Alarm went off at 6am and after having had a pretty good sleep and figuring out how to turn the stupid shower on we went down for breakfast which they were actually charging non IHG members USD 20- each.
I had a light breakfast with some cereal bran with toast and strawberry jam with an interesting strawberry and banana yoghurt (Im not convinced they go well together ?). I asked for a coffee and they give me a coffee urn (seriously one cup is enough to start the day !).
We checked out at 7.40 am and back on the free shuttle for the 10 minutes trip to LAX to get our Southwest flight. We had already been checked in using the early bird check in system when we we left Brisbane and were allocated boarding passes automatically. Today is again a lovely day in Los Angeles around 25 degrees.
Checking in our bags was a breeze in the shiny new Terminal 1 with so many with Brisbane (they were actually waiting for us !). Off through security where again it was so organised with staff saying move
through, keep up with me. They sure know how to keep people moving. Around 20 minutes after arriving at the terminal we were at the gate shopping for my next
There were two examples that reminded me I was in USA today. One was the funny toilet seat flushing levers (nothing like of our good old buttons on the top) and when you start seeing people walking their dogs to the airport gate. In LAX they even had restrooms for the doggies !
It is so easy using the Southwest boarding system where you are allocated a line in the queue (We had 48 and 49 so not too bad). Everyone joins the queue in accordance with their boarding pass so very civilised. We could sat in Row 3 but overhead storage was used so we ended up in Row 13.
Flight left on time at 10.25 and it was only a 54 minute ride to Phoenix. Plane was then headed to San Antonio (I loved that place) and Atlanta. Many folk did not get off so they get to move up the front to seats vacated by those exiting
After collecting our bags it was on the 10 minute bus ride to the massive car rental facility (they are building a train to move people here opening soon). We had to wait for a car to be available as we we were 15 minutes early for our 1pm pickup so no dramas and the lady said after a while check out that white car and see if is ok. It was a Chrysler Charger and looked ok so she did the paper work and I was about the put the luggage in when I realised licence plate was not the same as the form she gave me ? Looked for nearby cars and found a black car with correct Florida licence plate so maybe white meant black as that was the colour of this Lexus i300 F Sports model ! What a nice car she is and better than the VW Passat we booked.
I forgot to download the google maps directions to our hotel from the airport whilst we had access as we wont have phone access until we get to the AT & T store this afternoon
to get some USA Sim Cards so I panicked a bit as to how I would find my way there. Eventually sorted it out getting back to download the route on Google Maps before heading off on the 15 minute drive to our hotel. Lots of cactus everywhere. We are staying at Biltmore a few kms north of downtown Phoenix at the Embassy Suites where we have a King Bedroom Suite and we managed to avoid car parking fees as I mentioned to the lady at reception their prices had dropped a little since we booked a few months ago.
We did all the bookings for this trip with options for free cancellations in case we could not get here due to reintroduction of travel restrictions so we paid a bit more when booking so expect this might occur again although with inflation out of control here maybe not ? Room is spacious with a separate bedroom away from the living area and has a huge atrium with fountains and fish in the ponds (a real oasis in the desert.).
store at 3pm about a mile down the road and then planned on having a late lunch and do some shopping for souvenirs.
