Travel Day… Chop, chop! Up at 6:00 AM to make sure all was packed and readied for multiple flights and airports. Yesterday saw Atlanta Airport shut down due to a power outage, so I’m hoping that those woes haven’t trickled over into our Tuesday flights. First step was sustenance, which we found with friendly New Orleans style service at Jimmy J’s Cafe. Breakfast places are all the rage here, with broad and creative menus. I’d be big as a barrel if I lived in these parts!
Then tic-tac-toe… Smooth check-out at the Sheraton, uneventful cab ride with “Eric” to MSY, and 10 minutes getting through security. We ended up laughing as the plastic trays were getting squished and popped into the air as they came out of the Xray machine. All the websites say “be early” for flights… sage advice as far as I’m concerned! Keeps the stress factor down, reduces time in line and allows time to rectify issues as they arise. Only downside is more time in airports… Which I use to get online and do work / write.
Louis Armstrong International isn’t a huge airport, double the physical size of Halifax in my estimation. The pace was relaxed and service folks friendly. I’m guessing it won’t be so laid back in Newark! Our first flight, with United Airlines, was delayed by 50 minutes. With a three hour layover in Newark, we estimated that as long as things didn’t get totally fouled we would have no issues in making connections. Nice surprise… We got the exit seats when we boarded so lots of room. The plane didn’t have video screens though… I missed the onboard map!
Newark… Well that was just Newark. Lots of folks trying to make connections and our plane sat on the runway for about 20 minutes. Pretty scrambly, with a bit of a hustle to get from the “C” gates to the “A” area. Once we located the shuttle bus all came together. Thank you to the gentleman that stopped and helped! Once again, the flight departure time was delayed (no pilot this time) but in the end we were treated to excellent after dark views of Manhattan and Long Island upon take off. We landed in Halifax safe and sound, about an hour late (and interestingly exited plane downstairs and onto the runway for entry). Car pick up at Hilton Garden and drive home were smooth… As we pulled into Cloverville at 1:00 AM we thought it a trip well executed! Snore… 😴!!!
Oh man. Do you two know how to cram 2 weeks of ‘stuff’ into a few days or what. Enjoyed reading your blog… such a nice mix of history…education… culture…. and FOOD!! I’m serious…. every time we read the blogs you two produce, our bucket list gets longer… and it’s pretty long right now. Thanks for creating a pretty cool picture of New Orleans in our minds, and safe travels today. You’ll see a little sneak peek of winter when you get home.
Well, to be honest the core of New Orleans isn’t all that big, so the places we went to were all very walkable! Just back in Antigonish (1:00 AM) after a pretty successful trip. I’ve added info in regards to the good, and the bad, in the Reflections page Mike. As with all these cities, NO has its fair share of issues. Thanks for chiming in and best wishes to Cathy… Happy Holidays!
Thanks Chris!!
I really enjoyed reading your description of the time you spent in New Orleans.
I can’t imagine but am not surprised, at how much you managed to see and experience, in such a Short time.!!
All is well in Antigonish!
Thanks so much for keeping an eye on all things at home Eileen! We had a worry free series of days to focus on training and the task at hand. New Orleans is compact… It lends itself well to evening strolls and you can find relaxing bars and eateries that suited our tastes quite nicely. We travelled there at a perfect time… Can’t imagine it in the heat of the summer. Once again… Thanks for everything!