KORF Norfolk Int. Arprt, Virginia, USA

Good Morning!

From Bermuda’s storied stones, our Tiger Shark Squadron pressed into the indigo yawn of the western sky. No poet—as far as I know—has properly described the feeling of chasing the sunrise from behind, but I suspect it’s something akin to racing an unpaid bill. We drifted down over Norfolk International Airport—KORF—just after sunrise, the coast bathed in golden promise, and the air so fresh it practically sang a show tune.

As for me, Mark Twain, this airborne episode begins a grand new chapter. I fly with Cropduster, whose devil-may-care flying has yet to be adequately insured, and two dogs so clever they could fool the IRS or at least make it question its life choices. Ahead lies a tapestry of American World Heritage marvels and you will not find our ink dry until we reach Hawaii’s warm embrace at HNL—where Cropduster’s people hail from, and where the sunsets will linger out of sympathy for such a ragtag crew.

If this tour teaches anything, it’s that after a year abroad, nothing beats a sunrise landing in cheerful company, telling tales so good that even the dogs listen in.Read more