Hello and welcome to episode 196 of Travel Stories from the Back Again And Gone podcast.
Being recorded in the beautiful home office of, Chateau’ Relaxo, FL. and it’s time for some March randomness. Thanks for listening.
If you’re a new listener, welcome. if you're a returning listener welcome back.
Tonight I am enjoying a Space Cowboi 2023 from the Crooked Can Brewery just down the road in Winter Garden, FL. This is an IPA - Imperial / Double New England / Hazy and hazy it weighs in at a hefty 8.5% ABV.
It’s been three weeks of non-stop travel like it was in 2019. The first trip was to Irvine, CA where base camp was the DoubleTree. I was lucky enough to score an upgrade which ended up being a typical room, but with a view of the hotel’s lake. There was only one hiccup with the stay and that occurred the morning of our departure. The front desk arranged a complementary Uber to take us to the airport at 6:00 AM. Out front at 6:00 no Uber, 6:15 still no Uber. I was on the verge of booking my own Uber when an Uber pulled in and asked if we were the Harrison party, nope. The driver waited a few minutes for the Harrison’s and then asked where we were going I said the airport, and he said I’ll take you for $20.00 cash. Seconds later we were in the Uber heading toward John Wayne International Airport.
The beers we discovered,
Mind Haze Brain Melter from the Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Montucky Cold Snack from Montucky Cold Snacks
Church Music from The Shop Beer Co.
All IPA’s as I am so predictable.
From there it was to a place that I had never been to, Tempe Arizona. Tempe was exactly as I pictured it to be lots of cacti very little grass, mostly lave rocks and pebbles. The highlight of the stop was a courtside seat for a Phoenix Suns game, and while I’m not a huge basketball fan the game and the entertainment were a blast.
The lowlight came early next morning at the Phonix Sky Harbor International Airport. I went down what was indicated to be the TSA Precheck and when I got to the scanners I was asked to remove my shoes, and my belt as well as to take my laptops out of my backpack. What I thought and what they indicated to be TSA Precheck was not, it was the regular TSA lane. We’ll talk about being a travel snob in a few minutes, but I’ll pull the snobbery card whenever it comes to TSA.
The only new beer we discovered
Four Peaks Hazy IPA from Headlands Brewing
The next week it was back to Laguardia and then New Jersey and the Hampton Inn & Suites Fairfield on route 46. Which meant, dinners at Calandra’s Mediterian Gril. Made it time for happy hour as well as the $11.00 pizzas.
It was my second flight on JetBlue and on both legs I had an assigned seat, but I was placed in the last boarding group. I learned from the first leg and decided to check my luggage for the return trip.
The new beers were
Pirate Plank Walk from Magnify Brewing Company
Pulp Art Hazy Double IPA from the Brooklyn Brewery
Mortal Bloom from Founders Brewing Co.
IPA No. 7 from EBBS Brewing Co.
Jam Juice Hazy IPA from the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Again all IPAs.
Last week it was a five-day road trip which I enjoyed, but it was a different hotel each night. However, I did get plenty of time to perfect my ironing skills. Here’s a road warrior pro tip. If you plan to use a hotel iron let it warm up and then iron a damp washcloth. This way the gribleys are on the washcloth and not on your freshly ironed clothes.
I flew into Baltimore grabbed my rental and headed to Pennsauken, NJ. This 2-hour drive proved that I-95 is a giant cup of suck no matter what state you were in. I Stayed at another DoubleTree and it was one that I had stayed at in the past and thankfully it was undergoing renovations.
The reason I stay here is because of the on-site restaurant Redz. Redz offers the best Philly Cheesesteak, even though it’s across the river from Philly where a Philly Cheesesteak is just called a Cheesesteak.
The new beers were
Session IPA from Double Nickel Brewing Company
From Pennsauken, it was York, Pennsylvania home of York Barbell and the weightlifting hall of fame, which I didn’t get to visit, There must be some sort of a rivalry between Pennsauken and York because everyone in Pennsauken told us that York was rundown. This is not the case at all, plus York is where I found Brewie Louie’s. This place was amazing, with a more diverse beer inventory than I have ever seen.
The new beers were
(No) Santa from Sloop Brewing Co.
Peace Maker from South County Brewing Co.
From York, it was down to Middle River, Maryland, and the Hilton Garden Inn that I have stayed at multiple times in the past. No new beers since we were stocked up fromBrewie Louie’s. As I typically do with Hilton Garden Inn it was wings for dinner. Like I’ve said in the past friend of the show Robbie Morris introduced me to HGI wings years ago and they never disappoint.
Now this is where things got weird when it comes to hotel parking. In the past, this property offered plenty of parking between the HGI and the Hampton Inn next store. During this visit there were several signs with QR codes instructing us to scan so we could pay to park. I get pay-to-park hotels. Go to Boston, Savannah, or Miami more than likely you’ll have to pay to park. This was Middle River, Maryland. So I scanned the code and dropped $!0.00 plus a service fee so I could park.
From Middle River, we headed to the BWI Hilton where they also had a QR code indicating we had to pay to park. I think Maryland is kneeling to the parking lobby. This was a first-time visit and the restaurant offered a great selection of local favorites. I went with a blue crab flatbread. I was a bit skeptical thinking typical hotel food. I was completely surprised this flatbread was covered in chucks of blue crab resting on top of the wonderful rich Alfredo sauce.
The new beers were
Raging Bitch from the Flying Dog Brewery
Half Cab Hazy from Big Truck Farm Brewery
Here’s another tip that I have discovered in the last few months. Most of my flights are early morning, 6 to 7 AM. The reason is that the first flights out typically take off on time. If you punch out a 4 or 5 PM there’s a greater chance that your flight will be delayed.
Looking at early morning flights can mean leaving the hotel at 4 or 5 AM so that you will have time to drop off the rental car and head to the terminal.
My new tip is to drop off the rental car the evening before, take the rental car shuttle back to the terminal, and then get on the hotel shuttle back to the hotel then the next morning take the hotel shuttle back to the terminal. At most, this will cost you $8.00 in tips.
Let’s open with some travel-related housekeeping.
I found this on X, formerly Twitter, back in the good old days, remember the Fail Whale?
@Codie_Sanchez posted:
Life hack... You never have to check out of a hotel.
Just leave.
Why does no one do this including my husband?
.
In Episode 66 I asked the question, “Are you a travel snob?” one of the indicators of being a travel snob was leaving a hotel without stopping by the front desk to check out, as well as when I dropped off the rental car I rarely hang around to wait for a receipt because I know it will be in my inbox by the time I get to the terminal. While I still wouldn’t label myself a travel snob I have gotten into the habit of actually checking out of the hotel. The reason is that I’m tired of itemizing my expense reports to exclude dinners and my frequent visits to the snack market this pay-to-park hotelless time to have the desk clerk remove those changes and generate a new bill than it does for me to manually remove those items from the receipt.
Also, I don’t check into a hotel using the app and the reason is that I might be missing out on a possible upgrade and a view of the hotel’s lake..
In February Gary Leff from View From The Wing posted - The 5 Biggest Travel Mistakes I’ve Ever Made
Gary’s list was somewhat mundane, but relatable.:
Showing up at the airport in the afternoon for a morning Sydney
Snuck into a United Airlines club lounge
Showed up at the Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Hotel only to learn I’d made a reservation for the following month
Drove to the wrong Hyatt in Miami out of sheer habit
Let my AAdvantage miles expire when I was a teenager.
My list
Letting a bunch, and I mean a bunch of AirTran free flights expires. because I never used them. In 2001/2002 one free roundtrip flight required 16 credits or legs, which meant every 8 round-trip flights I got a free flight. At the time I was on a plane almost every week, basically a free flight every 30 days.
Not getting a hotel and airline-branded credit card for the first eight years of business travel.
Not taking my 35mm or DSLR camera with me when I travel. For years the CEO and I packed a physical camera, and sometimes a tripod, with us when we travel. My Google Drive is filled with folders cataloging our adventures. It’s debatable if the current iPhone truly takes better pictures, but it is smaller and lighter, and you can’t check Instagram on your camera.
Not having a packing strategy sooner. For the first handful of years I overpacked, and being a gadget guy I probably owned or was gifted every single travel accessory under the sun most of which turned out to be useless, Currently, I can fit a week's worth of clothing into my 22” Away bag. Side note, if you need a sturdy piece of luggage consider an Away bag, Lightweight and extremely durable.
My biggest regret has to be not putting a ½ PTO when I was in Boston, Memphis, or Chicago, almost any city. Sure I’ve enjoyed eating dinner at the local dive, but I’ve yet to tour Fenway, visit Graceland, and I’ve never set foot on Chicago’s miracle mile.
I will add a sixth mistake and it came three weeks ago. Make sure you are in the TRA Precheck line.
They say, Avoid regrets by leaving your expectations at home.
Another from View From The Wing, or possibly you saw this someplace else. - Woman Gets Off American Airlines Flight When The Vibrator In Her Carry-On Won’t Turn Off. See what I did there.
My BS meter pegged the green as soon as I read this.
An American Airlines passenger in the bulkhead of first-class boarded her aircraft, and her carry-on bag began making a loud vibrating noise. She didn’t want the whole cabin to see what she was turning off, so she walked off the aircraft and back onto the jet bridge. There, you can see what it was that was vibrating.
So basically she was planning to do the Tango with her left hand.
The young lady captured in the video is Amanda, who has a Ticky Tok following of over 100,00 people in addition to 2.5 million likes. I’m guessing this was staged to get Amanda closer to 2.6 million likes.
However, with stories like this, the real comedy gold is in the comments.
Mets Fan in NC says: it takes a licking and keeps on ticking
Maryland says: I have been told by a friend that the batteries on rechargeables are not removable. So they must be gotten off before boarding.
Ending with - jns says: That is just Bob (battery operated boyfriend).
For most of us, our employment includes dealing with customers. And I’m sure most of us at some point have wanted to tell a customer to go “Kick rocks” so to speak. This next story will outline what could happen if you decide to tell a customer to “Kick rocks” while using different words.
This comes to us from Yahoo News - Qantas baggage handler will 'never work again' for airline after crude note to passenger.
baggage handler has been told they will never work on Qantas aircraft again after leaving an "unacceptable" note for a customer on their bag on Friday.
A Qantas passenger recently collected their 31-kilogram bag at Karratha Airport in Western Australia, In case you didn’t pay attention to the metric system when they tried to teach it to us in middle school, 31 kilos is roughly 69 lbs. This Qantas passenger found the word "c**t" See you next Tuesday, shockingly scribbled in green marker onto the "heavy" tag wrapped around the bag's handle — and if that wasn’t enough it was accentuated with an exclamation mark.
The passenger shared,"Clearly the Qantas baggage handler at Perth Airport wasn’t happy lifting my bag," so he left me a nice note to read on arrival." After being alerted to the incident Qantas via social media condemned the act and took drastic measures to ensure it never happens again by firing the baggage handler.
While I’ve never flown Qantas I’ve heard it stands for - Quick And Nasty Typical Australian Service.
One of my favorite social media follows is @AtlScoops. And their tagline is “Be in the know”. If you’re considering moving into the ATL proper I suggest you check them out before you pull the trigger and order a U-Haul.
Their February 5th post and video documents an altercation between an unnamed female and two of Atlanta’s finest at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. Nothing unusual except that this took place on the apron, yes the apron, and not in the gate area.
The video shows this young lady speaking with two officers and then she suddenly throws her head back and begins trotting, not running away from the officers. Seconds later one of the officers catches up and gives her a two-hand shove to her back which ends with her receiving an asphalt sandwich to the face. The officer rewards her with a nice set of cuffs before being whisked into the back of an ATL SUV. All of this was done in under 45 seconds, efficient work by the ATL crew.
What’s missing is why are passengers on the airport apron? Especially at Atlanta Hartsfield. Honestly, this young lady, who isn’t very fast, is lucky. Lucky in the fact that she didn’t get shot or at least tased. The airport is federal property after all. She’s also lucky she didn’t end up like Courtney Edwards who was pulled into the spinning turbines of a jet engine last year.
If you’re a umbraphile (An umbraphile is someone who loves eclipses and will often travel to see them) and have some spare cash lying around Deltra has the deal for you.
Eclipse viewing at 30,000 feet: Delta to offer path-of-totality flight
The airline is offering a special flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8, 2024, specifically to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality.
Delta flight 1218 will be specifically operated on an A220-300, which will offer especially premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large windows.
The flight will depart from Austin at 12:15 p.m. CT and land in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET — timed to give those on board the best chance of safely viewing the solar eclipse at its peak.*
If this sounds appealing flight 1218 was sold out in February. However, 5 additional Delta flights from various airports will provide some sort of an eclipse viewing opportunity. Prices range from $600.00 for the main cabin up to $2800.00 for first class.
The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we’ll see over North America until 2044,” take that all you umbraphiles.
So here’s my lingering question, isn’t only one side of the plane going to have the opportunity to see the eclipse?
I can only imagine what would happen if all the passengers sitting on the non-viewing side of the plane suddenly moved to the other side of the plane.
This next story is as Thank You Florida written all over it. It’s about our Brightline Train. If you’re not familiar with the Brightlne it’s a high-speed train that went live in 2018 with service between Miami and West Palm Beach. In September the Brighline began traveling all the way here to Orlando with the termination point Orlando International Airport. If you want to take the Brightline from O-Town into Ft Lauderdale a standard ticket will set you back right around $100.00 for their Smart fare and for an additional $40.00 you can take advantage of the Premium fare, which includes.
Complimentary snacks
Complimentary beverages
Relax at their premium lounge
The trip will take you right around three hours, which is much faster than driving it.
This sounds great, especially for the passengers, doesn’t it? What’s not so great is that there have been numerous incidents of motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists being on the tracks when a train passes. 100 deaths have been connected to Brightline operations since 2017. Three people were killed in two separate accidents on January 10 and 12, 2024 at the same crossing in Melbourne, FL.
In case you were wondering, there have been no onboard fatalities as a consequence of accidents.
Amtrack runs the same O-Town to Ft Lauderdale route and they haven't reported anywhere close to the same fatalities.
Brightline runs on FEC Florida East Coast Railway tracks while AMtrack runs on the CSX tracks. I’m not a safety expert but someone needs to examine all of the Brightline road crossings.
Well, there you have it Episode 196 the March randomness.
If you want detailed show notes, links, and pictures head over to podpage.com/travel-stories/
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As I always say, travel safe, stay safe, and thanks for listening.
Episode 197 - March Randomness