Excellent :cool:

Also, I'll post visual aids on My Flickr Page as soon as I upload them, but I would like to gauge interest in a Box DO at South Padre Island, Texas for the weekend of October 3-5.

By then, water temps will still be in the 80s (as should the air temps), and all the kids/college kids should be gone as well. I prefer going at that time of year, as conditions are ideal for the beach, as well as for bay fishing (lots of Speckled Trout, Flounder & Redfish in the Laguna Madre). Hotel prices during that time of year are also reasonable. The only chains down there are SPG (Sheraton), Radisson, and Priority Club (Holiday Inn Express). The Sheraton has regular rooms, junior suites, and 1 or 2 bedroom condo units available. By that time of year, the cheapest rooms are generally $129/night (double occupancy), 1BR condos generally $250 or so (sleep 3-4 with a sofa-bed), and the 2BR condos $300 or so (sleep 4-6). There are also numerous outfits down there that rent beach houses, duplexes and condos, often in the $125-$300/night range for that time of year.

It's also an opportunity to add BRO/HRL/MFE to one's flightmemory. There's also a Vickers Viscount stored at the corner of the BRO airfield (Tail No. CF-TGZ) that appears to be registered to the Confederate Airforce. I'm wondering if we might be able to get an up-close tour of the airframe by contacting them.

The area itself is an interesting and remote corner of Texas. Essentially, it's where the outer fringes/scrubland of the Chihuahan Desert come straight up to the sea. A strange mix of Joshua Trees, Palms, and Goat's Foot Morning Glory vines grow in the area, and mild sandstorms are not uncommon during windy conditions. Crossing the border into Matamoros to Garcia's Tex-Mex Restaurant/Bar/Gift Shop/Pharmacy is quite safe (it's less than 100yds from the border to Garcia's), and one can load up on all manner of cheap booze, prescriptions, and excellent food there. Progreso, further inland, is also good for loading up on knock-off goods (and is somewhat more upscale than Matamoros).

Also, for those who like to fish, the waters of the Laguna Madre offer some of the best bay fishing in Texas, with lots of Speckled Trout and Redfish, and the occasional Tarpon. There are also numerous dolphin watch excursions, and the bay is chock full of them. The beaches are also quite nice, and the sand is odd compared to most beaches. It has the consistency and softness of baby powder (more like desert sand), and is dark brown in color. The darker sand keeps the ocean from taking on the bright blue color that one sees at the beaches in Florida, tinting the water an almost milky teal-green color.

Anyhow, those are my musings on Padre. It's a place best avoided during Spring Break and the busy summer months, when it is overrun with boorish drunken wastrels. I'd rather our group of boorish, drunken wastrels had the run of the place - all to ourselves, as it were. ;)

Don't worry - I've wanted to check out some Belgium pubs so I am definitely in on this! :) Anyone have a strong preference between Brussels and Antwerp?

I'm also thinking of adding a few days on to the trip to visit Paris...

I can possibly arrange something with the CAF to view the Vickers Viscount. I'll see what I can do in the next couple of weeks.


I have no preference for either Brussels or Antwerp but I am definitely interested in being there.


In other news, a blogger has taken an image off of my Flickr page to use in one of his posts. I would not mind but he did not give me credit and it is not a CreativeCommons image.

I don't know if there are any breweries in Luxembourg, but it would not really be the best festive location for a drinking expedition, especially given the promimity of other, more appropriate locations, like Strasbourg and all of western Germany. Luxembourg is not exactly a festive country - it is very nice, of course, but it would be much better to hit Belgium or Bavaria.

Send the blogger an email instructing him to give you credit or take the image off of the blog.

Why not both?

I like that way of thinking! We could do something in Brussels on one night and something in Antwerp the other night. There is a pretty inexpensive train between the 2 cities.

ssullivan, you were right about the F seats on NW's CR9s. They are like my ex, looks good but hard on the back.

For all the golfers in The Box: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...02919440.shtml

Unfortunately that particular weekend is out for me for South Padre.

But I'm all for Brussels/Antwerp/Anywhere else in Europe for beer in January. ^ Might be a good chance to pick up some EQMs early in 2009. Lord knows I'm going to need them if I'm going to keep CO Platinum next year, since 90% of my flying looks like it will be ATL-CAE on ASA/DL. :(

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks those seats are crap.

Seriously, why is it that seat manufacturers even turn out bad seats like those, and why do airlines insist on buying them? Do none of these people ever seat in the seats to see what they're like? And these are the premium seats on that plane!

Amazing story! Interesting - went to school with a guy the same name as their dad - wonder if it's the same guy; he does live in FL.

LOL.

The only explanation that I can come up with is that the manufacturers designed model X that was comfortable, then got underbid or asked by the airlines to modify the design and make it less expensive. Or, they could not manufacture a comfortable seat in the required price range from the outset. The result of either scenario was something like the NW CR9 F seat. I wonder if anyone actually sits in prototype seats for the average stage length of flights on the aircraft on which the seats will be installed?

Been in Houston not even 24 hours and I have one interview at 430pm and another tomorrow at 1pm. With my change of luck, I should play Mega Millions tonight.:D Now, to dig some nice clothes out of the moving boxes. I have no idea where my suits are.