Travelers Beware

Just returned from flights on 3 different airlines and learned A LOT!
    1. Neither TSA nor Airlines enforce the "1 carry on 1 personal Item" FAA regulations, People boarded with 3 large bags, plus, in a couple of cases, a pet carrier. If you board in group 2 through 5, forget overhead space.
    2. The seat you pay for carries no guarantee that you will be able to sit in it squarely upright. The seat I paid for on Alaska was already partially occupied by the oversize adjacent seat occupier when I boarded. Fortunately, I was on an aisle seat and could sit on the edge partially in the aisle. On a Delta 757 200 there was no leg room and I sat with one Knee protruding into the aisle and the other protruding into the gap between the seats in front of me. The headrest came squarely across my shoulders. No back support for the entire flight.
     3. By the time all "preferred, or those needing assistance customers" are boarded, there are less than one third of the passengers, i.e. groups 2 through 5, left to board. Feels like they are penalizing plain old full fare ticket buyers.
     4. One airline even boards space available passengers before fare paying passengers. Grrrrr !! 
     5. What other FAA regulations are they not enforcing ? BEWARE ! The seat you pay for does not guarantee you a seat in which you can plant your bum in the middle of the seat with your legs in front of you.

  Travelers beware

.

Illinois

Up to St. Louis and crossed into Illinois to drive straight north to Art’s cousin, Shirley, in Rockford. Shirley lives with daughter Tammy and her husband Eric and their 2 cute little girls. With Eric’s solidly Swedish heritage, it was only logical that we try a local Swedish restaurant. Good choice! The Swedish pot roast with allspice and lingonberry sauce was fork tender and very tasty. They have a nice home and stay super busy-as do most young families.

Missouri

Westward a bit more through KY, passing by Paducah en route to Jackson, MO. Went there to visit Ken and Mary Peters. Jane and Mary met at a Girl Scout meeting 60 years ago next month. We don’t see them often enough, but enjoy being with them. We spent time at the county fair; it was our first of the year, and we ate the foods you only eat at fairs. It was our first time eating deep fried Oreos and Twinkies and curly potato chips.

Those and corn dogs are reserved as fair food. No carnival rides after those treats!

Kentucky

Heading south. From Gettysburg to Charleston, WV. We were pleasantly surprised to find what we saw of WV beautifully green and with good highways, good rest stops and friendly folks. We had no reason to expect otherwise, but enjoyed it and could easily visit again. Went on to Corbin, KY to visit Jane’s brother, Kirk. Melinda was away, but Kirk showed us around the little town and we had the obligatory supper at Sanders’ Café. That’s “Sanders” as in “Colonel Sanders” of KFC fame. Corbin was where it all began. Please say a prayer for Kirk and Mel to sell their home soon so that they can return to Florida and be closer to family. Grandkids do tug.
We had stopped on the way to visit the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea. We saw pottery, weavings, paintings, wooden items and foods all native. Ate lunch and chose from the section of regional specialties. Tried a “Hot Brown” sandwich. Sounds like a hot roast beef san with gravy, eh? Not so. It’s made with white bread, ham and turkey, then topped with a totally concealing cover of thick white sauce and garnished with two bacon strips and a slice of tomato. We were glad to experience a popular local dish but preferred the corn pudding side dish. Pictures.

Cape Cod

Skipped getting capitol pictures in Massachusetts as the idea of driving in downtown Boston at mid-day on the Friday before a holiday held no appeal. Headed on down to Mashpee, Cape Cod. Eric, Tanya, Mackenzie and Mason were vacationing there with Tanya’s dad, sister and brother and their families. Her brother, Chris, and sister, Cheryl, are now in the same medical practice there. Stayed over the Labor Day weekend and took in the glass museum at Sandwich, seafood meals in Provincetown and Sandwich, poking about in Hyannis and Hyannisport, a half day trip to Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, and a nice visit with Jane’s cousin Susan.

We hadn’t seen Mackenzie (27 months) and Mason (6 months) since May so were delighted to have the time with them. They grow so fast and are so much fun! Went to a little Zooquarium which had some aquatic and domestic animals. It was fun to watch Mackenzie go up to the areas of each animal and talk them with the sounds she knew they should make. She keeps us on our toes with the connections she is able to make from her observations. Her speech is very clear, and like her “Nanabug”, there is no shortage of it. The Phoenix Four went from Cape Cod to Ottawa to see Tara and Greg. Pictures here.

New Hampshire

From Maine we scooted on over to New Hampshire to visit Ellie and Michael Kahn. Ellie and Jane have been friends since they pledged Delta Zeta at U of O in ’58 and through nursing school, etc. We are looking forward to visits from them as they ponder retiring to OR “someday”. Ellie showed us some of the view spots in the North Conway area of the White Mountains. Of course, the highlight of the visit was the time with good friends, but another delight was coming back to their home and seeing a huge, barred owl sitting on the deck railing. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and we watched where it flew but did not see it again. We do hope it sticks around for Kahns to enjoy again.
On to Epsom, NH to see Bill & Dotty Dodge, friends from embassy days and many visits since we met in ’69. They spend summers at a lakeside cottage Dotty’s folks had. They know the area well and knew just where to go for more investigation on John McEldowney. We went to archives, museum of history and the state library. Did manage to get some info and can access more from there once we get home and review a book of family history. Since we were doing that searching in Concord, we took pictures of the state capitol. Bill and Dotty were married the same day and year as we were, but 4 hours earlier. We have enjoyed Anniversary dinners together in several countries over several years. More photos here.

Maine

Once we left the lobster expedition in Bass Harbor, Maine, (see Lobster blog below) we traveled to Ocean Park, Maine, via L.L. Bean and Cabela’s, to visit Jane’s Cousin Carol Fraley and her family and co-incidentally visit her sister and brother-in-law, from Salem, Oregon, who were also visiting Carol at the time.

Carol usually lives in New Hampshire, but was at the beach in a rental house that she and her family have been renting for 2 weeks each summer for 29 years as a family get-together/retreat.

We had fun playing at the beach, lazing around and, yes, dining on more fresh lobster.

Carol’s son and his wonderful young family were also visiting, so it made for multi-generational fun and a playful time. Three grandmothers, two grandfathers and just two grandchildren there upon whom to be doted! See photos here.