Four am and I am up, showered and on I-25. Before, I left I considered calling Fort Collin, Colorado's local airport tansportation, Greenide, for a lift to the airport. Unfortunately, between going to my daughter's house for a birthday celebration the day before, taking the dog into the groomers, touching base with the people in my life, and packing, I forgot! Greenride, though, would have been a good way to go. For $35.00 this amazing Fort Collins company, can pick up clients right at their home and take them to the airport. Sometimes, I am told, you can get even luckier and be the only person going to the airport and get a free ride! To check out greenride got to www.greenrideco.com.
I never park right at the airport if I take my car. I use USA Airport Parking, which is located on Tower Road, just north of Pena Blvd. I also use the toll road, E40. The toll road use to have booths with attendants. These days, license Plate Toll customers will be sent a bill for their travel through any lanes. For those vehicles without an Express Toll transponder, cameras will photograph the front and rear license plates and a bill will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle for their tolls. No advance registration is required. The cost for a round trip if you exit at Colorado Blvd to go to USA Parking is $1.80 each way. To calculate your fee you can go to http://www.e-470.com/Default.aspx?pn=PayingTolls.
My daughter and I pull into USA Parking and off we go to the airport. My daughter, who is 24, got a talk from her dad about how important tipping is to drivers ect. Excited, and feeling rich, she generously tips our driver as we exit the van and head on into Denver International Airport, (DIA). Since I have never flown on American Airlines, I am anxious to see how they treat their customers in the wee morning hours. I am some what disappointed to see the sour looks and the lack of helpfulness I am greeted with. Our passports for some reason will not scan at the Kiosk. After several attempts, I let an AA preservationist know our dilemma. With a look of annoyance I am pointed to a line where an older gentleman kindly processes our passports and directs us to terminal C.
After, we clear customs, we board the tram and off to Gate C35 we go. Once at our gate my daughter, develops hunger pains. The hunger pains are followed by, "Oh my God, why does it cost so much to eat in the airport"? "Well, I tell her, this old/new airport has to generate income by charging a pretty good chunk of rent to vendors. They in turn have to make money...hence, we pay the bill!
At 7:10 am, we are in the air and on our way to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport where we have an hour and thirty-five minute layover. This of course, is not much considering we have to change concourses via tram. My daughter, who has not flown in a while, has to get the camera out and take pictures of us in the air. That leads to the discovery that we can take pictures out the window of the airplane wing.....This flight we discover, only gives away one drink.
At 10:10 am we land. After we land, we scramble to find a few Dallas/Forth Worth shot glasses for the boys at home who are sports fans. The cashier in the store who is from Central America, sees my Family Travel Consultant name tag and tells me how pretty the name Sandy is! What a nice mid-morning booster to my day, especially when he has to be in his 20s!
At 11:45, we are back on the plane. We discover once again, that we can take some amazing pictures of the wing of the plane...Its the little things that entertain us! We also discover our seatmate, Peach, is from Japan and on her honeymoon. Peach, is the translation she gives us for her Japanese name. Peach, is in her twenties and a very happy bride who is a swim instructor for children. Her husband also works as a sports instructor. We offer to switch seats so they can seat together instead of across the isle, but Peach declines. We discover that this young couple came on a flight all the way from Negishi, Japan to honeymoon for 4 short days at the Fiesta American resort in Cancun. Being fun loving girls, we were soon giggling and ahhing over each other's families pictures and Peach's wedding pictures that were on our digital cameras. What a way to catch a glimpse into someone's life in a foreign country! Sometimes modern technology rocks! Of course since we had our cameras out, we had to have pictures of the three of us. One is posted on this blog. Before landing, Peach and I exchanged addresses of the old fashioned nature!
Sandy Tanner
Family Travel Consultant/Affiliated with All Inclusive Vacations
970.310.3625
www.familytravelconsultant.com
"All the World is a book, those who do not travel read only a page." St. Augustine
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