Miami Airport

For many visiting Florida generally, and Key West specifically, Miami international airport (MIA) is  their start point.  When you take that first step out of your plane, and onto the jet bridge, it hits you - the  potent cocktail of heat, humidity and kerosene - you know you're in Miami airport.  Your vacation has officially started.

You hope your shorts, t-shirt and sun glasses are close to hand so you can get them on as soon as possible.

Here are some images from my landing yesterday.

The view on final approach into MIA - Miami International Airport.  Just before this view is miles of Everglades and water - all very, very flat.

Then the sprawl of Miami hits you - now only a few seconds before touch down.

Taxing to the gate at Miami airport.  A concrete complex.

You get some really strange looking planes at MIA, regional airlines flying to local destinations.

For the many years I've been using MIA, it's always been in a state of continual change, with new construction, new terminals and roadwork.  One well needed change was a monorail linking the terminal with the new rental car station.

I don't miss the old system one bit - going underneath the terminal in the heat and smog, waiting for a rental bus and then the 10 minute drive offsite to the car rental offices.  The new system is great.  And quick.

The funky rainbow windows just at the new entrance to the monorail - called the MIA mover.

Waiting for the Mover at the boarding point.

MIA Mover in motion.  A view of the 1.25 mile route from the airport terminal to the massive new car rental building.

The MIA airport taxi pool from the MIA Mover.

The Alamo section inside the rental station.  Pretty impressive.  All in all so much easier and quicker to use.

So finally, after taxing, disembarking, walking miles from the gate to immigration, immigration, baggage reclaim (which is dreadful and very old fashioned in MIA!), monorail to the rental building, getting the car and getting off the airport - you ESCAPE!!!!

Into the palm trees and heat of Miami.

Onto the I-95 and decisions.  Straight to South Beach.  Left to Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Florida. Or right to Key West?.....

Road signs on the I-95 just outside Miami airport.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.....