Getting There

The absolute worst part of traveling is travel. Many times a good portion of the trip is getting to and fro, especially on a short jaunt. In the span of three days I visited several cities. Originating in Chicago I went to Miami, Key West, the cities between Key West and Marathon, Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia. The most I’ve traveled in years. I am not complaining, many people do it all the time.

I have to admit overall my flight experiences were fairly uneventful. I worried about the layovers. But quickly discovered they weren’t that long and in one case not long enough. After I arrived in Miami from Chicago I had to move quickly to make my connecting flight (always as far as possible).

The gate I needed seemed to be missing. I overlooked it twice and went in a huge circle. I heard “This is the final call for passenger Torres.” It turns out the sign was hand lettered on a piece of cardboard by a set of stairs, which I had to descend. The sign did not indicate there were also letters associated with the gate number, A-E. Since the gate was not printed on my ticket I had to locate someone who was not busy with the teaming humanity in the cramped space. Fortunately I didn’t miss the shuttle that took me to the plane.

When planning the trip I found a flight that went directly to Key West International Airport rather than Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Since I was traveling alone I figured that would be the more cost effective bet and it would be easier to get to my final destination in Marathon. Well the airport is rather small. Though there are many taxis available there weren’t many options to get to the resort in Marathon. The taxis charged $150 for travel to Marathon. And they are cash only. Greyhound offered service to the major airports a couple of times a day. It was late morning and the next one didn’t leave until evening.

A helpful Greyhound employee and sheriff let me know that there is local bus service that goes to Marathon. Of course the bus didn’t come to the airport, which would be helpful to all of the travelers with destinations in other parts of the Keys. The close bus stops were the Publix Grocery Store and Sears. I opted to take a taxi to the grocery store so I could get a reasonably priced cold beverage. Unfortunately the stop was a standing only deal. So I used the time to update anxious relatives.

The ride was approximately an hour, a straight shot over the Overseas Highway. The bus let me off directly across the street from Tranquility Bay Resort for a flat rate of $3, talking about cost effective

Tropical Plans

I am in hell. I am planning, last minute, a trip to Florida. This seems like it would be an awesome thing and it is! My beautiful younger cousin is getting married. I am excited to go but stressed to piece together a trip with bubble gum, bits of string, and prayer. In other words I am navigating inadequate reward miles, fares, last minute deals, and search engines that compare the same darn travel sites. Not to mention the fares that change by the hour. Sigh.

Like many Americans we have had to tighten our belts in the past couple of years. Trips really haven’t been in the budget. Not even the frequent, almost biblical, sojourns to our hometown. Not being a frequent traveler hasn’t worked to my advantage either. A wiser person would have squirreled away the errant dollar for this highly anticipated event. Well that wouldn’t be me. Procrastination, sadly, is where my true expertise lies. However, it is inseparable from my disarming honesty and adds to my charm.

My dream trip would involve Esther like preparation, months of pampering, fasting, and praying. And I would have found an exquisite outfit already (which of course would include all accessories). So here I am blogging and working out my dilemma, with Maury as background. And two days away from the first leg of my trip. It would be funny if I wasn’t such a spaz. I am going to make this work for my cousin and for the fabulous view!  Picture courtesy of http://www.tranquilitybay.com/.

I am picturing myself in one of those Adirondack chairs. Serenity NOW!