It's hard to believe that two weeks ago Mom and I were on an airplane headed to Arizona. I'm thankful I have the pictures and wonderful memories to prove that I went. It also helps to remember Arizona when I'm having health issues (like recently). I can picture the Grand Canyon, Jim and Vicki, Flagstaff, Sedona, swimming, delicious meals, and the Sipe family in my mind.
Mom and I packed light, so we only had one checked suitcase, one carry-on (mostly for my medications), and my wheelchair. Paul Burton dropped us off at Roanoke Regional. I felt sad for Qavah, because she was very quiet as Mom and I got our suitcase out of the car trunk. Even though we explained to her what we were doing several times, I don't think she understood until we got to the airport. We knew she'd be fine, so we said our good-byes and then went inside to confirm our flights.
I have to say we got nice airplane service from Delta. I was a bit unsure of how they would handle my wheelchair. Fortunately, I was able to have it as a "carry-on," so I could use it during our plane exchange. We had a three hour layover in Atlanta with a lot of walking, and with my rib still hurting, I was thankful for the wheelchair! Mom sure got her exercise, though. At one point, all I kept seeing was Delta employees, so I asked Mom, "Does the Atlanta airport only use Delta?" She replied "No, we're just in the Delta part of the airport. There's Northwest, American Airlines, etc. Different airplane companies use their individual designated section of the airport. And different concourses serve specific airliners." Amazing! I had not been in an airport that was so big before. I was surprised and interested to learn about the different concourses. And in fact, we even had to take a shuttle from our drop-off gate to the right concourse for the next plane ride.
The flight from Atlanta to Phoenix was long, but worth it. There was a family with some young children sitting across from us. I told mom and one point, "I forget how well behaved Qavah is until I'm around other children." I did enjoyed watching the clouds pass by (sometimes below us) and the land below. It was especially different the closer we got to Phoenix. The land turned brown with deep ridges. Mom and I saw the vastness of the desert from the sky! There are just some jobs I probably would have pursued had my eyesight been better. Being a flight attendant is one of them. I really enjoy flying. One thing that was neat on the Delta plane was our TVs. A customer could pay to see a movie or just watch basic TV. I didn't do that, but instead viewed the "real time" road map. The little airplane symbol flew over the United States. Every time the airplane captain (pilot) tilted the plane or made it go higher in the sky, I got to watch it happening on my TV screen. The route was all mapped out, so I would follow our route as we flew over the individual states. I would also check the number of miles to destination, number of miles already flown, altitude, and temperature.
Finally, we got to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. We picked up our luggage and headed for the rental car company. Actually, we had to take a shuttle from the airport to the rental facility, which was eight minutes away. It was combersome to move the luggage and wheelchair everywhere we went. Finally, we got our rental car and began our trip to the Campbell's home. Arizona driving reminds me of Washington, D.C., because all of the roads run north, east, south, and west. Avenues are always on one side (or direction) of the road, while Lanes (and Streets) are on the other; "like a grid," is how people describe it.
Several people have asked me how we are related to Jim and Vicki. Vicki is actually my Dad's cousin, but she married a "Campbell" (Jim). So it makes for a neat family relation story. Below are three pictures from Day 1.
Mom and I packed light, so we only had one checked suitcase, one carry-on (mostly for my medications), and my wheelchair. Paul Burton dropped us off at Roanoke Regional. I felt sad for Qavah, because she was very quiet as Mom and I got our suitcase out of the car trunk. Even though we explained to her what we were doing several times, I don't think she understood until we got to the airport. We knew she'd be fine, so we said our good-byes and then went inside to confirm our flights.
I have to say we got nice airplane service from Delta. I was a bit unsure of how they would handle my wheelchair. Fortunately, I was able to have it as a "carry-on," so I could use it during our plane exchange. We had a three hour layover in Atlanta with a lot of walking, and with my rib still hurting, I was thankful for the wheelchair! Mom sure got her exercise, though. At one point, all I kept seeing was Delta employees, so I asked Mom, "Does the Atlanta airport only use Delta?" She replied "No, we're just in the Delta part of the airport. There's Northwest, American Airlines, etc. Different airplane companies use their individual designated section of the airport. And different concourses serve specific airliners." Amazing! I had not been in an airport that was so big before. I was surprised and interested to learn about the different concourses. And in fact, we even had to take a shuttle from our drop-off gate to the right concourse for the next plane ride.
The flight from Atlanta to Phoenix was long, but worth it. There was a family with some young children sitting across from us. I told mom and one point, "I forget how well behaved Qavah is until I'm around other children." I did enjoyed watching the clouds pass by (sometimes below us) and the land below. It was especially different the closer we got to Phoenix. The land turned brown with deep ridges. Mom and I saw the vastness of the desert from the sky! There are just some jobs I probably would have pursued had my eyesight been better. Being a flight attendant is one of them. I really enjoy flying. One thing that was neat on the Delta plane was our TVs. A customer could pay to see a movie or just watch basic TV. I didn't do that, but instead viewed the "real time" road map. The little airplane symbol flew over the United States. Every time the airplane captain (pilot) tilted the plane or made it go higher in the sky, I got to watch it happening on my TV screen. The route was all mapped out, so I would follow our route as we flew over the individual states. I would also check the number of miles to destination, number of miles already flown, altitude, and temperature.
Finally, we got to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. We picked up our luggage and headed for the rental car company. Actually, we had to take a shuttle from the airport to the rental facility, which was eight minutes away. It was combersome to move the luggage and wheelchair everywhere we went. Finally, we got our rental car and began our trip to the Campbell's home. Arizona driving reminds me of Washington, D.C., because all of the roads run north, east, south, and west. Avenues are always on one side (or direction) of the road, while Lanes (and Streets) are on the other; "like a grid," is how people describe it.
Several people have asked me how we are related to Jim and Vicki. Vicki is actually my Dad's cousin, but she married a "Campbell" (Jim). So it makes for a neat family relation story. Below are three pictures from Day 1.
I enjoyed watching this truck fill the plane with gasoline. I'm so glad our cars don't take as much fuel as the airplanes. That would get very expensive!
This plane is like the one we took from Atlanta, Georgia to Phoenix, Arizona. I think it was a Boeing 747. All I know is that about 200 people were on the ariplane. 
Of course, I got lots of pictures of the clouds. This one was one of my favorites.
