About Town: Little Trip Ups Don't Ruin the Trip

It’s good to be home in Bellevue after two weeks on Maui. If we needed a reality check after two weeks of relaxation, the first shock was what happened to our yard while we were gone. Everything grew to enormous proportions – grass, bushes and flowers. Alas, that list includes things that weren’t supposed to grow. We have an amazing crop of weeds.

My plans to do some creative writing while on vacation were derailed by an uncooperative laptop. This may be the impetus we need to replace that outdated piece of electronics. The balky laptop meant my vacation was ultimately relaxing because I could only check email when the public computers in the condo complex lobby were available. Who wants to wait around in a lobby when the beach beckons?

On a humorous note, our peaceful plans went slightly awry. Our initial condo had a queen sized bed, not a king. “Did we mind?” asked the staff. Yes! We are so spoiled by a king sized bed that we have difficulty sleeping in anything smaller – unless they’re sleeping bags in a tent. Yes, we minded.

The resort found us a unit with a king bed but the downside was that particular condo was overdue for refurbishing. Was that a problem? Not at all, we didn’t mind a well-loved unit. It was clean, just shabby island chic.

Three days later expansion started on the ABC Store - a lei’s throw from our bedroom window. The banging hammers and screeching saws started shortly before 7 a.m. and continued through the day. We minded that a great deal. So we moved to a third unit. That, like Baby Bear’s bed in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” was just right.

We did a few of the typical tourist activities – a romantic sunset dinner cruise, a luau (so I can get my fill of lomi lomi salmon and poi) and a snorkeling trip. The latter is a tradition because my husband prefers to watch the water, not immerse himself in it. I’m fascinated with the sea life and happily would snorkel for hours by myself – but I know that’s not safe. The snorkeling trip is a compromise. I get the deeper water views under the sharp eyes of pros, David gets to relax inside the boat and eat.

This trip we opted for local restaurants off the tourist path and were rewarded with excellent food at more reasonable prices than resort fare. We hit some local beaches and our Sunday morning favorite – went to church service in an 1850 building that sits across the street from a park and a beach.

T’is the season for crowded airplanes and I’m again contemplating writing a letter to the airline corporate offices. The return flight from Hawaii was filled with families which meant there was an infant crying the entire five-plus hours. Not always the same infant, but nonetheless there was always a wee one unhappy somewhere on the plane. (My sympathies to the parents – I’ve been there and done that and know how frazzled they feel as they try to soothe their unhappy offspring.)

Airlines could help! They should offer family sections. They did it last century with smoking and non-smoking sections. With today’s computers it would be a snap to designate the family seating. Such a plan would group the children near one another. Children enjoy being near other children and strike up instant friendships.

Parents would be able to relax a bit more, knowing the only people their children are bothering are other parents who are, frankly, too busy entertaining their own brood to be upset about a toddler kicking the back of their seat.

The family section should be in the back of the plane, closest to the restroom. Having traveled with wee ones myself, I remember the fascination some of them have with restrooms and the desire to frequently inspect the miniscule sink and toilet that goes “whoosh.”

People traveling without children would also appreciate the separation. Just ask the passenger who spent five hours being kicked in the back or who had a toddler constantly peering over the seat going, “Hi, hi, hi, hi!”

I floated this idea by my brother and sister-in-law Sunday. My sister-in-law, who adores all children and volunteers in her church nursery to help with them, was more enthusiastic than I am. She travels often on business and said she’s not only in favor of it; she wanted to know where to write to help push the concept along.

While I’m advocating for family sections, we should also add a couple rows for snorers. Even wearing earphones didn’t keep the sound down of my husband’s snores when he dozed on the trip. Either that or we need king sized seats where I can do just what I do in bed – jab him with my elbow and make him turn the other way.