Premium Outlets in Orlando

Orlando Premium Outlets outdoor area with vending machines

Shopping for bargains is everybody's favorite way of spending money. It's even more delightful when receiving great discounts on highend brands like Zegna, Prada, Michael Kors and Salvatore Ferragamo, those expensive brands are hard to find for heavy discounts. Lots of people here and parking is free.

My modest shopping exploits from Orlando: one Michael Kors handbag for my girlfriend and a cup of coffee for my soul. Starbucks in Orlando is far more expensive than in Miami or Tampa. Yet, the shop is very crowded and their selection of food is tremendously large.

On a warning note I noticed irregular activity on my debit card. I purchased one bottle of diet coke from a vending machine at the entrance. A price of 2 US$ was quoted on the machine. The bank deducted 4 US$ from by account. I am to lazy to cause trouble for two bucks, but I won't ever use my card for vending machines again. Stocking up on quarters.

TexMex Food on Seminole BlVD

Tijuana Flats on corner of Seminole Blvd and Ulmerton

Awesomely delicious glaucamole: TexMex at its best. 

Mexican food is great, but for most Americans it's just too spicy. That's why they invented Texas-Mexican cousine (short: TexMex). Tijuana Flats restaurants offers just that at affordable prices with quick service and decent portions. My first two visits to their Largo branch located opposite of Largo Mall on Seminole Blvd (US19) were refreshing.

I275 Bridge TPA to PIE

I275 Bridge from TPA to Indian Rocks Beach and St. Pete

During rush hour the bridge is cloaked up with traffic. During sunset, however, it offers spectacular views for those commuters traveling from Tampa to St. Petersburg. The sun descends and vanishes into the ocean while burning in deep red colors. Care to find out more about this landmark I275 bridge that is viral to commuters and those hoping for a quick ride to the airport?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Frankland_Bridge

The best time these days to shoot the sunset would be around 7:15 pm local time. The last 10 to 15 minutes of dusk offer the most dramatic views.

Where can you see Alligators?

Smaller alligators can be seen in public parks. Larger animals have been removed and relocated to other habitats.

Sand Key Park

North of Clearwater Beach Sand Key Park can be found. I picked late afternoon for a visit to shoot some pictures accompanied by my friend who wanted to use the dog park to walk his favorite pet.

View down south from north overlooking Clearwater Beach Skyline

First of all, it's a great place for visiting the beach, but forget about the dog park. It was plastered with stickers and my friend had problems getting those hard stickers out of his Labrador's paws. The parking fee of 5 Dollars makes it a very expensive doggy walk, anyhow. However, for the beach part of the part it is well worth it. Ample parking and an almost endless beach:

Official website: http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/15_sand_key.htm

These days sunset time stretches for around 15 minutes from 19:00h on. It offers great photo opportunities. Awesome portraits and action shots with fill-in flash work well with the falling sun as a backdrop. Other opportunities are romantic silhouette shots. Too bad sunset lasts for a couple of minutes, only. I will be back soon for more shots.

Romantic couple during sunset

Walsingham Park

North entrance to Walsingham Park

Pinellas County must have the most parks in the entire world. Walsingham Park in Largo is one of the larger recreational areas where people can visit to take a walk, jog, bike, exercise, take their dog or bird watch. It takes about an hour to walk around the park in a circle.

Care to observe squirrels? They are plenty during dask and dawn.

Florida Uber.com Review

Haven't you heard all the bad news about Uber.com? It became an illegal taxi provider in European and Asian countries not too long ago. I was eager to try it out in the USA for the first time. After registering online on my laptop and downloading the app to my cellphone I was ready to go once I had my cellphone number and credit card verified. Online support helped me get all done. I could not believe how simple and easy this service was. Opening the app would reveal my exact location. I would already see the Uber drivers in my area. I requested a quote for my trip to St. Petersburg area and was quoted 90 to 120 bucks for the trip. Regular taxis and shuttles would have cost around 230 US$ plus service charge, tax and tip. It was far less than half of the price. I clicked once and 2 minutes later my Uber driver was standing right in front of my at Orlando Country Inn hotel.
It was a smooth ride in a Lincoln Towncar. The total amounted to 101 US$ and was deducted from my registered card.
Final question: would I use Uber again? Yes, of course. I love simple and well working services like this. Kick ass!

Squirrels in Seminole Park

Squirrels are so cute. Best time to observe them is right at dusk or dawn. Walsingham Park in Largo and Seminole Park in Seminole are great places to find them in great numbers. Shooting photos of them is pretty easy since there will be many opportunities to catch them while they search for food. Its's probably best to use a tele zoom lens like a Nikon 18 - 200 with sports settings for best captures.

Country Inn MCO Review

Country Inn and Suites in Orlando

Arriving late into Orlando International Airport it's been convenient for me to book the Country Inn just off of the airport exit. It was significantly cheaper than other MCO airport hotels with complimentary pickup from arrivals area at B3 bay. One phone call to the hotel and the shuttle arrived within five minutes to pick me up. Since the hotel was booked solid they rented out one room to me that should have never been rented out: 614. The room was too noisy to even think about sleeping. It was located next to elevators and an engine or AC power unit. Luckily, they were able to change me to a quieter room on the fifth floor. I got my sleep and enjoyed the breakfast, although it was very basic and without any significant choices. The hotel's wifi was available without password and very slow. Overall a below average experience and over-priced due to it's location. Still it was clean and suited it's purpose of a simple overnight stay.

Airtravel to Orlando via Canada

Montreal Airport in winter

You may find this an unexpectedly shocking image for a Florida blog: snow and ice in Montreal's Trudeau airport (IATA code YUL). Canada has emerged as a great new stopover on the way from Europe to Florida and the Caribbean over the past years with the expansion of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge airlines. The Canadian carrier offers connecting flights with great convenience as Canadian airports are less crowded than their US-American counterparts.  Gold and business class flyers may use lounges as part of their travel package without encountering additional fees.

Hyatt Place Orlando Airport

Forbes Place in Orlando 32812

After a long business class flight from Europe via Montreal to Orlando International Airport (IATA code MCO) there is a decent selection of airport hotels right next to the highway exit. The area is called Airport Lakes with hotel brands locations for upscale Renaissance and Hyatt Place. Other choices like La Quinta and Country Inn are offered for frugal passengers. However, accommodation does not come at a bargain at all. For some it may be convenient of a choice for various reasons such as complimentary airport shuttle and late arrivals.