Trip Reports - ORD-BWI-ORD (or interesting trips are not always good)




AnnaS
Jul 20, 99, 1:07 pm
Thu 7/15 UA ORD-BWI (coach)

My mom & I are booked on the last flight of the evening to Baltimore at 8:55PM and the plane boards on time. We're sitting on this completely full DC-10 for about a half hour when the pilot announces that the front wheel strut is leaking hydraulic fluid & they're going to try to fix it. My mom doesn't like to fly, so she's nervous but alright. Another 15 mins. later, we're told to get off the plane because they can't fix the problem so we go to the RCC in concourse C at 9:45 & stayed till they kicked us out at 10PM. Go back to the gate to find out that they did find another aircraft & we eventually took off at 12AM. For the delay, we were each handed a $25 travel voucher & alcohol in coach was free. We landed at 2AM & by the time we got bags & rental car (seemed to take forever) it was 3AM. Drove to the hotel in Annapolis & got lost a couple of times (thank God for cell phones) so that by the time we arrived, it was 4AM.

Loews Annapolis

Pull into parking area & follow signs for self park, there's no one in the booth when we get there so we park the car & go check in. No car information is taken, so we go up to our room for much needed sleep. We're awakened at 1PM with a call from housekeeping asking if we want the room serviced & we say "yes, about 3:30 or 4" We leave about 2PM or so to go to Baltimore & get to where we parked the car only to find it gone!! We go talk to the front desk who gets security & we're told by the security guy in charge that we were parked illegally & our car was towed! After arguing with the guy (he stood there with his arms crossed asking "What do you want me to do about it?") He finally gets the general manager (we were about to ask for the manager anyway) and she at least handled the situation well, apologizing & realizing the mistake made so she offered us dinner on the hotel at the restaurant & walked us to the place where our car was towed across the street & took care of everything. Got back to the room about 6:30PM only to find the room not done! At least housekeeping sent someone up right away & she was very nice & did a great job.

The Corinthian restaurant in the hotel was very good & we ate well (almost as much as a free night!) The kicker to the whole towing incident is when we told our wonderful waiter about what happened, he kind of laughed & said that they hadn't towed anyone in about 2 years! Just my luck!

Rest of the trip was fine, my company picnic was very nice on the beach with a cooling sea breeze.

Sun. 7/18 UA BWI-ORD

Flight back was on a 767 & uneventful. One thing that surprised me was that it was the first 767 I'd ever been on that was only a 2 class airplane. I thought they were all 3 class.

All in all, most people working at the Loews were nice, but it was not the best hotel stay I've ever had.

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Regards,
- Anna


Beckles
Jul 20, 99, 1:21 pm
I've been to Annapolis about a dozen times, and I get lost every time ... very confusing place to drive!

shadow
Jul 20, 99, 2:34 pm
good report, Anna. The question is, did you ever get to my hometown of Baltimore?? I get back there a couple times a year and have started to miss it more lately. I sure do miss going to Oriole games at Camden Yards...

Annapolis is one of the prettiest little cities in the US. I would recommend it to all who want a quiet rest near the water.

[This message has been edited by shadow (edited 07-20-1999).]


JeffS
Jul 23, 99, 8:44 am
I'm glad we had nice weather for you during this trip. we've had a lot of high humidity and 90+ temp days. You probably noticed it was a little dry looking.
Thanks for the trip report http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Catman
Jul 23, 99, 10:42 am
I've been to Rome, and Berlin, and Paris in the springtime... Beijing and Shanghai and Hong Kong four times...

"I've been to Paradise... but I never been to me" (wasn't that a 70's song by a one hit wonder-woman?)

But have NOT been to Annapolis. Must get there, eventually.

SOrry your trip had some bumps, ANNA and I wish you smooth traveling from now on!!!

shadow
Jul 23, 99, 8:04 pm
Catman, you should find a weekend and go! It's an easy drive from Joisey City, no more than 4 hrs., probably less. Or hop a short flight to BWI and to drive from there it's only an hour. The Naval Academy, St. Johns College, the Bay, dinner at the Chart House..it's a wonderful place to visit, especially in late Sept/early Oct.

AnnaS
Jul 24, 99, 10:56 pm
Yes, Shadow, we did make it to Baltimore. One of my best friends collect Hard Rock Cafe guitar pins so I promised her that I'd go. I drove by Camden Yards & it looked pretty cool, as we were leaving Baltimore, it was getting crowded around there due to a night game.

Annapolis was pretty (what I was able to see of it). We ended up eating at a restaurant called Phillips which was right on the water but didn't realize it was almost strictly seafood! I know, I know, I should expect that when by the ocean, but I don't eat seafood. My mom & I got burgers which were quite good & had a round on the house when our food was very delayed. Heard from seafood eaters there that it was excellent seafood.

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Regards,
- Anna

shadow
Jul 24, 99, 11:24 pm
Phillips is a MD institution...they've been around for years. They now have at least 4 or 5 places (Annapolis, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Ocean City, etc.) and great food. Sorry you're not a seafood eater. One of the highlights of a trip to MD is having steamed crabs and beer! I'm sure you saw some of that in Phillips. If you ever get back, try the Chart House; it's excellent.

dgolds
Jul 25, 99, 9:15 am
AnnaS - Thanks for the fun and interesting trip report. And sorry about the delays out of ORD.

Pet peeve: why do those airline clubs close so early? I've been in the same situation as you several times; stuck on an indefinite delay, forced to leave the club because it's going to close. Would be nice if they kept them open a little longer, especially on nights where there are lots of delays.

I agree with shadow about Annapolis - that's one beautiful town. I used to head out there often on weekends when I lived in DC.

Speaking of which, shadow, maybe you would know, I used to go to a restaurant somewhere around there (I think it was a little south of Annapolis) where they served the best crab. I have been trying to think of the name of that place; does Jimmy Kanter's ring a bell?

shadow
Jul 25, 99, 4:04 pm
dgolds: sorry, Jimmy Kanter's does not sound familiar. There are so many great places that serve crab dishes from Annapolis down the Bay that it would probably be impossible to try them all. On the other side of the Bay Bridge, going toward Ocean City, is a place called Busch's Chesapeake Inn. I hope they are still open, they had great food. Its been about 5 years since I was down there.



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