Pearl


"Pearl" is taking a long trip the first week in February! I have a conference in Branson. From there we plan to fly as far as Tallahassee. Then to Key West to vacation for four days. Followed by a stop for three days in Orlando to to a sim session at Flight Safety.

Looking for ideas and tips on cool places along the way to stay, land, get cheap gas, cheap hanger space, unique restaurants and crap like that!

I posted a similar topic for my trip from Fairbanks, AK to Ozark, AL this coming summer and the best result I got for a stop was the bed and breakfast at Beaumont, KS. I am looking forward to taxiing down the road into the hotel.

Please let me know where you end up stopping as I will be passing on a similar route. Have fun.

Brett

Florida stops ,cedar key is nice CDK .Leesburg has cheap fuel ($2.28 on Airnav) Winterhaven has a nice new FBO and resturant and Jack Browns .Venice is right on the gulf beach also a nice spot.If you are around Daytona stop by we meet up for a breakfast flight every Sun at 8 and wed for dogs on the grill at 6(pm) at KOMN ($2.48 100LL ss)

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It doesn't get any better than food/lodging at Beaumont, kansas.
how many towns will you ever visit in your lifetime that you taxi off the runway and drive down main street to your hotel and food and tie down outside?

That sounds like fun!

Fly into Naples, Fl. About the last stop on the gulf side before Key West. Not cheap but if you want to know where all your 401k investment dollars have gone it is probably parked on the ramp there. Make sure you tie down and gust lock because some G5 or Challenger might blow you around. Good people watching. Anyway there is a restaurant across the road called Michelbobs that has BBQ baby back ribs that are outstanding. If your hungry order the rack and a half. Be careful to check your weight and balance before you take off. By the way I think they still have a turf parallel runway. Have fun. www.michelbobs.com

Oops forgot Naples, Fl identifier K$$$ or KAPF

Gaston's is close to Branson, but maybe on the way back. 3M0 (zero). Maybe even spend the night there - cabins along the grass strip. Used to be decent food too.

X25 is just east of Lakeland. Grass strip and a restaurant with some cabins also. We stopped for lunch one day and it was definitely not a greasy spoon, but the Little Lady will love it.... Take a fat wallet. As I remember, lunch was something around $30 each, but an experience.

You ought to be sure and make Beaumont, either coming or going. Probably not a factor in Feb, but, if its wet, they'll close it to save the strip. I don't know if they have notams, just an X. You can always call the Beaumont Hotel to make sure.

Jack

I read on the web site they have had some famous people eat there..... Ricardo Montelban and Gump weren't on that list.

I have to visit my wife's family in Fort Myers a couple of times a year. Rented a 172sp last time there and would not recommend that imediate area. Pretty busy and Southwest regional is not very accommodating.

Lot of people in that neck of the woods with the plane and the house made of the same material.

Brett

Good info. We'll try to work in some of the spots mentioned. Gzero you might find this of interest. I got four nights of hanger for .....well lets just say I've never paid any less, at Zellwood, near Orlando. Very nice folks. Grass strip. Pearl likes that better!
http://www.vaaviation.com/ By the way thanks for the invite to cookout. Mark

Dog island southwest of Tallahasee, google it. Sugarloaf Key 11 miles east of Key West has its' own runway and motel. Don't expect much out of either but have their own runways.

Mark, I don't know how close you will come to Red Oak, IA. But it is a great place to stop. They have fuel at $3.45 for 100LL. A grass and asphalt strips. The people that run the place are nice folks.

At Branson you have to land at an Airport on th College of the Ozarks campass unless they have the new Branson airport open. The Identifier for the airport is PLK. There used to be a hangar full of restored aircraft on the SE end of the runway. AT 6, PT 19, Fairchild 24, Staggerwing Beech, and a lot more. One guy there owns them all. He used to own all of the land that those Theaters are on now. I hope you and Kitty have a great trip in your nice Maule. Bob