Another Road Trip Comes To An End

Black Road

Breakfast finished even earlier today at 9 am. After a good sleep and waking at 7.45 am I get downstairs at 8.35 am. All done and dusted, I’m back upstairs to finish packing for the journey home. I do a bit more diary until my planned departure time of 11 am.

I spotted a gas station from the train yesterday selling gas at $5.29 a gallon for cash. This was way cheaper than anywhere else. So I abandon the gas station stop that I’ve used in previous years, fill up and then re-program my Maps route to head out to Skyline Boulevard.

I’m using the route I last used on the Route 66 trip, as I concluded it was about the safest of all the ways I’ve driven to get up onto Skyline Boulevard – but that’s not saying much. Going north there are few safety barriers on the outside of the road. This time I also note much more of the road shoulder is crumbling down the mountain side.

I take it nice and slow but even then there are some really tricky sections. I’ve written before that I don’t know who would want to live on a road like this, but houses abound. Whatever, Black Road before the Boulevard is a great drive. I arrive at the Hwy 35 N junction, and it’s just as I remember it.

Onto Skyline Boulevard

The sun ripples through the trees lining Skyline Boulevard. There’s quite a bit of traffic on the other side of the road this morning. On previous trips I hardly ever saw another car. I had a big breakfast at the hotel, deciding to eat a late lunch in the airport lounge. So I don’t stop at the Skywood Trading Post & Deli this year, as I have previously.

Chevrolet Malibu

Nearly a couple of hours after setting off I arrive at the Hwy 92 junction. Turning right, a mile or two further on a left turn takes me towards where I leave Skyline Boulevard to get on I-280 N. It’s just another 15 or so miles on the Interstate now to get to the airport. I take the usual short detour at the airport to the Valero gas station for the final top-up, then its back to the Rental Car Return at San Francisco International Airport. As I drive in, I ponder how many times since first jetting into SFO in October 1991 have I ended up driving into this place? No idea, but a lot.

I’m flying in a BA Club Suite back home, not First. The price for First was astronomical as I booked so late. Plus I thought it gave me a chance to see how Club is these days: I’ve not travelled in it long haul for absolute ages. Once in the terminal, Security at SFO is as tortuous and inconsistent as ever compared to other airports.

A Busy Lounge

I enter the BA Lounge to find it is very busy already, with very few free seats. Maybe get here earlier if I fly Club again from SFO. That said, the First only section in the Lounge is not that comfortable. The lunch offering is very poor to be honest. There’s a couple of sandwiches and some salad stuff. Pretty uninspiring. The few hot options are not much good either.

BA Club Suite

Boarding is announced for 10 to 15 minutes time. I move nearer the in-lounge access doors to the aircraft so as to get on early when Club boarding opens. The Club section on this aircraft is quite big and I need to ensure I get my bags on-board. Mission accomplished about 20 minutes later, I settle down to hopefully enjoy the hospitality.

There’s champagne or orange juice on the ground before take-off. We take-off on time and soon the stewardess comes along asking what I want for dinner and drinks. She’s a bit dopey however and doesn’t seem to grasp what I want, or even what she’s doing. I tell her for the third time and I think the penny finally drops. Not a good omen.

When my main course food arrives the stewardess has forgotten the red wine I asked for. I have to remind her: “Oh, yes, I remember now…” she replies. The food is mainly good apart from some very soggy broccoli and spinach with the main. Ugh, horrible texture.

Dinner complete I settle down to try and sleep. The Club bed is narrower than those in First, especially in the leg area, and I struggle to get comfy. As a result I only get a couple of hours sleep and I’m awake before breakfast service has begun. Normally, the noise around the serving of breakfast wakes me up.

I don’t eat much breakfast as it’s the equivalent of 1 am West Coast time and I only had dinner six hours ago. We land 25 minutes early. I’m the second person off the plane, which makes little difference because at T5 one has to catch the underground train shuttle back to the main building, so everyone behind me catches up on the platform awaiting the train. There’s no queue at all at the Immigration E-gates so I’m straight through and my taxi is waiting for me in the Arrivals Hall. Home again!