Part lets get this thing finished before we all retire:
Some closing views, thoughts and the journey home.
One of the claims to fame that McKinleyville has is the worlds tallest totem pole. But unless you’re a local, its hard to find since its tucked away in one of the shopping centers.
Its so tall, you can’t get it all in the picture unless you stand back!
A close up for detail.
And specific information about it.
And while there is a Starbucks in the area ( I saw one while I was there), it seems most of the locals prefer one of the many little coffee kiosh’s that are scattered on almost every street. I saw what seemed like dozens of these! They add a unique personal flavor to the area!
But all vacations have to end, and sooner or later we have to go back to reality.
Darn it.
My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:31 PM on a Sunday. When I booked I made the mistake of not paying attention to the difference between AM and PM.But if I had changed flights I would of had to pay more so....
The kids dropped me off, I went through security and went to wait for my plane. It was a small waiting room, and it was already full so I had to stand against a wall. While standing there, I did a head count....
Um... its a really small puddle jumper I’m flying out on... where are all of these people going to fit?? A plane finally landed outside of the waiting area, but... it wasn’t my plane... it was a different carrier.
Where is my plane? I kept watching the clock and it was by now only a few minutes until we were suspose to leave. About that time, someone came in and told us that the flight was being delayed.... until 8 PM.
Well, I was to have an almost 3 hour layover in San Francisco, so I wasn’t bothered. I figured I’d use the time to wander around the airport. Its such a... big place... Besides not only did I have time, but they made us leave the waiting room area and go back out to the main lobby.
Upstairs on one of the walls there are 3 frames, with pictures of local service people who have given their lives in the service of their country.
The view from upstairs of gate one. Its very nice that they have this marked as gate one, since the airport only has one gate and they wouldn’t want anyone to get lost.
A sculpture attached to the wall....
It kept getting closer and closer to the new departure time I kept wandering past the gate waiting for them to let us go back through security, when I hear overhead...
Ladies and gentlemen, flight 5480 has been delayed to 9 PM due to weather in San Francisco.
Ok, now I’m a bit freaked... my flight from Frisco to Palm Springs is suspose to depart at 10:20... I went to the ticket counter and told them I can a connecting flight and would I make it? They looked in the computer, and said at that point the other flight was on time, and they were pretty sure they would make it, and they might be able to take off sooner, and the other flight could get delayed....
Well whats flying without a little adventure right? I went back through security, went to the waiting area and... well... waited. I debated on if I wanted to try to fly out the next day, take a chance on getting stranded in San Francisco... I was about 10 seconds away from getting up and seeing if I could fly out the next day when they told everyone to board the plane. Hot dog! By this time it was almost 8:30 and I was sweating making my connection.
Then I walked out on the tarmack and saw my plane.
I hope the flight crew can peddle fast enough to keep this thing up in the air.
The flight attendant did a good job getting everyone settled in, since I heard him say we only had a 10 minute window to get off the ground or we wouldn’t be leaving at all. Of course they had over booked some of the seats so he had to re-arrange people a bit.
(Side note... he was a really cool attendant with a great sense of humor. Just before we landed in Frisco he was talking to a couple of ladies in the very front about Disneyland, since when he was younger he worked as a parade dancer. Unfortunately by then I was stressed and tired and didn’t have a chance to talk to him myself about it.}
Trying not to think about the fact I was in a propeller airplane, flying over water, and flying into bad weather in Frisco.
We actually made good time getting there. But because of the low ceiling (fog) had to circle around and around and around.... for probably more than a half hour. It was around 11 PM by the time we landed. Several on the plane had other connections to try to make, So as soon as the door opened, we all “flew’ off the plane and headed for the terminal.
In one way I was lucky that night. My next flight was leaving from the exact same gate so I didn’t have to run around to see if I had missed my flight. No, I found out right then and there...
Ok, in one way this was good. At least I didn’t miss my flight. On the other hand... by the time we actually got off the ground it was after 12:30.
By now I was exhausted, stressed and feeling bad because my hubby had to come pick me up when I got home then go to work that morning. So I didn’t do a lot of exploring of the airport, and only took a couple of pictures.
I took these because my hubby likes planes.
At least I felt safe on that last leg of the journey since there was a doctor on board. Seriously... I was sitting there in the San Franciso airport, watching people and I looked across the terminal and saw.....
A doctor who use to work at the same hospital I do. What are the odds? He was headed back to Palm Springs too! He told me he was suppose to go to work the next day, I told him he was a doctor so he was use to going without sleep.... Small world indeed!
Well, we got into the air, made it to Palm Springs around 2 AM (which put me home around 3 AM) and that as they say... was that.
Home is a good place to be but I have to admit... I miss it up there. Its one of the most beautiful places I’ve been, and I’m looking forward to going back again someday and seeing some of the stuff I missed. Yes, believe it or not, there was actually stuff I didn’t see or take pictures of!
Thank you all who have taken the time to look at my report, and those who have taken the time to comment and encourage me to continue on. I actually do these reports as much for myself, as to share with everyone else. It really is like reliving the vacation to do these things, and it brings back great memories, even though it hasen’t really been that long since I got home!
So... there you have it. Finally....
THE END
Whew... finally!
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Originally Posted by Alice's Wonderland
What a mean mommy thing to do.
It was a lot of work putting it together, but fun since like I said... it brings it back in my mind again! And if I ever forget any part of it, I can come back here and read it. 
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