This is one of a series of occasional reports by Billboard Insider’s peripatetic correspondent Nick Coston.  Nick is an outdoor advertising consultant who specializes in OOH media planning and buying.   Here’s an account of his recent Florida road trip.

Last week, during the east coast’s brutal heat wave, I did what most bright media people do, I went to Florida. Ok, on paper that looks really stupid , but it wasn’t quite as hot there until the end of the week. But business is business and those boards won’t look at themselves, so off I went.

This flight landed in Jacksonville and I rode CCO billboards, not a bad one in sight. Dinner at the architecturally magnificent Chart House on the water, and riding with our CCO representative, a 30 plus year veteran and one of the finest in the business. Rented a pimped out Buick LaCross from Alamo after Tuesday’s ride and headed down that big moving parking lot, I-95, towards Orlando. The radio system in this car even reads your texts over the speakers. My heart stopped when a voice said “Wifey Coston says don’t eat too much tonight.”  My worse nightmare had begun.  I turned the phone off and pretended it was 1977 and used the road signs and billboards to navigate. Passed 3 bad accidents, a burned car and a dozen Florida Citrus Center bulletins. Anyone ever buy a gator head there?

I rode the Orlando market with the two companies CCO, and Outfront in company of  veteran reps, all with awesome billboard war stories, From Ray, Lou, Patti and Rob in Ocala, to some of the managers they brought along, Scott, Bruce, and Ryan, it was a Billboard Love Fest. A cool cocktail, steak tartar and the lively art of outdoor conversation, oh come on now, you can’t top this. We got some sports in, family stories, previous company stories, and living in Florida stories. For 8 hours of riding, you talk a lot.  How are the new technologies doing (save that for another post, whew), commissions getting cut again, who has ride cars and who doesn’t, which Wawa is your favorite, and who slept with that rep, who was let go for that reason? Wow, be glad that what gets said on board rides, stays on rides.

Even had time to navigate our ride past Pulse Nightclub, the scene of that tragic early morning shooting. A somber moment seeing the memorials posted outside. We may have forgotten some of what happened there, but Orlando hasn’t. Rides aren’t always about billboards, they are about the area, seeing who lives there, the businesses, the people on the street and sadly, real life events. You won’t feel the impact using Google Streets views, photos, or buying boards programmatically.   No way.   You only see and feel this by being there and seeing the sights in person. Breathtaking.

Lawyers.   Orlando must have more lawyer billboards than anywhere in the U.S. They are everywhere, like the automotive used to be. One after another, across from each other, and down the street from each other. Permed out, big phone numbers, even dollar amounts of settlements.   It’s the place to sue.

There were new gator signs at my hotel. Gators must love the attention they are getting. Gulp.  After covering 900 miles from Jacksonville to Orlando to Ocala and back to Orlando, it was time to fly home. Had a terrific cowboy of a pilot on board our A-319 which took off in a quick, heavy rainstorm and full-throttled until we got above 22,000 and blue skies. This was our pilot’s last flight before retirement.  Passengers clapped and shook his hand on the way out.   He was a smiling, happy looking man, and yea, looked way younger than me. Never know what kind of trip you’ll end up with until you park at the gate.

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