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I know that many dread flying, especially nowadays when airlines routinely overbook flights and planes are always stuffed fuller than a can of pilchards, but I still thrill at looking out of a cabin window at 38,000 ft, especially when flying west.  I may have mentioned this before.  Probably many times! 

My trip took me through Salt Lake City, appropriate given the origin of the Republican nominee for President in this bitter election year.  SLC airport has a grand view of sky and mountains, and I enjoyed a relaxing cup of coffee before wandering over to the terminal that dispatches puddle-jumpers to all points west.

The commuter-plane terminal is situated at ground level and is about the size of a aircraft hanger.  It has the look and feel of a bus terminal and the mix of passengers makes for prime people-watching.  Where else does one get to see men dressed in a full cowboy outfit along business types and families still living and dressing in the sixties!   

 

The bottle show was held at the Grand Sierra Resort, a sprawling complex housing a casino, shops, conference rooms, exercise facilities, and a bowling alley.  There may have been more, but I was too afraid to explore without the aid of a portable GPS device.

Next door to the casino was a thrill ride, shown at right.  Two individuals with poorly-developed self-preservation instincts were strapped into a harness, winched to the top of a tall pole (shown on the left side of the photo), and then released so that they then pendulumed from a line attached to an A-shaped support structure.  The squeals coming from the airspace below the support testified to the thrill of the ride, and I was glad I wasn't standing closer for fear of being spattered with airborne vomit.

 

 

 

Flying bug at the Grand Sierra (arrow)

My flight had landed so late that I didn't have more than a few minutes to tour the show floor before it closed, so I checked into a lofty room with a nice view over the city and then headed out in search of supplies.  Top of the list was a battery for my electronic calipers since I knew I would be taking measurements of shots for the database, but finding some dinner would be good too!

Night-time view from the 14th floor over Reno

 

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