Day 5: And Then, It's All Over
We went down to the clubhouse to check out, but the manager is 'at a meeting'. They'll leave a note about our complaint and our question of recompensation, they said - yeah, right. I'm still annoyed ethically, but I don't think I'm tied to it emotionally any more.
Before we got on the highway, we stopped at the Black Bear Diner one last time - because when I went to get souvenirs, apparently the clerk left the pen on the desk. So I paid twice - but it's a cool bear pen. Rowwwhhhhr.
Drive to the airport is on a regular road, and not Space Mountain - so it was uneventful. Got off the highway to fill up the gas tank, and then dropped off the car at the Hertz window. Rode the shuttle bus back to the airport, cleared security, then stopped at the Burger King inside. (Noted that there were TWO Starbucks there.) Played some pass-n-play Scrabble until the flight boarded. It wasn't full, but it was pretty packed. We barely managed to hold onto our empty middle seat - we both leaned in and made it look inhospitable. I think I slept most of the way to Denver.
Denver's airport is weird. Kind of flat, with kind of a minimum of structure. There were peoplemovers right there next to the gate - they never do that. Kind of an airport-in-a-box. We saw separate buildings for a few of the airlines with their logos on them. Weird.
Last flight to Midway was uneventful, and quiet. We were both awake, so after the seatbelt light went off, I picked up my PSP and she picked up her new Sony Reader. Time flew fast.
One comment here, though - Chicago is freaking huge. Once we got in the area, there were networks of lights all the way to the horizon. Every way the plan turned, it looked like a flat version of a Christmas tree. Urban sprawl is far more effectively observed from the air. It was really kind of staggering, how big Chicago is.
Our luggage made it intact - each of us had one souvenir break on us, but it was all small stuff and mostly fixable. My Dad, bless his heart, drove out to pick us up at 11PM - and that after his getting up at 5:30AM on Monday to drive us out there. He's a gem, he is.
Home felt good - not the special and exotic good of the resort, but the familiar and reassuring good of home. Home-home, not resort-home.
I post-dated some of the links to match the dates we did things - so in case you missed them, here is a list of all the journal entries:
Vacation Prep
Day 1-2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Not gonna do some lame 'what we learned' thing - so trite. But it was really fun, and I look forward to our next vacation. Which I think we're slating for 2011 or so. :D
Before we got on the highway, we stopped at the Black Bear Diner one last time - because when I went to get souvenirs, apparently the clerk left the pen on the desk. So I paid twice - but it's a cool bear pen. Rowwwhhhhr.
Drive to the airport is on a regular road, and not Space Mountain - so it was uneventful. Got off the highway to fill up the gas tank, and then dropped off the car at the Hertz window. Rode the shuttle bus back to the airport, cleared security, then stopped at the Burger King inside. (Noted that there were TWO Starbucks there.) Played some pass-n-play Scrabble until the flight boarded. It wasn't full, but it was pretty packed. We barely managed to hold onto our empty middle seat - we both leaned in and made it look inhospitable. I think I slept most of the way to Denver.
Denver's airport is weird. Kind of flat, with kind of a minimum of structure. There were peoplemovers right there next to the gate - they never do that. Kind of an airport-in-a-box. We saw separate buildings for a few of the airlines with their logos on them. Weird.
Last flight to Midway was uneventful, and quiet. We were both awake, so after the seatbelt light went off, I picked up my PSP and she picked up her new Sony Reader. Time flew fast.
One comment here, though - Chicago is freaking huge. Once we got in the area, there were networks of lights all the way to the horizon. Every way the plan turned, it looked like a flat version of a Christmas tree. Urban sprawl is far more effectively observed from the air. It was really kind of staggering, how big Chicago is.
Our luggage made it intact - each of us had one souvenir break on us, but it was all small stuff and mostly fixable. My Dad, bless his heart, drove out to pick us up at 11PM - and that after his getting up at 5:30AM on Monday to drive us out there. He's a gem, he is.
Home felt good - not the special and exotic good of the resort, but the familiar and reassuring good of home. Home-home, not resort-home.
I post-dated some of the links to match the dates we did things - so in case you missed them, here is a list of all the journal entries:
Vacation Prep
Day 1-2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Not gonna do some lame 'what we learned' thing - so trite. But it was really fun, and I look forward to our next vacation. Which I think we're slating for 2011 or so. :D