Arlington, Virginia – September 15, 2013

Today I had one of those flights that just went like clockwork. The flight on the small regional jet from Grand Junction began boarding at 06:05 and pushed back at 06:36. Runway 11 was the choice to leave the Grand Junction airport. The duration of the flight was a short 1:49.
During the descent to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the plane went directly over Texas Motor Speedway. I remember how impressed I was when I went to that track for the inaugural race. It is every bit as impressive from the air.
The plane made it to the gate in the B Concourse at about 09:40 local time. My flight to Washington National was due to depart at 11:00. By the time I finished my walk to the gate, I only had about 15 minutes to wait before boarding began. After boarding, to my surprise, the doors were closed, and the plane pushed back two minutes early!
Departing on runway 17R, one could easily see the new Arlington Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. After a few turns, the plane went directly over downtown Dallas and the Cotton Bowl. Then it was merely a matter of gaining altitude and heading toward DC.
On the descent to Washington National, the plane went directly over Dulles International.
The landing was uneventful. Getting my baggage was uneventful. Getting a taxi was uneventful. Before I knew it, I was relaxing at my hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
I was in Arlington for a week of training. After hours, I took the opportunity to document what I saw as I walked around. Some of those photos follow.

At the end of my training, it was time to head back to Georgetown, Guyana. Getting to Reagan National Airport was very uneventful.
Getting to Miami International airport was also very uneventful. Then began the “walk!”
I arrived at Concourse D. I had to walk to Concourse J to be able to check-in for my Caribbean Airlines flight to Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago. When I finally made it to the ticket counter, it was about 10:50. There was a family already there waiting. They had just returned from a cruise. They must have been away from home for months — they had more luggage than one could count!
There were no agents at the ticket counter. I looked at the monitor above the desk. It indicated check-in would begin at 11:30. As the family and I waited, security personnel for the airline started “building” the rope line for the cue to the counter. I watched 11:30 come and go. No airline employees showed. Finally, at about 11:50, the agents arrived with a cart full of supplies. They spent the next 15 minutes setting up the counter; placing luggage tags, staplers, flowers, etc.
I ultimately received my boarding pass and went through security. Once in the concourse, I went straight to the food court. There is a McDonald’s there; I could not resist. That was the first time I had eaten at McDonald’s in many, many months. It tasted pretty darn good!
From the food court, I made it to my gate and ultimately onto the plane. Then it was off to Port of Spain.
Upon arrival at the gate at Port of Spain, I stood up like all of the other passengers and retrieved my one carry-on bag. As I stood there waiting for the plane door to open so we could disembark, I heard a shocking announcement by the flight attendant. She said those passengers destined for Georgetown did not have to get off the plane!
I could not believe what I had just heard! I have gone through Port of Spain seven different times; this is the first time I did not have to get off the plane, go through their airport security, and then get back on the same flight. It was a bonus!
Not long after that, we were back in the air on our way to Georgetown. Another 45 minutes and I was finally home!

• United States