Yeah, I figured we'd get access to the chocobos relatively quickly since the Chocobo Ranch was the next location after Kalm in the original game, so I didn't go too far out of my way until I got there.
Also, I'm kinda glad they simplified weapons in this game. I didn't need a Crystarium for all my weapons in Remake, so just having a bonus ability and skill associated with each weapon is good enough for me.
http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/080/145/638.png