Denver Airport (Thumbs Up)
We made it to Denver without any complications and began our 3 1/2 hour layover. We actually like Denver's airport. It's still relatively modern, bright, roomy, and has lots of different shops, restaurants, and boutiques to explore. I'd rather spend 5 hours in Denver than 5 minutes in Detroit, but that's just one missionary's opinion. We spent hour 3.5 hours in Terminal B.

Heidi's Brooklyn Deli (Thumbs Up)
We ended up at a first gate, far, far at the end of B terminal in anticipation of our flight to Sacramento. Gate 90 was near Heidi's Brooklyn Deli. They offered a variety of fresh deli sandwiches, wraps, and several choices of breakfast fare to include burritos, sandwiches, and croissants with ham, bacon, or sausage. I went with the ham breakfast burrito. DUDE, ORDER THE BURRITO! The service was great, the food was fresh, and the burrito was LOADED with ham, home fried potatoes, eggs, and a mild but totally tasty sauce flavored with green and red peppers. I was so busy eating the burrito, I forgot to take a picture of it...I'd fly back through Denver just for the breakfast burrito.

Fights Delay Flights (Thumbs Down)

While I can't lay this totally at the feet of United Airlines, evidently long layovers, cancelled itineraries, disagreeable re-routings, and overbooked flights may have helped caused some consternation in one of our fellow travelers scheduled on the flight into Sac. It seems that just as we were getting ready to board the aircraft one gentleman took exception with another gentleman leading to blows being exchanged, the police being called, and boarding postponed until the situation could be sorted out between the individuals involved, the Police, United Airlines management, and the Captain of our aircraft.

Over my years of traveling by air, I've experienced flight delays due to: no aircraft, no pilots, no cabin crew, no open gates, snow, fog, bird strikes, mechanical failure, computer glitches, and a lack of tow hitches...but this is the first time (for me anyway) that a fight has delayed a flight.

Only one of the contestants made our flight.

United Airlines (Still Thumbs Down)

Yes, UAL did deliver us safely to Sacramento (even on time after the boxing bout) which might qualify as a "thumbs-up" regardless of all other considerations, but the reality of canceled and unilaterally re-scheduled and re-seated passengers did continue to play out on this flight as on the previous flight as family members negotiated with other passengers in order to sit next to each other.

Both flights were a confusing conglomerate of people and crew working out new seating arrangements inside the cabin as families that had purchased tickets together found themselves spread all over the airplane. It was hard on the crew and hard on the passengers. Then the video system had problems and the audio system didn't work for most passengers. We all had free headsets, they just weren't good for anything.The cabin crew didn't appear to be used to flying in the morning, or at least getting up in the morning, though the pilots themselves did a great job operating the aircraft.

Grass Valley, CA (Thumbs Up)

We're now settling in to life in Grass Valley, becoming acquainted with the wonderful home that we're blessed to house-sit for the next six weeks, and are appreciating summer without humidity. Karen and I are catching our breath and getting organized as we anticipate meeting with churches, friends, supporters, prayer partners we already know and look forward to meeting the new friends, supporters, and prayer partners God has yet to introduce us to.

Thanks for your prayers as this California adventure unfolds!