Archive for February 14th, 2012

I truly enjoyed my return flight from Denver today. Although Southwest’s exceptional service and fun Valentine’s Day decorations contributed to my enjoyment, little Sarah Breeden and her mommy, Christina Breeden of San Diego, California, also put a smile on my face.

Today was Sarah’s first flight, which she seemed to enjoy, at least until she dozed off about halfway through.

While in Atlanta, Sarah will meet her cousin, who was born on the same day, for the first time. I wonder if Southwest can promise that all flights with infants and toddlers will be this pleasant. I don’t think that’s asking too much at all.

Continue reading A Pleasant Flight Home »

Baltimore Harbor

When I first was told I was going to Baltimore, the first question that came to mind was, What do I do in Baltimore?  Well, what I found out was there is a TON to do in the city and I barely got to scratch the surface on this two day visit.  Here are all the things that I didn’t get to do, but are on the top of my list for when I return (in no particular order):

• Come back during crab season and have a true Crab Feast!
• Go to the American Visionary Art Museum when it is open
• Check out Canton
• See the manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner at the Maryland Historical Society
• Eat in Little Italy
• Lunch at the Lexington Market
• Spend an evening gulping beer at Brewer’s Art Brewery
• Check out the National Aquarium
• Grab a bite at the Sip & Bite Diner
• See an Orioles game at Camden Yards and a Ravens game too!

I’m sure even this doesn’t cover it all either.

Baltimore is a really interesting city and I really dug getting to know it better.  It’s a town with little …

Continue reading Why Go to Baltimore? Well, I’ll Tell Ya! »

One of the flight attendants on my flight back from Baltimore was HI-larious!!  I wish I had time to record his impromptu hijinks, but I did jot them down.  Here are his 3 best jokes:

• During the safety routine: “In case we have to make a water landing… swim.”
• “I hope you enjoy your 17 hour flight to Maui – oops!  Wrong flight.  Who want’s to go to Maui, though?”
• While taxiing to the gate in Atlanta he sang to his Valentine, Southwest Airlines, to the tune of “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” by the Georgia Satellites.  Funny AND fitting.

Continue reading Best Jokes by the Southwest Airlines Attendant on My Flight Back from Baltimore »

Southwest Airlines Valentine's Day

I LOVE (pun intended) it when someone else gets as bonkers as I do about Valentine’s Day.  I had another reason to love Southwest Airlines, they bought me a Bloody Mary on my return flight.

Continue reading Southwest Airlines gets in the Valentine’s Day spirit in Chicago »

The Pump Room in Chicago

Last night my cousin Justin and his girlfriend, Desiree pulled out all the stops for my finale dinner in the Windy City.  We arrived at the swank restaurant, The Pump Room located inside Chicago’s posh Public Hotel formerly the famous Ambassador East.

This legendary landmark was established in 1938, and was a popular hangout for celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack entourage, Bill Murray, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, and a whole gaggle of who’s who.

I immediately felt sophisticated after stepping foot through the newly-remodeled hotel lobby, as I passed under a cluster of crystal chandeliers hanging over stark-white steps leading to the bar and dining area.  It also helped that we had reserved the booth where Sinatra had spent many hours throwing back drinks, swapping stories about broads with Dean Martin, and taking calls from The Pump Room’s white rotary-dial telephone.

The Pump Room's legendary telephone

But Justin had one more …

Continue reading My farewell dinner in Chicago at The Pump Room was one to remember »

They do!

As I enter Baltimore Airport’s Southwest Airlines Terminal, I saw that they had Valentine’s Day in full effect!  Check out the ticket counter and even in the airplane!  Again, it is another way in which Southwest is different from other airlines.  They also did some special stuff on the flight this time – more on that later.

Anyway, it is hard to not feel the love (or LUV) in this kind of atmosphere and it made me want to make sure that I also spread the love today.  So, here it goes:

Happy Valentine’s Day to my beautiful and wonderful girlfriend Elissa.  I am one lucky guy to be with a woman as amazing as you are.

Love,

Me

Continue reading Southwest Airlines Feels the LUV on Valentine’s Day, and So Do I »

First and Franklin Church: 250 years of progressiveness

When I went out to Federal Hill tonight, I met up with my good friends, Jordan and Christine who I haven’t seen in years.  They joined me for dinner and then we walked around the neighborhood looking for a drink.  Unfortunately, Baltimore kind of closes down on Monday nights and the places we checked out were closed.  Tragically, this included a bar called Illusions that is all about magic and magic shows.  Maybe next time…

So, instead we just walked around Federal Hill and they drove me around the less touristy areas of the city.  The highlights of the tour included The Block, which is not our taste, but is something to see.  It is one city block dedicated to the art of adult performing arts.  It really just comes out of nowhere and is kitschy as you could imagine.  Obviously, this is for a very particular crowd, which was not us.  This was strictly a driving tour.

We ended up in Mount Vernon at a bar called …

Continue reading Jordan and Christine Show Me Baltimore’s Many Sides »

Max’s Taphouse in Fell’s Point is beer snob heaven sans the snobbery.  This place is arguably the go-to beer destination for any beer lover visiting Baltimore.  It was recommended to me by some of the commenters here as well as by a number of locals (including bartenders at other pubs!).  And despite its reputation as a beer connoisseur paradise, Max’s has a very laid back feel.

The core of this place is its 102 beers on tap and the longest bottle list I have ever seen.  The bartender, Mike, a living beer encyclopedia, could tell me anything I needed to know about all the choices.  And for all you beer snobs out there, every President’s Day Weekend, Max’s hold a Belgian Beerfest that they take weeks to prep and stock for.  They have 100 Belgians on tap and over 200 bottles.  It is no joke.  Oh if I could stay for 5 more days!

Federal Hill is one of the older neighborhoods of Baltimore and is a food and nightlife hotspot.  It is undeniably Baltimorian.  …

Continue reading Max’s Taphouse and Ryleigh’s Oyster in Baltimore Bring the Goods »

Happy Vday y’all.  I recently landed in Atlanta from my worldwind Southwest Airlines adventure to Austin, TX with the AJC.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my posts.  I’m glad that SWA flies to Austin from Atlanta now so that I can spend more time there.  Too much to do, see, and EAT in about 36 hours.

To sum up my thoughts on Southwest Airlines’ arrival in Atlanta… “Luv”. At least during this experience, “The Luv Airline” lived up to its name.  Now… I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t travel in time so I don’t know whether the love will continue.  I can’t predict whether all of the smiles and laughter that I experienced from all the employees of SWA will last.  What I can tell you is that , in the words of James Brown, they’ve started off on “the Good Foot”!

I, and all of the passengers traveling from Austin today on SWA were greeted by a gate of hearts.  Hearts greeted us on the overhead bins (maybe because they are stuffed to the brim).  I also received a heart from …

Continue reading Love was in the air today (and everyday) at Southwest Airlines »

Thanks to the speedy self check-in process at the Southwest Airlines counter, I was (quickly) on my way to go through the security line.  But this TSA experience would differ from the one I had in Atlanta.

I was struggling to keep up the screening pace, and not doing the greatest job.  I heard someone say behind me, “let me help you with that.”  I turned around to see a very attractive, and charismatic man standing behind me.  Not only did help me push my containers of electronics, outerwear, shoes, and a handbag onto the moving ramp, but he shared his recent “randomly selected” experience while flying out of New York last week.

Thankfully, I was not one of the “randomly selected” to get extra screening.  While hopping on one foot trying to put my shoes on and taking inventory of my electronics, a TSA agent asked him for an autograph.  Autograph?  The agent then informed me that this nice guy standing behind me was, Yankees baseball player, Curtis Granderson. And …

Continue reading My celebrity encounter at Chicago Midway airport »