Had a wonderful time in California last weekend. There were a few set backs (mostly with flights) but getting 4 days with my hubby made it all worth while.
About those flights though...
I'm kind of torn on United Airlines, while almost every flight I was on was delayed or cancelled, I did make it to my final destinations on the intended travel day (albeit several hours later than anticipated). This wasn't much different than US Airways last time around either, so I'll just assume delays & rerouting are the new status quo for air travel and not a foible of United specifically.
Their staff wasn't overly impressive either. While they were efficient in getting new itineraries, that's about all I can say to their benefit. Most that I observed (had several hours to kill) lacked conflict resolution skills. I can forgive a lack of sympathy, after a while I'm sure everyone sounds the same clamoring about how their plans are ruined due to something an attendant can do nothing to prevent or rectify. However, their job is to make the situation at least appear better, not worse, and help with what little they can control.
Case in point: There was one poor bastard at Palm Spring Airport that got the unofficially-official goat-rope. He & his family disembark from the plane (PSP uses open stairs, not enclosed catwalks) and while his family continues in, he stops *just* before entering the building & remembers they have door-checked luggage. The United ticket attendant sees him, calls him into the building to ask why he was going back & he explains about the luggage. She then informs him that since he stepped into the terminal, he could no longer exit again & his luggage would then be sent to baggage claim. O_o He points out that she called him in, apparently that didn't matter, he was in the terminal. Thus ensues a rather Abbott & Costello-esque argument. Eventually, a porter comes and moves the bags the whole 10' to the door so the gentleman could make his connection. FYI, there were no signs stating you couldn't go back. All she needed to say was "wait a moment and I'll have a porter bring the bags over" instead she kept escalating the situation by telling him he couldn't go out there and there wasn't anything she could do. *sigh* I'm not sure how the frequent fliers do it anymore. I used to love flying, now I keep recalculating the cost of driving.
The above situation notwithstanding, I really like Palm Springs Airport. It's small, easy to get in & out of and they have a lovely outside waiting area between security and the terminal buildings. It costs about $50 - $100 more than flying into Ontario or LAX, but with the the extra drive time & the cost of gas, it about evens out. The reduced stress counts for a helluva lot in my book as well. I'm to 29 Palms in about an hour and it's a straight shot vs 2 1/2 hrs+ and the need of a GPS. Not to mention LA traffic!
I actually stayed on base this trip, which was quite an improvement from staying in 29 Palms proper. I have to give props to the Sleeping Tortoise, I've never been so pleasantly surprised by hotel accommodations. The room was comfortable, clean and extremely well priced. Our room had the largest kitchen I've ever seen in a hotel room (full size fridge / freezer, dishwasher, stove top, sink & microwave) and a large, serviceable bathroom / shower (it wasn't spa like, but the hot water never stopped and the exhaust fan was damn near industrial). The room included internet, cable, outdoor grill stations, picnic area, playground & continental breakfast. All the staff were courteous, helpful and efficient. The only thing I would have changed was asking for a non-courtyard room to avoid the playground noise, but there may not have been any available. Overall, I would recommend staying there to any military personnel / family passing through the 29 Palms area. I'm actually looking forward to staying there again.
Post about the actual weekend forthcoming :-)
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thoughts from a weekend in California
1.) Crying on the phone will get you a better discount
2.) It's advantageous to have flexible travel arrangements when flying US Airways; they tend to overbook flights and give out $400+ vouchers if you can wait for the next plane.
3.) Californians don't believe in posting speed limits in a logical manner and are firmly against them being visible at night.
4.) Yes, a four lane highway *can* dead-end into a military base, stop looking for the turn off
5.) Joshua Tree National Park is worth visiting if you're in the Palm Springs area. It's nice for a day trip but also has enough variety to explore over several days.
6.) Being disarmed sucks. I missed my gun almost as much as my dogs. (Is that healthy?)
7.) I could use recommendations for good food in the Twentynine Palms / Yucca Valley / Palm Springs area(s). We like eating local (ie, not Applebee's) but kept finding duds all weekend.
Overall, I had a unexpectedly wonderful weekend and should have some pictures up soon :-)
2.) It's advantageous to have flexible travel arrangements when flying US Airways; they tend to overbook flights and give out $400+ vouchers if you can wait for the next plane.
3.) Californians don't believe in posting speed limits in a logical manner and are firmly against them being visible at night.
4.) Yes, a four lane highway *can* dead-end into a military base, stop looking for the turn off
5.) Joshua Tree National Park is worth visiting if you're in the Palm Springs area. It's nice for a day trip but also has enough variety to explore over several days.
6.) Being disarmed sucks. I missed my gun almost as much as my dogs. (Is that healthy?)
7.) I could use recommendations for good food in the Twentynine Palms / Yucca Valley / Palm Springs area(s). We like eating local (ie, not Applebee's) but kept finding duds all weekend.
Overall, I had a unexpectedly wonderful weekend and should have some pictures up soon :-)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Disappointing Day
I found out earlier this afternoon that my husband got the green-light for a 96hr leave this w/e and subsequently found that travel's too expensive for me to be with him. Looks like it's me and the dogs this weekend.
**Correction: Where there's a will, there's a way
**Correction: Where there's a will, there's a way
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Great Pop-Up Camper Adventure
Alright, this story is from last fall, but it's a good 'un!
Ok, so after one camping trip, my theory of pop-up campers is that they're Murphy's Law magnets created by engineers who hate the great outdoors in general and campers in specific.
Last fall my dearest husband and I set out on a cross country drive that, at final tally, took us through 12 states. We thought it would be a savings to buy a pop-up camper instead of staying at hotels along the way (can't reuse hotels on other vacations). So an older Scamper comes home with us and we proceed to spend copious amounts of time cleaning, repairing and organizing it. It was cute and everything worked but we made some braces for the risers, ya know, just in case!
The trip starts out well, 2 nights in a hotel while attending the Ren Faire in Minnesota. We agreed trying to find camping, etc near the Faire was more bother than we were interested in. Fun was had by all and the camper still followed faithfully behind the truck.
Night 3 - drove until we got to the outskirts of the Bad Lands ... pitch black, cold and windy. Motel 3 Camper 0
Night 4 - Got to Sheridan, WY ... freak snow storm! Motel 4 Camper 0 (why are we towing this thing again?)
Fast forward a little bit, we're coming into Cody, WY outside of Yellowstone. *POP* there goes a camper tire (but we haven't even *used* it yet!). Heath successfully changed the tire on the side of the road but we still stop in Cody to get another spare. Ended up replacing both tires and keeping 1 old for a spare. Cute town, really loved staying there... in their newest hotel (off season, great rates!) Motel 5 Camper 0
Night 6 - spent somewhere south of the Tetons in a hotel. See snow, bitter cold and dark, utter. Motel 6 Camper... you get the idea!
Spent some time in Utah and were driving to Arches National Park to, you know... camp! Suddenly, *CLUNK* *Watch as the new camper tire (& rim!) sail off over the majestic mountain side*. Had we been able to pack everything in the camper into the truck, the cursed thing would still be sitting on that hilltop. 2 hours of screwing around later, Heath managed to jack up the camper, clean out all the mud (moving to the side of the road turned wheel-less axle into a plow) and put the spare on with 2 lug nuts from the other tire. Another 2 hours got us back to where we were 20 minutes before the tire made its break for freedom. Thank God for GPS - we found a local tire shop that took pity on us and repacked the bearings and put on another new tire.
We got to Moab, UT at o'dark thirty and got one of the last hotel rooms in town (big bike race weekend apparently) and had one of the best dinners I've ever had at The Sunset Grill.
The next day we headed out to Arches and actually set up camp!!! Only to find that when the tire committed suicide it took the raising mechanism with it. Crank = useless. But wait! We have the braces for the risers so this could still work. Ever manually lift a pop-up camper? Amazingly, we both still have ten fingers. Had a beautiful, if cool, night for camping. Cooked steaks, looked at the stars and slept in the camper.
After bumming around Arches we decided we had enough fun and were ready to be home. We stayed one night in Colorado and drove straight home from about Glenwood Springs on to Ohio (yep, 23 hrs - we were ready to be home).
Once we got home we hefted the camper up again, emptied the contents and gave it away to some older gentleman who completely refurbished it and loves it. From this point on, I'm either camping in a tent or in a full bodied camper. Pop-up? Never again.
Ok, so after one camping trip, my theory of pop-up campers is that they're Murphy's Law magnets created by engineers who hate the great outdoors in general and campers in specific.
Last fall my dearest husband and I set out on a cross country drive that, at final tally, took us through 12 states. We thought it would be a savings to buy a pop-up camper instead of staying at hotels along the way (can't reuse hotels on other vacations). So an older Scamper comes home with us and we proceed to spend copious amounts of time cleaning, repairing and organizing it. It was cute and everything worked but we made some braces for the risers, ya know, just in case!
The trip starts out well, 2 nights in a hotel while attending the Ren Faire in Minnesota. We agreed trying to find camping, etc near the Faire was more bother than we were interested in. Fun was had by all and the camper still followed faithfully behind the truck.
Night 3 - drove until we got to the outskirts of the Bad Lands ... pitch black, cold and windy. Motel 3 Camper 0
Night 4 - Got to Sheridan, WY ... freak snow storm! Motel 4 Camper 0 (why are we towing this thing again?)
Fast forward a little bit, we're coming into Cody, WY outside of Yellowstone. *POP* there goes a camper tire (but we haven't even *used* it yet!). Heath successfully changed the tire on the side of the road but we still stop in Cody to get another spare. Ended up replacing both tires and keeping 1 old for a spare. Cute town, really loved staying there... in their newest hotel (off season, great rates!) Motel 5 Camper 0
Night 6 - spent somewhere south of the Tetons in a hotel. See snow, bitter cold and dark, utter. Motel 6 Camper... you get the idea!
Spent some time in Utah and were driving to Arches National Park to, you know... camp! Suddenly, *CLUNK* *Watch as the new camper tire (& rim!) sail off over the majestic mountain side*. Had we been able to pack everything in the camper into the truck, the cursed thing would still be sitting on that hilltop. 2 hours of screwing around later, Heath managed to jack up the camper, clean out all the mud (moving to the side of the road turned wheel-less axle into a plow) and put the spare on with 2 lug nuts from the other tire. Another 2 hours got us back to where we were 20 minutes before the tire made its break for freedom. Thank God for GPS - we found a local tire shop that took pity on us and repacked the bearings and put on another new tire.
We got to Moab, UT at o'dark thirty and got one of the last hotel rooms in town (big bike race weekend apparently) and had one of the best dinners I've ever had at The Sunset Grill.
The next day we headed out to Arches and actually set up camp!!! Only to find that when the tire committed suicide it took the raising mechanism with it. Crank = useless. But wait! We have the braces for the risers so this could still work. Ever manually lift a pop-up camper? Amazingly, we both still have ten fingers. Had a beautiful, if cool, night for camping. Cooked steaks, looked at the stars and slept in the camper.
After bumming around Arches we decided we had enough fun and were ready to be home. We stayed one night in Colorado and drove straight home from about Glenwood Springs on to Ohio (yep, 23 hrs - we were ready to be home).
Once we got home we hefted the camper up again, emptied the contents and gave it away to some older gentleman who completely refurbished it and loves it. From this point on, I'm either camping in a tent or in a full bodied camper. Pop-up? Never again.
Monday, July 4, 2011
New Wheels
After several months of shopping, I have my dream truck (squee!) Say hello to my monster:
She's an '06 F350 diesel 4x4 with a full bed - and I love every inch of her. Yes, that is an airbrushed picture of an aircraft carrier and fighter jets on the tailgate.
We bought the truck on Thursday afternoon from a little dealer in Alvin, TX called Motor Trends. I can't say they were the best dealership or that I'd recommend all my friends and family to go there, but they weren't sleaze balls. We had initially contacted the original owner, but he'd just set up a trade with the dealership & hadn't had time to remove his ad *sigh*. Unfortunately, once Motor Trends knew the deal in the bag, they made no further effort to really 'sell' us the truck, which I can kind of understand. However, you'd think they would still clean the truck 100%! We found crumbs & nasties in the 2nd row seating & soda / coffee stains on the ceiling. Maybe it's petty, but I was disappointed with the experience.
Anyhow! After leaving the dealer, we took a meandering drive across 10 states to arrive back home last night. Thursday evening we had a nice visit with some of my family living in Texas. On Friday, we had a wonderful lunch with AD & KatyBeth, where we were introduced to craw-fish and etouffee. It was a fun to talk with KatyBeth & be drawn into her imagination, I wish that I had been as out going as a kid as she is.
The rest of the trip we scooted through New Orleans (mental note, downtown N.O. during a jazz festival is a BAD idea), Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. All together, we put nearly 2,000 miles on the truck and we're so glad to be home.
So, what should I name my new set of wheels?
She's an '06 F350 diesel 4x4 with a full bed - and I love every inch of her. Yes, that is an airbrushed picture of an aircraft carrier and fighter jets on the tailgate.
We bought the truck on Thursday afternoon from a little dealer in Alvin, TX called Motor Trends. I can't say they were the best dealership or that I'd recommend all my friends and family to go there, but they weren't sleaze balls. We had initially contacted the original owner, but he'd just set up a trade with the dealership & hadn't had time to remove his ad *sigh*. Unfortunately, once Motor Trends knew the deal in the bag, they made no further effort to really 'sell' us the truck, which I can kind of understand. However, you'd think they would still clean the truck 100%! We found crumbs & nasties in the 2nd row seating & soda / coffee stains on the ceiling. Maybe it's petty, but I was disappointed with the experience.
Anyhow! After leaving the dealer, we took a meandering drive across 10 states to arrive back home last night. Thursday evening we had a nice visit with some of my family living in Texas. On Friday, we had a wonderful lunch with AD & KatyBeth, where we were introduced to craw-fish and etouffee. It was a fun to talk with KatyBeth & be drawn into her imagination, I wish that I had been as out going as a kid as she is.
The rest of the trip we scooted through New Orleans (mental note, downtown N.O. during a jazz festival is a BAD idea), Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. All together, we put nearly 2,000 miles on the truck and we're so glad to be home.
So, what should I name my new set of wheels?
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