Tag: DFW

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Homeward Bound

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I returned home from North Texas 54 days ago. This is Part 8 of 8 – the conclusion of my recap of my 10-day experience with my family for Thanksgiving and the week after.

After my gate at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW) changed from B18 to B17 to B14 to B11 in less than 2½ hours – it changed once again – to D2. That’s right – a completely different terminal !

I got the text message from American Airlines (#AA), and others sitting at the gate obviously got the same text message at the same time, as we all reacted pretty much the same way. We were aggravated, but there was no time for aggravation because boarding would begin in just 38 minutes at a gate far away from there. We all got up, gathered our carry-on bags, and walked briskly to the nearest Skylink (automated people mover) station to reach the new terminal and gate. Of course – Gate D2 was perhaps as far away as possible from the Terminal D (Gates 1-22) Skylink station (and pretty much all other “D” gates). We all made it to the new gate, and we all got good exercise doing so. Strangely – a lot of people were already at that gate, and it looked like they had been there for a while. They obviously knew about Gate D2 long before many of us did.

After a brief respite it was time to board the aircraft to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ). As with the incoming flight 10 days earlier – the outgoing flight was not quite full, but close to it. There was plenty of space available in the overhead bins, and the middle seat next to mine was vacant. I had a window seat 3 rows from the rear, and I stared out at the sky towards the NNE for much of the flight. Once at cruising altitude I ate a couple of Pop-Tarts, and then I enjoyed the Lotus Biscoff cookies that are handed out on most #AA flights. Additionally – the flight attendants gave us a bag of pretzels. Two complimentary snacks at the same time !

I also enjoyed a cup of black coffee to go with my multiple snacks. Their coffee has always been delicious, but now it appears that they are in the process of switching / upgrading to Lavazza‘s premium coffee blends. That should be available on my next flights later this year.

The flight from #DFW to #SRQ took a normal route ESE across Louisiana and the Gulf straight into Florida – landing more than 10 minutes early. It took a while (longer than normal) to retrieve my baggage at the carousel. (Mine was one of the last bags to appear.)

After that I went to the wrong location to pick-up the shuttle bus to the parking area. I went to the area for hotel shuttles. I blame that on a lack of clear and proper signage. I eventually figured it out on my own due to no available help from anyone who worked at the airport – inside or outside. The shuttle bus driver took me to the secluded parking lot over near the control tower off Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41). There were two vehicles remaining in that temporary overflow parking lot (which was obviously closed for new parking), and mine was obviously one of the two.

The 78-mile drive back home was uneventful – taking me 1-hour and 49-minutes through Sarasota-Bradenton suburbia and into the countryside and up into the hills. I had to deal with a few slow drivers in front of me and a few tailgaters behind me. I arrived home at 7:26 PM on Saturday December 06TH 2025. My 10-day and 6½-hour Thanksgiving trip to and from Wylie Texas was complete. I enjoyed refreshing my memory and writing about it over the next 2½ weeks following my return. (I completed this post on Christmas Eve.) I hope that you enjoyed reading about it over the past couple of months.

As for my next trip to visit family – that may occur in less than 3 months. As for next Thanksgiving – I’ll likely revert back to tradition and fly out 8 days before the holiday (instead of the night before) – and I’ll return back home on the night after the holiday (#BlackFriday). Or maybe I’ll do something completely different and stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday and instead visit my family during the week leading-up to Christmas. I’ll figure it all out in a few months. #StayTuned

How was my driving in 2025 ? I’ll look back at it – next #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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My Final Morning In The DFW

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about the start of my last full day in North Texas from November 26TH to December 06TH. (It was another movie and another lunch out for me and my brother.) We saw the movie in the longtime movie theatre building that we saw many movies from the Summer of 2007 to the Summer of 2013 – Cinemark Legacy in north Plano along U.S. 75. It’s been there since the late-1990s. My brother used to live in neighboring Allen, and that’s where we enjoyed our West Philly-style cheesesteak lunch after.

Fun Facts: Over 400,000 residents live in Plano and Allen combined. They are located about 25 miles NNE of Downtown Dallas – a straight shot down U.S. 75 (also known as the North Central Expressway). The frequently congested freeway was built in the 1950s and 1960s from south to north. It greatly contributed to suburban sprawl northeastward from Dallas into Collin County. About 1.3 million residents call Collin County home. In 1960 the population was a little over 41,000.

On that Friday December 05TH I spent much of the rest of the day packing and preparing for my return trip back home to Florida the next day.

My last morning was the start of yet another cold, cloudy, and foggy day in the #DFW. Hopefully incoming and outgoing flights wouldn’t be affected by the low ceiling. No need for me to worry about things I can’t control.

My brother went out early in the fog to his favorite local family-owned donut shop. (There are lots of them all around the area – most of them in strip shopping centers. They all seem to have a nondescript sign in front of their space that simply says “DONUT” or “DONUTS”.)

My brother got me a cronut and an apple fritter. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a cronut before, and my brother wanted me to try one. Mine was like an extra-thick honey-glazed donut, or two such donuts fried together as one. (It’s essentially a croissant-donut hybrid that’s made with croissant dough and then deep-fried like a donut.) I would eat another one if my brother got me another one on my next visit to Texas. The apple fritter is just a personal favorite pastry of mine.

After short hugs and goodbyes to my best canine friend, my two nieces, and my sister-in-law – me and my brother headed to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW). The fog continued the entire way, but it wasn’t too thick.

I checked-in at Terminal B. My checked suitcase was a few pounds heavier than it was 10 days earlier when I flew into Texas. (I think it was up to 36½ pounds.) TSA PreCheck was a bit weird. It had its own dedicated line, but it ended up at the exact same CT X-ray bag scanner line for everyone else. The TSA agent simply took turns with both lines asking the next person to step forward. So – it was weird, but I only had to wait an extra minute or two to place my carry-on bags in the bins to be scanned. I did receive a card that identified me as TSA PreCheck. I gave that card to the next agent, and I went through a dedicated body scanner.

I had to wait awhile on the other (secure) side, as the bag scanner was “hiccupping” as my bag was being scanned – as well as the bag ahead of mine (belonging to someone else). So – they had to pick-up those bags / bins and rescan them. All was good after that.

I headed to my gate after that, and then when the gate changed to a few gates away – I moved there too. (It actually changed from B18 to B17 to B14 to B11 in less than 2½ hours that morning.)

And then it changed to a completely different terminal (D) just 38 minutes before boarding would begin. That annoyed those of us who were sitting comfortably at Gate B11 – including a pilot. Now we had to walk fast to pick-up the Skylink to reach the new terminal and gate. I’ll let you know how that went – next #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Texas Bound

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week’s post ended with me waiting at my gate at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ) and listening to the music that they play (rather loudly) from The Blend (SiriusXM) all throughout the terminal.

My Thanksgiving Eve flight to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW) boarded a little bit late, and it took off into the air a few minutes late as well. It also arrived at #DFW a few minutes late. It flew a nearly straight-line flight across the northeastern Gulf and over Louisiana and Texas. The Airbus 321EOW was not quire full – with a few middle seats unoccupied (including the one next to mine). There was also plenty of room in the overhead bins. I had an aisle seat 5 rows from the back of the aircraft. The flight was mostly peaceful and quiet with a few mild bumps along the way at cruising altitude (as high as 38,000 feet).

Fun Fact: An Airbus 321EOW is one that can fly up to 400 miles from shore, as it meets specific FAA requirements to do so (such as sufficient life rafts). “EOW” = “Extended Over Water”.

I met my brother at the Baggage Carousel. We picked-up my baggage, and we left for Wylie Texas (about 40 miles away) – with a stop at Kroger close to his home.

On Thanksgiving Day we stayed in all day long, and we watched football from mid-morning – through the afternoon – and into the evening. Oh – and we ate a lot of food too – from early-morning – through the afternoon – and into the evening.

A Thanksgiving Morning tradition actually ended this year. We did not open all of the presents underneath the Christmas tree as we’ve done every year in the past since my nieces have been alive (going back to 2010). There were no presents underneath the Christmas tree. But there would be soon, and we’d open them in a couple of days.

Another Thanksgiving tradition also ended. I didn’t spend much of the day packing and preparing for my return flight or drive back to Florida, as I had just arrived. No packing necessary until the following Friday.

And yet another tradition ended on #BlackFriday. I did not fly back (or begin my drive back) home to Florida. Me and my brother began our week-long quest to eat at different restaurants, shop at many stores, see several movies, and visit various coffeehouses.

On #BlackFriday we saw the movie “Rental Family” (starring Brendan Fraser). And then we ate lunch at “Flying Fish” – a regional fast-casual seafood restaurant chain. And then we went to a busy Barnes & Noble. And then we went to Target including a pitstop at the Starbucks inside Target. So that covers the restaurant, store(s), movie, and coffeehouse for the day after Thanksgiving.

On #SmallBusinessSaturday we supported a small business early in the morning – a family-run breakfast and lunch place in Sachse Texas – Woodbridge Cafe. They opened in January 2018. It was our first visit. It won’t be our last. I enjoyed cinnamon swirl French Toast, two eggs over hard, two sausage patties, and coffee.

Next #TravelThursday – I attend a non-denominational church service with my brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces for the first time ever. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Texas Bound

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. The week before Thanksgiving (last Thursday here in the U.S.A.) was quite unusual for me for the simple fact that I was home at the time. For as long as I can remember – at least going back almost 20 years – I’ve always been in Texas or Ohio (where my family lives or used to live) during the week leading-up to Thanksgiving. And then on the day after Thanksgiving – known as #BlackFriday – that’s the day that I usually flew back home (or began my journey driving back home).

I usually arrived in Texas or Ohio on the Wednesday or Thursday of the week prior to Thanksgiving. Some years I arrived even earlier than that. Just 4 years ago in 2021 I departed South Florida for North Texas on November 11TH (Veterans Day), and I arrived in North Texas 2 days later on November 13TH – staying there for 13 nights. (That was a fun 2,822-mile road-trip that was documented here on #TravelThursday.)

I don’t think I’ll be driving to Texas ever again. (My last such trip was in April 2024.) I’m terrified of driving on Interstates, Turnpikes, Expressways, and Freeways – basically any high-speed highway with off-ramps, on-ramps, and merging lanes. So I pretty much avoid them completely. It’s a condition known as “amaxophobia”. I have a mild case of it. It’s been gradually progressing over the past 30 years. I’m certainly not afraid of driving my car, and I do just fine on backroads and surface streets. I’m even comfortable (for the most part) on U.S. 27 in Sebring and Avon Park. #IYKYK

If I do decide to take perhaps one last road-trip to and from North Texas then it’ll be via old U.S. highways and state and county roads – much like my April 2024 road-trip.

Fun Fact: Thanksgiving Day occurs on the 4TH Thursday of November here in the U.S.A. It can occur as early as November 22ND – and as late as November 28TH. This year it was on November 27TH. #BlackFriday is the day after, and it’s the official start of the Christmas shopping season; although, many Americans like to get started well before that – even in September and October. Most major stores are happy to accommodate.

So earlier this year – me and my brother decided to continue our family’s #ThanksChristmasGiving tradition where we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas simultaneously. But my brother wanted to add a new wrinkle to it. Instead of me flying in 7 or 8 days before Thanksgiving Day – fly in the night before Thanksgiving Day – and then stay through the first week of December. I think my brother’s rationale was that we would have more time to have fun (shopping, eating, seeing movies, etc.) without his daughters / my nieces getting in the way, as they will be back to school during that first week of December.

Good idea, and so I purchased my round-trip airfare back on August 05TH. 113 days later – I was on my way from home to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ).

Thanksgiving Eve traffic westward into the Sarasota-Bradenton area was reasonable – not any busier than past such trips into Florida Gulf Coast suburbia. In fact – the airport itself was noticeably less-busier than I’ve seen it before. But parking was packed like sardines. Long-Term Parking and all of the various overflow parking lots were full and closed. Incoming traffic (for parking) was diverted through and then off airport property, onto adjacent U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail), and then back onto the far-western edge of airport property to a temporary (occasional) parking lot near the control tower. (Most travelers had obviously flown out of #SRQ for Thanksgiving already.) The good news is that a reduced fare of $14 per day is charged at that temporary parking lot that’s only utilized when main parking lots are full and closed.

I wonder if my car will be the last one remaining in that lot when I return ?

A shuttle took us to the airport terminal about a mile away. I processed my baggage tag at a kiosk. I dropped-off my baggage at the counter. I made it through TSA PreCheck with no issues. I was at my gate almost 3 hours before departure time.

Incidentally – Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (#SRQ) is my favorite airport in Florida for so many reasons, and one of them is the music that they play (rather loudly) all throughout the terminal. They mostly play The Blend (SiriusXM). The music is so good that I don’t need to listen to the great music on my Spotify playlists with my AirPods.

I’ll board my flight to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (#DFW), and my Texas adventure will begin – on the next #TravelThursday. In fact – I’ll write about it for perhaps the next 10 weeks. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp