Time to start sharing my food adventure in awful Orlando, Florida. Only don’t get too glued to your seat. It is super boring, like Orlando itself. I basically never left the hotel (except to go to the convention center) because there was nothing to do anywhere near our hotel. Almost every meal I ate at the hotel. 4 of those were at the same sports bar. Which had food that could mostly be described as mid.
Plus, in addition to be the worst city I’ve ever had the misfortune to visit in the worst state I’ve ever had the misfortune to visit, it is insanely expensive. So I’m not sure I made the per diem cover the entire trip. Despite barely ever eating actual meals.
To start the trip the per diem account started with:
$405.00
Here are the pictures from Day 1 and Day 2:
Snacks on the flight from Minneapolis to Orlando. There were no snacks on the flight from Des Moines to Minneapolis in a flight that was straight pain from the complete lack of legroom. The snacks were complimentary. The 2nd flight wasn’t bad. It was on an adult sized plane.
I’m kind of a big deal. My roomie Tony was jealous.
Menu at the Hilton Orlando Fastbreak.
The cheese curds were excellent. And Tony paid for them, so also free.
I got the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich with the truffle fries. The sandwich was good.
But the fries were kind of mid.
But it didn’t sit well. Cause I did have some stomach issues in the morning. But that might have been due to the adjustment to the Florida water. Or it might have been listening to a bunch of people from a different convention treating the bartenders like trash and yammering on and on and on about their $3000 watch.
Started Day 2. The hotel didn’t have breakfast. So most of the day food was just grazing on the snacks at the Convention Center.
By the time we got done at the convention center, there was no time for supper before Lowell and I hopped in an Uber and went to downtown Orlando for what would be about the only highlight of the trip. Seeing the great Ben Folds perform with the Orlando Symphony.
In the lobby before the show I was able to scarf down (like an elegant gentleman) a ham & brie “handheld” which is what I’m guessing the upper class call sandwiches. Also, an ice cold delicious Pepsi.
This was the only meal I had in Orlando that wasn’t in the hotel. The… only… meal!
But it was a delicious sandw…. ummm… handheld. I could have devoured another one.
Good to the last bite!
The building and the art in the building was beautiful!
What a lobby!
Really, too beautiful to be in Orlando. Or Florida for that matter.
Crazy small world stuff. The lady to our left was also a big fan of Brandi Carlile!
And the couple that sat behind us used to teach at Iowa State University, America’s greatest university.
The great Ben Folds!
A beautiful theater!
I was still hungry when we got back to the hotel so I got some food from the 24 hour store in the lobby. I do not endorse this tea.
As a nod to the last work trip, I got a cheesesteak. It actually wasn’t too bad.
So what was the damage from the first 2 days in Orlando?
- THE DAMAGE
- With tip, the Nashville Chicken Sandwich and fries was $34.00
- With tip, the handheld and Pepsi was $30.75
- With tip, the cheesesteak and tea was $27.83
- For a total of: $92.85
After 2 days this is what remained in the Per Diem Account:
$312.15
Would that be enough to last the rest of my time in Orlando? We will continue on this trip next Sunday.