ST HELENS to PORTLAND to BOZEMAN – Yellowstone here we come (I think)

Monday – today we head for Bozeman – we plan on leaving around 10am as our flight is at 2.05pm and we board at 1.35pm so we have to leave enough time to park in the long term area and then get the shuttle bus to the airport terminal. It is cold but not snowing and only a little rain so the roads are good.  Kylie is coming down with either a bad head cold or the flu and that is not good for any of us.

We arrive in plenty of time, find the long term carpark – make sure we get everything out of the car and head off to the shuttle pick up station.  I hope our little four wheeled friend is still there when we get back in 7 days.  We don’t have long to wait before the Blue Line bus arrives.  We load our luggage – easier said than done – and then proceed on the journey to Portland Airport. We check in – hurray Kylie and I are TSA prechecked (why? we don’t know).  This means we don’t have to line up in the long queue nor do we have to strip off our shoes, belts, metal objects etc.  I put my carry on and laptop in a plastic bin which rolls away to be scanned and then walk through.  I double check about my belt and am told no only laptops unless I have a metal implant then I have to tell them.  We both get through without a beep or being asked to ‘step over here please’.

Tyler has to go through the ‘commoners’ line which takes a bit of time but everything is OK and now we head for Gate A3.  There are people everywhere as flights are late or have been cancelled due to the weather up North especially those to and from Seattle.  There are large snow falls disrupting the flights and we have been given a new departure time of 3.35pm – that’s a bummer for sure.

Did you look carefully at the the above photo? Notice that the plane is scheduled to leave at 2.05pm but we board at 2.55pm – the plane is going without anyone on it!  This is the first of many changes of time – let’s keep everything crossed that our flight is not cancelled altogether.  As the afternoon progresses our anxiety progresses with it.  It is all too much for Kylie as there is no information about anything.

Our new departure time is 3.35pm – we decide to eat.  There is a Starbucks counter and after looking at other options I get a double smoked bacon & cheese toasted muffin and a packet of chips.  Yep, definitely the healthy option.  Waiting, waiting, we are told that our gate has changed to A12 so we pick up our bags and move around to another section.  Confusion everywhere let me tell you.   We get some seats near the window – the departure time changes again – now 4.30pm.  We are getting worried that the next announcement will be ‘Flight 2458 to Bozeman has been cancelled.

Still no information on what is going on and tempers are starting to get the better of some. Kylie fronts the counter and finds another person who should never have gone into customer service.  She is not helpful and rude to boot and by the time Kylie is finished there is steam coming out of her ears and we are none the wiser except that ‘many flights from Seattle have been cancelled due to the snow storms’.  Well, that tells us a lot and we gather that our plane to Bozeman is one of those that are due in from Seattle.

This is a photo of a plane that is the same type which will be flying on to Bozeman.  Looks a bit small eh?  Kylie decides to give it another go at the counter and this time she gets a lady wearing a ‘trainee operator’ badge.  She is more helpful than Ms Rude and we have been assured that our flight is going ahead.

Finally the announcement that we are ready to board.  Through the gate and a walk around to the plane – my camera bag comes with me – up the steps only to discover my bag will not fit in the overhead locker and there is a gentleman in the seat beside me who is less than helpful.  I finally get the bag into my seat – 9E – and then squish it onto the floor but there is no room under the seat.

The attendant says that I must put it under the seat, I say I cannot so she suggests to the man that he move into the spare row in front which he gladly does.  There is now enough room to slide my bag under the seats. Yet another carry on carry on.

The rain has stopped and we have a smooth take off.  The three of us all take deep breaths and emit a sigh of relief that we are finally on our way to Yellowstone.

Of course there are the customary photos out the window and then it is time for a snack.  If you want something a bit substantial then you have to pay but you can have a drink and some crackers for free.  I opt for the free option of course, but I do add a touch of class with some wine instead of soft drink.

Because we are happy flyers, it is a good flight so far – and as we get closer to Bozeman I can see the snow that covers the landscape.  There is a lot of it for sure but it does look so pretty.

We land around 7.00pm and then to the carousel to collect our bags.  We have a free shuttle service to our hotel and by the time we get to the shuttle which is only small, there is hardly any room for us or our luggage.  We clamber in and hopefully it is not a long ride.

Arriving at our trusty Holiday Inn we are all booked in one room but with Kylie feeling even more miserable we decide to get a separate room for me so that at least one of us will get some undisturbed sleep.  We head down the corridor and into our rooms – unpack a few things and then it is time to get something to eat in the restaurant.

You can gather that this is not my photo – it is off their website but it is just to give you an idea of what it looked like.

Very cosy and the service was excellent.  Kylie is still suffering but not enough to stop her from having some wine (for medicinal purposes) and a good meal.

I decide on a Grilled Salmon Burger (that sounds interesting). Looking at the photo – why on earth would anyone want to put a delicious salmon fillet with some salad between two bits of bread?  I guess only in America.  Nevertheless it was delicious.

After we finish our meal, we head to our rooms to try and get some sleep – we have an early start tomorrow to begin our Yellowstone covered in 20 metres of snow experience.

Highlight of the day : our flight to Bozeman was not cancelled!