In Mid-April I went on a long Spring Break trip, I meant to write updates during my trip but getting grad school work got the better of me for writing during the trip.
Introduction:
Ever since I bought my Independence ski pass that I skied three of my six free areas on back in January I knew my Spring Break was going to involve spring skiing at Whistler and hopefully Aspen as well. CUNY and Hunter College follow the Passover/Easter Calendar for Spring Break so I was a bit dismayed when I figured out my break would be right at the end of the ski season. Luckily ski areas out west normally close because of a lack of demand and permitting for wildlife (at least that’s the reason I know Vail closes when it does) and not a lack of snow. I, incredibly in my years living in Colorado, never went Spring skiing and decided it was time. My real goal was skiing Whistler for my two days and not on a weekend. I then awkwardly figured out there is no way (the last bus from Vancouver leaves at 6:30pm) to ski a full day at Whistler and make it down to Seattle the same night, so that will absorb another travel day. I want to take Amtrak from Seattle to Glenwood Springs but just don’t have the extra day to spare. I also find a $87 early-morning flight that gets me to Denver in time to connect to the 12:30 once a day (there is also one in the middle of the night) daytime Greyhound Bus trip up to Glenwood Springs, (to make a day trip to Aspen on the VelociRVTA bus) this is $27 booked ahead and I book that. I considered Amtrak from Seattle to Glenwood Springs and that would have been a little over $200 in coach and I would have probably have booked a Sleeper ($180) for my second day on the train. Really without an extra day to spare, the choice was easy and I booked the flight.
The trip I come up with is flying out to Seattle for two days (it’s a lot cheaper) and spending the weekend including riding the Sounder extension south to Lakewood and a Mariners Game. I will then have a leisurely travel day to Whistler; train to Vancouver, Greyhound (got a $1 fare) the rest of the way. This will be followed by the reverse on Wednesday, before I spend the night in Sea-Tac Airport before a 5:15am flight down to Denver with a 3 hour connection to the Greyhound Station to the bus out to Glenwood Springs. I will spend two nights in the hostel there, skiing at Snowmass before its Amtrak down to Denver, three-nights there seeing my friends (and riding the new W line) and then flying home.
Going to the Airport: An Easy Trip With the Subway Following Its Schedule and Finding a Security Trick at Terminal 4
Unlike the night before my last trip with a 6:00am flight when I basically didn’t sleep at all. I sleep for about 4 hours and awake in a dream to my alarm at 3:35. I quickly shower and make some breakfast and sandwiches to eat in transit. I leave the house at 4:08am walk over to 181 Street. The A train pulls in on schedule at 4:15 (also unlike last time) as I walk down the platform and hear an announcement about shuttle busing between Jay Street and Utica Avenue.
I consider switching to the D at 125 Street for the E at 7 Avenue but don’t see it. I’ve consulted the schedule and realize it passes the A along the express track. It passes us as we stop at 103 Street, I’m now committed to the LIRR unless I decide to waste 18 minutes to catch the next E train at 42 or 34 Street. The Jamaica arrival times are 5:14 versus 5:41. It’s nearly half an hour and I’m nervous about security at the new Terminal 4.
We get to 59 Street at 4:38 and the D is waiting for us, now were talking, I’ll make the E connection at 7 Avenue. Now it’s 5:14 to Jamaica on the LIRR versus 5:21 on the E to Jamaica I make the transfer.
I get off at 7 Avenue at 4:40 to the downtown E track taped off, I hope its a one-way service diversion. I head downstairs and the next Queens-bound E train comes in at 4:41 like clockwork! The subway following its schedule!
There is one drunk who decides to bother me and someone else in my car as we head under the East River but leaves quickly enough. I’m at Queens Plaza at 4:51 and we switch onto the local track since the E is the overnight local.
I arrive at Sutphin Blvd-JFK at 5:21 and take one of the 3 elevators through the street and above the tracks to the LIRR mezzanine–(3 Photos)
I dip my MetroCard and the next AirTrain arrives at 5:27. We leave at 5:28. It’s the fast ride to Federal Circle.
We continue through the terminal area and I get off at the enlarged terminal 4. The one station AirTrain actually is directly inside the building of at 5:38 between the departures and arrivals level. As we arrive I see what looks like a security checkpoint down on the lower arrivals level.
I have read online (when I was trying to figure out how long I would need for security) about this secondary security checkpoint on the lower level of terminal 4, that is hard to find with no signs and designed for connecting international arrivals passengers. Getting to it from AirTrain is easy, just go down the escalator to the arrivals area at the rear (on the Jamaica/Howard Beach trains, front of Inter-Terminal Trains) of the platform, and its directly in front of you.
There are first some Delta Check-in kiosks to print a paper boarding pass and head into security there is one other family and I have to ‘wake-up the TSA agents for a line’. I’m happy the checkpoint also has only magnometers and no trace of any full-body scanners. I’m through security at a whopping 5:49. (Taking my time for photos)
I have way too much time, my flight isn’t until 7:15. (No I’m sadly not flying to South Africa)
