Travel

Sep
4
2007

Day 1: Sandy Valley, Nevada to Mammoth, California

We're starting out on a road trip through the Pacific Northwest. There should be pictures soon to go along with the stories and the reason for their delay will soon become clear when we get to the "computer hard drive dies" portion of the trip.Eight miles from home we remembered the things we'd forgotten. Thinking them necessary we made a quick round-trip and were back on the road. With the obligatory tardiness in the initial start we were on the road about an hour behind schedule. After dropping in on the parents we were on the road headed up US 95 towards our first stop at the Death Valley Fruit and Nut company in Beatty, Nevada.Stocked with some hard candies we were again headed north. The shuddered and for-sale bordello, Cottontail Ranch, marked the point were were to depart from US 95 and head west. The trip across Lida summit, through Oasis and past Deep Springs1.

Aug
26
2007

Exchange rate

We're nearing setting out on a trip through the Pacific Northwest. There was a time when popping into Canada meant significant savings because the US Dollar was much stronger than the Canadian Dollar. Those days are well behind us.

Jun
23
2007

Meeting people

Thursday evening I wrote from on-board a Southwest Airlines flight. I thought I'd spend the flight reading the excellent Pro Drupal Development book that I'd picked up earlier in the week. Instead I spent the flight talking with Paul Engemann, Larry King's brother-in-law, and the wife of a pilot on the way to support her husband's run in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. The wide-ranging discussion covered everything from raising kids to traveling the globe and even multi-level marketing. While not as productive in the work-a-day-world sense the conversation was an enjoyable break.

Jun
21
2007

Blogging on board

Tonight a quick trip back to Reno. The pilot just announced a delay while we wait for a connecting flight. We'll be sitting at the gate for 15 minutes. Since we didn't push back, however, I still have McCarran's wonderful free wireless connection right here in 11A. Nice.

Nov
12
2006

On the road once more

It says something that I most often find time to blog of late when I'm sitting in the boarding area of an airport. It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. I did bump into a fellow American Legion Boys' State person at the airport this morning. Thankfully he reported that his party had made an appropriate contribution to our state economy.

I'm afraid, however, that I threw off the statistical process. I was given a yellow card to time how long it takes to go through security. Though I went through about twice as fast as anyone around me.

Nov
3
2006

McCarran Airport is great

I've written in the past about how exceptional McCarran airport is. Watching the rosy reflection of the sun on the pre-sunrise clouds outside I'm again prompted to take note. From parking to the gate, even with a throng of people at the security line and deep queues at the ticketing counter it took about thirty minutes to go from the car to sitting at the gate. Sure there are the things that don't make sense at any airport, like the announcement at the gate about not checking baggage from strangers... though presumably the people sitting here have already checked their bags.

Flying out of Las Vegas on Friday morning is great. What Nevadans who travel frequently know, however, is that flying home on Friday evening is a real drag. After a time on the road you're tired and just want to get home, put your feet up and relax. However, chances are very good that the plane is filled with more than a hundred people who are going to Vegas baby. For them the party is just getting going and they're happy to share their high-energy joy with everyone else. Of course it is a good thing as tax-adverse Nevada would have nothing to pay its workers with if it weren't for the donations of our out-of-town guests. All and all its a win-win but it doesn't always feel that way on Friday night.

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