March 31, 2016

We stopped at a Starbucks to book a flight to Maui for April 2 - in a town called Pueblo Colorado - and  within 30 minutes of leaving the Starbucks we hit a blizzard.  We tried at several exits to find a place to park – and were denied – all the parking lots had no overnight parking or RV parking.    We were on our 4^th attempt --on an off ramp when our engine light started to flash and the van began to shake.  We were lucky enough to land in a grocery store parking lot.   It is now dark out and the snow is coming down sideways – we go into the grocery store to try and get online to see if we can figure out what might be wrong with the van.  I suggest to Bill that maybe driving through New Mexico in a full on dust storm with a million little tumbleweeds blowing across the highway might have done something to our engine filter.

We went back outside and could see an Auto Zone store down the road with the lights still on – so Bill walked up there and bought an engine filter -- got the headlamp out and changed the filter with the snow and wind blowing around him.  When we started up the van it was still shaking and the engine light was no longer flashing but now staying on. 

We spent the night in the parking lot and when we got up in the morning – the van would no longer start.  We found a tow truck number and called -- they suggest we first find a garage as it was going to be quite expensive to tow both the van and the trailer, so best to be sure which garage could take us – now remember we are flying out of Denver April 2 which is only 2 days away!

So amongst all this craziness I decide I still need a coffee – so I go to the Starbucks counter in the grocery store and ask the barista if she can suggest a good garage and she mentioned the Christian Brothers Garage which is only about a mile away – it is 7 a.m and we look up the garage online and learn they are open at 7 so we walk up there in a blizzard – discussing how maybe when they see us (haven’t showered or changed clothes in 4 days – looking a little homeless now for sure) and hear our story they won’t be able to say no. 

It didn’t even cross my mind at the time their name being Christian Brothers – I just thought that was their last name – when we entered the garage we were greeted with a very warm welcome – we had their full attention and they quickly assured us they would do everything they could to help – they offered us a warm drink – and quickly began helping us make a plan.  They drove us back to our van and jump started it – to save us a huge towing bill – we drove the van up to their garage with them following us. 

They took our van in right away – made some phone calls to arrange a hotel for us to stay in and kept reassuring us that everything was going to be ok – even though our anxiety was building about our flight – we made some phone calls from the waiting area and found out at this point our trip was non-refundable – we could pay to have our flight changed, but not our accommodations  due to the fact that it was booked at the last minute -we had to pay for the condo in full.

We spent the  entire morning at the garage – making phone calls and getting updates on the van – at first they thought it might be bad gas, (that would have been a blessing) but as the morning went on and they got further into it – they realized it was the engine – and there was no way this could be repaired in the time we needed to get to Denver to make our flight – the owner offered to take us back to our trailer that we had left in the parking lot of the grocery store – but after hearing that we needed all the windsurfing gear that was in the van for our trip he decided that  maybe we could put the van back together in order for us to very slowly drive it to the hotel unload our boards and summer bin of clothes that we needed access to and  pick up our trailer from the grocery store parking lot on our way back to the garage – he graciously offered to keep our trailer in his lot while we travelled – they began clearing  a spot for us to park the trailer.

Away we went driving our vibrating van at 20km an hour to the hotel – yes it is still a blizzard out – we are once again warmly greeted by Savannah at the Marriott who knows our entire story and is more than willing to do anything for us – she gave us a great deal on the room because let’s face it we are not looking like Marriott people at this point. 

We begin to unload all of Bills boards, sails, booms, mast, wetsuits, snorkeling gear, summer bins and we are spread out across the wet snowy parking lot and getting a few stares as he unloads and I carry one thing at a time up to our 2^nd floor room – via the stairs as I can’t seem to jam the surfboards into the elevator.

Luckily we had already stopped and bought the bubble wrap and cardboard to pack up the boards – it doesn’t take long to fill up our hotel room – we bubble wrap the boards and take all the sails into the hallway and unroll them  and pack them up – moving a few times for hotel guests – and curious kids.

I quickly do up all our dirty trailer dishes in the Marriott sink – yes for real – and we begin our shaky drive back to pick up our trailer and get this van back to the garage.  We stop at a red light and we are both holding our breath as the van shakes rattles and rolls – when the light turns green and Bill hits the accelerator the entire dashboard falls to the floor and I realize my Starbucks is still standing upright – not a drop spills and we totally go into hysterics –

We make it back to the garage safely and get our trailer parked in the spot they have prepared for us. 

We take our backpacks and everything we need out of the van and realize we are probably going to have to make a few trips back and forth from the hotel to the trailer to get everything we need.  So for the rest of the day we march back and forth the mile between the hotel and garage –

We had another good case of the giggles as we carried our packs dangling with gear, rolled up foam mats, a huge roll of bubble wrap, and Bill was carrying his SUP paddle which I am sure puzzled the drivers along the busy roadway as it continued to snow.

Are we really going to be able to pull this trip off????

We finished up our packing around 8:30pm and finally stopped to have something to eat at a restaurant and sit for a minute few minutes to figure out the rest of the logistics of this trip – like how are we going to get the gear to the airport. We had called a shuttle service earlier in the day that had promised they could accommodate us – but when they double checked with the driver of the shuttle and the measurements of the gear – they decided they could not make this happen.

The owner of the garage had offered to drive us and the manager at the Marriott also made the offer, but we felt that was a lot to ask after everything they had already done for us.    So we called back the shuttle service and they set us up with an executive shuttle – so just us the driver and our gear. (in case you haven’t heard Bill is kind of a big deal).

So we went to bed still wondering if everything was going to work out – our heads swirled with questions like:

Will our gear really fit in the executive shuttle?

When we get to the airport hotel will that shuttle be able to accommodate us with their private airport shuttle? (which they said on the phone they would be able to)

Will the airlines really take our gear or will the screw us at the last minute? (we spoke to 3 United employees via phone and got 3 different answers)

We had already called the airport hotel and asked them if the airline doesn’t take the gear would they be able to store it for us and they said no.

April 1 & 2, 2016

Up early after a restless sleep – walked back up to the trailer to bring back a few things. 

Popped into the garage to drop off a trailer key in case of an emergency –

Realized when we checked the trailer that the pipes were frozen as it got a little colder out last night than anticipated – we jacked the furnace up and sat in the trailer trying to warm up the pipes and thaw out the pump – our holding tank is also full which I am terrified could crack and leak into their parking lot, but this late in the game nothing we can do about it.

Our original plan before the van died was to stop and empty the tank and fill with antifreeze and park the van and trailer at the oversized parking lot right at the airport and that way if the airline refused our gear we could quickly return it to the van – that dream died last night J.

Our executive shuttle driver showed up giggling as he loaded our gear into his shuttle and piled the three  9 foot board bags on top of the seats that usually house passengers and said “boy I can’t wait to hear this story?  What are you doing in Denver with surfboards?”

The next 90 minutes flew by as we told our story to the driver who is a retired gentleman that runs a charity organization for pearl harbor vets who are still living and for the families of the deceased of the SS Arizona.  He says he drives the executive shuttle just to hear people’s stories.

He gets us to our hotel in a timely and safe fashion.  We check in, get settled, get something to eat. We decide to do a practice run to the airport.  We take a photo of the gear and jump on the shuttle.  The driver assures us the gear will fit in the large shuttle they use in the morning.  We see a couple of ticket agents who give us different opinions – we are frustrated, but at least we feel like all the gear will go – we just might have to pay more than we want.  We feel like we have our bearings – so we go back to the hotel.   Go to bed early – and hope for the best in the morning.

Our friend Jerry calls us at 5:00am – to chat.   He says he waited until 7 his timeJ(thanks for the wake up call buddy)

We decide since we are up – we might as well catch an earlier shuttle to give us a little wiggle room in case things don’t go smoothly. 

As we exit our room with the surfboards we see a sign on the elevator - it is down – so we schlep our things downstairs one at a time.  We line the gear up outside on the sidewalk and wait for the shuttle – it arrives and the driver is smiling – I know I told you yesterday it would fit, but I am not so sure now that I am seeing it – OMG – he tried several ways to load it into the end of the shuttle and no go – he says well maybe it will fit down the aisle on the inside – so we apologize to the other passengers and totally stuff the shuttle with the gear.   Away we go…..

We get to the airport and Bill leaves me standing on the sidewalk while he goes inside to figure out how to get the gear up one flight of stairs to the ticket agents.  He comes back and says it isn’t going to fit in the elevator – we can’t possibly carry all this gear up the escalator – and you certainly can’t leave bags unattended, so he goes in search of a porter.  Comes back with a helper who smiles when he sees all the gear.  He helps us get everything into the airport with a huge dolly and explains he will have to catch the freight elevator up and we are not allowed to go with him.  So we take one of the large 9 foot bags and he takes the 2 boards and our luggage.  We get the large bag up on the escalator and meet up with our new friend upstairs.  He explains that our check-in  might be handled better if we see the ticket agent at the unusual baggage counter –  they took exceptional care of us – charging us a very large sum of money, but at least no more hassles – she even sang Happy Birthday to me – which totally made me tear up and realize I may be a little bit lonesome….

You are probably wondering – why we would you go to all this bother and not just rent gear when we got to Maui.  Let me explain – we have been to Maui several times and unfortunately there is lots of driving and several different spots to windsurf, surf and stand up paddle board – the last thing either of us feel like doing right now is spending more time in a vehicle.  It is time consuming to have to wait for the shop to open every day to get gear and you are charged by the day – I find sometimes Bill doesn’t get gear as he doesn’t know what he needs for the day, or on which side of the island we will be on – so the best plan is to have all of your own gear in the van and wherever you are on the island you are ready.

So as I sit in our condo with the beautiful ocean view and the breeze blowing through – I summarize the events of the last few weeks and realize how our lives have been touched by several giving and caring people – who all played a part in helping us make this trip happen – the extra mile everyone at the garage went – by allowing us to park our trailer there, offering us rides, arranging hotel rooms, saving us the large towing Bill, offering personal vehicles and rides everywhere – holding our hand as we left and saying – god bless – everything is going to be ok – I realize if we were going to break down – it sure happened in a great little town - called Monument Colorado – where we were met by Christian Brothers. 

Half way through our flight – Bill handed me an airplane napkin and on it he had made me a Birthday card with little drawings of all the great places we had been on this adventure and in the middle was Maui – the island that holds our heart – He said “it has been a rough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t all been bad.”  So true…

As I waited in the outdoor airport with all the gear at my feet - for Bill to go and pick up the rental van an elderly Hawaiian man approached me circled his own face and said “now you are at peace”