Wednesday, April 16 travel day

Wednesday was all about getting there.  Glenn dropped us off at PDX about 9:30 AM.  We checked our bags and headed for our gate, pausing briefly for what turned out to be the one and ONLY Starbucks stop of our trip.  Enjoyed our beverages while waiting to board the plane.

The flight to Denver was fun.  We had a great “seasoned” flight crew, with a stand-up comedian at the microphone.  He told us what to do with our seat cushions “in the event our flight should become a cruise” and informed us that “an uninformed agent---oh, I’m sorry, make that a uniformed agent” would be waiting at the gate to direct us to any connecting flights.  Upon landing, he also told us that our seatbelt latches were somehow connected to our luggage and if we unfastened our seatbelts before the captain turned off the light, our luggage would know and think we had left the plane and would immediately be dropped out onto the runway!  Our flight into Denver arrived on time, with Woody the Wood Duck on our tail,. “ Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa, big fella!”

During the two and a half hour layover in Denver, we occupied ourselves by enjoying a fine meal at Chef Jimmy’s Bistro and Spirits---we each had a cup of the Tomato-Basil Bisque, then split two sandwiches three ways (a Chicken Panini and a Turkey with Pesto).  Everything was delicious!  We also enjoyed a nice bottle of Gabbiano Pinot Grigio along with the meal.  We managed to freshen up and make it to our gate just after they had called our row for boarding.

Once on the plane, we discovered that it was snowing in Denver!  The flight was delayed slightly so they could de-ice the wings, but we had a ringside seat for the operation and got some great pictures of the process.  Then, it was on to Reagan National.  The rest of the flight was uneventful, but we did have our first experience with the “cashless cabin” when it came time to order our in-flight beverages.  It’s a good system.  All in all, flying Frontier was a pleasant experience.  We had some wonderful views of the lighted Capitol Building and the Washington Monument as our flight descended over DC in preparation for landing with Ollie the Orca.

It was about 10:00 PM when we landed in DC and just about everything at the airport was shut down.  Looking to buy a few items for breakfast the next morning, we asked about a convenience store and were told the only thing open at that time of night was Dunkin’ Doughnuts!  We passed on that idea.  Outside the airport, it was easy to catch a cab into the city.  It was all very organized---like they have done this before?  When we got to the front of the line for the taxis, the person asked us where we were going and pointed us to an appropriate cab.   Our cab driver was from Nigeria.  

When we arrived at The Coach House, it was almost 11:00 PM, but our host was waiting for us on the front steps.  The weather was mild and he was wearing shorts!   Did we bring the right clothes?  We settled in and looked forward to the adventures of the days ahead.  We learned that the Coach House where we are staying was built about 1870 and was actually used to repair carriages back in the day.  

Lesson learned:  Next trip we need to arrive earlier in the day.  We need a "WE ARE HERE" moment and to get any supplies.