Things To Do In SW Florida

A bipartisan legislative effort coupled with private donations could result in $40 million more for the Holocaust Museum for Hope & Humanity, which is planned to break ground in Orlando this year.

The new Holocaust Museum, to be located north of downtown, is being developed by the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center and would replace its Maitland facility to become the largest museum dedicated to the Holocaust in Florida.

State Sen. Linda Stewart, a Democrat, and Rep. David Smith, a Republican, are teaming up on the effort. Stewart has requested up to $25 million in the Senate, while Smith seeks $5 million in the House. Because the requests would come from the same pool of funds, the maximum amount disbursed would be $25 million for the project.

Meanwhile, Central Florida philanthropist Alan Ginsburg has pledged to match up to $25 million in government funding with private-sector funds. He already has pledged $10 million, meaning Ginsburg would bring an additional $15 million to the table for a total of $40 million in new funding. read more

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I write to express my disappointment and distress with my recent experiences at Booking.com. I travel frequently, as do my wife and family. I always recommend Booking.com, and we all use it almost exclusively.

Recently, while traveling, I discovered two fraudulent attempts to make bookings on my account. I canceled them immediately and contacted customer service. A representative told me to change my password. I did this, yet the next time I tried to log in using my email address, I received a message that my account had been disabled.

I contacted Booking.com’s customer service. A representative assured me that the company was investigating the problem, and that I should set up a new account and import my existing bookings.

I did this, but when I contacted Booking.com, a representative told me that I couldn’t import my existing bookings. Now I have another problem: I can’t reactivate my old account because I have too many cancellations. The only cancellations in recent history were the two fraudulent ones. read more

Mom Nicole Pevehouse picks strawberries with Emmeline, 4, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Karissa Skinner, left, and Chelsea Knight pose for a selfie at the u-pick sunflower field at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Bees pollinate the sunflowers at the u-pick field in Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Rows of u-pick Bibb Lettuce at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

A red tractor in the u-pick sunflower field at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Kiley Pevehouse, 8, picks strawberries with mom Nicole, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

Karissa Skinner picks sunflowers at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) read more

It was perhaps one of their strangest day dates ever, Frankie Huff surmised in a social media post about Orlando International Airport.

“But we had a blast!” said Huff’s wife, Debbie Kleinberg, as she recapped several hours spent exploring the retail, dining and entertainment options at MCO’s year-old Terminal C.

“I like hanging out at the airport, anyway,” the Oviedo resident said, “but I might be unusual.”

Folks at MCO are guessing she’s not — and hoping the program will be as popular as the hard-to-get, MCO-themed socks staffers give away, and fans clamor for. 

Back in September, the airport debuted the Experience MCO Visitor Pass Program, which allows the non-traveling public to pass through TSA checkpoints and check out the offerings on the other side.

The idea for a visitor program isn’t new, says Kevin Thibault, chief executive officer for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, “but I’m a big fan of copying great things that others have done.”

More than a few airports have similar day pass options, including Ontario International Airport in California, Detroit Metropolitan Airport and New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport, where the MSY Guest Pass allows non-ticketed visitors to enjoy more than 40 concessions post-security.   read more