Day 15 – Al and Ray’s Excellent Adventure: “Lost Luggage, Gondola Glory, and Al from Tallahassee??”
We kicked off the day with a breakfast worthy of royalty (or at least brunch royalty). I had avocado toast so fancy it probably has its own social media account—topped with crispy potatoes and a poached egg that was cooked to perfection. Ray had ricotta French toast that looked like a dessert had disguised itself as breakfast and gotten away with it.
We made some new friends from the San Francisco area—because nothing bonds strangers like good carbs and caffeine. Then I met up with my friend Mike, who was volunteering at the convention. While heading back to our hotel to grab the car, three women suddenly pointed at me and yelled:
“AL FROM TALLAHASSEE!!”
Now, I don’t think I’m famous… but for a second, I wondered if I had accidentally become a meme. Turns out, my friend Jason’s mom from Boston told them to look for me at the convention. A convention with approximately 50,000 to 60,000 people. Mission: accomplished. Fame level: Tallahassee Local Legend. 😎
On the way back, a couple of confused guys from Barbados were having a hard time finding their hotel. The poor guy had an Android phone with no Google Maps. That’s like owning a car with no steering wheel. Rather than download an app and become his tech support, I just entered the address in my phone, snapped a pic of the directions, and handed him his new treasure map. Problem solved.
Then three more women stopped us, asking where the Fairmont was. I said, “Follow us—we’re headed there!” Turns out they were from Delray Beach but originally from New York. We also met folks from Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Basically, Vancouver’s been temporarily annexed by the tri-state area. Yankees are feeling right at home.
After a quick regroup at the hotel, we hit the road to Whistler Mountain. We ran into a little traffic, but compared to yesterday, it was a breeze—like LA on a good day, or NYC during a blackout.
I took the gondola all the way up to the top of Whistler. When I say top, I mean “30 minutes of dangling in a box over a mountain.” The views were breathtaking. Even more impressive were the fearless bikers—kids, adults, and even a woman in a wheelchair-bike contraption—just tearing it up. Some of those kids were higher than the gondola! (Literally, not metaphorically… although…)
This was a big bucket list item for me, so I’m thrilled we made it. The only thing I didn’t get to do was the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which may still happen on Sunday—as long as it doesn’t involve driving through pitch-black woods like some horror movie extra with haunted deer.
From there, we made a stop at Shannon Falls—beautiful scenery and way easier hiking than yesterday. The falls were beautiful. What was even more noticeable, though, was the strong smell of… let’s call it "botanical enthusiasm." I didn’t see anyone actively lighting up, but I passed a few folks who smelled like they live in a van with Bob Marley playing 24/7. Nature meets nature, I guess. 🌿
We grabbed some Chinese food near the falls. It was… fine. Ray’s chicken chow mein got a solid “meh,” and my sesame tofu was tolerably okay. Not every meal’s a home run.
Finally made it back to the hotel—exhausted, and ready to relax—only to discover that our luggage was missing from both rooms. That little panic moment hit hard. But after 10-15 tense minutes, the missing bags reappeared, like runaway teenagers finally coming home.
The convention officially kicks off tonight at midnight—in our hotel. If I wake up, I might make a surprise appearance in my pajamas. If not, I’ll roll in tomorrow morning looking like a slightly more alert version of myself.
Not sure how much blog-worthy material I’ll have over the next few days with the convention in full swing, but hey—you never know when another random group of strangers will yell my name on the street.
Stay tuned. 😎
