You Can Feast the Eye, Just Sitting With Us, Watching the World Go By

Saturday, May 12 - 4:00pm - Reagan National Airport, Arlington VA

So I had to go to the airport today to pick up a ticket.  These are the hassles which come with utilizing a ticket voucher for someone else.  I went to the United counter, just as 90 5th graders on a trip to DC from Denver were getting ready to check in.  The frustrated people behind the counter suggested I come back in a few minutes if that was okay.  I gladly obliged.

It's funny to have time in the airport to kill, and not be frustrated because you're delayed or eagerly awaiting picking up someone.  I've written before about my love of airports and their people.  I never really had a chance to wonder around National.  The B/C terminal is amazing.  Opened in 1997, it's a piece of modern architectural genius, while also having Jeffersonian touches.  There are mosaics on the floor and windows (seen above), and amazing open spaces.  Oh, and the control tower looks like it's flipping off the city.  But if walk towards the A Terminal, you find the original National.  It's a huge open room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the runway.  It has beautiful, intricate stonework, and some neat art deco touches like the "Passengers Only" sign above.  It was on a door, and for a simple handle on a door, it quickly reminded you of a time when travel was regal and formal.  As Sideshow Bob put it, "back before Joe Sweatsock could wedge himself behind a lunch tray and jet off to Raleigh-Durham."  By the time I got back to the counter, the kiddies were gone and the United people were happy to help me.  But I was glad I had time to kill, and the minor hassle was worth flying for free!

Title is from the song "Watching the World Go By," composed by Cole Porter