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Whenever I fly from Dallas to LA, I make it a point to sit on the starboard (that would be 'right' side, facing foreward) side of the plane in a window seat. The vistas are far too breathtaking to accept a seat elsewhere. This most recent trip did not disappoint!
We flew Southwest to LA, this past weekend, because they're cheap and we have a companion pass for 'mama' to fly free. It's a trade off because you can't go directly to LA from Dallas without making superfluous stops in adjacent states thanks to something known as the The Wright Amendment ( named after the liberal Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, from Ft. Worth, known unaffectionately to so many as 'Jim Wrong'. But, this entire fiasco is fodder for some future volume). That being said, we flew from Dallas to Albuquerque, to Las Vegas, to Ontario, CA.
I like the 'right' side of the airplane when flying west because the scenery is so spectacular to the north. The Rockies are snow capped and visible in Texas from as far east as Amarillo (from 35,000 feet or so). The flight from Albuquerque to Las Vegas is extraordinarily beautiful on a clear day. We flew directly over the gorgeous hues of the Painted Desert of Arizona and to the near north we could see the eastern end of the Grand Canyon, where it is very narrow and we flew along the entire length of the massive Canyon to it's end at Lake Mead. This was only the second time I've been able to fly over the Grand Canyon. Can there be anything in this country like it? How can you even describe it? It's a mind boggling thing. My view of the Canyon and Lake Mead could have only been grander had I been able to see Hoover Dam, which was to the left of the airplane as we approached Las Vegas. It was the first time I had ever flown into Vegas and while we were able to see many of the popular hotels and casinos, it surely would have been more spectacular at night.
From Vegas, it's a short hop to Ontario, just over Lake Arrowhead and the San Bernadino Mountains where you could see the fire lines from the fierce fires of last summer that went almost to the edge of Arrowhead.
The weather this weekend in LA couldn't have been more perfect. An uninformed visitor could not have known of the misery beset upon the LA Basin just days before, except for the existence of water in previously dry gullies and concrete river beds throughout the area.
One of the highlights of our trip to LA was our visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library in Simi Valley on Friday. What an incredible treat! The Library is situated atop a hill with an astounding 360 degree view imperceptible if you watched the Reagan funeral, some of which capitalized on the Pacific View from the Reagan Burial Plot.
We were extremely impressed with the Library, its environs and vistas. In June, the Air Force One Exhibit will be opened where the President's 707 will be on display. How they will have gotten it up that hill will be historical in itself.
Unfortunately, we were unable to see President Reagan's burial plot because it was canopied due to construction (new granite was being put down on and around the burial site). We're looking forward to returning when the current projects are completed. Please explore the linked website; much is there!
We had a great weekend in the Southland! Good to see my sis, bro-in-law, nephews, their kiddos and the kinfolk in general; and dear old mom is holding her own at age 84, battling alzeimers, she still recognizes us and is always in a good mood. She loves getting out for a drive around town, seeing the snow capped mountains and having an In-N-Out Burger. Who wouldn't?
We flew Southwest to LA, this past weekend, because they're cheap and we have a companion pass for 'mama' to fly free. It's a trade off because you can't go directly to LA from Dallas without making superfluous stops in adjacent states thanks to something known as the The Wright Amendment ( named after the liberal Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, from Ft. Worth, known unaffectionately to so many as 'Jim Wrong'. But, this entire fiasco is fodder for some future volume). That being said, we flew from Dallas to Albuquerque, to Las Vegas, to Ontario, CA.
I like the 'right' side of the airplane when flying west because the scenery is so spectacular to the north. The Rockies are snow capped and visible in Texas from as far east as Amarillo (from 35,000 feet or so). The flight from Albuquerque to Las Vegas is extraordinarily beautiful on a clear day. We flew directly over the gorgeous hues of the Painted Desert of Arizona and to the near north we could see the eastern end of the Grand Canyon, where it is very narrow and we flew along the entire length of the massive Canyon to it's end at Lake Mead. This was only the second time I've been able to fly over the Grand Canyon. Can there be anything in this country like it? How can you even describe it? It's a mind boggling thing. My view of the Canyon and Lake Mead could have only been grander had I been able to see Hoover Dam, which was to the left of the airplane as we approached Las Vegas. It was the first time I had ever flown into Vegas and while we were able to see many of the popular hotels and casinos, it surely would have been more spectacular at night.
From Vegas, it's a short hop to Ontario, just over Lake Arrowhead and the San Bernadino Mountains where you could see the fire lines from the fierce fires of last summer that went almost to the edge of Arrowhead.
The weather this weekend in LA couldn't have been more perfect. An uninformed visitor could not have known of the misery beset upon the LA Basin just days before, except for the existence of water in previously dry gullies and concrete river beds throughout the area.
One of the highlights of our trip to LA was our visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library in Simi Valley on Friday. What an incredible treat! The Library is situated atop a hill with an astounding 360 degree view imperceptible if you watched the Reagan funeral, some of which capitalized on the Pacific View from the Reagan Burial Plot.
We were extremely impressed with the Library, its environs and vistas. In June, the Air Force One Exhibit will be opened where the President's 707 will be on display. How they will have gotten it up that hill will be historical in itself.
Unfortunately, we were unable to see President Reagan's burial plot because it was canopied due to construction (new granite was being put down on and around the burial site). We're looking forward to returning when the current projects are completed. Please explore the linked website; much is there!
We had a great weekend in the Southland! Good to see my sis, bro-in-law, nephews, their kiddos and the kinfolk in general; and dear old mom is holding her own at age 84, battling alzeimers, she still recognizes us and is always in a good mood. She loves getting out for a drive around town, seeing the snow capped mountains and having an In-N-Out Burger. Who wouldn't?
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