SBA, Day 2 - Travel

There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.

 – Charles Dudley Warner

The time changed early this morning. We went to bed early. We got up timely. Our flight was to leave at noon and we allowed ourselves plenty of time for traffic and what-have-you.

And the hotel had the loudest carpet you can imagine. It must be designed TO WAKE YOU UP.

Really.

Awful.

Really awful.

Follow the pink purple and teal swirls, circles and flowers.

Well, I guess it doesn't show dirt.

We ate breakfast, packed and headed to the airport where we checked luggage, snagged our boarding passes, danced past the long line for security (TSA Pre, baby!) and settled at our gate. Our plane was almost an hour late taking off (We noted that the flight to San Francisco was over two hours late so we did not feel so bad).

Schlepping our luggage through the parking garage.

The long line line for security on the right.

Our line.

Our gate...no plane yet

Carry-on!

We watched as our plane was delayed...

The Austin Airport is fun, full of stores and food and interesting people. So we enjoyed some diversions.

Book on venomous snakes of Texas. It's a pretty thick book, but maybe 1/3 is reference. Whew!

Once boarded and settled in the emergency exits over the wings* we all read on this relatively short flight (2.5 hours). It was cloudy so we saw little until we started to land in Washington. Then we suddenly started back up through the clouds and turning. I knew we were just making another approach.

Only photo taken on the plane. We were trying to be cool. (photo by JRF)

We exited and were greeted by MT, a friend of DH. They served together during one of many deployments and have remained close. MT and his lovely wife delivered us to the door of our hotel, suggested some things we might want to see this week, and shared a meal with us.

Looks like we made it for the cherry blossoms. (photo by JRF)

We ate none of this. Seriously? Super Antioxidant Salad? DH had crab cakes. JRF ate a burger. I had the meatloaf.

That's it. We departed, traveled, and arrived. Now we rest.


NOTES:

*I forgot that those seats don't recline. Bummer. At least we all sat together. It was JRF's first flight. Oh, and I thought I saw Ken Burns on our flight.