Not to be deterred, we beat the hurricane and had fun doing it. Well, we had fun
most of the time...ask us about the city bus....
8/26/11 Friday night, we tossed and turned (barely sleeping), knowing the storm was coming and wondering if our flight we be taking off Saturday. By 8:16am Saturday, we had our answer. Flight cancelled. A quick internet search and constant news coverage informed us that all Port Authority airports would be closed by noon. CRAP. Now what?
8/27/11 10am: Hertz rental car! Tires were low on air, and it was not a great car, but it was the only thing available now that the storm hit and the airports shut down.
Departure from Highland: 11:35am Saturday 8/27
Drive fast!!! Erichsen's received notice that the NYS Thruway would be closing at 12:00pm. We head South to 84W, then to 81S. For hours, I had the TomTom in one hand and the iPhone with Weather Channel Radar in the other.
It's not the destination.......but the journey.
Here is a screen shot from my phone. The weather channel radar shows the storm, and the green pin on the left side of the screen is the exact location of our car at 7:44pm. No stress involved right? Just trying to outdrive a major hurricane to meet a flight in Atlanta the next morning!
In the middle of the night, we found a truck stop (aka safe & clean potty stop). As we were leaving, I was tempted to purchase some Betty Boop shot glasses for mom... but time was still of the essence.
Arrival in Atlanta: approx 3:15am Sunday 8/28
Ok, what are we going to do at 3:15am? Our flight is at 10:50am. Nick & Rhonda live just outside Atlanta, but we can't drop in on them at this hour. So, we head south through the city...
Ron got to see another piece of history. I showed him "my exit" in Atlanta, from my short time living with Aunt Jean & Uncle Bill in 2003.
What else can you do at this hour, but stop at IHOP for coffee & breakfast?
IHOP @ Best Western,
301 N Central Ave, Hapeville, GA
By far a ghetto location, complete with cop car sitting outside the restaurant the entire time we were there. At least we killed some time, and got out of the parking lot without incident.
Just after 4am, we found the HUGE, unmanned, well-stocked Hertz Rental Car Return. We figured out the whole car return thing, checked luggage, and made our way through security. WOW, it's been a long time since I've traveled. Everything is very different as far as baggage and security. However, it was not the offensive, invasive procedure they complain about on the news. If anything, we found the staff to be very personable for that hour of the morning.
Mom always says that the sunrise is amazing on a cruise. Here are pictures I e-mailed mom to show her our sunrise!
Ron uses the altimeter on his watch to monitor our flight.
The cloud pics are all Ron. He was having a blast. I wanted to nap, but someone was too excited about the view....
Do we look tired or what?
YAY!!! We make it to Miami!!! Our first night of rest and relaxation was at the Doubletree Grand Biscayne Bay, and dinner downstairs at Primos. The hotel was OK, as was Primos. Downstairs, there is a cafe / mini mart kind of setup. You can buy beer & wine there too (although prices are really high).
View from the hotel...
The 10th floor pool was a fabulous oasis! It was virtually empty and there was plenty of room to spread out. Had we known, it would be great to plan your own picnic here.
We did walk around a little bit, trying to stay awake until at least 5pm.... We went down to an outdoor market and saw a cool tree....
And on the way back, a palm tree branch almost fell on us!
Ron quickly pulled it out of the road. They are a lot bigger up close!
Finally, it's departure day! Boarding the ship was fast and easy. We arrived at noon, even though the cruise documents said we could board at 1:30. Tip: make sure your hair and makeup look good when you board. The first picture they take of you is your security picture for the rest of the trip! :)
By 1:11pm, we were enjoying a "hurricane"! Ron decided to name them. #1 Hurricane Amy.
Pool Deck (Facing the Sun!)
Don't get too excited about the drink shadows, because here comes the rain...
By 4:07 pm, rain and HAIL?!?!
Not to be deterred, we headed to the bar for another hurricane. #2 Hurricane Barb.
#3 Hurricane Calvin.
Nassau, Bahamas
Vans waiting to take you on tour.... Our Ford has some damage...
Governor's Mansion
Fort Fincastle
At the bottom of the queen's staircase is the original escape door from above at Fort Fincastle.
Virtually everything is imported.
Gas is cheaper here than in NY, even after a hurricane!
A quick visit to the Atlantis Hotel. This was kind of pointless because if you are not a registered guest, you can pretty much only go to the casino (empty at this time of day), the bathroom, and a few high-end shops.
Area condos, as seen from the Atlantis.
Ron discovers high-end watch shopping: Ulysse Nardin.
Our tour guide bought fresh fruit from a man on the street, while at a stop light.
Dangerous animals may invade your stateroom!
Ron wears a tie!
A rainy day at Coco Cay. The jelly fish were real!
Looking out at the islands of Coco Cay.
Blue waters.... not like home!
Key West.... we need more time here!
This first group of pictures was taken in the morning as we were docking,
and immediately upon reaching town.
Our ship looks good!
This one is more within our budget, right?
When visiting Key West, you can amuse yourself by taking pictures of the various tropical flora and fauna.
The only tree Amy will ever hug...
See how sunny it is....Give it an hour!
There would not be room in the bar
for Ron & I, so we continued walking...
(double click to enlarge)
The birds roam free at Hogs Breath too!
Notice the pouring rain...
Yum! Sadly, the Giraffe key lime place is out of business.
Wow, look at all the alligator heads!
Crabs in the bed!
Back to Miami for one more day. Word to the wise: do NOT opt for the city bus to go see Miami Beach. Trust us. Not worth the $2 tour...
.... a $2 tour... Part 2
Ron having fun on the bus. This is before it got ghetto fabulous.
Miami Beach: Having never been there, I was not impressed with this beach. Lots of seaweed in the water, and litter washing in at the shore line. Maybe if we stayed at a resort on the beach it would be a nice spot? Otherwise, I'd pass on this beach.
Also, the front desk staff neglected to tell us that about 2-3 blocks from the hotel, there is an elevated tram that is free! You can take it down to the Brickell area, which is home to some great restaurants. You can also take it to the post office to mail home some purchases from your trip to avoid overage charges on luggage. (Walking to the post office can be scary if you don't know which neighborhoods to avoid.)
Now, it's back to reality. Let's go see what Irene did at home....
