Have been planning and anticipating this trip since June! Well actually since I got back from Birthday Beach Trip 2009, lol.
Flights Booked, Hotels Booked, Rental Car Booked-Check, Check and Check.
Destination Daytona Beach, Florida!
We decide to stay near DFW Wednesday night since our flight out is at 7am Thursday morning, I found a Best Western with Free weekly parking and airport shuttle for $59. We were very late getting in and very early leaving. The front desk was awesome and the shuttle drivers were the friendliest. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable for the brief time I spent in it. We definitely will use them again.
We are flying AirTran for the first time so we get to the airport earlier then usual. Well there were no sky caps, very few employees at airport period. We had already checked in and printed boarding but needed to check 1 bag. I was impressed to see a lady at the end of the line asking questions and telling people which line they belong in. Such organization I thought. Well that is where it started and ended! The baggage only line was moving at the speed of molassas, thank goodness we arrived early. We get done with them and off to security, also a molassas line with children and wheel chairs and strollers and old folks. Well being the pro I am at flying I had everything ready and organized to speed my process up-uh huh-I FORGOT MY CELL IN MY POCKET!!! Amateur hour! Thank goodness a man was nice enough to let me pop in front of him so my cell would go with the rest of my stuff.
Security done we mosey on to our gate and walk up and walk straight onto the plane. The seats were so cramped I had to store my backpack in the over head bin and we were hip to hip 3 wide. John shared his earphones with me and his ipod thingy. Earphones, we discovered work like earplanes, that will save us some money next trip. We get to Orlando and go shopping at a few stores in the airport when we get to the luggage claim an employee was pulling John's bag off the carousel. Good timing, no crowd. John heads to the Rental cars and I stay with the luggage-his has a Warning on it because it is so heavy! HEY HE GOT IT ALL IN ONE!! I was impressed he only had to take 5 lbs out at check-in, lol. He said their scales were off he weighed it at home.
We are in the rental car and off to find something to eat, I have been using google maps for navigation on my phone and it has a places option on it. I find a "Chicago Hot Dog Heaven" and the reviews say it is a dive but great dogs. MY KIND OF PLACE! It is about 5 miles from airport. We order 3 different kinds of dogs and the chili, cheese fries-The Firehouse Dog and the Spicy Kraut Dog both got 2 thumbs up, the Chili Cheese dog was just another Chili Cheese dog. Fries weren't bad. Some redneck shouted out a passenger window as they sped by "Hot Dog Trash!" Gee, how did he know I was there? LOL
We had some time to kill until Candace got in so we shopped for needed supplies, we only checked one bag remember. John of course finds a Big Lots and a Liquor store.
Still had plenty of time to kill so we find a watering hole and settle in. We passed a place called Miller's Alehouse which had good reviews on google maps and so we decide to go there and pass the time. It is a steakhouse/sportsbar. The bartender was awesome and funny and very personable. We almost called a cab for Candace to bring her to us and we were quite settled in to the great place. We tried a sip or two of the new Captain Morgan's Tattoo-tasted like rum and licorice to me. John finished our visit with a Southern Red Velvet Cake-cake and beer? ick! We had not goofed off a whole day like that in some time, it was nice. We head to wally world and a grocery chain to get more supplies and stop by Chili's as we realized we still had time to kill and it was basically at the entrance of airport.
We pick up Candace and head to Daytona Beach-last two trips to Florida i never saw a beach. Anticipation is building!
We time it just right to meet Heidi, Joe, Joanie and Scott for dinner at Sloppy Joes which is on the beach! Food was good, Beer was cold and the beach was just inches away.
Time to go check in to THE ISLANDER. I had seen the reviews and was a little leary. But for $44 a night I can deal with some things. Check in was smooth. Open the door turn on the lights and nothing scuries across the floor-yep life is good. Kitchenette is clean, bathroom clean, beds clean, carpet not so much, but not horrible. We pass out w/o even un-packing a thing. Closest I got to the beach was the view from the balcony...
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