After many years of driving between San Diego and Oxnard California, and after moving to Portland, Oregon where people are so much more relaxed, I decided I am done once and for all with driving on LA freeways, if I can avoid it. On a recent trip to visit family in California, I decided to take the train instead. It was one to two hours longer, but so much more relaxing. I tried not to mock people stuck on the freeway as we passed by, but in my mind I could hear Nelson from The Simpsons saying "haha." 

Here are some tips and tricks if you decide to take the Amtrak in California in the near future. Be sure not to compare it to European trains, which are much nicer, cleaner and very punctual. (Sorry, Amtrak).

What to do/Pros

• Buy a business class ticket and sit in the second business class car. It's not significantly more expensive, and is totally worth it. Note that the very first business class car isn't truly business class (all blue seats). It's called that, but isn't as nice and feels lower quality and rickety (tray tables).
• In business class, you get free wine (Mondavi) or beer, along with other drink options. Plus, you get a nifty little snack box (stroopwafel, cheese spread, pretzels, crackers, beef jerky, trail mix), free Wi-Fi, and power outlets. Plus, it seems to be quieter than coach and you get a ton of leg room.
• If you want the ocean view--which you won't have for the entire trip, so be aware--sit on the left side of the train going northbound before LA, then switch to the right side after LA. Reason for this is because the train turns after LA. Do opposite of the above for the southbound train. You'll know you are approaching Los Angeles when the graffiti starts to increase.
• Self-serve coffee is decent and strong. Free muffins in business class are gas station quality. But if you're desperate...
• Staff is pretty nice, especially if you encounter Charlie in the Cafe car on the Surfliner. The guy was freaking hilarious!

What not to do/Cons

• Amtrak trains are notoriously late, which I've heard from others and experienced myself on both segments of my trip. They really need to build delays into their schedules. We ran into issues like having to wait for another train to pass by, as well as a man riding his bike through one of the tunnels (the guy was okay, his bike was not.) Plan to be about 30 minutes late to your destination.
• Don't wait until after a major stop, like LA, to visit the Cafe car. If you do, you will be standing in line with 20 of your closest friends for at least 30 minutes.
• There is no security whatsoever with Amtrak (at least not in Oxnard or San Diego). You don't go through metal detectors, there's no one to pat you down, and nobody has any clue what you are bringing on the train. It's a little bit scary and I hope they change this. Sure it will slow things down, but we will definitely be safer. Security for trains in Europe was prevalent, especially going from the UK to France.
• If you want a quiet ride, avoid sitting near the table seats (two sets of two seats facing each other), which are usually occupied by (noisy) groups/families. Also stay away from the divider between cars because the constant opening and closing of the doors gets annoying. If you have earbuds or noise cancelling headphones and music, bring them.
• Bring your own food on board. Cafe car is nothing but microwavable food like you would get at a gas station or convenience store--things that teenagers would like, or that you ate back in college (e.g., microwavable pizza, burgers, dogs). Only partake if you are desperate.
• Bathrooms aren't the cleanest, but if you have to go, you have to go. Be sure to leave a jacket or sweater on your seat or someone may steal your seat by the time you return--especially if the train has made a stop. Don't leave valuables behind, of course.
• It's a bit hard to hear the conductor's announcements when you're in the second business class car, so prepare yourself to know when your stop is coming up.

All in all, good trip to and from this past week and would recommend it over renting a car and driving!

Why does the boarding process have to be so effing painful?

When we travel by air, we're not just paying for a ticket, we're paying with our energy and patience (the proverbial 'blood, sweat and tears'). And if you travel often like I do (roughly twice a month), one of the most stressful parts of travel is the boarding process—unless you’re in first class of course. From the fact that you often can’t even hear which group they’re calling (some show this on a screen, which is helpful), to struggling to get your bag down the narrow aisle, to finding that the overhead bins are completely full (and having to put your bag in a bin in a row behind you), to the walk of shame on airlines without assigned seating, to feeling like a sardine once you actually get into your (regular coach) seat. Those of us who traveled before 2001 know that it hasn’t always been this complicated and uncomfortable.

Let’s start with getting on the plane. Each airline has a different process—each with their pros and cons—but I don’t think any of them have quite gotten it right. It would be nice if it was consistent across airlines, but the FAA doesn’t seem to want to touch airline customer service in general, so let’s not go there. To help you prepare, below are links to the boarding processes by airline:

• Alaska/Horizon/SkyWest: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/flight-experience/our-boarding-process
• American: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/boarding-process.jsp
• Delta: https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/onboard-services/boarding-priority.html
• Frontier: https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel-information/at-the-airport
• Hawaiian: http://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/813/~/boarding-by-zones
• Jet Blue: https://www.jetblue.com/at-the-airport/special-assistance/boarding-process/
• Southwest: https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-experience/boarding-the-plane.html
• Spirit: https://customersupport.spirit.com/hc/en-us/sections/200447886-Online-Check-In-Boarding-Pass
• United: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/boarding-process.aspx
• Virgin America: See Alaska Airlines

I’m all for the disabled, active duty military and parents with small kids getting on first, but I’m not sure why airlines with assigned seating need to let those near the front of the plane board first. They already paid more for the nicer seat, better food and (sometimes) free drinks. However, I think that if, after letting the aforementioned disabled, etc. board first, airlines should simply board from back to front. After all, who wants to sit on the plane for longer than normal anyway? Frankly, it’s unhealthy. Plus, this virtual ‘caste system’ of boarding for the airlines with assigned seating is demeaning—and I’m someone who typically sits in premium. And if you fly Southwest, which herds you on like cattle, and you don't check in right at the 24 hour advance mark (or pay for early bird check in), you're totally screwed.

The only reason I want to board early now is because there is so much carry on luggage that I risk not having space for my bag. Every damn flight is ‘completely full.’ If airlines would start rewarding vs. punishing passengers by charging fees for checked luggage, the volume of carry on luggage would decrease, and both boarding and deplaning time would speed up. I know that some airlines will (much to your chagrin) sometimes force you to check your bag if all bins are full or your bag is too larger, and not charge you for it. But if they didn’t charge for checked bags to begin with, that wouldn’t be an issue. Before airlines started charging for checked bags, I don’t recall there ever being an issue with too many bags in the overhead bins.

Of course, some of us choose to carry on for different reasons. I’ve had issues with bags getting temporarily lost (AKA delayed), even destroyed, so I have trust issues. I also have very little patience (hence this blog post), so I don’t want to have to wait for my suitcase at baggage claim. My goals with flying are to get in and out as quickly and efficiently as possible. But this is usually for work trips. When I’m on vacation, I don’t care quite as much and frankly, I’d be happy to have a lighter load both in the airport and on the plane.

So what do you think would speed up the boarding process? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

How my relationship with Alaska Airlines went from rocky to rocking it

After a turbulent start, including me getting abandoned at the Ontario, California Airport circa 2012, and having my luggage destroyed on the way to Maui in 2016, I've had pretty good experiences on Alaska Airlines and am now a loyal passenger with MVP status on their mileage plan. They've made good on their mistakes, which I truly appreciate. I used to be a pretty loyal Southwest Airlines passenger customer, but after a lack of resolution and pathetic response to my customer service issues, the lack of food, and lack of legroom, I decided to instead spend my money with Alaska.

If you are also a regular Alaska Airlines passenger, here are some tips and tricks to making your trips rock!

1. Download the Alaska Airlines app. Its better than most because you can not only check the status of your flight, but you can also change seats, get gate change and flight notifications and reserve some food items.

2. The food is pretty good. Sure you have to pay for it, but it's not outrageous, and it's better than just getting stupid chips or cookies for a 4 hour flight. And if you fall in love with the fruit and cheese platter like I did, you need to reserve it in advance on the app...otherwise by the time they hit row 15 or so, you may be SOL. Skip the Banh mi sandwich. It's delicious but it's a lot of work and just a hot mess. They also serve Starbucks coffee, so much better than the crap on Southwest and other airlines.

3. Don't check your luggage. Pack light and smart. Their new carry-on size restrictions are 22'' x 14'' x 9'' or no more than 45 linear inches. And on the newer planes where you can do this, please please please turn your suitcase on its side in the overhead (like a book) to save space for other passengers.

4. Wear a Portland Timbers jersey. Some flights will allow you to board early if you are wearing one. I believe you can also wear a Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson jersey to board early at Sea-Tac Airport.

5. They have better booze, including Northwest spirits and wines. I highly recommend the Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka on the rocks or in your coffee. If you live in Oregon, some liquor stores carry this for about $25 a bottle...totally worth it.

6. Their GoGo inflight Wi-Fi sucks. Don't waste your money. They are supposed to get satellite in the next couple of years, but in the meantime, it's not worth the headache and battle for bandwidth.

7. Their newer planes have USB ports at your seat, so you don't have to worry about your phone losing juice before you reach your destination and need to call an Uber or Lyft.

8. If you have MVP status, pick a seat as far forward as possible so you can get off the plane quickly when you reach your destination. Between that, TSA PreCheck (if you have it), and carry on luggage, the flight will be a breeze. 

9. If you have MVP status, and there is space available, the day before check-in, you can move yourself up to premium status for at no charge.

10. They are very responsive to customer service issues both via phone and their social media account. Even if their social media people can't resolve your issue, they will point you to the right place or person to do so.

Domestic airline carry on bag size cheat sheet

Carry on policies per the respective airline websites as of June 8, 2018

• Alaska/Horizon/SkyWest: The carry-on bag size limit for Alaska Airlines, Horizon, and SkyWest flights has changed to 22'' x 14'' x 9'' or no more than 45 linear inches.
• American: Shouldn't exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches / 56 x 36 x 23 centimeters (including handles and wheels)
• Delta: Baggage must meet carry on size limits (approximately 22" x 14" x 9" or 56 x 35 x  23 cm). Reference size check templates located at ticket counters and gates.
• Frontier: Carry-on bags can be no larger than 24"H, 16"W, 10"D (including handles, wheels, and straps) and no heavier than 35 pounds. Carry-on bags must fit in the overhead bin. Carry-on bag charges vary based on when you purchase and fees are non-refundable.
• Hawaiian: 22" length x 14" width x 9" height (45 linear inches), Maximum weight: 25 pounds (11.5 kg)
• Jet Blue: All carry-on bags must not exceed 22" L (55.88 cm) x 14" W (35.56 cm) x 9" H (22.86 cm), including wheels/handles, on all of our aircraft types. This may be stowed in the overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.
• Southwest: Carryon bag dimensions are limited to 10 x 16 x 24 inches.
• Spirit: Maximum of 22 x 18 x10 inches (56 x 46 x 25 cm) including handles and wheels. We may require that a carry-on bag travel as a checked bag if it cannot be safely stowed on a particular flight.
• United: Shouldn't exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches / 56 x 36 x 23 centimeters (including handles and wheels)
• Virgin America: See Alaska Airlines

Pardon me, Mr. Duck, have you seen my glove?

I arrived in Amsterdam on Friday the 16th, and it was so incredibly cold and windy. Amsterdam Centraal train station is very beautiful and historic looking on the outside, and on the inside it's pretty modern and you even have to scan your ticket to get out of the station.

Caught an Uber to my airbnb then proceeded to The Burbs (Amstelveen). My apartment was a studio inside the home of an older couple. Really cute little place all to myself at the very top of the house, almost like an attic apartment. The couple was so sweet, every morning they left breakfast outside my door and included a nice note the first morning, along with a little sheet asking me to confirm what I wanted for the next couple of days. They even provided me with a bus pass to use during my stay. It wasn't free, but whatever balance I did not use would be refunded to me at the end of my stay.

The next day (Saturday), I bundled up for the below freezing weather and headed to the bus stop so that I could go catch my day tour to Holland. Riding the bus is very interesting because the names of the stops are hard to understand unless you see them spelled out (even though there are more English speakers in Amsterdam, I had an easier time understanding French while I was in France). Dutch is not an easy language to grasp. It's sort of like listening to Rose Nyland from The Golden Girls talk about St. Olaf.

I checked in at the tour agency, got my ticket and follow the group to the coach bus. It took us all over the countryside that day, including to see cheese making demonstration, windmills, a nice lunch and a fun Stroopwafel shop/museum (yum!). However, because the wind was so freaking cold, it became too unbearable to complete the tour, so I stayed inside the bus while the rest of the group went to some wooden shoe factory tour.

The next day, I just wandered around Amsterdam and joined a Canal Cruise. It was slightly above freezing and the sun was out, but it was still bitter cold. I walked through the red light district, accidentally let my glove blow into the canal where ducks were hanging out, and checked out some other parts of the city. By the end of the day Sunday, I was just exhausted and ready to go home. I love Amsterdam though, very cool, hip city with a fun vibe. Definitely want to go back someday.

On Monday, I got up early, packed up, checked out of my airbnb and set out to find a Post Office to ship home some souvenirs to avoid schlepping them on the plane. The first place I went to (per Yelp) appeared to have disappeared, so my uber driver had to take me to another place where they made me pack up my own items for shipment. I was already stressed out enough about making it to the airport on time, so this did not help. I was really pushing it with Monday rush hour traffic as well. Finally got to the airport, and after a bunch of confusion on where to go, lengthy security screening, then passport check, I got to my gate with less than 30 minutes to spare before boarding. Took a short KLM flight from the Netherlands to London then proceeded to the designated uber pick up spot to get a ride to the Marriott. 

There are some Uber drivers in London who are jerks when it comes to picking people up at the airport. A lot of them will just cancel the ride because they don't want to deal with airport traffic or confusion. So you could be standing there for 30 or more minutes waiting for someone to come get you. It was ridiculous. After multiple cancelled rides, and waiting in the cold for almost an hour, I ended up complaining to Uber on Twitter and getting a $20 credit. 

Finally got to my hotel, dropped off my heavy backpack, then cut another uber to go to my (overpriced but fun) Mad Hatter afternoon tea at the Sanderson Hotel. 

After a bit of carb overload and sitting in yet more traffic with another uber driver, I finally got back to the Marriott to unwind and decompress from the day. Long travel day ahead of me tomorrow.

So long, freaky elevator!

Checked out of my Paris apartment on March 14 (so long, freaky elevator!), though it was a great apartment overall, and I will probably stay there again one day. After trying unsuccessfully to find a Geocache in Paris (Google it if you don't know what it is), I caught an Uber to the train station to catch the Thalys to Brussels Midi. Very comfy trains and only about 1.5 hours to Brussels. 

When I checked into my Brussels apartment, I was amazed at the gorgeous view from my bedroom...wow! 

Caught it again around sunrise the next morning. View did not suck.

After getting settled, I had a lovely dinner of beef cheeks and frites with some Belgian beer and chatted with a guy from DC. Turned in for the night, but wasn't able to sleep due to street noise...drunks singing, fighting and just being obnoxious. Because of this, I could never stay at this particular apartment again. There's also a crazy steep stairway, which apparently is very common in Europe.

The next day, I set out to explore and find a Geocache in Belgium so I could get my first international Geocache souvenir (AKA badge on my profile). Success! 

Later that day I attended a chocolate walking tour, which included a stop and samples at Pierre Marcolini, one of Belgium's most renowned chocolatiers. Tour guide definitely saved the best for last. We even got to make our own chocolates as part of the tour.. really fun!

By the end of the day though, I felt like I had overdosed on sweets and needed a nice hot meal, so I got my "mussels in Brussels." :)

(Odd label)

The next day I attended a Brussels half day bus tour, which was pretty cool because it took me outside of the neighborhood in which I was staying.

We saw the European Parliament, Royal Park and Palace, among other things including the Atomium leftover from the world's exhibition many moons ago. There is a restaurant inside the Atomium and I'm sure there is a gift shop too. There's always a gift shop!

Before I left Brussels, I had to get one of their infamous waffles. But I kept it simple. I didn't get one doused in Nutella, whipped cream or fruit, I just got a caramelized vanilla one. OMG, best waffle ever! People here are remarkably thin considering I see them walking around with fries and waffles all the time. Hence how they stay thin, all the walking around. :)

My apologies for stinking up the fridge

On Monday March 12th, I decided to cook myself a nice little breakfast using eggs I had purchased at the local grocery store. They were by far the best eggs I've ever eaten in my life. Clearly not GMO'd like so many things in the US and very fresh.

I was supposed to do a half day tour with a small group at the Louvre, unfortunately I got the time wrong and arrived too late to join the group, so I ended up walking around the Louvre by myself. It actually ended up ok because I get bored easily and couldn't handle more than a couple of hours in a museum anyway. Wanted to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and a few other famous works and was able to do that.

At one point there was a silent protest of the Louvre's support of a fossil fuel company called Total. They were laying on the floor in front of a large painting and had media there to take pictures and get the word out. I also helped them by spreading the word on Twitter. Not sure what, if anything, came of it, but at one point the museum staff ushered all the visitors out of the area they were hanging out in and I'm not sure what happened to the protesters.

After the Louvre, and before the Eiffel Tower summit tour, I decided to head to a restaurant called Angelina (at the recommendation of a coworker) for some hot chocolate. I was skeptical because I mean, how good can hot chocolate really be? Holy shitsnacks was this stuff to die for! It's very thick and they provide it to you in a traditional creamer pitcher that you then pour into a separate mug and add fresh (non sweet) whipped cream to. It was amazing, as was the dessert that I had with it. I know, sugar on top of sugar, but it's Paris! What's funny is that a lot of their desserts don't seem very heavy or sweet as compared to what we have in the US. Probably because most of our food is so processed. By the way, that is not a muffin in the pic, it's a meringue type dessert.

Later, I met up with my tour group to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We first went to the second level and walked around and it was crazy cold and windy. We then went to the very top and, I'm not exaggerating here, the tower was swaying in the storm wind. It was really freaky and I wanted to get back down to the bottom as soon as I possibly could. Got some great pictures, but I will never do that again.

Forgot to mention a couple of things about my apartment in earlier posts. One was that when I first arrived in Paris, I hit up the local grocery store and not only did I purchase those fantastic eggs, but I also got some camembert cheese, saucisson (salami) and bread. A previous guest had left some Dijon mayo in the fridge. This was my go to sandwich almost all week, absolutely delicious! As some of you know, I really wanted to try some stinky cheese while in France, and boy did it stink up the fridge at the rental apartment! I felt so bad, but it was totally worth it and delicious.

On Tuesday the 13th, I attended a short tour at the palace of Versailles and was blown away at the opulence of this place. Crazy how these people lived back in the day. Some beautiful paintings, chandeliers and gold throughout.

I had a hankering for crepes, and found a great little off the beaten path tiny restaurant via Yelp where I enjoyed both sweet and savory crepes and some cider for lunch for less than €10. Chatted up it up with a couple of locals who gave me some tips on things to do. The restaurant itself is no bigger than my small one bedroom apartment in Portland, and the entrance opens right into the kitchen, which kind of threw me off. I didn't know if I had come in the wrong way and the guy who greeted me didn't speak English, so he had no idea what I was asking. It was a bit awkward at first, but all ended up well and I enjoyed a delicious meal.

Later that day I had planned to do a wine and cheese tasting in a Paris cellar that I had booked through Viator, but apparently they changed the meeting location at some point after I booked it and never told me. So I showed up and the guy had no idea about the group and was unable to help me. So I just decided to wander around, checking out cute shops, chatting with people and petting their dogs and just enjoying the day. It's funny saying 'bonjour' to a dog, but the owners appreciate it and seem to get a kick out of it. Snapped a couple more pictures of the neighborhood in which I was staying, then went to a place called Pink Flamingo where I got an 8 cheese pizza... unfortunately one of those cheeses was goat and it almost ruined it for me. Otherwise delicious.