All duties completed

My tour guide duties have officially ended. Thirty minutes ago my parent's flight departed Toronto airport bound for Vancouver. Poor Dad looks totally exhausted but he swears he's had a wonderful vacation.

It's certainly been a special time for everyone.  I'm thrilled it's all gone to plan and ultimately exceeded expectations all round.  My parents loved the itinerary I pulled together for them.  The weather has also played it part. We've enjoyed daily sunshine with only two rainy day, both of which had indoor itineraries scheduled. To be honest I'm astonished that the activity I planned consistently delivered memorable highlights every day. Nothing proved a dud choice.

I'm now monitoring their flight's progress using an app on my iPhone called Flight Aware. It literally shows the plane's progress in real time, including any route changes mid flight. For example, I know that they've just changed altitude and are currently cruising at 37,500 feet over Lake Michigan. It's astonishing what you can do via the internet these days.

As for me, my flight to Los Angeles departs about 90 minutes from now. I've also heard overnight that my seat from Los Angeles to Sydney was upgraded to business class. A lie-flat bed will be the perfect way to rest and recover after an intensive tour guide gig.

UPDATE: September 30
We've all arrived safely home.  My brother tells me my Dad is in good spirits and full of stories about his adventures in Canada.