{"id":2545,"date":"2009-10-21T16:54:10","date_gmt":"2009-10-21T21:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/?p=2545"},"modified":"2022-04-07T17:01:45","modified_gmt":"2022-04-07T22:01:45","slug":"glorious-day-for-flying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.howderfamily.com\/blog\/glorious-day-for-flying\/","title":{"rendered":"Glorious Day for Flying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I got so excited about my walk through Boston\u2019s Back Bay neighborhood<\/a> that I got a little ahead of myself in the story. I should probably back up a bit. Let’s start with the airline flight that brought me to this wonderful spot along the Charles River. A nor\u2019easter blew through last week bringing bitter cold and incessant rain. However, it completely cleared out as the weekend trailed away. Monday brought crisp blue skies and warmer temperatures; light jacket weather — my favorite time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve shared a travel tip. So I think this would be an appropriate opportunity to mention another lesson I\u2019ve learned from many years of business travel. I\u2019ve talked about how to find a decent meal<\/a>. I\u2019ve also suggested a way to find thoughtful yet free souvenirs<\/a> for the kids waiting back home. For that one I’ll note that mobile phone cameras are now “good enough” for these purposes. The third tip I’ll share assumes some flexibility. Namely, it\u2019s always best to pick a flight right around noon on a weekday, especially a Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll go into the office to put in a few hours of productive work. Maybe I’ll bang out a bunch of emails that have collected over the weekend. Then I’ll leisurely make my way over to the airport. I\u2019m just a few minutes away and I can literally see a section of the runway from my window. Thus, I do realize I\u2019m more fortunate than most and perhaps this tip won\u2019t work for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mayhem of Monday morning flights has completely cleared out by then. On the other hand, it\u2019s too early in the day for people returning from trips. Airports are ghost towns at noon. That has all sorts of positive implications for getting through security, grabbing something to eat, and boarding flights without being jostled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Weather Cooperated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Jet<\/a>
National Airport; Washington, DC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I had perfect weather and an empty flight. I owned the entire exit row and sat in a seat with nothing else in front of it. It felt like first class. This must have been what it was like during the Golden Age of jet travel back in the 1960\u2019s before the airlines became the bus. Maybe I\u2019m idealizing that image. I never actually experienced those days of flying. Back then a trip was an event and people dressed up in their Sunday best before taking to wing. Stereotypically though, that\u2019s how I imagined it. Regardless it seems a far cry from the dehumanizing experience that it has devolved to today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I almost never look out the window during flights anymore. Most flights are crammed with people and I can barely fit my frame even remotely comfortably into an aisle seat. It\u2019s a rare treat when I have an entire row to myself combined with a cloudless day. I put my book away and plastered my face to the window instead. It was an amazing day for someone obsessed with geography and maps. Every physical feature of the eastern seaboard appeared with such precision that I can tell you my exact flight path from memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving Washington<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Washington,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I sat on the right side so I faced east for most of the flight and experienced an oceanside view. I\u2019m sure I would have gotten a great shot of Manhattan and the other large eastern cities had I sat on the left. Nonetheless I was just as happy with the land formations along the coast. I did get a great view of Washington, DC and all of its glorious grids and diagonals. I also spotted the green wedge formed by Rock Creek Park, as the jet followed the nose abatement path along the Potomac River before swinging north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delmarva Peninsula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n