Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Small town Texas

My first day in Lubbock, TX amused me.
Lubbuck is best known as the homes of Texas Tech University and Buddy Holly. It is flat and being August, it is hot. This week is the break between Summer and Fall terms so it is also very quiet.

My first amusement was boarding the plane for the final leg of the journey. They were blasting the Greatest Hits of Buddy Holly.

My next amusement was the small airport. At least we did not have to cross the tarmac. The last time I was in an airport that small it did not have jetways. There are maybe 4 airlines and not many more gates in use (though there were a few more blocked off ready for growth). There is the terminal. One floor. Baggage claim at one end, ticketing and security in the middle, rental cars at the other end. No parking deck that I noticed and all parking lots are walking distance.

Then there was the rental car area. Get your keys inside because all the companies share a lot that is not even gated and definitely not attended. All out in the open, even Hertz Gold which advertises about covered pickup and drop off. I was offered a shuttle by my rental company but I walked. I could see the lot when I walked out the door. I walk further to my car in central parking at home. The return policy is to pull into a parking place and bring the keys back to the terminal.

The Buddy Holly Center, Silent Wings Museum, and the Wind Museum are of course closed by the time I get out of work. I might make it to Prairie Dog Town though.

-SML