Luxury Travel on a Budget

Reporting from San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA

American Eagle 1A is heaven.

Sitting in seat 1A on an American Eagle flight is one of the most exquisite yet simple traveling pleasures I know. To sit in this magical place requires not the extravagant trappings of an burgeoning expense account or a massive pile of frequent flyer miles. This seat, situated forward of all other rows on the EMB 140, sits apart from the rest, adjacent to the crew galley. The bulkhead provides ample legroom and complete solace. From this seat, the plane is my own; private travel for no more than the cost of a coach ticket. I began this particular short weekend trip to California with a luxurious flight to Dallas, nestled into 1A with cured meats, brie, a passable Argentinian Sauvignon Blanc, and Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows.

Once in Dallas, I had just enough time to duck into the Admirals Club for a couple shots of complimentary whiskey before transferring to my flight to San Francisco. Unfortunately, there is no magical 1A on this large, roomy 757. With space enough for a separate first class that obliterates my equalitarian seat 1A, I am herded into the middle of the plane into a exit row seat. Somewhere back in Iowa City, a well-meaning travel agent had taken pity on my 6'2" frame and elected a seat with extra leg room. Unfortunately, that puts me squarely over the wing.

I hate that.

You see, when I travel, I really like looking out the window. I am that guy that sits up and pays attention when the pilot announces that we are flying over the Grand Canyon. Why go through the expense and hassle of air travel if you you are not going the enjoy the amazing sights of this vast country passing below you? Now it just so happens that the air routes taken into San Francisco pass over the Sierra Nevada. Often, the plane will fly right over the Long Valley caldera area of the Eastern Sierra and I get to ogle the places that have been so special for me since childhood: Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, and Yosemite national park. Although my back was thankful I could stretch out in this exit row, I could only glimpse Mammoth for a few seconds this time before it was obscured by the engine and wing occupying most of my view. I am happy to report, however, that the mountain is fully covered with snow and it looks like we will be able to enjoy a new ski season soon.

I came to San Francisco for the American Association of Medical Colleges meeting to network with other educators that specialize in teaching students their "clinical skills" of being a doctor: how to take a patient's history, conduct a physical examination, and gather the deductive clues to make an insightful diagnosis. Kinda like what Gregory House does on House MD but with a lot less acerbity and a few less drugs.

It was a beautiful weekend in the city, so I enjoyed a long walk to my favorite bar, Smuggler's Cove. Behind its unassuming facade (see below) lies over 350 types of rum. They are presented through a well-researched cocktail menu that follows the mixologist's history of rum from the English Navy's grog to the golden age of tiki bars following World War II. Fortified by a Parisian Blonde, I enjoyed a delicious Indian dinner at Amber, a hip, crowded restaurant near the museum complex around the Moscone Convention Center.

After my meeting ended the next day, I rushed back to SFO to catch a Southwest flight to LA, making sure to snag a window seat on the left side of the plane. The term "posh" originated as an acronym for "Port Out Starboard Home" and described the the most desirable cabin when sailing from London to South African or India during the days of the British empire. If you occupied a cabin on the port (left) side of the boat when sailing south along Africa, you viewed the coastline for the duration of the journey. By switching to a cabin on the starboard (right) side for the return trip home, you also enjoyed a view that was considerably less monotonous than the empty sea that the other less fortunate passengers endured.

The air routes between San Francisco and Los Angeles generally follow the coastline of California. To fully witness the majesty of the Golden State, it is best to sit on the port side of the plane flying south to LA and move to the starboard side for the return leg north. Again, port out, starboard home. The open seating offered by Southwest, frequently viewed as chaotic and unruly by more sophisticated travelers, allows anyone in the know to enjoy a posh seat at Southwest's famously bargain prices.

When I got to LA, I caught a ride directly to the coliseum, arriving in Exposition Park 25 minutes after stepping off the plane. A few minutes later I was in my 50 yard line seat for USC vs Oregon. On social medial outlets in the days leading up to the game, the usually arrogant and myopic Trojan fans were remarkably pessimistic about their team's chances against the Ducks. Armed with those low expectations, I was actually quite pleased that USC trailed by only 3 late in the 3rd quarter. But a couple of costly turnovers and a complete inability to stop the vaunted Quack attack offense turned the pessimism into reality. USC's offense played their best game of the year and put up one heck of a fight. But I openly concede that Oregon is a better team; a much better team that deserves a shot at the national championship.*

On Sunday, after a blessed extra hour of sleep thanks to daylight savings time, I retraced my long air travels back to San Francisco and Dallas and finally to home. One week of work, three hard shifts next weekend, and I'll be getting back on a plane again. This time headed to Hawaii

8 days, 1 hour, 30 minutes to go.

Fight On,
Hans

PS: the Ducks deserve to be in the BCS championship unlike Notre Dame who just keeps pulling wins out of their lucky little green butts. Manti Te'o has the Irish defense playing out of their minds, but the offense is not very consistent. Although T'eo on and his front four will be able to get good pressure on Barkley, I anticipate that the Notre Dame dream season will come to a screeching halt on November 24th with a blowout loss to USC in the Coliseum. (See above regarding arrogant and myopic Trojan fans)