Wendy's Birthday - Now Flying Commerical to Alaska!

13-hour drvining trip from Phoenix to Travis AFB CA. Smooth all the way. George watched a lot of videos in the back seat after putting in his obligatory 4 hours of driving. I-210 is the way to get around Los Angeles and then GPS all the way to Travis AFB. Took us another 30 minutes to find the Passenger Terminal at 11:30 at night though! Hal and George didn't want to ask for directions. Wonderful $30/night quarters to stay in at Travis AFB! The Ritz for aircrew members. Things have gotten better since Wendy used to be a crewdog. Microwaves in the rooms, state-of-the-art appliances, bathrooms, and fine linens. Special "Do Not Disturb" lights outside the door showing you're a crewdog in crewrest!

For today, we tried to eat in the Chow Hall, but retirees cannot use the Chow Hall. Almost got in as parents of an E-3, but our George the E-3 is not on active duty orders. Ate at the Officers Club, went to the Passenger Terminal to check in, only to find out there were no seats available for the flight to Elmendorf AFB. What to do? Newfound friend Stephanie walked by in the USO and said, "My family and I have been here for a week trying to get out. We found $158 Alaska Air tickets to Anchorage this evening out of San Francisco Intl. We have a van coming to get us. If you can fit in with us, come along." So George and Mom literally got the last three tickets on that same flight out of SFO to ANC, crammed into the van with this wonderful family, and we are now at the USO at SFO awaiting our flight. Karen Crawford of HouseMaster-Anchorage will pick us up "tonight" in the Land of the Midnight Sun at 11:145pm in the broad daylight. Can't wait. Wendy in front of a C-141, tail number of which she probably actually flew.

Our wonderful driver, John McGee 415-722-9592, of Stan's Chaperone Service 707-761-4430, 707-446-9801 famjones4@comcast.net. He drove us 2 hours from Travis AFB to SFO for only $25 apiece. Our newfound family friends Rob, Stephanie, Chelsea, Sierra, and Casandra going home to Ft Richardson, Alaska.