The Road Trip from Hell and then Sunk by the Nautilus (November 27 - December 8, 2021)

[BroadwayHermione5]

We haven't been to London yet. Hope you make it there. Things are starting to get better in the United Kingdom and maybe this Spring and Summer it will be easier to travel there.

Im hoping so too

 

[bearzabout]

Have you ever been to Branson? The drive is much easier and Silver Dollar City is a great place to hang out and listen to music. Big Cedar is as beautiful as any Disney hotel. i Highly recommend it if you are looking for a more laid back, restful trip in the future.

 

[Hubie]

Im hoping so too

When are you planning to go? I'm thinking of trying for a fall trip and want to get train passes for Scotland if there isn't another surge.

 

[Hubie]

Have you ever been to Branson? The drive is much easier and Silver Dollar City is a great place to hang out and listen to music. Big Cedar is as beautiful as any Disney hotel. i Highly recommend it if you are looking for a more laid back, restful trip in the future.

No, we haven't been. Other than Disney, we prefer outdoor activities and have spent over 65 trips to date either to the Black Hills (an easy 12-hr. drive from our home on I-90) or to Wyoming and Colorado.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

When are you planning to go? I'm thinking of trying for a fall trip and want to get train passes for Scotland if there isn't another surge.

August or September.
we do already have a backup planned incase for California but the problem is we’d have to get trip insurance (we do anyway) for London before we make a decision

 

[tehSAC]

Really far behind, but going to catch up with your report over the weekend.

 

[Hubie]

August or September.
we do already have a backup planned incase for California, but the problem is we’d have to get trip insurance (we do anyway) for London before we make a decision

Yea, I hate paying for Trip Ins. Every time we've taken a cruise, we've bought it but never used it. But now if we go on a guided trip like we did in Scotland in 2019, the tour company we like now requires it in case you'd have to be evacuated.

 

[TinkTank01]

I enjoyed reading your trip report! Thanks!

 

[JenMac10]

Thanks for sharing. I cant wait to get back one day.

 

[Hubie]

I enjoyed reading your trip report! Thanks!

You're welcome! Being on the Dis is something to do while sitting at home during this dang epidemic.

 

[Hubie]

Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to get back one day.

Glad you enjoyed reading it. We're not sure when we'll return. We get 175 points this year and will bank them and think about returning in 2023. Then we'll have 350 to use and can also borrow another 175 from 2024. Not sure if we'll go back to WDW though. We may use the points for a trip somewhere in Europe or try Aulani.

 

[snowwite]

I am really hoping that travel returns to somewhat normal once this variant slows down. We have a Scotland tour booked for late April/May - a bucket list trip. My grandparents came from Glasgow to the US in the 1920's. Can I ask what you loved about Scotland?

My husband is Scottish. We are going back in March. I don’t love the cities. I love the historical sites, castles, the incredible natural views especially in the highlands and the Isle of Skye. We typically rent a cottage rather than hotel when we re not staying with family. where are you going to be touring?

 

[Hubie]

Really far behind, but going to catch up with your report over the weekend.

Glad to have you reading it.

 

[Hubie]

My husband is Scottish. We are going back in March. I don’t love the cities. I love the historical sites, castles, the incredible natural views especially in the highlands and the Isle of Skye. We typically rent a cottage rather than hotel when we re not staying with family. where are you going to be touring?

Yea, the history and the castles are special.

We only stayed in a hotel in Edinburgh in 2019 when we were not with the tour we took. I'd like to find a cottage to rent but we probably will not have a car if we get a rail pass. I know it's cheaper to rent something, especially as a base, when staying in an area for a while. If we get back to Scotland this fall, I'd like to spend at least three weeks there before heading down to the Lake Country and eventually onto Cambridge. We'll probably skip London though.

 

[Debz242]

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

I picked up the receipt for our hotel stay that had been slid under our door around 5:30 AM. Then I got dressed and headed downstairs for a cup of coffee.

A guy who was apparently manning the desk was sitting by himself in the lobby on a couch watching TV. I decided to mention to him the two reservations that were on my IHG account. He asked me if I only had one room and I assured him that was the case. I showed him my receipt and after looking it over he assured me that should be the only charge I would see. I thanked him and felt a little more confident I wouldn't be charged for a second room.

Before grabbing my coffee and heading back upstairs to our room I noticed it was raining out. DW and I returned to the lobby with our luggage and decided to eat the hotel's breakfast. There were several guys already helping themselves at the small buffet and when DW and I sat down with our food she told me that she was a little nervous because a couple of the guys had been constantly coughing in their hand, and then handling the buffet thongs for dishing up their scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy. And none of them was wearing a mask.

After we finished eating, I filled our insulated travel cups with coffee and took our bags out to the car. It was around 6:45 and just warm enough to keep the light rain that was still falling from freezing on my windshield or the pavement.

It eventually quit raining altogether just before we reached the outskirts of Birmingham. We arrived there about 9:00 and just as I feared we encountered the city's rush-hour traffic. Once again it was white-knuckle driving time until we were well north of the city.

Just after entering Tennessee, we stopped at its Welcome Center to eat a light snack, walk around and just enjoy the sunshine. But right after leaving that restful facility, north bound traffic was again stopped dead. DW soon learned from her phone that there had been a really bad car/semi-truck accident just ahead of us. Does it have to do with the shipping delays, I never seen so many semis on the road in my life?

We were, fortunately, stalled very close to an exit because I had to go really bad. Three cars behind me took the shoulder to the off ramp and I decided to follow them. I had no idea where we were, but right after leaving the Interstate we came upon a gas station. What a relief!

When we returned back to on-ramp for I-65 we saw the accident. It had occurred right at the south exit ramp allowing us to get back on an empty Interstate. We both decided that somebody must have been looking after us.

When we reached southern Illinois, we stopped to get a DQ Blizzard. Then we stopped off of I-57 North at Effingham, Ill. where we had intended to stay overnight at the IHG hotel located right off of the cloverleaf. DW had searched on her phone for a restaurant recommendation and found that "The Gabby Goat American Pub and Grill" was highly recommended. That's where we chose to go and well, we found out that it's located almost all the way across town. But we had a great meal there. I had their Effingham Burger (Grass fed beef patty topped with a thick slice of grilled ham and cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun with their huge portion of hand-cut fries). I also drank a Sam Adam's Hazy IPA draft to help me relax a little. DW had their pulled pork sandwich (BBQ pork, coleslaw, and pickles on a pretzel bun with their generous portion of hand-cut fries).

When we were finished eating, we discussed whether to stay at the Holiday Inn Express to just drive home. I asked DW what she wanted to do, and she let me decide. I just wanted to be in my own bed and made the decision to just drive home.

We left the restaurant in the dark about 5:15 and I soon took a wrong turn trying to get back on the Interstate. It was one of those sharp, right arrows turns where you have to go through the intersection and not turn right at the light. I was able to quickly correct my mistake and turned around after only a couple of blocks.

The short diversion ended up saving us from being stuck again. Just two miles down the road the traffic was stopped dead on both the north and south bound lanes. This time a state trooper was diverting all of the north bound traffic onto at narrow, two-lane road just ahead of us. And the road eventually took us almost all the way up to Champaign, IL. But just as we neared the city, we were allowed back on I-57.

While driving the two-lane -- due to the extremely flat countryside -- we could see a number of flashing red and blue lights and traffic on I-57 stopped in both directions for miles and miles. DW once again learned from her phone that it was a semi/car accident. The semi had also caught on fire and this time there had been fatalities.

Somebody was still looking after us. If I hadn't made the wrong turn in Effingham delaying us by a mere 5 minutes, we would've been stuck with everybody else just past where we had been diverted off of the Interstate.

Well, the end of the long drive finally came, and we arrived at our driveway right at 11 PM. It 16 hours after we had left Prattville. When I walked in the front door, I felt like kissing our new living room floor.

In summary, yes, we did have a difficult drive home from Orlando just as we did on the way there. Traffic in and through the big cities was horrible even outside of rush hours. How do people who live there stand it? The stress just getting to work and back home every day has to take a huge toll on their health. We can get anywhere we need to in our town of 10,000 souls in Wisconsin in five minutes. And for more to do, Madison is only a 30-minute drive away.

We really liked staying at SSR and generally had a good time while at DS despite the crowds. We also enjoyed all of our restaurant meals and the WDW resorts we visited. But if and when we do return, we'll definitely limit the number of times we visit the parks.

Have a wonderful 2022!

Wow I just read all your emails and I am impressed!!! First off, you are a great writer and I really felt as though I was right there with you guys. And second, can I join your family?! You guys are so much fun!! I loved reading about all your daily details. I am going with my family in April and I am even more excited now! Do you have a blog? If not, you should! Thanks again for sharing your Disney Experience! -Deb

 

[snowwite]

Yea, the history and the castles are special.

We only stayed in a hotel in Edinburgh in 2019 when we were not with the tour we took. I'd like to find a cottage to rent but we probably will not have a car if we get a rail pass. I know it's cheaper to rent something, especially as a base, when staying in an area for a while. If we get back to Scotland this fall, I'd like to spend at least three weeks there before heading down to the Lake Country and eventually onto Cambridge. We'll probably skip London though.

Three weeks would be fantastic. I’ve never been there for more than 10 days. We drove to the lakes district a few years ago and it was no where near as nice as the highlands. Also we had to pay to park everywhere there. We never did Cambridge. We had to go to London for my husband to get his visa. We stayed in Mayfair near the old US embassy. We got an Oyster card and never needed a car. You can walk to nearly everything and take the tube or a boat to the rest. I loved London. We only stayed for 3 nights but we saw a lot.

 

[Hubie]

Wow I just read all your emails and I am impressed!!! First off, you are a great writer and I really felt as though I was right there with you guys. And second, can I join your family?! You guys are so much fun!! I loved reading about all your daily details. I am going with my family in April and I am even more excited now! Do you have a blog? If not, you should! Thanks again for sharing your Disney Experience! -Deb

Hi Deb,

Thanks for the compliments. I do not have a blog, but I do write a little. In fact, I have a published book entitled, "Hanging up the rope" that's available on Amazon if you're interested in reading about some of my best climbing adventures.



The key for us has been staying in great shape all these years and enjoying each other's company. But as far as joining our family, I think you'd agree we're a little old for adopting.

I hope you do have a really great time with your family in April. Hopefully, you'll also the beautiful weather then like we did (no rain and in the 70s every day). Again, I'm happy you really enjoyed my TR.

 

[Hubie]

Three weeks would be fantastic. I’ve never been there for more than 10 days. We drove to the lakes district a few years ago and it was no where near as nice as the highlands. Also we had to pay to park everywhere there. We never did Cambridge. We had to go to London for my husband to get his visa. We stayed in Mayfair near the old US embassy. We got an Oyster card and never needed a car. You can walk to nearly everything and take the tube or a boat to the rest. I loved London. We only stayed for 3 nights but we saw a lot.

My old climbing partner did the Coast-to-Coast hike 21 years ago and highly praised it. That's why we thought we'd maybe visit the lakes district. But I haven't yet totally ruled out London either. Your description of getting the Oyster card and using it to see so much in only 3 days has me rethinking about visiting the big city.

I do know that we want to do some train tours especially the Jacobite and maybe taking the Pendale-Dalesman Trip from Lancaster to Carlisle. We could also stay longer than 3 weeks to allow for more time to explore the UK, I've watched several episodes of Rick Steves and others traveling in the UK and have read a couple of travel books on the UK and almost everything looks very worthwhile to visit.

Hopefully, once COVID recedes into the background? we'll be able to take a once in a lifetime trip to the UK.

 

[snowwite]

My old climbing partner did the Coast-to-Coast hike 21 years ago and highly praised it. That's why we thought we'd maybe visit the lakes district. But I haven't yet totally ruled out London either. Your description of getting the Oyster card and using it to see so much in only 3 days has me rethinking about visiting the big city.

I do know that we want to do some train tours especially the Jacobite and maybe taking the Pendale-Dalesman Trip from Lancaster to Carlisle. We could also stay longer than 3 weeks to allow for more time to explore the UK, I've watched several episodes of Rick Steves and others traveling in the UK and have read a couple of travel books on the UK and almost everything looks very worthwhile to visit.

Hopefully, once COVID recedes into the background? we'll be able to take a once in a lifetime trip to the UK.

We really squeezed in pretty much everything we wanted to see in a few days. I was also surprised how affordable it was. museums are free. The huge national museum behind the lions in Trafalgar Square was free.That said we are not fancy so we saved a lot dining in local cafes, picnic with sandwiches and fruit from a shop and brunch at Debenhams dept store. The boat from dock near Big Ben to Greenwich was great. The guy gave us a running talk on the way. You pass under Tower Bridge and pass the globe theatre. The nautical museum in Greenwich was free. The Cutty Sark was there too but it was under refurbishment. We took the train back and got off at a canary wharf with Marks and Spencers with some great views.
We explored the Tower of London another day. There was an admission fee but they had costumed guides and loads to see.
Harrods could take a day in itself. There were so many sections. You could easily get lost.
Even the toilets were fancy. Down the escalator near the bathrooms was a memorial to Princess Diana and Dody Fayeed. I think his family own the store.
We also saw the arch from the bus, got off at Baker St for Sherlock Holmes buff pics and stored our luggage for a small fee at Paddington station so we could get around after leaving hotel. It’s totally walkable and for the bits that are further apart the transport is spotless and well marked.

 

[Hubie]

We really squeezed in pretty much everything we wanted to see in a few days. I was also surprised how affordable it was. museums are free. The huge national museum behind the lions in Trafalgar Square was free.That said we are not fancy so we saved a lot dining in local cafes, picnic with sandwiches and fruit from a shop and brunch at Debenhams dept store. The boat from dock near Big Ben to Greenwich was great. The guy gave us a running talk on the way. You pass under Tower Bridge and pass the globe theatre. The nautical museum in Greenwich was free. The Cutty Sark was there too but it was under refurbishment. We took the train back and got off at a canary wharf with Marks and Spencers with some great views.
We explored the Tower of London another day. There was an admission fee but they had costumed guides and loads to see.
Harrods could take a day in itself. There were so many sections. You could easily get lost.
Even the toilets were fancy. Down the escalator near the bathrooms was a memorial to Princess Diana and Dody Fayeed. I think his family own the store.
We also saw the arch from the bus, got off at Baker St for Sherlock Holmes buff pics and stored our luggage for a small fee at Paddington station so we could get around after leaving hotel. It’s totally walkable and for the bits that are further apart the transport is spotless and well marked.

You've convinced me. We'll have to include London into our itinerary. Hopefully we'll be headed that way this September.