Car Parking at Airports

Traveling by air to the UK, or from or across the UK? If you’re flying from the Gatwick airport, the good folks at Essential Travel want to remind you of the excellent, reliable, and afforable services available with Gatwick parking service. They’ve got a terrific selection of secure car parks, all accredited with the Park Mark award, for all your holiday or business car parking at North or South terminals. You can book your airport parking online, too! Check it out!

The Day After

I have two trips to put together and blog about, but I am sitting here at my desk, procrastinating. A day-long car trip always tuckers us out. I’m sitting like a lump, sipping my old coffee (I woke up late this morning), and staring at the screen, hoping I get the energy and ambition to start compiling the photos and writing the posts. I love writing, but some mornings it takes me longer to get started.

I still haven’t heard from the guys at BlogRush– I’m not listed in their links and not included in their new TrafficJam site, even though I am a registered member and have the widget in my sidebar. I browsed around the travel blogs a little. Here’s a title that caught my interest: Five Great Gifts for Travellers. The list was for travelers travelers– you know, full-time Tibet-climbing travelers (video camera, high-tech digital camera, airline tickets). I love travel supplies just as much as anyone, but I doubt I’d need airline tickets for my limited travel itinerary. But the list was interesting, and blog had some punch to it. And the title to this blog I’m a Seoul Man in Tokyo made me laugh. The blog isn’t as entertaining as the title, however.

As far as our car trip yesterday, it did not go as planned. We had planned to attend the Rubinstein Museum of Science and Technology (the MOST, as it is called). As I drove through downtown Syracuse (which was packed), down toward the Armory on Franklin Street, there wasn’t a parking space to be found anywhere. It was a N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E. And when we passed the entrance to the MOST, we saw a crowded line of people from the inside ticket office to the exterior doors, down the long stairs, onto the sidewalk, and into the curb a litte. The line was moving slowly and the temperature was 15 degrees. No way were we going to park five blocks away, walk to the MOST and wait half an hour to get inside. I was very disappointed, because I knew the kids would love the place.

We weighed our options, and decided on visiting the Erie Canal Museum nearby. I hadn’t brought my paper of addresses, so I drove up and down Erie Boulevard (and around and around the endless stream of one-way side streets), looking for the familiar weighlock building. As I tackled the traffic, I overheard one of the kids saying to another, “Hey, look at that mule statue.” I screeched to a halt! That was the landmark! I remember reading it at Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree. I wish I had remembered her parking tip. I found it today.

A tip if you plan to go. Look for this statue across the street from the museum. There are a few free parking spots in the lot behind and under the highway. The entrance to the lot is off of James St. There is also metered parking available on the streets surrounding the museum.

I wish I’d remembered that tip. No, instead I drove ’round and ’round downtown Syracuse, looking for a place to park, again. Finally, frustrated, I parked in front of the museum and walked in. I asked the gentleman at the desk if I might park there. He smiled and said “no” (with that smile that makes you wonder how many millions of times visitors have asked him about parking there). He directed me to pull in to the Senator Hughes State Office Building parking lot, across the street. “Ignore all the warning signs about towing and permits only,” he said, “just drive to the back of that parking lot, toward the short brick walls, and parking for the museum is allowed there.” He said that he has asked the State numerous times to get some better signs to inform visitors about the available parking, but “they haven’t gotten around to it.” If I was from another state, perhaps I would have been startled; but I am a New Yorker, and I just nodded my head in understanding, lol.

Well, we did park and we did make it into the building and we had a terrific time! But I haven’t compiled the photos nor have I done the research into the historical aspect; all that is forthcoming. I have to put up a story about our trip to the local newspaper building, too. But first I must finish my coffee!

Update: I blogged about our trip to the Erie Canal Museum. It was a wonderful visit. Part One is here, and Part Two is here.