This was the first time I ever flew out of Midway Airport. We took Airtran since O'Hare no longer offers non-stop service to Sarasota. Our gate was A4. After stopping at Manny's Deli for bagels (not the quality we were hoping for), saw Gate A4 was right behind the deli. After we left, we walked up and didn't see anything but a set of double doors. I stared farther down the terminal, and A6 came right after wards with a lounge, seats, etc. I opened the double doors and I felt like I was in the movie Being John Malkovich. We walked six solid minutes down a jetway to the gate. Then we got on the plane and had a smooth flight. I have to say Airtran is cool, if for no other reason, they give you free XM radio. Good stuff there.
Upon landing, we went down to the baggage claim. I stopped in the men's room and right next to it, are about 20 different travel brochures about the Sarasota/Bradenton region. I selected two of them. I showed them to Mom and, wouldn't you know it, she had already picked the same two I had. No more, no less. We got our ride south, through St. Armand's Circle, down Lido Beach, to the hotel, arriving around 11. But we could not check in, since the room was to be occupied until 3 pm. So we hung in the tiny lounge of the Suntide Island Beach Club. Mom's feet were tired, so she sat on the sofa with her feet up, and began to work on her laptop computer. The woman (55-ish, WAY too much makeup, you know the kind) saunters over and says "Get your feet off my couch, hun." Didn't ask her to do it, she told Mom to do it. Not cool. Meanwhile, I check my shirt, and I found two tiny critters crawling on it. So insects and bugs are fine on the couch, but human feet are strictly forbidden.
Dad flew into Tampa and had to drive to Sarasota, and got to the hotel around 2 pm. So sicne there was nothing to do at the hotel, we went out and grabbed some lunch at TooJays Deli in the Westfield Mall. On our way, we passed by a Fleming's Steakhouse. As soon as Dad saw the F sign, our Saturday dinner plans were already set in stone. We had a couple of deli sandwiches at TooJay's and they were incredible. Big thumbs up for the thick onion rings and the corned beef/pastrami on rye combo. So we walked around the one-level "L" shaped mall for while. It's small, but easy to get around. It's one of the few malls I have seen with a Lady Foot Locker, but no regular Foot Locker.
We grabbed groceries, returned to the hotel, and checked in. We only had a one bedroom, which Mom got. With Dad's back issues, he had to be suited, even if he didn't want to say it. But he took the recliner in the living room, leaving the couch for me. We had a full kitchen, good. We had 60 TV channels, good. We could not open the windows, not good. The rooms were only cleaned once a week, definitely not good. So after 45 minutes of playing Uno, we headed to Fleming's for an awesome steak. I am aggravated with them though. They eliminated the peach cobbler with the ice cream and fresh whipped cream from the menu. Instead, I had frozen lemon gingersnap pie. Very good, but just not the peach cobbler. We went home and played Trivial Pursuit. The game did not end that night even after three hours. Dad had a few stellar answers. One question: Thomas Sullivan accidentally invented these in 1908 and distributed them in small, silk packages. Dad answered the US postal service. The answer is tea bags.
The next morning, I walked the beach. After about 15 minutes, I found a hammock in front of another hotel. I laid in it for about 10 minutes, but the wind was just too cold and strong, so I had to head in. Mom and I were then going to head to church. Unfortunately, Mapquest's directions included a street that does not exist. I was not pleased. So we went back, picked Dad up, and headed to St. Armand's Circle. It's a classy, shopping area, located just off the mainland, right near our hotel. There was a car show in the middle of the circle and it was very busy. One of the shop owners told us the car show was increasing the business of the circle by 40 percent. Kilwin's has this amazing homemade ice cream (the pumpkin pie was awesome), about 20 kinds of homemade fudge, and different nut corns. Two guys were making caramel peanut corn in front of us and we were able to get some. It was so warm and fresh. I don't recall buying anything that day, although Dad came close to buying a pair of Ecco shoes. For lunch, we went to Columbia, a large Cuban-themed restaurant that has been around for 100 years. We ate the 1905 salad, which they prepare tableside. It has iceberg lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, ham, Romano cheese, Spanish green olives, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, Lea and Perrin's, and plenty of garlic. We also added the Cuban shrimp to it as well. Incredible. So incredible, I brought a bottle of the dressing home with me. I also had the finest Cuban sandwich of my life with plantain banana chips. Awesome place and I give this restaurant a full recommendation. We got back around 4 p.m. After a little chill time, we headed back to the mall for dinner at Cosimo's, a brick oven pizza place right across from Toojay's. Thanks Dad, for showing me how to say Zabaglione-Italian style. That would be a dessert with fruit and custard in a parfait glass.
By now, I noticed a few things about the area. Tons of smokers, tons of retirees, tons of plastic surgeons, tons of divorced women over 50, and practically nobody within 10 years of my age, in either direction. And the hotel was the same. Older folks, very little activity going on. That hotel was very much a getaway spot for people looking to relax.
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