сент. – дек. 2021

Türkiye 2021

Our trip to Turkey this year is set for 4 months ... give or take a few days so that we can make up for family time lost in 2019-2020 due to COVID-19. Читать далее

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5 сентября 2021 г.
Türkiye 2021
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- четверг, 1 августа 2019 г.
- ⛅ 81 °F
- Высота: 6 027 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.838855, -104.81877738°50’20” N 104°49’8” W
Turkey ... Spring Instead of Fall
1 августа 2019 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F
We canceled a bunch of 2021 travel plans yesterday. But we also made some new ones ... risk-free plans that will give us something to look forward to.

Whenever we go to Turkey, we try to add some travel plans in Europe to break up the long flight back to the US. Oceania [O] is currently running an Ultimate Sale promotion with some really good fares. Would be a shame not to take advantage of it, wouldn’t it? So, we booked an attractive itinerary with the fancy name of "Icons of the Isles."

What this means is that we will be going to Turkey in the spring instead of in the fall as we usually do. But that's OK ... spring is a good time to be there.Читать далее
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- воскресенье, 2 августа 2020 г., 15:57
- ⛅ 77 °F
- Высота: 6 033 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Colorado Springs 38.833986, -104.81823838°50’2” N 104°49’6” W
THY Tickets for March 2021 ✔︎
2 августа 2020 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
This afternoon we booked saver award tickets on Turkish Airlines to travel to İzmir, Turkey from Houston, Texas in March. Why aren't we flying from Denver? Because that would require connecting flights. It's bad enough that we have to take a flight to get to my home city from İstanbul ... no need to add a second stop.

Our miles are with United Airlines, so we made the booking through the UA website — 77,000 miles each for business class … one way. Plus $6.80pp in taxes and fees. That’s pretty much the same as what we paid in March this year and is a good deal. If due to COVID-19, the trip falls through, we’ll just redeposit the miles and still be good to go.

Seats for the long haul flight — IAH to IST — open up 100 days prior to departure, so we'll have to wait until November to make our selections.

We plan to drive the Cruiser to Houston and leave it at the storage facility we used when we were full-timing in the Phaeton. Of course, we could always change our minds about that … there is still plenty of time to make up our minds.Читать далее
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1 лайк
Türkiye 2021
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- понедельник, 24 августа 2020 г., 16:29
- ⛅ 86 °F
- Высота: 6 033 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Colorado Springs 38.833984, -104.81823738°50’2” N 104°49’6” W
Phoenix Cruiser Staying Home
24 августа 2020 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
Wasn't it just four days ago that I was still saying that we'd be driving the Cruiser down to Houston to catch our flight to Turkey? In fact, didn't I just buy tickets to return us to Houston so we could drive the Cruiser back home? "Yes," to both of those questions. But things have changed now.

This morning, looking at the nearly 1,100-miles it would take to get us to Houston from Colorado Springs, we started re-thinking our plans. Four or five campground stays in each direction ... no time to dally along the way ... the possibility of snow and ice on the roads on the way down to Houston ... the wear and tear on the cruiser ... the expense of storing the Cruiser in Houston for several months. Hmmm! Suddenly the plans and logistics were no longer very appealing.

When we found non-stop flights from COS to IAH, we started to seriously rethink our plans. That the cost of roundtrip tickets was about half the expense of the Cruiser trip down and back made flying more appealing. That we could book the tickets under United's current change fee waiver sealed the deal.

We were unable to add the COS-IAH-COS flights to our existing plans, but the UA agent linked all three reservation codes, so for all intents and purposes it seems like we booked one set of tickets. Now to keep our 🤞🏻 that COVID-19 does not throw a wrench into our plans.Читать далее
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ПутешественникWow. You have been busy!!!!
25.08.2020Ответить
1 лайк
Türkiye 2021
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- четверг, 24 декабря 2020 г.
- ☀️ 46 °F
- Высота: 6 040 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.836044, -104.82238438°50’10” N 104°49’21” W
PCR Testing for Entry into Turkey
24 декабря 2020 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
Up until now, Turkey was not requiring any kind of COVID-19 testing to enter the country from anywhere in the world. That has now changed. The reason? The explosion of COVID-19 numbers in Turkey. Apparently the rules now require a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival.

The possible good news? The rule is set to expire on 1 March 2021. That’s before we fly out from IAH on 9 March. Of course, there’s no guarantee things won’t change again. These are uncertain times.

Anyway, it’s just one more thing to consider when we’re making a decision to go or not in March.Читать далее
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Türkiye 2021
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- четверг, 14 января 2021 г.
- ⛅ 36 °F
- Высота: 6 043 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.834023, -104.82298638°50’2” N 104°49’23” W
Annual Trip to Turkey Postponed
14 января 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 36 °F
This is one of the dominoes that fell when we canceled our May 2021 Icon of the Isles cruise on Oceania.

Though we usually visit Turkey in the fall, this year we moved the trip to the spring. The plan was to fly to Turkey in March, visit our families for a couple of months, and then fly to England to embark on Oceania's Sirena.

Those plans have now been trashed.

Instead, we'll be going to Turkey in September. The new plan calls for spending several months there, returning to the USA after we bid hello to the new year.

These new plans all came about when Turkish Airlines (THY) sent an email yesterday with their latest promotion ... 40% off on fares through December 2021. What did that mean? Basically that we could fly BizClass for the price of Economy seats. Too good to pass up! But we had to move quickly since the promo was only good on purchases through 15 January.

So, we canceled the March tickets purchased with United Airlines miles and bought new tickets directly from THY.

UA has already redeposited the miles at no cost to us. And the taxes and fees are already showing as a pending refund on the credit card. No hit to the wallet. That's a good thing.Читать далее
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Путешественникflexibility is key in these crazy times. curious how you will spend your time between now and September...
06.02.2021Ответить
Two to TravelPlaying it by ear. An RV trip at some point, but probably after we get our vaccine shot. Mui is eligible as of Monday ... random invitation to schedule appt. My turn probably not until spring. In the meantime, no shortage of projects to keep us busy.
06.02.2021Ответить
1 лайк
Türkiye 2021
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- пятница, 5 февраля 2021 г.
- ⛅ 37 °F
- Высота: 6 043 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.834023, -104.82298638°50’2” N 104°49’23” W
COS-IAH Logistics
5 февраля 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 37 °F
Our revised plans for this year's annual trip to Turkey return us to Houston on 2 January 2022 ... the latest date I could book with the 40% Turkish Airlines promo.

A few days ago, the United Airlines booking site showed domestic flights for that date available for booking. We have flight credits, but they have a "fly-by" date in August. Since we don't begin our trip until 6 September, I looked at award tickets instead.

I found a schedule that fit our needs. In fact, our outgoing flight to Houston is the same one we had booked for March. I did run into a small glitch on the inbound flight. You see, our Turkish Airlines flight from İstanbul is not scheduled to arrive @ IAH until 7:00p. The connection is too tight to make the last UA flight to Colorado Springs that same evening.

No matter. We'll just stay overnight, get a good night's rest, and fly home the next day.

I booked a fully-cancelable room — no deposit required — at the Marriott @ IAH. Not only is there an underground shuttle between the terminal and the hotel, but we can also walk the passageway to stretch our legs after the long haul flight from İstanbul. We stayed at this hotel in 2018 and know how it all works.Читать далее
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4 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- понедельник, 1 марта 2021 г.
- ☀️ 39 °F
- Высота: 6 040 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.836027, -104.82212738°50’10” N 104°49’20” W
TK33 Equipment Change
1 марта 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F
Our hopes of flying the Dreamliner on at least one leg of our trip to Turkey this year have been dashed.

When we bought our THY tickets earlier this year, the IAH-IST flight was showing the equipment as a B777 ... with the return flight — TK33 — on the Dreamliner.

Checking our reservation today, we found out that the Dreamliner has been switched out for the B777. Darn!

Not that we mind flying the 777. We've flown it to Turkey before and know what to expect. It just would have been nice to try out BizClass on different equipment for a change.Читать далее
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- пятница, 23 апреля 2021 г.
- ⛅ 52 °F
- Высота: 6 040 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.836027, -104.82212738°50’10” N 104°49’20” W
Logistics Changes: IAH-COS
23 апреля 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
The connection time between the arrival of our flight from İstanbul to Houston on 2 January is just too tight to make the last flight out to Colorado Springs. Hence the need for an overnight hotel stay.

Earlier this year, I booked us into the Marriott at IAH ... connected to the terminal via an underground shuttle and walkway. Pricey, but I figured I'd keep checking for a better rate. So far no go.

While checking rates today, I saw a much better deal at the Marriott Courtyard. Yes, it would require a shuttle ride. Yes, we're still leery of riding with "others not in our COVID bubble." But we're also less leery since we are now fully vaccinated ... and the ride is under three miles.

So, I switched us to the Courtyard. We can cancel the rez until midnight on 1 January. That means no fuss ... no muss if we change our minds. Or, if suddenly United adds a later flight to COS and we no longer need a hotel.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE CHANGE

Schedule changes aren’t always welcome. But this time I was pleased to see the change that popped up on the UA site when I went to look at our booking. I can’t say what prompted me to check the website, but I am glad I did.

At the time I booked our flight home for 3 January, the only non-stop to COS was at 2:30p … a lot of time to kill at the hotel and airport. Well, that’s no more.

The new schedule has us departing IAH at noon. This means that we’ll likely be home by the time the original flight was to have taken off from IAH. That’s a good thing. Mui can do some provisioning so that we don’t go hungry … and the shopping will keep him from succumbing to jet lag.Читать далее
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- среда, 28 июля 2021 г.
- ⛅ 86 °F
- Высота: 1 168 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Icicle Creek 47.578991, -120.672347°34’44” N 120°40’20” W
Outbound Flight Changes
28 июля 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F
On my to-do list today was a note to check our flights to Turkey for schedule and equipment changes.

We’d received notification of the IAH-IST flight changes back in May, but I was too busy with our Alaska roadtrip to write about it. Nothing major. The aircraft is scheduled to depart 5 minutes earlier at 8:50p and arrive 10 minutes earlier at 4:40p. Still with plenty of time to make the IST-ADB flight.

Then, 10 days ago we got notification of a change for the Colorado Springs-IAH flight. Again, minor. We leave 8 minutes later than scheduled arrive in Houston 5 minutes later at 3:25p.

The schedule change today was for the IST-ADB flight. Once again, nothing major. No change to the 7:00p departure, but we will arrive 15 minutes earlier at 8:05p. No complaints about that.

There is an equipment change as well ... for the long haul to IST. Looks like we just might be flying a Dreamliner after all.

The BizClass cabin has a 1-2-1 layout. We prefer not to fly in the middle section, so I was happy to see that we were automatically switched to 2K and 3K … both window seats. That means we will be seated separately. That doesn’t bother us, however, since Mui will likely put on his sleep mask and doze off as soon as the meal service is completed anyway.

With several weeks to go before our September departure, I'll be curious to see how many more changes we have to our flights.Читать далее
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- воскресенье, 15 августа 2021 г., 12:00
- ⛅ 82 °F
- Высота: 6 040 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.835999, -104.82209838°50’10” N 104°49’20” W
HES Codes ✔️
15 августа 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
What is that you ask? It’s something anyone who wants to travel domestically in Turkey needs to present before being allowed on any form of public transportation, including planes, trains, buses … even drivers of private automobiles traveling between cities and provinces must show this code.

The system was implemented as a pre-cautionary measure after COVID-19 started exploding in early 2020. It’s basically a tracking/contact tracing system to monitor and aid in preventing the spread of the dastardly Coronavirus. Since its initial implementation, the program has been expanded to include places like restaurants, movie theaters, etc, etc … at least that’s my understanding.

The code is easy enough to get … either online or through a special app. And it is good for 18 months. It took Mui just a couple of minutes to get our codes today.

So, now we can make some logistics plans for a short trip we’ll be taking in September.Читать далее
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- воскресенье, 15 августа 2021 г., 15:00
- ⛅ 75 °F
- Высота: 6 063 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.836956, -104.82209838°50’13” N 104°49’20” W
Kâmil Koç to Güvercinlik
15 августа 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Işıl — Mui’s sister — has a beach house in Güvercinlik, a village near Bodrum … in Turkey’s Muğla Province. Mui and I will be taking a bus from İzmir to spend a few days with her there in September. The three of us will drive back to İzmir in her car. The plan is for her to spend a few days in İzmir and then Mui will drive her home to Eskişehir. He’ll probably stay with her for a bit, but for how long and all that is TBD.

Hence the reason we needed to get HES codes today.

Armed with the code, we got online to buy our bus tickets. Our preferred bus company — Pamukkale Turizm — had only one bus daily. Turns out they are in Chapter 11 and have cut back on their services. Instead, we booked with Kâmil Koç … which is now a partner of FlixBus, a German brand that offers bus service not only in Europe, but in the US as well.

Long story short, we selected our departure date and time; filled in the necessary passenger information, including our ID and HES code numbers; and even pre-selected our seats … the first ones to do so on our departure … not surprising as Turks don’t plan their travels as far out as we do. It took us no more than 5 minutes to complete the purchase.

So, we now have the first of what may be several short trips in Turkey planned.Читать далее
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3 лайка
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- четверг, 19 августа 2021 г.
- ☀️ 81 °F
- Высота: 6 017 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
Entry & Re-Entry PCR Testing
19 августа 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
The good news? If you are fully-vaccinated, Turkey no longer requires PCR testing 72-hours ahead of entry into the country. That’s a huge relief.

As for re-entry into the US in January … good news on that front as well. No, the requirement for a PCR test has not been abolished, but the guidelines call for the test to be taken within 3 days of one’s flight. And the CDC example on their website does not count the day of travel. That means that for our 2 January flight, we can get tested on 30 December … which is a Thursday. With so many labs providing testing in Turkey, not to mention testing centers at the airport, we won’t have to worry about purchasing an at-home test kit to take with us.Читать далее
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- суббота, 28 августа 2021 г.
- ☀️ 84 °F
- Высота: 6 033 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Colorado Springs 38.831936, -104.8167838°49’55” N 104°49’0” W
Inbound Fligts: Sch & Equipment Change
28 августа 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Mui got a text from Turkish Airlines last night. It was advising us of a schedule change to the domestic portion of our 2 January flights from İzmir to Houston. Same flight number, but an earlier departure from ADB ... and a slightly later arrival @ IST. No matter, still plenty of time to connect to our afternoon flight to IAH.

THY requires confirmation from the passenger whenever there is a change. We tried to do this online and through the app. Both gave error messages. So we made a phone call and spoke to an agent. In no time at all, our online flight record showed the revised flight info.

I'm not sure what prompted me to ask that the agent confirm our selected seats as well. When it came to our IST-IAH flight, she said our seats were 4A/5A. Aha! An equipment change! And one that I was hoping would happen. TK33 was now going to be on a B787-9 … a Dreamliner, in other words.

I’ve since gone online to switch our seats to the starboard aisle … 4K/5K … better aerial views from that side IMHO.

We now have ten days to go before we begin this year's overseas jaunt.Читать далее
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ПутешественникLooks like you'll have plenty of room for this long flight! Do you have to have a Covid test before you embark? Thanks for sharing your adventures!
29.08.2021Ответить
Two to TravelYeah ... we were lucky to be able to take advantage of a 40% off business fares promo earlier this year. It's good to have lie-flat seats for an 11-hour flight that departs around 9:00p. Turkey has removed the testing requirement for those who are fully vaccinated. Unless things change, however, we will have to test before we return to the US in January.
29.08.2021Ответить
Путешественникok. I have to say...bucket list for me is a long flight business class lie flat seat to somewhere amazing, but I'll bet anything Mo would never go for it. Even if I offered to pay for both tickets. maybe at least once before I kick the bucket and leave the planet . Maybe to the South Pacific...that R island you visited that was my favorite.
01.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelBeware ... not unlike getting a veranda on a cruise ship, once you fly BizClass it's hard to go back ... especially for long flights. This one was an amazing enough deal that we opted to buy the seats from THY. Normally, we use United Miles to buy or upgrade to BizClass ... thanks to our Chase cards that are co-branded with United we add miles regularly to our UA Mileage+ accts.
01.09.2021Ответить
Путешественникmaybe I should check into that. I use a chase card
01.09.2021Ответить
Путешественникand yes. nowi always choose a veranda :)
01.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelEven if it isn't UA co-branded, I was just reading that if you purchase travel through the Chase portal, you get some good travel options at discounted points.
01.09.2021Ответить
Путешественникnice!
01.09.2021Ответить
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- понедельник, 30 августа 2021 г.
- ☀️ 81 °F
- Высота: 6 040 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.835999, -104.82209838°50’10” N 104°49’20” W
Moving Up Our Departure
30 августа 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Apparently, Mui and I have both been thinking about a “what if.” And not saying anything to each other. The “what if” was … what if our flight from COS to IAH on 6 September is delayed or canceled? Would we be able to make our flight departing IAH for IST?

We’re not superstitious people. And if we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic, we probably would have laughed off our concerns once we voiced them during our morning walk today. But we are in the midst of a pandemic and air travel can have more bumps than usual.

Rather than stress over the “what if,” we decided to just move our departure from COS up by a day. Thanks to an earlier schedule change, our United flight was eligible for a one-time change/cancelation at no charge to us. Why not take advantage of it?

Step One … check flight availability for 5 September. The answer was yes.

Step Two … verify full refund for the 6 September flight on the UA website. The answer was yes.

Step Three … cancel the original booking. Miles refunded immediately; refund of taxes & fees pending the usual credit card cycle.

Step Four … book the same round trip COS-IAH-COS flights with a 5 September departure; return date unchanged. The bonus … fewer miles to purchase the tickets. The second bonus … same exit row seats available on both flights.

Step Five … book a hotel room for the overnight before our 6 September IAH-IST departure on Turkish Airlines. The bonus … a room at the Marriott at IAH … no shuttle transport required to/from the airport.

So, our 2021 overseas jaunt will now commence a day early … and neither of us will be stressing over the “what if.”Читать далее
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Путешественникgreat minds....
02.09.2021Ответить
ПутешественникSounds like you and Mui are what my DH and I like to call "bonded." I can't count the number of times we've both been thinking the same thing until one of us blurts it out. I'm glad the switch was so easy and relieves so much stress! Traveling with Covid is more bumpy than usual. We're counting down the last 21 days until we board the Norwegian Encore in Seattle with our party of 8. Lots of moving pieces. I don't think I'll relax until I'm in our stateroom!
04.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelI guess being married for 40 years one can’t help but become “bonded” ... I like that thought. We are so ready to be on a ship, but don’t have an opportunity to do a cruise until next February. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing and I will look forward to your posts to cruise vicariously.
04.09.2021Ответить
4 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- суббота, 4 сентября 2021 г.
- ☀️ 73 °F
- Высота: 6 033 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Acacia Park 38.837493, -104.82219738°50’15” N 104°49’20” W
Almost Ready
4 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
I’ve got a pre-trip checklist that I use each time we go off on an adventure. It has everything on it — from what to pack, to stopping the mail, to verifying flight information, to turning off the water, to … well you get the idea. Big and small … everything is on the list.

Added to the list this year is researching and verifying COVID-19 related entry requirements … which can be a moving target … what with the ever-changing profile of the pandemic. Luckily for us, being vaccinated has made meeting the entry requirements for Turkey easier. In fact, we just finished taking care of the last of those requirements … completing an online entry form that we printed out to hand over to THY when we check-in for our flight to IST on Monday.

All but a few things on the checklist are now checked off. Even our bags are zippered and zip-tied. The items that remain unchecked are the last minute things that have to wait until just before we set the alarm and lock up the house.

I guess we’re just about ready to get this show on the road … just one more sleep to go.Читать далее
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Путешественникtravel safe, of course. happy that all the ducks are lined up.
05.09.2021Ответить
Two to Travel🙏🏻 Let’s hope the ducks remain lined up.
05.09.2021Ответить
3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 1
- воскресенье, 5 сентября 2021 г., 10:15
- ☀️ 75 °F
- Высота: 6 122 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Colorado Springs Airport 38.798992, -104.70106538°47’56” N 104°42’4” W
And We Begin …
5 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
We turned off the water, checked the doors and windows, set the alarm, and locked up. Time to get this show on the road.

A quick Lyft drive brought us to COS. Our local airport might be small, but it offers the convenience of a non-stop flight to IAH so that we can connect to the flight that will take us across the pond … tomorrow.

At the moment, we’re at Gate 5 … awaiting our air-chariot. More later …Читать далее
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ПутешественникIAH. Houston if I remember right?
05.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelYup … we opted for Houston because we were going to drive the RV down, but then … well, plans changed.
05.09.2021Ответить
Safe and happy travels, Erin! I look forward to following your adventures :) [Mary O. Greenberg]
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 1
- воскресенье, 5 сентября 2021 г., 11:30
- ☀️ 81 °F
- Высота: 6 122 фт
- Соединенные Штаты Colorado Springs Airport 38.798956, -104.70097538°47’56” N 104°42’4” W
Our Chariot to IAH Arrives
5 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
The CR-J 200 that will be taking us to IAH has landed and is approaching Gate 5. We should be boarding in the next little while … later than the original 11:18a boarding. No matter … it’s not like we don’t have plenty of time on our hands.Читать далее
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2 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 1
- воскресенье, 5 сентября 2021 г., 15:30
- ☀️ 91 °F
- Высота: 154 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.986692, -95.34546729°59’12” N 95°20’44” W
Uneventful Flight
5 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F
That about describes our flight … once our winged-chariot was swapped out and we got off the ground. The problem? Too much weight for the CRJ … passengers and bags.

At first they were looking for volunteers to jump to the next flight … with quite a generous offer that we might have taken. But then they rescinded that and found another solution. In the end, what I think happened was that they had another aircraft going to IAH, so they left the bags on the original aircraft and put us on the second one.

Despite our delayed departure — by about 30 minutes — we were on the ground at IAH shortly after our original scheduled arrival of 3:25p.

All’s well that ends well.Читать далее
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Путешественникlove the clouds and blue skies. been too long since we have seen blue.
06.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelSuch a shame about all the fires that have turned the skies smoky.
06.09.2021Ответить
4 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 1
- воскресенье, 5 сентября 2021 г., 17:00
- ⛅ 95 °F
- Высота: 141 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.986675, -95.34213329°59’12” N 95°20’32” W
Checked into Marriott @ IAH
5 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F
The Houston Airport Marriott is not connected to a terminal at IAH … per se. But there is a tunnel one can use to get to it … either by taking the below-ground train that runs between the terminals and makes a stop at the Marriott … on on foot via the pedestrian walkway between the tracks that loop around. Wanting to stretch our legs, we opted to do the latter.

By 4:30p, we were settled into our room … the airport luggage cart we used to haul the bags parked in one corner … well out of the way. Nice … clean … all the amenities we could want for an overnight stay (though we did have to ask for some hand lotion) … a partial view of the airport.

The only hitch in our plans? Our late check out can’t be extended past 1:00p tomorrow because the hotel is booked solid. We won’t be able to check in for our THY flight until 4:00p or sometime thereafter. So we’ll have to kill time somewhere.

No worries, though. We have a plan. We’ll check out at 1:00p, leave the bags with the concierge, and have a leisurely lunch at Flight’s Grill, the on-property restaurant, before we make our way to the appropriate terminal.Читать далее
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4 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 1
- воскресенье, 5 сентября 2021 г., 19:00
- ⛅ 91 °F
- Высота: 141 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.985765, -95.34230829°59’9” N 95°20’32” W
Dinner Time: Flights Lounge & Grill
5 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F
Once we were settled into our room, it was time to get our tummies sated. If there are any eateries in the vicinity, they require wheels to get to them. The restaurants at IAH are all after the security checkpoints. So, we went down to Flights Lounge & Grill, the restaurant at the hotel. Good food … very satisfying.

We were both up at 5:00a this morning and we’ve since traveled some 800+ miles (as the crow flies). Time to relax a bit … and then early to bed methinks.

——————————————-

For those interested in such things …

I ordered the Rotini Pasta [creamy wild mushroom and garlic sauce, asparagus, parmesan] and topped it with grilled salmon for protein. Mui ordered the “H-Town” Cobb Salad [chopped romaine, local bacon, hard-boiled egg, grilled corn, pickled red onion, blue cheese, avocado, tomatoes, house made chipotle ranch] and added grilled salmon for extra protein. We wrapped up with a Key Lime Pie … good, but we’ve had better.Читать далее
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 2
- понедельник, 6 сентября 2021 г., 09:00
- ⛅ 73 °F
- Высота: 194 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.986517, -95.34223929°59’11” N 95°20’32” W
Ayvalık Added to Our Sept Schedule
6 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
On 26 September, my brother-in-law, Murat, has a swim meet in Ayvalık, a seaside town in the province of Balikesir … north of İzmir. As a teenager, I spent a lot of time there with family and friends. At times there were so many of us that we’d book out an entire boutique hotel. Lots of fun memories from those days.

When Aylin and Murat suggested that we make a weekend outing out of his need to be in Ayvalık, we jumped at the chance to do so. So, now … we have two short getaways planned for September.

Our first choice, a boutique hotel, was not available, but Aylin and Murat made reservations for us all at Çınar Hotel … overlooking Sarımsaklı Beach. We received the confirmation this morning before we headed down to breakfast at the Marriott IAH.

Looking forward to a walk down memory lane while making new family memories.Читать далее
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 2
- понедельник, 6 сентября 2021 г., 10:00
- ⛅ 77 °F
- Высота: 148 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.987633, -95.33420329°59’15” N 95°20’3” W
2 1
Airport Recon
6 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Actually, not so much a recon … more for exercise since it was just too hot and muggy to go for a walk outside.

After breakfast at the Flight Lounge & Grill at the Marriott, we set off for the airport. We took the underground train from the hotel to the IAH Terminals D/E stop to locate the Turkish Airlines counters for tonight’s flight check-in and find out what time they open. Turns out … not until 4:40p. Good thing we have a plan to kill time at the hotel after we check out.

That accomplished, we headed back down to the underground tunnel and walked all the way to Terminal A … with a detour to the Terminal B parking structure where I had spotted a lovely, nature-inspired mosaic mural. Then, we headed back to the hotel via the walkway.

All in all … a little more than 1.5 miles. We’ll be walking back to Terminal D when we leave the hotel this afternoon, adding another mile to our total steps. Not bad.Читать далее
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Путешественник oh that is lovely, and relaxing.
06.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelBeautifully done.
06.09.2021Ответить
Путешественник beautiful, I would enjoy that in my home...if I had more walls.
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 2
- понедельник, 6 сентября 2021 г., 14:00
- ⛅ 90 °F
- Высота: 141 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.98583, -95.34223929°59’9” N 95°20’32” W
Lunch Time!
6 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F
What with breakfast, a walk to/from the airport, our morning ablutions, and packing our overnight accoutrements in one of the checked bags, the morning flew by. Before we knew it, our extended check-out at 1:00p was upon us.

As per the plan we came up with yesterday when we were unable to extend our check out to 4:00p, we headed down to the lobby, checked out of the room, and walked over to Flights Lounge and Grill for lunch. Good food … good service from a waiter with a fun sense of humor, and best of all, empty tables in the section where we opted to sit.

We easily killed another hour before we have to go to the airport.

———————————-

For those interested in such things …

I ordered the Market Fish … switching out the mahi-mahi for salmon [with fingerling potatoes, grilled broccolini, chorizo hash]. Mui ordered the Watermelon Greek Salad [lettuce, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onions, feta cheese, cucumber, chunks of watermelon … Greek vinaigrette] and added grilled salmon for protein. We wrapped up with a delicious cheesecake.Читать далее
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3 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 2
- понедельник, 6 сентября 2021 г., 15:30
- ⛅ 90 °F
- Высота: 223 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.986637, -95.34222429°59’12” N 95°20’32” W
Almost Ready to Walk to IAH
6 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F
After lunch at the Flights Grill, we found some comfy seats in the lobby of the Houston Airport Marriott … no one around but the desk clerks and us. In the last ½-hour new arrivals have shown up to check in, but they all continued on to their rooms, so we continued to have the place pretty much to ourselves.

The two additional hours we needed to kill before walking to Terminal D to check in for our flight has gone by in the blink of an eye. I even found time — before it was too late — to call mom before we commence the “over-the-pond” flight that will end in Turkey tomorrow afternoon … what with the 8-hour time difference between here and there.

Now, time to put away our electronics and get ready to walk to the airport.Читать далее
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ПутешественникI can watch your flight on flight radar. kinda fun
06.09.2021Ответить
Two to TravelYeah … I do that sometimes too.
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4 лайка
Türkiye 2021
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- День 2
- понедельник, 6 сентября 2021 г., 18:30
- ⛅ 88 °F
- Высота: 223 фт
- Соединенные Штаты George Bush Intercontinental Airport 29.985617, -95.33379529°59’8” N 95°20’2” W
Checked In!
6 сентября 2021 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F
Leaving the hotel around 4:30p, we strolled over to Terminal D/E via the underground tunnel, crossed over to Terminal D via the sky bridge, and queued up to check in at the THY BizClass counter … thank goodness for that as the line for the economy cabin was snaking around with no social distancing whatsoever.

The check-in itself was easy-peasy. In addition to our passports, we had to show the agent our COVID-19 shot cards and the forms we completed online to enter Turkey. Travel during pandemic times dontcha know!

The only glitch? Somehow our Trusted Traveler Number must have dropped from our online profiles on the Turkish Airlines website. So, our boarding passes did not show TSA Pre✔️. No matter. The line for the BizClass security checkpoint was not long. And, since IAH has new screening machines with modern technology, we did not have to remove electronics or 3-1-1 bags from our carry-on luggage. Shoes were another matter, however. But that’s why I always wear socks when traveling!

Once through the checkpoint, we walked over to the United Lounge in Terminal E. As a Star Alliance partner, Turkish Airlines BizClass passengers are welcome to use the lounge to while away their time. Which is what we are doing at the moment!

In another hour or so, we’ll be heading to our gate.Читать далее
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ПутешественникSafe travels!
07.09.2021Ответить
ПутешественникBusiness class is a delightful way to fly! So glad you're able to take that route. Have a safe and restful trip!
07.09.2021Ответить
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