Honduras-Summer of '08

June of this year was more an epiphany than a vacation. Instead of opting to laze around on the local beaches or get a summer job, I chose to venture to South America with my church, First Baptist of St.Cloud. Our mission began with a four hour trip down to Miami where we would then hop on a plane to Guatemala, then transfering flights to our final destination: Tegusegualpa, Honduras. Arriving midnight of Saturday night, we were anything but happy campers, or missinaries in this case. The eighteen of us grouped off into our rooms once we reached the hotel, if that's what you want to call it. We had to get an early start so we could make it to the church on time, which wasn't an option considering our sole purpose. Despite our bitterness towards the early hour, we put all negativities aside once our rented white fifteen passenger van and rented red truck rolled to a stop on the red-brown dirt road on the side of a mountain. The percise moment our doors opened, a dozen children, ranging from three to thirteen, rushed up crying out, "Hola! Hola!" and reaching thier lanky arms towards the dum dums we craddled defensively in our arms. They had milk brown skin with hair and eyes to match. Their fingernails had dirt embeded underneath and thier faces appeared to be coated in grime. Thier smiles were so precious that you needed a magnifying glass to notice the discolored, rotting teeth with black caps that did inside. The clothes they wore no longer possesed the colors they had when they hung on the discount Wal Mart racks, but instead had holes, stains, and faded colors. The whites were more gray, the yellows more pea green. Everthing was unclean, unfair unjust. One little girl, who i later found out was a deaf child named Rosie, had enourmous marble sized eyes and short black coarse hair that curved to a v at the nape of her neck. She looked at me, giggled, and then run away hurridly. After a few minutres passed, she returned with a baby boy she hoisted on her bony hip that couldnt have been any older than one and a half. In his small grasp were the dum dums i had given her minutes before. Rosie then held out the baby, motioning for me to take him. I nodded and obeyed by taking the young child. This was one moment the rental truch andvan took us. It took us to dozens or poor villages where the hoses were made out or mud or metal and decorated with discarded Pepsi posters. It brought us to parks where we took childeren to play and to hotels that we paid for the kids to stay a. It brought us to and fro form the hotel, air port, lunch, dinner, and church.

Hawaii 2008

In today's modern traveling world, the goal is to accomplish a plethora of activities in a minmal amount of time. This is made possible by transportation. However, the average Joe doesn't have the means to own several vehicles across the nation and throughout the world. Thus the idea of rental cars came about. Companies such as Enterprise, Thrify, Dollar, and Hertz all latched onto this idea and today are accomidating millions of people globally. The average rate ranges from thirty to eighty dollars for a single day. With the economy at its worst, thankfully there is an alternative: Rental Car Momma. This website lets you view multiple companies all through this one cite, and allows you to recieve the lowest rate at the liesure of your computer on your time, not office time. Rental Car Momma is where i went when i had the pleasure of being invited to join my friend Lauren in a venture to Hawaii for a long weekend escape. The trip, beginning October 23 and ending October 27, would require four full days of renting a vehicle making me expenses come out to only 180 dollars for a white, four door, soft-top Jeep Wrangler. Due to the island breezes and warm tropical climate, a Jeep seemed ideal to go site seeing, which we did all but one day. In fact, it's what a majority of the locals owned as well. We always rode with the top down, making it easy to take photographs of Pearl Harbour, the famous Bonzai Pipeline, Waikiki Beach, and all of Honolulu. One thing i took note of were the lisence plates. There was a simple pale rainbow and read Hawaii in black. Lauren and I found this quite entertaining. We even opted to take a picture by it, posing with "thumbs up" signs and cheesy smiles. Although it may seem ironic to have a rainbow represent a state that is known for it's sunny days, it became apparant that it indeed had a just reason. Every day we were there it shortly sprinkled either early in the morning or during mid afternoon. Even at these times there was no need to pull over and assemble the top becasue the rain was so light and soft it felt refreshing agaisnt our glistening faces. The city was like nothing I have ever set my eyes on before, which is meaningful because I have been to Saudi Arabia, Rome, Italy, the Cayman Islands, and Pairs. It's easiestly described as a cross between New York City and a Paradise. The beaches are all different. Some of the water is transparent and calm, others are dark and full of surfing waves. The sand can be tan and granulated or orange like and piecey. There are steep clifs and rocks that dare devils climb so they can jump off into back tucks or prestigous dives leading straight into the Pacific Ocean. The City of Honolulu is a complete antonym. The streets are packed with brand name stores such as Coach, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vutton, and Rolex. Tourists and locals alike add to the huslte and buslte of these streets, occasionally stopping to dine at resturaunts such as Senor Frogs, The Black Orchid and Dave's. The population is made up of mostly asian immigrants, but also consists of Hawaiian natives and Americans. You have to opportunity to shop at first class or tourist shops, lay on the beach, snorkle on the beaches, take a hike through their rainforest, or surf like the pros. My hotel, the Honolulu Hilton, offered Hula and surfing lessons. I was able to enjoy all of the luxaries because not only did I save money on my car rental, but I could use it at my disposal.

Renting A Car In Orlando

To make a trip to Orlando complete, be sure to rent a vehicle and see the City Beautiful the way you want to. With a car rental, you can go anywhere you want go, whenever you want to. With so many things to do and see in Orlando, it would make sense to have a vehicle at your disposal. Here are a few suggestions about what to do and see while you vacationing in this wonderful city.

A trip to Orlando would not be complete without a trip to Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts. Make sure you plan enough time because all of the parks that Disney has to offer will keep you busy all day. Bring to entire family to the Magic Kingdom to enjoy a day full of magical rides, food and fun. Disney's Hollywood Studios is packed full of exhilarating rides, such as the Tower of Terror. Run around the world when you spend a day at Disney's Epcot Center. Visit various world cities and jump on rides specifically design for the region of the world that you are and do not forget to check out the newly renovated Spaceship Earth. Take a trip over to Disney's Animal Kingdom for a great day of adventurous rides and fantastic animals.

Orlando is also home to Universal Studios Orlando, where you can spend the day riding the movies. At Universal Studios, you can ride rides such as outrageously funny The Simpsons, or Shrek 4-D. The Islands of Adventure boasts rides like fast The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and Jaws.

Whatever you decide to see or do in Orlando, the easiest way to do it is in a rental car.

Avis Offers New Service In Idaho

Renting a car is one of the best ways to get around a town that you are visiting while you are on vacation. Although, sometimes picking up and dropping off your vehicle may prove to be more difficult as it really should be and that is the last thing that you would want to worry about while trying to relax and enjoy your vacation. Well, you need not worry about pick-up and drop-off locations anymore if you are vacationing in beautiful Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

Avis is opening a new pick-up and drop-off at the Sun Valley Resort, starting the first week of December. No longer, will you have to worry about picking-up or dropping-off right at the airport, you will now be able to that right at the resort. As if the convenience alone was not enough, Avis has announced that there will be no fee for this new service at the resort. Even local residents will be eligible for this service.

Maryland Sets A Cap On Refueling Fees

The state of Maryland recently announced that they would be enforcing a new cap on refueling costs for the rental companies. As the economy slowed, so did the business of much of the rental industry, causing high prices, especially in the refueling department. Now, car renters have to factor in the cost of the refueling charge in their car rental budget, as before it really was not that much of a factor. The state of Maryland noticed this and decided the best way to handle the situation is to put a cap on the refueling fees. Since the cap, the rental car companies agreed to lower the refueling fee by 133 percent, some even going as high as 142 percent.

There are some mixed feelings amongst the rental car companies about the cap, saying that it is not entirely fair to put a cap on refueling costs. Some in the rental car community say that not only are the caps unfair, but also interfere with free trade. One of the first companies to comply with the cap was Hertz, dropping their refueling fee to a flat fee of $6.99. Other companies, such as Avis and Thrifty Dollar, are "taking a close look" at the flat fees that Hertz applied to their refueling fee, but are not applying that kind of policy as of yet.

Buyers Gain The Advantage In Trying Times

As the economy continues to spiral downwards, so do the earnings of the rental car companies. Whether cutting jobs, holding on to fleet vehicles for a longer period of time or trying hike up rental fees, each indivual company is feeling the pinch of the economic state of the country in their own way. This is not only effecting rental car companies, but the major auto manufacturers in America. Admist the decay, believe it or not, there some who are managing to get something positive out of the negative economy.

It appears that in this harsh economic environment, buyers are gaining the advantage, as the vendors face the worse of the situation. Some suggest that this is a buyer's market, partly due to the fact that rental car companies are not buying the vehicles from the automakers like they used to and the car manufacturers are forced to perhaps lower their prices. This makes for a great market in which the buyer has the upper hand.

While In Ogden...

My wife and I rented a car when we paid a visit to Ogden, Utah. Renting a vehicle was the best way to see what the oldest city in Utah had to offer. The city hosts a number of annual events, as well as some attractions that are there all year round. We spent almost a week in and around Ogden, so we were able to get around and see just about everything.

One of the first, and most enjoyable, places we visited was Historic 25th Street. This was a neat place to see because it still had some old buildings that told the tale of the city’s beginning. The city hosts two sides of the street, the Sunny Side and the Shady Side. The Sunny Side boasts all of the nice little shops and restaurants that you would expect to see at a city’s historic district. The Shady Side, on the other hand, tells of the city’s not so reputable past. When the first visitors came into Ogden, they were able to find many things to do in town, such as visit the opium dens and frequent some of the many saloons. It was quite an interesting place to see.

The next place we went to was also a place of history, Union Station Museum. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of the early days of Ogden and the train station, were many people first stepped foot in the city. Next stop was the John M. Browning Arms Museum. I enjoyed this because I am a big fan of history. John Browning invented and manufactured many automatic firearms, but there was one in particular that I wanted to see while we were there, the infamous BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle). This rifle was used for 80 years in the U.S. military and was a staple in squad-based formations. One person carried this rifle in a squad and usually used it for suppressive fire. This was a great place to visit.

We would definitely suggestion renting a car and seeing the city on your own terms, it is much easier that way. Go and see what this unique city has to offer.

Enterprise On Top In Customer Service

There are a few things that you expect when you are renting a car from a reputable company. One thing is the reliability of your vehicle; you definitely need a reliable vehicle. There are very few things that can ruin a great vacation experience than having your rental car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. So, having a vehicle you can depend on is certainly one of the most important things you can have when you are visiting a new city. The other thing, and certainly just as important is the service that you receive at the rental car counter. Good or bad, customer service can make or break your day. It is that first impression that will decide how well that company is going to take care of you and your family.

J.D. Powers and Associates have just released their annual survey on the best customer service in the rental car industry, and the front-runner for the fifth year in a row is Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Hertz and Alamo are not too far behind the rental car giant. Although the survey shows a clear victor, only one in ten said they have received absolutely horrible customer service from any rental company.

Enterprise To Hold On To Vehicles Longer

In response to the economic meltdown, America’s largest renal car business, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, is expected to hold on to the vehicles in their fleets longer than they normally have in the past. Enterprise is hoping to cut costs by keeping their cars and light trucks in the fleet for 13 months instead of the 9-11 months the company saw in the past.

This has put a hit on the American automakers as well. Detroit automakers are seeing less of their vehicles being purchased, as Enterprise and other rental car companies are feeling the pinch of the economic downtime, causing them to hold on to their vehicles longer and shrink the size of their fleets.

Despite these trying times, Enterprise remains optimistic and is confident that the economy will rebound eventually and things will go back to the way it was in the recent past.

Philly In A Rental Car

The best way to see Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is to go and rent a car and take your own personal tour of the city. With so many things to see and do in the City of Brotherly Love, you don’t want to be slowed down by crowds and guides. When you are in the city, be sure to check out Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell and have a cheese steak. What ever you decide to do, jump in a rental and go out and see it for yourself.

A New Rental Car Facility In Spokane

If renting a car is in your forecast on your next vacation, you may want to consider taking a trip to Spokane, Washington. The last thing that you want to do is wait on your process to through to rent the vehicle, and you certainly do not want to be stuck in an environment where you are subject to the weather. Well, the new facility in Spokane is set to provide you with a very pleasing rental car experience. The $14 million facility contains 8 different rental car companies, as well as covered walkways, a shared service department, improved maintenance and cleaning and 10 gasoline bays.

The facility aims to provide better service in a friendly atmosphere, making it easier to pick up of drop off your rental car vehicle.

Rental Car Shares Drop

It appears that Hertz Rentals is not the only one in the rental car industry that is taking a hit on Wall Street. Rental car companies’ shares have dropped across the board Wednesday. The word on Wall Street is that the economy put such a strain on the rental car business, which the recovery time could take up to two years.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. topped the barrel on Wednesday, when its shares dropped 4.9 percent in afternoon trading, with the Avis Budget Group following closely with a 4.7 percent drop in shares. If the economy continues to slow, it will continue to hurt the rental car industry, as the influx of would be travelers will continue to slow as well.

Shares For Rental Car Companies Drop

It appears that Hertz Rentals is not the only one in the rental car industry that is taking a hit on Wall Street. Rental car companies’ shares have dropped across the board Wednesday. The word on Wall Street is that the economy put such a strain on the rental car business, which the recovery time could take up to two years.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. topped the barrel on Wednesday, when its shares dropped 4.9 percent in afternoon trading, with the Avis Budget Group following closely with a 4.7 percent drop in shares. If the economy continues to slow, it will continue to hurt the rental car industry, as the influx of would be travelers will continue to slow as well.

Searching For A Vehicle? Hit The Web For Great Deals!

You do not have to be a computer whiz to jump on line and find a great deal, but it doesn’t hurt to know your way around various bargain websites. With more and more rental car companies turning to the web for sales, it is important to know that you can receive some of the best deals if you possess just a bit of patience and awareness. Before actually reserving a rental vehicle, spend a little time getting familiar with some websites, such as Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and BreezeNet.com.

Getting to know these sites will prove to be quite advantageous, dropping rates that could range from $50 to $60 a day, to a mere $9 to $12 a day. Checking off simple options, like “more companies”, that open up a whole different window and more options. Surf around in the different option areas and you will see a vast difference in rental prices.

So, don’t just jump on the first “good deal” you find while searching for your next rental vehicle and take some time to rummage through the many options that you can. It will certainly be worth your time and energy in the long run.

Renting A Car While In Boston

Not long ago, my wife and I took a trip to a city that I always wanted to visit, Boston. Ever since I realized that I had a knack for learning and loving history, Boston, Massachusetts has been on my places to visit “high priority” list. We knew exactly what we wanted to see and do, and we figured that the easy way to do it was to rent a car and freely roam around this awesome city. We decided to rent the car from Alamo Rent A Car this time around. The great thing about this rental was that we were able to use the Pre-Pay option that Alamo offers, and we were able to save an additional 10% on our reservation. Not only that, but we also used the On-Line Check-In available on www.Alamo.com. The combination of those two options made it very quick and easy to get in our rental car and go when we arrived in Boston.

The first on my, I mean our, list was to walk the Freedom Trail. We decided not to take the guided tour, but instead to venture out on our own. So, we parked the rental car, got out and stood at the beginning of the trail in awe. From the first moment we stepped on the road, we were instantly time-warped backwards in history. This is heart of the American Revolution and you can feel it as you walk the trail.

The trail starts of at Boston Common, the oldest park in the United States. From a cattle-grazing ground, to a British encampment, to a place that hosted public hangings, this park has a remarkable and varied history. It also is the beginning of a series of parks that twist throughout Boston called the Emerald Necklace. This is a beautiful park and it deserves to be at the beginning of this historical trail.

Freedom Trail ends at the Bunker Hill Monument. The monument stands 221 feet high and is situated at the top of Breed’s Hill, the location of the first major battle of the American Revolution. This is where Colonel William Prescott gave the famous order “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” to ensure that his untrained forces did not fire any unnecessary volleys. What an amazing monument and park that is dedicated to American History!

We certainly had a wonderful timed in Boston and I would go there again in a heartbeat. What ever you decide to do while in this historical city, just make sure you get out there, rent a car and do it, you will not be disappointed.

Hertz Global Holdings Takes A Cut

We learned today that the straining economy dealt a losing hand to one of the leading names in the rental car industry. Hertz’s Global Holdings purported a decrease of 89 percent in its third quarter earnings and is ready to let go of some 4.7 percent of its working force. Not only is that bad news for some of Hertz’s employees, but bad news for some Hertz locations, as they plan on shutting down some stores.

Reports on Thursday morning showed a drop from $6.66 on Wednesday when it closed, to $5.77, or 13.4 percent. The total loss this year for Hertz is a shocking 58 percent, bringing their earnings down from $.50 a share, to $.05 a share from a year ago and Hertz said its revenue fell 1.1 percent.

Hertz also said that it would be cutting back on the size of its fleet, declaring the cause to be that rental sales on vehicle and equipment are down further that expected.

Rental Car Industry Is Putting A Strain On U.S. Automakers

The slowing economy has taken a toll on just about everyone in the country. This is certainly not untrue for the big names in auto manufacturing and this is mostly due in big part to the rental car industry. The rental car business buys up many of the excess vehicles that the car companies produce each year and since the economy has slowed, so has the amount of would be travelers. One of the main spots for renting vehicles is at the airport and with a decrease in travel, not as many vehicles are being rented. Thus, the rental car companies are forced to keep the vehicles in their fleet longer than normal and this causes the companies not to buy vehicles as often.

On average, rental car companies are now on their way to keeping their vehicles 15 months, as opposed to the 10-11 months in the past. This is putting a strain on the three major car manufactures in the country, because in order to get rid of the overflow of new vehicles, they have to lower the sales price of the vehicles just to sell them to the rental companies. Rental car companies, in this situation, can pretty much offer whatever price they want to, putting further stress on U.S. automakers.

The 2008 Presidential Race

The eyes of the world fell upon America last night, as the presidential race came to a finally came to a halt. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the night, waiting impatiently to see who would emerge victorious and become the next president of the United States. When all the smoke from the campaign trial cleared, a winner was finally announced and his name, Senator Barack Obama. It was truly a defining and historic moment in America and I am absolutely exhilarated to have been a part of it.

In Chicago, tens of thousands of people packed into Grant Park, anxiously awaiting president-elect Barack Obama to take the stage and deliver his victory speech. I sat on my couch and watched the entire event with a great intensity. Thousands of American flags waved passionately in the Chicago wind, as Senator Obama took to the podium and gave one of the most inspiring and enthusiastic speeches I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. As the camera panned through the crowd, I watched the face of every citizen, who seemed to be overwhelmed with joy and the hope of change for America. I must have been instantly transported there, because I surely got caught up in the emotion of the crowd in Chicago.

As I sit here and write this, I can’t help but to think about how fortunate we are to live in a country where the best and brightest in a person can be brought out, no matter race, religion or political affiliation. Last night the Republicans didn’t win, nor did the Democrats, last night America and the American people won. Today is a great day in American history and a great day to be an American.

A Vacation In Hawaii

One year, my wife and I took a vacation to Hawaii; we had one of the best times ever. Our original plan was to stay in the capital city of Honolulu and just relax and bask in the Pacific sun. Well, I guess there is only so much basking one can do, because after about two days we got bored and decided to rent a car and take our own little personal tour of the island. Renting a car proved to be a great decision because we were able to go anywhere we wanted to go with relative ease.

The first thing I wanted to do was pay tribute to the men who lost their lives defending our country at the USS Arizona Memorial. The USS Arizona was a battleship that was stationed in Pearl Harbor and one of the many ships that sunk during the bombing. A portion of the ship is still visible from the observation deck. There is a wall dedicated to every man who lost his life on that devastating day.

The next place we went was the beautiful and extravagant Iolani Palace. We were totally amazed with this place. The palace was completed in 1882, 16 years before Hawaii was a territory of the United States. Not only is this the last home of the royal family in Hawaii, but the only royal palace in the United States. It was definitely a one of a kind experience.

There is so much to do and see while vacationing in Honolulu and in our opinion, renting a vehicle and taking it to the road is the most convenient way to see what this amazing island has to offer.

Going to Phoenix?

My latest adventure led me to Phoenix, Arizona. The very first thing I did upon my arrival is rent a car. I think renting a car is one of the most important things one must do while vacationing, especially in Phoenix and its surrounding areas. The Phoenix area is so vast that jumping in a car and just going is really the most efficient way to go.

My first stop was at the amazingly bizarre Mystery Castle. Although it is not really a castle, it is certainly a unique structure and Boyce Gulley built it in 1930, after he found out he had tuberculosis. Built on a high piece of land, the castle offers some of the most beautiful and breathtaking panoramic views I’ve ever witnessed. If you time it right, you might actually get a quite informative tour, hosted by the builder’s very own daughter.

My next stop was the fascinating Desert Botanical Gardens. Now, usually beautiful flowing gardens isn’t exactly the first thing you think of when you think of the desert plant life, but the botanical gardens boasts some of the most awesome displays of flora that Phoenix has to offer. Not only will you be in awe, you will also learn about how the plants adapt to the desert environment and the conservation efforts being made by the gardens. This is truly a spectacular place to visit.

There are countless other sites to see while visiting Phoenix. So, jump in your rental car and explore this wonderful area for yourself.