Landed!

Eagles have limped into a landing. I didn't sleep much last night, maybe 2 hours, and have been up since shortly after 4 AM. Fortunately, Chris drove us to the airport. He conned Bob into handing over the keys to the new Chevy Traverse, after declaring that the hockey gear in the back of his truck would have to be moved if he used his own vehicle. Bob doesn't have too much stamina at that time of day, so he backed off on his plan to hide the keys and we all slipped over the icy sidewalk to load ourselves and our bags in the Traverse.

MSP (Terminal 1, fka "Lindbergh") was very busy with spring breakers and pale Minnesotans eager to escape the cold and mountains of snow. After de-icing, we flew over fog and then clouds, arriving in Tampa after a thunderstorm. Our bags were circulating when we arrived at Belt 6, and we were in our rental car within 20 minutes. Turns out our rate ($243 for 10 days) was as great as I had thought, and the attendant tried to sell us a larger vehicle for an additional $10/day. I think we should have sprung for it, as it seems a little tight for Bob, but I had no persuasive powers left. We were soon on our way to St. Pete Beach in a Pontiac Vibe.

No trouble finding the hotel, thanks to Google maps and the fact that all roads seem to lead to the beach. The Tradewinds Resort property is very pleasant and beautifully manicured. It does have something of the feel of an adult summer camp, reminiscent of Kellerman's in Dirty Dancing, with lots of activities for adults, teenagers and kids. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we had a drink in the lobby, a gold and green tropical expanse populated with vacationers from northern climes, all looking exhausted from long journeys from points north, east and west. A little later in the day, I think the area may look a little like pre-revolutionary Cuba, with women wearing make-up a little too bright and thickly plastered on. The drinks were much better than the Bellini I splurged on at Harry's Bar in Venice; I wonder if Hemingway was ever here?

We checked into our room after a walk on the beach and a trip to Norman's Liquor Store. It's not warm here -- maybe 68 degrees and windy, but our room is beautiful and the view is lovely. The sun has finally come out, and people are walking on the beach far below our 6th floor room. A kind of moat, called a "canal", with little Venetian style bridges to cross over, surrounds the property. The promised swans are not in evidence, but groups of kids are navigating the water in paddleboats,  moving among the koi.

Because of the weather, the pools are quite empty. Time for a swim!