Things To Do In SW Florida

Two Central Florida restaurants shut down the week of Feb. 4-10, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange

Amura Sushi at 7786 W. Sand Lake Road in Orlando shut down on Feb. 6. Inspectors found 36 violations, 10 of which were a high priority.

Those violations included insects, a stop-sale due to spoiled food, an employee failing to wash their hands before touching food and an employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands.

A second inspection the same day found 11 inspections, two of which were a high priority for insects and selling spoiled food.

Officials issued a time extension for both and the restaurant met inspection standards.

Osceola

La Fuente Bar & Restaurant at 1166 E. Vine St. in Kissimmee shut down on Feb. 6. Inspectors found 11 violations, three of which were a high priority.

Those violations included roaches, a stop-sale on food due to temperature abuse and food held at the wrong temperatures.

A second inspection on Feb. 7 found five violations. The restaurant remained closed. read more

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: My husband and I rented a car on Turo for a week while we were visiting San Diego. We paid for “minimum protection,” just to be on the safe side. We did not take any photos of the car in the app before or after because we took great care of the car.

The day after we returned the car, I received a bill from Turo claiming $3,000 in damages (which just so happens to be the maximum amount I would be required to pay with the protection plan I purchased).

The owner took photos, and there are some minor scuffs on the black interior trim. The invoice covered the cost of replacing three interior panels. This seems like a complete scam, especially since normal wear and tear does not qualify as damage. I don’t think I should have to pay the $3,000. Can you help me?

— Nancy Epstein, Boston

ANSWER: You’re right — your Turo bill looked suspicious. Not only did it coincidentally cover your entire deductible, but the evidence of the damage looked inconclusive.

First, let’s look at a few details about your rental. Turo is like Airbnb for cars, so you are renting someone else’s vehicle. This was a later model of the BMW 4 Series, so any repairs are bound to be expensive. You also selected the bare-bones coverage with a high deductible, which meant you were on the hook for damages of less than $3,000. read more

A state bill that would have restricted the ability of Orange County commissioners to cut Visit Orlando’s funding was written not by the senator who carried it, but by a lobbyist for the county, the Sentinel has learned.

Lobbyist Chris Carmody sought to hide his role in the legislation, which is now raising eyebrows and stirring anger among county commissioners who believe he was undermining the county’s interests when he is paid to defend them.

“Try not to mention my name on this one. :)” he texted the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, early in the process.

Stewart, shrugging off the criticism directed at her and Carmody, said her bill is now dead because it failed to get a sponsor in the Florida House of Representatives. But she added that it served a purpose as “a messaging bill” to highlight the value of Visit Orlando. Shortly after her bill surfaced, county commissioners agreed to a funding deal far more favorable to Visit Orlando than what they had been considering. read more

While NASA is rooting for SpaceX to achieve Starship success so it can land humans on the moon, the U.S. military has plans of their own for the massive rocket that could include launches from Florida’s Space Coast.

Elon Musk’s next-generation rocket currently in development at SpaceX’s southeast Texas facilities is gearing up for its third suborbital test flight as soon as this month after its first two ended in explosions last year. It’s part of the company’s long-term plans for a completely reusable spacecraft with more payload capacity into space than any other rocket ever.

Starship’s potential also includes flying quickly from one spot on Earth to another, which is what has the Department of Defense interested. That was discussed during the Space Mobility Conference held by the Space Force at the Orange County Convention Center earlier this month.

“Rocket cargo point-to-point is not the reason we’re building Starship,” said SpaceX senior adviser Gary Henry. “We’re building Starship to get to Mars.”  [But] “what we’re finding is it’s a system we’re putting together that has profound impacts for national security, and one of them just happens to be rocket point-to-point.” read more

By Sally French | NerdWallet

All-inclusive vacations can conjure images of food under heat lamps, too many poolside piña coladas, and being trapped on resort grounds. But sun-soaked packages are not the only type of all-inclusives.

Sure, sprawling mega-resorts exist — and their numbers are growing. All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy has spent the last couple of years building a portfolio of nearly three dozen all-inclusive hotels worldwide, mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean.

One of the most highly anticipated is the Marriott Cancun, reopening in early 2024 to include some of the typical all-inclusive amenities: a sprawling property of 450 rooms, a lazy river, waterslides and more.

But guests looking for a more localized and unique experience can still find that type of vacation — with the price of food and activities included.

Consider a different type of all-inclusive travel in 2024

Some all-inclusives are entirely antithetical to stereotypical resort experiences. Wellness and activity take precedence over all-you-can-eat meals. They aren’t necessarily in sunny locales. Guest counts are limited, with just a handful of beds. read more