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3 days in Seattle

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Seattle is one of my top five destinations.  The drizzly climate suits me, there’s an abundance of arts, music and food, and it’s just so damn cool.  The people here are hip, tech savvy and seemingly pave the way for the rest of us without caring if we know it or not.  It’s also so close to the effortlessly amazing Vancouver.  I love the Pacific Northwest.

That being said, it’s hard to do a city guide for a few days because there’s just so much to see.  I could probably do a half dozen guides representing each trip I’ve taken here in the past 5 years, and maybe one day I will.  I’m a true believer that you should do the touristy things on your first trip to get them out of the way so that you can start exploring the local vibes of a city, but in Seattle some of their tourist spots are the best and I like to visit them every time I’m in town.

SO much to do, you’ll probably be left sleepless in Seattle…

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3 days in St. Louis

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St. Louis has one of the most recognizable features of any location in the world, the St. Louis arch.  There’s so much more to see here though, with charming neighborhoods and stunning architecture, cultural character and museums and one of the biggest parks in the US.  The best thing is, a lot of attractions are free here.  Which cannot be said about most places.  Most importantly, it is home to the best frozen custard in the US, nay, the world, Ted Drewes.  I love Ted Drewes. I dream of Ted Drewes.  Marry me, Ted Drewes.

One taste of the Big Apple concrete will have you saying, meet me in St. Louis.

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know before you go: Oakland (OAK)

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This is not my favorite airport.  I actually don’t care for either SFO or OAK, but at least SFO has a decent international terminal.  Oakland is an older airport that has limited amenities and dining options.  If you are stuck here as I was on a delay, it can be painful.

The airport itself is located about 10 miles from Downtown, and is very close to San Leandro.  There’s two terminals, T1 and T2, with 17 and 12 gates respectively.  T1 serves Alaska, Allegiant, American, British Airways, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Norwegian, Southwest, Spirit and Volaris.  T2 is exclusively Southwest.  The terminals are connected by a walkway and it’s a small airport, so it’s not too much of a hike from one end to another.

The thing it has going for it is that the BART station is very convenient to get to Oakland or SF.  I used to fly into Oakland to get to SF to avoid SFO.  And if there’s delays for SFO, usually you can hop on a flight to Oakland that may get you to the Bay earlier.  Of the NorCal airports, San Jose and Sacramento are better, but for convenience sake, Oakland just edges SFO out in my experience.

Remember: ✈️ = basket case to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = time of your life

Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️✈️ (BART and amtrak stations; freeway access can be real crowded at rush hour)

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (not too big of an airport)

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️ (the check in area is small and the security lines can be long and slow)

Dining: ✈️✈️ (T1 there’s a chili’s to go and the Silver Dragon chinese isn’t bad.  They also have blue bottle coffee cartons, which is a plus for the bay area.  T2 has more options in typically airport fare: vino volo, gordon biersch, CPK and Fenton’s ice cream)

Bathrooms: ✈️  (I would literally give it negative planes if I could–the toilets are old and missing porcelain–every toilet is like this)

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️ (free wifi available, could have more charging areas)

Amenities: ✈️ (very few shops including Raiders store and an Escape Lounge)

 

 

know before you go: Chicago (MDW)

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I don’t know how many times I’ve been in this airport, I’ve lost count.  Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the world and it was hop, skip, jump away from Kansas City, so there’s a lot of flying through MDW.  Some of us on this blog are from Chicago or have family/significant others there, so we’ve all seen it dozens of times.

MDW is the little (although older) brother to O’Hare and from a convenience standpoint, it is much preferred.  A, it’s quick (although security can be a nightmare).  B, it has direct access to the Orange Line which I take for ~ 8 miles to the Loop downtown.  C. it’s not O’Hare.  I’ll save it for a blog post one day, but O’Hare has given me PTSD more than once.

It’s a manageable airport, 43 gates split amongst three concourses A, B, and C.  Southwest airlines controls 34 of these gates out of A and B concourses.  Delta, Volaris and something called Porter airlines operates out of A.  C is for charter planes.

There’s a decent food court, with greek, pizza, a Potbelly.  There’s also a McDonalds and Let Them Eat Cake, which sticks in my mind every time I walk by.  You will smell honey roasted awesomeness from Nuts on Clark.

Remember: ✈️ = Bears at their worst to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = Cubs winning the WS in 2016

Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (take the Orange line directly to the airport)

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (it’s not very big, there’s moving escalators)

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️ (sometimes it can take a very long time to get through this line, it’s very busy)

Dining: ✈️✈️ .5 (not bad for its size, but minus a point for closing SuperDawg)

Bathrooms: ✈️✈️

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️ (free wifi NOT available)

Amenities: ✈️✈️ (airport shops are typical, there’s a yoga room, no lounges)

know before you go: Salt Lake City (SLC)

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Salt Lake City International (SLC) is a large hub for Delta from the west coast, and it’s an airport that actually carries flights from all the top American airlines, so it’s quite busy for being not that big. I’ve always felt the hours are odd for their restaurants and shops, and they are sparse in each concourse.  I had Pinkberry for dinner there last month, which is not that bad if you consider the options.  And they do have local chain, Cafe Rio, in the Terminal 2 food court, and their food is bomb.  The airport is undertaking new construction to be complete in 2020, so cross your fingers that they’ll expand on eating and shopping availability.

Beyond those gripes, the airport has a gorgeous backdrop of snowy capped mountains, and you get an aerial view of the Great Salt Lake coming and going.  You’ll drive pass this body of water driving to and from the airport also, as it is located a ways away from downtown.

There’s two terminals and an international terminal (don’t know why they don’t number it) for about 70 total gates.  Terminal 1 has concourse A and B.  Terminal 2 has concourse C and the international has concourse D and E.  Delta, KLM and Skywest are all Terminal 2.  Everything else domestic (Alaska, American, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United) is Terminal 1, and you can walk pretty easily from terminal to terminal (it’s a long walk).

Remember: ✈️ = needs more salt ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = don’t stay salty

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️ (it’s a long walk)

Convenience of security lines: very fast for TSA pre-check ✈️✈️✈️✈️

Dining: ✈️✈️ (Even though there seems like there’s a lot of fast food choices: McDonald’s, Cafe Rio, Jamba, Starbucks, Pei Wei, Smashburger, they’re split up amongst the terminals/5 concourses, so each one doesn’t have much i.e. hope you like Seattle’s Best because there’s no Starbucks in Terminal 1 and vice versa for Terminal 2)

Bathrooms:✈️✈️ (needs a facelift, but are clean)

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available)

Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️ (Delta lounge is the only one available, some Xpress Spas, banal airport stores)

 

 

24 hours in Little Rock

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Little Rock was a pleasant surprise to me.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but there were cute neighborhoods, a vast waterfront area with shops and food halls, and of course, the William J. Clinton Presidential Library (which I obviously knew about).

The capital city of Arkansas, it is a medical, cultural and financial hub of the state and of the south, due to its presence next to the Arkansas river.  I passed through briefly on a road trip and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there.  So much so that I want to go back…and go diamond hunting.  Gonna find me lots of “little rocks,” hopefully.

Little Rock wit u…

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know before you go: Reagan (DCA)

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DC metro area has a plethora of options transportation wise, being our nation’s capitol, with three major airport allowing for travel to this area.  Dulles, Baltimore and Reagan all feed our nation’s capital.  Reagan National is probably the least chaotic and most convenient. Located in Arlington, VA, it’s a quick Metro ride away from the city center.

As a hub for American Airlines, there are very limited international flights allowed to land here (must be from countries that have pre-clearance US Customs facilities), instead those flights go to Dulles or Baltimore.

Terminal A has 9 gates and operates flights from Air Canada, Frontier, Southwest and Sun Country.  Where it gets a little tricky is that B and C are split into three concourses. Terminal B serves Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue and United with gates 10-22, Terminal B/C gates 23-34 and Terminal C gates 35-45.  Terminal C is used by American and Virgin.

Remember: ✈️ = popcorn jelly belly to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = pear jelly belly

Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️✈️ (quick train ride from the city, traffic in DC can be bad so plan accordingly)

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (it can be a long haul from the train station to Terminal A, like so long I thought I had crossed into another state)

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️ (security is long here, but for good reason)

Dining: ✈️✈️✈️ (Starbucks, of course, Chick Fil-A, Legal Seafood, Pinkberry)

Bathrooms: ✈️✈️  (not the newest or cleanest)

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available, designated charging areas)

Amenities: ✈️✈️ (lounges available, it is DC after all; Smithsonian and Spanx stores–just in case you forgot your shapewear?)

 

3 days in Austin

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They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and they’re right.  You will have a hugely gratifying experience when you visit Austin.  The capital city is a mix of college town, music hub, antique treasure trove, yuppie wonderland; there are so many facets to it, all enjoyable. Austin is famous for many things, but SXSW and Austin City Limits festivals are held here and are awesome.  I’ve yet to attend SXSW, but ACL is one of the most well run festivals.  Since it’s ACL time soon, this guide takes that into consideration for your plans, from Friday to Sunday.

Austin will always hold a special place in my heart, as I once saw Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers walking around and he gave me a head nod there.  I haven’t washed my eyes since.

the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas…

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know before you go: Charlotte (CLT)

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Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is a major hub for American Airlines, so if you’re trying to get from the West Coast to anywhere in the South/East, chances are, you’ve had a stop here.  It’s actually a fairly large, aesthetically pleasing airport (trees line atriums where there’s plentiful seating on rocking chairs, all that’s missing is a sweet tea) with one of the only observation decks in the US to watch planes come and go.

A split commercial and military airport, the public side is split into 5 concourses: A-E with about 100 gates total.

A is used for Air Canada, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United.  B, C, and E are used by American and American Eagle, and D is International flights.

The dining options in this airport are some of the best fast food fare available: Chick-Fil-A, Papa John’s, Bojangles, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Cinnabon, Brioche Doree, some local Carolina grub, too.  There’s decent sit down fare, both local and chain (Phillips Seafood, CPK).  There’s an abundance of riches in the yogurt department too: Pinkberry, Red Mango, and TCBY.

Remember: ✈️ = Charlotte’s Web to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = “SOME PIG”

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (it’s a very large sprawl)

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️

Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (for the scale of this airport: a lot of different options from BBQ to sushi to seafood and Mexican; get the extra ✈️ for having more than four options for frozen yogurt/ice cream)

Bathrooms: ✈️✈️

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️  (free wifi available)

Amenities: ✈️✈️ (regular shopping, a few spas, American Admiral’s Club)

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know before you go: San Diego (SAN)

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San Diego (SAN) airport is a condundrum to me.  It is beautiful for sure, the weather is always 70 degrees and sunny, but the planning of the airport itself is very strange.

My main gripe about it, is that you have to exit one area of the terminal one to get to another, having to go through security again, if you’re making a connection.  This is the worst.  I’ve done this several times for Southwest.  Once, they actually took me onto the tarmac to get from one terminal to the other to help me catch a flight due to a delay (this was the time I was trying to make a game of the World Series and had to go to Oakland instead of SFO).

There are technically three terminals in this airport (one is a commuter terminal).  Terminal one serves Alaska, Frontier and Southwest and has 19 gates.  Terminal 2 has 32 gates for everything else: Air Canada, American, British Airways, Delta, Hawaiian, Japan, JetBlue, United, Virgin America, etc.  Each terminal is split into East and West which is where the whole confusion of security happens during layovers.

It is a single runway airport, so taxi times can be long.  There’s also sound ordinances so you won’t be taking many red eye flights from here.  On the plus side, it is pretty close to downtown, and has a very easy pick/up drop off area.  And the weather can’t be beat. Because it is a single runway, the planes land the same every time, so try to get a seat on the left side of the plane from your destination for the dramatic ocean view upon arrival.

There’s some local restaurants in Terminal 2, the usual airport market cafe grab and gos and a decent burger place in Terminal 1.  Not much shopping other than your typical Hudson News and bookstores.  There s a Delta and United lounge and some Be relax spas.  They are undertaken an expansion, so hopefully more shopping and dining options will be available to this very busy airport for both air and cruise travelers.

Remember: ✈️ = San Diego Zoo is less of a zoo than this place to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = stay classy, San Diego

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️

Dining: ✈️✈️

Bathrooms: ✈️✈️

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️  (free wifi available)

Amenities: ✈️✈️ (minimal shopping, spas, airline lounges)