Travel to TPA, IAD, and FRA

Journey to India

Monday, April 15, 2013

Tallahassee to Frankfurt

We called the taxi cab company and the cab came by 9:15 AM and I said goodbye to Bhanu and left for airport. I paid the cab, checked the bag into United (Silver airlines) and TSA and got all boarding passes. I went to Terminal A7 and checked my e-mail and Skyped Nivi and Bhanu. My flight UA3993 left at 10:35 and arrived in Tampa by 11:25 AM via Terminal A1.

My next flight UA312 to IAD was at 1:32 PM and so I had some donuts and checked my e-mail, skyped Bhanu again, used the restroom and got ready for the flight.The flight UA 312 was ready and left from A9 at 1:35 PM and took off by 1:45 PM onwards to IAD. The weather was perfect. I arrived in Washington DC around 4:15 PM. I then went from the domestic terminal to the International Terminal for my flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

I took the giant bus from the domestic terminal to the international terminal and the free WiFi was NOT working at that terminal. The flight was at 6:10 PM and so I had some coffee and waited to board the plane. Finally, I boarded the ~8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany a Lufthansa LH 419 and arrived early morning on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at Frankfurt in time for breakfast.

Nassau, New Providence , The Bahamas

Nassau, New Providence

The Bahamas

Thursday, March 21, 2013

We woke up around 6 AM and there was some water problem. However, I managed to have shower and we both went downstairs for breakfast. Surprisingly, there was free complimentary breakfast in addition to the paid one. We sat down and had breakfast while VTS was still asleep.

VTS came down and had some coffee. It was almost 9 AM. Then we headed to downtown via the beach. We walked all the way to Charlotte Street and bought some souvenirs at the straw market. Then we went a shop and got some post cards and went the pharmacy and bought some stamps (Bahamian 50cents). We then went to Nassau Starbucks and bought some sandwiches. While eating the food I filled out the post-cards and stamped them.

We then walked up Charlotte Street and headed to the Post Office. There we bought several stamps (Philatelic Store) and posted the post cards. While we were waiting at the Bay Street Main Post Office a parade came along and we the school band perform.

Slowly we came down the Parliament Street and saw the Nassau Public Library and other buildings in the town square. Then we went to Nassau Subway and got some sandwiches for us and ate there. Then we went Burger King and got food for VTS. He ate the food there.

Then we slowly walked along the shore arriving finally at Junkano Beach where we had some coconut water. We then went to Nassau Palm Hotel got our boarding passes printed and got our luggage out. We packed our bags and hailed taxi from outside the hotel and arrived at the airport by 3:30 PM. Our flight is at 6:15 PM we then waited until the departure.

We quickly arrived in Miami (MIA; Miami International Airport). We had some dinner. But our return flight to Tallahassee was delayed by more than hour. By the time we came home it was almost 12:30 AM

In Nassau

In Naaasu

The Bahamas

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

We woke up at 5 AM in Miami, showered and checked out of the Days Inn Miami Airport North and drove to the Rental Car Center. There we dropped off our rental car at Avis rental. 6:30 AM

Then we went into the American Airlines counter and checked two bags to Nassau Bahamas. We then went through Checkpoint 4 and got into the terminal 7:40 AM. We grabbed some pastries at Au Bon Pain and boarded the flight American Eagle 3495 from D53 at 9:20 AM we left by 9:30 AM and started to decent by 9:55 AM.

We filled the immigration paper work (1/person) and finished out customs check and got out. One of the airport people directed us to a taxi and we took a ride to Nassau Palm Hotel. The charge for three of us was $34 (they accept both US Dollars and/or Bahamian Dollars; they are kept at one to one equivalent. One rarely sees Bahamian Dollar used though).

We checked into the Hotel and went to the room. It was okay but the shower was not good. Soon we changed our cloths and hit the beach right in front of the Hotel.We were there for quite a while and walked slowly toward downtown and ate at the McDonalds.

We ran into a couple who suggested an Indian Restaurant. We went back to the room and changed our cloths and walked toward the Ferry station. We took the 2:15 PM ferry and arrived at the Paradise Island and we spent about 1 ½ hour there. That place looked too commercial and we walked back to the main island and took a taxi back to the hotel

Then we hit the beaches again until about 5 PM. Then we came back to the room changed and walked back to the downtown looking for the Indian Café and found it in Charlotte Street in front of Hard Rock Café. We ate there and met the Indian family from Bombay who owns the place.

We then walked back to the room spending some time at the beach

Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda Key, FL

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

We arrived around 11:30 AM and spend the rest of the day at the beach. Bhanu took bath in the water so did VTS. I generally stayed dry except for my pants got wet. There was a fresh water shower and changing station. We all used it to get dry.

From the left hand side of park we went to the right hand side of the park which is the old Bahia Honda Park. We went to the butterfly garden (none were there since it was still winter). We then looked around the sailing section.

We went to the bridge access in Bahia Honda Park and went to the gift shop. We left Bahia Honda State Park around 4 PM

We had dinner at McD in Tavernier around 5 PM and started to drive toward Miami via Route 1 North. It took us about 1 ½ hour to get there.

We arrived at Days Inn Miami North by 6:45 PM. Checked in and put the luggage in our room 311. We got a parking pass and two door keys.

Soon we put the Rental Car Center location in my smartphone and drove to the location. It was about 6 minutes to the location. After checking out the location

We went to bed by 9:30 PM.

Travel to Key West

Travel to Key West

Monday, March 18, 2013
Tavernier and Key West, FL

We left home early in the morning and took American Eagle 3491 to Miami arriving around 8:45 AM. We tried to take the Sky Train to Station 2 to collect our luggage but it was taking too long. We then walked from Gate 60 to 20 and went out to the carousel 27 and collected our luggage. We came out and took the MIAMover to the Rental Center and picked up our car from Avis.

We then drove took 839 W and 829S and finally Route 1 South to Tavernier in the Keys. We checked in at the Tavernier Hotel around 2 PM and we had a spacious room.

Then we grabbed some lunch for VTS and headed to Key West. By the time we arrived at Key West, it was almost 5 PM and it was raining a bit. We went around in the car and finally parking it in the road side lot and walked around to see couple of land marks like Route 1 beginning and ending. We saw the Hemingway House.

We then visited the Higgs Beach. Then around 6:45 PM we took off and drove to Tavernier to rest for the night by 9 PM.

Hailstorm in Tallahassee

Hailstones in Tallahassee

Sunday, February 23, 2013

Tallahassee, FL

Gardens of Weems Plantation

Around 5 PM there was Hailstorm in our neighborhood. VTS went around took some pictures. We returned home to see hails size of a dime.

The hails from this evening's hailstorm around our neighborhood (Gardens of Weems Plantation) on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Travel to Philadelphia, PA

Trip to Philadelphia, PA

Sat, Feb 2, 2013

I traveled to Philly from Tally via US Airways / United flight. I was traveling to Philadelphia to attend the fifty-seventh annual biophysical society meeting.

I left on the afternoon with okay weather both in Tallahassee and at Charlotte, North Carolina. But the weather in Philadelphia was cold, windy and below freezing.

In Tallahassee airport there is a free wi-fi service and it is called 'Digital Canopy'. I used it to check my e-mail and weather reports. This time I carried by Virgin Mobile USA smart phone too. That came in handy for checking news and weather updates.

I had a 1 1/2 hour lay-over in Charlotte, NC. At Charlotte airport also there was a free wi-fi service. The free wi-fi service was called 'CLTNET'. Once again I checked my e-mails and listened to Internet music on my smartphone.

By the time I arrived in Philly, it was dark, cold and snow flurries started falling. I collected my luggage and from the Terminal B, I went to the SEPTA regional railroad station. Fortunately, there was train within 10 minutes of my arrival. I took the train and got off at Suburban Railway station.

My hotel was a block from the 19th Street and JFK Street in downtown Philly. I called home and went to bed after a shower.