Travel Plans

I’ve been talking for quite some time about spending some time in the western hemisphere. This morning, full of resolve once again to sit down and just book the dang tickets, I dialed in the travel Web sites and tried to piece together an itinerary. An hour later I was staring dumbly at the screen, having found a very good London-New York flight, but to and from the wrong airport in London to hook up with the cheap european airlines. Somehow it seems wrong to spend more to go between airports in London than it does to go from Prague (or, cheaper yet, Brno) to London.

That’s about when the fizzy sound started coming out my ears and my eyes began to scan deep discounts to Odessa, Calcutta and Bejing. Once again I failed to book my tickets. I’ll make another go of it later. At least I’ve figured out the requirements:

1) Start in Prague in the early Marchish time frame (unless substantial savings can be realized at another time).
2) Long layovers should be in places I can meet up with people.
3) Multi-day layovers acceptable (and even good) but I won’t be renewing my driver’s license until I get to California, so renting a car is not an option.
4) Through some conveyance, I must end up in Cupertino.

5) Then follows a less structured period of driving around. I would like to visit (not necessarily in this order) western Washington, Colville (rhymes with smallville), Bozeman, the Sacramento environs, Scotts Valley, San Diego, and various spots in New Mexico. Weather may alter the list. Alaska, once again, will have to wait.
5a) I suppose I should warn some of those people that I’ll be in the neighborhood.
5b) The last time I drove around the continent for “about 3 weeks” it took more than seven months. I don’t see that happening this time; I’ll be paying rent over here the whole time.

6) Leave from Albuquerque.
7) Long layovers etc (see above), although now I will be able to drive a car legally.
8) Return to Prague late Marchish/early Aprilish. Road Trip Day on the road? It might work.

It seems there are (at least) two ways to travel. Book tickets to fit specific requirements, which is what I’ve been trying to do – although I suppose if my requirements were more specific things would be much easier. Too many choices. Alternately you can just say, “what the hell, I’ll go there”. Just pick some place that sounds cool, and go when the airline tells you you can do it on the cheap. You have to commit fairly long in advance, but it is possible to do what I have dubbed “impulse planning” – you read a list, make a choice, and off you go.

Anyone want to meet up with me in Bali?

8 thoughts on “Travel Plans

  1. While this may not fall into the “cheap” category, I would note that the Earth is of a roundish nature…tending towards a squished beach ball…a spheroidical mass of heavy and light elements bearing a resemblence to an orb-ule. Ahem.
    thusly, perhaps you may ponder the possibilites of flying the Other direction (Gizo, start pulling for a visit now!), and you will eventually arrive in Cali firstly, rather than New York. One quick driver’s license acquiringment later, and you are as fleet as a top-down miata on a clear day.

  2. Great. More options. What’s SUPPOSED to happen is that someone who really wants me to visit goes and figures everything out so in such a way that I spend more time in their area.

    Because, you know, the reward of my company is so great.

  3. Bummer Jer, I already did Bali and swore I wouldn’t head back until I was old enough not to attract attention (should be noted as a female with attitude it isn’t a good idea to have opinions in certain parts of the world). And since you know me–that may be a while.

    But happy to see my town still on the ‘to do’ list.

  4. Round the world tickets are often much cheaper than several-stop tix, especially open-jawed ones.

    Sweeney throws an impressive St. Paddy’s Day party on the island (they’re flying back from Estonia for it). I may or may not be there, but I’m sure you’d be welcome. He’s heading to Prague, shortly, by the way.

    I may be down to one house in the Yosemite area by the time you arrive (hell, I may be retired by the time you arrive), but you’re welcome to stay in it as long as you like. Stockton airport is close enough for a pick-up, although there is only one airline, and it only flies to one city (Vegas), although it does so often.

  5. I thought the Prague – San Francisco round trip price ticket was a good price on the link I sent to you. I guess the draw back is a month limit on the return. Still 13k CZ not bad at all.

  6. #5 and #5a:
    Consider those of us in the Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz area warned. Oakland, too. Our door is always open.

    yer cuz,
    Louise (and your other cousin Jerry, too, who should be back from Australia by that time)

  7. The rocks wait, quietly, mantled in winter snow. The rocks call out for you, the great architect of stacking. Rocks large and small, in a million myriad shapes and weights and textures await.

    When will the stack awaken our hidden latent geometries and allow us to rise above the surrounding land? When will we arise? When will we achieve the ultimate balance point and rise in glory ere gravity again claims its price?

    In the northernmost reaches of Nuevo Mexico, the rocks await, unstacked, resting, quietly absorbing sun by day and diamond-hard crystalline frigidity by night.

    The rocks await.
    Soon they must rise.
    Come oh great architect of the towering stack.

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