Next Trip is to Texas

Next Trip is to Texas

This will be a multi-stop trip to visit three customers.

This will be the second trip of the year.  I've made arrangements to fly out of DSM, Des Moines International, connecting in ATL, Hartford Jackson International, and arriving into DWF, Dallas Fort Worth International.  The reason for flying through Atlanta is that a colleague of mine will be flying out of there and we want to get into Dallas at the same time.  I'll be taking care of the rental car and have selected a Full Size through AVIS.  We've completed this exact same trip last year but have some unfinished business there so figured it needed one more trip.  We have three hotels setup along the route since each stop is about 2 to 3 hours apart.  

Our first stop will be in Palestine, TX and is about a 2.5 hour drive from Dallas.  Last time we stopped at a What-a-burger along the way.  Not much in the way of restaurants along the route.  From there we're heading south and midway we'll spend the night at a TownePlace Suites in College Station, TX.  We will then continue to our next stop in Alleyton, TX.  We will spend the night in pretty much the only hotel close by, a Holiday Inn Express in Columbus, TX.  We will then head out after breakfast to our last stop in Converse, TX and spend the final night at the Fairfield Inn and Suites San Antonio NE/Shertz in Shertz, TX.  We will fly back out of San Antonio on Thursday just before noon. 

I'll fill you in on how the trip progresses and how my first flights of the year go.

Arrived in San Marcos, TX

     The trip to the airport went smooth.  I didn't get my upgrade to Atlanta but it is times like this that keep us humble plus I was just going to sleep anyway.  I had some time between flights so I stopped into the Sky Club for a bagel, cappuccino and some email.  From Atlanta to San Antonio was first class but it was a fairly old 757.  Watched a movie on my iPhone through the Delta Studio app.  The luggage arrived in a timely manner which doesn't happen too often.  After riding the rental car shuttle over to Avis I needed to check-in at the Preferred counter.  It seems they didn't have the style vehicle I had reserved and offered me a Caravan or a Mustang.  Another perk of status and being an Avis First member allowed me to get a Mustang upgrade at the same price as the reserved vehicle.  So yes, I picked the Mustang.  Although I'm not a fan of them, it is a nice change from the usual cars I end up with.  The problem with the Mustang is that it is difficult to see out the sides and you're looking over the hood to see what's in front of you.  The trunk is actually quite large but the opening can be a challenge.  I've had several upgrades over the years, Mustang, Challenger and the Camaro.  Honestly I must say that I'd pick the Challenger if I had a choice of the three.  It's a sports car but is still practical for the traveling person regarding luggage and in my case tools.

     I checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in San Marcos.  Conveniently located right off of I-35 with several restaurants and downtown close by.  The room is spacious and the breakfast area is the typical layout that they have changed to over the last year.  The staff at check-in was very friendly and I picked out my two goodies for my status.  The location is great because it is within 3 miles of where we are working.  They have an exercise area and an outdoor pool, although it may seem warm to me coming from 2 deg F to 51 deg F, I'd say the pool is off limits for me anyway.  It is open and looks very clean and may even be heated.

     When looking for restaurants we found that many were closed on Mondays.  This was the case with The Root Cellar Cafe and the Tap Room.  We settled for a little sports bar that seemed to be out of most everything.  They served wing, which they were out of, pizza and sandwiches.  The sandwiches were good but not enough for me to remember the name of the place.  It is located in downtown San Marcos near the Texas University.  If I find the name before the end of the trip, I'll list it.  It was interesting and may be worth at least a stop in once.  The bartender was very personable and friendly.

Well that concludes day one, until tomorrow then....