The Traveling Widower

Category: travel

Default category for all travel related posts.

  • Yet Another Shutdown #@!!%!

    A long line of travelers waiting in an airport terminal near a security checkpoint. This was the start of the line in terminal E at the Houston airport (IAH)

    March 19th, 2026

    I seem to be jinxed on air and auto travel. This is the third time now that I’ve had one of my travel adventures during some kind of government shutdown. The last time, was Antarctica, and there was a good chance that my flights could have been cancelled due to the TSA shutdown. I lucked out on that one, after stressing out looking for alternatives to getting to LA for the international flight. Then there was another shutdown, where all the rest stops on the main highways were shuttered. That was difficult for anyone with bladder issues. And here we are again…..another TSA shutdown, and chaos at the major hubs. The one thing I REALLY DO NOT NEED on this trip is stress. Right.

    It takes two flights to get to Panama City from Sacramento – I opted to stay overnight in Houston, so flew in yesterday. That was an easy flight, until I tried checking in for the flight from IAH to Panama City. For some obscure reason, United would not let me check-in – apparently, I needed some document to prove that I was going to leave Panama, since I was flying back from Costa Rica. United had my reservations, but knew nothing about the National Geographic cruise. My first reason to stress-out on the trip. I called United, and they said I just needed to check-in the next day and everything would be fine. Sure. Do I look like someone that believes that foreign countries are paying the tariffs? The National Geographic travel agent was pretty sure that’s all I needed to do as well. That did not help either – I’m a glass half empty kind of guy. So I worried during the entire flight from SMF to Houston. And then I had to walk about a mile to get to the United check-in lobby, to try and get things worked out. This is a huge airport. Fortunately, I found a helpful agent who magically got me checked-in. Stress relieved. Another long walk and short train ride and I made it to the Marriott for the night. I really could have used a martini. I had gelato instead. Almost as good. 

    My flight for Panama City was scheduled for 9:30 the next morning, so I figured I’d start heading over to the international terminal (hey, I was traveling to another country….seemed like the right place to go). I checked the TSA site, which had a 15 minute wait to get through security, so I figured maybe leave around 6:45 to get to the terminal.  I woke up early for a change (sarcasm…I always get up too early), and headed down to the train station, to get to Terminal E. Baggage check-in was a snap, then I turned around to head to security. Yikes!! The line was endless. But wait….it got worse.

    Busy airport terminal with a long check-in line, displaying multiple screens and travelers waiting.

    As I moved along this first line, the entire mass of humanity waiting to get through security came into view. There were separate TSA Pre and Clear lines, merged together for some reason, but the all the lines seemed to be crawling along at the same speed. But at least they were moving. After a while, someone from Clear separated their customers from the TSA Pre line, so that moved us ahead a bit. Still a long line. What a mess. Not a problem for me since I had a lot of time before my flight, but I wound up letting some young woman cut in front, who only had a few minutes to catch her plane. I told her to look for kind people who would let her cut further ahead, but she was too shy. I would have done that. 

    A large crowd of travelers waiting in line at an airport terminal, with various individuals carrying luggage and wearing different types of clothing.
    A crowded airport terminal with a long line of travelers waiting in line, colorful decorations hanging above them.

    Eventually, I made it through after about 30 minutes or so. The main problem was at the TSA end – there were only two luggage scan stations out of about 15 that were staffed. Quite the bottleneck. A big thank you to the US Congress. The only good news is that everyone seemed to be taking this mess in stride (a slight pun, not intended) – most everyone quietly suffered. And nobody blamed the TSA workers, just our ineffective government.

    After all that, I looked down at my boarding pass and realized I was in the wrong terminal. My flight left from Terminal C, not E. So, I opted for the long walk rather than taking the train. I needed to stretch my legs. And like most airports, there was lots of cool and strange artwork along the endless corridors.

    An airport hallway with travelers walking, one with a luggage cart. The area features bright lighting, polished floors, and large windows providing natural light.
    A circular window featuring vibrant artwork of marine life, including fish and underwater plants, framed by intricate designs and patterns.
    Sculpture titled 'Lost in Thought' by Clara Hoag, featuring a head made of glazed and fired clay, adorned with colorful painted brick-like structures, displayed in an airport setting.

    I ended my airport excursion  at the United Red Carpet Club – international first class does have some useful privileges. On to Panama! It’s got to get less stressful once I get there.

  • This Trip Will Be A Little Different

    A blood pressure monitor, a bottle of Bayer low dose aspirin, a prescription medication bottle, and a small black and silver object arranged on a countertop.

    March 14, 2026

    I’m four days away from my next trip, and I’m just about packed and ready to go. I’ve been really good the past weeks since I returned from Baja – no wine or martini’s (#!@&*!!!), over-hydrating resulting in many late night trips (no details necessary…if you are over 65, you get it), and I’ve been mostly avoiding over exerting myself. I’ve even started meditation, and monitoring my EKG pulse and blood pressure every day. I’m really acting like an old man. I guess I’m acting my age. Bah. 

    Packing was really weird – the trip offers a lot of water activities: paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkeling. I’m not packing gear for any of those, so there’s a lot more room in my luggage. I am carrying a few new, small items. A blood pressure cuff, and my Kardia EKG device. There is a ship’s physician, but I’d like to do a daily check on my own, without letting the ship staff know about my condition. The last thing I need is to have the staff watching me all the time. I’m concerned a bit, but not really that worried (I’m not supposed to do that either). My BP and BMP have been kind of weird the past two weeks, but I’ve been relatively active without any issues. I’m willing to take the risk.

    So, in a few days I’ll be off to Panama City. I’ve seen a bunch of videos of the canal crossing, and that does look interesting, as does pretty much everything on the itinerary. It will be nice to photograph something other than ice and snow – a bit of color would be wonderful. 

    Speaking of which, with a little bit of luck, I might get to photograph the extremely rare Costa Rican River Penguins.

    AI generated picture of a group of colorful penguins standing by the riverbank in a lush rainforest, with palm trees and greenery in the background. Wishful thinking

    Peace