SoCal: Day 5, Disneyland and Flight Home

The girl at the gate at Disneyland last night told me that the park opened at 8am today, so I set my alarm for 7, showered and packed up the room so I could enjoy the morning at the park. Well, when I arrived with my spirits high at 8am sharp I discovered that the girl was wrong and the park opened at 10. Crestfallen, I went back to the hotel and grabbed the car, going to the Company D Store/Team Center to see if they were opened. They opened at 9, so I went to the gas station to fill up the car and clean out the trunk. I headed back to the Team Store and made some purchases, then went back to the hotel to check out.

After checking out, I went back to the park, as it was now 10. I went in and went to the Lincoln Experience. This exhibit was closed last year when I was here, so I was glad to check it out. Turns out this exhibit has changed often throughout the years, being revamped about 5 times. They restored it to the original, which was very cool since it was restored to what Walt himself planned and wanted. I was amazed to see how much of the show was also incorporated into the American Experience at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World.

After Lincoln, I went to Adventureland and Pirates of the Caribbean. It did not disappoint, again. I found Jack the Pumpkin King and Sally outside the Haunted House, and seeing as how there was no wait I went on the Haunted Mansion again. Oh, but before going on the ride I grabbed a churro since the stand was finally open ;)

After the Mansion, I walked around some to absorb the park- making my way to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, winding up back on Mainstreet USA I walked toward the exit and stopped by the Firehouse to pay homage to Uncle Walt. I turned to leave - I really only had about an hour and a half to enjoy the park since I didn’t want to be late for my 1:40p flight. Of course, I did grab a fresh churro on my way out ;)

The drive back to John Wayne only took about 20 minutes, and returning the car was a breeze. I flew through security and had about an hour before my flight. I was very disappointed to see that the only food options in the airport are McDonalds and Starbucks, some bars and restaurants (not quick) and bookstores. I’ll have to remember that for next time and grab food on the way. Or eat in the park, but I didn’t want to waste what little time I had there eating.

The flight is rather light again, and I got my own row. This time we are flying a little higher tack, and I was able to see the Grand Canyon from the air, which was amazing. I hope to see that in January. The Rockies were incredible - way better than the part we saw on the way out. Perhaps it’s because we’re coming the other way and the setting sun is hitting them, but it’s simply gorgeous.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself another CranApple…

SoCal: Day 1, The Rest

The flight was fine. My back wasn’t too much of an issue - it was a light flight and I had a row to myself. I was able to stretch when I needed to, which helped. I dozed for the first half of the flight, but was awake as we flew over the middle of the country. In past flights to California, I’ve always had an aisle seat so I’d be able to stretch my legs. Being able to sit next to a window was quite fun. It was amazing to look down at Kansas as we flew over - the perfect grid of farmland divided for miles and miles - truly awesome to see. The juxtaposition between that and the Rockies was quite wild. It was also cool to see the red rocks of Arizona from the air. It was a most enjoyable flight. And, of course, the Minute Maid CranApple was simply the icing on the cake!

The approach into John Wayne Airport was really cool - hills and mountains and little communities. There were lots of tennis courts and swimming pools and red roofs to check out as we made our decent.

John Wayne airport is small, but it did the job well. Getting out was a piece of cake - the rental car company was right on the premises and I was on my way quickly.

I was meeting my friends who were flying down from San Jose while following the Devils around California. Their flight was a few hours away, so I drove around the area a bit to find a supermarket and get some supplies. It’s a really pretty area, with colleges very close by. I began to think that I made a poor choice going to college in the Northeast…

I tried my first Carl’s Jr. meal. It was….meh. I had the chicken strips, which seemed on the verge of being under-cooked…but I needed to get some food in me - I wasn’t sure what the plan was for the rest of the day and I just had snacks on the flight. When my friends Ashok and Mary landed I made a pass by the passenger-pickup and grabbed them. John Wayne Airport is sooooo much easier than LAX.

Greetings out of the way, we headed up to our hotel near Honda Center and checked in. After freshening up we headed up to Disneyland. Much to our dismay, the park was closing at 8pm that night for some special party, and it was already 4:30. We parked in Daisy 6G (or, apparently, Andy Green, 6) and rode the tram to the Park.

We entered and I made a bee-line to the churro stand near the entrance for a stick of that cinnamonny-sugary goodness. It was delicious, and worth the trip alone. Not having much time we made our way to Adventureland. My friends are big fans of Nightmare Before Christmas and Jack Skellington, so the Haunted Mansion was now on our much shorter to-do list.

But first, Pirates of the Caribbean. The line was minuscule and we were quickly in a boat. Words cannot describe my absolute glee, so I won’t even try.

After Pirates, I resisted the urge to immediately ride it again and we walked over the Haunted Mansion. There was a little bit of a line, but that was okay - it was a nice time to catch up some more and people-watch. Shok and Mary really seemed to enjoy the Mansion, which was awesome. They really do it up nicely for Halloween.

A popcorn and diet coke later, and after shopping at the Jack Skellington kiosk outside the mansion, we wandered to Fantasyland and Alice in Wonderland. It was a Mary request, and I had never been on it before. The squeals of delight coming from the front of the car told me that it was thoroughly enjoyed, which was awesome. We wandered some more into Mickey’s Toontown, and did a little shopping there. We tried to take the Train over to Tomorrowland, but it was late and the train that showed up was being put to bed. Not wanting to waste 10 minutes waiting for the next train we decided to walk it, through the parade route.

Once in Tomorrowland, Shok and Mary went on line for Space Mountain. I was going to check out the revival of Captain EO, but had 20 minutes before the 8pm show. I walked back to Mainstreet USA and thought about grabbing a snack, but didn’t want to have a whole corndog. Instead, I ran back to Adventureland to check the line for Indiana Jones. It was non-existent, so I ran and did that. I figured I’d rather do that ride than see Captain EO, since my hatred of Michael Jackson is well documented. Indy is such a fantastic ride; I know I made the correct choice.

I booked it back to Captain EO afterward but the 8pm showing already closed. I hung out and waited for Shok and Mary to be out of Space Mountain - and almost saw a fight break out between some meatheads. That was fun.

After Shok and Mary got off the ride, we headed out to Mainstreet USA and walked toward the exit. I tried to grab one more churro but they were closed. (D’oh). No matter. We started to walk toward Downtown Disney and checked out World of Disney. Shopping ensued. After that we got some cotton candy and waited for the tram. Mary kept us all entertained, and especially a cute little blond boy next to us in line, and we boarded our tram. Somehow the boy and his mother didn’t get on our tram, and I regret not helping them out.

We got back to the car and headed back to the hotel. After contemplating going out for a nice dinner, we decided to hit up Dennys since I was starting to crash from the flight and time-difference. The Lumberjack Slam was just as good as I remembered. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel where I passed out shortly thereafter.

SoCal: Day 1, flight

I don’t know why I keep booking flights so early in the morning. The night before is always a jumble of packing and making sure I have everything I need, followed by too few hours of sleep, and then a mad dash to the airport only to sit there for over an hour waiting to board. But, no traffic and a breezy security screening means that everything is going to plan.

This morning I’m flying from JFK to SNA (John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA) on Delta. It’s my first time flying into Orange Country directly, and I’m looking forward to the convenience of NOT having to deal with LAX. Upon checking in I found that the flight is fairly light- I changed my seat to the back of the plane so I could have my own row. With my back still a little tight, this is most fantastic news!

Odd thing I just saw - we have a male flight attendant - a little older, very pleasant. He’s walking down the aisle offering blankets (for a fee, I’m sure). A few aisles away I heard him quip “it’s for the ladies - guys don’t use blankets.” I found it a little odd that a male in a stereotypically female job would make such an antiquated joke playing on traditional machismo. Eh. I laughed in my head.

I can’t wait to fall asleep.

North Carolina - Day 1 (flight)

It certainly was interesting getting out of LaGuardia. I get to the terminal around the normal time - noon for a 1:40 flight - plenty of time to get through security and get to my gate. When I get to the gate there is a massive amount of people waiting - the (what I thought was the) previous flight was boarding. I took a walk around the terminal, made a pit stop and got myself a bottle of water for the flight.

I mosey on back to the gate and there are still tons of people. I sit in one of the adjacent gates to stay out of the way. I can see on the board that the Norfolk, VA flight was leaving at 1:20 and was starting to board. I figured that we’d be boarding afterward. Well, after Norfolk boarded, chaos ensued. Cincinnati was boarding next, with a thong of people hanging around. Turns out that flight was delayed, and they had to downsize the plane they were using, which means they had to start bumping. That’s never fun. After that flight left, they started to board Richmond, VA. I discovered around this time that my flight was still waiting for it’s crew. I’d find out later that we were also waiting for a plane. I’ve found that having a crew helps, but having a plane is a necessity.

Watching everyone hover near the gate, I sat down in a seat next to it, amazed that more people didn’t decide to sit as well. An older lady sat next to me waiting for a flight to Portland, Maine. We started chatting about the flight delays, and then traded stories of other flights gone awry. She has a son that was in the Peace Corps in Morocco, and she told me of troubles they had trying to visit him. She also told me a story of a flight where they were asking for volunteers to bump. A man said he’d do it for a ticket anywhere in the world…and eventually he got that. I’ll have to remember that nugget.

The Portland flight loaded and left…as well as Halifax, Orlando and Atlanta at other surrounding gates. Our plane eventually showed up and we boarded. I switched seats to accommodate a couple that had two opposite window seats…I did my good deed for the day. The flight was uneventful, and I got my can of Cran-apple. Boy that takes me back.

Anaheim - Day 1

I woke up this morning at about 4am to begin my trek out to California. I wasn't prepared as I was last time, and am kinda winging it. I just made my hotel reservations about 8 hours before my flight. Yeah, not good.

I flew out of JFK on Virgin America for the first time. It was an uneventful flight. I was comfortable, and the TV and Music was nice...but JetBlue has XM, which I like better personally. It ranks up there with JetBlue, but it seems to me like you had to pay for everything extra where JetBlue has more perks. Got me here on time, which is the best perk.

After landing in LAX I picked up my car and headed to Anaheim. A little traffic on the 105 is to be expected I suppose...a car flipped over, which caused some delay.

After getting to Anaheim I promptly got lost thinking that I remembered where I was going from last time. 2 days in a city does not make you an expert. Thanks to Google Maps I corrected my errors. I went to Honda Center to buy tickets for tonight's game. I tried looking on Stubhub and Ticketmaster while on the flight (remember when I said I had terrible preparation for this trip??) but I didn't want to pay the ticketmaster fees, nor did I want to pay Stubhub's "last minute" extortion. I bought a seat in Section 412, upstairs.

After I left the Pond I went to a supermarket to get water and snacks for the room. I checked in at the Best Western Anaheim Inn a little after 3. After freshening up and putting on my jersey it was off to the Pond!

Parking was a snap and I walked around the building outside a little. They have a whole little lot area where they have kids' games set up - a lot of street hockey games going on. Basically a kids-zone, which is always cool to see.

I went inside and checked out the team store. I am from New York and used to NY prices, and I was taken aback by how expensive everything was! I paid $36 for a hat! I only paid it because I know I'll wear it very often.

I went down to ice level for warm-ups which is always fun. After that I headed upstairs to my seat.

The first period saw the Sens and the Ducks score twice each. Each time the Sens scored the Ducks tied it right back up. After the first a few friends I met on Twitter stopped by my section and wound up staying the rest of the game. It was fun to watch the game with other Ducks fans that I (kinda) knew. I know them now!

The game went to a shootout and the Ducks lost. It's a shame - my losing streak continues (up to 7 now...ugh) but I hope to snap it on Tuesday.

I left the game and felt like I was back in NY - freezing! Well, sort of. Not as bad as when I leave games in the Garden in December, but not SoCal weather! I guess I brought the cold with me...

I made it back to my room but was very hungry so I decided to grab a bite at Denny's next door. I'm sure I'll begin to regret it soon, but the hash browns were calling me!

Speaking of calling my, my bed is doing that now.

Washington, DC

I flew out of LGA at 10:30am. I was hoping to get on the 9:30 flight but it would have cost the company an extra $75 dollars. Not feeling that it was really worth it, I hung out in the airport for another hour. Had I could the 9:30 flight I would have shared it with Charlie Gibson. Catching the 10:30 flight meant I shared it with Katie Couric. Everyone was going down for the Obama speech I guess.

This was one of the more turbulent flights I’ve been on in a while. It was very windy during take off. When we passed over the Hudson it really looked like a nice water runway…just sayin. But I read on the plane and the hour passed quickly.

After landing I took the metro to the hotel (Capital Hilton) and checked in. I freshened up, grabbed my Frommers and hit the town. I stopped by JR Cigars on L Street and grabbed myself a nice Ashton and strolled around DC. I walked down passed the White House and made my way to Fords Theater. Turns out it was not as close as I thought, but it was okay. I had my XM MyFi with me.

I passed by Ollie’s Trolley and knew I just HAD to have an OllieBurger. It was a couple of blocks away from the theater. I went to get my ticket for the 3pm tour and then went back to the Trolley. The OllieBurger was delicious. Seasoned fries and a diet coke made for a nice meal. After lunch I grabbed myself a cupcake at a little sweets shop and headed over to the theater.

The theater is beautiful. Small and cozy it looks like a great place to see a play. They restored it to the way it was the night Lincoln was shot. It had been changed to office space for a time, later used as storage. They have it decorated like it was with flags. A Park Ranger did a (surprisingly boring) schpiel about the events of that night. I just think that the Ranger can’t tell a story. Have Kevin Smith up there telling it and it would have popped.

After the story I made my way across the street to where Lincoln was brought after he was shot. There was a doctor in the house and, after seeing the President, he knew that there was nothing that could be done. They tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The house doesn’t have the exact furniture that was in it but it has pieces from that period.

All in all it was a cool tour. The ticket was free, and you got what you paid for.

After that I took the metro back to my hotel, and then went to work to do what I needed to do for a few hours.

After I was done with my tasks, I met my brother and his friends for some drinks down the block. DC prices are way cheaper than NYC prices, which is nice. I was able to catch the end of the Ducks game, and the bar we went to was right across the street of the Verizon Center, so we saw a lot of people that just left the Caps/Flyers game. The rest of the evening was uneventful – I went back to the hotel, wound down a little and went to sleep.

Bravo American

I spent much of a previous post bashing American Airlines due to their practice of and handling of the over-sold flight that I took down here to sunny Buenos Aires.

A few hours ago I recieved an email from American applogizing for the delayed service. They said that they wanted to make it up to me by giving me 5,000 miles credit as a way of saying they were sorry.

While I won't get back the afternoon I could have spent exploring the ciudad, I am impressed that they offered this to me without my having to write a complaint email. While American still won't be tops on my list of carriers to fly, they are not on the bottom.

Then again, they never were. United has set up shop down there.