Not quite locked in

[skyring]

I've made four round the world trips (and two halves), but this upcoming one to Charleston is as exciting a prospect as ever. I'm getting my full value just dreaming about it.

I'll be going alone, and I'll be working at maximising the airmiles from an xONE4 Oneworld Explorer ticket. Not quite as efficient as some dedicated frequent flyers, but on a ticket that allows just one transcontinental passage of the USA, I'll be flying from one side to the other five times.

I've yet to book the ticket - I'll do this on Monday - but here's what I'm looking at:

Canberra to Sydney to Auckland to Hong Kong and then to either Tokyo or Singapore to sleep.

Back to Hong Kong to Heathrow to Dublin. Two nights in Dublin. I'll find a hostel on the banks of the Liffey, maybe release a copy of "Ulysses" into it, and presumably get to see Yokospungeon's baby daughter if we can arrange a meetup.

Dublin to Heathrow to LAX to Dulles, where I'll be spending two nights in Washington - a day of walking around with a camera revisiting some of my favorite spots from 2005.

Drive down to Charleston with ResQgeek, Crrcookie and Lilgrovers. This should be fun - a BookCrossing road trip is always a hoot.

Three nights in Charleston for the Unconvention, where I shall meet many of my BookCrossing friends, and hopefully make a few new ones.

Then catch the mid-morning flight to DFW and onto Seattle for two nights. Fly to New York for a night and a day wandering the streets, and then catch the Qantas flight to Sydney via LAX. Onto Perth for a night and home to Canberra.

That's the plan, but whether I can fit all this into twelve days is another question. We'll see what the travel agent can do. One possibility, probably a remote one, is extending my stay in the USA after the convention to fly Qantas's new Airbus A380 - the big superjumbo - which enters service with the LAX to Melbourne leg on 20 October.

Mostly up in the air at this stage, but already I'm dreaming of takeoffs and landings, glittering oceans and sparkling snowfields, islands and deserts, terminals and transits. And taxis. If I don't get a few taxi adventures along the way I'll have to do it all again.

Comments

[rockdg9.livejournal.com]

Oooh - it would be fun to go on the Airbus. :)

[paulaplays.livejournal.com]

Pete! I had intended to come to this Charleston thing ... because I had planned on going to the first one and my life got super messy right about then. Anyway. I can't go this year either. Boo!!! Good reason why but I'm terribly disappointed all the same.

But what's this?! You are in Seattle for two nights? Are you meeting people? Family/Friends? Bookcrossers? Shall I get on my broom and fly off my Island and come have coffee and a hug? I shall do it if you think it'll work out!

We could do the Space Needle or some other silliness!

[awaywithfairy1.livejournal.com]

Planning a trip is always fun. I had tentative plans to go to Charleston as part of a larger US trip but am no longer going, more's the shame. Too much happening at home over the next couple of months.

Instead I've started planning for my next European trip next year. For some reason, I go every second year in July/August. Early planning has come about as a result of the BCUK UnConvention registration being announced much earlier than (I) expected. Plenty of travel possibilities being bandied about at the moment. The only certainty being Edinburgh in early July!

[skyring.livejournal.com]

I wanted to travel to the West Coast after Charleston, for the aforementioned airmile maximisation thing, and much as I love San Francisco, I've been there twice already and I've always yearnt to see if it was true about those skies in Seattle. And there is the Museum of Flight to look at if I get bored.

No family there, but I dare say that BookCrossing friends are to be found. If it is not too much trouble and expense for you, I would love to meet you. We could climb the Space Needle together and throw books off the pinnacle.

Dates, probably arrive on Monday 13th and leave for New York on the 15th.

*sitting on my hands with my mouth zipped shut*

[discoverylover.livejournal.com]

No I'm not going, but I wish I was!!!!

[paulaplays.livejournal.com]

I'm so excited I might meet another one of my bookcrossing heroes! It's a done deal. Depending on your schedule and what you'd like to see and how many other people want to see you, I can plan something for a whole day or a half day or all 3 days! I love Seattle and it's great fun to walk around there or take cabs. It will be a bit rainy possibly in October, but that will be part of the charm I suppose.

I've never met the Seattle BookCrossers BUT I am on their email/yahoo list and I would be happy to contact them to arrange a meetup as well if it worked out.

Oh and we shall throw books everywhere!!!Weee!

[teotakuu.livejournal.com]

Having done some of this now, all I can say is I feel jet lagged just reading it!

Good luck with the planning. I do envy you going to Charleston especially

[tzurriz.livejournal.com]

Jason, Miriam, and I are actually planning on reversing one section of your trip. We're gonna do Charleston for 3 days, and then go up to Washington D.C. for another 3. :)

And if you decide that you need a place to extend your trip, Chicago is always available. :)

Err, that anon was me, tzurriz. :)

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

Funny, I was tentatively planning a trip to Seattle, though I'd be there a few days before you, while the Charleston thing is going on. If I go I'll try to scatter a few books around and see if you find any :-)