Once we landed we got off first and sashayed down to the baggage area in the beautifully native open air airport. The warm breezes blew through our hair, we felt refreshed, rested, pampered and ready to play. We got our bags and even though I forgot to make our car reservation my husband did what he does best and got our original deal and we walked out to get in our Chrysler 300.
Our first stop was Costco, because we heard that the islands are very expensive so we stocked up on water, soda, Maui potato chips, Maui vegetable chips, macadamia nuts, wine, sliced cured meats, cheeses, crackers and pumpkin muffins. It was so crowded in there and after checking out it was about 20 deep before the door checkers did their once over on our cart. Little did we know that Veterans Day is a big Costco party on the island and EVERYONE goes there.
We drove along the coast to our hotel for about 40 minutes and enjoyed the beautiful coastline and unimproved mountainsides. Then all of a sudden like a scene out of the "Wizard of Oz" the towering hotels appeared. One after another more beautiful than the next. We pulled into our hotel and let the bellman load up the luggage and Costco supplies for which they had a large plastic container ready for the occasion. We were pleased to find out that valet parking was only $12 per day (my husband had just paid $23 a day to self park in Washington DC the day before).
Our room wasn't ready so we hung out at one of the 3 very large elaborate pools and had pinacolatas until our oceanfront room on the 8th floor was ready. The room was equipped with a frig, microwave, dishes, king bed, couch, desk, flatscreen tv and a lanai. I must say the room was adequate but the view was priceless.
Our next three days we explored, walked along the beach, shopped, ate, relaxed under the palm trees and read, reveled in the beautiful sunsets as the waves crashed. We didn't set an alarm and slept until we wanted. Heaven.
The air was so clean, and to my surprise the ocean didn't have that awful fishy, salty smelly aroma. So when the last day arrived I reluctantly packed and tried to drink all the rest of the sodas and water before we checked out at 10 am. Our flight was at 2:30 pm and as everyone in our family knows my husband must be at the airport at least two hours prior to departure. All of a sudden we weren't looking at each other with "island eyes" and we had our first tiff on the way to the airport. We dropped off the car, went through security and I looked at my watch to reveal it was 11:15 am. Only three hours til takeoff. We ate at Burger King and that took up 15 minutes and gave me heartburn. Got out our books and read for the next 3 hours.
Our plane was on time and I began looking forward to the first class treatment again. The signs were there for this day but I was ignoring them - tifs, Burger King, and once on board the food was not real good and the ride was bumpy. We began to approach our desinated arrival time when the pilot made an announcement. "We are sorry folks, we have been watching the weather for the last 45 minutes but it looks as though San Diego is socked in with dense fog and we are going to be diverted to LAX (Los Angeles)".
What happened to "and they lived happily ever after"? Here's your happily ever after. We landed at LAX on the south 40 where we had to take a bus to the tarmac, climb two flights of stairs with all our carry-ons (plus one little old lady (Betty) who needed help) walk 1-2 miles through the airport to a baggage claim, get our bags and try to figure out what they were doing with us. It was determined that Alaska hired buses to take us back to San Diego. It was now a 13 hour trip and we are staring at another 3-4 hours before we could get in our home.
We schlepted our bags and Betty's bags and Betty (84 years old) and made our way to the bus. It took 45 minutes just to get out of LAX and get on the 405. Our bus driver must have been a former NASCAR wannabee as he put he foot on the accelerator and never let up - even when we hit the fog - even when there were cars in front of us. This took about 10 years off my rapidly declining life. The island breezes only a distant memory and I wished I had gone to the bathroom (a lesson I should have learned from my last bus ride!) and gotten a bottle of water. Where were the warm hand towels, the drinks with umbrellas? Forget that stuff I was concentrating on my prayers as I was convinced that the beautiful trip we just took was our swan song and now came the payment for our FREE trip.
By the grace of someone we found the airport - not before our driver almost missed the exit and swerved 3 lanes to get off. We told him to follow the other buses in front of him and like a scene out of the Keystone Kops we (all ten buses) drove through the commuter terminal and wound around in a circle and out again to Terminal one next door. It was now 2am. We got off the bus, collected our luggage, Betty's luggage, Betty and walked across the bridge to the shuttle pickup place. No one was there to get Betty so we found her a shuttle, got her settled on a bench and crossed our fingers. We found our shuttle to the parking lot that stored our car and of course we were the last ones to be dropped off.
The old explorer didn't want to start, but with a little perseverance it starts and we drive home without stopping. We get in the house, throw our bags down, don't unpack and jump into bed. 3 am. At 6:45 am the phone rings and my husband is off and running back in the real world. I call my eye doctor and tell them I can't make my 10 am appointment and go back to sleep. I wake up at 10 am, start the laundry, go to the eye doctor, unpack, go to the bank, go to the grocery store, go to the drug store and then...
start packing cause tomorrow at 7:50 am I fly to Sacramento. I have set the alarm for 5am (3am Hawaiian time) cause we have to leave for the airport to meet the two hour window. YIKES.
BEE AFRAID - If it looks too good to be true...
