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Well, we blew through TSA both outbound and inbound. I sure expected more of a search, but I didn’t even have to take my (non-metallic in every way) shoes off.
(Memo to people stacking their stuff prepartory to going through the X-ray machine: DON’T STAND THERE FOLDING YOUR FUCKING CLOTHES SO THEY FIT NEATLY IN THE TRAY AND DON’T GET WRINKLED. There are a hundred people behind you who would like to keep the line moving.)
The above was in Indy last Friday. This little old lady stood there for what seemed like hours folding her winter coat while her husband stood there behind her (and then he didn’t move at all once she FINALLY finished, so Sally just elbowed past him, said “excuse me”, and started putting her stuff on the belt). The guy at the metal detector didn’t think I’d make it through without my shoes setting off the alarm, but I did and they didn’t. (Big surprise…they’re sandals, all rubber and leather and plastic, no metal fittings at all.)
At Ft Myers coming home, the biggest concern was Sally’s soda in its plastic cup. Seems they don’t like plastic cups at TSA, but paper cups are just fine (so she walked over to Starbucks and got two paper cups since her giant Burger King pop wouldn’t fit into one Starbucks grande cup or whatever stupid terminology the coffee-drink set use these days; in my youth the cups she got from SB were considered LARGE drink cups). There was no good reason given for prefering paper over plastic; apparently this is just a TSA PITA directive (I assume they assume that “plastic” means “plastic explosive”). I mean, X-rays go through plastic just like they go through paper. (They did X-ray my 20-ounce plastic bottle of diet coke. Go figure.)
Other than the pain in the ass that is air travel, our week in Naples was reasonably restful. It was cold the whole time we were there (under 70 in the daytime is considered cold) so Sally only got to lie out on the beach, not go into the water. [Obligatory “global warming my ass” comment goes here.]
We stayed at Stoney’s Courtyard Inn on US 41. Very nice.
Michelbob’s Championship Ribs have great food but the service is desultory. Our snotty waitress was lucky to get a 10% tip. Best bet is to order carry out and eat somewhere else. (No free soft drink refills and outdated sour cream for your baked potato — which the waitress took back, poured the water off the top of, and brought back as “fresh” — were definite negatives.) Every time we go in there we swear we’re not going back. It’s unfortunate that the food is so good or we wouldn’t.
Pippin’s Restaurant also has good food but the service is a bit spotty. It wasn’t bad this time and we did get the early bird special, but it really ticks me off that they add a 17% gratuity to your bill and then bring you a credit card receipt with a space for a tip. I wonder how many people think they’re supposed to put a tip there, especially since they don’t bring back the itemized bill when they bring you the receipt to sign. (FYI this is Pippin’s in Naples, not in Sanibel.)
We also ate lunch at HB’s On The Gulf, which is part of the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club. The service is a bit slow but the food is awesome. Get a reservation or you probably won’t get a seat. (Fair warning, this is another restaurant that will stick a 17% gratuity on your bill if you ask for separate checks or have a party of 6 or more. At least they bring the itemized receipt back with your card.)
Another dinner at Alice Sweetwater was excellent. We suspect this is really a “locals” restaurant because the food is good and the service is great, also because the people there looked mostly like locals.
Also, we visited Ft. Lauderdale to go flea marketing and had lunch at 3 G’s Gourmet Deli in Delray Beach. Wonderful. Beats Shapiro’s in Indy hands down in all departments. There doesn’t seem to be a good page for them so if you go, 3 G’s is at 5869 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33484-8402, 561-498-3910. (If you have GPS, that’s approximately 26.45523 degrees N, 80.13773 degrees W.)
Last but not least, our old standby is Mel’s Diner. Specifically the one at 3650 Tamiami Trail, North Naples, FL 34103. For breakfast, ask for Christine or Jackie, or pretty much anyone there for that matter; great food, great service, Mel’s should live for a thousand years.
I talk about food most of the time when we go to Naples because we don’t do much when we’re there except visit with Sally’s parents and some local friends that we have made over the years. And frankly, other than shop, we didn’t do very much this year… 🙂