Flights I Remember

The second time I flew to Anchorage, Alaska in 1979, I took (I think) Alaska Airlines. On Alaska Airlines, it was standard fare to have a steak dinner and a glass of wine. The trips to Hawaii (both Oahu and Maui) were show stoppers where the flight attendants wore traditional Hawaiian dress. The flight to and from Seoul, Korea was a very 'Asian' experience. The stewardesses bring you a hot towel to wash your hands with and then serve you Korean fare of bulgogi. I remember the airplane's temperature being quite warm. Asiana Air also had a large screen that presented a map of Korea/Japan/Asian areas as well as the Pacific Ocean and it would show you on a video screen where the airplane presently was.

Greg and I would fly also to California on vacations ~ San Diego, San Jose and would get a rental car and drive all over the areas for a week. Greg and I flew a number of times to Oahu ~ first on our honeymoon, then Waikiki, then staying at the leeward part of the island at the lodging at Bellows Air Force Station. This lodging was really kind of neat (think 1940s, a blast from the past, lodging); right on the water, picnic table out the back door. On this trip, we rented a convertible and drove all over the island with me singing the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" (after listening to one of my parents albums when I was growing up) . We went to Hanauma Bay and snorkeled (beautiful fish!). We went to Honolulu's state museum as well as the Summer Palace ~ a beautiful structure. On this trip, being lodged near the Kaneohe Bay part of the Island, we ate local food and driving around, we listened to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". These are the moments that we remember.

Probably the worst experience I've had was sitting at the Honolulu airport waiting until 12:30 a.m. for the flight that went back to Anchorage! Everyone was so tired, so bored; would rather have been asleep and it was truly a drag.

Other great experiences aloft was the time that the airline that I was flying out of Anchorage on, offered first class for $150 more. I snatched that up in a hurry. So I ended up getting all comfy in this nice leather chair and going fast asleep (quite rapidly). I woke up about six hours later as the pilot was talking about landing in Phoenix; wherein my ultimate destination was Albuquerque to see my mother. Other fond memories were when Greg and I flew to Albuquerque and as we were watching our individual seatback televisions, we were offered warm cookies from the Frontier stewardess ~ that was a nice touch.

I remember on flights back to Anchorage from the Lower 48, I'd look out the airplane window and see all the snow-topped mountains and say to myself, "look at those ugly snow-topped mountains". At that point, I had begun to be quite sick of the six month long winters of the north.

Sharing those trips to Hawaii and California and wherever we went, was always a ritual with our friends, Angie and John. Whenever I had a question about Oahu, I would ask my friend Arlene (who had lived on Oahu for a number of years). We'd fly back in to Anchorage (it would be dark and cold and snowy). Usually that weekend, Angela & John and Greg and I would meet for dinner and talk about our trip or where they had been.