Oakland by way of Yellow Cab and Alaska
Marisa and I are now in Oakland at the Quality Inn, near the airport (room 112).
It is a nice sized room (not too small, not too big) with a coffee maker, television, usual bathroom facilities, and wi-fi access. The only problem is: shortage of power connections...or power outlets in the wrong places. There is a nice desk, but I can't use my laptop there because no power. A lamp and television use the outlets on that side of the room. So I use the computer at the front corner table where there is one available outlet.
The trip here was probably the best airline journey for us ever.
* I checked us in last night while still at work. This allowed us to reserve seats together and I bought the right for Marisa to check in the large suitcase. I had Alaska Airlines email me the boarding passes, but wasn't sure about the luggage tag.
* We chose to take a yellow cab here instead of Tri-Met. I would say this is a wise expense, even if we were not lugging around a gi-normous suitcase. The Tri-Met route is fine, but there is the need to take a bus to Hollywood, then transfer to the red line. Then, the Max site at PDX can sometimes lead to tripping incidents. The cab ride take a half hour. Tri-Met takes an hour. Tri-met costs $5 for two. Yellow Cab costs $42 (including tip). If strapped for cash and travelling light...with extra time...Tri-Met is acceptable. The cab ride, though, is much less stressful, is quick and there is little lugging of luggage! The driver didn't appear to know English very well...probably an immigrant from Africa, but he was very nice and I think my tip of more than 20% was welcome. His cab was right on time and helped set up the luggage in the trunk. I helped him navigate the local streets until Fessenden: he knew the rest of the route on Columbia Blvd. to the airport.
* Last night I printed out the passes but mine was split on the page division for the pdf so I screen shot the image and used the photo editing software to put together the passes correctly, then printed that out. I didn't really like either rendition.
* However, Alaska anticipated this and let me print out good boarding passes from the kiosk. There we also printed out the luggage tag. No lines!
* We waited behind only one other person to get into the luggage check-in. They had a person to check ID before checking in the luggage. Everyone was very nice and respectful. I was sort of amazed to be able to hand over the luggage and have it weighed...and not get a "hey, you need to pay extra" or some other thing. It was all good.
* We then had an extra hour before boarding, so we went down the shopping concourse to the other end and had breakfast at Beaches. They were very nice there. I had coffee and scrambled eggs (as I had an earlier breakfast) and Marisa had a full breakfast, kiwi lemonade and coffee. $32 with tip. As we left the waitress thanked us.
* TSV precheck allowed us to get in without taking off our shoes, belts or anything...just with everything stuffed in the bags for scanning (including laptop computers and toothpaste). Easy peasy. The line was very short as well.
* In the central area we enjoyed a little show from Elizabeth Wisler, an accordianist who played with a taped band (https://allegroeliteduo.vpweb.com/default.html). I contributed Marisa's two dollars and she thanked me as she started to set up for her next song. Definitely she is on my list of musicians to potentially hire for a bash Marisa and I plan to host some day in a rented hall. Marisa says when we retire would be a good time. I would think a lot of folks would appreciate a celebratory get-together for the end of the Trump administration.
* Along the A concourse we viewed paintings of state flowers by one artist (I didn't take pictures or catch the name). Later we saw the
Tim Burton-esque painting (I have seen it there before, so must be semi-permanent). Also there was an interesting display right before the Alaska area which had deer, foxes, rabbits, mounted in baux-relief about 20 feet up on a wall.
* When we got to A9, one podium in a wide circle of podiums run by Alaska, they had started boarding. After going through all the privileged classes they got to D (for Danish the agent said on the speaker system), and we got on a relatively short line and breezed right through. The agent made sure to say our names..."Thank you Byron, Welcome Marissa (few people get the pronunciation correct).
* The flight left very soon after everyone got on. No turbulance. By the time I got through the in-flight magazine we were descending on the Bay Area. Marisa and I sat together--12A and 12B, Marisa chose the window seat. When we were flying over north bay she let me take pictures from the aisle seat. I think what made the flight go so well was: NOT overbooked! In fact, the overhead luggage compartment only had my bag, no one else's...and the seats across the aisle from us (12C and 12D) were unoccupied! In coach we almost felt as if we were first class.
* I wrote down a bit remembering all the airports I have visited through my life. Also I solved a little logic/math puzzle with playing cards. And I noted some possible destinations in our future travels. Marisa said she would like to visit Amsterdam and Hawaii again. I said we need to plan out our travel interests. Basically, we are running out of time and money to do these kinds of trips. I would love to become a globe trotter in my sunset years, but seriously doubt we can afford to do that. Also, why return to a place if we can go somewhere new. In fact, this is one reason I chose to fly in to Oakland instead of SFO this trip: I had never been to Oakland International Airport!
* Oakland airport is a nice one, a little smaller than PDX but better in many ways. For instance, the arriving flight area has a good seating area ahd food service. PDX is not as nice. Also they have this interesting windy path motif with sparkly things in the floor. We didn't have to walk too far or through too many obstacles to get to the luggage claim. There an attendant was there to give us the bag!
* Then, on to the rental car area. We went to the area where the shuttle stops...and no waiting, the shuttle was there. An attendant noticed our suitcase was large so he moved the bags around to make room for ours. When we got to the car place, he brought the case to the threshold of the vehicle. Very nice!
* If there was any annoyance it was the Hertz car rental area. Gold members get to check-in ahead of others, so in this case there were just two agents and more than that many gold members...so I had to wait as four others who arrived after us were served first. The guy behind me, a SF native who flew in from Kansas, wasn't sure where to go. I said, "Unless you are a gold member, you just have to wait here." He was still waiting as I finished the process for our car.
* There were just two cars available in the non-reserved section of economy cars. We took a Nissan Versa. There was an attendant there to explain this to us. All the other cars around us were "reserved", again, probably for Gold card members. But our car was solid and had no scratches or anything I could write down on the damage report.
* I had no maps of my own to bring, so picked up complimentary maps where I could in the Oakland airport (I also checked out airport stores, but NO ONE carrried maps!). There were no detailed maps of Oakland in the free batch. I would have been lost, but Marisa had her handheld wi-fi computer, so she helped navigate us to the hotel. In the future all we have to do to prevent the enemy from invading is to block internet access. Maps are, alas, a thing of the past for most of the world (but not me).
* The hotel clerk was very nice and checked us in quickly.
All in all, a good beginning to a mini-vacation!
It is a nice sized room (not too small, not too big) with a coffee maker, television, usual bathroom facilities, and wi-fi access. The only problem is: shortage of power connections...or power outlets in the wrong places. There is a nice desk, but I can't use my laptop there because no power. A lamp and television use the outlets on that side of the room. So I use the computer at the front corner table where there is one available outlet.
The trip here was probably the best airline journey for us ever.
* I checked us in last night while still at work. This allowed us to reserve seats together and I bought the right for Marisa to check in the large suitcase. I had Alaska Airlines email me the boarding passes, but wasn't sure about the luggage tag.
* We chose to take a yellow cab here instead of Tri-Met. I would say this is a wise expense, even if we were not lugging around a gi-normous suitcase. The Tri-Met route is fine, but there is the need to take a bus to Hollywood, then transfer to the red line. Then, the Max site at PDX can sometimes lead to tripping incidents. The cab ride take a half hour. Tri-Met takes an hour. Tri-met costs $5 for two. Yellow Cab costs $42 (including tip). If strapped for cash and travelling light...with extra time...Tri-Met is acceptable. The cab ride, though, is much less stressful, is quick and there is little lugging of luggage! The driver didn't appear to know English very well...probably an immigrant from Africa, but he was very nice and I think my tip of more than 20% was welcome. His cab was right on time and helped set up the luggage in the trunk. I helped him navigate the local streets until Fessenden: he knew the rest of the route on Columbia Blvd. to the airport.
* Last night I printed out the passes but mine was split on the page division for the pdf so I screen shot the image and used the photo editing software to put together the passes correctly, then printed that out. I didn't really like either rendition.
* However, Alaska anticipated this and let me print out good boarding passes from the kiosk. There we also printed out the luggage tag. No lines!
* We waited behind only one other person to get into the luggage check-in. They had a person to check ID before checking in the luggage. Everyone was very nice and respectful. I was sort of amazed to be able to hand over the luggage and have it weighed...and not get a "hey, you need to pay extra" or some other thing. It was all good.
* We then had an extra hour before boarding, so we went down the shopping concourse to the other end and had breakfast at Beaches. They were very nice there. I had coffee and scrambled eggs (as I had an earlier breakfast) and Marisa had a full breakfast, kiwi lemonade and coffee. $32 with tip. As we left the waitress thanked us.
* TSV precheck allowed us to get in without taking off our shoes, belts or anything...just with everything stuffed in the bags for scanning (including laptop computers and toothpaste). Easy peasy. The line was very short as well.
* In the central area we enjoyed a little show from Elizabeth Wisler, an accordianist who played with a taped band (https://allegroeliteduo.vpweb.com/default.html). I contributed Marisa's two dollars and she thanked me as she started to set up for her next song. Definitely she is on my list of musicians to potentially hire for a bash Marisa and I plan to host some day in a rented hall. Marisa says when we retire would be a good time. I would think a lot of folks would appreciate a celebratory get-together for the end of the Trump administration.
* Along the A concourse we viewed paintings of state flowers by one artist (I didn't take pictures or catch the name). Later we saw the
Tim Burton-esque painting (I have seen it there before, so must be semi-permanent). Also there was an interesting display right before the Alaska area which had deer, foxes, rabbits, mounted in baux-relief about 20 feet up on a wall.
* When we got to A9, one podium in a wide circle of podiums run by Alaska, they had started boarding. After going through all the privileged classes they got to D (for Danish the agent said on the speaker system), and we got on a relatively short line and breezed right through. The agent made sure to say our names..."Thank you Byron, Welcome Marissa (few people get the pronunciation correct).
* The flight left very soon after everyone got on. No turbulance. By the time I got through the in-flight magazine we were descending on the Bay Area. Marisa and I sat together--12A and 12B, Marisa chose the window seat. When we were flying over north bay she let me take pictures from the aisle seat. I think what made the flight go so well was: NOT overbooked! In fact, the overhead luggage compartment only had my bag, no one else's...and the seats across the aisle from us (12C and 12D) were unoccupied! In coach we almost felt as if we were first class.
* I wrote down a bit remembering all the airports I have visited through my life. Also I solved a little logic/math puzzle with playing cards. And I noted some possible destinations in our future travels. Marisa said she would like to visit Amsterdam and Hawaii again. I said we need to plan out our travel interests. Basically, we are running out of time and money to do these kinds of trips. I would love to become a globe trotter in my sunset years, but seriously doubt we can afford to do that. Also, why return to a place if we can go somewhere new. In fact, this is one reason I chose to fly in to Oakland instead of SFO this trip: I had never been to Oakland International Airport!
* Oakland airport is a nice one, a little smaller than PDX but better in many ways. For instance, the arriving flight area has a good seating area ahd food service. PDX is not as nice. Also they have this interesting windy path motif with sparkly things in the floor. We didn't have to walk too far or through too many obstacles to get to the luggage claim. There an attendant was there to give us the bag!
* Then, on to the rental car area. We went to the area where the shuttle stops...and no waiting, the shuttle was there. An attendant noticed our suitcase was large so he moved the bags around to make room for ours. When we got to the car place, he brought the case to the threshold of the vehicle. Very nice!
* If there was any annoyance it was the Hertz car rental area. Gold members get to check-in ahead of others, so in this case there were just two agents and more than that many gold members...so I had to wait as four others who arrived after us were served first. The guy behind me, a SF native who flew in from Kansas, wasn't sure where to go. I said, "Unless you are a gold member, you just have to wait here." He was still waiting as I finished the process for our car.
* There were just two cars available in the non-reserved section of economy cars. We took a Nissan Versa. There was an attendant there to explain this to us. All the other cars around us were "reserved", again, probably for Gold card members. But our car was solid and had no scratches or anything I could write down on the damage report.
* I had no maps of my own to bring, so picked up complimentary maps where I could in the Oakland airport (I also checked out airport stores, but NO ONE carrried maps!). There were no detailed maps of Oakland in the free batch. I would have been lost, but Marisa had her handheld wi-fi computer, so she helped navigate us to the hotel. In the future all we have to do to prevent the enemy from invading is to block internet access. Maps are, alas, a thing of the past for most of the world (but not me).
* The hotel clerk was very nice and checked us in quickly.
All in all, a good beginning to a mini-vacation!