Gail and I have done many lengthy road trips. They have taken us to ten provinces and 48 states. We have visited Alaska (not by car) and Hawaii (certainly not by car). Every road trip requires planning, some more than others, like the 14,000 km tour in a Mazda Miata sports car. The challenge of a long trip in a sports car is how to pack when there’s no room for luggage. The challenge for this trip Is the time of year. If you have travelled in British Columbia you will know there are mountains, mountains and more mountains, which may get snow any time after the middle of September. Consequently, B.C requires winter tires after October 1 when driving in the mountains. Tire chains may also be required. Well, the winter tires are on the car for the whole trip but if tire chains are demanded we will just take the civilized approach and wait until chains are not required or until spring, whichever comes first.
Continue Reading →Category: Canada
Finally, another trip
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Continue Reading →The second step
Today was a big step, about 4,000 km and predicted to be nearly six hours. Our departure was scheduled for 0945 Eastern time with a 1237 Pacific time arrival (1537 Eastern time). According to the airline we departed at 1022 Eastern and arrived at 1353 Pacific (1653 Eastern). The details are more fun.
Having avoided the morning traffic rush by staying at the Airport we were still up at 6 AM. That made for an easy shuttle ride to the terminal and a quick trip through check-in, airport security and US border services, leaving time for a leisurely coffee and breakfast.
We boarded the airplane as scheduled just as a reasonably heavy blast of snow hit the airport. The airline employees continued to call for passengers to voluntarily gate check luggage taking care to remind us that the plane was full and there might not be sufficient overhead room for all of our carry-on baggage.
Interestingly, the reason for the initial delay at the gate was that the ground crew was having some difficulty stowing luggage, meanwhile, inside there was still some space available overhead. Although the airline lists departure as 1022 the plane actually pushed back from the gate at 1040. Then from 1110 to 1125 we were at the anti-icing station and it was actually 1144 when the wheels left the ground. The flight was otherwise uneventful and we met our Princess Cruises representative around 1430 and arrived at the Long Beach Hilton by 1525.
LAX traffic protocols have changed. No longer do multitudes of cabs and hotel shuttles plug the road in front of the passenger terminals. Instead there is a fleet of green busses shuttling passengers and luggage to a transfer point where the taxis form long queues and vie with ride sharing vehicles for customers. The worst part of this system is that it creates an extra luggage handling step, on and off the shuttle and it is not particularly easy to throw a 20 kg (45 lb) on and off the shuttle bus. Otherwise it seems to reduce traffic on arrivals. Later we shall see what happens on the return.
During our search for a dinner venue, which we found, we came across the “Waters Edge Winery” right in downtown Long Beach. A short chat with one of their staff was intriguing and we decided to return after having dinner. Gail enjoyed her glass of sauvignon blanc while I tasted five of their offerings and all were very nice. Apparently, they are a group of franchised “mom and pop” micro winery operations. Yet another interesting concept.
One Small Step
It snowed this morning and the forecast for the next day or so is “cold”. After that the next two weeks seem moderate. Still, not a bad time to head for the sun. Long Beach is forecasting some sun and high teens temperatures. Hawaii is in the high 20s with the occasional rain shower, as usual.
Well we only traveled 55 km today, but it’s one small step and every trip begins with a first step. We could have waited until the morning of the flight but that would have required a drive in morning rush hour traffic. Yech! (or some similar epithet) We prefer a less stressful beginning.
I have placed a link in the menu bar called Itinerary 2019 the purpose of which should be somewhat apparent. Should you wish to get a preview of our journey click on the link here or on the home page menu.
We checked into the Airport Hilton about 3 PM and I then dropped the car at Park’n’Fly for a couple of weeks rest. The walk back to the hotel was not particularly cold. As usual, we needed to open one of the bags that we thought wouldn’t need to be opened but of course there was something that should have been in the overnight bag that was not. Hopefully, everything is now perfectly organized for tomorrow.
Just after 5 PM we went down to the restaurant for a drink. We got back to the room just before 8:30. It began with a beer and a glass of wine. We began to chat with a woman near us, Gayle from New Jersey, and that continued for over 3 enjoyable hours.
The first day ends quietly.
Today’s photos are in the sidebar.