To be honest, the real title of this post should be “Return to New England: Day 1”. My time here in Orlando is running short. If all goes to plan, I’ll be leaving the hotel at 11:00, through security by Noon, and will be wheels up just after 2:30, heading northbound towards home. Home, where the weather, I’m told, is cold and snowing.
By contrast, the weather here will be warm and sunny.
All of this, of course, is normal.
Although my work here is almost done, I still have a few hours. I’ve already modified a Peloton Outdoors walk to do it in the room, had breakfast, and started packing. The pool opens at 9:00, and I will be heading down to do some reading.
Before I go downstairs, let me close this section of today’s blog with some closing thoughts on Orlando. First, every employee of every organization I’ve had transactions with have been friendly and professional. Second, Universal Orlando is a great place. The variety of IP’s they own—or have a licence for—makes for a large number of choices for things to do. My suggestion is to study the website and decide if you want a one-or two-park pass. If you are into Harry Potter, you want a two park pass to see everything. If you are interested in Jurassic Park, a pass to Islands of Adventure is all you need. On the other hand, if you are interested in activities based on Universal movies such as Transformers or the Bourne Identity, then Universal Studios is the place to go.
Finally, let me note that Universal is part of Comcast, which also owns NBC, so there are a lot of NBC themed properties in Universal Studios. Just so you know.
II.
I set up my transportation to pick me up at 11:00. When I checked out of the hotel at 20 of, my car had already arrived. So off I go to the airport. I’m truly going home now!
Traffic on the 20 minute ride was nearly non-existent. Given it was the middle of the day, that is not surprising. What was surprising that there is no construction. Maybe it’s a function of the route my particular driver chose to take. In any case, it was a fast ride.
Upon arrival, I got straight through TSA with no problems—for once! Free and clear with just under three hours until we start boarding. What to do, what to do? I love airports and flying, and I hate being late, but three hours early is really early under any circumstance. That’s OK, ultimately I don’t mind because I have time for lunch and to look around the shops.
Lunch is a bottled water and a tuna sub from Jersey Mike's, a shop I had heard of but I had never seen. The food was really fresh and tasted good. Before and after lunch I wandered the shops. One thing Orlando airport is well thought out and has lots of shopping inside TSA.
III.
Our Boeing 737-800 taxis down the runway. It’s not a full flight, but there are more people than on Monday. There’s a few empty rows and no one has to have a middle seat, unless, of course, they want one. In about two hours and 45 minutes we will be landing in NH. I spend almost the whole time reading.
It is an uneventful flight, and we land a little early in the New England cold. Parents pick me up, dinner, and home.
It was a great trip, one I will do again someday.
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