It's Habit Forming

I assume that everybody has an addiction problem. It may not be drugs or alcohol; it well could be the thrill of skiing, or time spent in front of a screen. I guess the idea of being addicted implies doing something more than is considered healthy. Or it might mean more than normal, whatever that is.

I've come to realize that travelling can be very addictive. If I have to have an addiction at least it's an educational one. I mean I've yet to be back a week from a six-week overseas vacation and I'm already thinking of other trips. We have $100 worth of credit with Allegiant Air which must be used before January 10, 2010. It appears as if we won't have the chance to use it. We don't have any time off or even three-day weekends before the end of the year. I teach right up till the middle of December.

There are some plans in the works. We do already have tickets for an 8-night stay in New York City over Christmas and New Years. Cathay Pacific has direct flights from Vancouver, and we'll be on one on Christmas Eve. We can visit Jay's brother. Also, I've always wanted to say I was in Times Square when the ball drops. Of course, I saw the celebrations as a child on television. When I was really young, I thought the change of millennium would make a great occasion. I missed that but it's never too late. Our last time in NYC was in May of 2005 when I took this picture.

When Cheaper is Easier

There's a neat little airline which flies out of our closest border city in the US. Allegiant Airlines uses a small airport in Bellingham, Washington. Depending on the time required to get through the border, driving there can take less than forty-five minutes. The airport is only serviced by a few airlines and thus, there's never much of a delay going through security. Parking is moderately priced and right in front of the terminal building.

Although Allegiant seems to be involved in a multitude of markets, they have been flying direct to just seven cities from here. It's been a perfect way to save money for US west-coast or southwest destinations. We've recently flown to Las Vegas and Phoenix on them. If one books well enough ahead, it's possible to pick up some fantastic fares though their website.

Allegiant has recently had a promotion and has added an additional destination. Now, there's now an eighth city accessible from Bellingham. How nice to see an expansion in this economic climate! I guess we probably won't be flying Alaska Air very often now. I sort of gave up my fervor for the planes painted with the Eskimos when they stopped giving out free beers. Nowadays on a plane, we hardly expect to receive a cup of water.

On the Strip

We really didn't get into the city until this date. Allegiant Airlines really screwed up last night trying to get us here. There are three daily flights from Bellingham. We were booked on the 4:25 one. It never came although the passengers were told several times it was almost arriving. The late flight had extra room so after mayhem and confusion, we ended up on it. We flew with only carry on luggage which is one reason we made it on board. Others were promised luggage might arrive after two or three days. Way to go! At around 9:10 we eventually left the tarmac and arrived in Las Vegas at about quarter to midnight. That was about four and a half hours later than scheduled but, hey, Las Vegas is open 24 hours a day. Bus 180 was an easy trip up to Riviera along Paradise Road. We checked into Circus Circus well past midnight.

We got up late but walked to the Sahara for a breakfast buffet that sort of morphed into lunch while we were there. We spent the day traversing the Strip and trying to note all the changes during six years of absence. The city does a good job of reinventing itself every six months, so there were lots of changes.

We also ended up downtown for several of the Fremont Street shows. I might consider staying in the old heart of the city on the next stay. The Duece, double-decker bus plying Las Vegas Boulevard is easy. It cost $5 for unlimited travel for 24 continuous hours.

Shopping Half Naked

Next week, it'll be time to truly see what happens in Vegas and if it stays there. As I booked on Allegiant Air earlier in the month, each segment of my trip to Vegas was US$ 28.00. All together with taxes and fees it came to US$ 88.50. I do wonder what the 9/11 tax does for the tiny, little Bellingham, WA airport. At last, yesterday, Jay got time off in order to come along. As it was more of a last minute purchase, he had to come up with an additional hundred bucks for the same Monday and Friday flights.

Seconds ago, I booked a car for Wednesday of next week. Although we poked around a bit of the desert on a one-week trip in May, we didn't swing by the Hoover Dam. That's why I just visited the Dollar site. The company offers rentals directly from Circus Circus. That's pretty convenient as it's where we're staying.



We hardly notice how easy many things are nowadays. For example, I didn't think twice about the fact I just chose a rental car company and reserved without lifting a finger, with the exception of my mouse button one. Should I mention I was only wearing my underwear? That's the ultimate of convenience too!

I'll Not Even Spend $5 Gambling

I was contemplating it yesterday. I blogged how getting away to Vegas was a deal I could hardly afford to pass up. I thought $29 a night for a king bed on the strip was bargain enough. Then, I noticed Expedia Canada was offering a special promotion for booking through them. They are providing a bonus $50 Petrol Canada gas coupon after the travel is completed. The hitch was the offer expired tonight. So, earlier I entered my credit card and hit enter a few times. I give my final examination on November 28th. That should give me sufficient time to get 'em corrected before heading south. The stay will be from Monday, December 1st until Friday, the 5th. I'm grateful for cheap Allegiant flights from Bellingham.

I was trying to remember when we'd last visited. It was easy to check on the very first visit as I recalled that US Forces entered Afghanistan. It was on the news and it was in October of 2001. The following year we went again. After disruptions due to 9/11, it was considered patriotic to get back into the air. We went that time in November and that's when the following picture was taken. Six years is too long to have stayed away from that fun little city.

What Happens in Vegas ...

Damn. I don't really need to get away on another vacation yet. So far this year, we've been away on a Mexican cruise, a road trip in the US Southwest, and three weeks in Italy. Yet, knowing that I have time off in December goaded me into checking online flights and hotels. It's a hobby, I guess.

It's almost too cheap NOT to go to Las Vegas in December. There's a traditional slow season before the end of the year. There's that plus possible effects from the financial slowdown.

If I pick dates carefully I could go to Las Vegas for four nights. Flying with Allegiant from Bellingham, WA would amount to just $US88.50 round trip. Of course, I'd need to pay $US35 to park at the airport for five days. Circus Circus is not the most prestigious hangout on the strip but I could stay Monday through Friday during the first or second week of December for less than $US28 per night with taxes included. One gross breakfast buffet could fill up me for an entire day.



Jay might not be able to go due to work. He can check. I haven't travelled by myself for decades but with deals like this how can I not, even if alone?

Rental Car Mileage: 1491 Miles!

I'm feeling the way that many people feel after vacation about getting back to their comfortable familiar bed. The object of my affection is my home PC, however. Everything seems much brighter, not to mention speedier, on this computer.

 

We got up early enough to drive around in the rental car before our 2:35 flight. We saw where the new LRT will soon open in downtown Phoenix. Then, we leisurely headed to Scottsdale's Old Town. We're not souvenir buyers on short trips, but I almost considered a cactus travelling pack. All the goodies for a little cactus garden including the dirt, bowl, and token item were included. I bought neither that nor cowboy boots.

Allegiant Air departed a few minutes ahead of schedule as they shoehorned in all the elderly, handicapped, and old ladies travelling with cats. Actually, as we bought our own cookies, and bottled water things were fine. Who needs flight attendants nowadays, anyway? Oh, most airports have refrigerated drinking fountains in the departure areas, so clever folks just bring an empty bottle through security and fill it while at the gate. My other travel hint involves taking your oldest underwear on a trip. Then after wearing them, they can be easily tossed in the garbage. This gives you a slightly lighter load on the way home.

Bellingham Airport was a breeze. I'm happy that Allegiant Air is now adding flights to San Diego and San Francisco. If one books early, there are bargains to be had.

Car parking for the few hours over the week came to $55. That's not bad considering we sometimes take a $40 taxi to YVR during off-transit hours. We had to wait about 35 minutes at the Peace Arch to get through the border. That's not too bad, but I wouldn't have thought there'd be so many heading back to Canada on the first day of our three-day weekend. The US citizen's aren't off for three days until next weekend.

We must have brought some of the Phoenix weather with us. The balcony door is wide open. The days before we left we still had the gas fireplace running.

Ah, now that I see this computer works well, I'm looking forward to testing the bed.

Go Stand in Front of That!

How old is one during the summer between Grade 5 and 6? I think that was the last time I saw the Grand Canyon. I do remember the family crossing the country on that trip with an old Chevy pickup and camper. My mother always took lots of images in the form of Kodachrome slides. I wish I had those to scan but I guess they no longer exist as my father doesn't know their whereabouts.

I will be sure we get lots of digital shots of me standing at the edge of the canyon when Jay and I head to Arizona next month. We're taking vacation after I complete my current course, so from May 10th to 17th we'll be away.

The airfare we found to Phoenix seems so cheap! To travel one way is just $77 including taxes and fees. It'd certainly cost more than $154 each to drive there and back. Of course, we do have to go to Bellingham, WA in order to get the deal. I hope there are no surprises. We've never been on Allegiant Air before but service on every plane is non-existent nowadays, right? We now make it a habit to bring our own snacks as one is lucky to get a free pretzel to suck on from a flight attendant.

Two Small and One Large

I love my teaching schedule. The courses I teach are very draining as they're 16 hours per week with the same group of students. The great thing is that these COMM classes are just five weeks long. Students can put in a sustained effort when they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You see, these Intensive classes require a lot of work.

Between teaching these hectic sessions, I need the week off to recharge my own batteries. That's what is coming to an end soon. So, I'm already set to take on a new group on Monday afternoon at the Burnaby campus.

It probably is a bit soon to start dreaming about my next vacation, but we just bought air tickets online a few minutes ago. It'll be the second short trip of the year. In the autumn we try to get away for three or four weeks. For this short one, we're driving across the border and down to Bellingham, WA just to catch a cheap flight to Phoenix, AZ. That'll be the week of May 10 to 17. Actually, Allegiant Air flies into Mesa Gateway Airport where we'll rent a car. The exact schedule of the road trip is pretty flexible but the main destinations will include the Grand Canyon and Palm Springs, CA. One week really isn't long enough for much of anything else. New Mexico will have to be on another occasion. I've not seen the deserts of the American Southwest since I was a child.

Of course, I did see a dry, sandy environment during my fifteen years of work in the Middle East. The picture above was taken in Kuwait around 1982.