Road Trip – OLD & NEW ADVENTURES – Day 17 – Scary, stormy flight in tiny plane then home

[anji]

Road Trip – OLD & NEW ADVENTURES – Day 17 – Scary, stormy flight in tiny plane then home

We were woken at 4am by heavy rain, thunder and lightning. Not a good sign for our flight to Tampa this morning!

I turned on the tv and they were saying there had just been 5000 lightning strikes in the last 15 minutes in the Tampa area – OMG! Everglades City, where we had been, had just had 7 inches of rain overnight! We’d been very lucky avoiding rain of any great amount the whole holiday – not today though ☹

The cab came to pick us up on time and took us to the airport. Our flight with Silver Airways was for 9.15am. The line for check in wasn’t exactly huge but we’ve never waited so long. The system was crazy in that the staff had to get the boarding passes off a printer elsewhere! Flights were obviously very delayed or cancelled this morning so they were overworked and under stress too.

Eventually we were checked in and said goodbye to our bags. We went through security and into the lounge. Although the weather wasn’t that bad in Key West (at that time) the storm had closed Tampa airport, so we just had to wait. There was about half an hour of extreme rain then and the water started to mount up. There was no way we were going to make our yummy lunch reservation at Columbia at Ybor City, so I cancelled it ☹

We could see the plane was only tiny and a prop plane. Everyone got chatting and exchanging information. Eventually at 12.15pm we were called to go to the plane. We literally paddled our way out and found it was a 36 seater plane with 2 seats on one side and 1 on the other! I was sat just in front of the propeller with Will next to me. For the next hour I squeezed his hand to a pulp!

After takeoff I could see for about a minute what a beautiful flight this should have been – then we were in the black clouds until about another minute before we landed in Tampa! So much for scenic flight. To be honest, I did expect to be bounced around more than we actually were but it was still a horrible, but thankfully a short flight.

We landed at Tampa with a splash about 1.30pm. I was so grateful to have landed safely. By the time we’d got our cases it was far too late to get the car we’d planned for the day, so we went across to explain we didn’t need it.

So our last afternoon in Florida was spent in Tampa airport instead of our favourite restaurant and driving around for a bit. At least we weren’t delayed enough to miss our flight home!

Our BA flight took off only half an hour late in the end, pretty good! We arrived back at Gatwick at 7.15am local time after a good flight. I managed to sleep a fair bit, Will not so much. We collected the car and then back home via the cattery to pickup a very happy kitty!

Today was election day (last year we came back on referendum day!) so we popped out to vote and lasted until 10pm before going to bed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these reports and so apologise for the delay in finishing them! Please just ask if you’ve any questions at all.

Only another 7 months to go until our New England Road Trip – can’t wait!

Index here - https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...4#post12643444

[Carpgirl]

Not a great last day, but what a great trip!

[sandshal]

Just read your whole report and loved it. We love the keys and AMI so it was a great read. Love the keys motel type places, have stayed at the ragged edge and breezy palms in Islamorada and always stay at the Best Western Hibiscus in KW, it is a chain but really doesn't have a chain feel, great price too.

Now off to take a look at prices for that place you stayed in in Key Largo.

Thanks again Sharon

[sandshal]

Oh and were using Silver airlines for the first time next trip too ... Scary stuff!

[anji]

Originally Posted by sandshal

Just read your whole report and loved it. We love the keys and AMI so it was a great read. Love the keys motel type places, have stayed at the ragged edge and breezy palms in Islamorada and always stay at the Best Western Hibiscus in KW, it is a chain but really doesn't have a chain feel, great price too.

Now off to take a look at prices for that place you stayed in in Key Largo.

Thanks again Sharon

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Glad you liked it. I know I recommended the Seafarer in Key Largo but we also stayed at the Blackfin in Marathon, which I would recommend too. We love the little motels!

[anji]

Originally Posted by sandshal

Oh and were using Silver airlines for the first time next trip too ... Scary stuff!

See more...

Sure it would have been just wonderful without the storm! Hope your flight is ok.

[Hil]

I’ve just binge read the whole trip and really enjoyed re-visiting all our favorite places in Florida with you, as well as reading about places we haven’t yet discovered but which are now firmly on our to do list!
Thanks for a great read!