Here I am, sitting at the airport, waiting for (another) delayed flight. I received an email recommending that I arrive 3 hours prior to takeoff, and I did, but now I've got just over 4 hours to burn. Every time I fly, I swear that I'll never do it again. I get so anxious, never failing to come down with a crippling headache, and the whole "hurry up and wait" thing... well, not my cup of tea. And yet, just about a dozen times a year, I find myself here, sitting in the airport, waiting for another delayed flight, swearing that I'll never do this again.
This time, I'm in Florida, a state I've never even been close to before. $114 round trip direct flights brought me here, so I suppose that I've gotten what I've paid for.
This little jaunt began with a 3 am wake up and drive to Phoenix. I've concluded that 3 am is the best time for a drive to Phoenix, even though there's still a shocking amount of traffic. After an incredibly rough flight in the middle seat on a plane full of toddlers ready for Disney World, I landed in Orlando and navigated my way to the rental car shuttle. My confirmation email said to call a number to find out where my shuttle would be located, so after arriving to the designated slip and finding it empty but a shuttle with the rental company's name on the side several slips over, I asked the driver if I should jump on his shuttle or wait. He rolled his eyes and, glared at me over his glasses, and said, "do you want a ride or not?" I said, "yes, please" and climbed aboard.
A short while later, we got to the counter where a portly, older man was midway through his sandwich and couldn't be bothered to swallow before demanding my license and credit card. Having paid for my rental months ago, I was prepared for a security deposit, but as he mumbled on in what I can only conclude was a foreign language of some sort, it became clear to me that he was tallying up an invoice. I found it odd that he said that I didn't have to top off the tank before returning it, but couldn't make out much else. I was then given a receipt for $311 and commanded to sign. I glanced over the invoice and noticed that I wasn't allowed to take the car outside of Florida, ruining my plans of heading up the coast to Savannah, Georgia and beyond for a few days. Having neither balls nor a backbone, I signed and got the keys to a grey VW Passat with an empty gas tank, black leather seats, and the distinct odor of cigarette smoke and crayons.
After a solid 15 minutes trying to connect the Bluetooth to my phone so I could enjoy my favorite road tripping tunes to no avail and settling on one of the more likeable Justin Beiber songs that I'd listen to no less than 35 times over the next few days, I asked Google to direct me to the nearest gas station.
As soon as I entered the Turnpike, I became aware that I was on a toll road. I had $20 in cash and blew through it in no time, even being forced to drive through one of the booths...I'm sure I'll be getting a ticket here in a week or so. Eventually, I was informed that I could purchase a Sunpass at Walgreens, so off to Walgreens I went. I paid $4 for the sticker, loaded it up with $10 and stuck it to the windshield. That got me to Miami where I'd booked an Airbnb for a few nights.
It took me about 5 trips around the block to find the building of condos where I was staying. Traffic in Miami is no joke and people there are VICIOUS. Everybody speeds around and nobody uses their signals, so you end up slamming on the brakes every time somebody decides to cut you off with no warning. The specific building I was looking for was one of at least 6 that all look exactly the same... each with a gate at the entrance where I'd politely ask which building had the address in my email. Eventually, I pulled up to the lavish lobby of the correct complex and called my host to let her know I'd arrived and ask her where to park. It was then that she informed me that I'd have to use the building's Valet which runs $8 + tip...every time to pick up your car. Being as cheap as I am, this resulted in my leaving the building only once per day. Sigh.
My host was at a party, so she gives me the number of her neighbor who meets me in the lobby to take me up to my room. I got myself settled in, took a shower, and hit the sack before she even got back.
The first morning, I put on my bikini and a sun dress, Googled nearby French Toast, and paid $10 to get my car. After a hearty breakfast, I made my way to Walgreens for what I thought was sunscreen and then nearby Sunny Isles...a gorgeous beach overlooking the most crystal clear turquoise ocean. It was about 84° with 75% humidity. I didn't pack a beach towel and didn't want to bring along my host's nice bath towels, so I wiggled a spot in the sand and settled in for the day. It was then that I realized that the "sunscreen" I bought in haste was actually oil...and I hate oil. Oil just means greasy hair and sand stuck to you until the end of time.
After most of the day, I decided that a Jamba Juice was just what I needed to settle down with while watching a movie for the night. Completely covered head to toe in sand and oil, I made my way back to the car to find a parking ticket. I didn't realize that there was a pay station a few spots over when I thought luck was on my side with a very convenient parking spot. Shoulda known better...
I got my smoothie, checked my car with valet, took a shower, and passed out early.
I awoke the next morning feeling a bit sunburned (especially on a nice little patch on the side of my face and left ear where I'd apparently missed with my OIL) and decided I'd take the day to drive down to Key West...probably the part I was most looking forward to and my main reason for going to Florida in the first place. I'd seen pictures of the highway crossing the sea and have always wanted to drive it at least once.
It took forever. It's a 2 lane road and I did it on a Friday, so traffic left much to be desired. Just getting to Key Largo took over an hour, and from there I was expecting spectacular views of the electric blue water on both sides of the road, but really only found that to be the case in about 4 spots along the 3 hour drive. Turns out that, out of the 113 miles of "Oversea Highway", only about 7 miles of it is over the sea. Many places were still recovering from Hurricane Irma, so I'm sure it's amazing when there aren't old boats and RVs washed up on the shores. Once I reached Duck Key, it really started to match up to my expectations...It was just stunning. I've never seen ocean water that color...even in Cancun and Hawaii.
By the time I got to Key West, I was burned out and dreading the 4 hour drive back to Miami, so I grabbed dinner and really didn't stay long at all. I managed to explore a few blocks and enjoy the cute little colorful houses with shudders and picket fences and the stereotypical golfcarts and Vespas scooting around. After a couple of hours, it was getting late and dark and began to pour rain, making for a loooong drive. I wish I'd planned a night on the island so I could have explored more and relaxed a bit.
Sunday, it was back to Miami Beach for the day, after picking up some actual sunscreen. I opted for a sheer sunscreen, hoping to avoid a complete overlaying of sand. It was not sheer...it was perhaps even greasier than the oil. This time, I paid for my parking spot.
The next morning, I hit the road early for St Augustine. I was hoping to avoid the I95 and get a more scenic drive in, but alas, I95 it was...at least to Daytona. From Daytona north, I followed the coast.
I found my Airbnb without any problems and got settled in before heading into the Historic District for some exploring. After crossing a little draw bridge, the skyline became interesting and I could see the bell towers of old churches and stone forts lining the bay. It took me forever to find a parking spot...I settled on a spot on a cobblestone street in front of an acient house about 8 blocks from the Historic city center. From there I walked the streets, admiring the architecture and moss-draped trees and just stared in awe at how cool all of it was. It was crazy crowded and seemed a tad like a Disneyland Attraction with the cotton candy vendors and kitchy gift shops, but it was still a really fun to look around. There was a really neat mix of influences that I'm not familiar with and it really left me wanting to explore more of the South eventually. Remind me to rent a car from a different company next time.
Monday was another beach day. The apartment I rented provided sunscreen, beach towels, boogie boards, unbrellas, and beach cruisers to ride accross the road right onto the sand. I opted not to play in the water too much as there have been more shark attacks in that county than anywhere else in the US...ever. Plus, it was freezing cold and the kind of beach where you can walk out 200 yards and only be up to your thighs in water.
Later in the afternoon, the clouds rolled in, so I went back to my apartment, took a shower, and made my way back to the Historic district for another look around without all of the weekend crowds.
Overall, I'm not sure that I ever need to go back to Florida...I can check that one off the list and move on. I do, however, really want to explore more of the deep south - Maybe a road trip from New Orleans to Memphis, Charleston, Savannah, and back. We'll see ;)