Boating on Pyramid Lake Angeles National Forest

Our family was recently invited by our friends Elvia and Sean Shepherd and their young son to drive up to Pyramid Lake for a day of picnicking and boating. Sean had the use of his boss’ speedboat, and our three sons and we were looking forward to spending the afternoon tooling about on the huge and picturesque lake, which is located about an hour’s drive north of Los Angeles in the Angeles and Los Padres National Forest on Piru Creek.

The last time Sean had taken the boat out for a spin, he had been a little concerned that it seemed to be running a bit rough and mentioned it to his employer, who assured him that the vessel had recently had a complete overhaul and was operating perfectly now.

Our not-quite-seaworthy vessel

The drive up the 5 freeway was mostly uneventful, save for a few obligatory “are we there yets?” from the boys, and in a little over an hour’s time we were parked and headed down to the boat launch and dock area.

Once we had all donned life vests and were aboard our little vessel, Sean started up the engine. It sputtered to life and he opened up the throttle. I expected to take off at a high rate of speed across the crystal-blue lake, but that was not the case. The motor was sounding pretty rough, and Sean couldn’t seem to get the boat to travel faster than maybe 20 miles per hour. He did not look happy at all.

I slathered on some sunscreen, adjusted my hat, and settled back in the boat to catch some rays while chatting with Sean’s wife, Elvia. The boys were a little bit disappointed that the boat wasn’t moving faster but still they were happy to be out on the open water.

We trolled about for a while, admiring the beautiful pyramidal rock formations around the lake, and gradually headed towards the barbeque/picnic/beach area on the far side of the lake. I had made and packed hamburgers and potato salad and Elvia had brought fruit salad. It took quite a while to reach the shore, and I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or if the boat sounded even worse and seemed to be traveling ever more slowly through the water.

The boys rafting on Pyramid Lake

LAND HO!! We finally reached the dock and the boys assisted Sean with lashing the boat to the moorings. Elvia and I unloaded our picnic supplies and managed to find an unoccupied picnic table and barbeque grill in the tree-shaded picnic area close to the shore. We unpacked the food and got the grill going while the boys waded and played in the water with inflatable canoes and paddles.

There was a bit of a commotion coming from the general vicinity of the restroom area a few hundred feet to our left. The boys went over to investigate and discovered that the source of the excitement was a dead (thankfully!) rattlesnake curled up next to the path leading to the restrooms. A couple of kids were poking it with a stick and attempting to pick it up and scare each other with it. I shuddered and made a mental note to not stray too far away from our HOPEFULLY snake-free picnic area.

After tossing the burgers on the grill, it dawned on me: I hadn’t brought a spatula. Hmm. That was going to make things quite a bit more difficult. I looked around and noticed another picnic table and grill a few hundred feet away that definitely looked as if someone were using it. There were coolers, Tupperware containers and other supplies, but not a soul in sight. Maybe the picnicking family was out on the water somewhere? I looked around again, and slowly made my way over to their table. If they had a spatula, I thought, I’d simply borrow it, flip the burgers and bring it right back. No harm done. But I didn’t see one in plain sight. Feeling slightly like a thief, I began to poke around, looking in their containers and coolers until I finally uncovered a spatula. Glancing over my shoulder and seeing no one, I removed it and scurried back to our grill. Hopefully I’d be able to return it before the family returned.

My husband grills lunch with our "borrowed" spatula

With the help of our borrowed spatula, we were able to enjoy a delicious lunch and relaxed in the shade of the picnic area while the boys rafted and played in the water for a while longer. Shortly afterward, Sean decided we should pack up and offered to drive us around to the other side of the lake to take in more of the fantastic scenery.

That was the worst decision of the day.

With considerable difficulty since the boat absolutely refused to budge above about 10 m.p.h., we oh-so-slowly wended our way back out onto the open water and towards the far side of the lake. Judging by the expression on Sean’s face, I could tell he was doing a slow burn and wondered whether this was the best idea. But I kept my mouth shut.

Our little vessel began to sputter and cough louder and louder, while moving more and more slowly. Finally the motor stalled completely. Sean moved to the back of the boat and attempted to bring it back to life, to no avail.

We were now drifting, moving slowly towards the rocky shore of the far side of the lake, furthest from the rangers’ station. There were no other boats, jet skis, or any people in sight. Suppressing a slightly panicked feeling, I pulled out my cell phone as Sean continued to try to start the motor again. No cell phone reception. My husband and Elvia also checked their cell phones. Again, no phone service. Uh-oh. What to do now?

They boys enjoying their lunch at the beach

I supposed all we could do was wait for another boat to come along and try to hail it. We tried to keep the boys calm and kept hoping that cell phone service would suddenly kick back in for one of us. But we were simply in too remote of an area.

After what I supposed was about 45 minutes of drifting and seeing no one who could possibly help us, Sean began to rummage around in the storage areas of the boat. And just like the spatula that so conveniently appeared–lo and behold!–he triumphantly held up an air horn that he’d discovered in the back.

Sean signaled a distress call with a few short and very LOUD blasts from the air horn, which echoed all the way across the lake. And thankfully, shortly thereafter, we spotted an L.A. County Sheriff’s patrol boat on the horizon headed towards us. We were saved!!

We and our boat get towed back to shore by the park ranger

The boat pulled up alongside us and Sean explained our situation to the ranger, who quickly produced a tow rope and handed it to Sean, who tied it to the front of our boat. Then all we had to do was sit back and relax as the patrol boat towed us slowly back to the dock. The kids all thought this was great fun, and we adults were just relieved that we didn’t get stranded for hours.

Pyramid Lake offers year-round recreation including boating, fishing, jet-skiing, water-skiing and camping in addition to its beaches and picnic facilities. If you have the opportunity, you should really enjoy this gorgeous spot. But please–make sure your boat is shipshape first before taking it out on the water.

Floridians, if you love Tampa, then forgive the rant; tourists who’ve found pleasure in the amusement park Busch Gardens or exploring the small Ybor City art district, I’m glad you enjoyed your stay. But we found Tampa to be troublesome in a number of ways on our recent summer family vacation/music tour travels.

First, there was rain. Now you can’t blame a city because you had bad weather, arrived after dark, and were struggling to find two separate performance venues in a sprawling town – and how many of you are going to be having that sort of an evening, anyway. But poorly marked street signs, poor water drainage, and poor lighting is something one has to note as the city’s responsibility, and all three of these factors made cross town travel somewhat daunting during a sudden downpour.

Second, there was traffic. Rush hour. Football game. Road construction, and again, the poorly marked signage. When leaving Tampa for St. Petersburg one of the main thoroughfares to accomplish this mission was – simply closed. Detours led in circles.

Third, there was finding a place to eat. Most of Tampa’s restaurants closed early; and many of the choices were chain restaurant style. With much of Tampa spread out in suburban style, looking for a particular spot took time. Distances were not easily walkable.

The lobby of the less-than-friendly Sheraton Westshore Tampa

Fourth, friendliness factor. Perhaps I’m being unfair, but of all the cities and small towns we passed through on our East Coast trip this past August, Tampa was the surly one. I had made a reservation on line through a discount site for the Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore, near Tampa’s airport. The hotel had misplaced the reservation and made me jump through hoops to retrieve my on-line confirmation from my email via the hotel’s business center. Our special rate included a buffet breakfast, but the desk staff argued over that one, saying that because our stay was on a weekend, it wasn’t valid. Did I mention we got in late, and had places to go? I let that one slide until the morning. Room service was not delivered with a smile either, and the prices were equivalent to that which you’d expect in New York or Boston. The hotel itself was touting a recent rehab, and the junior suites were comfortably sized. Still, with rooms facing an interior courtyard where canned music played all night long – we had to request a volume reduction, twice – and lumpy sofa beds, this was by far our least comfortable stay of the trip.

Fifth, grunge alert. I’m sure the shiny central skyscrapers are immune to this, and certainly a morning visit to a pristine Whole Foods for a picnic at the beach speaks to the fact that not all of Tampa needs a scrub. But in the area immediately adjoining Busch Gardens – surely a top tourist destination for the city – the chain restaurants, markets, gas stations, and mom and pop shops we stopped into asking directions were all somewhat worse for wear.

Sixth, sporting venue observation. While we were not in town to attend a football game, we were staying fairly near the vast stadium. And we couldn’t help but notice jammed parking lots, snarled traffic, and much, shall we say, kvetching among attendees. If you’re picking Tampa as your touchdown-town, allow plenty of time to get in and out of the stadium, and be prepared for satellite lot parking.

Seventh, things to see. We’d heard historic Ybor City had galleries, shops, and good restaurants. It does appear to have some nice looking and very busy bars and clubs — not a scene for families, though. And several restaurants certainly trump the chain fare closer to where we stayed. But on the whole this community has the vibe of a factory town that’s a bit down on its heels. Which was also the general feeling of Busch Gardens itself.

Winged creatures were one of the highlights in our Tampa stay

Eighth, seasonal closures. In the summertime, Tampa is not at its tourist prime. Heat and humidity are high and leads to the closure of certain attractions. For us, this affected our ability to see the Manatee Viewing Center, which we’d heard as a great spot to see manatees swimming closely the viewing decks at the center. Located outside of town in the community of Apollo Beach, the center is open from November to April only.

For us, what was great about Tampa was its proximity to the white sand beaches of St. Petersburg, less than an hour away and where we would be spending the next several days. And in spite of the heat, we enjoyed the ecologically fascinating Morris Bridge Park just outside of Tampa proper, which offered shady trails, river fishing if that’s your thing, and a view of turtles, ‘gators, and wading birds that made up a little for our inability to gaze at manatees.

And we also enjoyed taking a drive on the Sunshine Skyway. Yes, it’s a bridge, but the ocean views are great, and the architecture is sweepingly awesome. If you’re in the Tampa or St. Petersburg area its a must-drive, with rest and fishing areas on either side of the structure. And of course I must note that the Sunshine Skyway is another way to leave the Tampa area, and I have to confess that for our family, leaving Tampa was more fun than staying there.

A plane's eye view of Boston, Massachusetts - arrival at last!

That should be pretty simple, right? Just get on a plane! We’re inveterate flyers and used to the inconveniences of modern travel, from TSA procedures to early baggage check in requirements. Most of my airline selections in recent times have been based on the dictates of our current economy rather than our favorite airlines. In other words: cheap flights with a stop en route win over direct flights on a more luxurious airline. The inconvenience is outweighed by the savings. I thought I had this whole routine down – even bringing along food for the entire family picked up en route at the Veggie Grille, whose tasty, vegan fare is easily portable. But this time, we had a flying lesson handed to us.

Arriving at LAX with just shy of two hours before our flight, two carry on bags, my daughter’s guitar, and one pre-paid checked bag, we were immediately not too thrilled to find that Air Tran had no sky cap service. Okay, I’ll adapt. I’ll wait in the seemingly interminable line for counter check in. Well, first I’ll inquire as to whether there is a shorter line for pre-paid baggage. Yes, there was. Satisfied, I moved us all out of the long coach check in, and into a significantly smaller line for web-checked and business class that also – did not move. Nope. Not for forty minutes. Back into the first line (which was moving, albeit slowly) I went. Apparently there were computer issues, and that was the hold up, but why the shorter, pre-checked line wasn’t moving at all, no one could tell me.

Now time was getting a little bit tight for passing through TSA’s scrutiny. I approached the counter, letting my kids hold my place in line. How about taking customers with a soon to depart flight? Oh no, not yet, said the pleasantly oblivious woman checking people and baggage in. “I’ll take you with plenty of time though, we know the cut off, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Well, evidently she didn’t. She gave us just under a half hour to make our way through TSA’s lines – and that didn’t cut it on a busy Friday. As we escaped the rigors of the screening process and put our shoes back on, I knew no matter how much I rushed the kids, and how much they complained about me rushing them, we weren’t going to make our plane. Still, we high tailed it to the gate, to be told that the “doors have just closed.”

Knowing there were hold ups at check in, the gate staff assured us we’d get on the “next flight,” which like our original flight, had a stop. While my bag was winging its way toward Milwaukee, we were going to pass through Atlanta and on to Boston. Okay, fine. Well fine until they let us know that we weren’t going to be ticketed. We were flying standby. On both legs of the trip. Meaning if the Atlanta-Boston flight was full, we’d be stuck in Coca Cola’s home turf over night. This made me kind of edgy, but I was assured there’d be “no problem.” Hmm. I’d just recently heard that one before.

But there was no point in worrying about that Boston connection as it turned out. We didn’t get on the Atlanta bound flight. And the next flight up would make us miss our connection altogether. We approached the other carriers in the Air Tran terminal – Virgin and Jet Blue – both had available, ticketed seats. Would Air Tran please put us on one? No, we had to wait for that late afternoon flight, the one that would make us miss our connection. No amount of pleading, explaining, or ranting would move them. If we didn’t get on the next flight, then – a shrug of the shoulders.

Passengers disembarking in Boston - for us, with relief. Photo by Randall Davis.

So instead I paid, and I paid dearly for purchasing at-the-terminal tickets on Jet Blue. We boarded with minutes to spare, and my vow that Air Tran – whose employee miscalculations caused the missed flight in the first place – would refund our money. Not that the refund will exactly cover the cost of an in-terminal purchase – but it will help considerably. And I’ve since learned that the airline may in fact – we’re still negotiating – be liable for more than the face value of the ticket, as we missed our flight due to the airline’s errors, not our own. That would take care of it, and leave us only with this story to tell. And it’s a cautionary one.

Flying lesson: beware the bargain and those bargains with stops. Or at least leave plenty of leeway for taking a later flight. People get bounced from over booked flights, and caught in the snarls of TSA all the time. And they also encounter less than polished performances from discount carriers. If you have a tight schedule, as we did, paying more to begin with may help you avoid being penny-wise and pound foolish. And speaking of pounds: you may save money choosing an airline that allows you to check a bag for free. I paid to send my bag to Milwaukee. It had no comment when we picked it up, unsupervised, in Boston.

Related Articles:

Travel with Kids – Essential Planning Tips
Flying High with Kids in the Sky
Flying With a Disability: What Parents Should Know Before Arriving at the Airport
Lugging the Bare Necessities

Princeville Resort Cove View, Kauai

This is a good review and a bad review of an elegant and luxurious hotel that’s long dominated the hotel scene on the north shore of Kauai. With iconic views – they filmed the movie musical Bali Hai here – and a rich, wet, jungle flower setting, the Princeville Resort is known the world over as a “must” stop on the beautiful coast line. Opened in 1985, the Princeville used to have a European ambiance, all marble lobbies and Roman fountains, glittery Louis the IV furnishings, tapestries and plush carpets. The idea was to bring up the Hawaiian monarchy’s connection to European royalty. Princeville itself, after all was named for Prince Albert Edward, the son of King Kamehamea the fourth and his queen, Emma, who was a friend of the U.K.’s Queen Victoria. Got all that? The Princeville wanted a royal feel, and it did get it, with a mix of furnishings that could’ve come from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Louvre in France, or a hotel in Venice. Recently, the St. Regis Princeville reopened after a year spent on renovations designed to update the feel and furnishings and create a Hawaiian-centric ambiance instead of a classic European look. 

Today, I can happily say that the Princeville is a family destination worth the splurge – at least for a night or two. When we visited in 2008, that wasn’t quite the case, and therein lies the tale. 

We’d spent two nights at a comfortable bed and breakfast south of Poipu on the dry side of Kauai. We’d had a good time, cooked our own food in an outdoor kitchen, hiked around Waimea Canyon and were ready for some pampering. I’d booked one night, at what seemed to be a bargain rate on line for our family – although it was well over the price I usually pay for a room, and upwards of $350 per night. 

Sunset at Princeville resort, Kauai

I was excited when we pulled up in front – true, the erstatz fountains and marble, marble everywhere felt more like Paris than Kauai, but it was a classic look, the valets were kind and friendly, the lei greeting was lovely, and as we entered the lobby we had one look at that coast line, the cove, the hills, the bay – the Bali Hai view – and we were smitten. It was mid-afternoon and gold light flooded the lobby, and covered up some of the seams which were showing. Those tapestries – a little worn. Those gold clocks – were they a little dusty? The enormous mirrors backing even more enormous flower displays, were the mirrors a little spotty? 

The elevator, was it musty? The corridors were most assuredly dark. Now our room was a ‘bargain’ albeit a bargain with a view, but why did the furnishings look as if they’d been lifted from the set of a 1980′s Miami Vice episode? The much touted bathroom ‘window’ which includes a privacy switch that, through the use of liquid crystal, shuts the window view above the tub was pretty cool. When open you can see into the bedroom and beyond it, to the view of the coast. But all that black marble in the bathroom… a little dated. The kids didn’t care about that, they liked opening and closing the liquid crystal “shutter.” 

And that view beckoned, with its expanse of blue water across Hanalei Bay to the tip of Makana mountain. It led us to leave our screened window ajar to let in some sea air, and took us down in a series of confusing elevators – all of them were, yes, musty – down more dark corridors, to reach the actual beach and pool area many levels below. 

And when we got there – um, where was the beach? Yes, there were hammocks strung in palm trees. Yes the water was balmy, waveless, and crystal clear. But the beach itself – eroded. Dirt and rock as much as sand. Unappealing enough that here we were in Kauai at – the pool. On lounge chairs that had seen better days. 

Still, we stayed for sunset. Cocktails for the adults, delicious fries and fish sandwiches for the kids, and the hammocks were pretty comfy. Back to the room to change for dinner in town. Where we discovered that the walls of our room were – moving. Crawling with insects of every variety who had apparently spewed in through a small, unremarked upon hole in our window screen. A veritable bug corridor. Frantic calls to the front desk brought immediate assistance – a man with a vacuum cleaner who attempted to suck up all the bugs covering walls, ceiling, lamps, and floor – with a single suction. 

We left him to his work and went to dinner in Hanalei town – returning two hours later to find, well, most if not all of the bugs gone. The ones that were left buzzed, bit, and crawled around the rest of the night. Yes, for awhile it was great fun for the kids to play “bug catcher.” For awhile. 

St. Regis Princeville Fountain, Kauai

In the morning, we dined al fresco admiring that magnificent view – but not the strong chlorine smell emanating from the fountain adjoining our table. Enough was enough. I did protest. And we were comped our night and given many apologies. Apparently, the hotel was due for extreme renovation, we’d come at the wrong time. 

Two and a half years later we’ve tried it again for a single night, and while the prices are still beyond my comfort zone, what you get for your money is a lot better now. Statues, gilt, mirrors, and tapestries are a thing of the past. Limestone floors, mahogany columns, a lotus flower fountain have replaced them. A painting depicting the Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele, stretches behind the check in desk. Coconut and koa have replaced the endless black marble. 

There are actual chairs on the bar terrace now for great sunset watching. The rooms are updated, with white comforters and touches of orange and pink. The ceilings are sky blue. And the updated bathroom left the liquid crystal window in place – still fun for the kids and providing a great view when relaxing in the tub. 

There are still some things which haven’t changed. The elevators are no longer musty and the corridors no longer dim, but it still takes two elevators to get to the pool and the beach. And without a balcony and given Kauai’s rain forest weather, you still have to view that magnificent view through a screen – albeit this time, there were no holes. The beach is now sandy and soft again, the pool loungers new and comfortable. There’s now a separate kid’s pool too and free kid’s water toys for the little ones to enjoy, now that bug catching is no longer an option.

Outside Lone Eagle Lodge Keystone Colorado

Our skiing holiday in Keystone, Colorado of February 2007 was cold and eventful. As natives to Southern California, the temperature change was a bit shocking. We just happened to be traveling at a time of year when blizzards were commonplace and getting snowed in was very likely to happen.

We flew from LAX International Airport to Denver, where we had made arrangements for transportation to drive us to Keystone two hours away.  I was not excited about the prospect of having to sit in a heated van – no matter how comfortable – after our 3 hour flight, especially as we were traveling with our two young children, ages 2 and 4 at the time. We made sure to take my son’s car seat and stroller. The car seat was very useful during the flight, as he was accustomed to it already, and was able to sit there without much of a fuss. Having a portable DVD player and the children’s favorite videos was a great idea, as it helped to keep them quietly entertained.

Relaxing in the living room of our Lone Eagle Lodge

We stayed at Lone Eagle Lodge, tucked away in the woods at the base of Keystone Mountain located across from the gondolas and ski lifts in River Run Village. The luxurious accommodations include heated outdoor pool, hot tub, full health club facilities, a well equipped fitness room, spacious common lounge and library, concierge, ski lockers, and shuttle service to nearby shopping and restaurants.

Our spacious and beautifully appointed 2 bedroom 2 bathroom penthouse had a full kitchen with dishwasher,  granite counter tops, slate floors, tumbled marble baths, living room and gas fireplace. Although the kitchen was stocked with all the tools necessary for the gourmet chef, we opted to eat out most of the time, as cooking was not on the holiday’s agenda. A washer and dryer came with the suite, and proved quite useful as anyone with young children knows.

Ski School Conveyor belt for kids in Keystone

We enrolled our children in ski school for the first time, and they seemed to enjoy it. It was by the main ski lifts, and a short walk from the lodge itself. Enclosed in a fenced off area, the ski school had a conveyor type belt that would take the little skiers up a short slope, only to return by plowing slowly behind their instructors like little ducks in a row. It was very cute to watch them all bundled up with their gear and helmets. This allowed us time and freedom to enjoy the slopes on our own.

We spent the days skiing, and every evening having dinner at local restaurants. Then we would get cozy by a roaring fire in the hearth of our suite, watching the snow fall in a parade of softly shimmering light. There is plenty of shopping and nearby dining all within walking distance, including Starbucks coffee, the Great Northern Tavern, Blue River Bistro, Paesano’s or Kickapoo Tavern. There is also an opportunity to go ice skating on the frozen lake, although we did not do so. We did however, take the children tubing and sledding which they loved, as made evident by their squeals of delight.

Moutain view from Gondola Keystone Colorado

Because of the icy cold weather, riding on the ski lifts was not an option. Instead, the gondolas were used to transport the skiers up the mountain to the slopes.  Each night, the freshly fallen snow made the ski conditions lovely, although one of the days the weather did get a bit too blustery, affecting visibility and making it just too cold to brave the slopes.  Unfortunately, both my children caught colds, and my son developed an ear infection that required us to take him to the emergency room nearby for treatment and antibiotics.

The day of our departure proved to be quite an adventure starting with a bottle of medication pills I had left unattended on the living room table for mere minutes.  But that was all it took for a curious 2 year old to help himself to what he may have thought was candy.  Within about 20 minutes of taking the pills, he stumbled groggily about while we panicked and gathered him up to take him to the emergency room once again. It just so happened that a blizzard was coming and the roads were closed. So between taking my son to the emergency room, praying for the roads to open so that we would not be snowed in and miss our return flight to Los Angeles, and attempting to find accommodations in case we missed our flight, we were in a state of utter frenzy.

Melting away in the hot tub of the Lone Eagle Lodge

Our stay in the emergency room lasted a couple hours, and aside from appearing like a little drunken sailor, my son was ok. Luckily he had only taken one pill so he did not require any treatment other than observation and monitoring his vitals. Our driver arrived as my son was finally released from the emergency room, and we hastened to climb into the van and begin the 2 hour drive back to Denver when we discovered that the roads were closed.

As our penthouse had already been leased by other occupants, my husband searched to find us other accommodations for the night. Shortly after checking into a condominium at another lodge, we got word that the roads had opened, albeit briefly, as another blizzard was expected. Not wasting a moment, we jumped in the van and our driver took off, as we prayed that the roads would remain open and that we would not miss our flight. We arrived at Denver International Airport in a flurry, and literally ran to the gate with minutes to spare before boarding.

Top of inner tubing slopes at Keystone Colorado

Our return flight was not at all pleasant because both my children were sick. They cried almost the entire flight back, making me cringe as I counted the minutes before we landed. Although our holiday had been mostly pleasant, the final episode left its indelible mark, assuring me that I did not wish to return. It is just easier to fly directly to the town where you will be staying (like our recent ski trip to Vail), rather than having to fly and then drive a couple of hours. It made it a bit grueling, especially with the unfortunate events of our departure day. Yet time has a way of softening some of the blows of yesterday, and allowing us to fondly reminisce and laugh about our experiences. Perhaps someday we may return now that the children are older and more independent.

My husband in town with the kids in Keystone

View from our hotel in Acapulco, Mexico.

In April of 2009, my husband and I along with our then 1 ½-year old son left our home in Southern Utah to make the trek to Acapulco, Mexico.  To be honest, it was not someplace I’d ever had any desire to go despite the numerous reports from friends on how wonderful it was.  Though my husband had been anxious to visit what he half-jokingly calls ‘The Mother Land’ for years, the only reason I finally agreed to go was because we’d be attending the wedding of one of his best friends.  I had traveled internationally before but with all the reports of violence and crime coming out of Mexico, I was extremely nervous to head south.  Still, “How bad can it be,” I asked myself “when the whole wedding party is going?”  Sadly, I was about to find out.  

The closest major airport to our home is in Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport) Nevada nearly two hours away, and unfortunately there were no non-stop flights from there to Acapulco.  Instead we were forced to drive two hours to Vegas, then take a flight to Houston, TX and take a connecting flight from there to Acapulco.  Our flight out of Vegas also happened to be a red eye; it was the only one that would make the connecting flight out of Houston.  While many children will happily sleep through the car ride and subsequent flight, our son is not one of them.  He was wide awake on the drive to Vegas and ran gleefully through the airport as we waited to board the plane.  It wasn’t until we were finally in the air sometime around 2:00 AM that he finally sacked out.  Of course he woke up again when we landed in Texas a couple hours later.   

It was while we were waiting for our connecting flight in Houston that I first noticed the runny nose.  Having our son get sick while traveling internationally was one of my greatest fears…closely followed by getting kidnapped by drug lords and being arrested and thrown into a Mexican jail.  However, as it was just a little runny and our son was acting normally, I convinced myself it was only due to the change in altitude.  I was so very wrong.   

My husband and our sick little boy in out hotel room at the Grand Mayan Acapulco.

By the time we reached our hotel in Acapulco around 1:00 PM later that day, his runny nose had turned into a full-blown fever.  Of course, I panicked.  Though I had packed enough first-aid supplies to serve a small army, I didn’t have any antibiotics to treat him if it turned out to be something more than a cold.  Hoping that he would benefit from the warm, humid air, we took our son on a walk around the hotel to explore the grounds and amenities (see the article entitled “Acapulco-The Grand Mayan”).  When we reached one of the magnificent pools we sat down at a table to enjoy the ocean view.  As we sat there, a woman approached us.  She was visiting from Europe, she told us, and felt prompted to warn us about a strange new virus that had recently broken out in Mexico City.  “Don’t let anyone get near your son,” she said, “it’s very contagious.”  We thanked her for the information but couldn’t help feeling she was being rather dramatic.   

Photo courtesy of novinite.com

Later that evening we found that she wasn’t.  While searching the internet, my husband found the ‘strange virus’ she’d been talking about was none other than the Swine Flu.  Yep, we were there for the start of it all.  Of course it hadn’t reached its peak yet so the panic level was still relatively low, at least with most of the tourists.  My panic level however, quickly shot up a few more notches.  We put our son to bed and prayed he would be better the next morning.  But he wasn’t, he was worse when he woke up and I placed a call to our pediatrician.  Since our doctor wasn’t allowed to have prescriptions filled internationally, he told us to take our son to the resort doctor which we promptly did.  The doctor was quick to assure us it wasn’t the horrible flu going around but gave us a prescription anyway which we took the local Walmart to be filled.  

My husband and son waiting for the hotel to be cleared after the earthquake.

 

I was extremely anxious to get home at this point but the wedding was just a day away and then we’d be leaving the day after that.  The level of fear surrounding the Swine Flu was getting worse with each passing day though, as it claimed the lives of more and more people in Mexico City and the surrounding areas.  We watched the website of the U.S. Health Department but they were not yet encouraging tourists to return to the states.  They were however taking other precautions.  Anyone arriving in the U.S. from Mexico who appeared to have any symptoms of illness was being quarantined for up to three days to make sure they weren’t carrying the H1N1 virus.  We knew if we came home with our son in his current condition, we would be stopped and held until they could make sure he didn’t have it.  So we stayed but didn’t venture beyond the resort except to go to Walmart once again to pick up some more medication.  This time when we went in, all the workers and many of the customers were wearing masks to protect themselves.  My panic level was now off the charts.  When we climbed back into the cab to head back to the resort, I was literally counting the hours before we could go home.  I couldn’t see how things could get much worse.   

My little family on the beach in Acapulco.

 

But believe it or not, they did.  As we pulled up to our hotel, I noticed that the staff seemed to be in chaos.  One employee ran up to our cab driver and began talking so quickly in Spanish that I could no longer understand him.  My husband however could.  He turned to me with a strange half-smile and said, “seems there’s just been an earthquake.”  I stared at him in disbelief.  Riding along in the very worn-out back seat of a very old cab, across extremely uneven roads, we hadn’t felt the 5+ earthquake.  When we walked into the large, open-air lobby of the hotel though, it was obvious it had been a good one.  Furniture, decorations, and palm fronds from the thatched roof were strewn all over the floor and the hotel rooms were all off limits.   

We were herded out onto the lawn with the rest of the guests to wait for the hotel to be cleared before we could return to our room.  I was tremendously grateful that we hadn’t actually felt the earthquake.  Though my husband and I are originally from Southern California and are quite used to them, our son had never experienced one and I was pretty certain it would have been a scary experience for him.   

When we finally lifted off the runway on our flight home the next day, I nearly cried with joy.  Even my husband was thrilled to be leaving.  Though we managed to make it through the airport checkpoints and all the way back to Southern Utah without bringing home the Swine Flu, we did find that our son was suffering from a double ear infection.  He was a trooper though through the whole experience and is even smiling in all our family pictures.  However, I truly hope my husband has had his fill of ‘The Mother Land’ because I doubt flying horses could drag me back.  I’ve decided that with some destinations, once is enough! 

Arizona Grand Resort

About half way through our vacation at the Arizona Grand Resort, our 10 month old son Christian came down with the flu.  We were  staying in a wonderful and spacious Villa at the resort, and until that time were thoroughly enjoying our getaway. It wasn’t until a couple of days into our trip when we noticed that he had the sniffles.  It was very mild at first, and Christian was in a cheerful mood, so we weren’t very concerned.  Unfortunately as time went on his nose was running more often and his sneezing was more frequent.  It was mid August in Phoenix, so we theorized that the sharp changes in temperature between the outside heat and the inside air conditioning had taken a toll on his little body’s defenses.  His swim suit and water outfit were wet when we brought him in from our pool visits which probably made it worse.  Also, in the evenings when we returned from dinner, he was sweating while asleep in his stroller before we transferred him to his crib. 

That night our son had no trouble falling asleep, however, he did wake up crying very frequently.  Starting after midnight, he was waking up at least once every hour.  His hotel supplied pack-and-play crib was just a few feet away from my side of the bed, located inside our spacious walk in closet.  As soon as I heard him cry, I would get up and stumble over to his crib to calm him down. I always found him sitting up, or standing up and holding on to the railing.  All it took to put him back to sleep was to lay him back down, cover him with his blanket, and turn on his 45 minute sleepy sheep noisemaker.  I wish it were that easy for me to fall back asleep! 

We were very concerned the next morning because although he was in good spirits, he now had a nasty cough, and he was so congested that he could only breath through his mouth. We also took his temperature and found he had a mild fever. It was still very early in the morning, so my wife brought him in to our bed where we all cuddled for the next hour or so.  We didn’t want to take any chances so as soon as our pediatrician’s office in Los Angeles was open for business, my wife called to get advice on how to proceed. 

Later that morning my wife drove from our hotel at the Arizona Grand Resort, to Target just a few minutes away.  She had a list of things to buy including a Vicks warm mist humidifier, the Vicks Vapo Steam solution to go with it, and the children’s Triaminic cough suppressant and decongestant medication recommended by our doctor.  When she returned, Christian was in worse shape, so we tried to administer the medication.  He was crying uncontrollably and refused to take it.  We were very fortunate to have my mom and sister there to help us during this harrowing time. 

It was a joint effort, and we finally had to forcibly open his mouth while using a dropper to give him the recommended doses.  We had a fever reducer bottle handy, so we used the dropper that came with it to help administer the Triaminic.  As you can imagine, that poor boy was screaming at the top of his lungs.  It was also way past his bedtime, and with all the adrenaline rushing through his little body it was a futile effort to try and put him down to sleep in his crib.  The main problem was that he could not breath out of his nose, so giving him the pacifier was out of the question because it would further impede his ability to breath.  

In the end we got him to calm down by giving him a ride around the Villa in his stroller.  He finally fell asleep in large part because he could breath better while laying down on an incline.  We were all just relieved that he would have a short respite from his misery!  I sent my wife off to meet the rest of our family at the pool shortly after he fell asleep.  She needed a break, and I was happy to stay back and watch over our son. He did not sleep for very long, and before you knew it he was crying again.  He was inconsolable.  First I tried feeding him to no avail.  Holding him in my arms, singing lullabies,  and pacing back and forth seemed to be the only way to calm him down.  It was actually one of the few times I could hold him close to me for an extended period of time without a fight.  He’s usually very squirmy and restless whenever I try to hug him, so in a way it was a wonderful bonding experience for me.    

Later that evening we decided to head over to my sister’s large two bedroom Villa on the third floor of our building.  Christian’s fever was down, and he appeared to be feeling much better.  We all ordered food from the Roberto’s Italian room service menu.  I ordered a mushroom, ham and bell pepper pizza, and my wife ordered the spaghetti and meat balls.  I had to heat up the pizza in their villa’s range oven because it was a bit soggy and not very hot by the time it arrived.  No problem though, the oven did a fine job toasting it to my liking! After dinner my wife brought Christian back down to our Villa and put him to bed while I hung out with my brother-in-law for a little while longer.  We sat on the balcony sipping some of our favorite scotch and talked about the day’s events.  We were breaking one of the hotel rules by drinking our own supplied alcoholic beverage, but neither of us had any scruples about it because we all unanimously agree that it’s one of the most ridiculous restrictions we have ever encountered at any resort.

At the Grand Hyatt on the way to the pool

By the time we checked in to the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort it was already late in the evening. We were both exhausted from the long voyage and all I wanted to do was sleep. Usually the first thing I do whenever I arrive at a new hotel is open my suitcase and unpack all of my belongings. I like to hang up my shirts and put the rest of my clothing and other items in drawers so the place stays neat and inviting. This time however I just dragged my suitcase in the room, dropped it on the floor next to the window and got in bed. My wife wasn’t showing any signs of illness so she decided to explore the hotel grounds a bit before going to bed.

My wife loves shopping, so the first thing she did was walk over to the hotel gift shop to peruse their touristy items. There were also plenty of expensive boutique shops in the lobby which peaked her interest. She later popped her head into the Stevenson’s Library which looked like a hip bar and restaurant complete with pool tables and what looked like chess and backgammon boards. She instinctively knew that this was a place I would really enjoy and made sure to take it all in so that she could report back to me with her findings! There was plenty more to see, but it was dark outside and after a while she decided to come back to the room and save the rest of the tour until the next day.

I spent the next two full days of our honeymoon vacation inside my room at the Hyatt with the flu. We ordered room service multiple times a day and my wife made sure I had Nyquil, Dayquil, and plenty of fluids to keep me well hydrated. I started to feel much better on our third day and promised my wife that we would hang out at the pool and beach, and dine out at the hotel restaurants from that point on. I hadn’t fully recovered but I was determined for us to have a good time being that this was our honeymoon!

View from the Princeville Hotel in Kauai

We must have kicked some puppies somewhere along the way because shortly after that, on the same day, my wife started feeling dizzy and nauseated. The feeling got progressively worse and before we even had a chance to leave the room I saw her bolt to the bathroom and start throwing up her breakfast! The vomiting continued throughout the day and by that evening she was in bed with cold sweats and fever just like I had the days before. The amazing thing is that her overall symptoms were much different. This was some kind of stomach bug, and we speculated that she must have caught it in Cabo Mexico just before our flight. Normally this type of thing could be attributed to something you ate in the few preceding hours, but during our wedding in Cabo, several of our family and friends got violently sick with what appeared to be food or water poisoning. Looking back we think the water used to make the ice in all of our drinks at the Dreams Resort Cabo was contaminated, because about 1/3 of the guests came down with the same thing.

After arriving in Kauai we got word that many of our family and friends had contracted this same stomach bug, so after a couple of days we figured we were among the lucky few to escape it. Clearly we were wrong. So half way through our vacation my wife and I switched places and now she was stuck in bed feeling miserable. What a drag. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort is one of the most luxurious and attractive hotels on the Island, and each of us had to spend half that time inside our room in misery.

I did manage to golf one day at the Poipu Bay Golf Course while my wife was in the room recovering. Later when she was feeling a little better, she rode along with me in the golf cart while I played golf a second day, but she was too weak to join me in the game. As if her digestive problems weren’t enough, aunt flow decided to pay her a visit and for the next few days she had to deal with menstrual cramps. The golf course was just a short walk from the hotel so I told her if need be, I could give her a ride back to the room whenever she felt fatigued and needed to rest.

Kauai Cave on the Napali Northern Coast

We only had two full days left to enjoy our vacation after my wife and I were both fully recovered. We made the best of it by squeezing in as much time at the pool and beach, and dining at the various restaurants and bars throughout the hotel. On the last day we took a drive to the North side of the island. It was the first time we actually drove our rental car since arriving at the airport. We drove past the Princeville Hotel until the road ended. Here we visited some astonishing caves carved into volcanic rock cliffs, some with pools of water that you could walk through. We spent a few hours hiking along a well marked trail which lead to a remote beach up the coast that was only accessible by foot or by boat. On our way back we stopped at the Princeville Hotel where we had an early evening dinner and absorbed the magnificent view of the ocean and Kauai’s Northern coastal line. This is where we decided we would stay on our next trip to Kauai. All in all it was a very memorable trip and we can’t wait to do it all over again, but this time with our health intact!

At the airport in Honolulu waiting for our delayed American Airlines flight. The flight was cancelled shortly after.

My family planned a reunion trip for the month of February in Hawaii at the Marriott Ko Olina Resort in Oahu.  My husband and I booked first class flights on American Airlines departing LAX and arriving in Honolulu, while our adult children with their spouses and children booked economy/coach on the same flight.  Our reservations were booked over a month prior to our departure.  We paid for a First Class fare with restrictions, having read carefully the restrictions and decided to purchase along with it insurance in case we should get sick and have to make changes to our itinerary.  The total cost for my husband and I was $4,351.20 plus insurance cost (two tickets). The cost for 2 coach tickets was $778.80 which is what the rest of our family paid.

Our flight going to Honolulu was delayed about 2 hours due to mechanical problems with the plane.  We understood that delays do happen and waited patiently for them to bring in the replacement plane.  We eventually arrived and for the next 4 days we enjoyed a wonderful vacation at the Marriott.  It was our first time visiting that side of the Island and we really enjoyed it.

Our return flight #162 from Honolulu on American Airlines was again delayed at first for over an hour only to subsequently be cancelled due to a missing part for the airplane.  Rather than replacing the plane the way they did on our flight to Hawaii, the airline announcer told all the waiting passengers that there would not be a replacement flight and instead we would need to get in line and try to book ourselves on an already partially filled fight #284.  They told us it was “first come first serve” and that this was the last outgoing flight of the day. You can only imagine the mad rush to the counter in order to find room on that flight. Our son and daughter had very young children travelling with them including a newborn, and they were in a panic.  Thankfully they managed to book their seats on that flight, but when our turn arrived, there was no longer any room available on first class.  We were grateful to be accommodated in coach with the understanding that we would be reimbursed the difference of our expense between first class and economy after we returned.  The lady at the counter told us to call American Airlines upon our return and that they could arrange for us to receive a refund.  She was very helpful and even told us she was typing in notes about the situation into the computer and gave us a “locator” code which we assumed was similar to a trouble ticket number.

From the AA.com website where I selected "FirstPremium" with restrictions

The next day when I contacted American Airlines to get our prorated refund, the agents on the phone were rude and dismissive.  One of them laughed and told us that our flight for which we paid $4,351.20 were in fact economy tickets!  I told them they were mistaken and that I had documentation proving this.  I further explained that  the rest of our family paid only $778.80 for each couple and still this was met with nothing but disdain and arrogance.  I tried to contact the refund office and was again told the same thing.

All our documentation showed “First Class” including our printed screen shots of the website, and our email confirmation.  Later on a woman named Ms. Barnholdt told us that our flights were really economy flights “upgradable to first class, based on availability”.  This was flat out false, and if we had seen any such wording we most certainly would not have bought such “iffy” tickets at 5 or 6 times the normal coach ticket price.  It was a classic case of bait and switch, something one might expect from an unknown and shady outfit.  That’s why being treated the way we did by American Airlines was nothing short of shocking.

Waiting at the airport with our family for the delayed flight.

We pretty much gave up trying after all the futile attempts to get our refund.  It was a tiring and frustrating exercise  and we felt we had no recourse until my son suggested that we take American Airlines to small claims court.  The prorated refund amount of $1,750 we were asking was well below the small claims ceiling and he told us how to go about serving them.  All he did was look up the American Airlines local California agent on the Secretary of State website and bingo.

Well, in the end we were vindicated by law.  We filed the small claim in court and the judge saw the case for what it was and judged in our favor; despite the woman who came to argue on behalf of American Airlines and resorted to a lie by stating that the flight was delayed and not cancelled.  First she tried to say that we purchased a coach ticket instead of First Class, but the judge almost laughed when we showed him how much we paid.  The American Airlines representative tried to say it was an economy ticket but that it was “automatically upgraded.”  Our documentation showing that the tickets were First Class cabin and the receipts we brought contradicted her statement.  When the judge said to her “it’s a scam, it’s all a scam…”, my son who was sitting back in the audience almost burst out laughing.  I have to admit it felt good to be proven right, but I just couldn’t believe how little class (no pun intended)  this once great airline was displaying. 

In 30 years we have not taken anyone to court either small claims or otherwise. Their refusal to make good on their commitment and their treatment of a paying customer was completely deplorable and unacceptable.  We were very unhappy when our American Airlines flight was cancelled with no effort to replace the plane, but we were stunned when the people we spoke to at American Airlines completely refused to honor our agreement of First Class seating by at least refunding our hard earned money for the prorated portion of that return flight.  We had plenty of evidence supporting our case including their own printed rules, screen shots of the entire process of purchasing the tickets, email receipts, etc., but they still persisted in wasting our time.  Insult to injury. 

American Airlines repeatedly told us on the phone and in writing that our First Class ticket was “actually a coach fare that allows for an automatic upgrade when available to the premium cabin”, yet there was no evidence of this anywhere and was in fact contrary to everything that we had.  We have not been to the AA.com website since this horrible incident, but I hope that whoever is in charge of the design and content of the site took the time to correct their misinformation and corrupt policy.  As you can imagine our entire family decided never to fly again with American Airlines.  They did eventually issue our prorated refund after the judgment was filed against them, but as expected there was no apology from the airline, and after our experience it was obvious to us that they are an outfit of very low integrity and not one to be trusted.