visit the huge Ron Jons Surf Shop. After arriving in town, and doing everything I wanted to do, I settled on a Motel 6 for the evening. I tend to avoid these budget hotels as I object to bed bugs but I, have to say, this place is very clean and well maintained and you can’t argue with its proximity to the beach. A real bargain.
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Sunday 25th November 2007
After a bite to eat on the forecourt of a local gas station it was keep an appointment with Kennedy Space Center. I have to confess that I’d never really held much of a fascination with space travel but KSC was somewhere that I’d always wanted to visit. I’d first been to Florida with friends six years ago but it seems spending yet another day doing exactly what they wanted to do (theme parks) was far more important than visiting KSC. I guess you could say my visit was somewhat overdue.
First piece of advice I have for anyone else visiting is keep a very keen eye out for the sign to the visitor center and be careful not to drive on past. The second piece of advice is, if you do miss the turn, try really, really hard not to drive straight up to the gatehouse at the entrance to secure area. They, as I found when I did just that, don’t like that very much. At least the guy with the big gun who shouted at me gave me that impression. Officious tit.
Having finally found my way to the visitor center I was pleased to discover the staff there far more friendly and helpful. Until I arrived I still didn’t really understand how the tours worked and what exactly I had signed up to but the girl in the ticketing booth kindly explained that the Nasa Up Close tour that I had booked was the best tour (more luck than judgment on my part!) and suggested that she bump me forward from my 1.50pm slot to the first departure of the day. I was happy to take her advice and, after a brief wander around the main area, I was pleased that I did as I boarded a very quiet tour bus and headed out into the very secure area that I had tried to access just an hour ago.
I’d been told the place was built on a huge scale but the sheer size of the place still surprised me. The first stop was only just across the causeway where astronauts once dared each other to push their Corvettes (given to them by a local Corvette dealer who saw the PR benefits of astronauts rolling round in their cars) faster and faster until they ‘got air’ over the crest. It was hard to believe that people pay fortunes to sit at that tiny grandstand and ‘watch’ the Shuttle launch as the Shuttle Atlantis was barely visible on the horizon. Yes, it sure was built on a huge scale!
From there we made our way past the huge Vehicle Assembly Building, past the tracks where the Mobile Launcher Platform ferries the Shuttle to the launch pad, past the point where the regular tour ends and onwards. Onwards and onwards some more. Finally we arrived at a viewing area adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean which was the closest the public are allowed to the Shuttle whilst it was sat on its launch pad. We were quite a way from the actual site but, even from where we were, it was an impressive sight and, one I was surprised to say, which stirred the emotions a little. For someone that had never had any real interest in space before I was somewhat surprised and I knew that I had to find a way to return and see a launch for myself.
We then hopped back on the bus and headed back towards the visitor center. Thankfully we had a few more stops before we ended the tour back there, the first being a stop outside the Vehicle Assembly Building for a photo opportunity. Then it was down to the huge (15,000ft long, 300ft wide) Shuttle Landing Facility where the orbiter returns after their mission. This really summed up the scale of the place to me. Amazing.
We were then transported to the Saturn 5 building where, after a pretty average recreation of an Apollo launch which would have been more at home along the road at Disney, we exited the movie theatre to be greeted with one of the most surprising sights. I’ll not ruin it for anyone who hasn’t been. Needless to say, if you have been, you’ll have been as amazed as I was. Awesome is an overused word but, well, there is simply no other word for it. I could only imagine the excitement that these launches caused back in the day and, as I wandered amongst the other exhibits, I found myself wishing I’d had the opportunity to experience it.
One final stop awaited us: the International Space Station Center. By now though I was getting hungry and a little tired so I am afraid to say that I rushed my stop here a little. I knew as I boarded the bus back to the visitor center that I should have taken more time to explore this area but I needed food. Badly! Once I’d eaten I made my way to the Space Mirror Memorial to those lost in the pursuit of space flight, found a quiet corner, sat myself down and contemplated things whilst I enjoyed the sunshine. I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the other attractions clustered around the visitor center.
I had arrived at KSC when it first opened this morning and it was now nearing closing time. I hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of what they had to offer there and, although it was quite expensive to visit, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone visiting Florida - an absolute must see.
Then it was time to leave. Back to Cocoa Beach and back to the Motel 6 for the evening. It has been an amazing day… well worth the wait!
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Monday 26th November 2007
I hate how the last day of a trip feels. It sucks badly enough that you’ve got to head home - in this case with nothing to look forward to but a long cold winter - but it’s also a dead day. With one eye on the time, and knowledge of just how expensive it’d be to miss boarding your flight, you can’t really do anything. It’s quite tiresome and not a little stressful.
Rather than fight it I decided on a change of tack and decided to go for a nice lie-in and, just as I was about to leave my motel room, I said sod it and flicked on HBO instead. I spent another couple of hours watching some dreadful TV movie but it was actually really nice to just slow down and chill out a little after a hectic 10 days.
Just as the movie ended the maid knocked on the door so I head first to the beach and then to Cocoa Beach pier. But that feeling of restlessness returned so there was nothing else to do but head off to the airport. It was a bit of a ‘nothing’ end to another eventful holiday but I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I sat in the departure lounge. It had been my third trip to the States this year and I suddenly felt like quite the traveller. This time last year I’d never flown anywhere alone so this year had been quite an achievement for me.
The fun, of course, didn’t end with getting on the plane. Oh no. I had a connection to make in Miami and I had just an hour to make it. When they announced that our flight was going to be an hour and a half late departing I had visions of spending the night sleeping on the floor of Miami Airport. Nice as Miami Airport undoubtedly is, I have to confess that didn’t appeal much. We finally took off and made our way, in a very bumpy fashion, down the coast to Miami.
Shortly before landing there was an announcement from the purser who apologised for the delay and offered information for passengers with connections to make. She asked that people whose journey was ending in Miami remain in their seats and let us off first and then announced that arrangements had been made for a golf cart to be waiting for me as I left the aircraft and this would speed me to the London flight on the other side of the terminal. I felt very important all of a sudden! We did indeed speed through the airport - I was impressed with the drivers abilities, I’m sure he has a possible future ahead of him in Nascar - and, despite me having to repeatedly shout at the morons who would continually walk in front of us, we were soon at the correct gate.
I ran onto the aircraft and, as I made my way to my seat, I could sense all eyes were on me. They’d held the aircraft for me and, even before I took my seat, the doors were closed and we were backing off the gate. Now I know what it must feel like to travel in First Class! Shortly after takeoff the drinks trolley came round and I asked for a Jack Daniels and Coke. Two miniatures and two cans of Coke were thrust into my hands and payment refused with a smile.
God bless American Airlines.
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top pics to! never given any thought to the space centre,untill now. sounds like an interesting place.
is'nt that the worst feeling?Quote:
I ran onto the aircraft and, as I made my way to my seat, I could sense all eyes were on me
once on a coach tour in the austrian alps we under estimated the time it took to get back off the mountain in the cable car[to excited going up to notice].we were already pushing for time due to slow service in the cafe. 20 mins late we started to walk to our seat,the ones right at the back. it was like "walking the green mile" lol.
Thankfully I was so relieved to get on the plane that I didn't care about people gawping! Should have seen their faces when I got free drinks and they didn't - that was a picture - I can only presume they were all bleating about the flight being held before I got on. Still can;t believe they held the plane tho lol
Of course my bags didn't make the flight. But that was a bonus in the end too - meant I didn't have to carry them through Heathrow and drag them all the way to the car park. And they were delivered to my door a couple of days later by a rather lovely young lady :)
I sure was impressed with American! :)
Who knows when I'll ever get there....and now you've got me burning with curiousity. :)Quote:
We were then transported to the Saturn 5 building where, after a pretty average recreation of an Apollo launch which would have been more at home along the road at Disney, we exited the movie theatre to be greeted with one of the most surprising sights. I’ll not ruin it for anyone who hasn’t been.
All I'll say is... the clue is in the name ;)
just want to say thanks for doing this report.
im planning a very similar trip this july (albeit in reverse), so this has proved very useful!
Matt
No worries; thanks for bringing it back to the top... I'd pretty much forgotten this trip so it was good to get the opportunity to read it through again :) I hope you have a great trip. I don't know if it will be any help with your planning but I recently posted a trip report from another visit to Florida.