A long day traveling just about sums it up for New Years Eve. Most cross-country flights that are straight through leave early in the morning, and that's why we had to be picked up by our trusty driver at 3am. These days, we are used to waking up at all times during the night anyway, so this early start was not a big deal. There was very little traffic since it was a Sunday as well as part of the holiday vacation time for many. And it is nice to see the night lights crossing the Bay Bridge as well as the festive decorations at the San Francisco airport.
We arrived to SFO by 4am, checked in at the United kiosk, turned in one piece of luggage, and headed for the security check. For the most part, we would say there were about 80 passengers milling around the United area. The security line went quickly, and not having to take our shoes off was a good thing. One of us had to take off a vest, and place it in a tub, which unseen by us, someone had dumped their belongings right on top of it. After going through the xray unit, one of us waited and waited for the vest, but never saw it. Turned out it was at the far end after the people took their things and left. That was probably the biggest event of the day.
Relaxing in a quiet section of the terminal, we waited for Yankee Pier Restaurant to open at 5:45am. The hot coffee sure tasted good as did the shared bacon/sausage egg scramble. The restaurant filled within a half hour, but we continued to enjoy the coffee for a while. The flight left on time, and it was fairly smooth flying as the plane dipped south and followed the southern route all the way to Ft. Lauderdale. There were a few patches of turbulence, but not enough to distract us from the TV programs we were watching. On our last two flights, the screens or ear pieces were not working, so with this longer flight, we were happy they did. Our big snack was a beverage and a choice of a bag of chocolate-coated quinoa or salted pub mix. Better than nothing we assume. Very few folks had ordered an airline meal.
We landed over a half hour early shortly after 4pm, but had to wait for the terminal to open up. The weather was in our favor since there were blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's. No rain and little humidity. Hope it lasts.
Outside the baggage area, a lady driver approached us with a $60 deal for the 15 minute ride to the hotel. We sure did not remember prices like that the last time we flew here. We questioned it, and she claimed every driver was the same price. Saying thanks, but no thanks, we found an Uber driver for half of that plus tip. Pays to question things sometimes.
The lobby of the Renaissance Marina Hotel was not busy, but it sure was decorated nicely for the holidays. While waiting in a line to check in, here came friends Martha and Bob on their way to dinner already. We had forgotten that tonight is New Years Eve, and most restaurants might be booked solid. We chatted briefly and promised to catch up in the next couple of days. We learned that the hotel was booked solid as well, and they had a hard time getting us our room for a three night stay. It turned out great with a room on the eighth floor with windows on two sides. It will be fun watching fireworks this evening if we can stay awake that long. Actually, they began to go off as soon as it got dark.
Taking our usual walk to Duffy's at a nearby mall, we enjoyed Sunday night football on dozens of screens with dozens of fans cheering. The burger and salad were just right. Many people were out and about walking the street and doing the same as us. There is a slew of eateries along this main corridor.
Back at the hotel, we ran into another longtime friend Karen. We all commiserated over those darn Brazilian visas. At least she had gotten hers….we are still waiting. Stashing the little bit of stuff we brought with us, we did see that we did forget a few things. We will have two days to shop for the missing items. For now, we are tired, and hope to sleep the entire night…..straight through.
Bill & Mary Ann
