This whole trip started out as a casual conversation with our friend Scott, he had planned his vacation months in advance and said "Hey why don't you come with me". After some discussion what we were going to do, I found myself on Expedia making plane reservations. (I really hate Expedia interface for planes, maybe because we travel by bike so much) then set out to plan the trip to make sure we didn't just wander around southern Florida without purpose. Up comes Mapsource, load my files for Lighthouses, stupid dumb places to visit, National Parks, National Wildlife Refugees, Triple D locations, and southern states National Register of Historic Places which provides more than enough (it never seems like enough) places and opportunities to visit.
I never preplan lodging more than the next day while traveling on the bike, however since we will be motoring in a car, I figured planning each days hotels might be a good thing. I have been using Hotels.com for the last 3 years, mainly because I have become accustomed to their interface and after 10 stays you get a free hotel room which equates to 10% off and having achieved Gold status it makes me feel important. (not really)(really shows me that they give me these special prices which tells me I am overpaying for all the other ones)
After about a week on the computer, we have 7 days planned out, loosely. March 4th has arrived our flight to Ft Myers is scheduled for 8.25pm (what was I thinking)(it turns our I was a genius) to arrive in FT Myers around 12am. Scott was getting in at 4pm and we get the car, go the hotel and then pick us up at the Airport. So we wake up and there is 15 inches of snow on the ground, but I got plenty of time to break out the snow blower and then get to the airport. Scott shows up for a minute and then takes off to Framingham for the shuttle to Logan. The bags are packed, one with the electronics, gotta have electronics, GPS has been loaded with 7 days of routes, time to kick back and wait for Sky to pick us up and drive to the airport.
We left a bit early to account for the snow and traffic into Boston. We breezed in, I am thinking, this is too easy. Got that right. To our surprise Scott is still in Boston having had 2 flights cancelled on him and finally scheduled to leave after us. Since he had the car reservation, we told him we would meet him in Ft. Myers at his gate. Then there is an announcement, "Flight 245garble has been cancelled to Ft Myers". I knew there was a reason I don't like to fly. "Please proceed to the counter to make alternate connections". Well our flight is 2457 and flight 245 was the one cancelled, things are good. Fat Lady hasn't sung yet. So we sat smugly in our seats at the gate and then they announced that the flight was at capacity and they were looking for volunteers to check their bags, which we did. Not being seasoned travelers on planes we don't have those bags with the rollers on them, who needs them when traveling by bike. Then the next announcement comes, "the good news is we have a pilot and co-pilot, but we are trying to locate a crew which we must have." Then the next announcement, "the flight has been delayed because the plane coming in has been delayed, our departure time has been delayed to 12am". Then the pilot says "I have to fly before 12:30am or rules and regulations about how many hours we can fly kicks in, so if we don't find a crew by then, you will need another pilot". So glancing up at the clock every once in awhile, the hands are making their way toward 12. Right around 11:50 these 3 people show up and the crowd bursts in yelling and clapping. Captain says "Looks like we are going to make it to sunny Florida after all". As it turns out we will get into Ft Meyers right around 3am.
Scott was at the baggage claim waiting for us, they trekked over to the car rental place, I hobbled as I watched them in envy. Scott has the car and we head for the hotel, getting into the lobby right around 4am. The desk person says can I help, to which I announced my name, to which he said a bit late aren't you, to which I nodded. Up to the room, lights out, CPAP whoosing in and out, sweet dreams.
Crystal's alarm goes off at 7.30, mine goes off at 8, both are reminders for us to take our pills, and not about getting up. Both of us usually got no particular place to go.
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Once something wakes me up that is about the same time the face gasket on my CPAP mask decides to let go and blow air into my eyes in fluttering fashion. I am up, I figure it is time to get Crystal and Scott up. We got places to go.
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