This past weekend found John and I back in the Midwest for a wedding and long weekend with friends. One of my oldest friends, Neil, and his honey, Brian tied the knot after 6 years of blending a family.
Part of the fun was that multiple high school friends traveled back for the festivities and these days it’s unusual to say that you’ve been friends with someone since you were 12 or 14 years old. But that is just how long I’ve been friends with this crazy crew.
So the weekend was a bit of a mini reunion as well as a chance to do some work on our lake cottage, which is on the market (I’ll tag a post about that later).
On our trips to and from, we stopped off at the Admiral’s Clubs in DFW (on the way North) and ORD (on the way South), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the American Airlines Admiral’s Clubs have significantly upped their free food game. No more cubed cheese and weird salad made from couscous (or was that a pearled barley? Either way, it wasn’t good.). Instead they had a REAL salad bar!
OK, you may think this isn’t a big deal, but with a cup of soup (tomato basil soup in DFW not pictured), it makes a full meal in a way that cubes of cheese just can’t cut (boy-pun intended).
The make your own Mac and cheese at the club in ORD was really good and thankfully they have these small cups so it’s easier to do portion control. Being gluten sensitive, John did not have this but he did enjoy the custom made guacamole and chips.
By the way, the freshly made happy hour guacamole and chips (and in the morning it’s custom made avocado toast – with smoked salmon as an option!) are only available in larger Admiral’s Clubs. My “home” Admiral’s Club in Austin is much smaller and does not offer this perk (but it is still my favorite club).
In case you are considering springing for a club membership or for a day pass, I should mention that there are also lots of free drink options including coffee, hot chocolates, lattes, hot & iced tea, sodas, flavored waters, and house wine, beer, and spirits. The premium drinks, like Hendricks gin, are an extra fee. In fact, 3 Hendricks on the rocks (one for me and two for John over the course of 3 hours) cost $40 before tip.
Anyway, it was a wonderful trip “home”, except it didn’t feel like home as much anymore, which was a bit odd. John and I discussed how much our heart is in our building project and that’s where “home” is – even if we are living temporarily in a rental house. We are both looking forward to getting back and seeing the progress made on the foundation and a better (less steep) driveway up to the house site.
Would love to hear your feedback – either about your experiences with airline clubs or even your own with mini reunions with friends!
Hugs, Libby