Chilly Down South: I made a relatively brief trip down to Sarasota for some family business, followed by a couple of all-too-quick nights in Savannah with Miss Kate and Her Royal Highness.
Sarasota was chilly (for Sarasota, it was balmy for single digit Michigan). I think it was in the low 60s and rainy one day. As I think back, this is probably the first time I've been down that way during high season; for whatever reason I usually end up down there in the middle of the summer heat. Sarasota disappointed me a bit this time, and not just the weather. One advantage of off-season visits is that the traffic is not at all bad, but in the heart of the winter when the old folks congregate -- wow. Get ready to sit and wait a bit before you head off down the road at a solid twenty mph under the speed limit.
The other thing I found disappointing was that they took down this enormous sculpture of the famous Life magazine cover that I mentioned back in May. It was only temporarily there to begin with, but there was a move afoot to make it permanent which would have been a great icon for the city. Naturally, the cranky old seniors griped enough about it that they let it go.
Did manage to have a nice long lunch overlooking the beautiful Sarasota Bay, which was probably the highlight. Also, stayed at the delightful Hibiscus Inn Suites. I got this via a recommendation at Trip Advisor and it sounded like something special. It is, in fact, a motel. That's right, Mr. Hotel Snob himself managed to reserve a room at a motel; pull you car up to the door and be careful crossing to the pool that is in parking lot just next to the main road. Uh-oh.
But Hibiscus Suites is a great place. The rooms are actual suites with separate bedrooms and kitchenettes. The place is well kept up. Free wireless throughout. Continental breakfast every morning. A full slate of HBO channels. Good location. Best of all, the service was great and the staff exceedingly friendly. It’s not cheap; it's roughly in line with an actual hotel of the same standards, but I highly recommend it. It would work especially well for an extended stay. I’d give it a full review but I am swearing off hotel reviews for the time being.
The other notable thing about Sarasota was the car I rented. I used National and planned to reserve a mid-sized sedan. I quickly discovered that luxury class cars were only a couple of dollars more, so I upgraded, expecting a Caddy or a Lincoln -- standard livery issues. Nope, I got an Infiniti G35, and a bright red one at that. Sweet ride. It's got push button starting, which is a bit of a gimmick, and a big LCD in the middle of the dash that operates as the radio, satellite nav, environmental control, missile defense system, etc. Strong engine, good handling, but I don’t think I would buy one. There was significant throttle lag, minimal headroom (and I am not a big guy), and frankly, I'm just a lot more comfortable with non-digital controls. Still, it impressed the hell out of everyone.
On the way back I made a quick detour to Savannah to meet up with the ladies. They didn't arrive until after midnight on Friday due to a late and delayed flight, and had to fly out before sunrise on Sunday, but we did get to take the tours on Saturday and wander the city a bit. Savannah remains exceedingly charming, even with temps in the 50s.
At dinner, Kate and I ordered a bottle of wine and the clueless greenhorn waiter proceeded to bring three glasses, including one for the fourteen-year-old Miss Anna. She was quite delighted to have a glass unquestioningly poured for her and we allowed her to have a sip or two and then quickly emptied her glass into our own. No doubt the story will be somewhat embellished when she tells it in school and will scandalize the soccer moms of Reston, VA for weeks to come.
It was a nice little break for me. But I'm still casting about for travel possibilities this year. The suggestion box remains open.
