All good things come to an end….and usually it happens much sooner than you want them to.
After we wrapped up our golf game, we still had another 45 minutes or so before we had to make our way to the airport. Since we already had passes to Fun Spot that we could use (if we wanted), I asked the attendants at the Pirates Cove store if we could leave our vehicle where it was currently sitting in their lot while we blew what little time we had left a Fun Spot. They knew we had paid for our round of golf, and immediately assured us that it was no problem at all. So, as the sky grew more cloudy with each passing minute, we strolled across the street.
We really didn’t do much here…..the reality of “it’s over” started to hit us all, I think, and we just wanted nothing more than to stroll around and soak up the atmosphere.
Our vacation was ending, but we had enjoyed an incredible week together. Christmas had passed, but we had made so many happy memories and had such a ton of fun. By later that night, we’d be back to our cold Canadian winter climate, but we had enjoyed more warmth, sunshine and pleasant weather over the past seven days than we could have ever hoped we would be blessed with on a winter trip. It was all a little bittersweet
.
They had many of the same rides at the Kissimmee location as we had seen earlier in the day on I-Drive, but there were a few differences as well. One of the most unique features of the Kissimmee park was a mechanical bull. I believe this was an extra cost over and above the all-day wristbands, and I know that participants had to sign a waiver before riding. Neither of my guys felt any burning desire to give it a try (Steve’s first comment
was “Well, isn’t that just a vacation ruiner right there! I would throw my back out in the first 15 seconds!) but we did enjoy watching other people give it a whirl…..except for the family who thought it was okay to let a little fellow (who was all of six years old) give it a go. As soon as that bull started bucking, he was in tears
. My heart broke for the little guy as his eyes widened in panic as the speed and intensity increased.
We checked out the arcade and Jake tried his hand at the three point hoops game, but eventually it was time to hit the washrooms and return to the Equinox. Knowing we would have traffic to the airport to contend with, it was time to leave.
Following the GPS directions to the airport via the I4, we soon found ourselves in a traffic snarl where we were barely moving and we started to fear that continuing on this route would potentially make us late for our flight…..crowds were supposed to be substantial at MCO and we knew we’d need more time than the customary
90-minute-before-your-flight arrival. The backlog continued as far as the eye could see, so we made the split decision to get off the highway at the next exit and go the roundabout way to the airport, utilizing the wonderful and amazing Daryl Carter Parkway that had been a lifesaver so many times on this trip. A genius move, it was clear sailing the remainder of the way. We dropped off the rental to Budget, collected our luggage from the trunk, and checked our baggage at the Jetblue counter. We considered grabbing some dinner in the food court before security (which is our normal custom) but something seemed to tell us that perhaps dinner should wait. What a good decision that was…..
Oh. My. Gosh
. Thousands of people in a whirlwind of complete and utter chaos. TSA workers were herding travellers into lines and trying desperately to clear a walking path, but despite their best efforts it was just a mess. Our hearts broke for the families with small children, all of whom were restless and tired and growing more impatient during the endless wait. Several folks were visibly distraught as they feared they may not make it to their gate in time for boarding. We thought of the traffic jam on the I4, and wondered how many folks would arrive late to begin with, only to be hit by yet another delay at security. We reminisced about our favourite trip moments as we inched our way closer to the TSA staff, and happily remarked that we really did okay to not to be plagued by crowds or traffic until this final afternoon and early evening. After what seemed like forever, we had our passports scanned and our boarding passes stamped, then it was round two through the endless lines to the baggage and people scanners. We heaved a sigh of relief as we put our shoes and belts back on and collected our carry-ons and personal items from the conveyor belt.
We caught the tram to the other terminal and as we zipped down the track, we noticed it was raining. That made me a little sad, but was strangely appropriate. It was as if Orlando was having the little cry that I wanted to indulge in right at that moment
.
Once we were settled in at our gate, Steve and Jake went in search of dinner. We would be served unlimited snacks on the plane, but we weren’t scheduled to land until nearly 11 pm and we knew we didn’t want to be searching for any major food items at that hour. Pickings were reasonably slim in that section of the airport, so our last meal in Orlando was from Burger King
: 3 combos (2 chicken and one Whopper) came to $27.34 with tax. Nothing was photo-worthy, so the camera stayed put. We all ate our burgers but tossed the bulk of our fries…..not that they weren’t good, we just weren’t feelin’ it.
We had the awesome opportunity for another Dismeet at our gate, as
@greenclan67 and her family happened to be on the same flight back to Buffalo as we were
. It was great to finally put a face to a name and online personality, and we had a wonderful time swapping stories about our respective Christmas vacations. We got to see the infamous man-o-war sting up close and in person
, and Jake renewed his personal vow to never step foot in the ocean ever again
(now he didn't just have sharks to fear, he also had jellyfish to worry about!!). The conversation was entertaining and a great mood lifter, and before we knew it, it was time to board.
It was a dark, smooth, quiet flight home. Jetblue gave everyone free movies, which was a nice gesture. We were all sleepy as we heard the announcement that the pilots were preparing for our final descent. It was POURING rain as we landed.
Collecting our luggage was quick and painless (one of the reasons I love, love, LOVE flying from tiny airports like Buffalo and Syracuse
) and we shared the shuttle back to the hotel with the greenclan67 family. Arriving back at the hotel, I stopped at the front desk to wrap up a loose end or two (they had failed to process the refund to my credit card, as promised at check out, following our disastrous pot-smoking park-and-fly stay a week prior) while Jake and Steve collected the Journey from the secure lot and loaded up our luggage. We purchased beverages and bagels at Tim Hortons next to the hotel, and made the short drive back to Niagara Falls. It was after midnight by this point, so the Duty Free was closed (boo…..no cheap alcohol for us
) but the border crossing was virtually deserted
. A few quick questions and we were on our way to the Country Inn & Suites.
We had stayed at this property before (on multiple occasions) so we knew exactly what to expect. It has always been spotlessly clean and reasonably quite, despite being very close to the Rainbow Bridge and the Clifton Hill tourist district. We were exhausted as we walked into the foyer, and I’m sure it showed. The front desk attendant was marvellous at getting us into our room as quickly as possible, and we literally dropped everything and went straight to bed
. The hotel was mercifully silent and we slept like rocks.
In the morning, we roused ourselves as early as we could muster, showered, and enjoyed a great hot breakfast from the included buffet which was offered on the main level of the hotel. We were feeling reflective and anti-social so we brought trays back to our room and enjoyed our morning meal in the privacy of our one bedroom suite. After checking out, we picked up coffees through the nearest Tim Hortons drive thru (okay, so maybe there was ONE good thing about being home!) and headed to Steve’s cousin’s home in Scarborough where a Christmas feast and a selection of wonderful family members were anxiously waiting to welcome us home and celebrate the festive season. By late afternoon, with doggie bags full of leftovers in tow (which was much appreciated, as our fridge at home was completely empty!!), we completed the final leg of our journey. We were home by early evening……and the countdown to the next trip was officially declared underway.
We’re not quite done yet…..the final total of all this Christmas fun is next! (I’m not sure I want to know!!
)