DAY ONE – 17 November 2014
And so
began another business-related flight. On previous trips, I’d taken the
10 am flight out of Austin ,
which got me to LAX at noon. That sounded good, until waiting for baggage
and shuttle to the car rental agency, then driving across the basin to see my
dealerships. By that time, most of the day had been burned up in me
travelling in some manner or the other. This time I opted for the 6 am
flight, because it’d get me there after 9. The trade-off for getting up
an unnatural hour was having most of the day being able to be devoted to work
things.
I was
right there when the Southwest desk opened up (as I had to check baggage for
the business trip), and I got through security with ease. There was a
nice brunette behind me in both the SW and TSA lines, and I gave her a friendly
smile. Cute lady aside, breakfast was my priority, since I wouldn’t be
having lunch until I arrived at my noonish appointment. I had Cliff and
Kashi bars for snacks, not to be meal substitutes. I went for some
breakfast tacos at Annie’s Café & Bar, which ended up being very good (and
not greasy).
After a
short stroll from one side of the airport to the other to get some mileage in
on my pedometer, I headed to wait by my gate. The walk is nice, but I
don’t want to get too hot before getting on a plane, and I was waiting for my
co-worker Roy (who would be joining me on this flight). Seated in the
lounge in front of the gate was the brunette I’d seen earlier, so I sat down
and struck up a conversation. Her named was Victoria ,
and she was flying back to San Francisco (via L.A. ) after attending a
family wedding in Wimberley. We had a nice conversation going when Roy arrived.
Roy and I
have this friendly rivalry going on with the boarding groups. Since this
is a business trip without any connecting flights, I see no reason to pay the
extra for the preferred seating. On the last flight Roy had forgotten about the 24-hour check-in
process, so he ended up with “C Group,” while I was in the mid-B’s. This
time Roy had
remembered, and got the upper-B’s, and I had B14. Roy said he hated me because I always got a
better seat than him. Roy
likes the window, and I go for the aisle, so it works out pretty well for us.
As we
were getting close to Las Vegas , Roy poked me to inform me
that we’ve now circled the city twice already. From the air, Las Vegas looks a lot like Phoenix to me; flat and brown. I
figured we’re just getting into our landing window, and went back to my
book. Been through this before. At that point the captain came out
to the main section, and had all the passengers who were over the left wing get
out of their seats. Roy ’s
flown a bunch before, but he’s never had a good experience on a Southwest
flight, so needless to say this was rather upsetting to him.
I stayed
in my seat to observe what I could. The captain had gotten on his knees
and was in the process of pulling up the carpet. We were informed the
cockpit showed the landing gear had finished its landing cycle, but a different
sensor said it wasn’t engaged. So because there was conflicting
information, the captain had to use the access port to make a visual
determination that everything was where it should be. After a few moments,
the captain announced everything was okay. For me, this was a few moments
of interest, but for Roy
it gave him some white knuckles.
The
flight attendants informed the touch-down process to everyone, and Roy and I
agreed we’d try to get seats in the front when we had the chance. The
landing was smooth. But when the engines were reversed to slow the plane
down (when you can hear them whine in the other direction), we heard a metallic
clang. Not too loud, but noticeable. Once the plane was stopped,
the flight attendants announced that everyone would be disembarking now.
I knew that wasn’t a good noise. >grin< Roy said that was it for him, as he wasn’t
flying Southwest on any future trips.
We’d been
given the instructions to head to a gate a short distance from where we came
out of. What was also nice was we’d be put on the connecting flight
before the pre-boarders, so we’d be able to get those choice seats. There
were slot machines all over the Las
Vegas airport, no surprise there. Roy was excited about being in Sin City
The leg
of the trip to LAX was uneventful. Roy
had packed everything for the week into his carry-on, so he jetted off to catch
the bus to the rental agency, while I waited for my luggage to come out in
baggage claim. Since I didn’t have a specific time I was going to be at
my dealership at any specific time (other than “after lunch”), I wasn’t too
concerned. With luggage in hand, I hopped the shuttle to the Enterprise locale, got an
Impala (a GM vehicle this time, thank you very much), activated the navigation
unit, and shot on to the streets. It was about 10 am, so the morning rush
had passed.
To talk
like a native Californian now, I took the 105 west past Lynwood, picked up the
710 north to Monterey Park, and then hopped on the San Bernardino Freeway
(otherwise known as “The Ten”) to cruise the rest of the way. As I shot
past West Covina , Pomona ,
and Montclair ,
I chuckled at seeing some of the dealerships that my counterparts were
responsible for maintaining. As I passed the Ontario
Airport , I noted how it would’ve been
nice to fly in there, but I couldn’t get a direct flight from Austin .
With my
destination being Redlands ,
as I entered the area I started looking for places for lunch. I figured
I’d stop and eat, then hit my dealership. But as I got off the 10, my
location was right there, so it made more sense to park and stop in.
After a short business discussion with my contact (Junior), they got me set up
in an office where I could respond to emails and escalations (which I could
feel setting my phone off all during the drive over here). As there were
some places across the street Junior said were good, I then headed over.
Junior had a few errands to do, otherwise he would’ve accompanied me to lunch.
I looked
at the sub place (B.K. Subs) first, but decided to go inside to look at the
menu of Flame Broiler first, as I figured I could get more protein there.
This was a place where you chose your protein, veggies, and rice. I got
the chicken bowl with brown rice. It was tasty, although they wouldn’t
take the corporate AMEX card. It wasn’t that much, so I paid for it with
my own. As I had a set amount each day on the corporate account for food,
that just meant I’d have a little bit more for dinner. Once I was done
with lunch, I headed back across to my dealership, and worked the rest of the
afternoon.
Because
of the time change, the sun was now setting earlier than it had on my previous
trip. It was getting near sunset when I left the Redlands
area, twilight when I picked up Interstate 215 south, and after dark when I reached
Riverside … all
within a span of 20 miles (which took me 45 minutes to drive because of
traffic). While I was staying in the same city as before, this time I
booked with the Hyatt across the street from the previous place. The room
rate was about the same, but it said it had a free breakfast, which would
stretch my budget even more.
I had a
nice high floor, but it was facing the inner courtyard. I had a great
view of the opposite windows, and the pool below. The layout of the room
was really nice, and it would be a place to stay more than a single
evening. I’d seen some lighted palm trees on Mission Inn Avenue as I drove in, so I
wanted to walk over and get some pictures of them, when I headed out to find
food. I soon located them, near a place which had a bunch of valets
waiting to park vehicles, but I never did actually find out what building they
were in front of. I was told they’re lit year-round, but Riverside has a huge light festival for the
holidays. I figured I might be able to see it next month when I’m here.
Also as I
wandered about, I stopped to take some pictures of the Fox Performing Arts
Center, on the corner of Mission Inn and Market Street . The light at the top
of the tower kept changing color, and I was trying a couple different exposures
in order to capture a decent shot. It was a nice little landmark to see.
Most of Main Street is
closed to vehicle traffic, so there’s a nice urban park there, and many shops
and restaurants. I’d eaten at Gram’s BBQ the last time I was here, and
wanted to experience something different. Through my research I’d read
some reviews on a place, so I wanted to check this out. And I liked the
name: ProAbition Kitchen & Whiskey Lounge.
As soon
as I walked in I’d knew I’d like this place, based on the mix of swing and jazz
music playing. The building had bare beams and brick, which added to the
rustic décor. I’d looked at the menu posted outside, so I knew what I
wanted as soon as I sat down. I thought the “whiskey chicken” was the
appropriate dish to have, and it was great. I knew I had to get up the
next morning to check out and head to my next dealer, otherwise I would’ve
stayed and had a drink or two. This is a place worth checking out.
Heading
back to the hotel, I was stopped by a street musician who was handing out cards
with web links to his music. His name was Travis Miller, and he had CDs
available, too. This would’ve been
perfect if I was still connected to the college radio circuit, because I
could’ve given him some air-play. I put the link here, so you can check
it out for yourself,
Back at
the hotel, I noticed some cookies in the café section next to the check-in-in
desk. I commented how good they look, and was debating getting one.
I’d just eaten a good meal, so the debate was whether or not I needed it, not
if I wanted to pry my wallet open for $3. The night manager at the hotel
(Justin) did a goodwill gesture and gave me a peanut butter one. It was
great, and would’ve been worth the money I paid for it. There was also an
on-site bar, and they had Cruzan, so once again I debated having a drink.
I passed on that, because I didn’t need it. Would Justin have given me
one? I doubt it.
I’d only
unpacked what I’d needed for the next day, so I was able to get a last check of
email and escalations before I called it a night. I’d seen what the
dining area was like, so I was wondering what the breakfast would be
like. I’d find out soon enough.
For more information on the places visited or mentioned:
Las Vegas (NV): http://www.lasvegas.com/
West Covina (CA): http://www.westcovina.org/
Pomona (CA): http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/
Redlands (CA): http://www.cityofredlands.org/
Flame Broiler: http://www.flamebroilerusa.com/
Riverside (CA): http://www.riversideca.gov/
Fox Performing Arts Center: http://www.riversidelive.com/
ProAbition: http://www.proabition.com/
Travis Miller: http://travismillermusic.bandcamp.com/
### 30 ###
No comments:
Post a Comment