Bowmansville

I think I have successfully passed my love of hotels along to my kids. All day it was about getting to the hotel - and it did not disappoint.

The day started with an “on brand” lazy Karpetz morning. Nana helped us finish packing and load the kids into the car. Just after noon we hit the Gardiner amongst heavy rain and light traffic. Mel was on full offence with awesome snacks, sugary surprises and a Disney sing along track.

We got to the customs plaza in 1.5 hours and schooled the kids on border etiquette. This was our first time crossing the border as a big happy queer family. At airports we often split up. Mel and I got hassled heading into the US in 2014 and it has stuck with us. A customs officer said we were not a family in their country and asked us to separate and cross as individuals. We did. Since then, Single Mom + kid = no problem. Two Moms + 2 kids = ??? Separating to cross the land border is inconvenient and we hoped unnecessary. Luckily, or perhaps because it is 2022, we had no trouble.

The reason for the land border is we are unable to fly internationally. Malcolm’s passport application is stuck in the queue somewhere in Ottawa. A birth certificate is sufficient for a child entering at a land border. It is one of the reasons we chose to go to Disney. Without a passport we were precluded from last minute all inclusive type vacations or cruises. We will fly to Orlando from Buffalo.

The American (and Canadian) flags are all at half mast in recognition of the lives lost in the mass shooting that happened in a local grocery store Saturday. The shooter was a white male targeting black people in a predominantly black neighbourhood. President Biden will be arriving in Buffalo tomorrow. We are 1.5 hours from Toronto but in many important ways we are far from home.

Disney is a total surprise! Buffalo is our cover story. The kids know they have a week off of school and we are on a big adventure to Buffalo. Malcolm understands Buffalo is a city and has indicated he is most excited to find ice cream. We are not sure what Eleanor understands but she asks very bizarre questions leading us to believe she thinks Buffalo is a movie or TV show.

Upon arriving early afternoon we spent two hours outlet mall shopping, one hour at Target and then hit an Olive Garden for dinner. The best parts of being in Buffalo to be sure. Malcolm struggled to eat because he had a very wobbly tooth. Eleanor spent the entire hour in Target’s Barbie aisle. We told her we would take pictures of everything she wants for her birthday - which was everything. So most of my Buffalo photos are pictures of Target’s expansive Barbie aisle.

Finally, after many hours of increasingly frantic pleading we arrived at the hotel. The Salvatore Garden Motel and Hotel is best described as an over the top Italian banquet hall with Las Vegas ambitions. The kids are completely awestruck, finding the outlandish gawdy decor absolutely thrilling.

It is 11 PM, kids are asleep, Malcolm has a tooth under his pillow and the tooth fairy is getting her USD ready. The Target purchases has been incorporated into the luggage. Tomorrow we start the day with the Salvatore Garden Motel and Hotel’s complimentary hot breakfast (…really not sure what to expect) then a 9:30 airport shuttle will take us the 7 minutes to the Buffalo International airport. Pearson has newsworthy line-ups on account of staff shortages with Air Canada staff suggesting 5 hours is required for many to get to their flights. In addition to the Olive Garden’s salad, a silver lining of flying out of Buffalo is the US has more human beings than Canada and does not appear to be experiencing the same staff shortages. With the President coming tomorrow and young maniacs we are giving ourselves a healthy 2.5 hours for a domestic flight.

Have a magical night.Read more