{"id":10443,"date":"2026-02-13T22:59:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T14:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/?p=10443"},"modified":"2026-05-09T08:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T00:38:36","slug":"20260213aa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213aa\/","title":{"rendered":"Flights for 2026 President&#8217;s Day Trip to Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the long weekend around President&#8217;s Day 2026, I took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. This brief post is about some of the scenery visible from my flight there, the snow-covered landscapes of the US East Coast.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170040.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170040.jpg\" alt=\"Cove outside Boston Airport\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Cove outside Boston Airport<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A bit hard to tell the boundary between land and frozen water.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/splide.min.2.4.21.js\"><\/script>\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/splide-skyblue.min.css\">\n<script>\ndocument.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function () {\n\tvar secondarySlider1 = new Splide( '#splide-thumb-1', {\n\t\tfixedWidth:100,height:75,gap:10,\n\t\tfocus:'center',keyboard:'focused',\n\t\tcover:true,isNavigation:true,\n\t\tbreakpoints :{'600':{fixedWidth:56,height:42,pagination:false,arrows:false,gap:5,}},\n\t} ).mount();\n\tvar primarySlider1 = new Splide( '#splide-major-1', {\n\t\ttype:'fade',pagination:false,arrows:false,\n\t} );\n\tprimarySlider1.sync( secondarySlider1 ).mount();\n\tvar secondarySlider2 = new Splide( '#splide-thumb-2', {\n\t\tfixedWidth:100,height:80,gap:10,\n\t\tfocus:'center',keyboard:'focused',\n\t\tcover:true,isNavigation:true,\n\t\tbreakpoints :{'600':{fixedWidth:55,height:44,pagination:false,arrows:false,gap:5,}},\n\t} ).mount();\n\tvar primarySlider2 = new Splide( '#splide-major-2', {\n\t\ttype:'fade',pagination:false,arrows:false,\n\t} );\n\tprimarySlider2.sync( secondarySlider2 ).mount();\n} );\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Just a few months prior, I had spent several days in and around Tucson during Thanksgiving week 2025. The weather was so pleasant that I resolved to return to Arizona over the Presidents&#8217; Day long weekend in 2026, this time setting my sights on Phoenix. Like Tucson, the city is neighbored by magnificent mountains well worth exploring.<\/p>\n<p>Originally, I was ticketed with a connecting itinerary on the afternoon of Friday, February 13. A schedule change meant I could straighten my flights up.<\/p>\n<p>The circumstances surrounding this Phoenix trip was not ideal. A matter of profound gravity had entered my life only days earlier, and I was still in the disorienting hours of digesting its potentially grave consequences, all while trying to keep up with work on a hectic Friday afternoon in the airport. I must have been thoroughly absorbed \u2014 both in my laptop and in my own thoughts \u2014 because a boy sitting across from me took it upon himself to sketch a quick portrait of me: a stern, serious figure hunched over his keyboard. It was a small, unexpected spark of humanity against the gloomy shadows that were to settle over my weekend. (There were lots of families on this flight to Phoenix, as one might expect on the Friday before a long weekend.)<\/p>\n<p>The inbound aircraft (N466AN) arrived slightly late from Charlotte, so boarding was slightly delayed. Once onboard, I found my seat cushion&#8217;s attachment was somewhat broken, and there was an unusually strong smell of jet fuel lingering in the cabin just before takeoff.<\/p>\n<p>American Airlines 1814<br \/>\nBoston, MA (BOS) &#8211; Phoenix, AZ (PHX)<br \/>\nAirbus A321neo (N466AN)<br \/>\nSeat 9F<br \/>\nScheduled Departure &#8211; 4:37pm<br \/>\nActual Departure    &#8211; 4:59pm<br \/>\nScheduled Arrival   &#8211; 8:39pm<br \/>\nActual Arrival      &#8211; 8:33pm<br \/>\n5 hours and 34 minutes<br \/>\nHere&#8217;s GPS tracking:<\/p>\n<div style=\"width:100%;aspect-ratio:3\/2;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wikiloc.com\/wikiloc\/spatialArtifacts.do?event=view&#038;id=263347762&#038;measures=off&#038;title=off&#038;near=off&#038;images=off&#038;maptype=H\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The flight took off shortly before sunset, treating me to views of snow-covered Boston suburbs aglow in the fading light.<\/p>\n<div class=\"splide\" id=\"splide-major-1\">\n<div class=\"splide__track\">\n<ul class=\"splide__list\">\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_161308.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_161308.jpg\" width=\"93.2%\" alt=\"American Airlines A321neo (N466AN) at Gate\" \/><\/a><\/br>American Airlines A321neo (N466AN) at Gate<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">My plane to Phoenix.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170144.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170144.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Suburb\" \/><\/a><\/br>Boston Suburb<\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170208.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170208.jpg\" alt=\"Middlesex Fells Reservation\" \/><\/a><\/br>Middlesex Fells Reservation<\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170411.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170411.jpg\" width=\"93.2%\" alt=\"Laurence G. Hanscom Field\" \/><\/a><\/br>Laurence G. Hanscom Field<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A general aviation airport outside Concord.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"splide\" id=\"splide-thumb-1\">\n<div class=\"splide__track\">\n<ul class=\"splide__list\">\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_161308.jpg\" alt=\"American Airlines A321neo (N466AN) at Gate\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_170144.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Suburb\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_170208.jpg\" alt=\"Middlesex Fells Reservation\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_170411.jpg\" alt=\"Laurence G. Hanscom Field\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><noscript><br \/>\nJavascript not enabled, unable to display slideshow.<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#splide-major-1, #splide-thumb-1 { display:none; }\n<\/style>\n<details>\n<summary>Click here to display photos of the slideshow<\/summary>\n<p><div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_161308.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_161308.jpg\" alt=\"American Airlines A321neo (N466AN) at Gate\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>American Airlines A321neo (N466AN) at Gate<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">My plane to Phoenix.<\/span><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170144.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170144.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Suburb\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Boston Suburb<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170208.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170208.jpg\" alt=\"Middlesex Fells Reservation\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Middlesex Fells Reservation<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_170411.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_170411.jpg\" alt=\"Laurence G. Hanscom Field\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Laurence G. Hanscom Field<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A general aviation airport outside Concord.<\/span><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<\/details>\n<p><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Further west, twilight lingered as we passed over Pittsburgh, before darkness gradually swallowed the landscape below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"splide\" id=\"splide-major-2\">\n<div class=\"splide__track\">\n<ul class=\"splide__list\">\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_171328.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_171328.jpg\" width=\"58%\" alt=\"Connecticut River\" \/><\/a><\/br>Connecticut River<\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_172102.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_172102.jpg\" alt=\"Hudson River\" \/><\/a><\/br>Hudson River<\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_173807.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_173807.jpg\" width=\"93.2%\" alt=\"North Pennsylvania\" \/><\/a><\/br>North Pennsylvania<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Susquehanna River winding in the fields, another airplane flying above it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_180532.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_180532.jpg\" alt=\"Northern Pittsburgh Suburb\" \/><\/a><\/br>Northern Pittsburgh Suburb<\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_180643.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_180643.jpg\" alt=\"Ohio River outside Pittsburgh\" \/><\/a><\/br>Ohio River outside Pittsburgh<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"splide\" id=\"splide-thumb-2\">\n<div class=\"splide__track\">\n<ul class=\"splide__list\">\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_171328.jpg\" alt=\"Connecticut River\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_172102.jpg\" alt=\"Hudson River\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_173807.jpg\" alt=\"North Pennsylvania\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_180532.jpg\" alt=\"Northern Pittsburgh Suburb\" \/><\/li>\n<li class=\"splide__slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails-s\/20260213_180643.jpg\" alt=\"Ohio River outside Pittsburgh\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><noscript><br \/>\nJavascript not enabled, unable to display slideshow.<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#splide-major-2, #splide-thumb-2 { display:none; }\n<\/style>\n<details>\n<summary>Click here to display photos of the slideshow<\/summary>\n<p><div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_171328.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_171328.jpg\" alt=\"Connecticut River\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Connecticut River<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_172102.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_172102.jpg\" alt=\"Hudson River\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Hudson River<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_173807.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_173807.jpg\" alt=\"North Pennsylvania\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>North Pennsylvania<\/br><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Susquehanna River winding in the fields, another airplane flying above it.<\/span><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_180532.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_180532.jpg\" alt=\"Northern Pittsburgh Suburb\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Northern Pittsburgh Suburb<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div style=\"width: 615px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/20260213_180643.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/huangyizhou.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/2026\/02\/13\/thumbnails\/20260213_180643.jpg\" alt=\"Ohio River outside Pittsburgh\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/br>Ohio River outside Pittsburgh<\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<\/details>\n<p><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>The rest of the flight was largely uneventful, save for some minor turbulence as we approached Phoenix.<\/p>\n<p>After landing, the experience took a turn for the worse, I retrieved my checked bag a whole 30 minutes after our gate arrival, with typical American Airlines (in)efficiency. Judging by how crowded the baggage claim area was in Phoenix, it struck me that American Airlines could really give the airport infrastructure some upgrade. But my ordeal didn&#8217;t end there, exiting the Hertz parking lot proved to be yet another exercise in patience given how understaffed their operation was. It sure looked like every part of the airport was overwhelmed on this Friday night before a long weekend.<\/p>\n<p>END<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the long weekend around President&#8217;s Day 2026, I took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. This brief post is about some of the scenery visible from my flight there, the snow-covered landscapes of the US East Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,3,2],"tags":[188],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10443"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10443"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10515,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10443\/revisions\/10515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huangyizhou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}