Our flight from Sacramento to Tampa had us connecting in Chicago at Midway International Airport. I got this great shot of the skyline of Chicago as we began our descent into MDW.
After checking in at the hotel, we went to explore the Ybor City area of Tampa, which is a historic area known for clubs, bars, and the cigar factories.
One can not resist a hand rolled cigar when in Florida. The filler came from Nicaragua for my mild cigar.
Ybor City is also home to the oldest Spanish restaurant in Florida. The Columbia Restaurant has been around for over 115 years!
We are being seated here at our table at the Columbia Restaurant.
The art work at the restaurant was really cool including the old Spanish paintings.
When in Florida, one must get a mojito as well. The sugar cane stalk was a nice touch to the Cuban drink.
I got the gaspacho to start since the Spanish soup is hard to find at most restaurants. We also had the paella for dinner.
The Columbia Restaurant features Flamenco Dancers in the evenings a few nights a week.
Flamenco looked like a very complicated style of dance despite being so beautiful.
Flamenco dancers use fans as well. They stomp their feet a lot too.
We finished dinner with flan. I tried my best to order in Spanish so I could practice what I was learning from Audible's Pimsleur course.
The Columbia Restaurant looks like it was brought over here from Spain!
When in Florida (or the South), one must have breakfast at least once at Waffle House.
I enjoyed the blueberry waffles a lot! Yes, I usually get sugar free syrup now since I am getting older :(
There was a Cuban bakery near Waffle House so we walked over there to get some strong Cuban Coffee.
Cuban bakeries feature guava pastries which are super good!
We saw this cool sand castle in the lobby of the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort once the valet took the car, and we headed inside to check in.
We were upgraded to a room with a gulf view since I am a Diamond guest.
Joy and I went to explore the beautiful beach after checking in. Our hotel is in the background.
Florida is known for finding lots of cool sea shells.
The water was not Caribbean warm, but it was not too bad.
The white sand beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast are amazing.
I enjoyed a Pina Colada and another tropical drink at the pool at our resort.
The pool at our resort was pretty nice. I enjoyed my swim!
Joy and I walked across the street to the Hooter's to watch the Cowboys game and grab some wings.
Hooter's started in Clearwater, but this was not the original location.
We went to Ocean Prime in Tampa for dinner that evening.
The Old Fashioned with their special reserve Woodford was very good! In fact, it was better than the Old Fashioned I had at Catch in Las Vegas.
The sushi rolls at Ocean Prime were amazing! We were so impressed with the freshness.
My wife looks radiant as we enjoy our wonderful fine dining experience.
I enjoyed my filet mignon paired with 1 scallop. The waiter said their prime meat is in the top 3% of the world's meat.
We got their butter cake with ice cream for dessert. It was great, but I enjoyed Paula Dean's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake in Pigeon Forge earlier in the year better!
The Hilton did not have the usual complimentary breafkast for Diamond guests due to "Covid," so we went to the Beach Shanty Cafe for breakfast.
We were glad we went to the Beach Shanty! The pancakes with the house made coconut syrup did not disappoint!
After breakfast, we enjoyed another nice walk on the beach.
I made sure to get my Kilwin's Toasted Coconut Ice Cream too since it was right across from our resort.
The bridge and highway connecting Clearwater Beach Island to the mainland is really landscaped well.
We checked out the Tampa River Walk on our way down to Sarasota after we left Clearwater. This cool walking path along the Hillsborough River is very safe and clean.
Downtown Tampa was surprisingly safe and free of homeless. It was unlike a major city in the People's Republic of California.
The other side of the Tampa River Walk is the University of Tampa campus. Those spires are part of the campus and was part of a historic hotel.
On our way to Sarasota, we stopped at the outlet mall near Bradenton. We got a snack at Wing House, which is a Florida chain.
As soon as we walked in and saw the waitresses wearing short spandex shorts, I figured this was like a Hooter's knock off. LOL.
We got the naked boneless wings and curly fries. It was like deja vu since the menu is similiar to Hooter's. LOL.
I loved this art work made of chop sticks at Tsunami Sushi in Sarasota where Joy and I enjoyed dinner that night.
As one can see, the sushi was super fresh! The lychee and coconut sorbet was just amazing!
We explored the downtown area of Sarasota after dinner. Once again, it was super clean and safe! This is unlike most places in California which are overrun by homeless and other leftist degenerates.
Our waiter at Tsunami Sushi recommended we go to Cask Ale for a night cap because they have a great whiskey and bourbon selection. Our Cuban mixologist was very good at her craft.
I ordered a Whistle Pig 10 at Cask Ale.
We headed out to the #1 beach in the USA, Siesta Beach, on Siesta Key off Sarasota the next morning with our custom beach bag.
I joked on Facebook that the Travel Channel should give us a show called the "Roy Beach Life." LOL. One of my friends said he would watch that show "religiously."
Siesta Beach was super nice with the white soft sands. The water was pretty warm too for November.
I loved how Florida Governor Ron DeSantis opened up his state during this bullshit "pandemic" so I wrote DeSantis 2024 in the sand hoping he will run for President!
After leaving Siesta Key, we went to St. Armands Key to have lunch at Tommy Bahama.
Tommy Bahama's dining room looked like we were in the Bahamas! No mask was needed to enter or dine inside. I love Florida!
My first course was a blue crab bisque! It was so amazing!
The grilled mahi mahi tacos were delicious, and they were served with plantains.
St. Armands Key has lots of nice statues all over the town square.
We went to Lido Key Beach next.
We saw the same soft white sand beaches that the last few beaches had at Lido.
The Gulf Of Mexico has beautiful warm waters.
I loved putting my feet in the warm water and walking around on the soft sand.
Lido Key Beach was a little more desolate compared to Siesta Beach.
We had dinner at a great Italian restaurant called Cafe Gabbiano. Although the hostess was masked, we did not have to mask!
The hostess sat us in the wine cellar at the restaurant.
The poached pear salad with goat cheese was a great way to start this fine meal!
I got the ossobucco ravioli which had braised veal inside with a sauce made of filet mignon tips.
My wife's linguine and clams were amazing! All the pasta is homemade! The Beach Butler service we were going to use recommended this place!
The next day, we had to flee Tropical Storm Eta, and the airport in Tampa was closed shortly after we departed!
Given all the great
deals on airfare due to the pandemic's effect on people traveling, Joy
and I booked a trip to Florida during Veteran's Day in 2020. Our
trip had us going from Sacramento to Tampa via Chicago Midway on
Southwest Airlines. Although our flight was super early at 6:00
AM from Sacramento, my A-List privileges gave us the opportunity to
check in at the priority counter and avoid the long check in lines
after my buddy dropped us off at the airport. My TSA Precheck
does not hurt either since I breeze through security. After
getting my Christmas Blend Blonde coffee at Starbucks, we were off to
Chicago Midway. Like the last few months, masks were
unfortunately required for the whole duration of the flight except when
"actively eating or drinking." As a result, I made sure to have
plenty of our own snacks on hand in addition to the new Southwest snack
mix and "Plane Cookies" they offered on this approximately four hour
flight. As we were landing into Chicago Midway, we got a great
view of the Chicago Skyline. I always think about the Showtime
series, Shameless, as
I land into Midway since the airport is located in South Chicago which
is the setting for that show.
We had a long enough stop in Chicago to grab lunch at this local Mexican restaurant in the airport. Midway was pretty deserted overall with many restaurants and shops still closed due to the effects of the bogus pandemic that the globalists have unleased on us all. Regardless, we did find a Dunkin Donuts that was open so I could grab a latte and donut too before our next flight.
Our flight to Tampa was only about two hours. After landing in beautiful Florida, we got our rental car at the Fastbreak Counter and headed out for our hotel which was pretty close to TPA. We were a little worried about this trip since a tropical storm named Eta was heading towards Florida, but the path was still unclear so we hoped for the storm to go back out to sea.
We had dinner reservations at a historic restaurant in the Ybor City area called Columbia Restaurant. This is the oldest Spanish restaurant in Florida, and it has been around for over 115 years now. The Ybor City area is a historic part of Tampa known for cigar factories, bars, and a great night scene with clubs. The bars and clubs were open in Florida, and we heard a lot of the music blasting at a club along the main street there. I found a bar that had a nice cigar selection so I had to get a mild one. This place hand rolled their own cigars with tobacco from Nicaragua. I smoked my cigar as we strolled around the area before our reservation at Columbia Restaurant.
The Columbia Restaurant had a large atrium with a cool fountain in the main dining room. Since we had reservations for the flamenco show, we were seated in a special ballroom area which allowed us to view the show as we dined. The food was really good! For starters, we ordered grilled crab cakes. I also had a mojito that featured an actual sugar cane stalk in it. We ordered the paella for the main course which had a lot of seafood in it. The flamenco show was amazing. Since we were in Florida, I tried to talk in Spanish with our waiter too so I could practice for when Joy and I can go back to tour South America. I said "Quiro una flan por favor" to finish out our amazing meal and experience. The flan was delicious as well.
Joy and I enjoyed that first night so much that we did not want it to end since California has been so miserable and boring since the leftist lunatic governor shut everything done. We ended up going to Bahama Breeze for a night cap. As we enjoyed our drinks in the outdoor bar area underneath swaying palm trees, I thought to myself how good these people have it in Florida. I really hate California. The left has really used this "pandemic" to control people by forcing the stupid masks as well as limiting what we can do both in and out of our homes.
The next morning, we went to a Waffle House for breakfast. California does not have Waffle Houses so we try to find one when we are traveling especially in the southern US. There was a Cuban bakery next door so I got some strong Cuban coffee and a guava pastry.
We headed out to the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort after checking out of the Hampton Inn near the airport. Our drive into Clearwater was about twenty five minutes, and we passed the original Hooter's! As we went over the bridge into the island where Clearwater Beach is, we were so shocked at how beautiful it was! Florida is truly an amazing state! The valet took our car at the hotel, and we checked in super early. We got upgraded to a gulf view room since I am a HHonors Diamond guest. Our view of the white sand beach and teal Gulf waters was amazing. I just wanted to sit on the balcony and take in the views! However, we felt like we needed to go walk on the beach and get some exercise in too.
The soft white sands of the beach felt amazing with an overcast sky and temperatures in the 80s. We heard rumors that the tropical storm could come back again towards us, but it was like we were in the "calm before the storm." I noticed there were lots of sea shells on the sand. We started to collect some nice ones and enjoyed a walk up and down the beach near the resort. The beach was not too crowded, and it was super safe too. As far as the water temperature goes, it was in the upper 70s so once one gets used to it, it is fine.
I got some pool time in at the resort after our walk on the beach. The pool water felt great. I also indulged in their tasty pina colada as well as another tropical drink while relaxing by the pool. The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort is worth the money!
It was football Sunday however! The Cowboys played at 4:25 Eastern so we decided to go to the Hooter's across the street and watch the game there! We ordered some boneless wings and curly fries as I watched a no name QB start for us. The Hooter girls were pretty cute! My friends agreed from the pictures that they were way better than what we get in Northern California. LOL.
I did get a nice workout in at the hotel before dinner. There was a cool Trump rally too going on outside the hotel. I do not care what people think. President Trump was great for our nation. My wife and I did very well under his leadership from an economic standpoint. Also, the President restored our position of hegemony in the world after being perceived as weak under the past administration. Thank You President Trump for everything you did for us! My wife and I have been fortunate financially for many many years, but the last four years were great! Record wages in the private sector coupled together with lower taxes just gave us even more disposable income for us to truly enjoy the finer things in life! Joy and I love our $51,000 luxury sports sedan that we just purchased as well.
That evening, Joy and I had reservations at a fine dining establishment called Ocean Prime. They have a few locations throughout the country including Beverly Hills. We got a little rain as we got back into Tampa. Luckily, the restaurant had a valet so we did not have to get wet. The food and service was amazing. We ordered a sushi roll to start! The fish was so fresh! I also got an Old Fashioned which had a special Woodford Reserve in it. For my main course, I got a filet mignon and paired it with a scallop. The waiter recommended the butter cake with ice cream so we got that. It was so good too! We explored the Clearwater Beach area after getting back to the hotel. There was a cool souvenir shop nearby where we got a nice jar for the shells we found on the beach.
Since the Hilton was not doing the usual breakfast for Diamond guests due to the Covid, we had a great breakfast at the Beach Shanty next door. The pancakes with their housemade coconut syrup was just to die for! There was also a Kilwin's Ice Cream Shop next door. I loved how we could just walk in with no mask to both establishments and be waited on with no rude comments. Florida is truly a great state!
Joy and I enjoyed another nice walk on the beach. The colors of the water kept changing as the sun was peaking through. We also saw a rainbow as it had rained a little in the morning. I got my Starbucks after we checked out. They also did not require a mask to be served! I hope I do not get the store in trouble, but I was super happy with the customer service! The staff recommended Joy and I go explore the River Walk in Tampa before we drive down to Sarasota.
We were amazed at how clean and safe downtown Tampa was! The River Walk was beautiful! I rarely walk outside in Sacramento since the homeless have taken over the city. Also, there is a crime element and lots of weirdos in Sacramento. The people in Tampa were normal! We really enjoyed our walk along the River Walk and downtown. Moreover, we explored the campus of the University of Tampa which is a private university. I was shocked at how cheap the meter parking was too! The parking was less than a $1 for two hours! In Sacramento (or anywhere in CA), one would pay a few bucks for even thirty minutes often times! California is a piece of shit state! The high taxes have created a climate where prices have skyrocketed. Moreover, the stupid $15 minimum wage does not help since it raises the prices of our goods and services!
After touring downtown Tampa, we had about an hour to drive down to Sarasota. There was an outlet mall close to Sarasota so we stopped at that exit to go shopping. Since we needed a quick snack, we went to the Wing House. Not knowing what it was, I was pleasantly surprised as we walked in and saw waitresses in the "Hooters" style shorts and tank tops! LOL. There is nothing with looking at eye candy even when one is married. Joy and I had some boneless wings and fries as I took in the scenery and got pictures for my perverted friends back home. LOL. We did get some shopping in too at the outlets. I enjoyed not having to mask for the most part inside the stores. Brooks Brothers respectfully offered me a mask so I did wear it, but most of the stores did not care.
Once we got into Sarasota and checked in at the Hampton Inn, I got in another great workout at the hotel gym. Our racquet club in Sacramento closed for good right before this trip due to the shutdowns ordered by the liberals. For dinner, we enjoyed amazing sushi at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Sarasota. We were going to hire a beach butler service for the Sarasota area beaches, but the uncertainity with the storm forced us to cancel the service for the umbrellas and chains. However, the beach butler gave us great restaurant recommendations including this sushi place. The food was great, and we loved the lycee and coconut sorbet! The waiter even recommended a great bar with an amazing bourbon selection called Cask Ale. So, we went over there after dinner to have a drink or two. The beautiful Cuban bartender served me my Whistle Pig 10 that I enjoyed a month ago in McCall, ID.
The next day was a solid beach day. We went to Siesta Key first and enjoyed the #1 rated beach in the US. I was blown away by the quality of the public beach! The restroom was so clean that I could change there if I wanted to. There was no homeless urine smell. Florida is one amazingly run state! The beach was amazing too! The white sands coupled together with the warm Gulf Waters was fun to walk along. Like I said, I do not enjoy walking much, but I loved our walk along the beach. We did get a major rain storm when we were heading back towards the car. Oh yeah, the parking is even free at this awesome beach! California would charge for parking usually! The people were super nice too and not dirty hippies like California. I was so blown away by how great Florida was run by Governor DeSantis that I wrote DeSantis 2024 in the sand!
We headed over to St. Armand's Key for lunch at Tommy Bahama after leaving Siesta Key. St. Armand's is a nice little island with a small town square. After a delicious lunch at Tommy Bahama including a taste of their famous blue crab bisque, we headed over to Lido Beach. Lido Key was more desolate than Siesta Key. We enjoyed a nice stroll along the beach there as well. My feet felt so great in that sand and warm water as I just relaxed and let my worries about the 2020 election and the Covid lockdowns in California go away! We did get some more Kilwin's Ice Cream since there was a shop in St. Armand's Key, but I was disappointed that the lady wanted me to wear a mask as I ordered. I think Kilwin's is hit or miss even in Red States since it is owned by a company based in Michigan.
For dinner, we enjoyed a gourmet meal at Cafe Gabbiano on Siesta Key that night. The Beach Butler service recommended that restaurant as well. A beautiful hostess seated us in their wine cellar area. No mask was needed as usual to enter the restaurant or move about the restaurant unlike many Blue States. I ordered a montepulciano wine from Italy to complement my meal. We started off with a poached pear salad that was so AMAZING! I texted my buddy whose black tie wedding at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills featured a poached pear salad as well which was great, but this salad beat that one out! They soak that pear in sauvignon blanc wine. The mild goat cheese complemented the argula and candied walnuts as well. For my main course, I ordered the ossobucco ravioli which had braised veal inside, and the sauce was made with filet tips. All the pasta at this place was homemade! The ravioli was so DELICIOUS! Joy got the linguine and clams, and I think that is the best linguine noodles that I ever had!
We decided to have another night cap at Cask Ale since it was on the way back to our hotel. The beautiful Cuban bartender was working again that night. I made sure to get my Eagle Rare this time since it has been sold out for months in California. Eagle Rare is one of my favorite bourbons. We savored the moment of being able to drink at a bar like back in the pre-Covid days of California. California has become a total third world authoritarian state. Florida is a bastion of freedom and hope now for those of us living in the Blue States.
The next morning, we experienced the effects of Tropical Storm Eta. The area was under so many warnings and watches including a tropical storm warning, tornado warning, and even a hurricane watch! Tampa International Airport actually decided to shut down after our flight was scheduled to leave. So, we made the one hour or so drive up to Tampa from Sarasota amidst heavy rains! Once we got into the terminal, we took the train over to the F Gates where there was a restaurant that gave us the usual $56 credit for Priority Pass Select members. We had our lunch there at the Cafe by Mise En Place. I made sure to order a bourbon since Southwest was not serving alcohol still in the air. In case one forgot, the Priority Pass Select card that I get through our Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa Infinite card gives us unlimited access to not only airport lounges, but many airport restaurants give us up to $56 worth of free food and drinks. All we have to do is pay the tip. The $450 annual fee on that credit card is well worth it since we get way more than that amount back each year!
After a short delay on the tarmac due to some bad weather in our flight path, we took off for Denver. Our flight had us routed through Denver and Las Vegas.
We had a long enough stop in Chicago to grab lunch at this local Mexican restaurant in the airport. Midway was pretty deserted overall with many restaurants and shops still closed due to the effects of the bogus pandemic that the globalists have unleased on us all. Regardless, we did find a Dunkin Donuts that was open so I could grab a latte and donut too before our next flight.
Our flight to Tampa was only about two hours. After landing in beautiful Florida, we got our rental car at the Fastbreak Counter and headed out for our hotel which was pretty close to TPA. We were a little worried about this trip since a tropical storm named Eta was heading towards Florida, but the path was still unclear so we hoped for the storm to go back out to sea.
We had dinner reservations at a historic restaurant in the Ybor City area called Columbia Restaurant. This is the oldest Spanish restaurant in Florida, and it has been around for over 115 years now. The Ybor City area is a historic part of Tampa known for cigar factories, bars, and a great night scene with clubs. The bars and clubs were open in Florida, and we heard a lot of the music blasting at a club along the main street there. I found a bar that had a nice cigar selection so I had to get a mild one. This place hand rolled their own cigars with tobacco from Nicaragua. I smoked my cigar as we strolled around the area before our reservation at Columbia Restaurant.
The Columbia Restaurant had a large atrium with a cool fountain in the main dining room. Since we had reservations for the flamenco show, we were seated in a special ballroom area which allowed us to view the show as we dined. The food was really good! For starters, we ordered grilled crab cakes. I also had a mojito that featured an actual sugar cane stalk in it. We ordered the paella for the main course which had a lot of seafood in it. The flamenco show was amazing. Since we were in Florida, I tried to talk in Spanish with our waiter too so I could practice for when Joy and I can go back to tour South America. I said "Quiro una flan por favor" to finish out our amazing meal and experience. The flan was delicious as well.
Joy and I enjoyed that first night so much that we did not want it to end since California has been so miserable and boring since the leftist lunatic governor shut everything done. We ended up going to Bahama Breeze for a night cap. As we enjoyed our drinks in the outdoor bar area underneath swaying palm trees, I thought to myself how good these people have it in Florida. I really hate California. The left has really used this "pandemic" to control people by forcing the stupid masks as well as limiting what we can do both in and out of our homes.
The next morning, we went to a Waffle House for breakfast. California does not have Waffle Houses so we try to find one when we are traveling especially in the southern US. There was a Cuban bakery next door so I got some strong Cuban coffee and a guava pastry.
We headed out to the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort after checking out of the Hampton Inn near the airport. Our drive into Clearwater was about twenty five minutes, and we passed the original Hooter's! As we went over the bridge into the island where Clearwater Beach is, we were so shocked at how beautiful it was! Florida is truly an amazing state! The valet took our car at the hotel, and we checked in super early. We got upgraded to a gulf view room since I am a HHonors Diamond guest. Our view of the white sand beach and teal Gulf waters was amazing. I just wanted to sit on the balcony and take in the views! However, we felt like we needed to go walk on the beach and get some exercise in too.
The soft white sands of the beach felt amazing with an overcast sky and temperatures in the 80s. We heard rumors that the tropical storm could come back again towards us, but it was like we were in the "calm before the storm." I noticed there were lots of sea shells on the sand. We started to collect some nice ones and enjoyed a walk up and down the beach near the resort. The beach was not too crowded, and it was super safe too. As far as the water temperature goes, it was in the upper 70s so once one gets used to it, it is fine.
I got some pool time in at the resort after our walk on the beach. The pool water felt great. I also indulged in their tasty pina colada as well as another tropical drink while relaxing by the pool. The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort is worth the money!
It was football Sunday however! The Cowboys played at 4:25 Eastern so we decided to go to the Hooter's across the street and watch the game there! We ordered some boneless wings and curly fries as I watched a no name QB start for us. The Hooter girls were pretty cute! My friends agreed from the pictures that they were way better than what we get in Northern California. LOL.
I did get a nice workout in at the hotel before dinner. There was a cool Trump rally too going on outside the hotel. I do not care what people think. President Trump was great for our nation. My wife and I did very well under his leadership from an economic standpoint. Also, the President restored our position of hegemony in the world after being perceived as weak under the past administration. Thank You President Trump for everything you did for us! My wife and I have been fortunate financially for many many years, but the last four years were great! Record wages in the private sector coupled together with lower taxes just gave us even more disposable income for us to truly enjoy the finer things in life! Joy and I love our $51,000 luxury sports sedan that we just purchased as well.
That evening, Joy and I had reservations at a fine dining establishment called Ocean Prime. They have a few locations throughout the country including Beverly Hills. We got a little rain as we got back into Tampa. Luckily, the restaurant had a valet so we did not have to get wet. The food and service was amazing. We ordered a sushi roll to start! The fish was so fresh! I also got an Old Fashioned which had a special Woodford Reserve in it. For my main course, I got a filet mignon and paired it with a scallop. The waiter recommended the butter cake with ice cream so we got that. It was so good too! We explored the Clearwater Beach area after getting back to the hotel. There was a cool souvenir shop nearby where we got a nice jar for the shells we found on the beach.
Since the Hilton was not doing the usual breakfast for Diamond guests due to the Covid, we had a great breakfast at the Beach Shanty next door. The pancakes with their housemade coconut syrup was just to die for! There was also a Kilwin's Ice Cream Shop next door. I loved how we could just walk in with no mask to both establishments and be waited on with no rude comments. Florida is truly a great state!
Joy and I enjoyed another nice walk on the beach. The colors of the water kept changing as the sun was peaking through. We also saw a rainbow as it had rained a little in the morning. I got my Starbucks after we checked out. They also did not require a mask to be served! I hope I do not get the store in trouble, but I was super happy with the customer service! The staff recommended Joy and I go explore the River Walk in Tampa before we drive down to Sarasota.
We were amazed at how clean and safe downtown Tampa was! The River Walk was beautiful! I rarely walk outside in Sacramento since the homeless have taken over the city. Also, there is a crime element and lots of weirdos in Sacramento. The people in Tampa were normal! We really enjoyed our walk along the River Walk and downtown. Moreover, we explored the campus of the University of Tampa which is a private university. I was shocked at how cheap the meter parking was too! The parking was less than a $1 for two hours! In Sacramento (or anywhere in CA), one would pay a few bucks for even thirty minutes often times! California is a piece of shit state! The high taxes have created a climate where prices have skyrocketed. Moreover, the stupid $15 minimum wage does not help since it raises the prices of our goods and services!
After touring downtown Tampa, we had about an hour to drive down to Sarasota. There was an outlet mall close to Sarasota so we stopped at that exit to go shopping. Since we needed a quick snack, we went to the Wing House. Not knowing what it was, I was pleasantly surprised as we walked in and saw waitresses in the "Hooters" style shorts and tank tops! LOL. There is nothing with looking at eye candy even when one is married. Joy and I had some boneless wings and fries as I took in the scenery and got pictures for my perverted friends back home. LOL. We did get some shopping in too at the outlets. I enjoyed not having to mask for the most part inside the stores. Brooks Brothers respectfully offered me a mask so I did wear it, but most of the stores did not care.
Once we got into Sarasota and checked in at the Hampton Inn, I got in another great workout at the hotel gym. Our racquet club in Sacramento closed for good right before this trip due to the shutdowns ordered by the liberals. For dinner, we enjoyed amazing sushi at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Sarasota. We were going to hire a beach butler service for the Sarasota area beaches, but the uncertainity with the storm forced us to cancel the service for the umbrellas and chains. However, the beach butler gave us great restaurant recommendations including this sushi place. The food was great, and we loved the lycee and coconut sorbet! The waiter even recommended a great bar with an amazing bourbon selection called Cask Ale. So, we went over there after dinner to have a drink or two. The beautiful Cuban bartender served me my Whistle Pig 10 that I enjoyed a month ago in McCall, ID.
The next day was a solid beach day. We went to Siesta Key first and enjoyed the #1 rated beach in the US. I was blown away by the quality of the public beach! The restroom was so clean that I could change there if I wanted to. There was no homeless urine smell. Florida is one amazingly run state! The beach was amazing too! The white sands coupled together with the warm Gulf Waters was fun to walk along. Like I said, I do not enjoy walking much, but I loved our walk along the beach. We did get a major rain storm when we were heading back towards the car. Oh yeah, the parking is even free at this awesome beach! California would charge for parking usually! The people were super nice too and not dirty hippies like California. I was so blown away by how great Florida was run by Governor DeSantis that I wrote DeSantis 2024 in the sand!
We headed over to St. Armand's Key for lunch at Tommy Bahama after leaving Siesta Key. St. Armand's is a nice little island with a small town square. After a delicious lunch at Tommy Bahama including a taste of their famous blue crab bisque, we headed over to Lido Beach. Lido Key was more desolate than Siesta Key. We enjoyed a nice stroll along the beach there as well. My feet felt so great in that sand and warm water as I just relaxed and let my worries about the 2020 election and the Covid lockdowns in California go away! We did get some more Kilwin's Ice Cream since there was a shop in St. Armand's Key, but I was disappointed that the lady wanted me to wear a mask as I ordered. I think Kilwin's is hit or miss even in Red States since it is owned by a company based in Michigan.
For dinner, we enjoyed a gourmet meal at Cafe Gabbiano on Siesta Key that night. The Beach Butler service recommended that restaurant as well. A beautiful hostess seated us in their wine cellar area. No mask was needed as usual to enter the restaurant or move about the restaurant unlike many Blue States. I ordered a montepulciano wine from Italy to complement my meal. We started off with a poached pear salad that was so AMAZING! I texted my buddy whose black tie wedding at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills featured a poached pear salad as well which was great, but this salad beat that one out! They soak that pear in sauvignon blanc wine. The mild goat cheese complemented the argula and candied walnuts as well. For my main course, I ordered the ossobucco ravioli which had braised veal inside, and the sauce was made with filet tips. All the pasta at this place was homemade! The ravioli was so DELICIOUS! Joy got the linguine and clams, and I think that is the best linguine noodles that I ever had!
We decided to have another night cap at Cask Ale since it was on the way back to our hotel. The beautiful Cuban bartender was working again that night. I made sure to get my Eagle Rare this time since it has been sold out for months in California. Eagle Rare is one of my favorite bourbons. We savored the moment of being able to drink at a bar like back in the pre-Covid days of California. California has become a total third world authoritarian state. Florida is a bastion of freedom and hope now for those of us living in the Blue States.
The next morning, we experienced the effects of Tropical Storm Eta. The area was under so many warnings and watches including a tropical storm warning, tornado warning, and even a hurricane watch! Tampa International Airport actually decided to shut down after our flight was scheduled to leave. So, we made the one hour or so drive up to Tampa from Sarasota amidst heavy rains! Once we got into the terminal, we took the train over to the F Gates where there was a restaurant that gave us the usual $56 credit for Priority Pass Select members. We had our lunch there at the Cafe by Mise En Place. I made sure to order a bourbon since Southwest was not serving alcohol still in the air. In case one forgot, the Priority Pass Select card that I get through our Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa Infinite card gives us unlimited access to not only airport lounges, but many airport restaurants give us up to $56 worth of free food and drinks. All we have to do is pay the tip. The $450 annual fee on that credit card is well worth it since we get way more than that amount back each year!
After a short delay on the tarmac due to some bad weather in our flight path, we took off for Denver. Our flight had us routed through Denver and Las Vegas.