Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Burlington, VT to Richmond, VA Only 2 Days by Air

So we fell for it again. We arrived at Burlington Airport to catch a 6:00 flight to Newark in route to Richmond, VA. We board on time, all the passengers are present and accounted for and then we pull way from the gate and the engines power down. Pilot on the intercom: Ground delay in Newark we may be here a while. We don't take off until 7:30 pm.This is the view while we sit on the runway. Look familiar? It did give me time to finish a book I have been enjoying:The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Well by the time we got to Newark Liberty Airport (The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has operated Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) under a lease with the City of Newark since March 22, 1948. Newark Liberty is located in Essex and Union Counties between the New Jersey Turnpike EWR is about 16 miles from midtown Manhattan.) we missed the last connector to Richmond and had to go to the dreaded service counter. Continental had generously rebooked us out on the next flight available at 8:50 am. I had checked one bag that I could retrieve, but I was informed that might take some time and was offerred a complimentary toiletry kit (which by the way had a hairspray and comb; for those of you who know me you know how truly critical these items are for my survival). Since the ground delay was no one's fault we were also offerred a distressed passenger rate at the local Fairfield Inn and Suites (they did upgrade us to a suite which was nice).
There is enough history in the book to keep it believable, but Larson also did a really nice job of fictionalizing events surrounding the facts and figures. It is about Daniel Burnham chief architect of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and H.H. Holmes a medical doctor turned serial killer. There are lots of other names you will recognize as well including: Buffalo Bill, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, George Ferris, and Frederick Olmsted (Founder of Landscape Architecture (Central Park, Biltmore Estate, etc.). Good Read.

So we got a good night's sleep and caught the shuttle the next morning. I had a few minutes to kick around the terminal and took this image of my favorite EWR terminal sign. Now I am not sure exactly what feelings the image is supposed invoke, or exactly what this woman's profession is, but it certainly makes the prospect of a cold beer both exciting and a little scary at the same time. Perhaps that is the point?

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