SFO777

After four enjoyable years in Denver, Mrs. SFO777 is ready for a change of scenery, away from wildly variable and extreme weather, but especially the lack of humidity. With the white hot Denver real estate market, our home was under contract in 48 hours and above asking price.

So we have to scramble to find a new home in Orange County and something with an ocean view please. Ordinarily, we'd fly United to SNA but F prices this weekend were crazy. So we're off to LAX on AA at only $74 with free EXP upgrades. With Mrs. SFO vowing to never eat another AA meal, we headed out early for a late lunch at the DIA branch of wonderful Root Down, in the C concourse.



A table with a view!





Mrs. SFO went with the fabulous Root Down Bento Box, with grilled salmon.



I couldn't resist the amazing Colorado Lamb sliders with sweet potato fries.





At around T-45, we headed for the train back to the A concourse.





Denver-LAX
AA 5977
E75
4:15p-5:55p
April 23, 2016

With bulkhead seats, we headed to the empty Priority lane, where boarding commenced a couple minutes later.



Loads of leg room in row 1.







We passed on today meal options of Oriental salad with Salmon or Charcuterie plate. But did have the crème brûlée cheesecake.



Well, you get what you pay for... the AA Bus Terminal and the bus shuttle to Terminal 4.





And the tunnel to the T4 exit.



First a little cash refill. Seriously? I select English and am asked if I really mean it???



Still recovering from foot surgery, Mrs. SFO rests while we wait for the Avis shuttle.



With a great off-peak weekend rate, we headed for the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel in Dana Point. Despite a couple of accidents on the 405, we made it from the Avis LAX lot to the hotel in 75 minutes. Welcome to LA traffic. Very nice hotel although the courtyard and pool area are under construction.



















Pleasant standard room on the 2nd floor.











Gorgeous sunset. I think we can get used to this.





The hotel bar was packed so we headed to the bar at Michael Mina's in house restaurant, the outstanding Stonehill Tavern. Great menu and wine list.















Next morning, I headed out for breakfast while Mrs. SFO decided to forgo.

ACCDraw

Welcome to OC - and welcome back to CA.

HawaiiTrvlr

We will miss you in Denver. At least we get to continue to read about your exploits around the world.

TOMFORD

Obviously I do not read every word of every trip report (that's the purpose of pictures), so when I saw the shots of the courtyard at St. Regis I mistakenly thought that it was your house and felt incredibly inadequate.

spark787

West coast, best coast. What made you chose St Regis vs Pelican Hill?

How come you chose Socal instead of your username SFO?

DanielW

Eating at the airport before boarding is what I usually do when flying (everything is an optional-extra) LCC's. Very interesting to see the same tactic used for First Class on AA.

Annalisa12

Wish I was MrsSFO! Great hotel.

batmandds

Good luck with the house hunting! Hopefully the move to SoCal means less connections for your international adventures !

LadyShiva

As it continues to snow here in Denver, I am also contemplating selling my house. I will be moving back to Florida instead of back to California, though; earthquakes and major traffic woes versus rising sea levels and hurricanes--there's no perfect place in the US.

I will be hoping for such a lovely real estate transaction, SFO777!

Madone59

Join us on Pacific Standard Time! Happy hunting.

mike&co

Sfo777 how can she be getting fed up with Denver ? - you're never there

ECPAAFlyer

First of all, I hope you moving doesn't mean it would curtail any of your adventures in the air :-)

Secondly, from another Denverite, yes it's odd to have snow falling in May. Something makes me think that won't affect you in SoCal.

Hopefully the SNA Admiral's Club is up to MrsSFO777's standards - pretty small but probably better maintained than the DEN club.

Congrats on the move and quick sell.

krazykanuck

Root Down is probably one of the best restaurants I've eaten at in an airport. When doing work travel with other co-workers I like to be the dictator, I mean planner, of where we stay/eat so when we were departing Denver I went through all the options and "suggested" we eat there. Even though flying UA requires back tracking to another terminal.

FallenPlat

Fun report as always; funny comment from Tom Ford. Good comments are always a plus to any trip report, and you know that you attract way more than your fair share, right?

I always eat at the Centurion Club here in DFW boarding a Spirit Flight; I'm also surprised to see this tactic used for AA's domestic F service.

CHSDOC

California? To live, again? You are indeed brave. Buenas Suerte.