A Sweet Little Suite in Philly

I love being on high floors in the hotels that I stay. Awesome views can make all the difference! We spent two nights in the Sheraton Suites near the Philadelphia Airport during my nine-day trip a few weeks back.

The ninth floor was my home for a few days.

As you can see, the hotel used to be an Embassy Suites. I love those places, with the awesome made-to-order breakfast. We always stayed at Embassy Suites as a kid when we met my Dad for a visit.

This hotel had changed hands, but it was still really nice. But they charged for internet. Why?!?!?!

It was free in the lobby, so I snuck downstairs to do all of our Customs submissions there. I refuse to pay $12 a night for internet service. It’s downright silly.

In the far right-hand corner of this picture is the table that I used to send all of our information to Customs. When we fly again in a few days, it is to visit the beautiful country of Canada! See the round table with the giant lamp shade?

The tables in the center and to the left are for the hotel restaurant, Relish. I thought about trying a burger here until I saw the prices. $16 for a burger and fries just baffles me. I have yet to meet a burger that is worth $16!

Wow, I sound really cheap on this stay, huh? Hopefully it comes across as just being practical?

No? Shucks.

My room was a two-room suite, with a nice living room near the entrance and a nice bedroom near the window. I loved this awesome chair and ottoman, but I hated how dark it was in this room. I actually borrowed this ottoman for the chair in the bedroom so I could read by the window!

Nice, big working desk area. And, had I been privileged enough to have internet service, I probably would have set up shop here. Again, it was in the dark living room, and I spent most of my stay in the well-lit bedroom area.

Such a nice room, huh? This was my cheapest room out of this entire nine-day trip, thank goodness.

Everywhere else was crazy expensive!

There was even a couch in here, too. But I didn’t spend much time in here at all.

But this happy, bright room made me feel right at home. I love the fun colors, and an entire wall of windows made for some great reading light.

The bed was pretty comfy, too. Most beds are. I sometimes struggle with finding a good pillow! When did feather pillows become all the rage?

I lived in this chair. It was comfy and perfect with the other chair’s ottoman. I read an entire book while staying here. With cold winds and temperatures in the twenties, I had no desire to head outside to enjoy Philadelphia.

What a great town, but I was just too wimpy this time of year!

I had a lovely view from my room as well. Yet another reason that I love higher floors…great views! These two bridges were packed each evening for rush hour traffic. It was fun to watch so much action from the warmth and comfort of my nice, fuzzy hotel room.

When nothing on my phone showed up within walking distance for dinner, I decided to order a pizza in. It was huge and actually fed me for my entire stay. Thank goodness for room refrigerators, huh?

Had it been a little warmer, I would have caught a train and spent my day in the original nation’s capital. I’ve seen the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall before, but I would love to see them again!

Maybe it won’t be quite as chilly next time I get to visit.

It’s not getting warmer any time soon…our next stop is Fargo for fuel! Yikes!

Long-lost Words…Let’s go to Philly!

After a short stay in our nation’s capital, it was time to head even further north to freeze to death enjoy some pleasant weather. If you consider thirty-four degrees pleasant, anyway.

I personally haven’t considered that pleasant since I moved away from Grand Forks, North Dakota after college.

Lots of gorgeous airplanes were on the ramp today as we braved the cold to prep Gladys for our flight to the greater north.

Can you see her in the distance? I’ll give you a hint…she isn’t purple.

I was from the cold, though. Man, what a whiner!

After dropping off our bags, we made a quick dash to grab some lunch. El Capitan dropped me off at Five Guys for a bite to eat, while he went on to an Indian buffet.

I try to avoid eating at places that I could get at home, but this decision to love Five Guys today came about after considering my budget. After spending so much on hotel rooms, I have to be careful by selecting occasional non-pricey food options!

In a completely surprise move, I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. At a burger place?! Comfort food to fight the cold, you know? And I’m pretty sure that they just toast a bun inside-out and make their grilled cheese sandwiches that way!

I’m also pretty sure that I will happily never order this again. Who knows how many calories are in a sandwich like this!

These were pretty stinking good, if I remember correctly. I’m just glad that I don’t want to eat like this any more.

Let the results come a knocking!

Anyway, back at the airport…

We walked past several airplanes on the ramp to get to Gladys.

Why on earth is she way in the back? Don’t they know how cold I am?!

I hope that we beat that other airplane out of here today. You know, the airplane without engines…

Hi, Challenger! These guys were starting up just as we headed out to get everything ready for our short flight. We are only going a little north to Philadelphia today, so the flight will be around half an hour!

More airplanes suffering in the cold. Isn’t there some sort of hotline that we can call to report such abuse?

Sure, engine covers might help for a few hours. But think how cold those poor little engines get all night long out in the cold!

Hello, gorgeous Falcon. You could fly to South America or all the way to Europe today if you wanted. I wonder where you’re headed?

This airplane has three engines. Three! Ah ah ah.

Channeling Count Dracula here, eh?

We initialized the avionics in Gladys and started getting the flight plan set up to depart one busy airspace and enter another.

Talk about a lot of information on one little screen!

And Hubby thinks that I just push buttons at work?!

With our passengers and some luggage on board, it was time to head on out of Dodge. Look at this big, new, shiny, expensive control tower at Dulles! Our tax dollars hard at work!

We taxied from the ramp to depart Runway 30 this morning. The winds were favoring that direction for takeoffs.

I think that this is my favorite picture of the day. I love seeing airports from the sky! Things can be so obvious from up here, you know?

We flew over the Potomac River on our way north today. I wish that I could yell out, “Cheesesteaks, I’m coming for you!”

But I forgot to have one. Is that even allowed?

We passed the wide open plains of Nebraska today, apparently.

Don’t let the lack of snow fool you for a second. Baby, it’s cold out there!

And just a few minutes later, literally, we were in Philly! There is the city in the distance. And we get to cross the river and land on a runway with awful gusting winds.

Honestly, can’t someone turn down the wind around here. It’s silly!

Once again, the windshield heat ruined what could have been a really neat picture of the Philadelphia International Airport.

What you can’t see in this picture is the airliner doing S-turns on his final approach to the other runway. He had to slow down so we could land in front of him…but we were going as fast as we could!

It was close. But we all made it safely. How exciting!

I haven’t been to this airport very often (just once before, since I always flew into Northeast Philly with my old job), so I had to pay attention on the taxi to the ramp. By the time my camera was out for another shot, we were parked and had already gotten the passengers on their way.

At least they let us bring their car on the ramp to load it up this time. That always helps!

Blue skies…wispy clouds. This place was freezing, so please don’t forget that!

Lots of Learjets are used as air ambulances because their entry doors can be retrofitted large enough to hold a stretcher. This guy pulled in behind us, and the ambulance loaded up the patient and headed to the hospital.

How wonderful is aviation that it can help in areas like this?! Man, I love airplanes.

Just now, looking at this picture, I am realizing that El Capitan took my luggage inside for me while I finished up the post-flight walk around. What a nice guy!

Maybe I accidentally told him about the candy inside…

This was one of our longest stays during this entire nine-day trip. We were in Philly for a whole two nights. Too bad that it was so stinking cold and rainy to do anything about it!

I decided not to chaperone Gladys on her date with this Challenger. I heard that he was the perfect gentleman and even opened doors for her. But then he took her to Chuck E. Cheese.

She is so over him.

Have a nice time here in Philly, Gladys. I’ll see you soon!

Steak in Chilly DC

After we safely (but not warmly) arrived at Dulles Airport near Washington DC, it was time to grab some dinner. I was so excited when the FBO gal said that there was a Longhorn Steakhouse not too far from the airport!

With the cold temperatures and not sleeping well the night before, a juicy steak and my hotel room sounded like the two most wonderful things in the world.

Sleeping without my heater Hubby next to me always throws me off.

If you listen closely, you can almost hear the angels chorus singing in the background. Can you hear it? Isn’t it wonderful?!

Sorry. I’m just really stoked to get some steak at last after being scared off by the Outback prices a few days earlier.

I didn’t really look at the menu, since I already knew that I wanted a six-ounce sirloin steak. They call it the “Renegade Sirloin” here, but it’s calling my name today.

We ordered and then enjoyed some local ambience. We were just a smidge early for the dinner crowd, but that meant that we practically had the place to ourselves.

Good. More steak for me, right?

The decorations are awesome for such a lovely establishment. I really love eating steak out. I married a man who isn’t too fond of that stuff, so I don’t get to enjoy it very often. I like to get it once in a while on the road when I can!

But the new me will be ordering it on the healthy side! See on the menu up above? The bottom portion gives options of how to have a dinner for under five-hundred calories. Perfect!

I love me some steakhouse salads. With ranch dressing, of course. Why doesn’t it ever taste this good when I try to duplicate it at home?

It can’t be that hard, right?

I love these types of places, too, because of the yummy hot bread that usually arrives at the table with salads.

Can it possibly get any better than fresh, warm bread with butter? I mean, can it?

But enough small talk. This arrived quickly. The kitchen was probably just happy to have something to do!

This is a six-ounce beauty of pure love. I love how juicy it stays when cooked to medium…without trying to moo at me or roam off the plate when trying to cut it. I used to have my steaks cooked very well, and I’m so glad that I corrected the error of my ways in that department.

Having so much Idaho blood in me, you know that some mashed potatoes had to accompany this meal as well. And these mashed spuds were good examples of why I could never do the Atkins diet ever again.

Potatoes are a slice of heaven here on earth. Amen.

Wait, is that a country song?

After a wonderful dinner, it was time to get back to the airport to return the borrowed crew car. Then we hitched a ride with the FBO shuttle driver to our hotel just a few miles away.

I’m glad that it’s so close. I am tuckered out!

It is the cold that does that?! Yucky cold.

Hi, Dulles Tower! Oooo, looks like you’re getting a new tower in the distance. Good for you.

What recession?!

Another angels chorus is signing in the background here, too. Listen!

aaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

The hotel lobby was palatial and gorgeous. Are we sure that this isn’t a castle? This is a hotel?!

Just like Miami, DC was also a very expensive night. I hate spending so much on a hotel room, but it helps that I only ate twice today. Fruit and steak. Well-rounded diet, you know?

But the golden winding staircase only hints that they are charging way too much for a bed in these parts! It’s pretty, though, huh?

The room was nice and comfortable. They didn’t have any king beds available on a higher floor, so I happily took one with two doubles so that I could enjoy a nice view.

We got here late this evening and leave early tomorrow morning, so not much time was spent in this place at all.

But I enjoyed this reading chair and ottoman. Rooms just feel more welcoming when they give me a place to read!

And I would have worked here on my computer, had they not wanted $12 a night for internet. Holy smokes, people. I know that technology can’t cost that much! Why punish me?!

The built-ins for the television are nice, though, huh?

The bathroom was gorgeous. I love the sinks that float, since they make the entire space feel larger. What a visual illusion! The mirror is pretty nifty, too.

And expensive accents were added throughout, like this sparkly glass mosaic tile in the floor and shower. I love the bright little bursts of color on the floor, but this particular type wouldn’t be one that I would pick for my own place.

This tile is very expensive. Now I know why they had to charge what they did for the night!

And I love when hotels don’t have a tub…just a shower! I passionately hate baths in any form. But I do love me some showers! And more of that pretty tile was in here as well.

I discovered a very valuable piece of information by staying here…that I don’t like rain showerheads! I only tried it for a few moments but didn’t like that I couldn’t escape the water no matter where I was! Help! I’m drowning!

Normal showerheads for me, thank you!

It was a nice day at work. But it ended very cold. Luckily, my stomach is full. That will help me make it through the night for another day at work tomorrow morning!