Arriving in Sarasota

Since we didn’t fly until afternoon, we were able to do last minute packing and preparing for our trip before leaving at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. We made the drive to the Hilton off Turfway near Cincinnati airport arriving around 10:30. We parked beside the hotel, check at the front desk and took the shuttle to the airport. Onestopparking always proves to be a good option for us.

We ate our packed lunch after we checked our bag but before we went through security. Because of our Global Entry status, we used the TSA PreCheck line and went through security quickly. Afterwards we walked around the airport to get some exercise. We were struck by the lack of passengers in the airport. We speculated that there would be a surge in travel once more people are vaccinated and are more comfortable traveling. 

Our flight boarded and departed on time. The flight wasn’t full but had more passengers than we expected based on the number of passengers in the terminal. There was a seven-month-old baby in the row behind us, but she was happy for the flight. We would never have known that she was there. Another girl on the flight had a small dog in a carryon bag that yipped constantly. It didn’t even sound like a dog but more like a squirrel barking. Through the flight we both read eBooks. Mary got me started on Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon books set in National Parks. This one, Track of the Cat, is set in Guadalupe National Park. So far, I am enjoying it. 

We arrived at the St. Petersburg Clearwater airport by 4 pm, so Mary got our checked bag while I stood in line to get the rental car from Enterprise. We got a 2021 Corolla which is just right for us and gets good fuel economy. The hour drive from the airport to our AirBnB in the Fruitville area of Sarasota. The lodging is a separate one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen. We are happy with the apartment and especially the price we had to pay. 

After getting our bearings we went out for dinner and to get grocery items for breakfasts and lunches. Mary found a local eatery called KaCey’s nearby. Mary got the crab cake dinner with broccoli and sweet potato fries, and I got the cod and shrimp basket with fries and coleslaw. We swapped cod and shrimp for a crab cake, and both of us really enjoyed our meals. The restaurant was small but by using outside tables and spaced inside small tables, they were able to keep a good business going. 

After leaving the restaurant we stopped at Winn-Dixie for the usual raisin bran, yogurt and fruit for breakfast and peanut butter and crackers for lunch. We registered for a Winn-Dixie card to get the discounts. 

After the store we returned to our apartment to relax and prepare for our day tomorrow.