My Trip to Alaska Saturday Travel Day 1 June 27th Saturday

While this is mostly a political blog I did want to capture my trip to Alaska.

• Got up about 4am in Norfolk, Virginia. My flight was at 6:30am from Norfolk International Airport but was having trouble sleeping and if you ever sign up for a flight from Orbitz they call you and notify you of flight updates. In my case, they called me at 3am-- Geeze , thanks guys :)
• Got to airport about 5:15am and it was packed. Where is this huge recession they keep talking about, I know we are in one but people are still jamming the airports. By the time I checked my one bag and got through security (they took my carry-on toothpaste, deodorant and shaving cream - I had carried them with me because I thought they would lose my luggage but I forgot you can only carry a certain size -- Oh well :) ) it was about 6:10am.
• Went to my gate and it looked like I had plenty of time so I took my laptop around the corner and started sending out twitter messages http://twitter.com/billster
• Walked back to the gate about 6:20am and I didn't see anyone boarding for my flight to JFK, so I sat down.
• About 6:35am I noticed that people were boarding and I walked to the gate and saw that this was the flight to DETROIT. I calmly asked about the flight to NYC-JFK and they said that it had already LEFT !!! THAT's right I had missed my flight :( ... I mean aren't they supposed to call out your name or something, anyway I can only blame myself. So I then ask the Delta lady what am i supposed to do. She says, "Hold on and I will rebook you." At the same time, I am speaking with a lady who works for the airlines and is also trying to get to JFK and she says I will be lucky to get to NYC today because it seems all flights are booked.. OH NO!! I haven't even started and already I am messing up.
• So this huge sinking feeling comes over me as I watch the Delta rep typing away at the computer, thinking I will not be able to get out until tomorrow and I will miss my tour of Anchorage scheduled for Sunday.
• GOOD NEWS -- after about 15 minutes she says she was able to rebook me through Atlanta and I then have a direct flight to Anchorage arriving only 45 minutes later than my intended route!!! I'd like to thank this Delta person as she did a great JOB!!
• Flight leaves Norfolk about 9:30am and arrives in ATL about 10:45am. I have a layover till 2:50 PM. Get a bite to eat at Dominos and I buy Glenn Beck's new book -- Common Sense.
• We leave ontime and of course I get the middle seat on a 767, in the middle row that is between two other folks :). Right before flight, they move the guy to the right of me up to first class so I move over and we have an extra seat between me and another lady :) YEAH MORE SPACE .. I start talking to this lady and find out she is originally from South Africa and is coming back to Anchorage which is now her home. I feel bad for complaining because she has just had a 16 hour Journey from Johannesburg. Anyway, we talk for awhile and she is super-nice and tells me all about sites to see in Anchorage. I watch the movie "Gran-Torino" (great movie btw) and start reading Beck's book.. excellent book as well !!
• Arrive in Anchorage at 6:30pm local time. The views from the plane are phenomenal as I am standing up in the aisle trying to look out the window.. Snow-covered mountains and glaciers.. definitely a different world up here. We land at the South Terminal and when the pilot announces we are in Anchorage, people start clapping.. pretty cool and my feelings exactly :) See some of the pics above that I took at the South Terminal. Click on the last pic and see Sarah's message to the troops
• Since my bag went out on the JFK flight that I missed I find out that, that flight arrived at the North Terminal so I have to take a shuttle over to this new terminal -- named: Ted Stevens International Airport (you know the senator that they stole the election from on bogus charges :)
• My bag is actually still on the conveyor belt so I luck out once again!!
• I used the informational kiosk to call the Days Inn and they tell me the shuttle is right out front by the Taxis, so I venture out front and of course it is not there :) BTW: Temperature is 53 degrees with rain :)
• I call Days Inn and eventually about 15 minutes later get picked up by the shuttle. The driver is in the Army and works part-time for the Hotel.. One other passenger is with us, some guy from New York who is up here for kayaking. Driver makes a joke about "why do you think the flags are at half-mast?" He says, because of Michael Jackson (this was a sad story no matter your viewpoint) and then says "no not really, they are really that way because a troop got killed in Afghanistan and Sarah had them lowered" That sounds like the Gov, being a huge supporter of the troops.
• Arrive at hotel , finally, about 8pm and check-in. This Days Inn is ok, a little shady but OK :)
• About 8:30 pm I go to a Mexican restaurant behind the Hotel called La Cabana -- Have two beef burritos and a Tecate beer. The waitress actually says, "You-betcha" I thought that was funny
• Back to hotel and go to bed about 10pm. I watch some local Tourist channel that has some good info about Alaska including the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.. Note: the alarm clock goes off at midnight much to my chagrin and the girls in the adjacent room seem to talk all night :)
• Wake up at 4am, I think because of the time change and start typing this blog. So that brings me up to date. I have a Anchorage tour today starting at 8:30am from the Hilton .. CAN"T WAIT !!