May 10, 2016: Funny Memories on Travelin' Cousins

Elisa's Daily Scoop
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Rental Car Adventure in Florida

Hi All!!!

The sun is finally here!  The last few days the weather has been just lovely - starting to feel like Spring!

I still can't believe that we are in the first week of our third year with our reality travel blog! There are so many memories we've documented through there past few years!  

Today, I want to walk down memory lane with you about two very funny travel experiences I'll never forget. 

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” ~ Yogi Berra

But first, a quick re-cap of last night.  Gianna had her Spring Band Concert.

She looked so grown up, as did all her friends. (insert sad face). As part of the "Experienced Band," she has been playing the clarinet for 4 years now.  

A great combination of songs, with an opening of The National Anthem to great violin solos featuring Beethoven's Ode to Joy, to the Beatles' Eight Days a Week, and ending with Let's Go Band -  the kids were great!!

Gianna at her Spring Band Concert (c)travelincousins.com

Funny stroll down Memory Lane...
During my blogging over the past two years, there are two experiences that STAND OUT very distinctly in my mind for their humor.

For as long as I live, I will always remember how hard each of these travel incidents made me laugh.  

The first, brings us back to last February (2015), on Day 1 of my Florida Theme Park Road Trip.
(click here for the full story)

I pride myself on making great arrangements when I travel and part of this includes the car choices and reservations for both comfortable and economical travel.

Well, last year, we found ourselves in quite a predicament...After a wonderful evening flight from New York's JFK to Tampa to start our road trip from Clearwater to Orlando and on to Boca Raton, our luck ran out. And boy, did it give me one of the best laughs of my life...

Leaving home for JFK Airport on our way to Florida to begin our Florida Theme Park Road Trip (c)travelincousins.com

Here's an excerpt from my February 14, 2015 blog post:

​Yup!  It was 1:15AM when we arrived at Dollar Rent-a-Car.  With all the cars I rent, I'm thinking, it's going to take us 15 minutes tops.  Ok, so that was soooo not the case.  

It was like Chinese water torture.  

Tedd went to the desk, which is usually my job since I'm the one who makes the reservation and is aware of the details of the booking. I'm sorry it wasn't me dealing with these fools, cuz I think things may have turned out differently. 

But, because the girls needed to hit the ladies room and we had to take turns watching the luggage, I relinquished my job of dealing with the rental desk.

After nearly 40 minutes, I'm called to the desk to present my license since the customer service representative was giving us such a "great deal" and was going to put two drivers on the contract at no additional charge. 

When I get there, I see that my $250 weekly rate has gone up to $600+!  I am shocked (even though I'm thoroughly exhausted) and I'm told that we are getting "a great upgrade."  

I had booked a mid-size, so I'm thinking, "ok, so we are going to get an SUV or something comparable." I'm handed a Fiat key and thinking, "hmmm, these are usually small"  but I'm assured it's a big car so what do I know - maybe Fiat has a new luxury model.  

I head to Stall 119 with Kelsey and I do a double take as I see this little box that resembles the toddler "cozy coupe" that my kids had when they were 2-years old.  I'm thinking, "is this the right stall?" "Did I pass the Grand Cherokee?" "Maybe there's a Ford Taurus somewhere that I missed."

By the time Tedd gets to the car with Gianna, I'm laughing that this has to be a mistake - for $600???

I'm curiously thinking - "what did they previously have us booked in if this is the upgrade? A red wagon?  A motorcycle with a side car?"

So, being the level headed, calm person he is, my husband proceeds to start cursing and heads back to the office to get another car.  Uh...well... he finds that the office is now closed; we are the only ones in the parking lot at 2:00AM and our only options are to a) take this matchbox car; or b) spend the night in the parking lot.

Now, the fun only just begins as we have to load in 2 large suitcases, 2 small suitcases and a few carry-ons.  By this point, me and the girls are hysterical laughing but Tedd is in a state.  He's putting the luggage in the car - which takes up the entire "trunk" (which mind you, is minuscule) and has to put a few pieces in the back seat, leaving about 15 inches for both girls to sit.  

Gianna is protesting that there is no room refuses to get in the car.  Her father responds equally maturely and begins cursing again.  I can't go near the car because I'm having a hard time breathing from laughing at the sight of the car which is packed to the gills and the amount of space left for the kids to sit in.

Then I get a look at how close the driver's seat is to the steering wheel because of all the luggage in the back seat and I have to keep my head turned because I don't want to get caught laughing!

While he's carrying on and cursing and goes off yet again to find someone from Dollar anywhere in the lot (unsuccessfully),  the three of us attempt to get in the car.  Thank goodness my kids are small people and have small butts.  I smash them into the back seat with all the luggage and realize I still have a large shoulder bag AND my wheely toiletry bag to fit in.  
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Our "Upgraded" Vehicle - WTH? Look closely at how close the driver's seat is to the steering wheel and the amount of luggage in the back seat against the driver's seat (c)travelincousins.com

The trunk (if you can call it that) packed to the gills with luggage (c)travelincousins.com

I put the shoulder bag on the floor by the girls feet (now they can't even move their feet) and I get in the front seat with the toiletry bag in front of my seat and I realize I have no room for one of my feet.  I have to make an executive decision - leave my foot hanging out the door or back the seat up an inch and squish my daughters more so I can fit my foot.

I hear a moan from Gianna as I back the seat up and now the three of us cannot stop laughing.  Tedd is still no where to be found but when he returns - he has to get into the car with the seat practically touching the dashboard and I have to turn my head.

The girls smashed in 15" of seat room (c)travelincousins.com

Well, folks we did make it unscathed to the hotel (a 30 minutes drive from hell!!) and didn't get into our room till 3:30. We had to stop and ask a cop for directions but I couldn't figure out how to open the window.  

Finally, I just opened the door and the expression on the policeman's face was priceless as he probably couldn't fathom how we all got in the car with the luggage.

I'm happy to report, both kids were able to stand up straight and there was no permanent damage.

Funny memories!!!

Check out Tanya's side for a re-cap of when we missed our train stop in Bratislava during our European Rail Trip last Summer (2015).  

CLICK HERE for the Blog from that day - there are a few very entertaining VLOGS!!!

Well, folks, have a spectacular day!!!

See ya back here tomorrow for more Travelin' Cousins memories from the past 2 years!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 9 DAYS

Books, Beaches, Birthdays, and Bratislava

YIPPEEEEE!
My trip countdown is now in single digits!!

​Hopefully I can get some of my packing done today. I've got Cosette's and Dave's bag is almost ready to go. But I've still gotta work on Dominic's and my own. Which means there's still a ton of work to be done.

But there was definitely no time for packing yesterday, the day just flew by so fast - I was lucky to do everything that I managed and yet still somehow forgot to pick up the wrapping paper!

While the kids were at choir rehearsal (they didn't want to come with us), Dave and I had a little birthday wish to fill...

The birthday boy who happens to be a big Thomas Pynchon fan, and who also happens to be re-reading Gravity's Rainbow (being recognized by TIME as one of the "All-Time 100 Greatest Novels").

​Dave wanted to go see the home that Pynchon lived in during the period he wrote this novel. And of course Dave also wanted to have his picture taken in front of the house while holding the book!

(c)travelincousins.com

While I don't recall ever doing anything quite like that, it was rather endearing.
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Then as a little bonus since the home is located only a block from the beach, Dave and I decided to take a little stroll down to the boardwalk. 

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The time had then come to head back, pick up the kids, and then off we went back up to Los Angeles, this time to Shojin - the highly acclaimed Japanese Vegan Restaurant.

Travelers come from near and far to taste and sample the ever changing innovative menu. And we've been returning customers for YEARS...in fact we attempted to recall how we first heard about this restaurant and we just couldn't.

(c)travelincousins.com

This is also one of Dave's favorite places to ring in his birthday dinner - I'm pretty sure that it's because of the food, but it wouldn't take much to convince me that it's really the HAT!

Last night (c)travelincousins.com

2011 Birthday (c)travelincousins.com

2012 Birthday (c)travelincousins.com

2013 Birthday (c)travelincousins.com

Now onto TODAY, the theme on Tuesday is always Travelin' Tuesday, but this week we're gonna be a bit different.

Elisa and I thought it would be fun to share some highlights from over the past 2 years of our travel blogging.
So we invite you to take a few trips with us down memory lane..

While Elisa shares a hilarious story about a rental car mishap during a trip down to Florida. I'm gonna recall a memory from when Elisa made us miss our train stop in Bratislava...

It was the 4th of July, and we were heading via train from Budapest, Hungary to Bratislava, Slovakia....

What if you're cousin makes you miss the train stop???

Well guess what folks...

Yup exactly that's what she did - this cousin-o-mine was just taking her sweet time gathering her belongings (and I do mean sweet time!)

I was standing behind her and being rather patient when finally I calmly said "Elisa you're making me nervous!"

Famous last words - "Elisa you're making me nervous!"

As we get to the door and Elisa pushes the green button for us to exit - the train starts moving forward! 

And off we go to who-the-hell-knows-where...

Find out what happened next by CLICKING HERE

Of course we eventually made it back on track and to Bratislava - thank goodness!!!

But boy oh boy, was that NOT how it should've gone!

Anyhoo, my dear Cosette has a Horseback riding lesson this morning. So, I'm off to the stables...again!

Catch ya back here tomorrow for some more fun.

Ciao 4 now,
​-T