By Joe Rector
We left for our bus tour to Niagara Falls on Sunday afternoon. The vehicle pulled in at Walmart in Turkey Creek, and we unloaded our luggage from our car and waited to board. Before long, the entire group arrived. Canes, walkers, and other support items were stored along with suitcases underneath the tour bus. We boarded and began what would be a geriatric jaunt. Plenty of unforeseen things came with this long trip.
The bus was comfortable enough. On the first day, those of us who boarded in Knoxville rode for about six hours; the second day was another 12-hour ride with stops along the way. As we pulled out of the hotel parking lot, the smell of burning rubber became apparent. Sure enough, the bus had a flat tire. The tire was fixed in short order, and we were on our way to the first site. Not enough compliments can be poured on our bus driver. Cathy handled the bus as if it were a compact car and wasted no time piling up the miles. She also called out some of the folks who continued to talk when our guides were talking. I told her she should have been a teacher.
My dear wife didn’t fare so well that day. She stood to make room for another passenger who wanted to stuff her bag in an overhead compartment. Suddenly, a metal cup that the passenger had on the side of the bag shot out and hit Amy square in the forehead. She spent the day with a bruised lump that is still a bit sore.
The accommodations left plenty to be desired. Our first motel was older, but we were so tired that most fell into bed and rested. The place we stayed the next three nights was a disaster. When a vehicle pulls into a motel and the only light outside the place is at the front door, it’s time to worry. Only half a dozen vehicles were parked in the lot, another warning sign. Those drivers were spending their time in the bar.
With keys in hand, weary travelers made way to rooms. When Amy opened our door, we were greeted with a smell that resembled a combination of cigarette smoke, wet dogs and mold. The wallpaper was peeling, and places where water had invaded were evident around the windows. The bathroom was another disaster, with more peeling and bubbling wallpaper covered with what appeared to be black mold.
I’m not a nice person sometimes. I blew a fuse about the disgusting room. When our guides came in, I pulled back a piece of wallpaper and showed them the mold growing on it. I pointed out the failed patch jobs around the doors and windows. Come to find out, our room wasn’t supposed to be occupied because repairs were being made. That was a lie, but I was too tired to argue. The next room we entered felt wet. Even the bedding had a damp feeling that made us wary, but Amy and I knew that we’d not get a better room by complaining more.
On our second night, we were served dinner at this place. A buffet was set up in the hallway. It offered such wonderful things as chicken thighs, catfish in butter and lemon sauce, macaroni and tomatoes. For dessert, we received a cup of red Jell-O topped with instant chocolate pudding. While we fiddled with this poor attempt at a delicious treat, servers collected plates and scraped them into containers placed right beside our table.
Wednesday was Amy’s birthday, and I was excited to give her presents and spend the day touring Toronto and a castle located there. Instead, her allergies were set off by the poor room conditions and had her sneezing, wheezing and coughing. She ran through a box of tissues, and I was sure she’d be visiting the doctor when we returned home.
Worst of all, Amy ran a fever during the night, and the other woes that go with an allergy attack continued. The next morning, the bus pulled out for Niagara Falls. Amy and I sat in the disgusting room; she was too sick to make the trip to the destination for which we joined this tour.
We still have a day of travel to Cleveland before returning to Knoxville. Amy and I will go home without having marked off a bucket list item. We’ll pick up our dogs on Sunday. A huge chunk of change had been laid out for what turned into a disastrous journey. I appreciate the kindness of Pam and Kim, our guides, but two things are guaranteed. One is that we won’t take another tour with this company that did such a terrible job of booking rooms. The second thing is that I won’t spend another night in a Best Western with no lights and moldy rooms.
P.S. We arrived home, and one traveler called to tell us she tested positive for Covid. I’ve been ill for two days now, so I at least came home with one souvenir from the trip.
