August 10: Travel Day To Fairbanks
Well, to end the story before we tell it......we're here and with our luggage! And THAT should give you an idea of how the majority of the seventeen hour day went :) It all started well - we got to the airport anticipating difficulty finding a parking spot, but there were more than 1,000 (very much unlike when we arrived for our recent Great Lakes cruise). We got our bags check within fifteen minutes and cleared security without any issues. AND the plane was there and on time.
The flight to Atlanta was an early arrival and we had time for a quick lunch. Got to our gate and shortly there after the plane was there with plenty of time to spare. It's all good! The only concern we still had was that our connection in Minneapolis on to Fairbanks for the final leg had a 1 hour and five minute layover and we had to go from one end of the terminal to the other. All the passengers were on board and the captain came on and said, "Ladies and Gentleman this is the Captain speaking. I was called in because the captain scheduled for this flight was not available. But now we have a captain and he's arriving at the airport shortly. How long it takes him to get here, through security and so on, we hope is no more than a twenty minute delay!" UH OH....that REALLY cuts into our connection. We were scheduled to leave at 3:20 and by the time he arrived and we pulled away from the gate it was 4:15. Now it's really, REALLY up in the air if we'll make it. Still, I thought even though we had to traverse the entire terminal, Minneapolis is not a big airport. I anticipated a 40 minute turnaround from landing to take-off. "PROBABLY" can make it....what about the bags? One thing at a time! Kim was certain we wouldn't make it. I did look at alternative flights - all for tomorrow morning. We landed at 5:32 pm and were off the plane by 5:45. Speed walk through the small terminal (whew, glad I was right about that) and arrived to be the next to last couple boarding the plane. Well, at least we and our three days of carry-on clothes would be in Alaska tonight. I said to the guy at the gate, "We just landed fifteen minutes ago - chances on the bags getting here/' He replied that the bags have a better chance of making the connections than the people LOL - hopeful.
The final leg was a five hour flight and after already having been on two flights, and the 2 1/2 hour flight of stress to Minneapolis, the last leg was a long one. But in the final hour the mountains of Alaska came out to welcome us and it was wonderful.
Deplaned, went to baggage and began the anticipated wait - would they come? Oh my, one of the first set of bags. One bus left with guests - not ours, and it was almost 40 minutes for another bus to arrive. Tired, but still.....hey we ARE here and are bags are ALSO here. Grateful for the little things, right? Got to the hotel and at the airport we had been given a welcome packet with our room keys, no need to stop at the desk. Went up to the 8th floor, room 815. Keys don't work. Sigh.....back to front desk. Makes us new keys.....back up to 815. Don't work. Then we hear a voice from inside the room, "I think you have the wrong room." You have to laugh at the end of a long day, don't you? Back down. "Still don't work?" the clerk says, "Uh no, someone is in that room." Got our right room (818) and back up to find our bags in the room. WHOOOO HOOOOO!
We are out the door by 8 am tomorrow to begin our first excursion on a riverboat then the bus ride to Denali National Park. We both have excursions upon arrival - a full first day in Alaska awaits!
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