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Old 12 May 22, 01:24 PM  
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archibald
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Final Florida Fling - the middle bit - Easter 2022

The pre-amble

The Orlando Bit

The middle bit

The final bit


Day 6 Thursday14th April 2022

It was with a heavy heart that we left Bryan and everything that had made it fabulous and headed for the next bit of our holiday with the resident Floridian family that I shall write very little about. I asked the other day (we’ve been home for a couple of weeks) which was the boys favourite bit of holiday, the theme parks, the family, or the ‘other things’ – family was first, it always is, theme parks was last – I guess that really was the last trip to Orlando then.

One of the 'only in America' shots where somebody moving house had filled their lorry, so strapped their beds to the ramp!



Anyway, we had an early start, a Bob Evans breakfast and we got to Busch only a few minutes after opening. It was hot today – 34° - so as the boys disappeared off to coaster, DH & I went around the park on the steam train, watched the ice show and then boarded the train again, to receive a ‘we’re behind you’ message and found the boys were having a breather. They caught up with us at the next station and we had a snack and drink on the train (shh, don’t tell anyone) and the boys set off once more, although they rang a short while later to say that there was a 30 minute wait for Iron Gwazi and it was a waste of holiday so didn’t ride it. With getting there early to the parks they get used to everything either being a walk on or only a 5-10 minute wait and it seems that 10 minutes is their limit.

Early time was called on Busch – or earlier that I’d expected anyway, so we left and managed to do something we’d never managed before – visit a Chick-fil-a! We’ve seen them, heard about them, noticed that there’s always a long line at them but never managed to try it. It was quite an underwhelming menu, but quite a nice and very cheap chicken sandwich and the staff were quite chatty - you don’t have to get many miles away from the main tourist areas to become an English novelty.

It was a further hours drive and we checked in at the local Quality Inn. I was slightly worried about this as we were all sharing a room. On previous visits we’ve stayed in dozens of cheap motels over the years – we don’t tend to stay in the same place for more than 4 nights – 6 nights at Bryan was quite long stretch– and we don’t tend to spend any time at all at the motel other than sleeping and a quick dip in the pool – again Bryan was the exception. Last time we were in the States though, the boys were 4 years younger and a LOT smaller.

I think it was probably the worst place that we’ve ever stayed in, and it was quickly christened the ‘poor quality inn’. Everything was a bit tired, the ironing board kept randomly collapsing (we dry wet towels on it overnight by the air-con, it helps with humidity overnight as well as drying your towels!), the washing machines were out of order, and the hair dryer almost electrocuted me – yes really. I switched it on and it made a few rattley bangs so I switched it off again to check nothing was inside. I switched it on again while looking down it – the bangs were sparks and smoke started to pour out, but I still had to switch it off – I guess their safety plug fuse thing wasn’t working either then!

We went out (with wet hair) for a top-up shop, those ice-cream sandwiches have to come from somewhere – and when we got back, the ironing board and dryer had been replaced, with maintenance even carefully replacing our drying towels. We sent the boys back up to the room to get the lilo (we have a car pump) and after an absolute age waiting for them got a call to announce that they’d come to a decision to share the bed, one on top of the covers, one below. We always travel with a multi=purpose fleece throw which over the years has been used as a towel, beach mat, toga clothing (wet clothes) a changing screen in the car park (wet again), put on the car seats to travel back from water parks, and very occasionally as in this time, as a blanket!

Friday, Hardees, Rainbow River

After much deliberation I’d booked a tubing/kayaking trip on the Rainbow River at Dunellon (about 1.5hr NW of Orlando). There’s loads of companies to chose from, all offering basically the same access to the river. The easiest and cheapest is to just drive to the KP Hole, pay to enter and park up and then rent a tube for a just a few dollars, ride the river and walk back, but parking is very strictly limited and we only had the one day to do it. We chose Rainbow River Kayak Adventures which is in Dunellon. It’s right across the road from a Hardees where we had a late breakfast.

The Rainbow River is quite strict on food packaging - nothing disposable is allowed on the river. We bought a couple of refillable water bottles for a dollar (part of the Walmart haul) and took some unwrapped cheese strings and strawberries in a small tupperware that I’d packed the washing powder tablets in (allergies). I didn’t see anyone else eating or drinking anything all the time that we were there, but we did pass the river police several times.
You park up, leave your car keys (although I suppose you could take them if you’re happy to risk it) get your kayak/tube (we had two of each) get on the bus and get dropped at KP hole (Kayaks) or a bit further along where there’s a bit more of a current for the tubes. As we had a mix, they gave us a couple of ropes so the kayaks could tow the tubes through the still water. When you go under a bridge and see the Blue Gator restaurant, that’s where you get picked up in 3 or 4 hours time, depending on how fast the current is and how fast you float or paddle.

We had a brilliant time (but not a single photograph!) even though it wasn’t really cloudy enough for the cloudy day forecast which left us a little worried about sunburn (we were already wearing it & also took it with us, but it does have it’s limits!). There wasn’t many people on the river and the wildlife was amazing, loads of fish and terrapin easily visible in the crystal clear waters, all kinds of birds and the absolute highlight was watching otters playing in the water and along the riverbank – just perfect.

We switched around a bit between tubes and kayaks for a while, then DS2 put his goggles on and basically swam underwater for a couple of miles - I’d been for a bit of a swim and had taken the snorkel, but I hate the weed around my legs and so I ended up back on the kayak. DS1 went off ahead in the other kayak – way ahead, we didn’t see him for the last hour or so. Then suddenly DH & DS2 in the tubes were being called over to the edge – no bridge and no restaurant. The water went ‘slow’ again at this point, and I had to carry on alone as the vehicle there could only take tubes. Not a problem, they’d always been someone else in sight, there was a few houses on the banks with people in gardens so I was quite happy – all I had to do is ‘keep right’ so off I paddled.

After a while I was alone - really alone, small boats had stopped coming through, the tubers had gone and I couldn’t see anyone – even the gardens were empty, and it was a lot, lot further than I had realised. I thought I had an extra half mile to paddle – our drive is ¼ mile, so I knew roughly how long that looks. So I paddled the distance I’d set, and another, and another, and then I started to get a little concerned. Still nothing, still keeping right and avoiding islands and inlets and wondering if I’d made a wrong turn somewhere, then I heard an airboat and had a slight panic as it sounded like it was whizzing towards me and I was worried that I’d get mown down by being in the wrong place. I thought about putting the lifejacket on, but was more concerned that I’d tip myself out of the kayak retrieving it from the nose, and there was no-one to hear my scream (sounds over dramatic, but I was starting to get a little concerned by now) and if I came out of the kayak I’d have to go to the edge to get in, and that’s where the alligators live!

Anyway, the drama was soon over as a double kayak paddled up from behind and asked if I knew where the Blue Gator was – brilliant, I was probably still travelling in the right direction, hadn’t massively overshot the pick-up place and would not die of exhaustion or exposure or be eaten by an alligator! They soon paddled off around the corner, and after not too long people were in gardens and I’ve never been to happy to hear road noise in my life – the restaurant and the end was in sight, and so was DS1. Turns out it was just over an extra mile and a half from where I’d left the tubers, and he’d been waiting about 20 minutes having happily kayaked down with a few others!

It was an absolutely brilliant day, cost just over £20/person (although I can’t remember if that included the $5 each cash payment to get into the National Park) and would really recommend it to anyone and everyone. I’m very fat and unfit and had never kayaked before (other than a small practice at Bryan) and still managed to paddle 5.5 miles with no ill effects the next day (although it would’ve been a whole lot harder if I’d had to do it upstream!).
We stopped at a Wawa for drinks and snacks, and once again wondered at why everything always has to be so big, and this isn’t even the biggest size!



Back to the Poor Quality Inn before meeting up with the family for the Easter weekend – meals out, unlimited sushi, easter egg hunts at the Harley Davison place, pools, play, trampolines and catching up – it was fantastic and before we knew it we were packing up ready to move on to our final destination.

Edited at 09:40 AM.
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Old 13 May 22, 07:38 AM  
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katebush95
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Another great couple of days. I think I would have been panicking on that Kayak 😫
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Old 14 May 22, 06:59 PM  
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Twinkle-Dolphin
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Loving your trip report
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