It is 6 AM Alaska time on Wed 8/29 as I begin to write. I can scarcely believe we are actually here in Alaska!!!
Yesterday morning we left the house early for the baby’s ultrasound (see www.ourpregnancyjournies.com) which went fabulously, then we ate at Denny’s with Walter’s brother Bill who drove us, then we got to the airport in St. Louis. We had several hours to kill to begin with, but then that big storm in Minnesota yesterday made all the planes delayed. Our connecting flight was in Minneapolis and THANK GOD that one was delayed too or we would have missed it!!
And of course we had to get clear from the A concourse to the C concourse, but the Minneapolis airport has those moving sidewalk things – but I was still huffing and puffing by the time we got to our gate, and the plane took off maybe 15 minutes later.
The flight from St. Louis to Minneapolis was CRAMPED. The plane held maybe 50 people, two per side, and it was pretty uncomfortable. We were supposed to be on a Boeing 747 for the flight to Anchorage, but it was a 757 instead. That was better. They no longer give snacks out I guess, because on the Anchorage flight we had to buy a turkey sandwich and some munchies. At least the soda was free! LOL
The longest flights I’ve ever been on before were from Philly to St Louis or Philly to Florida, no more than two hours. Can I just tell you how much a 6 hour flight bites??? I am a reader, but when I read I like to be curled up in my bed, or stretched out on the couch. No can do on a plane of course! I did manage to read one book in its entirety (a murder mystery I wouldn’t reccomend) but partway through the flight I started to feel like crap, courtesy of being first trimester pregnant. I had heartburn, felt nauseaus, and just felt nasty. And of course you can’t exactly lay down on an airplane! The closest I got was to have Walter let me lay on him, and I was able to take a nap. When I woke up we were over mountains! I’ve driven from St. Louis to Philly and back and you go through some mountains on the PA Turnpike, but they are NOTHING compared to the view from an airplane in Alaska. Here’s a sample, but I’ve got all my pics from the flight at http://www.flickr.com/photos/48311514@N00/sets/72157601749540241/
