ON THE WAY TO TEXAS

To get our trip off to a great start, we decided to splurge by flying to Texas first class. Wow, what a difference that makes. We arranged to be picked up at home by a limo -- the driver was on time, courteous, a great driver, and very personable. What luxury! And then it got even better when he told us that first class passengers have their own curb-side check-in spot at the airport. Our bags were checked in and we were done in minutes! Then the skycap told us that first class passengers have their own, separate security processing. We walked into the airport through a special first class door and discovered a relatively short line. That is so much nicer than the security lines for coach passengers -- it was a real treat. So by the time we got to our gate, we had plenty of time to get a little breakfast before taking off.

For those of you who have never flown first class, here is what our experience was like. Of course you know that the seats are roomy and comfortable. Each pair of seats gets a separate overhead bin for storage. And as soon as we sat down, the flight attendant brought us drinks. After the plane took off, we were offered little bowls of mixed nuts and more drinks. Then we had our choice of two entrees for lunch, which was served with cloth napkins, metal cutlery, and real plates and bowls. And the food was quite nice. Dessert was a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. And the flight attendant kept coming around to check that we had everything we needed. At the end of the three-hour flight, we were first to walk off and first to get our luggage at baggage claim. We arrived in Dallas rested, refreshed, and ready for our three-hour drive to Jefferson, which is way on the eastern border of Texas, almost into Louisiana. I wish I could afford to fly first class all the time!

We made it to the shuttle that took us to the rental car office, but with difficulty. OK, so we have too much luggage. I admit it. But really, we had to pack stuff for cold weather (highs of 35 F) and for warm weather (highs of 72 F). And a girl needs a few shoes to go with different outfits. Well, you get the picture. Anyway, we finally got ourselves settled into our mini-van and set off……and then got a bit lost trying to get out of the airport despite the fact that we brought a navigation device to prevent this very situation. But after going in circles a couple of times, we managed to find our way out and onto the highway, just in time to hit Dallas commute traffic. Sigh After about 45 minutes, we finally got free of the traffic and started experiencing typical Texas driving, which is broad, smooth, many-laned highways with almost no cars, and a 75 MPH speed limit. We arrived in Jefferson, met up with old friends, had a late supper, and fell into bed at our B&B.