UMTravels

Nothing like starting off a trip sharing an Uber with Jonathan to the airport and getting time in the lounge to just hang.

Hopped to San Jose barely making my connection to San Diego – when you are using First Class upgrades, you take less than ideal routings!

Second leg (San Jose to San Diego) was in an E175, and I had an entire First Class row to myself!

And a couple of decent shots coming into San Diego.

And waiting for me at baggage claim was MB! She came in on Southwest – we really should fly together next time.

A friend from high school, Debbie, came to pick us up and take us to the condo.

I have precisely two photos of the Inn At The Park, unless you count what is in the background of a couple of people shots.

The view:

Poseidon out in the garden:

Debbie hung out and we had nachos across the street. FYI, she flew in from Atlanta for this visit, but her daughter lives here so she has a car.

Here are some great pictures of all of us from this adventure.

Spent Tuesday thrift shopping until I dropped, MB and Debbie went to explore Balboa Park which is just across the street from the condo.

Wednesday, we hit happy hour at La Taverna, a favorite of Jonathan and I as it is run by two brothers from Rome, and it shows.

Lobster mac and cheese, and a healthy Caesar (as in salad, not Canadian national drink).

Flight home Thursday was a bit of an adventure. Accidentally changed to the earlier flight when looking what seats were available, cancelling my First Class upgrade (put back in my account with a phone call). While not in First on the way home, I was still in Premium (free booze and more leg room), and it meant MB and I had a chance to hang out in the lounge before our flights:

Flight home was on a VERY new MAX 9, still had the new plane smell!

What it didn’t have was an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), or internet system (did have wi-fi for movies). Seems that it was delivered from Boeing to Alaska without those two components. Seems supply chain issues – they are also short on engines so they are stripping them off Chinese ordered and built planes that can’t be delivered due to sanctions.

Even though I was in the aisle (8D), I managed to get these INCREDIBLE shots out the window:

And I’ll close with what the new airsick bags look like on Alaska. I approve.

That’s it for now.

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