Well, my Java Club pals warned me that flying into Seattle on Boxing day might be a bit iffy, especially with a major snow and ice storm bearing down on the Emerald city, but the plans had been made and the tickets purchased so there was really nothing left to but execute the plan.
I left the house under the cover of darkness and arrived at
the airport still under the cover of darkness.
High class check in was an ease, and the airlines excusive
lounge offered up the first coffee of the day.
Fresh pancakes from the pancake machine were momentarily
tempting. Its hard to resist a pancake appearing from out of the bowels of the
gleaming stainless steel pancake making contraption.
But resist I did as I had ordered the scramble egg pie, or quiche
as it was billed on the sky carriages menu, and I was waiting for that.
The breakfast was quite good considering it was airline food, and even though I usually sit on the isle this ride I had chosen the window seat and was having a quite enjoyable time looking out the window at the snow-covered mountains and coastline far below.
I spotted Sitka and Mount Edgecumbe
Not long after Sitka I noticed that the plane made a turn. I thought I do not remember turning to go to Seattle but then I usually do not sit at the window. Not long after the driver came on the PA and announced that we were turning back and would land at Juneau as the weather in Seattle has caused total chaos on the ground.
Now I can remember flying into Juneau when the weather was
nasty and the plane was bouncing, twisting, and doing everything that planes do
in nasty weather, but today must have been the nicest day ever to fly into
Alaska’s capital city. The air was calm and the vistas flying right up the Gastineau
Channel were spectacular.
We even got to get off the sky carriage and walk around the
terminal for a short while, before reboarding and taking off again for Seattle.
Off we went towards to Seattle, and since we were being
served snacks and drinks no one really paid any attention to the fact that our normally
2 hour and 50-minute flight to Seattle was now running about a 4 ½ adventure,
and the real fun had yet to begin.
We landed and pulled into a long line of idling jets. Our
driver let us know that our wait for a gate would be about an hour. And here I really
have to hand it to the crew of our flight. The driver put on the ventilation so
we were no longer smelling the exhaust for the who know how many planes we were
behind, and then the cabin crew went ahead and announced that it would be okay
to use the restroom, but not to block the isle. Sitting in a jet going no where
is one of my forever nightmares, so just being able to stand up was enough to
ease my panic.
After at least an hour we finally taxied up close to a gate
but had to wait for the snow to be cleared away. Finally, we pulled up, the
door was opened and then the fun began.
Never actually going to Seattle for year I was unsure of
where the baggage claim area is, but the path is well marked, and computer monitors
are located around so you can determine which carousel your bags will be on.
Our carousel number 9 was a scene of complete chaos. One
employee was starting and stopping the devise to keep the bags from overflowing
and nocking over the crowd watching for their bags.
Severely travelers from Alaska realized that the problem was
that hundreds of bags from a flight bound to Saint Louis were not being
claimed. Several people volunteered to remove the bags, but the attendant had
some doubts about that, but after he was surrounded by larger me, he acquiesced
In no time at all the unclaimed bags were removed. Who knows
if the owners ever found their luggage?
Once the carousel was clear bags from an earlier Alaska
flight started their merry go round ride. These bags were quickly claimed, and
after who knows how long mine appeared.
The plan was to take the train to a block away from the
hotel, and after trudging over the slick and slush lined corridor to the train station,
we discovered that lots of people were waiting. The reason all these people
were waiting for is because the train did not want to be outdone by the baggage
carousel, and so the south bound train had broken down just past the station
and nothing could move until it was moved. Getting that train moving only took
about another 1 ½ hours and before my ride in a sky carriage shoe could freeze
to the slush on the platform we were on our way to the hotel, accompanied by a
large part of the Northwest population.
The hotel was easy to find from the station and only involved
careening down one steep ice-covered street.
The bistro was packed but there was a table at the bar that
I quickly commandeered and ordered refreshment as my travel pal ordered food. We
had a great time waiting and waiting for food while chatting up the folks at the
adjacent table. The wait would not have been bad if it had been palatable, but
it was not it was disgusting. A 4 in one patty on a dry bun, served in a box.
Before we left and with the help of two of the big guys from the next table, I explained to the Maitre d just how bad his crew was a playing restaurant. All and all it was a very good day.
Thanks for reading
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