Orange Bowl Chill
I had made arrangments to join my friends Jeff and Brook, and Brook's mother, for the Orange Bowl game in Miami. They live in Kansas City, and are huge fans of the University of Kansas.
I flew down to the Fort Lauderdale airport on New Year's Day, arriving at 6:00 pm. Their flight from KC didn't get in until 8:20 pm, so I had time to get some supper. When they arrived, we got our rental care and drove to our hotel in Miami Lakes, which was near Dolphin's Stadium, where they game would be player.
It was still nice and mild when we got in Tuesday evening, with temperatures in the mid-60's. However, during the night the arctic front finally made it's way into Florida. On Wednesday it was sunny all day, but the winds were blowing at a steady 40 mph, and it never got above 58 degrees. Needless to day, it was not the kind of weather we had been hoping for.
We still ventured out and drove down to the Miami Seaquarium on Biscayne Bay. We saw shows featuring dolphins, sea lions, and their killer whale. It was enjoyable, but pretty chilly sitting in the stands for all of it. I felt especially sorry for the trainers who had to get into the water during the shows. They looked like they were freezing.
In the afternoon, we went to check out the Orange Bowl Fan Fest, which was being held in a park in Miami Beach. It was a beautiful, scenic location next to the water, but the place was practically deserted because of the cold weather. The food and drink vendors were doing little business (not much cold beer was sold), and the bands that were playing had sparse audiences.
We headed back to the hotel to clean up and change, then headed to Hollywood, Florida to have dinner at Billy's Seafood restaurant. The place was packed, but the food was excellent, and we had a wonderful meal.
Thursday the temps inched above 60 degrees, but the day was completely coudy and the wind was still blowing. We did some shopping, and then decided to pick up long underwear and blankets for the game, since it was being held in the evening and temps would be down to the 40's by then.
We headed to the stadium at around 4:00 pm and went to a tailgate cook-out being held by the Kansus Alumni organization. Then it was off to an exciting football game, in which Kansas managed to beat Virginia Tech, which made the whole trip worthwhile. The next morning it was back to the airport for our flights home. (and naturally the weather was improving back to 70 and sunny as we left)
Me, Jeff, and Brook in front of the hotel.
Brook's mother, Jeff, and Brook.
Brook and Jeff in front of the Miami skyline.
A sealion trying to grab a little warmth from the sun.
Likewise for the alligators.
Brook, his mom, and Jeff, surveying the scene.
I was admiring the beautiful landscaping and foliage.
A blurry view of the field, from our seats in the top row of the stadium.
Brook and his mom, being cheery in spite of the wind and cold.
Yikes, I look every bit of my 61 years. :)
Celebrating KU as Orange Bowl champs.
I flew down to the Fort Lauderdale airport on New Year's Day, arriving at 6:00 pm. Their flight from KC didn't get in until 8:20 pm, so I had time to get some supper. When they arrived, we got our rental care and drove to our hotel in Miami Lakes, which was near Dolphin's Stadium, where they game would be player.
It was still nice and mild when we got in Tuesday evening, with temperatures in the mid-60's. However, during the night the arctic front finally made it's way into Florida. On Wednesday it was sunny all day, but the winds were blowing at a steady 40 mph, and it never got above 58 degrees. Needless to day, it was not the kind of weather we had been hoping for.
We still ventured out and drove down to the Miami Seaquarium on Biscayne Bay. We saw shows featuring dolphins, sea lions, and their killer whale. It was enjoyable, but pretty chilly sitting in the stands for all of it. I felt especially sorry for the trainers who had to get into the water during the shows. They looked like they were freezing.
In the afternoon, we went to check out the Orange Bowl Fan Fest, which was being held in a park in Miami Beach. It was a beautiful, scenic location next to the water, but the place was practically deserted because of the cold weather. The food and drink vendors were doing little business (not much cold beer was sold), and the bands that were playing had sparse audiences.
We headed back to the hotel to clean up and change, then headed to Hollywood, Florida to have dinner at Billy's Seafood restaurant. The place was packed, but the food was excellent, and we had a wonderful meal.
Thursday the temps inched above 60 degrees, but the day was completely coudy and the wind was still blowing. We did some shopping, and then decided to pick up long underwear and blankets for the game, since it was being held in the evening and temps would be down to the 40's by then.
We headed to the stadium at around 4:00 pm and went to a tailgate cook-out being held by the Kansus Alumni organization. Then it was off to an exciting football game, in which Kansas managed to beat Virginia Tech, which made the whole trip worthwhile. The next morning it was back to the airport for our flights home. (and naturally the weather was improving back to 70 and sunny as we left)
Me, Jeff, and Brook in front of the hotel.
Brook's mother, Jeff, and Brook.
Brook and Jeff in front of the Miami skyline.
A sealion trying to grab a little warmth from the sun.
Likewise for the alligators.
Brook, his mom, and Jeff, surveying the scene.
I was admiring the beautiful landscaping and foliage.
A blurry view of the field, from our seats in the top row of the stadium.
Brook and his mom, being cheery in spite of the wind and cold.
Yikes, I look every bit of my 61 years. :)
Celebrating KU as Orange Bowl champs.