Newly Remodeled EYW

The newly-remodeled Key West International Airport terminal is fabulous. The ticket counters are now on the second level in a bright, open, high-ceilinged space, instead of crammed into the single room that used to count as most of the terminal. The TSA checkpoint is up-to-date and efficient.

The Conch Flyer restaurant and bar has moved up to the ticketing level so it can still be enjoyed by visitors and passengers outside the checkpoint. The Flyer’s old space is still downstairs, in what is now the gate area, and called the Last Call Beach Bar. It claims to be the “World’s Only Airport Beach.” There is actually a sandy area just outside with tables and umbrellas.

The place has either been repainted in lighter, brighter colors or there really is more light in here now. It is much more pleasant.

Locally-made art is displayed throughout the new terminal. And most of it seems to be for sale. You can pick up a last-minute treasure from the island as you dash for your flight.

It’s not a huge airport. It doesn’t need to be. But the new terminal is a huge improvement. While the old building played into the small, laid-back nature of island life, it wasn’t all that efficient and it wasn’t designed for modern security needs.

The new terminal brings Key West kicking and screaming into the present.

Coolest Thing Yet: And It Works!

I wasn’t sure it would work. It just seemed too easy and too green.

But it worked like a charm!

I’m flying American Airlines this time. When I checked in online last night, they offered me the option of an electronic boarding pass instead of having to actually print one. I did both: electronic to test it and print as a reliable backup.

The electronic version arrived as a link in an email. When you open the URL on your smartphone, it takes you to the AA site where you download an image and store it in your phone’s photo gallery so you can retrieve it later. I had some serious doubts. This was just too simple. The image looks a lot like a QR code (the square with the checkerboard/squiggly lines) and also includes text of your flight info.

At the airport, I asked a TSA agent, “Will they actually take this at the security checkpoint?” She thought they would but decided to ask another agent for a more definitive answer.

“Yeah. Go through the Black Diamond line on Concourse B,” said the second guy.

Sure enough. There’s a special scanner at the checkpoint. With the image displayed on your screen, you wave your phone over the scanner, show the agent your identification, and you’re on your way.

The checkpoint agent never batted an eye. He knew exactly what it was. Seemed to be routine already. Very cool!

The next test is to find out whether it will be accepted in other airports. Stay tuned.

Philadelphia Panorama

As storms rolled in to the Philadelphia area from the west (not part of Hurricane Irene), this was the scene from our 27th-floor window in the Center City. It’s incredible to see the weather from this height!

The Guy at the Airport

As I stepped off the escalator into the Baggage Claim area, he started coming toward me. I didn’t think I was his target because I don’t know this guy. But the closer he came, the more obvious is was that he was about to block my path. Suddenly, he was standing right in front of me.

“Hey, Marshall,” he said. At least he’s friendly. “I’m the guy who e-mailed you!”

“Oh, great! Hi!” I said with a blank expression. I have no idea who this guy is.

“Yeah, I sent a note to you and that lady you’re on TV with a couple of years ago about coming to see the studio.”

“Dude. I got nothing. Help me remember. I get hundreds of e-mails a day.”

“Yeah, the lady, she comes to our Christmas party. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, desperately trying to put something together. I still have absolutely no idea who this guy is.

“Well, I just wanted to say hi. I’m from Cleveland. You’re Cleveland.”

I resisted the urge to say I was from Bucyrus, that I just worked in Cleveland for a while. “I’m so sorry. I have the memory span of a household gnat. But thanks.”

“Yeah, y’know I studied meteorology. How I ended up in this line of work is beyond me. Being a sheriff’s deputy and all.”

I’m at a total loss here. “Well, we all follow our passions. Have a good day!”

“Yeah. You, too.”

He never even told me his name. I have absolutely no idea who that guy was. Or why he thought I should recognize him because he sent an e-mail a “couple of years ago.”

Oy.

The New and Improved DTW

It’s still an enormous mess of an airport but it’s light years ahead of what it used to be. The Detroit Airport has made a lot of improvements in the past decade or so. It’s a sprawling landscape of concrete runways and taxiways and huge terminal buildings that require their own shuttles.

To get between the D Terminal and the conjoined B & C Terminals, you dive underground. The passageway is lit with subdued greens and blues that pulsate with the esoteric music piped in from the walls. It feels as though you’re under water instead of under the tarmac. When you pop up on the other side, it’s a new world with more twisting corridors, escalotors and moving sidewalks.

At least there’s this: DTW seems much more user-friendly than it was 10 years ago.

Halfway Home

I have to say, I could easily get used to traveling in First Class. The seats are much roomier, the service is much more personal and the disembarking is a breeze. Geez, you even get real glass glasses. Ahhh, the lap of luxury. Now, if onl it didn’t cost 15 times as much as a regular ticket!

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I was able to read most of the trip here. But as we started to fly over Lake Erie, I found myself mesmerized by what was just outside the window. Cedar Point and Sandusky passed below us. I managed to snap some photos of Kelley’s Island and Put In Bay. Toledo whizzed by with lake freighters churning through the water toward the Maumee Bay harbor. In minutes, we were on the ground in Detroit (well, Romulus). We are halfway there!

Leaving, On a Jet Plane

I’m at the airport. The place is super busy with people trying to get back to a normal, post-hurricane life. Business people are scurrying around with phones to their ears. Tourists and wander through the terminal looking lost. And I’m sitting in a dining area pecking away at a keyboard. Hey, it’s a good way to pass the time. I’m really early.

When I checked in, I noticed something unusual. The kiosk offered to check my first two bags for free. Yes, free. That sent up a couple of red flags. Something’s different. When the seat-assignment screen came up, a couple of words in very small typeface popped up: FIRST CLASS.

Ummmm, wha?! “First Class?” Really?! Apparently, I’ve been automatically upgraded. Sweet! They probably didn’t have any other seats available and I lucked out. Certainly not going to complain about that!

Poker Night

We try to squeeze in a Poker Night every year. It’s a great time for a handful of us to hang out quietly, away from the masses and just enjoy each others’ company. Sunday night was our night.

There’s no actual cash involved. We just hand out a bunch of chips. Then the dealing begins. We play Five Card Draw, mostly because I’m not smart enough to understand how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.

I managed to play for about an hour or so and had a bunch of chips left on the table, but really needed to get to bed in order to get up early to get to the airport. I awarded all my chips to Greg since he’d already busted earlier. He’d be back in the game.

Thank goodness the luggage is already packed. I can just slide into the bed and snooze.

Hurricanes and Pizza

As the afternoon progressed, the weather improved and people began to realize that the city had survived, more shops and restaurants began to open their doors. The neighborhood by bustling by dinner time. People were out in droves trying to stave off a little cabin fever brought on by the hurricane.

We managed to avoid a huge group that was gathering in the hotel lobby for a dinner excursion. Getting in to a restaurant with 30 people is never easy. And it turns in to more of a nightmare than an enjoyable experience. Plus, there were a few bucketsful of crazy going along for the tour.

Our gang of five decided to strike out on its own, in search of a decent post-storm meal.

The concierge gave us a whole sheet of suggestions. But we didn’t really know what would be open. So, we decided to wander the neighborhood and see what presented itself. The first Italian restaurant couldn’t get us in for at least 90 minutes so we kept walking. But we didn’t go far. In fact, we stopped at a pizza-and-wine joint next door.

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The Zavino Wine Bar and Pizzeria sat us immediately. The exposed-brick walls and long, dark-wood bar were inviting. Our table was near the back of the seating area, right next to the pizza oven. It’s not wood-fired but it’s definitely artisanal. And the oven is kinda small. They were making one pizza at a time.

The drink special was a “Hurricane,” naturally with lychee juice and rum. It was only appropriate to have a round for everyone. The Lemoncello Margaritas were a hit, too, but I found them a little bit bitter.

The pizzas were fantastic. The Diavlo was Zavino’s version of a pepperoni pie but the slices of meat were the size of bottle-bottoms. Delicious with a spicy sauce.

zavino wine bar and pizzeria
112 S. 13th Street
Midtown Village
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.zavino.com

A Very Quiet, Laid Back Afternoon

We had another meal at El Vez. It’s one of the few places in the neighborhood that’s actually open today. Most places are shuttered either because of the hurricane or because it’s Sunday.

I’m really loving this place. It’s “modern” Mexican cuisine. Some of the best guacamole ever! And the plantains are out of this world!

Barb and I had a couple of margaritas. You’re surprised. Just shocked.