Hawaii 2010 - The Background

Several months ago Robert and I started discussing taking a vacation. Our last real vacation was our trip to Japan in August 2007, immediately before we found out I was pregnant with Claire. Obviously, we were way overdue! We talked about several options, and ultimately decided that we wanted to bring Claire, since we wanted to take a long vacation and didn't want to be far away from her for more than a few days.

We looked at our frequent flier miles and decided we had enough for all of us plus my parents to go to Hawaii. Robert and I wanted Mom and Dad to see Hawaii and knew they would not go on their own, and we knew that the extra help with Claire would make things go more smoothly, plus give us opportunities to go to dinner, the beach, etc. on our own if we so desired.

Mom and Dad quickly jumped on board, and we got our plane tickets in November. At the time, we hadn't decided which islands we wanted to visit for sure, only knowing that the Big Island would definitely be on the itinerary, so we booked flights from DFW to Honolulu (knowing we could easily travel from there to the island of our choise) and back through Kona.

Ultimately, we decided on Maui over Kauai. I'd been to both, but Robert hadn't seen Maui since I went with friends before we met. What really made the decision for us was learning that our best chance of seeing lots of whales would be on Maui, and finding whale boat tours there that would allow a passenger under the age of 2.

I spent many, many hours scouring various rental agency websites, VRBO.com, and Trip Advisor, then e-mailing agencies and owners trying to find the best options for accomodations, and eventually settled on unit G-502 at the Maui Banyan in Kihei and unit 10B at Hali'i Kai in Waikoloa. Both owners were extremely easy to work with and offered us great rates. Also, both units each also had three of my big priorities - ocean view, easy access to the beach or a nice pool, and a washer/dryer in the unit (essential for traveling for long periods with a toddler!). We were extremely happy with both units.

Rental cars were another hurdle. I looked at all of the major websites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.), Costco Travel (which usually has the best rates), and the individual companies. I made reservations through Costco, but I still felt like the rates were really high. After reading several positive reviews for discounthawaiicarrental.com on the Trip Advisor forums, I gave them a shot. With no deposits or obligations, I figured they were worth a shot. It was almost too good to be true - I ended up with the same vehicle for $200 less on Maui and $50 less on the Big Island than Costco. I was a little nervous since they didn't require a credit card, and we've had some bad experiences with a couple of agencies in Hawaii (incredibly long lines, poor service, car shortages, etc.) but I received confirmations directly from the rental agency they booked us with (Avis) and once we got there, the process could not have gone any quicker or more smoothly. I will be using Discount Hawaii Car Rental for any future trips to Hawaii!

I was working on our trip almost up until we left, and before we knew it, it was time to pack and head off to Dallas to meet my parents and catch our flights from DFW...