The Traveling Steve's

In my last post I was blogging about our trip to Santa Barbara, and touring around the wineries there. I still have a couple more wineries to post about, but meanwhile I’ve headed back home to Orlando, and this week I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a quick 3 day business trip.

When I say quick, I spent the whole day flying on Monday from Orlando to Phoenix, and then back-tracking on a connecting flight (after a 3 hour layover) to Albuquerque.  I left Orlando at 10am on American Airlines to PHX, and didn’t arrive to ABQ until 5:30pm local Mountain Time.  It was a good trip out, and I got upgraded to First on both segments.  I stayed at the Hyatt Place Hotel by the airport which was close to the rental car return and terminal. Typical of a Hyatt Place, but this one had recently been refurbished so it felt fresh, and they actually had a nice breakfast in the mornings. Hyatt Place Hotels are great for business stays as they are built with the business traveler in mind with lots of power outlets, huge TV with A/V inputs, comfy beds, larger rooms, and always a big corner sofa.

I had a full day meeting in Albuquerque on Tuesday, but wrapped up as scheduled by 5pm.  As there were no flights back to MCO this late, I had booked myself to fly out on Wednesday morning, again more or less a whole day with the time change and connection, this time in DFW.

It’s now 6:40am as I write this on Wednesday morning, and I’m in the ABQ Airport waiting for my 8am flight to DFW.  I really love this airport, and have been here many times over the years.  It has an open-air fresh, New Mexico feel, and the decor clearly reflects the desert atmosphere in color and design.  While they don’t have an Admiral’s Club here, they do have a public (and free) observation area on the second floor I always like to visit.  Hardly anyone ventures up there, and at this early hour, I have the whole place to myself.  I just asked Siri what time the sunrise is, and she replied 7am, so I should get to see that before I leave.  My American Airlines 737 jet is close by and waiting for me below at gate B3.

As this was a quick trip, I didn’t do any sightseeing this time, although on previous trips to ABQ I’ve taken the Sandia Peak tram up the mountain, and had dinner there before.  It makes for quite a nice sightseeing and leisurely evening dinner if you’re out this way and have the time. I was here last in the summer months so there was no skiing, but this time of year would see some nice white mix covering the ski slopes.

This morning, after taking the hotel shuttle from the Hyatt to the airport, I quickly checked in and prior going thru security (and up to the Observation area), I stopped and admired the mini-aviation museum they have in the lobby.  Very nicely and meticulously put together, the museum showcases every aircraft that has ever flown thru Albuquerque, and is like a trip down memory lane for commercial aviation buffs such as myself (as well as military and general aviation.)  

While I was surprised to see many foreign carriers such as Lufthansa, they and many others used ABQ as a training area for their pilots as well as the open air high altitude training over the desert here. There were also the cargo planes, and some of the newer airlines such as Allegiant shown, but many were airplanes and airlines of the ‘Golden Age’ of travel, which is no more.

I also took a photo of this 1914 bi-place hanging from the ceiling; quite a rare plane, and in pristine wooden shape.

Now it’s 6:54am, and the sun can already be see as it’s slowly rising behind the Albuquerque mountains in the background.  

My plane is still there waiting on me, but now I need to start heading down to board soon.  See you later Albuquerque, until next time!