WolfieG

Hello Everybody,
After a pleasantly exhausting yet rewarding Summer taking pre-requesite classes for graduate school in Human Anatomy at SUNY-Stony Brook from late-May through early August to work towards becoming a Physician's Assistant, I decided along with my mom's encouragement to take a small vacation before I would restart classes at SUNY-Stony Brook in the Fall for Bio-Genetics and Biotechnology, since aside from a couple of weekends, I was very busy studying! The reason I decided to work towards becoming a Physician's Assistant was because I feel that the job is the right fit for me and my B.A. in Sociology with a Minor in Political Science, while valuable, would not yield a lot of jobs in this economy .
I decided to go to South Florida once again, even though I had gone there back in January (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ry-2015-a.html), as it is one of my favorite places to travel to (ever since I was six months old) and it was inexpensive. Not unlike my previous trip in January, there was a small business element to this trip as I would be continuing the house-hunt for my mother, who is interested in moving to South Florida due to the much lower cost of living, pleasant atmosphere, and nice weather (like me, she is not bothered by heat or humidity ). Unlike the last time, she has a better idea of what she wants, which is a condo on or across from the beach located from Delray Beach to the north and Hillsboro Beach to the south, as she does not want the maintenance or sprawl of a house. The reason mom has not gone with me or by herself to look yet is because she still has a lot of loose ends to tie-up at home before we put our move further into full-steam. Don't worry though fellow Flyertalkers, she will be going down soon . While I wanted her to join me, she was not able to as she also had to stay behind with our two Affenpinschers and guinea pigs . While I would have rather gone with her, I have had awesome times on solo trips before, like when I went to South Florida and Walt Disney World, so I decided to seize the opportunity and book my trip to South Florida.

New York-John F. Kennedy International-Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (8/17/2015):
a)Before Airport:
With my mom's encouragement to look into a short trip to Florida and a late night of virtual labs for Human Anatomy ahead of me on July 13th, 2015, I decided to pull an all-nighter as I was feeling restless after trying to sleep and decided to continue working on my labs. After working hard, I finished my virtual labs at around 3:00AM and I decided to look into a trip to South Florida. Once again, I opted to visit Deerfield Beach as I fell in love with the area on my last visit due to its beautiful beaches, the many things to do within walking distance, and its convenient location to other cities, like Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami. I checked Expedia, Kayak, TripAdvisor, and other sources for packages as well as the rates booking separately for the cheapest dates to stay at either the Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort and Spa, which I loved on my previous visit, or the Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort, which my Uncle recommended, as both are nice hotels and were where I wanted to be. Since the Embassy Suites between Monday, August 17th and Friday, August 21st was slightly less expensive (same dates used for all hotels), I went with this hotel, as the suites were large and luxurious and had the added advantages of excellent service as well as amenities like a lush pool, and a free hot buffet breakfast, it was an offer that was too good to refuse and I booked a One Bedroom Twin-Bed Suite! For my next step, I checked flights between JFK/LGA/ISP-FLL/PBI on American, Delta, jetBlue, and Southwest. I found that Delta from JFK-FLL was by far the least expensive option, so I went with that, as the times worked out well and it was convenient.
This option worked out well, as I prefer JFK over LGA as I find it to be easier to use and get to than the latter, even though I live equidistant from both airports. While I prefer PBI over FLL as I find it to be slightly easier to use due to it being not as crowded and a nicer airport overall, I ended up with FLL as it seems that the JFK-PBI flight is only seasonal, as I was only able to find nonstops on DL from LGA or via ATL from JFK. While I had not used FLL since August 2010, as PBI had been cheaper when I last flew to South Florida in August 2012 and January 2015. Doing further research, I found out that DL would be reinstating the flight in December, albeit with two CRJ-900s or a CRJ-900 and a Boeing 717-200 depending upon the day starting 12/19/2015 as opposed to one MD-88 like last year. This does not surprise me as on my JFK-PBI flight, the MD-88 was only half-full, which is a shame as DL does not seem to have a problem filling planes to MCO, TPA, FLL, and MIA to/from JFK based on my experiences. I hope that DL is able to have the PBI route prove more successful next year, as it is convenient and a good alternative to using FLL or MIA when going to South Florida. As I was finalizing my flight, I was happy to find out that my JFK-FLL flight would be operated by a Boeing 717-200, which excited me, as I had never used one before and liked the 2-3 seating arrangement and the fact that the plane was fairly new. Also, my plane from FLL-JFK was an MD-88, which is always good as not unlike the 717, it has a 2-3 seating arrangement. Since there were no window or aisle seats available in Economy, I went for 11E, a Comfort+ seat, even though it was $45 more, as I like to watch the world go by while I fly and be more comfortable as a bonus. While I normally would not go for it on a short flight, my mom loved Economy Comfort and I did too when we used it LGA-PBI back in August 2012. For my flight back, I chose 29E, as it was not rated badly on SeatGuru and was on the side of the plane with two seats. Since mom was able to drive me to/from JFK, I did not need a car service to/from JFK. However, I booked a car to/from FLL to the Embassy Suites in Deerfield Beach from Diamond Coach, as they proved to be excellent on my last trip and were reasonably priced, at $60 each way with gratuity. With everything booked, all I had to do was finish my Summer class and wait.

**Flight Information:**
Origin Airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY
Destination Airport: Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, FL
Airline and Flight Number: Delta Air Lines 2601
Aircraft: Boeing 717-200
Registration: N968AT
Cabin, Seat: Comfort+, 11A
Scheduled Departure/Actual Departure: 11:00AM/11:11AM
Scheduled Arrival/Actual Arrival: 2:05PM/1:28PM
Departure Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 2, Gate C62
Arrival Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 2, Gate D7

SPECIAL NOTES: First time flying on a Boeing 717-200

b)Before Airport/Getting to Airport:
Despite enjoying my friend/neighbor Barry's fun and slightly wild BBQ/party with delicious food and all the margaritas (his are the best IMHO) you could drink until 11:00PM the previous night, I managed to wake up Sunday morning at 8:00AM, as I had plenty of sleep and had my friend/neighbor's excellent contractor coming to clean the gutters and power wash the house. I put my iPhone 6 in for a charge, ate breakfast, and walked the dogs with my mom. At close to 11:00AM, I received a notification that it was time to check-in for my hotel reservation.
-Time to check-in for my hotel reservation!:





I first checked rooms on the seventh floor, as I like to stay on the top floor when I can, but the rooms there were too close to the elevator, so I went one story down and found Room 620, which was centrally located away from both elevator banks, meaning it would be very quiet!

-Done! :

I then waited about ten minutes and received a notification that it was time to check in for my flight and entered the Delta application, excited to check in.

-Success! :

After I finished checking in, I still was interested in checking out the seat map as I wanted to see how full the flight was and if there was a seat available on the left side of the 717, as I preferred to be on the side of the plane with only two seats. While the flight was close to full (don’t worry about the picture, the plane was full on the day of my flight), including 11/12 seats filled in First Class, I found a seat on the left side of the plane, so I switched to 11A from 11E. From this point, my check-in was complete and to quote the lyrics of The Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated,” I had twenty, twenty-four hours to go!
-Economy and Comfort+ cabins still with some seats available:

-First Class with only one seat available:

With check-in for my hotel and flight both out of the way, I spent the rest of the day doing some errands, last minute packing, and supervising our contractor until the late afternoon. I then had dinner around 5:30PM, got ready for bed, and watched Food Network Star and Cutthroat Kitchen with my mom. After that, I finally went to sleep at 11:00PM.
Seven hours later, I awakened, excited that the day of my trip had finally arrived. I got out of bed, got ready, and ate breakfast of a grilled cheese, a banana, orange juice, and coffee. After that, I spent time with my dogs and guinea pigs until it was time for us to leave at 7:50AM.
At this time, we pulled out of the driveway in my mom’s car from our home in Central Nassau County and made our way to the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound towards Jones Beach in order to access the Southern State Parkway westbound towards New York via Exit M6W. While I was a bit worried that there would be rush-hour traffic, that proved not to be the case, as we moved quickly and by 8:10AM, we were approaching where the Southern State Parkway diverges for the Belt Parkway westbound towards Brooklyn (to JFK Airport) or the Cross Island Parkway northbound towards the Whitestone Bridge (to LGA Airport) and passed Exit 13: Central Ave towards Valley Stream.

At this time, I also received a notification from the Delta application that my flight would be departing from Terminal 2, Gate C62 .

Traffic continued to move quickly and at 8:17AM according to my iPhone and the clock in my mom’s car, we were at Exit 20: Kennedy Airport via JFK Expwy!

We followed the signs for Terminal 2: Delta Domestic (except Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle) and passed by Terminal 1:

Soon enough, we arrived at Terminal 2:

Compared to when my mom dropped me off at the massive Terminal 4 for my Delta flight to Orlando in January 2014, she was surprised at how quiet Terminal 2 was by comparison. After we hugged each other profusely and lovingly bid each other farewell.

c)At Airport:
After saying good-bye to my mom, I entered Terminal 2, which looked clean, fairly well kept considering its age (this terminal was built in the 1960s), and was not crowded at all, with only one party checking in ahead of me.

After waiting about two minutes, I was assisted by Naiisiha, who was friendly and efficient. As she was checking my boarding pass and ID and tagging my suitcase, we had a pleasant conversation about Fort Lauderdale, as she mentioned that she likes traveling there when she is able to, as she loves the beaches, natural beauty, and many things to do. I told her I could not agree more and that made her very happy! After she finished checking me in, she wished me a good flight and I made my way to the security checkpoint, where the morning would continue to prove exciting.
When I lined up, I was greeted by a friendly female officer, who appreciated how enthusiastic and friendly I was and happily checked my ID and boarding pass. With this step complete, I lined up behind a young man, who was confused as he was not sure whether he had to take his shoes off, as he thought he was in line for Pre-Check. I informed the gentleman that if he had Pre-Check, he could leave his sneakers on, but if he did not, I told him that he would have to remove his sneakers . The male TSA agent came over to assist and checked his boarding pass for the Pre-Check symbol, which his boarding pass did not have. Nevertheless, the young gentleman was appreciative for our help and soon enough, he was on his way! Before I get back to my experience, I think this confusion was compounded by the fact that at least when I was there, the line I used served both Pre-Check and non Pre-Check travelers, which could have added to the confusion. Anyway, I placed my belongings through the machine and went through the x-ray, which was quick and easy! The TSA agents were very friendly and appreciated my enthusiasm for travel as well as my knowledge of the rules. They asked me what I did and I told them I was studying to be a Physician’s Assistant. They jokingly denied that and thought I was Billy Joel, as I was wearing a Billy Joel live at Nassau Coliseum t-shirt, commemorating his concert to close the Nassau Coliseum. I don’t know, did they think I was a big shot haha ! Nevertheless, I appreciated their compliment and thanked them for making my morning great. With check-in and security out of the way, I completed both of those steps in a quick ten minutes, as I checked in at 8:24AM and got though security at 8:34AM. Since I had just under two hours until boarding, I decided to plane spot until I would have a quick early lunch at Croque Madame.
-N362NW, a DL Airbus A320 operating as DL2175 to MSP:

-N339NB, an Airbus A319 operating as DL437 to BDA from Gate C61:

-N323NB, an Airbus A319 operating as DL2793 to BOS from Gate C63:

-N3763D, a DL Boeing 737-800 operating as DL2810 to PHX preparing to take off:

-DL Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-88:

-TAME Airbus A330-200 operating as TAME 551 to UIO and N958AM, an AM Boeing 737-800 operating as AM405 to MEX:

- TAME Airbus A330-200 operating as TAME 551 to UIO with AA aircraft (I think an Airbus A321T taking off) above:

-Flight information:

I then checked out Terminal 2 for a bit, as I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to eat before my flight.
-Taste NY souvenir shop:

-Bklyn Beer Garden:

-Tagliare Pizza:

-Croque Madame:

I had my plans set on dining at Croque Madame for their Smoked Salmon Platter, but it ended up not working out, as the lady working there informed me that the chef would be on break for twenty minutes. Thankfully, she informed me that Due Amici had the same Smoked Salmon Platter, so I was thankful and went there to eat, which turned out to be a great choice!

The atmosphere made a good first impression, as the restaurant was clean and vibrant, with red and black cushioned chairs, dark floors, and red and black hanging decorations (I think they were lights). The restaurant was not too busy and I found a seat with ease.



I placed my order for a Smoked Salmon Platter with no bread (as I am allergic to wheat and eggs) and no onions (I like onions, but I do not want to subject my seatmates to bad breath), along with an Evian to drink. While the meal was pricey as it was in the high-teens, it later proved to be worth the money. After a friendly young waiter delivered my meal ten minutes later, I came to this conclusion as it was delicious, convenient, and the portion was large. I found the smoked salmon to be pleasantly salty with a buttery mouth feel; the tomato was ripe and sweet, the lettuce leaf was crisp, and the capers added a nice touch of brininess.

After I ate, I then used the restroom, which was clean and then plane spotted some more, with the time now approaching 10:00AM.
-N958AM, an AM Boeing 737-800 operating as AM405 to MEX taxiing for take off:

-N339NB, a DL Airbus A319 operating as DL437 to BDA taxiing for take off:

-N952DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-88 arriving as DL782 from MIA to Gate C63 and later operating from there as DL2607 to MCO:

-DL Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-88 taking off:

And it’s off…

-Delta T2 Sky Club:

-Gate C62, where DL2601 to FLL, my flight would be departing from:

-N952DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-88 that arrived as DL782 from MIA at Gate C63 and later operating from there as DL2607 to MCO:

-4K-AZ86, an Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A340-500 arriving from Baku, Azerbaijan to Terminal 1:

-N929DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-88 at Gate C69 that arrived from MCO as DL2058 and would later be departing for MIA as DL 2069:

-N1605, a DL Boeing 767-300 on the left along with N865DA, a DL Boeing 777-200 that arrived from TLV as DL469 and would later be operating as DL473 to NRT on the tarmac between Terminals 2 and 4:

As I was taking pictures of N1605 and N865DA, N968AT, the Boeing 717-200 that would be operating my flight, arrived from BOS.



-N968AT, the Boeing 717-200 that would operate DL2601 to FLL parked at Gate C62:

Boarding time was nearing, so I decided to stay close to the gate and chatted with a sweet mother and her daughter, who were on my flight and lived in Pembroke Pines, southwest of Fort Lauderdale. We talked about how much we loved Florida as the excitement for my trip built up. At 10:25AM, the boarding call for Delta 2601 to Fort Lauderdale was made. While the flight was crowded, boarding was efficient and when the Sky boarding zone was called, I lined up. Jason, the gate agent, was friendly and cordial. While there was a minor snag as my boarding pass as it had trouble scanning, Jason patiently and efficiently entered my information manually and sent me on my way, wishing me a great flight!

d) Delta Flight 2601: JFK-FLL:
As I made my way down the jetway, I was excited, as I would be heading to South Florida, which is a place I love as well as for the reason that I would be flying a Boeing 717-200, which excited me as I had never been on one and heard it was a nice aircraft. I boarded the 717 through doorway 1L. While the lead female flight attendant, who had average-length brown hair and was middle-aged was unable to verbally greet me at the moment I boarded as she was making announcements, she flashed a smile as I boarded. Making my way to seat 11A, my first impressions of the Boeing 717-200 were that while not huge, it was in perfect shape as it was very clean and in close to new condition. Not surprisingly, the flight was full, unlike my Delta flight from JFK-PBI in January 2015, which was only half full.

My seatmate made way for me and I found her to be very polite. When I finally settled in my Comfort+ seat, I found it to have more than enough room and plenty of width. I also liked the way the seat looked, as it had a diamond pattern along with a neck pillow and the Delta triangle with Comfort+ embroidered on the top right portion of the seat.
-Legroom Shot:

-Ready to rock! :

I chatted with my middle-aged female seatmate for a bit, who was from Miami and had a great time visiting New York. She kindly offered me the other outlet, which was located below the seat in front of us. I declined, as my iPhone 6 had plenty of juice. After boarding finished, we pushed back at around 11:00AM.
-Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 operating as TK3 arriving from IST:

-Another DL Boeing 717-200:

-Bye N1605, a DL Boeing 767-300 and N865DA, a DL Boeing 777-200:

While we were taxiing, the flight attendants conducted the usual safety announcements, as there was no IFE to play the video, but that was alright, as I like seeing the safety announcements demonstrated. While this was happening, Lisa, one of the captains, announced that flight time would be about two hours, twenty-five minutes and we had two fantastic flight attendants joining her (and she was not lying! ). In addition, she also said that we would be third in line for take off, which was good, as we did not have to wait long. We then taxied to Runway 31L, as I spotted plenty of action on the way.
-AA aircraft:

-China Airlines Boeing 747-400F taking off for TPE via ANC from 31L:

-B6 Embraer E190:

-N923JB aka "It’s Mint to Be," an Airbus A321 operating as B6615 awaiting take-off for SFO:

-At Terminal 1: AF tail, Air China Boeing 777-300, a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 that arrived from IST as TK3, and a KE Airbus A380-800 arriving from ICN. Awaiting take off: N929DL awaiting takeoff as DL2069 to MIA and a JAL Boeing 777-300ER awaiting takeoff as JAL6 to NRT:

-JAL Boeing 777-300ER operating as JAL6 to NRT:

Finally, we took off at 11:11AM to the east from Runway 31L.
-Bye NYC! (overlooking Terminal 4) :



We then turned slight right to head slightly southeast over the Five Towns in Southwest Nassau County, Far Rockaway, Queens, and Atlantic Beach before flying over the Atlantic.
-The Five Towns:

-Far Rockaway and Atlantic Beach:

-Atlantic Beach:

As we took off, I plugged my headphones into my iPhone 6 and listened to music like the Steve Miller Band, Bob Seger, The Beatles, The Who, Elton John, Grateful Dead, Guns and Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC-DC, The Police, The Eagles, and The Beach Boys for most of the flight. We hit 10,000 feet along the coast of Central New Jersey. At about 11:35AM, Stephanie, a jolly young female flight attendant commenced snack service for the Comfort+ and Economy cabins along with a middle-aged female flight attendant of average height with long blonde hair. She inquired about my well-being and asked me about my travels, to which I replied were for both business and pleasure . Stephanie passed the snack basket in my direction, which contained various snacks like bananas, apples, peanuts, pretzels, Biscoff cookies, and Twix bars. I grabbed a few packages of peanuts and she happily took my drink order, which went like this:
S: Good morning, would you like something to drink?
Me: Stephanie, I would like a can of orange juice with no ice please.
S: Sure! (in a perky tone )
Me: Thank you!
S: Not a problem
Stephanie and her fellow flight attendants made the flight excellent as they treated the passengers very well with their attention to detail and enthusiasm, and this interaction was no exception. As the flight went on, I enjoyed my peanuts and orange juice:

The flight went quickly and we followed the Atlantic coastline from New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, crossing the Chesapeake Bay and flying over southern Virginia and North Carolina, leaving the mainland past the Outer Banks. Around this time, I put away my headphones to prepare for landing and then used the rear lavatory, as the First Class lavatory, which we were allowed to use, was occupied. The lavatory was clean and well kept, which was very good. After leaving the mainland over the Outer Banks, we followed the Atlantic Coastline over South Carolina, Georgia, and most of Florida, getting closer to the coast parallel to Southern Martin County/Northern Palm Beach County about twenty minutes before landing. Unfortunately, it was at this time that I had very high pressure originating in my sinus due to my seasonal allergies, as the tree pollen where I am from exacerbates my allergies in the Summer. While I had taken my Nasacort and saline drops earlier that morning and was not too congested, there must have been slight congestion that contributed to the pain, which went from underneath my left eye socket to the left upper portion of my chin. Thankfully, I sneezed and the pain went away . At this time, I could see that we would be landing shortly. We turned right and I could see that we were flying west over the Fort Lauderdale area, particularly the Coral Ridge and Wilton Manors neighborhoods, with a view of FLL in the distance.

-FLL in the distance as we continued to fly over Fort Lauderdale:

We flew over Interstate 95 (depicted below) with the intent to turn around to land further west in Broward County.

After flying over Interstate 95, we continued to fly over the Western suburbs such as Plantation, Sunrise, and Davie. The plane turned again to go east towards FLL near where Interstate 595 ends and meets Interstate 75 northbound towards Fort Myers, Tampa, and points north and southbound to Miami. We flew south of and parallel to I-595, and I recognized the area of Davie where my paternal grandparents used to snowbird south of I-595 as we continued to descend.

I was then able to see the skyline of Fort Lauderdale again, along with a maze of highways, which meant we were getting close to our destination.

Finally, the captain made a slightly bumpy at first but otherwise smooth landing on Runway 9L and we were at FLL!
-Fedex aircraft in the background:

After the crew welcomed us to Fort Lauderdale, I realized that we arrived at 1:28PM, thirty-two minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time (this ties with DL425: JFK-MCO in 2014, which arrived 32 minutes early and is bested only by DL1885 in 2012, which arrived 42 minutes early!). When we received the all clear to use our cellphones, I took my phone out of Airplane Mode and called my mom, who was very happy that I arrived safely and early. As we were taxiing, I saw a Douglas DC-8, which was cool as it is a piece of aviation history.

As we taxied to the gate, we also passed the Embraer hangar.

We then passed Terminal 1, where I saw an Allegiant jet and a bunch of Silver Airways planes:

As we neared our gate at Terminal 2, I saw a DL Boeing 757-200 parked at the gate:

This was followed by a DL Boeing 737-900 at Gate D5:

At about 1:32PM, we parked at Gate D7, with a friendly reminder from the flight attendants to draw our window shades and turn on the air vents so that the plane could be cooled down for its next flight back to JFK. I disembarked the plane as Stephanie and the other two unnamed flight attendants I mentioned earlier bid me farewell and wished me a great day as I exited the 717 via doorway 1L once again. While I was happy to be disembarking in Fort Lauderdale, I just want to add that I enjoyed flying on the Boeing 717-200, as it is a comfortable and well-equipped aircraft for short to medium-haul flights. Delta was smart to acquire this aircraft because as a mainline aircraft that holds 110 passengers, it can be used to carry more passengers with more comfort on routes as short as JFK-BOS, yet work well on longer routes where loads may be thinner at times, like JFK to certain Floridian cities where tourism may not be as high in the Summer. Anyway, it was a bit disorienting to enter FLL, as I had not used it in five years, due to the fact that I used PBI when I went to South Florida in August 2012 and January 2015, as it was less expensive.

e)Arrival:
I exited N968AT via doorway 1L and found the terminal was clean and cheerful, but looked kind of bland and not as nice compared to the more Floridian feeling (in my opinion due to the colors and airy atmosphere) Palm Beach International Airport and the airy, yet bustling Orlando International Airport. The only difference I noticed that due to a change in food service vendor I think, the former Dunkin Donuts was now a Starbucks.

Still, the terminal was perfectly fine and I made my way down the escalator to the Baggage Claim. When I got downstairs, I noticed that I had a voicemail from Matt, my driver at Diamond Coach. He told me that he was near the airport and that I should call him as soon as I had my bag. Downstairs, I waited at Baggage Claim 2, which was kind of small (I think due to this terminal only serving Delta and Air Canada), but served its purpose.



About ten minutes later, the baggage claim started and talk about luck, my bag was the first to come out!

As soon as the suitcase reached my side, I grabbed it off of the belt and called back Matt, my driver from Diamond Coach. He was happy that I had arrived and he then inquired if I had a lot of baggage? The reason he was asking this was because he wanted to meet me by the Departures area, as it was less crowded than the Arrivals area. I told him that this was absolutely fine, as I only had my backpack and my suitcase and knew it would not be as crowded. Matt instructed me to wait at the end of Terminal 2 near the first red Delta sign, so I took the elevator to the departures level and made my way there. When I got outside, it was hot and humid, but I did not mind as it felt good and the air was fresh.
-At the departures area:



While I was there, I also spotted a Delta Boeing 757-200 along with some Silver Airways aircraft on the tarmac:

Less than five minutes after I exited Terminal 2, Matt pulled up in his beige Mercury Grand Marquis. Matt was very jovial and polite as he opened up the rear door for me to enter the commodious rear seat as he loaded my suitcase into the trunk. We then exited the airport to I-595 westbound to reach I-95 northbound towards West Palm Beach.

We exited for Interstate 95 northbound towards West Palm Beach, and with light traffic, we were on our way.
-I-95 northbound:

After getting underway, we passed the time talking about our lives. He told me that he emigrated from Turkey, went to college in Germany, and came to the United States in 1980. When I mentioned that I was from Long Island, he mentioned that he used to live there and in nearby Brooklyn as he used to operate gas stations in Brooklyn and Long Island towns like Great Neck and Massapequa. After working hard, he moved to Deerfield Beach for a slower pace of life and has loved it ever since. He also told me how much he loved the area, as he feels that the beaches are just as good as, if not better than more well-known areas like Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, which are areas he also likes. I told him that I fell in love with Deerfield Beach in addition to other loved areas in my book like Boca Raton, Highland Beach, and Delray Beach as Deerfield Beach has a beautiful beach, many shops and restaurants, and is very walkable, which was excellent for me as I did not rent a car, as most of the major companies at the airport charge high fees for a driver under the age of 25. Before we knew it, we reached Exit 42A: FL-810 (Hillsboro Blvd) eastbound. Finally, we crossed the drawbridge over the Intracoastal, turned right onto FL-A1A southbound, and arrived at the Embassy Suites. I paid Matt, thanked him for an excellent ride, gathered my belongings, and told him that I would request him for my ride back to FLL on Friday. He wished me a great trip and told me that he would see me Friday. Finally in paradise, I entered the Embassy Suites’ grand lobby, with its beige and dark pink tiles with a mosaic in the middle, ready to check-in!

f)DL 2601 Impressions/Ratings:
As usual, my good luck with Delta continues. Stephanie and the other two flight attendants whose names I did not get provided excellent service, as they were enthusiastic, polite, and eager to please. N968AT, the Boeing 717-200 that operated DL2601, was very clean and in excellent shape. In addition, the Comfort+ seat made the flight even better as legroom and width were more than sufficient for this length of flight. The free snacks (including the addition of bananas, apples, and Twix bars in addition to the usual Economy snacks) and beverages were appreciated as always and we arrived early to boot! Overall, Delta is doing an excellent job separating themselves from its main legacy carrier competition as well as low-cost carriers like jetBlue and Southwest. Like their slogan, I hope Delta continues to keep climbing!
**Please note, due to the fact that in-seat IFE was not available on this flight, I have adjusted the other four scoring factors to be out of 25 so that they would add up to 100. Here they are:
Service: 25/25 (FAs were enthusiastic, well mannered, and attentive)
Plane Cleanliness/Condition: 25/25 (Plane condition and cleanliness were perfect)
Snacks: 25/25 (FAs were generous with free snacks and beverages and C+ added other appreciated snacks, like apples, bananas, and Twix bars)
Seat Comfort: 25/25 (More than enough legroom and width)
Grade for flight: 100/100 (A)

*I hope all my fellow Flyertalkers enjoy this Trip Report and I look forward to posting more .

louislitt

Really enjoyed this! Have a great and restful vacation; Can't wait to read the rest

Kind Regards LL

DL17

Super awesome TR. thanks for sharing. Loved the pictures

LPDAL

I love reading FLL reports!

A few more minor changes, the Sky Club has been renovated as well as the ticketing area is brand new with blue moodlighting.

There is also another Starbucks on the baggage claim level of T2.

-LPDAL

WolfieG

Thank you Louis! I have been back in New York for a couple of weeks, but I am still keeping this great and restful vacation alive. I loved your LHR-MIA trip report as it was very detailed and had amazing pictures, which inspired my trip report. I look forward to posting more about my trip and I hope that you are doing well! Thank you again Louis!

WolfieG

Thank you DL17! It is my pleasure and I love writing these TRs and putting in the pictures, as I love giving you the chance to be part of my journeys . Don't worry, I am happy to report that this is not the end and there is more to come .

WolfieG

Thank you LPDAL! I am glad that I had the chance to cover your home airport, which was a very nice experience, even if I like PBI and MCO slightly better. I have never used the Skyclub, but I did notice the renovations in your trip report and it looks like a cozy place to watch the airplanes go by . I think I missed the Starbucks on the baggage claim level or may have not been paying attention, but I guess its proof that FLL runs on Starbucks, not Dunkin (I like both though). As with all of your TRs, I loved the pictures and detail you put into them and in your FLL-DTW-SLC-PDX TR, I loved how the FAs recognized you. Hope you are having a great day and who knows, FLL may just become my future home airport instead of JFK/LGA?

WolfieG

After I entered the lobby of the Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa, I was greeted by Lisa, a lovely lady who was manning the Front Desk when I arrived. There was no wait to check-in and she remembered me from my previous stay in January, so she happily welcomed me back and asked how I was doing? I told her that I was doing well and that I was glad to be able to stay at the Embassy Suites again, as I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there the last time . While Lisa was checking about the status of Room 620, I was curious about upgrading to an Oceanview Room, as I would not have minded that. She informed me that it would be an extra $20/night, so I decided to pass as I would be on the beach anyway and the city view was just fine . She then offered to take my cellphone number, so she could call me when my room was ready and watched my suitcase, promising to have my room ready by 4:00PM (it was now close to 3:00PM). To pass the time, I went outside to enjoy the grounds and called my mom to let her know I arrived at the hotel safe and sound. She was very happy to hear from me and told me that my dogs and guinea pigs missed me, and I told her that I missed them too . Not wanting to hold me up too long, she told me to enjoy myself and call her later. About fifteen minutes after I checked in, Lisa found me outside in the rear courtyard of the lobby and informed me that my room would not be ready for a while and if I would like a similar room just further down the hall on the same floor that was available and ready? She told me that while it was the last room before the elevator bank, the fact that it was a corner room before that area on the end of the hallway (with another room on only one side) before the elevator bank would help make the room not too noisy (she turned out to be right and I slept soundly every night ). I was happy to accept and I embarked the elevator on the north side of the hotel to the sixth floor, excited to get to Room 626 (Disney reference here if you know what I mean ) . After finally entering Room 626, I found the room to be just as nice as the last time, as it was large, well-kept, clean, and luxurious .
-Living Room of Suite:

-Bedroom of Suite:

-Bathroom of Suite off of Living Room:

-Bathroom off of Bedroom:

-Bathroom Shot 2:

After placing my backpack on the sofa and my suitcase in the living room, I called my realtor, who did not pick up as he was probably with a client when I initially called, so I left him a voicemail that I arrived safe and sound in South Florida . I continued to unpack for a few minutes, when I heard my iPhone's ringtone of "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles playing. Unfortunately, since I must have been preoccupied unpacking some belongings in my bedroom, I missed his call and he left me a voicemail, welcoming me back to South Florida and that we would be leaving ten minutes ahead of our planned time of 2:00PM. I called him back to confirm and he was very happy to hear from me, making me excited for the house hunt! With all of my business taken care of, I changed into my bathing suit, applied my sunscreen, and headed downstairs for a well deserved swim. When I arrived at the pool, I found the conditions to be perfect for swimming, as the temperature was hot, the sky was clear, and the pool had plenty of nice people along with a nice view of the beach .


-Aaaah :

I went into the pool at around 3:30PM, and I found it to be refreshing, cool, and a wonderful place to swim. I spent the next one and a half hours doing about 30 laps and floating in the refreshing blue water. I also had the pleasure of meeting many different people, like a young lady studying at Columbia University to become a dentist visiting with her niece and nephew, Chulie, a fairly new Kenyan employee (learned from chatting with him and his nametag, which said Nairobi, Kenya) who manned the pool and was very eager to please and and a Brazilian family. At about 5:00PM, I dried off and headed to my room to take a shower, with the intent to have a delicious dinner at Mississippi Sweets BBQ (one of my favorite restaurants in Florida) in Deerfield Beach on FL-A1A just south of the s-curve as well as a walk to Hillsboro Beach, so I could become reacquainted with the town, as it could be a possible place where my mother and I could end up in the not-so-distant future. After getting ready, I took the elevator down to the First Floor, where I thought about getting a drink at the Evening Reception, since it was about 5:30PM. Unfortunately, the line was long and I did not want to waste time, so I exited the back-gate leading to the access road at the back of the hotel, first stopping to admire the crystal clear water, white sand, pleasant ocean breeze, and salty air before I continued with my walk.

-Looking south towards Hillsboro Beach:

-Looking north towards the rest of Deerfield Beach:

-Looking back at the Embassy Suites:

After taking in the beauty of viewing the beach, I made my way around the south side of the hotel to get to FL-A1A. At that point, I was at the exact point of the southern city limits of Deerfield Beach and the northern city limits of Hillsboro Beach.
-Deerfield Beach:

-Hillsboro Beach:

I walked along the southbound side of FL-A1A and crossed into Hillsboro Beach, where I first passed Port de Mer, a development of four towers (two on the Intercoastal, two on the beach) that were built in the mid-1970s. While they looked nice on the outside and pictures of units I saw here online looked nice, will the positive first impression hold up in person tomorrow? Stay tuned!



I then passed another building known as Mediterranea, what appeared to be a nice looking low-rise condo.



As I walked down FL-A1A, which is known as Hillsboro Mile from the southern city limits of Deerfield Beach/northern city limits of Hillsboro Beach to the southern city limits of Hillsboro Beach/northern city limits of Pompano Beach, I realized why I loved it as much as I did the last time. I loved it as while the town itself is quiet, as there is not really any businesses in the town proper aside from a couple of small hotels due to ordinances, it is less than five minutes from all of the action in nearby Deerfield Beach as well as all of the necessary creature comforts, like Publix and Starbucks. It reminded a lot of Highland Beach, the town where my maternal grandparents were once snowbirds from 1981-2008 (and I have visited since I was six months old many times, making South Florida like a second home to me), before my maternal grandmother’s Alzheimer’s got worse and they relocated to Northern New Jersey to be closer to my Uncle. Hillsboro Beach reminded me of Highland Beach (located south of Delray Beach and north of Boca Raton), as both towns are fairly exclusive, with upscale high-rises and some mansions dotting the landscape in both towns. In addition, both towns are mainly residential due to strict ordinances, save for I think two small hotels in Hillsboro Beach and one hotel in Highland Beach known as the Delray Sands (formerly the Holiday Inn). While Hillsboro Beach can be pricey, the fact that it is lesser known (compared to Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale for example) means that deals can sometimes be found, as me, my mother, and the realtor found condos within our budget. And hey, like most of Florida, housing prices and taxes are far, far less than New York (especially Long Island!). Here is a nice shot looking down Hillsboro Mile (FL-A1A):

I saw another low-rise on the ocean side of Hillsboro Mile known as Ocean Vista:

I was also able to get a glimpse of the beautiful private beach:

On the right, I saw the nice looking City Hall on the Intracoastal side:


A little further down the street, I saw a new low-rise under construction. I found out online that the least expensive unit starts at about $500,000, but units can go for as high as $1,000,000. Also, they are supposed to be opening in late 2015 according to a nearby sign:

On the right I passed some townhomes known as Hillsboro Beach & Yacht Villas. While I was walking, I met an amicable gentleman with two Puggles and we talked about Hillsboro Beach. He mentioned how he loved the town as he loved the beautiful beach and the quietness of the town, which were reasons that helped him decide to stay for around twenty years. :



After that, I saw what appeared to be either a low-rise condo or rentals, which appeared to date back to the 1960s/1970s. If you look closely, you will also notice a circa-1980s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible, which is a beautiful car (my mom has a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC, which was a gift from our Great Uncle and is a similar car).

Finally, I reached the end of my walk at Overlook Condominium, which was another place on the ocean that I would be looking at the next day of my trip, as me and mom really liked what we saw online, as the unit was large and well appointed. The outside of the condo looked gorgeous and its eighties style evoked memories of my maternal grandparent’s old condo in Highland Beach. While I was admiring Overlook, I said hello to Linda, a sweet lady formerly from Northern New Jersey. I told her how much I loved the town and she agreed too. Since she was a resident of Overlook, I asked her if it was alright if I could ask her for a slight insider perspective, as I wanted to get a better idea of the condo. Linda was happy to oblige and told me that she loved Overlook as the condos were large and well-appointed, they allowed pets, the amenities were terrific, they give you two parking spaces, and a lot of the staff, like the guards and manager, have worked there as long as twenty years. When I asked her about cons, she said she could not think of any. All of these things gave me an even better impression of Overlook and I was thankful for Linda’s input and she told me that she hopes we will be neighbors in the future. Will Overlook make as good of an impression in person as it did online? The next day will reveal the results of my search.

After an invigorating walk to Hillsboro Beach, I turned around and walked back to Deerfield Beach. The walk back was pleasurable too, even though it was hot and a little humid. Soon enough, I was back in Deerfield Beach.

About thirty minutes after I left Overlook, I arrived at Mississippi Sweets BBQ, which is one of my favorite restaurants, as the food is delicious, the service is excellent, the restaurant is very clean and inviting, and the prices are inexpensive.

When I entered, the restaurant was busy, but not too crowded and Jane, a waitress who remembered me from my previous visits, immediately and warmly welcomed me. She invited me to sit anywhere I wanted to, but she had something special to show me. After I wrote a glowing Yelp review (and deservedly so) of the Deerfield Beach location of Mississippi Sweets BBQ along with a few pictures of my experience, Linda, the absolutely lovely owner framed my review, as she loved it so much!

I was star struck and while I may not be a regular due to the fact that I currently do not live in the area, I am happy to go here (be it their Deerfield or Boca locations) whenever I can and I know that when I move down here, I will definitely be a regular! Do you know how Billy Joel sings about his Italian restaurant in his song “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”? Well, I had that same exact feeling and Mississippi Sweets is my American BBQ restaurant! When I sat down, Jane took my order for a Sweet Tea and a BBQed Paddlewheel, which consists of two grilled chicken breasts Blackened, BBQ, or Plain with two sides, for which I chose Tractor Treads (Waffle Fries) and Mississippi Sweets (deep fried freshly sliced sweet potatoes). While I was waiting, Jonathan, the new manager of this location, introduced himself and told me that he was honored to meet me, as he had heard a lot about me but never had the pleasure of meeting me (until now). While I miss Dan (the former Manager), he moved on to a different position. Jonathan did a perfect job filling Dan’s shoes as he was enthusiastic, personable, and had a keen eye for detail, which made him excellent for the position. We chatted for a bit about our lives and I learned that he was from the Atlantic City, NJ area, but moved to Boca for a change of pace and found out about the job from his brother, who is a cook at Mississippi Sweets. In addition, I met a wonderful family from nearby Parkland, about fifteen minutes west of Deerfield and originally from Huntington, NY, who were sitting nearby and we talked about Long Island, how much we loved Florida, and how much we loved Mississippi Sweets. About fifteen minutes later, Jane arrived with my Paddlewheel, which proved to be delicious as always. I enjoyed the juicy and tender chicken breast, which was slathered in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce along with crisp and salty, on the outside, fluffy on the inside Tractor Treads as well as deft, salty, crisp, and sweet Mississippi Sweets.

Since the portion was large enough for two meals as always, I decided to take the rest back to my room for lunch the next day. Before I left, I paid the bill, which was $15 in change before tip, which was extremely reasonable in my book as the portion was enough for two meals and the quality was high! Jane gave me a to-go cup for my Sweet Tea and I thanked her and Jonathan for a wonderful meal! Stuffed from my delicious dinner, I walked a block to Hillsboro Blvd (FL-810), so I could go to the Publix in Hillsboro Square about five minutes west, as I needed to pick up a few provisions for my room. It was about 7:30PM, so the sky was getting darker, but it was still balmy out with a slight breeze. I reached the drawbridge and looked across, where I saw the rest of Deerfield Beach along the Intracoastal looking south:

As I looked to the north, I was able to see the Boca Raton Resort, which is a tall pink tower in the distance.



And looking east, towards the beach area:

A short time later, I arrived at Publix, which made me happy as Publix happens to be my favorite conventional supermarket chain due to their impeccable cleanliness and inviting atmosphere, excellent service, high quality products, and reasonable prices.

In my book, Publix puts most of the supermarket chains where I am from to shame as they do well in most aspects, while chains in my neck of the woods may be OK or good in certain areas, but not as good in others. I noticed that this Publix was renovated to their newer style of store, which looked fantastic, as it was colorful, had a pleasantly upscale look, and it was brightly lit.

There was nothing wrong with the older style, which was very nice too, but I guess they have to keep up with the times. While I was strolling through the Produce section, my mom called, which was perfect, as she had asked me to pick up a couple of things, such as high quality Natural Delights Medjool dates, which seem to only be available in Publix and if possible, a gift for the dogs. As I picked up a couple of bags of Fresh Express Shreds Shredded Lettuce as well as two sixteen ounce packages of strawberries that were on sale for a reasonable $6, I found the Medjool dates thanks to the help of Fredine, a very sweet female associate who walked me to the nut/dried fruit area and to my delight, they were $2 less a pound than I would pay at home.
-Here’s the picture I texted to my mom to make sure it was the right product. Indeed it was:

I then went to the Deli counter to get ½ a pound of Boar’s Head Three Pepper Colby Jack Cheese, where Craig, who was friendly, polite, and efficient, assisted me. Along with a sample slice of cheese that he gave me, I was on my way and continued shopping, picking up a case of Diet A&W Root Beer for $3 (it was on sale 4/$12) and a couple of nice looking Publix insulated reusable bags. As I continued to troll the store, getting lost in the supermarket like the 1970s-1980s punk rock band The Clash, I went to the pet aisle, where I found a couple of high quality and reasonably priced Publix brand leashes. Mom liked the way they looked and I liked the quality, so I added them to my cart.

Finally, my shopping trip was complete and with a minimal wait, I was able to check out. My cashier Jojo and her bagger Masanji (I think that was the spelling) were very friendly, efficient, and made me feel welcome. As they took care of my purchases, they asked me where I was from and I told them I was from the New York area, where there is no Publix ☹. I told them that while I loved Florida, I added that they would love New York City, as it is a dynamic city with a lot to do. After our conversation, we wished each other a good night and I was very happy, because like all of my experiences with Publix, true to their slogan, shopping was a pleasure! I left Hillsboro Plaza by turning right onto Hillsboro Boulevard (FL-810) east to FL-A1A, where I would stop at the corner and call BeachRidesUSA (http://beachridesusa.com), a business that offers free rides (except a tip at your discretion) around the Deerfield Beach area via electric carts plastered with advertising from various local businesses in the area. Leslie, the driver of this cart, answered my call. She promised to be at the corner of Hillsboro and FL-A1A within five minutes and true to her word, she arrived. Leslie was outgoing and friendly and invited me to take a seat on the cart. When I got on, I thanked her and remarked on what an amazing concept this was, as it is a convenient alternative to walking when your feet are tired or if you don’t feel like driving and looking for parking. I remarked that while smaller, it is sort of like Uber, as it is a somewhat on demand service that is an alternative to traditional modes of transportation, like buses and taxis. It was at this time I met Avi and Julian, two best friends who were visiting from Washington, D.C. and were studying at Washington University in St. Louis. They were very outgoing and happy to meet me. We were all going to the Embassy Suites, so we got off there and were very thankful for Leslie’s excellent service! It was 9:30PM and while I had planned to go up to my room, Avi and Julian invited me to join them at BT’s Oceanfront Restaurant, the hotel’s restaurant where we would have drinks. We were greeted by Ron, a veteran bartender who was jovial, easygoing, and funny, as he was happy to be serving us and shared stories of his life and living in Florida. Since I did not want to imbibe, I just ordered a root beer while Avi and Julian ordered beers (I think Sam Adam’s if memory serves me correctly). We had a grand time drinking and then went outside to sit by the pool, where there were still plenty of people outside and chatted about our lives for about half an hour. Unfortunately, Avi and Julian had to head upstairs, as they were leaving for Washington, D.C. the next morning, but we made sure to add each other on Facebook and took this nice, but difficult to see selfie before we all went upstairs.
-From left to right: Avi, Julian, myself:

After we went our separate ways and happy after a wonderful first day in Deerfield Beach, I went upstairs to my room, where I got ready for bed and then called my mom. I told her about how I had a wonderful day and she was very happy. Since she knows that I enjoy watching the reality show My 600 Lb Life on TLC, she told me that I should watch a special on Dominique Lanoise, a 689 pound Haitian woman from Miami who tried to lose weight and ultimately received gastric bypass surgery, but failed to follow the doctor’s orders afterwards, which resulted in her untimely death in 2012 . It was interesting special and while the ending was sad, unlike a lot of the My 600 Lb Life episodes, it was a good nightcap for my evening and finally tired, I went to sleep at 11:00PM, excited for the day ahead!

connorc

Nice TR so far. My grandparents live on the Intercostal in Pompano so I've been around this area a decent amount.

By the way, you saw a DC-8 not a 707. Here's some info on the plane: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstron...-050-DFRC.html

WolfieG

Thank you connorc! Sorry I have not posted in a couple of days, but I have been a bit busy with classes. I should have more posted by later tonight. That is very cool Pompano Beach is a nice area! I am betting you get around a lot when you are down there. Where do you like to go? Oops my bad I am afraid you are right, that is a DC-8 indeed and I will edit that to reflect the change. Thank you very much for reading and stay tuned, as I will be posting more soon!

WolfieG

Feeling ready to awaken, I woke up at 5:30AM. I was excited for the day ahead as it was going to be another beautiful day weather-wise, making it perfect for beach and pool time. In addition, today was also the day that I would be house hunting, so that only added to the excitement. After awakening, I plugged in my phone for a charge and got ready. At about 6:00AM, I called my mother to let her know that all was well and after talking, she wished me a wonderful day and the best of luck in house hunting! At 7:00AM, I headed downstairs to BT’s Oceanfront Restaurant, where the complimentary breakfast is served.





As I walked into the very clean and inviting dining room, I was greeted by Danielle, who was the Manager and recognized me by voice, as I spoke to her the Friday before I arrived as I wanted to make a special request for Turkey Bacon and/or Turkey Sausage for the days I have breakfast, since I do not eat pork. She was very welcoming and on top of it, as she got me a fresh and generously sized plate of Turkey Bacon and Turkey Sausage. After that, I went to the buffet, where I got Breakfast Potatoes, Grits, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Coffee, and Orange Juice. Since there was also outside seating available at BT’s, I decided to sit at a table on the patio, which had an ocean view facing to the east and a pool view to the south.



-About to enjoy breakfast:

I then tucked into my breakfast, which was delicious as always! I found the Turkey Bacon to be crisp and salty, the sausage was salty and a pleasant snap when it was bitten into, the Breakfast Potatoes crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and well seasoned, the grits were well cooked, the coffee was well balanced, and the orange juice was sweet, tart, and refreshing.

While I was eating, Jill, an absolutely delightful waitress with medium-length blonde hair, glasses, and of average height came by to check on me. We chatted for a bit about our lives and she instantly impressed me, as she was bubbly, attentive to her work, making sure all the tables were attended to in a timely manner, and made every customer feel welcome by getting to know them. While I was outside, I noticed that a black and white female cat liked to always visit the outside of the restaurant (don’t worry, she was not allowed inside and I have even seen cats visit the outdoor seating areas of restaurants, like the one time when I was younger and ate with my parents at Smith and Wollensky’s in Miami Beach). At first, I thought she was there for the purpose of pest control, as maybe she kept the birds who liked to fly in at bay, but Jill told me that she is a likely a stray who always liked to come there. I then joked with Jill that if they did need pest control, my Affenpinschers Gwendolyn and Arabella would be perfect for the job, as they love to chase birds (or would they be distracted and search for table scraps from hotel guests?). Jill loved the joke and said she would be happy to pay them in dog biscuits . Nonetheless, she was a sweet cat and everyday I went to breakfast, I always found her enjoying the outside and staying by tables. I for one did not mind having her sit near my table, even though I am more of a dog person.
-Here’s the cat:



Soon enough, I was finished with my breakfast, so I went upstairs to put on my bathing suit and sunscreen, ready to head to the beach. It was now 8:00AM and when I got to the beach, I found it to be beautiful as always, as the sand was smooth and white and the water was refreshing, not too choppy, and clear. While I was there, I also noticed that they widened the beach, which used to be narrow and removed the jetties that separated Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach, which added to the widening of the beach.
-Looking south towards Hillsboro Beach, 8/18/2015:

-And the same shot taken in January 2015:

-Looking north towards the rest of Deerfield Beach:

-Aaaah!:



After spending time at the beach, I then went back to the pool, which was refreshing and cool. As I was doing my laps, I met a group of three longtime friends who were visiting from the New York City area and were middle age. The group included Helene, a Nutritionist from Long Island, Ellie, a businessman from Central New Jersey, and Karen, a Board of Education worker from Brooklyn. They all knew each other for a long time as they grew up in the same neighborhood of Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn. I found this to be funny as this is where my dad currently lives (they even knew his building), but they did not know my dad, as he grew up in nearby Sheepshead Bay and went to a different high school. We had the pleasure of talking to each other about various topics as we went swimming, including our opinion of the hotel. We all agreed that the hotel was excellent, as we felt the employees bent over backwards to make sure the guests were happy, the amenities were excellent, and the rooms were large and inviting. I enjoyed the pool until about 11:30AM, as I had to take a shower and eat lunch before I met our realtor in the afternoon. After that, I ate my delicious lunch outside by the pool, which consisted of a grilled chicken salad I made with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and leftover grilled chicken from Mississippi Sweets BBQ along with a Diet A&W and Strawberries. However, a quick rain shower interrupted the sun, so I took shelter inside the hotel for a little bit. It was all good, as Florida showers in the Summer tend to be quick and over fairly quickly, as was the case in this situation, as it ended 45 minutes later. With about an hour to spare until my realtor was coming, I walked along the beachside promenade.



Since I had about ten minutes until my meeting with the realtor, I went back to the hotel and waited on a comfortable chair outside the entrance to the lobby. I then recognized his car, which was a 2004 Lexus RX330 and knew he had arrived. We were very happy to see each other again and we were soon to be on our way. Unfortunately, there was a snag as it seemed like the Valet Attendant or a couple of cars were holding things up, as there were two cars waiting and there was only one employee at that moment. To our chagrin, we both had to wait about five minutes until another employee came to help. Thankfully, this snag ended and we were on our way to our first listing in Hillsboro Beach. I first met our realtor when my grandparents were living in Highland Beach, as he was there longtime neighbor and ended up becoming a family friend, as he is a delightful person to be with as he is warm, gentlemanly, intelligent, and has a pleasant sense of humor. Not only that, he has proven to be an excellent realtor as he has worked for Coldwell Banker for quite a while and is knowledgeable, hardworking, honest, and patient. As we made the five minute drive south down FL-A1A to Overlook Condominium, which excited me as I really liked that unit from what I saw online as well as what I learned from Linda, the resident of this particular condo I met on my walk in Hillsboro Beach the day before, we chatted about various topics like Florida life, New York life (he used to be a Long Islander), politics, and music. I agreed to text pictures and commentary of the listings for later, so mom could see them. For privacy reasons, I will not be talking anything about price, as I do not wish to reveal that information. We finally arrived at Overlook and I got a good first impression, as I found the exterior and the condo’s lobby to be inviting, with a couple of couches and white marble floors.
-I know it’s from the previous day, but here’s Overlook once again:

We took the elevator, which had a neat information screen almost like that in a fancy hotel, upstairs to the fourth floor, where we went to Unit 405, with 2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms and 1,715 square feet of space, and which was the same unit we saw online. Walking in, I liked the hallway leading from the entrance to the Kitchen/Dining Room/Living Room, as it added a nice sense of privacy. In addition, the light hardwood floors were beautiful too and reminded me of what we have in our current home. The kitchen was very nice too, as it was large, up to date, and had quality materials like granite countertops and dark cabinets, a light backsplash, and save for the white refrigerator, new stainless steel appliances. I also loved the pass-through the kitchen had to the Dining Room/Living Room, as it brought in plenty of natural light. The Living Room and Dining Room were also very nice, as they were large and had plenty of natural light coming in from the outside, where a large terrace off of the Living Room and Master Bedroom greeted me with killer ocean views! The Master Bedroom and the second bedroom were both large and well appointed, including commodious closets. While the Master Bathroom had a large Jacuzzi tub, a vanity with two sinks, and a stand up shower, it was stuck in the Reagan area though very well maintained. I will admit, while this bathroom was dated, I had a soft spot for it, as I don’t mind 80’s styles sometimes. The powder room and the second bedroom’s bathroom, with a stand-up shower only, were also dated, though well maintained. The price was slightly over budget, but my realtor said that there was room to negotiate, which would put the condo in reach. Overall, this unit was both my and my mother’s favorite as it delivered on space, luxury, and easy living! We also saw a unit on the second floor of this building, which was less expensive, but it had a more awkward layout (the second bedroom was off of the kitchen) and had poor views, as it only had a view of FL-A1A and the Intracoastal. We saw the rest of the building’s amenities and I loved the building’s well maintained and nicely sized beachside pool and of course, the beach access!


-Pool:

-The piece de resistance:

After leaving Overlook, our realtor took us to our next listing, and while this condo was not our favorite, I loved our realtor’s out of the box thinking on this unit. We arrived a little further south down FL-A1A at Landmark, a condo that was built in the 1960s and started out life as a rental building, but became a condo in the 1980s. The unit we were looking at was a 2-bedroom/2-bathroom, but it was a much smaller unit at about 1,150 square feet. The listing price was slightly below our budget, but as you read on, you will find out that it came with compromises for us.

While the exterior was not quite as nice as Overlook, it still looked very good and well maintained considering it was built 1960s. When I entered the lobby with our realtor, I was pleasantly surprised, as it was nicer than I imagined, with white marble floors and plenty of windows. My realtor signed in with the guard, who called Marie, the owner of the unit who was also the listing agent. Marie came down to meet us and we both enjoyed being with her, as she was a very warm person. While she was happy to answer questions and give us her perspective and facts on Landmark, she never was pushy. After taking the elevator one floor up from the lobby, we arrived at her unit. When I entered, I was surprised at how dated the unit was, as it was stuck in the 1960s/1970s, with old carpeting, a rabbit-ears television in the kitchen, old appliances, and old bathroom fixtures in the two bathrooms. While the unit had small dimensions that would not have worked for both of us in the long run (mainly mom), the ceilings were a decent height, so it was not that terrible and the unit would work for some people. Despite the unit’s age, it was well maintained, even though Marie admitted that she did not post photos of the unit online, as she knew that its extremely dated condition would turn away potential buyers. After inspecting the unit and taking many pictures, Marie showed us the amenities, which were surprising considering that this building was not a luxury building and is not high in price compared to some other buildings. The party room looked up-to-date as it was recently renovated, the fitness center, while small, was well maintained, the pool was large and inviting, and of course, the condo was right on the beach. Another great thing was that this building was very pet friendly, as they allowed two pets .
-Easy beach access from Landmark’s pool area:

With our look at Landmark, we made our way back up Hillsboro Mile to Port de Mer, our last condo for this search. While I thought the unit was dated and too small for our needs, which would mean that Landmark would not work for us, it had its virtues. For the price, there were many high quality amenities like a pool, fitness center, party room, and a dock across the street for boaters. Also, while small, the units were laid out well and if size were not as much of an issue, this unit had a lot of potential as with a renovation, this could be a very nice unit! We arrived at Port de Mer, a complex of four mid-rise towers on both the ocean and Intracoastal sides of FL-A1A. We were to visit the only available unit, which was a rare 2-bedroom/1-bathroom unit on the first floor in one of the two Intracoastal towers (the only one of this type, as the others are 2/2’s) with 1,150 square feet of space and in our price range. While it was lacking a bathroom, I was OK with looking at the unit, as it would still give me an idea of what a typical unit is like in reality.

Outside, the listing agent, who was a young man of average height with short hair, a short-sleeved button down shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. While the listing agent seemed nice enough, my first impression was that compared to my realtor, he was not dressed professionally, as despite the 90-degree heat, my realtor was wearing a blue long-sleeved button down shirt with his nametag, pants, and closed-toe shoes. We entered the building and learned from the listing agent that for security, the building uses electronic key-fobs near entrances in order to get in. This raised concern for both my realtor and I, as we felt that without a guard, which the building did not have, my mother’s security would be inadequate. The lobby was fine, but not as grand as Overlook or Landmark and the hallways were kind of dimly lit, with low ceilings. Upon entrance to the unit, I found it to be not as well laid out as Overlook or Landmark, as there was no small foyer or hallway, meaning you entered right into the Living Room/Dining Room. While the unit was not in terrible shape, the kitchen was redone but with cheap-looking materials, the small bedrooms were both dark with old carpeting, and the sole bathroom, with a stall shower, one sink, and a toilet, was dated as well. In addition, the location of the unit was not great as while it was an end unit, there was a lack of privacy in a sense as it was adjacent to the pool on the Intracoastal side, even though the Intracoastal view was not bad. In addition to the small size, the ceilings were also low, making it feel claustrophobic, which were all facts that I took into account as my realtor let me look at my leisure while he talked to the listing agent. As we were looking, we both later agreed in our post house-hunt discussion that the listing agent was not good at his job, as he kept trying to sell the listing by talking about it nonstop, basically not giving us a chance to really put in our input. As mentioned earlier, he was also dressed unprofessionally, which undermined his credibility as well in our books. We checked out the pools and the beach access after we saw the unit, and both of these things were fine. However, after seeing Port de Mer, I realized that this condo would not be for us, as the unit was too small and claustrophobic, the condo felt institutional compared to Landmark and Overlook, and we did not like the security situation of not having a guard. With our search for this trip now complete, my realtor and me wished each other well and said our goodbyes, as we agreed to contact each other later with my mother’s feedback of the listings. Unlike in January, my realtor did not have to drive me back to my hotel, as Port de Mer was next door, so I walked across FL-A1A and back to the Embassy Suites, where I called my mom to discuss the listings. Mom was happy to hear from me and was very interested in how the house hunt went. I told her that I looked Overlook by far the best, Landmark would not work but was a nice out of the box thought, and Port de Mer proved that pictures online can be deceiving. At the same time, I texted the photos of all of the listings and she took her time looking at them as we spoke. While mom balked at the higher price and Reagan-era bathrooms of my favorite unit overall, which was Overlook 405, she loved the wood floors, kitchen, bedroom sizes, views, and luxury of this unit, making it her favorite as well. She liked unit 208 In Overlook, but the lousy views would be a deal breaker. Mom also loved our realtor’s out of the box thinking on Landmark, but felt that the amount of work and small size would not work for us. Finally, we both agreed that Port de Mer was not good at all, as the unit was too small and dumpy. After about 1.5 hours of discussion, mom thanked me for all of the information and told me to enjoy myself, as it was getting close to 5:00PM and dinner was getting close. While my favorite unit that I saw in Overlook is now pending, we are not crestfallen as we are still not ready and we are still watching the building, as it has become one of our favorites. I got off of the phone with her and then walked north along the Deerfield Beach promenade to Hillsboro Blvd (FL-810), as I wanted to catch the Broward County Transit (BCT) 48 bus to Federal Highway (US-1), where I would transfer to the BCT10 bus towards Boca, as I wanted to go to Ichiyami, an excellent sushi buffet located in Mizner Park that I discovered on my last trip.
-Deerfield Beach south of Hillsboro Blvd (FL-810):

While I was waiting for the bus, I called our realtor, who was happy to hear from me again! We discussed our findings and he also felt that Overlook would be the best fit for us, as it delivers on the size, luxury, and location. He understood that Landmark wouldn’t work despite its low price, as we both agreed the size would not work. Finally, we both agreed that Port de Mer was not good for us, as the condo was not that nice, too small, and that the listing agent was unprofessional. He agreed to keep looking at Overlook and comparable condos and thanked me for my time and that he was able to help me. After we got off the phone, I reflected on this search and I felt that compared to my search in January, it was better as we found something that appealed to us and we are getting closer to having a better idea of what we want and don’t want. After I got off of the phone, the BCT48 bus towards US-441 arrived on time and about a couple of minutes later, I arrived at the corner of Hillsboro Blvd (FL-810) and Federal Highway (US-1). The BCT10 bus towards Boca showed up about ten minutes later and I arrived at the corner of Palmetto Park Rd (FL-798) and S.E. Mizner Blvd, right in Boca’s Mizner Park. While not perfect, I thought that the Broward County buses were a lot better than the buses in Nassau County, as they were on time, the drivers drove and treated the passengers well, and the buses were in good shape. Also, service was fairly frequent for the area. I walked to Ichiyami, but not without admiring Mizner Park with its beautiful brick streets, tall buildings, and palm tree lined streets. A short walk later, I arrived at Ichiyami, with the old feedbag strapped and ready for action!

A friendly and well-dressed young male host, who was happy to lead me to a plush booth in towards the rear restaurant, greeted me. I remarked that the restaurant was as immaculate as I remembered and he thanked me, replying that they pride themselves on keeping things clean. While the restaurant was close to full, I did not have to wait. When I arrived at my booth, Ashley, who was jovial, efficient, and eager to please, greeted me. She took my beverage order for Iced Green Tea and invited me to head to the buffet whenever I was ready.
-Hot Food:

-Sushi:



I first started off with very fresh salmon that was buttery and melted in my mouth, soft, moist, and meaty tuna, Red Snapper with a clean and mild flavor, a piece of Octopus that was not too, a ramekin of Spicy Tuna Salad with soft tuna, spicy Siracha sauce, and a tart citrus sauce, and lightly seared Sesame Tuna with a sweet and salty soy sauce and nutty sesame seeds encrusting it:

Once again, Ichiyami did not fail me. While this sushi would fall short of the best sit-down sushi restaurants, it is easily some of the best buffet sushi I have had and it would put not as good sit-down sushi restaurants to shame. I got another plate of salmon, tuna, octopus, Spicy Tuna Salad, and seared tuna along with a California roll that also had salmon and tuna, Ikura, with salty salmon roe that popped in your mouth, and spicy and smooth Spicy Tuna Rolls.

-In sushi heaven! :

Since I was beginning to get full from a lot of sushi, I had a small plate of hot food. The hot section of the buffet was a mix of Chinese dishes and Japanese dishes. I found that the Chicken Teriyaki had tender and moist chicken and well cooked broccoli, the Sautéed Mushrooms were meaty and pleasantly salty, and the Chicken Teriyaki was tender and had a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce. I found all of these dishes to be not overly greasy, unlike some other Chinese food, which was very good!

After taking a bit of a breather, I then decided to get some Hibachi Chicken from the Hibachi Station. I chose various vegetables and a spicy teriyaki sauce to accompany my chicken and the friendly and hard working chef did an excellent job preparing my dish.

When I got back to my table, I thought that the chicken was juicy and tender, the vegetables were well cooked, and the spicy teriyaki sauce was sweet, salty, and had a pleasant bite.

Finally, I capped off my meal with a sweet and tart orange slice, a couple of cubes of refreshing honeydew, and slices of sweet and pleasantly acidic pineapple.

Finally in a food coma, I paid my bill, which was $24 in change with tax and tip, which was excellent considering that the food was high quality and all you care to eat in a clean and inviting atmosphere with excellent service. After this excellent meal, I decided to take a little bit of walk in Mizner Park, which was just as beautiful at night.

Since it was close to 8:30PM and the frequency of bus service decreases a bit at this time, I decided to use an Uber for the first time to get back to my hotel, as I had a promo code for a free ride and I heard many good things about them. I found the application to be very convenient and about five minutes later, Jeff, my driver showed up in his brand new and very clean 2015 GMC Terrain small SUV. He was eager to please and was happy to talk about Uber with me, telling me about their business model. I told him that while I still like to use car services in certain situations (i.e. for airport trips when needed), I added that Uber is a much better alternative to a taxi, as it promotes competition and is good for where taxis may not be as available. Along the way, I got a picture of Royal Palm Plaza in Mizner Park:

About ten minutes later, I thanked Jeff for an excellent ride and agreed to give him five stars. He also rated me five stars and while the ride would have been a reasonable $6 in change, it ended up being free. I am glad I had the chance to use Uber and I would definitely use it again, as it is a good alternative to traditional methods of transportation. As I headed back to my room, I noticed that the pool was still crowded on this balmy night and I was tempted to go for a swim, but since I was very tired and food drunk, I decided to pass.

After I arrived upstairs, I got ready for bed and called my mom. I told her of my wonderful dinner, my time in Mizner Park, and my adventures using Uber for the first time. Mom was very happy as she felt that I had a fun, yet productive day. With my head growing heavy and my eyes growing dim, I went to sleep, excited for yet another beautiful day in the morning!

WolfieG

Happy Labor Day! Sorry I have been slacking on my trip report as life has been busy for me. Don't worry, I promise that I will keep working on it so the FlyerTalk community has a chance to enjoy it. Anyway, the previous day, I had a relaxing morning but a busy afternoon house hunting, so I had a long and restful sleep that night. Because of this, I ended up not waking up until 7:00AM. When I awakened, I got ready in the usual way, called my mom, and then headed downstairs for breakfast. After another satisfying breakfast, I headed to the pool, where I would spend most of the day, as the ocean looked a bit too choppy that morning. I planned to swim for most of the day until about 5:00PM, with a break in the middle for lunch. I went into the pool at around 9:30AM and met Helene, Ellie, and Karen, my fellow hotel guests who I met the previous day. We went swimming and chatted for a bit. At around noon, I began to feel a bit hungry, so I decided to head upstairs briefly, where I made myself a grilled cheese with the Boar’s Head Three Pepper Colby Jack Cheese and my Food For Life Gluten Free Bread along with strawberries and a Diet A&W to drink. My lunch was delicious, but I also wanted to treat myself to a frozen drink by the pool. While I was relaxing, I had the pleasure of seeing Agadirth again, a very jolly lady who worked the pool area, making sure that everything was well taken care of and that guests were satisfied. Whenever Agadirth was working, she would always greet guests jovially and was always checking on them, asking them if they needed anything with a smile as bright as the Florida sun . She asked me if I wanted anything to drink and I asked her what she recommended? She told me that she liked the Banana Daquiri and since I happen to like bananas, that was what I decided to order. This turned out to be an excellent decision, as I found the Banana Daquiri to be light, fruity, icy, and refreshing on this hot day! I continued to go swimming and at around 5:00PM, I got out of the pool, dried off, and headed upstairs to take a shower. At about 5:30PM, I was ready and walked along the beachfront promenade, as I wanted to go to the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier to take in the stunning vistas before I had dinner
-Deerfield Beach Promenade:

-Looking towards the ocean:





I finally arrived at the pier and purchased a wristband for $1, which granted me access to the pier for the entire day just like when I previously visited in January. I could not wait to take in the ocean vistas.
-Entering the pier:

-Looking south:

-Looking north towards the rest of Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton:

-Looking south again:

-Looking north towards the rest of Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton again:

-Looking south:

-Looking north:



-Almost at the end of the pier:

-Looking east towards Deerfield Beach:



-Looking south towards Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach:

-Looking north towards Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton:

-Aaaaaahhhh! ☺:

-Pelican ready for its close-up:





After enjoying the pier in the daylight, I planned to come back at sunset and went to the Beachcomber souvenir shop, where I met Anna, a cheerful shopkeeper from Greece and Bethpage, NY, now living in Boca Raton. She let me browse at my leisure and we chatted about Long Island. I ended up purchasing a light blue shirt with the Interstate 95 shield in the center and Boca Raton, Florida written across for $10 in change. I then headed for dinner at Mississippi Sweets BBQ. Kaila, a waitress who worked there on my previous visit, was very happy to see me again and greeted me as if I were an old friend. Before I even ordered, she wanted to know if I saw the display of my Yelp review on the wall, and I told her I did and could not have been happier, which made her happy too. Since I wanted something a little lighter than my usual Paddlewheel of two grilled chicken breasts and two sides, I decided on a Biloxi Bleu Salad with chicken and no bacon, which contains mixed greens, crumbled bleu cheese, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, and a vinaigrette along with a Sweet Tea to drink. While I forgot to take a picture of the salad, it was delicious and a generous entrée salad, with tender and juicy grilled chicken, crisp mixed greens, ripe and sweet tomatoes, plump and pleasantly salty sun-dried tomatoes, crumbly and sharp bleu cheese, cool cucumbers, and a tangy vinaigrette. This salad hit the spot and after thanking Kaila for a wonderful meal and after giving me a to-go cup of Sweet Tea, I visited Island Water Sports, a surf shop, as the sun had yet to set and I had never been inside before.

The shop had a very beachy vibe with its wooden walls and many surfboards along the walls and they also sold attire and some backpacks.




After looking around in Island Water Sports, I headed back towards the beach until sunset.
-Looking east/north around “the bend”, where FL-A1A curves slightly through Deerfield Beach:

I relaxed on a bench near the ocean and took in the salty air on this beautiful and balmy evening, as the sun was about to set.

I reentered the pier and was ready to take in the scenery at night.
-Looking south towards Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach:

-Looking north towards Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton:

A few minutes later, the sun began to set.
-Looking south towards Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach:

-Plenty of action at night:

While I was there, I met a young Chinese gentleman, whose name escapes me right now and who was visiting the Fort Lauderdale area from San Francisco offered to teach me how to fish after I expressed an interest in his catch.

While I had never fished before, I decided to take him up on his offer, as I always love to learn something new. It took a few attempts (including threading squid on the line) and I ended up with no catch, but I had fun nonetheless and would not mind fishing again. Since the young Chinese gentleman had to head home, we bid each other farewell and he headed home, while I continued to take in the scenery.
-Looking north towards Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton:

After a beautiful evening on the pier, I headed back into town and stopped at Kilwin’s, an ice cream and chocolate shop that originated in Michigan and has many locations in Florida. They have long been my favorite ice cream shop due to their high quality ice cream, reasonable prices, and cheerful service and atmosphere.


When I entered, Kilwin’s was crowded with many people waiting to get ice cream and treats. To my surprise and delight, I had no idea it was Buy-1/Get-1 Free Waffle Cone Wednesday. The kind gentleman in front of me offered to give me his second waffle cone, as he was only one person and had no one with him. I told him he did not have to do that, but he insisted, and the chipper lady behind the counter offered to substitute a cup for a waffle cone due to my egg and wheat allergies, so I got a cup of Banana Fudge Pie. I do not know where the gentleman is now, but I thank you again and I cannot wait to think of you by spreading this generous deed forward. Outside the store, I tucked into my Banana Fudge Pie Ice Cream, which had a creamy, fruity, and refreshing banana ice cream base with morsels of sweet and robust fudge enrobed within it. I was in ice cream heaven and my sweet tooth was soothed.

At about 10:00PM, I headed back to my hotel; where I got ready and went to bed, ready to make the most of my last full day the next morning.

WolfieG

I woke up on Thursday, August 20th, 2015 at about 6:00AM. While I could not believe how fast my vacation went, I was very happy at how much I was able to do and today would be no exception. After I got ready and called my mom, I headed downstairs for breakfast, where I met Karen, who invited me to join her. She mentioned that her friends Helene and Ellie were not with her, as they were sleeping late. While we were eating, we chatted about my future, Florida, and our dinners. Karen said that they went to Two George’s, as the $15.95 Lobster Special appealed to all of them and they were also enticed by Two George’s killer Intracoastal views. While Ellie loved the lobster and they all loved the atmosphere, Karen reported that the lobster was small and rubbery ☹. She said that my dinner, while light, sounded delicious! After breakfast, I made my way to the beach and enjoyed the cool and refreshing ocean water as I bobbed in the gentle waves for quite a while. At around 11:30AM, I rinsed off, went upstairs to change, and walked up FL-A1A to Mississippi Sweets BBQ for lunch. It was crowded and Edie, my waitress, provided fantastic service as always and I had a barbecued Paddlewheel again, with two grilled chicken breasts along with Tractor Treads (waffle fries) and Mississippi Sweets (deep fried freshly sliced sweet potatoes) along with a Sweet Tea. This lunch was very filling and I saved the second chicken breast for my pre-flight lunch the next day. Before I left, Edie also gave me a to-go cup of Sweet Tea and I knew that I would miss Mississippi Sweets, but would be back there one day . I walked back to the hotel and planned to go to the pool, but not without checking in for my flight, as it would be departing in less than twenty-four hours . I used the computers in the Business Center and found out that the Economy cabin was mostly full and that 9/12 First Class seats were occupied.



I then spent the afternoon swimming in the pool and had the pleasure of meeting William, also known as “Chief,” a sixty-year old Vietnam Veteran from the Boston area/Jacksonville, FL who was visiting the area for his son Bill’s graduation from P.A. school from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. He introduced me to his wife, his daughter, his son, his daughter-in-law (he considers her a daughter ☺), and his grandsons. We all talked about our lives as well as the Physicians Assistant program at Nova Southeastern, which they said was excellent, which was helpful for me as I may going to school there sometime in the future. We spent time with each other until “Chief” and his family had to head to their room, as they were getting ready for a party later to celebrate Bill’s graduation. At about 5:00PM, I went upstairs, showered, and then attended the Manager’s Reception, which was crowded! I enjoyed celery and baby carrots with salsa along with a sweet and fizzy Shirley Temple, which was expertly served by the bartender Danielle, who was enthusiastic, professional, and remembered me from my previous visit. After schmoozing for a bit, I walked out of the hotel through the back exit and walked along the promenade to have dinner at The Whale’s Rib.

About fifteen minutes later, I arrived at The Whale’s Rib, which is an excellent seafood restaurant in business since the 1970s with a divey atmosphere and was made famous by Guy Fieri, of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and I looked forward to coming back here after visiting in January.



Tracy, a young and peppy hostess, greeted me and asked me where I would like to sit? She told me that the wait for a table would be twenty minutes or I could sit at the bar with no wait. Since I was by myself, I figured I would sit at the bar.

At the bar, I grabbed a seat next to a couple from the area, who were regulars and were happy to have me sitting next to him. Stacy, the very sweet and hard working bartender along with her co-worker, Kate, took my order of the Mahi-Mahi dinner blackened, which came with one side (I chose steamed broccoli), a salad with oil and vinegar which was included with the dinner, the extra of a baked potato, and an iced tea to drink. After I ordered, I started with a fresh salad, which had crisp iceberg lettuce, cool cucumbers, sweet and ripe tomatoes, onions with a pleasant bite, and briny and salty olives, which made a filling start to my meal!

A short while after, Stacy served me my generous portion of Mahi-Mahi, which was delicious! The Mahi-Mahi was flakey, moist, mild, and pleasantly piquant thanks to the spices. In addition, I found the broccoli to be well cooked and the baked potato was large, with a slightly crisp exterior and fluffy interior.

At about $25 in change for everything, I felt that the dinner was reasonably priced as the food was delicious and the portions were generous. As I was paying my bill, I asked Stacy if she knew a waitress named Yaz, as I was curious and remembered her from my January 2015 to The Whale’s Rib with my family-friend, Bruce. She said that she knew her very well and that she would have her say hello to me. Yaz was pleasantly surprised that I was back and remembered me as well as my friend, Bruce. She asked how I was doing as well as how Bruce was doing, which was pretty cool as we both thought she was an excellent waitress. I chatted with Yaz, Kate, and Stacy for a bit and thanked them for an excellent meal, hoping to come back the next time I was in town. Satisfied from my excellent meal, I went back to my room at around 9:00PM, where I did some last minute packing, prepared my pre-flight lunch of grilled BBQ chicken from Misssissippi Sweets over a bag of Fresh Express shredded lettuce, got ready for bed, and called my mom. After chatting for a while with her and setting a wake-up call for 5:00AM, I went to bed at about 11:15PM, in disbelief that I would be heading home the next morning.

WolfieG

-Friday, 8/21/2015: DL1465: FLL-JFK:
**Flight Information**:
Origin Airport: Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, FL
Destination Airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY
Airline and Flight Number: Delta Air Lines 1465
Aircraft: Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-88
Registration: N905DE
Cabin, Seat: Economy, 29E
Scheduled Departure/Actual Departure: 11:55AM/12:24PM
Scheduled Arrival/Actual Arrival: 3:00PM/2:41PM
Departure Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 2, Gate D8
Arrival Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 2, Gate C63

a) Before Airport/Getting to Airport:
I woke up at 5:00AM, close to ready to head home. After I awakened, I plugged in my phone, got ready, and called my mom. Before I called her, I was concerned as while my flight was listed as departing on time and the incoming flight that would later depart as DL1465 was scheduled to operate on time, I saw that the weather in New York was rainy since the night before to the point that my iPhone also notified me that the Northern State Parkway, running from the Nassau/Queens border to Hauppauge in Western Suffolk County was closed due to flash flooding. When I called mom, she was also concerned about the weather and told me that if I had to pay for an extra day and rebook my flight home to not worry about it. I then decided to check with Delta, but due to an unusually high call volume, I had to wait about half an hour to talk to a representative. Thankfully, the very helpful representative told me that I should not rebook my flight, as she was able to see that there were no IRROPS (irregular operations) out of the New York area and that if anything else were to happen, I would be taken care of at the airport. In addition, she also reassured me that after 8:00AM, the rain would be stopping (spoiler alert: she was right!). Reassured, I thanked her and I called my mom back, who asked me where she should meet me and I told her at Terminal 2, as it said that my flight would be arriving there. I thanked her and told her not to worry and she wished me a safe flight home. After this, Matt, my driver from Diamond Coach, called me to let me know that he would be picking me up at 9:00AM. Once my phone calls were completed, I packed my toiletries and headed down for breakfast, which was satisfying and delicious as I sat on the outdoor verandah of BT’s Oceanfront Restaurant. I then headed upstairs to my room, where I received a call from whom I thought was a dispatcher at Diamond Coach, who asked me if I was being picked up in a thick accent. I told him yes and that he would be on the way in about half an hour (little did I know this would lead to some confusion). After making sure I had all of my belongings, I left my room at about a quarter to nine and went down to the lobby. I checked out at the Front Desk, where Lisa, who checked me in when I arrived, was very efficient and inquired how my stay was? I told her that it was absolutely excellent and that I hoped to return soon. She thanked me and wished me a safe trip home. A few minutes later, Matt, my driver, from Diamond Coach arrived and met me in the lobby. Outside, another Mercury Grand Marquis parked in front of Matt’s Grand Marquis was waiting, with another driver from Diamond Coach. When I was in the car with Matt after he loaded my suitcase, somehow, the dispatcher screwed up, as he did not know that Matt would be working that day, as he usually takes Saturdays off but was making up for a day he did not work that week. Oh well, Diamond Coach still proved to be excellent and while having two drivers show up was awkward, mistakes can happen, so all was fine ☺. As we pulled out of the Embassy Suites, Matt asked me if it would be OK if we used FL-A1A southbound instead of I-95, as there was a large accident and since I was not in a rush, I agreed, as it would be cool to see the coastal Greater Fort Lauderdale area again. We turned left to go southbound on FL-A1A, first passing through Hillsboro Beach, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale by the Sea, and Sea Ranch Lakes. The ride was going quickly and we were soon in the Galt Mile area of Fort Lauderdale, near where FL-A1A meets Oakland Park Blvd (FL-816).

We then passed through Central Beach, which was beautiful if not a little congested and built-up.



While we were driving, I also saw the Jungle Queen riverboat, which I remembered well, as I had a wonderful time on a river cruise with my mom back in August 2002, as we cruised the beautiful waterways of Fort Lauderdale. I will have to check it out again sometime.

As we traveled further, we hit a bit of traffic after Sunrise Blvd (FL-838), which added to my trip-time, but that was OK as I still arrived at FLL with plenty of time and it would be better than slogging on I-95 after the accident. After the traffic let up, we crossed from Harbor Beach onto the mainland via FL-A1A, where it feeds into Federal Highway (US-1) for a bit.



We turned left onto Federal Highway (US-1) southbound and passed through an area of Fort Lauderdale dotted mainly by chain hotels and restaurants that served tourists using the airport and Port Everglades. Soon enough, we were nearing the airport.

About ½ mile later, we exited US-1 for the entrance to FLL



Matt then followed the signs for Terminal 2, where Delta operates. I also saw a Southwest tail at Terminal 1:

Finally, I arrived at Terminal 2 at 9:50AM. While it was later than planned, it was still OK as we avoided bad traffic on I-95 southbound and I still had plenty of time until my flight.

Matt unloaded my suitcase and thanked me, as he enjoyed driving me and I thanked him, as he gave me an excellent ride!


b)At Airport:
Since the curbside check-in line was lengthy, I went inside to check in instead.

Inside, the check-in line was still lengthy, but things were not as bad as they appeared, as I only waited ten minutes. While I was waiting, I also noticed that they added mood lighting above the signage for Delta, which made the check-in area look a little spiffier. I also met a very nice couple from Copenhagen, Denmark, who were flying home via JFK too and even sitting in front of me :O.

A very friendly and efficient middle-aged lady had me on my way in no time after she checked my paperwork and tagged my bag. After that, I waited five minutes and cleared security, where the TSA officers were friendly and efficient. I was done with check-in and security fifteen minutes after I got to the airport and I called my mom, to let her know that all was well and that I was looking forward to seeing her! Next, I enjoyed my lunch and then explored the terminal, looking forward to plane spotting. While I prefer PBI and MCO, I still think that FLL is a very nice airport, as while kind of pedestrian, it was clean and well maintained. In addition, I think that FLL’s status as a viable alternative to the larger MIA (there were many passengers!) means that there will be more upgrades to come, like the new runway that opened, new concessions, and upgraded waiting areas, as evidenced by the signage. With about 1.5 hours until my flight, I began to plane spot and relax until my flight departed.
-N938DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-88 operating as DL729 to LGA from Gate D5:

-C-FFWJ, an AC Airbus A320 operating as AC925 to YUL from Gate D4:

-SW 737s, an F9 Airbus A320, N350AG, a Silver Airways Beechcraft Super King Air 350, N347AG, and a Silver Airways Saab 340

-Terminal 2 Flight Information:

-CNN Store, Seattle’s Best kiosk, and Starbucks sign:

-Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 787-800 at Terminal 3:

-N810DN, a DL Boeing 737-900 operating as DL2226 to ATL from Gate D7:

-N943DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-88 operating as DL1904 to DTW from Gate D6 delayed since 8:05AM due to mechanical problems, it left at 12:31PM:

-C-FFWJ taxiing to take off for YUL:

-Terminal 2 gates (notice people congregated near D6 due to the delay, which DL handled well from what I observed):

-SW Boeing 737:

-Gate D8, where my flight, DL1465 to JFK would be departing from:

-SW Boeing 737s and N910DN, a DL Boeing 737-900 operating as DL2226 to ATL:

-N943DL to DTW at Gate D6 and N938DL taxiing for LGA:

-N932DL, a DL Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-88 arriving to Gate D9 as DL1589 from ATL and heading back to ATL later also as DL1589:


-N837AW, an AA Airbus A319 arriving as AA1992 from DCA to Terminal 3, Gate E3 and departing later for DCA as AA1992 too:

While the incoming flight from JFK was not delayed departing, it arrived a bit late at one minute past its scheduled arrival time due to having to wait for a take off for a long time.
-N905DE, my aircraft that arrived from JFK as DL2048 to Gate D8 and would take me back to JFK as DL1465:



Due to the late arrival, we ended up not boarding until 11:40AM and due to the fact that the flight was full, boarding took a little longer. Thanks to the fact that I had Priority Boarding due to my Skymiles Gold card, I was able to board in the Sky Boarding Zone. James, a jovial and efficient gate agent, had me waiting to board the plane in no time.

c) Delta Flight 1465: FLL-JFK:
After waiting a few minutes due to the large crowds, I boarded the MD-88 via Doorway 1L. I was greeted by a smiling middle-aged flight attendant of average height with long blonde hair, who greeted me with a good morning and asked how I was doing? I thanked her and told her I was doing well as I made my way through the cabin. As I made my way to seat 29E, I found that while not brand new like the Boeing 717-200 I flew to FLL on. I found that this aircraft was in very good condition with minimal wear and tear.


After I made my way to 29E, which while not as good as C+, had better than average legroom and width due to being on the side of the aircraft with two seats.

While I was waiting, I met my seatmate, who was a mother from Long Beach, NY, not far from me, traveling along with her son, husband, and nephew after visiting her family in Lauderdale by the Sea. I saw that she wanted to read, so I did not want to chat with her too long, though we chatted later on. At about 12:10PM, we pushed back from Gate D8 as the usual live safety announcements were conducted and the pilot announced an approximate flight time of 2:25. We taxied to Runway 9L and had the pleasure of spotting various aircraft.
- N307PQ, a DL CRJ-900 operating as DL3514 to/from RDU and N943DL, a DL MD-88 operating as DL1904 to DTW:


-SW Boeing 737:

We were third in line to take off, after a Silver Airways aircraft and a Southwest Boeing 737:

Finally, we took off at 12:24PM from Runway 9L to the east.

We took off and looking from my seat, I was able to see areas south of Fort Lauderdale such as Dania, Hollywood, Hallandale, and Aventura:

As we took off, I plugged my headphones into my iPhone 6 and listened to music like The Who, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Beastie Boys, The Clash, Green Day, The Offspring, Ozzy Osbourne, and John Lennon for most of the flight. At about 1:00PM, the flight attendants began snack service for the Comfort+/Economy cabins. When the flight attendants got to my section, I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole, a very enthusiastic flight attendant who could not be more eager to please. She and the flight attendant I met as I was boarding the plane took my order for a can of Orange Juice with no ice. When she asked what I wanted for my snack, I told her I wanted peanuts. Nicole was very apologetic, as they were not serving peanuts due to a passenger with a bad peanut allergy. I told her not to worry, as I understood due to the fact that I had Gluten/Egg allergies (not peanut thankfully) and had snacks with me. I also told her how great it was that Delta does this, as they did it for my friend Melissa, who flew DL LGA-PBI and is very allergic to peanuts too and is very thankful! With no peanuts available, I offered my snack to my seatmate, who was very grateful. Throughout the flight, I could tell that these FAs were excellent, as they were enthusiastic, polite, attentive, and made every passenger feel valued. I chatted with my seatmate for a bit, mostly about Florida and Long Island. We talked about Long Beach, which I know well as I have been there many times as the beach and boardwalk are very nice and there are many good restaurants in that area, like Nagahama for sushi, Gino’s for pizza, and the Lido Kosher Deli, which are among the restaurants I have tried. We also talked a bit about real estate, as we agreed that Long Island taxes were very high and that while Floridian beachside condos can be pricey, Long Beach is a lot more! In addition, my seatmate knew the area where I lived, as she knows Roosevelt Field Mall is not far from where I am. The flight went quickly and after heading east from the Floridian coast, we flew past Freeport in the Bahamas, meeting the U.S. coastline again near North Carolina and flying along the Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey coastlines. While I had high pressure in my sinuses on my flight in, thankfully, this was not the case on this flight ☺. At around 2:20PM, the pilot instructed everyone to prepare for landing and we began to descend near Central New Jersey. As we got closer to the New York area, I could see that we were turning to the southwest near Jones Beach State Park.

We flew west over the South Shore of Nassau County, first over Island Park and Oceanside.


We then flew over the Five Towns, ready for an approach from the Southeast over Runway 31R and we were on approach shortly.

Finally, we landed smoothly at 2:41PM, nineteen minutes ahead of scheduled arrival time! As we were taxiing, I knew we were back at JFK due to all of the action!
-We have arrived!:

-Looking west down Runway 31R, where the NYC Skyline can be seen in the distance:

While we were taxiing, I called my mom after we received clearance to use cellphones and I called her to let her know I had landed. She was happy to hear that I had landed and I was amazed at how perfectly she had timed her arrival to pick me up, as she was already on the Arrivals Level of Terminal 2. We told each other how much we loved each other and I told her that I would see her soon, as we continued to taxi to Terminal 2.
-AA action at Terminal 8:

-At Terminal 7: EC10B, an Iberia A340-600 operating as Iberia 6250 to MAD, Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER that arrived as CX830 from HKG and heading back there as CX831, and BA Boeing 747-400 and BA Boeing 747-400 OneWorld livery heading to LHR:


-B6 action at Terminal 5 including N746JB, a B6 A320 in NY Jets livery operating as B6779 to MBJ from Gate 28:

-N793JB, a B6 A320 operating as B6301 to FLL:

-EI Boeing 757-200 at Terminal 5:

-At Terminal 4: EK A380 and SQ A380:

-VS Airbus A340:

-LX Airbus A330:

-DL action at Terminal 4:

-LY Boeing 747-400:

-N709TW, a DL Boeing 757-200 honoring New York Yankee Mariano Rivera arriving as DL1908 from LAX on taxi to Gate B35 and departing from there later as DL415 to SFO:

-More DL action at Terminal 4:

-KE Airbus A380-800 heading to ICN:

-And more DL action at T4:


After taxiing, we parked at Gate C63, adjacent to N710TW, a Boeing 757-200 parked at Gate C62 that arrived from SFO as DL1859 and was departing for CPH later that day as DL218:

While we early, the ground crew seemed to have trouble with the jetway, so we were on the aircraft for ten minutes beyond our arrival time ☹. My mother called and asked where I was, and I told her that they were having trouble with the jetway, but I should be off soon. Thankfully, the jetway was working by ten after three and I disembarked N905DE via doorway 1L, with a friendly farewell from the First Class FA, who was a tall, young to middle-aged male.

d)Arrival:
I entered Terminal 2 from Gate C63’s jetway and not surprisingly, it was bustling, with many flights operating and many passengers coming and going.

I went downstairs from the gate area to the baggage claim, which was Baggage Claim E2, with flights that arrived from SLC and SAN in addition to our flight.

While I found the baggage area to be decrepit the last time I arrived in this terminal in January 2014 on my MCO-JFK flight, even though it was very old compared to the nicer Terminal 4, it seemed cleaner than the last time. Since I could not find my mom even though she was in the terminal, I called her to let her know I was downstairs by Baggage Claim E2. She thought that the baggage claim was guarded, like in Terminal 4 (the nice security guard allowed her to wait for me though), but I cleared this up and told her she could come in . I gave her a huge hug and I could not have been happier to see her. As we were waiting, we both agreed that Terminal 2, while OK, was not as nice as Terminal 4. While we were waiting, our baggage was moved to the adjacent baggage claim. Twenty minutes later, we had my suitcase and we were on the way to my mother’s car. I offered to drive home and by 3:40PM, we were on our way home. We exited JFK via the JFK Expressway to the Belt and Southern State Parkways eastbound to Exit 22N: Meadowbrook Parkway North: Mineola for the Meadowbrook Parkway northbound. We got home about thirty minutes later, thanks to perfect timing, which avoided rush hour and Hamptons traffic . While I love Deerfield Beach and South Florida and I cannot wait to be back there, I was happy to be home with my mom, my dogs, and my guinea pigs. Here are final pictures of my Affenpinschers, who were very happy their “boy” was home .
-Arabella:

-Gwendolyn:


e)DL1465 Impressions/Ratings:
Delta Air Lines 1465 from FLL to JFK was another very good flight! Flight attendant Nicole and her co-workers, whose names I did not get were friendly, accommodating, upbeat, and very helpful! The plane was in very good shape and very clean. The seats were fine and the free snacks (despite the lack of peanuts) and beverages were excellent as always and the flight attendants were not stingy with them. All in all, I feel Delta is doing a very good job in the field of U.S. carriers and I would definitely fly them again when the opportunity arises.
**Please note, due to the fact that in-seat IFE was not available on this flight, I have adjusted the other four scoring factors to be out of 25 so that they would add up to 100. Here they are:
Service: 25/25 (Flight attendants were friendly, polite, upbeat, and very helpful!)
Snacks: 25/25 (The free snacks are always excellent and the FA's were more than happy to give you the whole can of a beverage on request. While peanuts were unavailable, I do not hold that against DL as peanuts are a very deadly allergy for those allergic to them.)
Seat Comfort: 21/25 (The side of the MD-88 with two seats adds comfort and privacy to the standard Y seat.)
Plane Cleanliness/Condition: 24/25 (Plane was very clean and had minimal wear and tear.)
Grade: 95 (A)

Thank you everyone for reading!

MKEflyer95

Great Report! By the way the Delta 717 I got to fly on back in July from DTW-PHL was also on N968AT. I sat more towards the back due to how epic the engines on these things sound. Also back in 2010 I was on N905DE from MKE-ATL so what a coincidence!