I love airports. I know that is a strange sentiment and also an odd topic for a blog about Las Vegas, but it falls into the realm of travel in general and getting pumped for my trips to my favorite city.
Most people hate to fly. They hate waiting in line, crowded airports, lack of charging stations, fast food and flight delays. I don’t like any of those things either, and it happens more than I’d like. There are times that I like airports, especially arriving on time somewhere, because I know it means I’m up for an adventure.
The Charleston International Airport (CHS), where I fly from, is tiny. We have exactly two terminals: A and B. Terminal B has 10 gates and Terminal A has 5. You do the math. It’s very easy to navigate. It serves my wife and I mimosas and bloody marys any time we are ready to start our Las Vegas adventure. It has recently been renovated, and it is quite nice. Flying out of Charleston is simple. I book an early flight, get up at the crack of dawn, and away we go. Jennifer and I live about 10 minutes from the airport. However, I insist on getting to the airport at least 1 to 1 ½ hours early. I talk about this in my travel guide, but simply put you never know how long security lines will be, how much time it will take to check bags, and other delays. And there’s no way I’m missing my flight to Vegas, so I’d rather get there early and pre-celebrate. Jennifer makes fun of me for wanting to get there so early, but I can’t help it. I’m excited, like a kid at Christmas, for Las Vegas.
Because our airport is the size of a postage stamp, we have to connect somewhere. Depending on what airline we choose, we usually connect in Charlotte, Atlanta or Houston. Sometimes it’s Philadelphia, Chicago or Miami, but that is rare and I like to avoid those other airports because that adds time to our travel.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is the polar opposite of Charleston. It is a ginormous airport with 5 concourses connected by a subway system. It could be its own city with shops, restaurants and pretty much anything you could want from one of the busiest airports in the world. It always seems like we land in Concourse A and are flying out of Concourse E, a million miles away. So I always check our connection times before I book our flight so that we’re not running through the airport. I’m on vacation, so I don’t want to stress about missing a flight. Although ATL is kind of big and impersonal, it is familiar to me because I’ve flown out of it so many times. I’m used to it.
Charlotte Douglass International Airport (CLT) has kind of a quirky layout. They always seem to be doing construction. They have some rocking chairs, usually all taken, in the atrium that face a runway but have a nice view of a sunset if you flight is timed right. I remember connecting in CLT one Sunday afternoon when the Charlotte Panthers were playing the Baltimore Ravens. Most of the bar patrons where I stopped in for a drink were rooting for Charlotte. The Panthers had an opportunity to win but could not connect on a fourth down play and lost the game. A majority of “aww” sentiment rippled through the bar, except for one patron wearing a Ravens sweatshirt who shouted “Yes!” and then got up to walk away. He might have received more dirty looks in McCarran Airport when other people lost money on the game, but in CLT he got away with it.
There are two things I like about George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston. First, if we can get our connection to IAH, it is about half way to Las Vegas, which is a lot easier to break up the travel time. Second, it always seems like the gate we arrive at is very close to the departure gate. So it feels like it gets me even close to Sin City! Which brings me to….
McCarran International Airport (LAS). The first time I flew to Las Vegas it was at night. The Strip was lit up in all its glory, and I was an excited 22 year old kid with my nose pressed to the window. Nowadays, I usually arrive in Las Vegas before noon, but I love to see the mountains, Lake Mead, and then… The Strat and finally Luxor and Mandalay Bay as my plane lands. There’s something special about an airport with slot machines. I know I’m in my home away from home when I hear the call of Wheel of Fortune and someone getting a free spin.
I know my way around this airport, although it goes through upgrades and construction often. Usually we arrive at D gate. As I practically run through the terminal, I see those escalators with the airplanes flying up and down to point me in the right direction. We take them down and follow the signs to the Red Line. That’s the train that will take me to baggage claim. Even if we haven’t checked bags, it’s likely that Steve has already arrived and is picking us up in the rental car.
LAS has a personality beyond the slot machines and kitschy souvenir shops. It also has an aviation museum, a 1958 Cesna 172 and a red 1956 Thunderbird. There’s also a ton of art in and around the airport. There’s something very comforting when I arrive at LAS. I know we’ll probably lose a few dollars gambling, but the experiences we’ll have will last a lifetime.
When it’s time to come home, we arrive (early, of course) at LAS and prepare for our journey back home. CHS welcomes us, usually late at night, and we return to our home and collapse from our “working vacation” as Jennifer calls it.
So, yes, I love airports. Especially the ones that take me to Las Vegas.
Viva,
Mike