Guantanamo Bay: May 2016
Breakfast again at the hospital galley (couldn't get enough of the view or the french toast sticks!), hung around a bit, then Uncle Sid packed us off to the ferry to say goodbye-- thanks for the invite and the unique experience!
Watched people jump off the pier to say farewell to their friends who were permanently departing NS Guantanamo Bay as the ferry pulled away from the windward side of the bay, then spent a solid 2+ hours in the terminal at Leeward Point Field waiting for the rotator flight to arrive, unload, and prepare to takeoff again. It was pleasant enough-- they've got model airplanes lining the walls, a Subway, and a gift shop-- plus the flight today was a much more comfortable Sun Country charter flight. Still a Boeing 737-800, it was a much more modern one with the latest split scimitar winglets and the Boeing Sky Interior.
Food was dinky sandwiches in a bag lunch, but for a 2 hour flight it was enough. A few glimpses of Cuba from 30,000 feet didn't hurt either-- t'was as much of Cuba as we were going to see on this trip! After landing, buses then go from Cecil Field to either NAS Jacksonville or to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), which was very convenient-- no need to rent a car or worry about a taxi!
Had dinner not too much later at a local Cracker Barrel. Somehow Dad had never been-- we had a table full of tasty catfish, hamburger steak, biscuits, grits, apples, and other things just a few minutes later! NOM! One final note-- the Airport Road area in Jacksonville is not friendly to pedestrians, so if you insist on walking as we did, try to do it in daylight.