Airplanes take off at 6:00 am. I didn’t think airplanes woke up at 6:00 am!!
Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9
Our limo driver was here at 2:30 am; Jonny on the spot!! We were packed and ready to go with the checklist checked and double-checked. The limo was loaded, and we were off like a herd of buffalo transversing the 55 to the 91 to the 605 to the 105 and finally into the American Airlines terminal.
We unloaded my tiny little Ralph’s Market shopping bag of clothes and then hailed three porters to carry Mary’s steamer trunk and eight suitcases to the check-in desk. Did I fail to mention Mary had eleven carry-ons, and I was not one of them?!
The lady at the counter asked if we were smuggling pirates!
We arrived at LAX a little early, so we found a place to sit. We ordered breakfast at a small place. One cold turkey sandwich and two lattes for $36—we are in the wrong business! It was like a holdup!
Airport food can be expensive for a number of reasons, including:
High retail space costs – Airport retailers pay a premium for small spaces, and the cost is not fixed. They may also pay a monthly rate plus a commission on sales.
Security – Airport food must go through airport security frequently due to limited storage space. This includes extra precautions like counting knives multiple times a day.
Transportation – Airport vendors may need to pay for transportation to the airport and parking.
Employee badges – Vendors may need to pay for special badges for their employees.
Supply chain – Airport food delivery trucks need to clear security and may need extra insurance.
Demand and supply – Airports are high-security zones, so many outside food items are not allowed inside.
Competition – Airports have limited space, so there are fewer stores and less competition.
Supplier prices – Food wholesalers may charge more to businesses near airport terminals.
The first flight took off like clockwork on a swanky new 321 aircraft. It was so shiny, I think I saw my reflection in the fuselage! We had a lovely brunch on the airplane and a glass of champagne. We were both tired, so we crashed (excuse the expression) for the four-and-a-half-hour flight.
Leaving LAX this early was terrific! It was foggy but as soon as we got to about 3,000 the Sun was out and the view was terrific.
… into the wild grey wonder!
As we banked to the south and eventually northeast, the Catalina Islands emerged from the clouds. It is amazing how the Sun can burn off the clouds in a hour or so.
Catalina sticks her head out of the clouds.
About 30 minutes into the flight, the steward came by with breakfast. It was pretty good and warm, except for the champagne. Even the fruit was ripe!
Breakfast is served.
After four hours of flying, we were over Philadelphia, and the aircraft was running low on essentials: wine!!
Philadelphia is our first stop!
We were first in line after a quick sip of the wine at the nearby saloon.
Bangor, next stop!
Mary had all the tickets, passports, and other documents we needed to check in. I took a wheelchair and am glad I did, as we came in on concourse C and departed on F, which was quite a walk!
Stop! I have the boarding passes!!
The next lap was approximately one hour, and it went fast. The airplane was a puddle jumper, but it was comfortable, and the stews were terrific.
We are here!
The car trip from Bangor to Bar Harbor took about 60 minutes, but it was a little slower than expected because the rain fell fast, and this part of the country did not have street lights.
Check-in was easy, and the people at the front desk remembered us from last year.
After arriving at the hotel, we opened our drawers and put our things together before going to dinner at the hotel’s eatery!
I must say their Fish Stew had everything in it!
Fish soup in Bar Haba cannot be beat!
I was so hungry that my silverware looked like lights flashing on a dark night.
The wise old man!!
At 8:30 pm local time, we were in the sack and sound asleep! These 3:00 am departures are NOT as easy as they used to be.
Great detail and photography. Enjoy your journey one day at a time.