Last day!
By this time I have the morning routine down. Wake up early, shower, dress then get downstairs and grab a coffee. Also, packing this morning was easy because later today it's the flight home.
I travel light normally anyway, so packing and unpacking during this trip was no issue at all. And unlike yesterday morning the bus was right on time.
On this rainy morning it's off to Mount Vernon. This is another place I remember visiting as a child—for that trip we actually caught a boat all the way to Washington's home. Fortunately since we are going against the traffic we made good time and picking up our guide didn't take long at all. Unfortunately the rain does not let up and it's unpack the rain ponchos and umbrellas before you get off the bus.
Fortunately for us we get a chance to tour the mansion. After that it was walk downhill a ways (a muddy ways) and visit the grave of George and Martha. After that our group had a choice to either return with our tour guide to the main museum or go down further to the farm area. I chose to go with a group going down to the farm. Even though we got rained on the entire walk for me it still is better than being in the museum with wall-to-wall people.
However you go back up the hill and you do wind up in the museum. How many student groups such as ourselves were there? Answer: a whole lot.
I did look at a lot of the exhibits and before I knew it was time for group to meet up. The rain let up a little by this time but we still needed our wet weather gear. I stop keeping track of how many luxury coaches we walked by before we got to our bus. It was well over 20.
Then shake everything out and it's off to the Air and Space Museum. Problem was, since today was rainy there were a whole lot of people in this place. Yet I still had fun! Not only did I get to see several historic aircraft and spacecraft but I got to spend a fair amount of time with my own child, something I hadn't done the whole trip. I tried my best to get pictures of the truly historic items but with remodeling some of those were on the ground and it was simply hard to get a good picture. Case in point: Chuck Yeager’s Bell X-1 jet.
But not all of the items were difficult:
After standing in the longest line for a meal I can ever remember, Geoana and I enjoyed a meal of roasted Boston Market chicken. Once that was over it was time for us to head out the door and hotfoot it down to meet the bus. And before we go out the door, yes rain ponchos go back on.
Fortunately the rain did let up a bit so our several-blocks walk down the National Mall wasn't as unpleasant as it could've been. We got to the bus with no problem and then it was off to Reagan National Airport.
From that point forward it's the same old routine. Get tickets check baggage go through TSA and then wait. Since we are flying American Airlines at least the seats are assigned. Then I’m delighted to learn I have a window seat. Then I’m crestfallen when I realize the weather won’t allow me to see anything once we climb.
Sure enough, I get a good view of the Pentagon right before clouds envelop our aircraft. Then I don’t see anything other than the tops of nimbus cumuli until we are over Arkansas.
Our landing is somewhat historic/meaningful for me. Since we are on American the airport is DFW.
In all my years of Texas residency, Texas visits, and Texas family-and-friends connections I have never flown into or out of the largest airport in the state. Going through this area I always was on Southwest Airlines so the airport of stops and connections was Love Field.
Once I mentally note my arrival here it is then time to deplane and seek out sustenance. Since this is The Lone Star State I am specific about my wants: Tex-Mex or BBQ.
I hit pay dirt with the latter. The terminal houses a Dickey’s BBQ Pit. The child and I enjoy sliced brisket with some really good sides.
It's time to wait. And wait. And wait some more. We were originally supposed to be here only an hour. But before we left D.C. our head teacher found out we all were bumped to a later flight tonight.
So when do we pull out of the gate? 20 minutes before midnight.
Here's another first for me. I slept on an airplane. I have flown red-eye flights before but was awake just about for all of them. I might drop off a few minutes here and there but nothing I will ever call sleep. But this flight we take off, climb, and I decide to rest my eyes. Next thing I know a fair amount of time has passed. I decide “hey this isn’t too bad” so I rest the eyes a little more.
When I open them again it seems we're descending, sure enough the lights of Omaha are visible. Nothing too exciting after that, get off the plane, get the baggage, wait for our bus to take us back to Northwest Kansas.
I'm happy to say the bus ride back, even though it also was in the middle of the night, found this guy asleep. That's right! Get on the freeway in Omaha and again I make the effort to rest my eyes. By the time I open them were already on the other side of Lincoln. I do that routine of couple more times
Then the next thing I know we're a little over an hour from home. I do stay awake after that but one of the best sights I saw this trip was Geogal in the school parking lot waiting for her two beloved ones. Arrival time back at the school? 6:05 a.m.
After getting to the house I head downstairs to the guest bedroom bed. (The gals decide to chat in the master bedroom.)
And begin what would be several days of catching up on needed sleep.
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