Airport Extravaganza

Airports are a very mysterious place. It's a building specifically designed for people to come and go, not to linger and take in the experience. Well, on Monday, March 6th, I did just that. I went to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on the edge of Phoenix and Tempe and I took in all the sights, sounds, movements; everything. When you're not in a rush to get to your flight, it is amazing to notice how many different exhibits Sky Harbor has to offer. There are art exhibits, restaurants, quaint little shops, and more just waiting to be noticed by the hustle and bustle of everyone.
I decided to take the Phoenix Light Rail system to the airport. This seemed like a logical choice since it would be cheap and more efficient then taking an Uber. We entered the Light Rail at the Rural Rd./University Dr. station. We quickly found seats besides the entrance door and rode west for about 10 minutes coming to 44th St./Washington St. This station is directly connected to the Sky Harbor Sky Train which was what was going to be used for us to get inside the airport. We exited the Light Rail with a huddle of other folks, either going to the airport for a flight and heading off to work, and we followed up towards the Sky Train.
When we got to the Sky Train station, we waited for 2 minutes until the next train arrived. There were around 12 people standing and waiting along with us. When the train finally arrived, we scooted in and stood as the train took us to Terminal 4 of Sky Harbor. Upon arriving to Terminal 4, we quickly exited and found our way to the main part of the terminal.
Now, the reason that my class and I went to the airport was to look around and notice things that otherwise would go unnoticed. We were given an itinerary to follow and were instructed to keep an eye out for anything that is interesting. The following is based on the imaginary itinerary given; my group did not actually go anywhere.

We were divided into teams, once everyone arrived and we quickly made haste to the Sky Train once more to depart for Terminal 3. Upon arriving, we found ourselves at the Delta check in area, where passengers can pick up tickets, drop off baggage, and have their questions answered. When we arrived, it was a slow day at the counter. There wasn't a huge line and many people were quickly stopping to drop their luggage and then leaving for security. Following the itinerary, after dropping our luggage and picking our tickets up, we headed towards security. When getting to the second floor, which is where security is, my group noticed an art exhibit focusing on capes and the art that goes into making them. It was a beautiful display, that not many people were centered around, and my group took a minute to look and see its intricacy and beauty. Afterwards, we headed to TSA security where we got on our flight and headed to Atlanta, GA.

Little fun fact: While in Georgia, we went to the Coke Factory stationed in Atlanta.
Here's a picture of me near the Coca Cola.

Soon our trip was over and it was time for us to return back to Phoenix. We had a layover in El Paso and we eventually made it back to Sky Harbor with no time to spare. We quickly got through the airport and arrived at baggage claim. We received many looks as we made our way to baggage claim as we didn't have many possessions with us. We checked the board and found out that our baggage would be on carousel 6. We made our way to the end of the floor and waited for our baggage to come. We got our baggage and left the airport.
Finally, we walked outside to transportation area. We made our way to the station where the bus for the car rental facility is and waited in line.

Looking back on our experience at the airport, it was a lot of fun. Following the route that was described above, my group kept getting looked at since we seemed that we weren't actually traveling anywhere. While taking pictures, we were stopped numerous times by airport volunteers who asked if we needed any help or any directions. We would politely decline and then reflect thinking do we look like we need help. Along with the people, there were many art exhibits. One was talked about briefly, the exhibit about capes, but there were two more that we saw on our adventure. One was on the way back to the Sky Train in Terminal 3; this one was about the desert and its beauty. The other one that we saw was located by security in Terminal 4; this one was centered around Arizona weather. All of these are in plain sight, yet many travelers don't take the time to appreciate them. I would recommend going to your local airport and just wander around; notice things you haven't seen before and eat at the restaurants located inside. You would be surprised at how many restaurants are located inside airports that are accessible and open to anyone, whether you are flying or not. That is one thing that Sky Harbor is trying to push to the community.
All in all, our trip to the airport was a success and I look forward to going back and taking another stroll through the terminals; maybe there will be something new next time!

My Group

Arizona Weather

Cape Art