From Mickey Mouse to The Wildcats - Live Trip Report

[DISWolves]

Eventually found Nigel's (DISwolves) number plate on the wall, look for it every visit but first time we have seen it.

My front plate is just around the corner of the entrance door



One next to Elvis and the other next to Alan Shearer! What neighbours

Did you notice the revamped bar area?

 

[wayneg]

My front plate is just around the corner of the entrance door

Did you notice the revamped bar area?

We looked but couldn't find it.

Yes, it had changed a little, wait still too long though

OT: If you watch Educating Yorkshire tonight the school featured is where Matt was the Headboy, he left 3 years ago so you won't see him.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/educating-yorkshire

 

[edinburghlass]

Have set Educating Yorkshire to record, looking forward to watching it. My daughter is intrigued by the girl in the trailer who removed all her eyebrows

 

[wayneg]

Have set Educating Yorkshire to record, looking forward to watching it. My daughter is intrigued by the girl in the trailer who removed all her eyebrows

We enjoyed watching the first episode but we know some of the teachers & staff, Matthew Burton taught Matt English and Mrs Marsden is a customer of mine and her husband is my mechanic.

Back to our trip. We left Florida on Sunday to fly upto Boston then a 1 hour drive upto the University of New Hampshire, had to be there before 4:30pm and had plenty of time, so we thought.
On arrival at Boston we got the Alamo courtesy bus. As I have posted elsewhere, yet again not an easy collection from Alamo, while in line and being served we overheard approx 8 cars being collected, everyone of them were given the hardsell, all told they had not booked a big enough car for their luggage. I declined the GPS, Sunpass, public liability, upgrade & everything she threw at me. I eventually asked for the manager to sort out free extra driver she wasn't going to allow without me paying $11/day. Alamo really are the worst of the lot for hardsell IMO.
After eventually getting the car we set off, I am guessing I hit the wrong icon at some point because what should have been a 1 hour jounney ended up 2 hours, only just got to campus in time but we did see a little of the coastline rather than just going up the highway.

First impressions of UNH were very good, a nice welcome from the staff and the campus was spotlessly clean with great arcitecture & grounds. Unfortunately things went downhill when we entered Matt's living area, Hetzel Hall. It was built about 100 years ago, very dark inside and not what he was used to at Lancaster Uni but over the week we were there we spent a few £100 on making his room nice, new matress, posters, cushions, lamp etc.
The first evening Matt ate with other international students, we just got a sarnie from Walmart.

 

[Linda67]

We nearly always tend to use Alamo and to be honest I don't think we will next time. I know what you mean about the hard sell - drives us crazy

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The building at the campus is quite lovely (if just on the outside!)

Not used Alamo for a while, this year chose Dollar even though a bit more expensive because the pick up from the garage has always been great last few times, car just ready and waiting with keys in

OT - who would you liken Matt to on the education programme then!

 

[wayneg]

Not used Alamo for a while, this year chose Dollar even though a bit more expensive because the pick up from the garage has always been great last few times, car just ready and waiting with keys in

OT - who would you liken Matt to on the education programme then!

Its difficult with car rental, there isn't a perfect system. Dollar Express is great but some of their cars are not the best, they run an older fleet and cheaper models. Alamo agents trained for aggressive hardsell (all are but Alamo I find worst) Hertz the best but generally crazy prices unless you find a sale.
All have good & bad agents, all have good and bad cars. Its all down to your rental on the day you collect.

I don't think Matt would have featured if he had still been there. He was headboy, got on very well with all the staff, never late, always did work ontime to a high standard. There are many students like Matt at Thonhill but they wouldn't make good TV so doubt we will see them.

 

[DISWolves]

Had exact opposite service from Alamo at Miami airport.
Only downside was the 1 hour plus wait to reach the front desk, after that I had got the keys in less than 5 minutes, with no offer of any other 'extras'
Had choice of 8-9 cars in the garage and eventually went for a Chevvy Equinox LTZ. This was top of the range, with every gadget fitted, including Sirius satellite radio, built in satnav, and fully adjustable electric seats. Only around 3K miles on clock on collection.
I certainly would give them another try based on this experience, but would like to know if they have an Express/FastBreak equivalent to cut the wait times.

 

[wayneg]

Had exact opposite service from Alamo at Miami airport.
Only downside was the 1 hour plus wait to reach the front desk, after that I had got the keys in less than 5 minutes, with no offer of any other 'extras'
Had choice of 8-9 cars in the garage and eventually went for a Chevvy Equinox LTZ. This was top of the range, with every gadget fitted, including Sirius satellite radio, built in satnav, and fully adjustable electric seats. Only around 3K miles on clock on collection.
I certainly would give them another try based on this experience, but would like to know if they have an Express/FastBreak equivalent to cut the wait times.

I took Paul to the Disney Car Care centre to collect a car on our last evening in Florida, that was a dream collection, no line or hardsell at all, only negative was no choice of standard SUV, they only had a Kia. Nothing wrong with it but I expect a choice with Alamo.
My worst collections are now Alamo Boston & Dollar Los Angeles but if price was right I would still try both again, hardsell is hassle but nothing I can't deal with

 

[wayneg]

Monday our first full day in NH was spent finding our way around, a look around Dover, Walmart etc. Matt went off with Uni to Portsmouth. Collected him early evening then went to Applebees for a meal, its somewhere I have wanted to goto for a few years but no-one else seemed too bothered to go so we kept putting it on the list of places to eat but never got there.
Monday nights they have a a burger night, any burger $5. Turned out to be one of the nicest burgers I have ever had and half price, should have been $9.95. Karen had Orange chicken, Matt had pasta, shared dessert which was also excellent.
Applebees now firmly on our list for future trips.

 

[dixonsontour]

Glad you are finishing your Live report..still enjoy all the food pics

 

[fairytale]

Hiya Wayne.

Just caught up with your TR and Matt's blog having been away ourselves for the summer.

Did you manage to see much of Boston?

We stayed for 3 days at the outset of our holiday and must say I have fallen in love with this city. Would love to spend a little more time there next year.

Great TR, thank you again for taking the time to post.

Annette

 

[wayneg]

Hiya Wayne.

Just caught up with your TR and Matt's blog having been away ourselves for the summer.

Did you manage to see much of Boston?

We stayed for 3 days at the outset of our holiday and must say I have fallen in love with this city. Would love to spend a little more time there next year.

Great TR, thank you again for taking the time to post.

Annette

We didn't get to Boston, it was something we planned on doing in Oct when we visited Matt, now he has returned home I think we are going to try change our flights to Florida in January. Maybe we will return another year.

 

[wayneg]

Tuesday was buying more stuff for Matt's room, lunch was at Friendly's, another place we had never eaten at. It was pretty average with a poor server, won't be in a rush to visit again.
We visited the UNH Wildcat, a statue we had watched many times on the UNH webcam over last winter with the snow piling up. Supposed to be good luck to touch its nose, if you watch the webcam many just walk up and touch the nose and walk off.
Evening meal at Chilis

 

[Linda67]

yummy food photos

 

[wayneg]

Wednesday, we dropped Matt at Uni then went into Portsmouth, realy nice old town. Had lunch there at a place called The Works, if you are ever up in the NH area they make great sandwiches http://www.worksbakerycafe.com/
Later we collected Matt and ate evening meal at Uno, another place we have seen many times in Orlando but never been in.

 

[wayneg]

Almost done, into our last few days now. Need to get it completed as we go again 2 weeks today. I really have to keep that live.

In the morning we had a few things to do at Uni. Got this pic of Matt & the UNH Wildcat.
In the afternoon we did something totally different, I saw we were near a national park so we decided to go take a look. Neither Karen nor Matt sounded too impressed about going but we went and had a look anyway. Turned out to be a great few hours, there was an honesty box to pay on entry, parked the car to find a basic toilet and a map, beside the large map were smaller paper maps to take that showed trails within the park, we chose a short one and off we went. Alano the way we found a Geocache, saw spiders & our first ever chipmunk in the wild. By the time we left we all agreed it was a really enjoyable afternoon. In the evening we ate at another new restaurant to us called Ninety Nine (Karen said that was the averge age of diner in there) It was OK but not somewhere to rush back to.

 

[Pootle]

Lol about comment to finish off the TR before you are back again! Glad we are due another one. For me it rates up there with Strictly being back on TV

 

[wayneg]

Lol about comment to finish off the TR before you are back again! Glad we are due another one. For me it rates up there with Strictly being back on TV

Has Matt been in touch? he said now he is back in Lancaster he could go for afternoon tea again I think that was one of his highlights from last year.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I like the look of Portsmouth and the National Park is something we would enjoy

The picture of you and Matt reminds me of my dd who is taller than both me and her dad! Hopefully she's stopped growing or we'll look like a mini mum and dad