Wednesday 10 July
Ross decided we should set off early this morning, as we have to have the motorhome back by 11am. I am exhausted! He woke me at 7am, and we had left the KOA by 7.30am. Despite Belle not being well and our lack of sleep, the day went incredibly smoothly. There was no cereal, bread or yoghurt left, so everyone had a piece of fruit for breakfast as we drove. Our trip to Linden went smoothly, with no traffic delays. I folded blankets and sheets as Ross drove, and we were there with a clean RV full of “gas” (petrol) before 10am.
The inspection showed up a miniature crack in the windscreen for which we were charged $50, but we were not charged for other problems we had found along the way and rang in about (like a broken blind, hole in a cupboard due to another cupboard with no working latch bashing into it as we drove, rip in an awning on the outside). We were transported to Newark Airport at 11am, in plenty of time for our 2pm flight.
I had purchased at JR’s a metal star painted with the American flag across it, keen to hang it on a wall at home as a souvenir. We discovered late last night it would not fit in the bag we purchased at Kmart, or any of our other pieces of luggage for that matter. When we were checking in at Newark, I asked the lady behind the counter (called Desiree) if there was any way I could get it on the plane as Ross was telling me to leave it behind. Desiree went and found me boxes big enough to package it up so the sharp metal corners of the star wouldn’t be a problem, but then informed me as it was an extra piece of luggage to be checked through (we are entitled to one bag each), I would have to pay $40. The star cost me $12. So I told her my husband wouldn’t let me take it, and the kind woman offered to post it to me later. Instead, I gave it to her. She was so thankful! She thanked me three times for blessing her with it, and of her desire to travel to Australia one day (everyone except for one lady in NY has said that to us in conversation). So while I was a little devastated to not be able to take my souvenir home, I feel it will be well looked after in Desiree’s home!
We sat in the arrivals, not departures, lounge to eat and drink leftovers from the RV – we learnt going to NY from LA that as soon as you go through security screening they make you throw out liquids. So we had an early lunch of cookies, chips, Coke cans and water bottles. Ross bought me an awesome wooden puzzle of the states that I had seen near the restroom, to make me feel better about giving up my star.
Our flight was delayed due to bad weather in Boston. This flight is in two parts – Newark to Boston at 2pm, then Boston to Dallas at 6.30pm. And there is the kicker: the one city I was devastated about missing out on was Boston, and now I get to sit in Boston Airport for a few hours!! Our 2pm flight finally left just after 3pm. Once landed, we strolled leisurely to our next gate, stopping at Johnny Rocket’s for burgers and fries for lunch. I let the kids choose my meal for me, and ended up with a burger containing a meat patty, bacon, cheese, and onion rings…never again…
That flight was also delayed due to weather, giving the kids some time to play in a little airplane-themed playground. We boarded just before 7pm, but then had to wait for another half hour on the tarmac before we were allowed to fly. The flights were both incredibly smooth and quicker than the stated length of time. About an hour before we landed, Belle was burning up and crying because her “brain was hot”. We had kept the medicine up until we boarded, but packed it in the suitcase thinking we weren’t allowed to take it in cabin luggage. I had already stripped her to cool her down and was just sitting watching her breathing, but as she was upset I went to see if the flight attendants had anything I could give her. They had no liquid medicine, but crushed up half a Tylenol tablet for her in juice. She only had a little of it, but then slept a little better on my lap until we landed. Ross and I were both feeling guilty for expressing out loud the other night our wonderment at no one being ill!!!!
We landed in Dallas after 11pm, and after collecting our baggage took a few minutes to discover where the car rental place was. They have a shuttle bus to take car renters to another building 7 minutes away. There was such a queue for Hertz and only one customer service rep, so it took a while to claim our pre-booked vehicle. The kids were hungry as after our 4.30pm airport lunch, they had only had snacks on the plane, so I gave them more chips and cookies to finish off…at 11.30pm… This does not sit well with me and would never happen at home!! Our routine has been out the window while here, and we have subjected the kids to some strange meal times!
The time it took to get the SUV gave me time to ring around and find a hotel for the night. One I rang was expensive, 4 others didn’t answer the phone, one was booked out, so ‘Country Inn and Suites’ was the winner. It was 11 miles from the airport. I booked two rooms and we arrived and dropped into our beds at 1.30am!!