Traveling Woes

From Maui 2009

Well, we finally made it to Hawaii.  It seems like the first couple of days were spent trouble shooting, and unfortunately, we lost 2 days of our vacation.

Day 1:  Get up at 3 am in order to get ready and to the airport on time.  Everything goes smoothly, but when we got there, our flight was delayed.  We weren’t worried because we had a 3 hour lay over in Salt Lake City (which By The Way, is NOT on the way to Hawaii from California!)  They kept pushing back the time of our flight, and after waiting in the airport for 4 hours, they sent us home to try again the next day.  Not good.  And  yes, we still had to pay for our parking that day.

 

We went home and slept.  When we got up, we decided to go back to Fresno and spend the night in case there was early morning fog.  Also, we could leave our car at the hotel for a park and fly instead of at the airport.

 

Day 2:  We get a call from our son who is already at the airport and he has forgotten his ID.  Now I’m not happy because we have to drive him back to his house about 15-20 minutes from the airport to get the ID.  As it turns out, the guy at the ticket counter tells him not to worry about it, that he can make it through on his expired drivers licence and a few questions.  We’re all set – until we get to the ticket counter and I realize that I don’t have my ID.  I can’t believe this, and all I can think is that I left it in the jacket I had on the first day, but left it at home.  I am now prepared to send my family off to Hawaii and drive back to Visalia yet again, but I get through security and we figure all is well.

 

Now, I’m worried about not having my drivers licence because not only do I not have any ID with me, I cannot get the rental car nor cash any of the travelers checks, which are all in my name.  We figure we will have the person who is watching our house overnight the ID to us at the resort.  Somewhat inconvenient, but doable.

 

Right before we get on the plane, we find out that my driver’s license is not at home, so I figure maybe it got tossed in my carry on.  We land in Salt Lake City (again, WHY did we have to go to Utah before Hawaii??) and it is 4 degrees.  FOUR!  I’m from California – I have NEVER seen 4 degrees.  Not only that, this airplane lets us off outside and we have to walk on the icy ground to the air terminal.  I would never make it in that weather.

 

We land in Kahului and take a shuttle over to the car rental.  They tell us there is nothing they can do for us.  They are willing to rent to my son (for a higher price, of course), but then we discover that his license is expired.  Oh brother!  We take a shuttle back to the airport and our shuttle driver tells us that we can make a police report and that should be able to work for us to rent a car.  So, after speaking to a couple of different airport police, someone finally gives me the number to the Maui police and they say they will send someone out to make a report and that I should wait curbside.  After standing in the wind for 45 minutes, I call back the police department, and they tell me that the officer is on an emergency and they don’t know how long it will be.  I tell them I will call again after I get to my hotel.

From Maui 2009

 

We end up taking a shuttle to our resort, and finally get here after dark.  I still have no ID, no car, and can’t even cash any travelers checks because they are all in my name.  After we check in, I call the Maui police again, and a nice officer calls me back within ½ hour and takes the report over the phone.  He faxes the report to me at the resort.

 

Day 3:  We get up, have breakfast and go out to the pool.  I start calling rental places, and most of them tell me no, they will not rent a car to me.  Finally, a very nice man at Budget tells me he can get me a car, but not until later that afternoon.  He calls me back later and tells me he can still get the car, but that the place on this side of the island will be closed for a few days, so I will need to get back to the airport – which is on the other side of the island.

 

So, the family decides we will take the buses over to the airport.  The first bus takes us to Whaler’s village, which is a great place to shop and eat.  The next bus takes us to a couple of different stops in  Lahaina where you can go grocery shopping, go to the warf, and do just about anything you would want to do in Maui.  The third bus takes us over to Kahului where there is the DMV, the airport, and the mall.  By this time, we are thinking, “Do we need a car?”  Yes, the shuttle to and from the airport is $70, but a car rental is between $120 and 150 a day.  Bus rides are a dollar.  We decide we will not need a car this trip.  We have just saved ourselves hundreds of dollars.  The buses run until 8 at night, and even if we have to take a taxi home, it is still cheaper than renting a car and you don’t have to worry about parking anywhere. 

 

OK, so we’re glad that we don’t have to rent the car, but I still can’t cash my travelers’ checks!  AND, I’m hoping my police report will serve as adequate ID to get me back on the plane to go home!

From Maui 2009