Thanksgiving - Day 7

Up early - wanted to beat the thousands of other Texans on the highway! Had breakfast in the hotel and then got on the road (0800L). Followed I-35, along with many (many!) RV's with Minnesota plates headed south (I guess they are the Texas version of "snowbirds"...). Stopped for fuel in El Dorado, KS, but didn't stop anywhere else until we arrived in Edmond, OK (around 1230L). Went into town and found a place called Freddy's Frozen Custard. The food was great - it was a nice local place to experience. Got gas nearby and then drove into Oklahoma City on US-77. It turned into I-235 and then I-35 - with hardly any traffic! Made great time the rest of the way (no more stops, either) and got to the house around 1630L. Glad to be home - and relieved not to have had any nasty weather while driving!

Thanksgiving - Day 6

It was sad, but we had to leave this morning. We didn't hurry, though, and the kids were able to visit with lots of people while I packed the car. It was a little harder to get all the loot back in the car than I had expected... We were ready to go by around 1130L. As we were saying goodbye, I noticed that we had a very low tire. After changing several tires this year (see JUN 2010), I was worried. Managed to make it to a gas station in nearby Eagan, where they were nice enough to let me top off the tire (turned out to just be under-inflated - maybe the cold?). With a full tank of gas, we drove almost to the IA/MN border before we had lunch (Burger King in Albert Lea). Drove south on I-35, once again getting through Des Moines with no problems. We had seen some signs on the way up that mentioned the Bridges of Madison County and birthplace of John Wayne, so I got off the interstate at the first available opportunity. The road was rather rural (very curvy), but the scenery was very pretty. Found a few of the bridges that were in the movies (Eastwood and Streep) - Nicky is always happy to see those (e.g., JUN 1997). Ended up in the town of Winterset - where John Wayne was born. It was a nice little town with a few more covered bridges and a statue (memorial) to the Duke. We took a few photos and bought some souvenirs before getting back on the road (IA-92). We saw a stunning sunset as we got back on I-35... Made good time, stopping only to eat dinner and get gas in Osceola, IA (1730L). The rest of the driving to our hotel went pretty well (no delays in Kansas City). The only tough part of the trip was when we got close to our hotel - we arrived from a different direction and ended up on a poorly lit road near the Kansas Motor Speedway. Eventually located the Village West area (whew). We stayed in the same place as we did last time we were here, the Holiday Inn Express (see JUN 2010). Went straight to bed...

Thanksgiving - Day 5

Woke up ready for some fun! I had been mulling over the idea of going downtown (for the Holidazzle Parade) all week but no one else seemed to be interested. Nicky left early for the Mall of America with Erin and Brenna but Mollie was visiting with Kathy and didn't go. When I asked her if she wanted to go with me, she seemed genuinely excited. I got her all bundled up, since I knew it would be close to -15 degrees C today. To make sure she would be warm enough, I walked with her across the street from our hotel to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Preserve. It was pretty - and it also was pretty empty. They had a version of the Junior Ranger called "Junior Naturalist" and Mollie started working on it right away (she loves those!). The lady who worked at the visitor's center had her boy with her - same age as Mollie. They worked together on the project and we even took a short nature walk to an overlook of the Minnesota River. After Mollie got her badge and certificate, we walked down the street to the train station. It was pretty easy to get around with - credit card ticket purchase and regular trains. Mollie was excited to try it and we enjoyed the 20-30 minute ride downtown. Got off at the Nicollet Mall stop and looked around. At first, it was hard to see the "mall" - but we later learned that it was actually the name of a street. Had lunch at a place called D'Amico & Sons (good, healthy food). Later, we discovered that all the stores in the area were connected by a series of second-floor walkways called "the skyway." We walked around, following the posted maps, and eventually found the Macy's Chrismas Village ("A Day in the Life of an Elf"). Mollie and I walked through it twice. We also explored Macy's and looked at the pretty displays. I bought her a Christmas Smurf... We continued to walk and actually got hot (temps were high in the Skyway!). I'll admit we got a little lost - but we found the World Headquarters of Target. We decided to go outside for a bit and then found a pretty place to sit and rest - the Crystal Court. There was a pretty Christmas Tree and some benches for resting. Did some souvenir shopping nearby and then walked over to the Barnes & Noble. While there, we discovered some of the Little Miss books (by Roger Hargreaves) that go with the Arby's toys (see Day 2). After looking through a bunch of them, we bought one for Nicky... Mollie was getting hungry - and we still had a few hours before the parade - so we looked for a place to sit and eat. The only place we could find near the parade route was the M&S Grill (which we didn't know was a bar until we got inside). Stayed anyway - and I got a kick out of Mollie's pride in being able to have appetizers at "happy hour" with Daddy! Watched some football and rested until around 1800, when we walked back over to D'Amico & Sons to get some hot chocolate. The parade started at 1930L - about the time that it really started to feel cold (-15 C, after all!). Mollie was a real trooper - her excitement over-rode the temperatures, I guess. We sat on frigid granite (brrr...) with a nice mom and son - they were locals who knew what was going to happen. It made the event all the more fun - lighted parade floats, nursery-rhyme characters, marching bands and fireworks. Most people watched from the Skyways over the street, but I think we had the "real experience"... Got some more hot chocolate afterwards, made a bathroom break, and then tried to get on the train. The lines were so long we actually got on a train going in the opposite direction and then switched at the next station - making sure we had a seat while going home (this was all because we watched what our parade friends did). Got off near our hotel and walked through the snow back to the lobby - slippery, cold but in good spirits. What a day! Mollie did great and we gave some special memories. Visited with all the family again (this time we were all trying to finish up the alcohol) until very late...

Thanksgiving - Day 4

The kids were exhausted from yesterday, so no one was up early. We did go upstairs for some breakfast and visiting. It was clear and warmer today - views from the hotel were spectacular. I went back to the room later and watched the Macy's parade and Godfather marathon. Got ready with Nicky and the girls and then went to watch football with Tim, Chuck, Andy and Kenny. Later, met everyone else for a family photo in the lobby. Thanksgiving dinner began around 1300L - what a great spread! Food was excellent and we had a fun time visiting (as we always do!). We had some left-overs but we got to take them to Bonnie's room. Watched some more football while Nicky and girls made plans to see the movie "Tangled" at the Mall of America. They took the shuttle over while I went outside to check on our car. Just as I was getting to it, I saw Leo chasing the shuttle across the parking lot. He had missed it, I guess, and needed a ride. After I got the car uncovered and started (heater too a LONG time), I took Leo over to the Mall (the closest I plan to get to it during the trip). Roads were slippery and barely plowed... Explored near the hotel and then met the guys for a little more sports. Enjoyed the evening with everyone - had some good Thanksgiving leftovers, too! Everyone else returned around 2000L. Spirits were high and it was pretty busy everywhere I turned in the room. Called Katie and Carolyn (everyone got to chat this time - that was nice). Actually went to bed a little earlier tonight.

Thanksgiving - Day 3

Slept in this morning - and then headed up to the breakfast buffet on the top floor. It was a nice spread - and we got to see more of the family while we ate. The big windows of Bonnie's room had a great view of the Minnesota River and National Wildlife Preserve - covered with a fresh blanket of snow. It was really coming down, too! Of course, this didn't stop Nicky and the rest of the "shoppers" in the family from getting on the shuttle bus from the hotel to the Mall of America... I stayed at the hotel and took care of some work emails for a few hours. Just after noon, went back to Bonnie's room and spent a few hours watching movies and sports with some of the guys. Chuck arrived soon afterwards and we had a great few hours chatting and relaxing in the room. I got a few calls from Nicky during this time - each one checking on me to see what I was doing (I guess she wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the shopping...). To be honest, though, I didn't actually have any desire to go over to the Mall of America since I got my fill of it during my last visit (see MAR 2009). I had some drinks and snack food at the hotel happy hour - enjoying the warmth of the room and family. Everyone returned around 1900 after a day of fun on the rides and exploring the stores. Stayed up late again...

Thanksgiving - Day 2

I woke up early - wanted to see how the weather was developing. It didn't look good: there was a major snowstorm forecasted for early AM on the 24th. After verifying we had a hotel reservation for the night (in Alkeny, IA) and grabbing some breakfast to go, we got on I-35 (0745L). There was very little traffic, which was good. Played a "road-rally" game with Mollie, assigning points for lots of signs and landmarks. Made good time to Kansas - stopped for some fuel near the border (South Haven). Got on the toll-road and didn't have to stop at all this time (fuel prices pretty high). Enjoyed the scenerey in the Flint Hills. Off the toll road near Emporia, made great time to Kansas City - drove through the city this time. Weather was great and we had some nice views of downtown and the Missouri River. Unfortunately, there was some major construction as we crossed that slowed us down (new bridge). Luckily, I got a work phone call while we waited... After clearing the traffic and city limits, we stopped for lunch at Arby's in Kearney, MO (1300L). They had these funny toys in the kids meals called "Little Miss Daredevil", "Mr. Happy" and "Mr. Strong." Drove for a couple more hours until we needed gas - stopped in Eagleville, MO. Temperatures had definitely begun to drop... Nicky pointed out a horse tied up near the gas station - with an Amish buggy across the street. Upon closer inspection, we saw that the ground was covered with baskets and jars of preserves. Braving the cold, Nicky jumped out of the car and began haggling with the bearded gentleman. I filled up the tank about 100 meters away and watched her hopping around - she forgot her coat! Even I'll admit it was chilly (around 0 degrees C), so I'm sure you can tell that Nicky loves to shop... New basket (and jam) in hand, Nicky rejoined us. Soon after we got back on the road, we got a call from Trish (responding to our earlier inquiry about the possibility of arriving in Minneapolis tonight) - she said it would be fine. We immediately canceled our hotel reservation and pressed North! Weather was crisp and clear - lots of farms. Got through Des Moines around 1530L (not too difficult). It started to get dark around 1700 - right around the time we stopped for dinner in Clear Lake, IA. The kids mentioned they didn't want the "same old, same old" food, so I stopped at a place we've never tried: Culver's. It turned out to be delicious - both for their butter-burgers and the frozen custard (pumpkin flavored!). Everyone really enjoyed the break from the road. I could feel the excitement building - the kids were really looking forward to "getting to Thanksgiving." We made really good time to Minneapolis - there was very little traffic (surprising with the incoming storm...). Snow was everywhere - we even saw a ski slope with lots of people enjoying night skiing. We got to the hotel (Hilton near the airport) around 2000. It was freezing by this point (-10 C), making it really fun to unload the car. We got our stuff to the room and then proceeded to Bonnie's room (Presidential Suite). To our surprise, nearly everyone was there! Had we know about that, we would have planned all along to get there on Tuesday - I'm glad the weather made it happen. Stayed up really late chatting and visiting...

Thanksgiving - Day 1

On the first day (Monday, after school), we left our house at 5:00 PM. I got to ride shotgun! We decided to drive to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Brenna made sandwiches so we could eat dinner in the car. We saw an Indian Casino all lit up and a Christmas Lights drive-through park. When we got close to our hotel we saw a car speeding by. He must have been going 100 miles per hour [in heavy traffic]! Before Erin could say "wow!" he tried to squeeze between two cars and hit a liquid truck. He hit it so hard he spun around a bunch of times and lost the front of his car and a tire. We didn't stop because Daddy said other people were helping already - and that stopping on the highway might be dangerous. We got to our hotel soon after that - the Fairfield Inn in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Philadelphia, PA (USA)

Woke up in my room at the Navy Lodge (Willow Grove) at around 0700. Foggy and rainy outside... Packed and got organized until around 0845. Chatted with lady at front desk, who gave me a coin for my loyal patronship of the Navy Lodge (it closes in January). Ordered a Lee's Hoagie (buffalo chicken cheesesteak) for the road and picked it up shortly afterwards. Got some souvenirs and drove to the airport (early, because of construction and the weather). Topped off fuel tank at Exxon (1020) and then dropped off rental car at the Enterprise desk (1040). Flying US Air again - but from a different terminal (than when I use American) and long security lines. Got through with about three hours to go until departure - decided to spend it at the lounge (had to walk back to a different terminal - good exercise, I guess). Ended up running into Guy again (small world!!). We chatted and ate snacks while we waited. After he left for his flight I spent about an hour working on emails and business calls. Walked back to my gate around 30 minutes before departure time (picking up some souvenirs on the way) and found that my aircraft hadn't even arrived in Philadelphia yet... Had to wait about 30 minutes longer before we could board (the E190 - smaller jet with only two seats on each side). Kept myself entertained with puzzles in the newspaper (I think I'm getting the hang of sudoku!). Ended up landing at DFW International Airport about 20 minutes late (1715 - not bad) but getting to the baggage claim took awhile - and then the bags took even longer. Delays continued as I waited for the express shuttle back to my car - eventually made it but it was already nearly 1815 by the time I got out of the airport property. Immediately got into a traffic jam on TX-183. Put up with it for awhile but finally decided to take TX-121 north to TX-114. It took awhile, too, but eventually I was moving pretty well. Short delays on TX-170 - but things looked pretty good until I turned onto I-35W (southbound). Gridlock!!! Eventually was able to exit the highway but the end result was more than one hour from the airport to the house (1930). Kids excited for souvenirs and cheesesteak...

Little Rock, AR (USA)

Got up (room at the Navy Lodge Willow Grove) at 0615 and headed over to work. It was very foggy - I thought it might delay our departure. The flight brief was quick, so I took care of more work emails and then went down to visit some folks on the other end of the hangar (they had asked on Saturday if I could give them some inspection pointers). That went well and I managed to finish it before I had to head out to the plane. I rode in the back for the first leg - along with the one passenger (his name was Guy). It was relaxing and we had a good talk about careers, places to live and travel plans. The flight to Camp Springs was supposed to be under an hour - but the weather there was really bad and Ray and Joe attempted two approaches before they decided to divert back to Willow Grove. The return flight included a "roller coaster moment" when I was glad I had my seatbelt fastened... We landed in better weather and then waited for awhile for our scheduler to decided what we should do next. It turned out they were able to find someone in Camp Springs who could take those guys later in the day. Unfortunately, it meant that Guy had to get off the plane, since we no longer planned to go to Beaufort. On the next leg I insisted on getting up front so I could get the rest of my required flight time before something else happened... After we took off, the weather out west rapidly improved - and it was actually pleasant when we landed at our first stop (near Columbus, Georgia). I had never been to this airport, but it reminded me of Fort Campbell (Kentucky). We had a pretty quick turn and I sat in the back for the rest of the trip, since I got all the flight time I needed. It was actually fun to chat with the rest of the crew about experiences we had on aircraft carriers in the 1990s... And, lest I forget, I got another series of great meals from Kissel (it seems she always flies in the crew when I'm in Willow Grove): fruit, chicken sandwiches, crackers and cheese (etc.). Stopped in Little Rock to drop off our lift and then we headed back to Pennsylvania. Trip actually went fast and we landed around 1900 (close to our scheduled arrival time). Did some paperwork in the hangar and then headed back to my room. With my trip requirements completed, I called the travel office (and then the airlines) to see about changing my return date to Tuesday - it turned out to be no problem and didn't cost extra. Watched some TV and went to bed relatively early...

Willow Grove, PA (USA)

Thought I would have some time to explore today, but it never happened. After I woke up (0800), I ate a quick breakfast in the lobby of the Navy Lodge Willow Grove.  While there, I met Wade's mother-in-law, daughter and his dog. Next, I went over to the hanger - intending to get a few things done and then head out for a visit to downtown Philadelphia. Instead, I got involved in some flight schedule changes, had to stop off at the hotel to get my Boss' phone chargers and had some long talks with Wade, Chip, Kevin and other folks who were there for drill weekend. By the time I knew it, it was already 1130. Since they were planning to have a pot-luck meal anyway, I decided to hang out at least that long. Took care of more work emails until 1300, when the deep fried turkey and ham were ready. Food was awesome - lots of it, too. I had some good conversation with the guys from my trip to Sicily (see AUG 2010) and ended up staying until 1530. By then, the day was nearly over (it gets dark here at 1645!!!) and I decided not to go anywhere. Played some video games in my room, watched football and ate a light dinner. Did a little packing for my flight and ended up going to bed around 2300.