Autumn Break – Part 1

The Embry-Riddle autumn break marks the median of the fall semester. Some students use this time to go back home with their family that they haven’t seen since the end of August. Students sometimes spend the long weekend and try to catch up with the workload or even to get a little bit ahead. I always tell myself that I will catch up on everything during Fall Break and Thanksgiving but it never happens. I do get some work done, but not as much as I want!

Famous "Fly Delta Jets" sign at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int. Airport.

Famous “Fly Delta Jets” sign at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int. Airport.

My break started on the afternoon of the last day of classes. My journey started at  Daytona Beach International (Regional) Airport and was scheduled to end when I land in Montreal, my final destination. It was my first time using the TSA PreCheck lane at the Daytona airport (it was inaugurated at the end of September). It allows trusted travelers flying in the U.S. with expedited security screening. Passengers enrolled in the program do not need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belt, and light jackets. Something I like in small airports such as Daytona is that it only takes a few minutes to get seated at the gate from the time passengers enter the terminal.

My first leg to Atlanta was uneventful with the exception of a few bumps while approaching ATL. I think it was my first time connecting in Atlanta without having to take the Plane Train to get to my next flight in a different concourse. This time, my next flight was only five gates away! My next stop was New York LaGuardia, an outdated airport where the average taxi time before takeoff is about 45 minute. Thanks to the $4 billion plan, announced in July, to replace the airport completely. Although the airport has many negative aspects, I like the variety of restaurants they have for a domestic airport. They also have a small supermarket and a food court in concourse D offering many dining options for connecting passengers. The flight from LaGuardia to Montreal was only a short 52 minutes from wheels up to touchdown. As we approached the end of the flight, the captain made an announcement to the cabin: “Good evening from the flight deck ladies and gentlemen, we have started our initial descent in the Montreal area. The visibility in Montreal is great with gusty winds and a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit).” I was only wearing jeans and a t-shirt and did not have a coat. I felt the cold right when I got out of the aircraft!

Flying over Brooklyn a few moments before touching down on runway 31 at LGA.

Flying over Brooklyn a few moments before touching down on runway 31 at LaGuardia.

The reason I flew three legs instead of two is that I want to get more segments and miles to get Silver Medallion® status on Delta Air Lines. In Part 2, I will tell you a little bit about the exciting things I did back home.

Nicolas

Daytona Beach Women’s Ambassadors Take on Arizona

Last weekend I had the privilege of going on my last trip of the semester! Myself, and the other Women’s Ambassadors traveled to Prescott (Pres-kit), Arizona to visit the ERAU Prescott Women’s Ambassadors. We met the Prescott Ambassadors back in January, when they came to Daytona Beach, so it was nice to see them again!

We left on a Thursday and traveled all night to Phoenix, Arizona, where we stayed that night. The next day we began our two hour drive to Prescott. Prescott is north of Phoenix, up in the mountains. While the temperature was in the 90’s in
Phoenix, just 5,000 ft above in Prescott, it was a mild 60 degrees all weekend. The drive to Prescott was very interesting. We saw a lot of cacti, rolling hills, and forests. It reminded me of eastern Washington.

On the road to Prescott!

On the road to Prescott!

Daytona Beach Women's Ambassadors

Daytona Beach Women’s Ambassadors

Overlook on the side of the road

Overlook on the side of the road

Some of the Ambassadors at the rest stop on the way to Prescott

Some of the Ambassadors at the rest stop on the way to Prescott

A cactus I found at the rest stop!

A cactus I found at the rest stop!

Once we got to Prescott, we met with the Ambassadors and had lunch with the Chancellor of ERAU Prescott. The lunch was held in a house that overlooks the ERAU campus. It was a beautiful view for lunch, and it was an amazing experience to meet the Chancellor and Dean of Students from Prescott. After lunch we took a tour of the campus. It was cool to see the other ERAU campus and compare and contrast the two. Their campus is surrounded by beautiful terrain and has a great atmosphere.

That night we held a Glow Party for the local Girl Scouts. The party was held at the ERAU gym, and was a lot of fun. We made glow crafts, played games, and ate pizza with the Girl Scouts. They really enjoyed the event, and so did we!

After a long day on Friday, we woke up early Saturday morning and drove to the Grand Canyon! I was so excited because visiting the Grand Canyon was on my bucket list, so I got to check it off, finally! It was about a two hour drive north of Prescott, and once again, it was beautiful. We drove on Route 66 and traveled through Williams, Arizona, which reminded me of the movie “Cars”. It was a town that looked just like the one in the movie.

Route 66 Diner in the "Cars town"

Route 66 Diner in the “Cars town”

We finally made it to the Grand Canyon and once I saw it, I was speechless. I had seen it before in pictures, but pictures do not do it justice. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We took so many pictures (with the selfie stick, of course), that we practically had to be dragged away to go to lunch. We ate lunch in a restaurant on site, and then we hiked down a trail. The trail wasn’t very steep and it was a quick trip down and back up again. I was sad to leave the Grand Canyon, and now I definitely want to make a trip back someday.

Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park

Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon!

The Grand Canyon!

Sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon

Sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon

Dakota, myself, Kealey, and Kalina

Dakota, myself, Kealey, and Kalina

Daytona and Prescott Ambassadors at the Grand Canyon

Daytona and Prescott Ambassadors at the Grand Canyon

Sunday was the last day we were in Prescott. It was also Easter! We had lunch with the Prescott Ambassadors at a Mexican restaurant, and then did a scavenger hunt around the ERAU campus and downtown Prescott. We got to explore the downtown area, which was very historic. Many of the buildings had been there since the Prescott Territory. Once the scavenger hunt was over, we drove back to Phoenix to the airport. Since it was Easter, it’s only right to have an Easter dinner! However, ours was Wendy’s! Our flight took all night, so we arrived back in Daytona at 11AM the next day! The time change and long night of travel definitely took a toll on all of us.

It was an amazing, yet short trip to the other side of the country! I will never forget that Easter weekend. I’m so glad I got to experience it with some of my best friends. I can’t wait to share many more trips with them in the future!

Until next time,

Lindsey