17 April 2016 Nineteen Hours

I needed to travel to Spokane and be in Monday morning. This is usually an easy trip for me. I leave the house at six in the morning and arrive in Spokane at one in the afternoon. Basically its ten hours of traveling to the airport, TSA, flights, and connection waits. Usually I have a rental and have reached a trail to hike by two. It all started well with an amazing breakfast of Stroopwafel (what you've never heard of Stroopwafel?) and Sprite.

Then Denver arrived. Oops, United has no planes to send to Spokane. We're sorry, well send you on the 6pm flight. Sure you will.

Denver is a terrible airport to be stuck for a delay. There aren't enough seats and no tables. Waiting passengers end up sitting on the floor. I was able to amuse myself looking at the worst sports memorabilia ever made.

Who buys these?

I also found out that Wetzel's Pretzels is no challenge to Auntie Anne's (or any other soft pretzel).

The delay might not have been so bad if Southwest hadn't sent three flights of to Spokane on time for the Denver airport while United was trying to find its plane. Yes, even de-icing the jets didn't appear to delay the Southwest flights.

As the day passed into the evening, even the usually busy Denver airport started winding down the day's flights.

Six in the evening came and went with no plane for Spokane.

The day's departures consumed fewer and fewer screens

The people movers were empty.

Eventually, United decided to provide a plane to fly us to Spokane. I guess they ran out of other places to fly. I arrived in Spokane 10 p.m. Pacific or 1 a.m. my home time. I said goodbye to nineteen hours of my life.

11 December 2011 One More Trip West

My last trip of the year was a visit to Spokane. My choices were to fly really early and get to Spokane in time for some caching and some open restaurants or leave later and spend a little time with Ali. The choice was easy. I was rewarded for my later departure with mostly quiet airports at all three stops.

It will take a while to get used to seeing Continental tails on planes marked United.

My gates in Denver were near to each other so I got to do a little walking while waiting for my next flight. There are a number of Waymarks in the airport. I was able to visit a couple and add one more at this neon art called Beaded Circle Crossing.

18 November 2011 Going Home