The Air Travel Saga Begins - Sat., Sept. 21

Here I sit in the San Antonio International Airport. It's 10:15 a.m.  I have been here since 7:00 a.m. My flight was scheduled for 8:40 a.m.

If you're familiar with air travel and Southwest Airlines, you know that if you check in 24 hours in advance you can get in the "A" boarding group. So, yes, I was in the A boarding group. We got on the plane, pushed back from the gate. Hunky dory, right? Nope, you'd be wrong.

The captain came on the loudspeaker, said they had a problem with a light on the overhead panel being out. Maintenance was on the way to check it out. Once maintenance arrived and diagnosed the problem, we were told it was the battery indicator light and we would have to take a different plane, which they were trying to set up. Our plane pulled back into the gate and we all deboarded.

A few minutes later, the gate agent announced they had reset the computer on the plane and the problem was fixed. We were told to line up to reboard, oh, EXCEPT passengers to Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Philadephia. We were all being re-routed. Sigh, really? Why? It's the same plane and only one hour later getting out.

Originally I was to fly through Phoenix, then on to Portland on the same plane, scheduled to arrive in Portland at 12:40 p.m. Get this...NOW I am being re-routed: leaving San Antonio at 11:45 a.m., flying to San Diego, then Las Vegas, transferring planes in Las Vegas and arriving in Portland at 5:45 p.m. Sheesh! Who thinks up this kind of torture??

I much prefer traveling in our 5th wheel!

And here I was worried about the weather. I'll keep you posted on my progress. With another change of planes who knows what else could go wrong. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of the day will be more fun...and on time. Hey, I do have free wi-fi at the San Antone airport!

P.S. The "more fun" mentioned above has started. My name was called by the gate agent. I went up to the podium and was given a $200 voucher that can be used by anyone on any Southwest Airlines flight for up to one year. Wow! Now that I like.

Update:  As we flew into Portland, I was able to see Wilsonville and Lake Oswego through breaks in the clouds. Then we flew directly over downtown Portland and I wished my camera would have been on at that point. I could have had a gorgeous photo of the downtown skyscrapers and the Willamette River from the air.

I did capture a few photos of our approach to Portland International Airport..

Welcome to Portland!

Active, stormy-looking sky.

Fremont Bridge over the Willamette River and industrial area.

Travel Bug out.

Tropical Storms Equal Rain, Fri., Sept. 20

Sunday is the first day of autumn, tropical storms are moving into south Texas from the Gulf of Mexico and Texas is on the receiving end of the built-up moisture colliding with "cooler" air.

The rain has arrived and not stealthily in mist form as we see so often in Oregon. No, this rain comes charging in, big as day, galloping across South Texas, spreading mud and water in its wake. Rain pummels the roof, sits 6-8" deep in intersections, and tapers off long enough for the water to subside. Then it starts all over again.

Today has been a day of pounding rain and thunder. No mousy mist or prolonged drizzle. Texas rain means it, get 'er done and move on.

Thankfully, our RV site is draining properly and we are not an island in a puddle in the RV park. The storms are predicted to continue tomorrow.

Texas certainly needs the rain to fill lakes and aquifers. However, I have a feeling of trepidation about flying to Portland tomorrow morning. It could be a rough ride. [Note: Hmmm, then I guess I'll be a rough rider. There's a tradition of that in Texas thanks to Colonel Teddy Roosevelt. I think quite a number of Rough Riders volunteered in San Antonio, come to think of it. But I digress.] 

I have an early morning flight which puts me in Portland around 1:00 p.m. Here's hoping for a smooth flight.

Bob will be on his own with Bowie and Sunnie. The kitties will have to adjust to a new schedule.

Not only is Texas raining, it's raining in Portland too. I'll be flying into storms. Looking at the weather forecast, the first seven days of my trip, are 90%, 80% and 60% chance of rain. It's a good thing I'm used to Oregon weather. We just continue one with what we planned to do (most of the time). We'll see how I do with my plan to do 10 Volksmarches in Oregon. It it's pouring rain, that may not be happening.

Stay tuned for TravelBug TRAVEL updates.

Over and out.