I woke up this morning at 2:45 AM to start my pot of coffee. 3:30 AM I am on my way out the door for the 60 mile drive north to the Wilmington, NC Airport (in heavy fog). I am using this airport because it will get me to my destination before noon and using Myrtle Beach will not get me in before 7PM.
5:30 AM we board the airplane and prepare for the 6AM departure. The flight from Wilmington to Atlanta takes just over an hour. Today the flight was 1:15. Our flight was direct and took us over Columbia, SC.
I have 45 minutes on the ground in Atlanta before boarding my flight at 8:00 AM heading to Portland. The flight to Portland takes 5:05 making total airtime this trip 6:20 and 2672 miles.
The flight today is on a Boeing 757-200. It was a full flight with 157 seats (26 First Class, 131 Coach and 5 crew members).
Lucky for me I cleared my upgrade to First Class last week, the list of people jockeying for the two open seats was 34 names long. I’ve been at the end of that list before knowing you’re doomed to a center seat.
I chuckle at the safety announcement when they get to the life vests. If you fly Delta you know the part I find so funny. They tell you where the life vests are in coach (right under your seat). Then they get to First Class and they say they can be found under your seat, or in your arm rest or between your seats. My mind always goes to why can’t you tell me where the darn thing is? You’re going to make me go on a scavenger hunt for the life vest when it’s time?
Our route has taken us north out of Atlanta over Nashville, TN; eastern Kentucky; southern Illinois; St. Louis, MO; Lincoln, NE, Cheyenne, Laramie and just south of Jackson WY, south of Idaho Falls and north of Bosie, ID, then over eastern Oregon then we line up and follow the Columbia River Gorge dividing Washington State and Oregon.
Key landmarks I look for on the flight are: The Mississippi River, the Grand Teton Mountains in Idaho and then the Cascades (Mount Hood).
Today was clear and on the approach to landing I was able to see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mt Adams.
Once we land I head directly to the rental car area and head out. I go in to work today since I am arriving before noon and I work half a day. My day ended at 5 PM Pacific (17 hours after my day started). I leave work and head on to my motel and check in, unpack, and go to dinner.
This routine will be repeated in reverse for my trek home on Friday. I will start at roughly 3 AM Pacific Time and get home at about 5 PM.
As rough as this commute sounds after a while you get adjusted. Over the 10+ years I’ve been doing this I have come to prefer coast to coast travel because it allows me down time I can use for myself. I watched a movie, listened to music, read some. And if I’m really lucky I might get to squeeze in a 30 minute nap.
Here are pictures from todays trip:
Mount Hood
Rocky Mountains at the Idaho/Wyoming Line:
Rocky Mountains somewhere in Western Wyoming:
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