Family weekend

I had a special treat this weekend: my brother was in town.

He's an author, and he and his wife were here for a local book signing, so I took the day off Friday and spent the day with them and my folks. We went down the coast along Highway 1, stopped at the beaches and had lunch at the small town of Pescadero. Afterwards, we stopped by Butano State Park for a sampling of the quiet Redwood forest. It's an old favorite spot, and where my grandmother's ashes were scattered.

It's a special treat to see them because they live in the Minneapolis area, protected by the unfriendly skies of Northwest Airlines - which has a monopoly grip on the Twin Cities. Example: his schedule changed, and he had to fly from San Francisco to Detroit before heading back to Minneapolis. The Northwest charge for that flight: $1400! He then had a novel idea. How much would it cost for a round-trip flight between San Francisco and Detroit, stopping at Minneapolis on the return trip? Answer: $250. Minneapolis price gouging, pure and simple. So he booked that "round-trip", but will get off at Minneapolis and go home on the return leg.

Essentially, Northwest has erected a moat around Minneapolis. This not only makes it expensive for local citizens to take trips, it likewise makes it costly for visiting friends and relatives. As a result, we don't see each other as much as we'd like. In the long-term, I don't believe this monopoly is sustainable; but for now, it's a pain.

But we all had a great time this weekend, and that's the main thing. Everyone together around one table - my family, whole - that's priceless!

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