Open notebook
Guides I wrote
for whoever needs them
Trip notes, kept honest and kept current. Take one, change it, pass it on — the point is that nobody has to work this out twice.
6 guides · 2 countries · 1 reference · last revised 13 Aug 2026
- Planned
- Booked
- Been there
Flying non-rev from Sacramento
Flight-day checklist · every trip
The part that never changes with the destination: picking the window, booking only what you can undo, listing wide, packing for the gate, and getting home. Shared by every guide instead of repeated inside them.
Open checklist →Always currentNothing booked yet
Nothing booked yet
Chicago, three days
Friday–Monday · non-rev from SMF
Nineteen places and fifteen places to eat, all measured on foot from one Loop hotel. Standby odds on every SMF nonstop, and what to do if the Monday flight doesn't happen.
Revised 9 Aug 39.74°N 104.99°W
Denver, three days
Friday–Monday · non-rev from SMF
The best standby odds Sacramento offers — about ten nonstops a day on three carriers. One train from the airport, eighteen places, fourteen places to eat, Red Rocks for nothing and Casa Bonita if you book early.
Revised 9 Aug 45.52°N 122.68°W
Portland, three days
Friday–Monday · non-rev from SMF
The shortest flight in the archive and the easiest city to do without a car. One train from the airport, sixteen places, thirteen places to eat, and Mox Boarding House for an evening you didn't plan.
Revised 10 Aug 32.71°N 117.16°W
San Diego, three days
Friday–Monday · non-rev from SMF
The busiest route out of Sacramento — about sixteen nonstops a day — and the one guide you can open in January. Three miles from terminal to hotel, sixteen places, twelve places to eat.
Revised 11 Aug 38.90°N 77.03°W
Washington, D.C., three days
Friday–Monday · non-rev from SMF
The thinnest flights in the archive and the cheapest weekend at the other end — two airports, one departure a day each, and nineteen free museums once you land. Read the standby page twice.
Revised 13 AugNothing planned yet
No completed trips yet
Reading this offline: add guides to your home screen before you fly. Details go stale — check anything time-sensitive before you rely on it, and correct it for the next person if you find it's moved.