Ken's Maine Trip -- Day 1

About three weeks ago I went to Maine to visit my parents, my sister and her family.

Thursday, August 27, 2009
This was my first flight since my knee replacement and I had very few problems with the long spells of sitting on planes. Getting through security was a hassle and the TSA folks clearly wish people with implants would stop bothering them by flying places.

I needed a direct flight from Pensacola to Portland and so, instead of going on American Airlines (via Dallas-Ft. Worth) and driving up from Boston, as usual, I found that AirTran had the best conections at very good prices. There were stops and changes of planes in Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington International.

This was the first time I had flown on AirTran and I was impressed with the comfortable planes and the on-time arrivals. Also it was possible to upgrade to business class on all segments at a reasonable price. And they have XM Radio jacks on every armrest.

The planes were full on all legs, so we were able to take off a few minutes early. This was a good thing because we were just ahead of some rough storms every time we taxied down the runway. In Pensacola Jack was following my flights via the Internet, as were my parents in Maine. Jack said he could see the pilot changing course and avoiding the storms as we headed northward.

It was sunny and bright when we landed in Portland around 5:30 PM. I picked up my Hertz car and headed north. It was chilly in Augusta, in the low 50s. I visited with my parents and then crossed the Kennebec to check in at the Holiday Inn Augusta Civic Center.