Car Rental Information

Renting a car in Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (Brock) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:55:00 +0000

My good friend Ryan and I took a trip to Las Vegas with his father to go and see the races. Little did I know, this would turn into a wild adventure. Now as the old saying goes "what goes in Vegas stays in Vegas" always applies, so I cant let you in on all of the juicy details, but I will however mention a few.
Straight from the races Ryan and I decided that it was time to rent our own car and visit some of the sweet spots that Vegas has to offer. We proceeded promptly to Alamo Rent a Car and picked up a 2009 Nissan 370Z and ohh baby did that car have some power. Just hearing the engine rev could make anyone excited. I sped out of the Alamo parking lot revving up my engine and squealing the tires; we were set for success.
We immediately picked up some fresh shades and headed straight for a casino and oh man were we turning some heads. That 370Z is an all around head turner. Ryan and I went straight up to valet parking, threw the valet a couple of fresh $20s and we were on our way. Now I'm not going to lie, walking around a casino with one of your good friends is fun, but its even better walking around with your good friend and some beautiful ladies to keep you company. Now in Vegas beautiful ladies aren't very hard to find, especially for two good looking bucks like ourselves. We found ourselves some keepers and started doing what Vegas is primly known for, gambling. I headed straight for the Black Jack table chipped in and then started to play. I played for a good 20 min and then reached into my pocket and was grabbing nothing but lint. Ryan and I quickly grabbed our belongings and what was left of our dignity and left the casino (not forgetting our beautiful ladies). We went straight to valet and once the ladies saw our 370Z they were so excited. Lets just say that the ladies loved that 370Z. We all decided that it was time to take a cruise down the famous Vegas Strip to take a look at what else their was to see. It was amazing all of the buildings all light up at night. Things such as the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, and Circus Circus to just name a few. Now as to what we did with the rest of our night I can't get into to much detail (what goes in Vegas stays in Vegas), but one thing is for sure, if it wasn't for Ryan and I renting that car from Alamo I don't know how we would have pulled it off. This is for sure a trip that you would never want to miss.

Starting a Catering Business with Hertz

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Usually when renting a vehicle, it’s usually a car- however the occasion this time was a lot different. My wife is starting up a new catering business and did not want to make a big investment and buy a new van to bring everything around for the customers, so thankfully Hertz has a business rental program for people just like us! When starting out the business she had wanted to get a mini-van but my favorite saying came into play “go big or go home” so she went with Hertz’s Chevy cargo van. Now the first week of business was absolutely hectic, in all 5 days of the business week we probably only got about 6 hours of sleep! The website was going crazy getting all sorts of e-mails and requests for huge orders and the planning process was unreal. We got our first real customers on the second day of business it was a huge group of people that were getting ready to have a birthday party and anniversary combined into one! So we had to make a ton of food for them and believe me it was not easy-Good thing we had rented the cargo van from Hertz because we definitely wouldn’t have been able to stock up all of that food in my sedan or on her moped! As we arrived to the planning of the event we pulled up our customers were impressed that a first time catering business that just started up was looking as professional as we did, the van was a brand new model and we had the vinyl stickers printed at a local shop. We set everything up and everyone was amazed at how organized we were. Even I was a bit impressed because it was the first time I’ve ever done that in my life. Overall we had a great time our customers were extremely happy and so were we. We set up this business and so far it is doing very well, we have at least one event per week until March next year. All this would not have been possible if we didn’t get a cargo van from Hertz!If you are ever looking to start a business and don’t want to put down such a large investment on a vehicle Hertz is the way to go, we saved a ton of money and don’t have to worry about extra expenses that come with purchasing a new vehicle. Plus with all the extra values Hertz has to offer we were in the clear of any car problems at all.

Cool and Relaxing Getaway: The return trip

noreply@blogger.com (Dominiky) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

After a very enjoyable long weekend with the family, we are now closer than ever, spending time hiking and taking beautiful nature walks, the family has been able to talk through problems, issues, and concerns, as well as the enjoyable great moments in our lives.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and it was time to head back to the Florida heat. Once in the vehicle and ready to head back to Florida, the kids began complaining about the car being cold. We turn on the heating system and it immediately warms up, it is a fabulous system. Heading down to Florida is just as exciting as the other way around. By this time everyone is excited to get back to their beds and friends and just regular life. The trip back down seemed a lot faster. We of course had some snacks ready and tried less drinks so that we would need to make fewer bathroom breaks.

Once we were in Florida, we went by the house and decided to unload and rest up, since we had been so tired from the trip, we took a long nap and ended up waking up the next morning. Having gone over our rental time by one day, I expected outrageous fines. However, once we showed up at the office, the same associate took care of us. She had explained the fees that we had incurred from our extra day with the car. The Enterprise associate was so kind that she waived those fees for us. After inspecting the vehicle we signed the return paperwork and were on our way back home.

I have never been so pleased with a rental company, like I am with Enterprise. That associate helped make the trip even better, since there was no hassle involved at any point during our business transaction. The vehicle kept up pretty well, and the entire family was comfortable.

I will definitely be planning another trip shortly, maybe somewhere local this time. Perhaps the Keys will be our next destination. And I will make sure that I rent from Enterprise again. Their service was exceptional and the vehicles were in perfect condition.

Cool and Relaxing Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Dominiky) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:59:00 +0000

The Cold season had finally arrived. In most of the country, that is (lol). Our beloved Florida is still pretty warm with temperatures as high as 81, as opposed to our fellow northeast states who's temperatures have already began dropping down to the 50's and 40's. So being tired of the heat, decided to take a trip up to North Carolina. Why not? Enjoy the cool mountain breeze, enjoy the season changes. The trip seemed just perfect to go up and be able to relax for a few days. Since we wanted to enjoy the scenery, we decided to drive instead of flying. Of course the economy had a lot to do with this decision as well. However, going on a road trip always gives you that much needed quality time with the family; Now on the road you get to catch up with everyone's life since is only your family and the road.

Since it's supposed to be a relaxing vacation, we decided to get a bigger vehicle, so we decided to go to Enterprise and rent an SUV, we ended up deciding on the Ford Escape, once we were now ready to sign the paperwork. Our friendly associate helped us with the paperwork and even helped inspect the vehicle inside and out. Once out of the Enterprise shop in Florida, it was time to head home and load our luggage.

After the loading was complete, we were finally on our way to a relaxing long weekend. I must admit, leaving at 4:00 p.m. might not have been the brightest idea, since we did run into traffic both on I-4 and I-95. But it didn't seem to bother the kids since the Escape had an amazing sound system, and they also had all this space to stretch out their legs. So yes with such an amazing system in the vehicle, of course some Karaoke took place; and it was a much needed fun family time. It's those simple moments singing over 'N Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" that seem to bring the family closer together.

After all the laughs and good times, night time had set in, kids already had fallen asleep. Since it is only a 10-12 hr trip we decided to catch a little shut eye in South Carolina, since it would only be a few hours of sleep, the decision was made to sleep in the vehicle in one of the rest shops in South Carolina. Since the vehicle was so comfortable, we simply leaned our seats back and lights out it was.

Waking up a few hours later, surprisingly well rested; We decided to take the off-ramp for some much needed breakfast at the local IHOP. After the nice warm breakfast we were finally ready to resume our trip. After another four hours of driving and a few more pop teen sensation impersonations, we finally arrived at our destination. Everyone simply thrilled about spending the weekend at such a beautiful place. The kids were loving the mountains which we don't get at all in Florida, it was simply spectacular.

Avis-Budget Group 3rd Quarter 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Cannata) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Avis-Budget is one of the leading Car rental brands in the world. It has two branches of agencies that rent cars to anyone and everyone. With very few decreases on record, this company is thriving.

In the third quarter months of 2009 (ending september 30th), Avis has released information regarding their sales results. Their revenue was well over 1.5 Billion dollars. This is a 13% decrease from a year-over-year basis. This is due to a 21% decrease in rental days recently.

Their Fleet (Car inventory) cost decreased by 25% mostly due to a 21% decrease in average fleet use. Their cost was actually better than anticipated because of the temporarily low gas prices during the summer.

International sales were down 9.1%. Avis reports that this is entirely do to the impact of the exchange rates costing them over $10 million dollars. Their projection is that this cost will be offset by the fourth quarter.

Avis projects that the rental demand will be stable during the fourth quarter and into the 2010 year. While the projection for the 4th quarter is lower than the third, they expect to catch up and increase in 2010. They also expect to keep the size of its rental fleet the same through the end of 09' and a possible 15% increase in size by 2010's second quarter. The company also expects to launch a program that will help minimize costs and enhance productivity called the Performance Excellence Initiative. They expect the benefits of this program to exceed $100 million dollars by the end of 09' and an annual savings generated of $270 million in following years.

Overall, this company is moving in directions to increase sales and meet demands. They are projecting that the 2010 revenue will increase upon the 08-09 years.

I know that in the last 6 months I have used nothing but Avis because I have never had a bad experience with them. I travel alot because of my job, and renting cars has always been a drag. The last six months have been significantly easier because of the help Avis has been able to provide. When our company has outings and business trips, we rent up to 8 or 9 cars. And Avis has been more than patient enough with us and our large orders. I am more than excited to hear that they are pulling through in a hard time so that I can continue renting with them in the future.

NHRA Tournament - Las Vegas 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:21:00 +0000

My father is a pretty big race car fan; his truck is covered with a million and half Nascar, NHRA, and Mobile 1 stickers and my mom jokes around that he’s spent more money on the stickers than the truck itself! Just last week was his birthday and instead of sitting down and watching the NHRA on the television from the comfort of his own home he decided to go big, real big- like 12 passenger van on a 2,500 mile long road trip to watch it live big! Now I don’t usually care much about NHRA enough to drive out there however I was pretty much forced. Well we started off the day by going to the Avis Car Rental at the Orlando International Airport and picked up the massive van and drove back to my house where we all got ready to load up, once we all got into the van it looked like there was a bunch of extra room so I invited a friend to come along, about 10 minutes later my buddy Brock showed up at my door a funny thing about Brock is that he always walks with a BBQ Grill I’m talking all day every day and I’m not talking about a portable George Forman grill I’m talking a big stainless steel grill- why he does it no one knows but if you’re looking for a BBQ Brocks your man, but back to the story we were all surprised because he lives about 20 minutes away and we assumed it would take a lot longer however he assured us that he borrowed his friends Nissan Altima SE-R and made it to my house in no time flat. After checking out his borrowed ride we embarked on our journey to the land with no stories – good ole’ Las Vegas. I’ve been to Vegas once before but I was in the 4th grade so I didn’t have any “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” stories to tell…yet. Since my dad was driving the Van we did not stop once, and everyone that had to use the bathroom on the way there heard the same three lines over and over “too bad!” you’re out of luck!” or just the plain and simple version “hold it!” there was nothing going to stop this NHRA mad man from getting to his event extra early so we just put up with the bladder torture until he decided to stop in the middle of a dessert in Nevada on a back road with one gas station, well as soon as pops got out of the van Brock didn’t let us down-he yanked out his handy dandy BBQ grill and made some burgers and if anyone knows my dad he never says no to a good burger so we stopped and ate, just like any other road trip we’ve been on and he hurried back in and we headed off to Las Vegas to watch the National Hot Rod Association do what it does best. Brock and I were very excited that we were also able to see Freestyle Motocross in the same area it was a total coincidence that they were there and we had a blast watching all of the stunts being performed, after the show we decided to see exactly what Las Vegas had to offer, I’d love to tell you but like I said earlier what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and the only way for you to find out is rent a car and find out yourself!

Florida Keys

noreply@blogger.com (Snow Bird) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:41:00 +0000

We decided to go to the Florida Keys this time, and kayak down some of the rivers, or through the rivers or just explore. I don’t know exactly how to explain it but the whole thing is just a maze of rivers! Once again as is our usual tradition we decided to rent a car to take us there and back. Of course this time we would be taking more equipment, and camping out on the trail. We also had to bring the kayak, so we needed a vehicle with a sturdy roof, lots of room for our stuff, and a comfortable sitting space for the drive. Of course if you have read my previous blog we just recently had rented a hybrid to take to Daytona, and now we wanted another for this trip. With the standards we had for getting there and the want for a hybrid we were offered the Ford Escape, an SUV with all the needs we wanted, and of course, a hybrid.

This SUV drove beautifully and when we picked it up from National we were in and out in minutes. I’m not sure why I keep hearing all these bad stories about car companies, because to me it seems like every company we have rented from has treated us well, and we keep changing companies nearly every trip. I think most of these people don’t call ahead of time and expect a walk in walk out experience; it’s quick and easy if you prepare.

We took the car down to the Keys, it was only a five or six hour ride, and we stayed a night in a hotel before getting an early morning start into the state park. We made safety protocols with the rangers incase we got lost and were given a camp site, directly off the campsite was the water, I’m not even joking you could step out of our tent walk twenty feet and be swimming. We place our kayak in right there about noon after the campsite was set up, placed our valuables in the car and set off and immediately flipped the kayak. We would have been aggravated except that we had a waterproof food cooler and my cell phone was in a plastic bag. Soaking wet in our bathing suits we didn’t necessarily laugh it off but we got back in and set off again this time paying more attention to how we distributed our weight. It took a few minutes for us to relax but then we were a mile away from where we started and nearly dry from the Florida sun.

We traveled around for hours, and we saw alligators, snakes, loads of fish and tons of birds. We did this several days and on the last day we saw some otter’s right near our campsite. We went fishing and caught two catfish, we didn’t eat them, heck I don’t even know how to filet them. The skies were clear, much like Georgia there wasn’t that much light pollution and we could see constellations that had been hidden from us in our winter home. The camp grounds were clean and the bathrooms were cleaner, so if you’re ever looking for a nice getaway the Florida Keys are perfect.

We returned home the next day, fully satisfied by the vacation, the Keys and our car. I suggest going to the Key’s if you get the chance, we didn’t do everything there was to do, but we enjoyed every moment that we were there.

Big Up Belize!

noreply@blogger.com (wigga) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Fresh off the boat and off to Budget rental car place to pick up our Nissan truck, Which looks a little different from ours in the states But, still cool. For me, This is my kind of trip. Personally I love reggae music and the whole Island feel of things. Growing up in a big city it's the perfect vacation to chill and relax. Of course you get hounded by the locals to by their special BOTANICALS if you know what I mean. But other than that it is the best way to chill out for a while. Plus, I'm a big fan of jerk chicken and rice and peas. Goooood stuff. The only problem was I was broke out with the worst hives I've ever experienced in my life. I couldn't figure it out to save my life what was causing the break out. But, Then while on a trip back from one of the Mayan ruins the boat captain made us lunch and I had these coconut tart type of things (which I ate like 4 of those things) Man I love coconut and that's why my whole right side of my face swoll up like someone was punching me in the face minus the bruising. Come to find out every restaurant we ate at cooks the rice and peas in coconut milk. Bad Bad Bad, I found out the really hard way that I was allergic to coconut. Now that I'm done with that mess I can enjoy my trip. We did some cave tubing in Belize City, That was really cool. While we were in Belize City I had to check out the local CD shop to get my reggae music on. What a hook up. Dubs galore. That made the trip better after suffering from swollen face. The only thing I could eat safely was tilapia which is still good with me. If only I had more time I could have took the Nissan on a 4x4 expedition in the jungle. I would have felt like I was on the Discovery Channel. If you are in Belize you have to dive the Blue Hole. What an experience. Being in the saltwater fish industry this was a cool visual to see the fish in their natural habitat. I also checked out all the Mayan ruins there. One of the ruins which I can't remember the name cause there were so many But all I remember It was really tall. When you climb to the top you had a 360 degree view of the top of the jungle and the rivers surrounding the ruins. On the way down you had to use a rope because the steps were so steep. But me being tall and inpatient i started to walk down one step at a time. As I started to go I noticed that I was picking up speed but at a steady pace. I made it down the front of the ruin in like 60 seconds. The look on all the peoples face as I flew by them was priceless. It had to be the new Jordans I had on cause I was getting some air just going down instead of up, LOL. Everyone was in awe that I didn't fall on my face going down like that. I probably could have gotten in trouble but no one said anything. We took some awesome pictures which we had framed and hung above our bed to remind us of the beautiful scenery. Blues, Greens, Aquas, you name it. Very easy on the eyes. We bought some really nice art work from a cool shop on San Pedro. All in all the trip was great. Budget rental car was quick and easy, The truck was cool and reliable. The food was really good only I paid the price for that. The people were really nice, even when I said I was good on the BOTANICALS. The Mayan Ruins were very educational. And I pick up some good reggae music for time to come. So now when ever some one says they're from Belize I say BIG UP BELIZE!

Alamo's Customer Service.

noreply@blogger.com (Travis Cannata) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Jacksonville. That was our destination for the Georgia vs. Florida football game. Two huge rivalries in my home state? Couldn't miss it. Unfortunately, last minute, my car decided to throw a rod bearing. Nice. T-minus 48 hours before gametime. After calling relatives to borrow there car (which isnt that easy with my 0-5 with the traffic police) i decided no one would let me drive. So The problem was resolved. I was gonna rent a car. Its now 36 hours before game time. And i still had to drive the 4 hours!

I called four or five different rental agencies. shows that 36 hours notice was too little. Very few of them had cars available, and if they did, it was luxury cars that i could afford for one night, let alone the two i needed it for. After 6 agonizing hours of trying, i decided i would call one more before giving up and missing the game.

I caught Alamo right before they were closing and they were still able to set me up with a Pontiac G5. While it wasn't their cheapest car, it was about half what the other agencies wanted and with about 30 hours notice... The price was right!

I woke up and went straight to their pickup location to pick up my car. It was hassle free. I paid and showed them my ID and they took me right to my white beauty. They handed me the keys, went over the "Rules" (pretty much what happens if i wreck it. Ha!) and off i went.

After the Game, and oh my, what a game, i drove it back (No tickets!) and returned it to Alamo. Also Hassle free. Gave them my keys, signed it back over and left.

Im not sure what i would have done if i had missed this game. I would have felt like a bandwagon fan. Thanks to Alamo and how easy and quick they were able to hook me up, i dont have to deal with the Gator Blues because it all worked out. Thank you Alamo. Thank you alot.

Birmingham, Alabama 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Well it was that time of the year again, what time you ask? Time to take another random road trip to a state I know nothing about! This time of year has always been a favorite. I chose to go to one of the states where I’ve been to countless times yet haven’t stayed in longer than a week, the good old “Yellowhammer” state seemed to be the best bet. Now renting a car to Alabama was no problem at all, then again it usually never is when renting from the Budget Car Rental in the Orlando International Airport since I’m a member of the Fastbreak® program where I was able to bypass the line and walk directly to the rental car I wanted. Usually when I go on these aimless road trips I rent a sports car however during my last experience I got a speeding ticket and to fight temptation I just went with a luxury car this time. The car that really caught my eye from the get-go was the Cadillac STS, and that was the car I was riding in for the next 6 days. Unlike many other of my road trips I just went straight from point A to point B so I can soak up as much time in Alabama as I could. I wanted to relax most of the time and there is nothing more relaxing to me than just sitting on a boat and catching fish. I went on a few guided fishing tours my first one was A-Team Fishing Adventures where I everyone on the boat was after two main fish, the speckled trout and a red. Luckily enough I caught both of those fish now they weren’t the biggest in the sea but at least now I have bragging rights! Another thing that I really enjoyed doing was the Alabama Hunting and Fishing trail, this trail was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been in my entire life I’ve never wished I had an Alabama state hunting license so bad in my life-but of course that’s not a normal thing everyday people wish for, however I did have my fishing pole where I took a sit down and cast my line and caught some bass. After my day at the trail I was exhausted I took a rest at the hotel and woke up early the next morning to check out some of the local museums and shopping options. I checked out the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum solely because I was told about it by a co-worker who has been to Alabama and would not shut up about it, and to be completely honest everyone at the job might just get an ear full once I return as well! After leaving the museum I decided to pick up some souvenirs for the friends and family. And had to make my way home I got a nice 3 days of rest and an even better 3 days of doing fun activities overall I regret all the times I went to Alabama and didn’t stay for longer, but now I know that the next time I need some rest and relaxation I’ll head over to the good ole’ Yellowhammer state.

Hybrids

noreply@blogger.com (Snow Bird) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:53:00 +0000

We were getting ready to make a trip to Daytona for a week of camping, and as is our usual tradition for our trips, we decided to rent a car. With the races coming up on this getaway we decided to attend one, so getting a car that would fairy us through the ruff race day traffic would be nice. We wanted to get to and from the track easily. But my blog today isn’t so much about the trip, because when we decided to pick a car we decided to look into the new hybrids, questioning why they were such the rave.

These cars are amazing, and I mean it, we spent hours researching them, and nearly every rental car company has them; National, Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Avis, Thrifty, Dollar and more. Because it’s the most recommended we rented a Toyota Prius, and wow did this thing have power. It was only four cylinders but that didn’t seem to hold it back. Not only was it a nice feeling and powerful car, the thing got nearly fifty miles to the gallon, that’s ridiculous! We saved more by renting this car than we would have if we took our own.

While we were researching some of the cars we had trouble choosing between the Ford Taurus, Nissan Altima and Toyota Prius. The Hybrid vehicles use both electricity and gas to fuel their way down the road, which means that they charge up what can be called a separate engine and swap off until the electric engine is out of power, and then they go back to gas. With this said these cars only use as much gas as is needed to charge up the electric engine; at least that is the way I understood it. We took this car all the way to Daytona from Central Florida and we used it throughout the entire week. We only filled up the gas tank on the way back before we turned it back in, as is part of the rental-car deal. We saved so much money renting this car that you can expect my next few blogs to include some for of hybrid. These cars are amazing, I dont know why we all dont have them!

Each one puts out only a small amount of toxins, as it is impossible to completely eliminate them. Its enough that if we were all to convert over to hybrids we would stop global warming. I know that sounds funny but when you get as old as me these things arent so trivial anymore. I cant wait to rent another one of these, a different model of course, were already planning our next trip and I assure you, we are taking a hybrid.

Hertz Expanding Fleet 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:15:00 +0000

In a time of recession it is still proven that some businesses will still strive in this economy. A great example of a business is Hertz, they have reported to blow passed their expectations and forecasted sales for car rentals. At this point Hertz is actually doing so well that they have to make adjustments to better serve their customers, by expanding the fleet Hertz plans to gain more customers. The biggest car rental company in the world is about to get bigger right in front of your eyes. Mark Frissora, CEO of Hertz claims that the recent increase in business is due to the increase in the used car market. Frissora also states that Hertz has seen a steady improvement in the sales of rental cars in the United States every month at about a 2-3% improvement rate. The sales in other countries are actually still improving however they are incomparable to the sales in the United States. Hertz plans on adding about 80,000 cars to their fleet focusing more on mid and full sized car rather than smaller compact cars in which they were having complaints about. The Prestige and Fun Collection in the Hertz fleet will also be expanded giving customers more options to enjoy the luxury and sport of more cars. Hertz perspective of renting a car is simple, just lay back, have fun and relax. They want your car renting experience to be pleasurable and not an unwanted task. By steadily growing Hertz is taking over the market while making a name for themselves in the car rental field for example they have been the #1 Airport car rental company in the United States. If you plan on renting a car anytime in the near future and you are near a Hertz location don’t hesitate to rent from them!

Elijah Clark State Park

noreply@blogger.com (Snow Bird) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:06:00 +0000

We have been told repeatedly that we needed to visit some of the Georgia state parks, because they have some fantastic wildlife and beautiful landscapes. That and my wife was still trigger happy with the camera after our visit to New York, so we naturally decided that we would wait a few weeks and then make the journey up from Florida to this wonderful place.

Were adventurers so this was just another expedition that we couldn’t wait for! We were ecstatic when the day finally arrived, we had packed the night before and made plans with Enterprise to get a small, durable car. It’s becoming tradition for us to rent a car whenever we go on one of our expeditions. The employee over the phone suggested that we take the Pontiac G5, because it had good gas mileage and lots of leg-room. We chose the one with a leather interior, and boy was it a smooth ride. We began our trip headed directly for Elijah Clark State Park, a beautiful are with twenty cottages, campsites and a serious of lakes and streams. One of the park officials said the place was nearly 70,000 acres, so we naturally couldn’t refuse this adventuresome expedition.

We arrived on the grounds and planned to stay for three days, we had made reservations prior so our cottage was prepped and ready, we stored our luggage inside and prepared for the night, after a long day of driving it was a good idea to hit the sack and hour or two early.

When we awoke at seven we headed straight for the park trails, with camera in hand we walked through the low rising hills taking pictures of flowers and any piece of nature that stood out of place. The deeper we went the more animals we saw, and the further we got the more “exotic,” they got. That is to say we saw an otter and box turtles, things you don’t see on the side of the road! We stopped out in the woods and had a picnic of sandwiches. After nearly four hours of hiking we decided to head back, it was a long trek and if it hadn’t been for all the water we brought we’d have sweated to our last breath. Now don’t get confused we didn’t travel far, we spent nearly 90% of the time on the way out taking pictures, so if I am about right we were only a three or four miles out. Boy am I glad were still in healthy condition, I may be old but I can walk patiently through the woods.

The next day we rented a canoe, and ventured around the lake, stopping on one side to attempt to fish, I say attempt because well… I didn’t catch a single thing. But sitting under the shade on the beach and laying out in the sun at select times wasn’t to bad a way to waste the day. If you ask me I thoroughly enjoyed my time out in the wood.

The next day we paid to have a guided tour, where we did a little of anything and everything. They took us for a short hike out into the woods and then back to lake for some boating, which proved a much better way to see the animals. The guide knew where every animal was, exactly where they would be, and where they were when they weren’t there. Do you understand? The guides should have been parents, the kids wouldn’t be able to hide. We enjoyed our time here so much that we extended our stay. Unfortunately they needed the cottage for another couple, so we rented a tent and hit the campgrounds.

That was probably the coolest part, we sat there almost all night and watched the stars. There isn’t any light pollution out in the woods, so you can see every star in the night sky. The next morning we went down to the water and relaxed for several hours, and then had lunch. We packed the Pontiac G5 that had satisfied us thus far and headed back. If you get a chance to break away from the everyday life, this is a really good solution.

Car Accident 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Well usually I’m the type of person that hates to admit I got into an accident, even if it really wasn’t my fault at all. However in this blog I will explain how it happened and what I did to get back on my feet…or should I say wheels in just a matter of hours. It all started early one morning on my way to work, I was stopped at a stop light minding my own business and POW! I get rear ended by someone who was not paying attention to the road at the time. I understand that accidents happen so I was not angry when it all happened, the careless driver exited the car and proceeded to admit their guilt and we exchanged information before the police officers came. Since I was not at fault for this accident I was fully covered by my insurance so I didn’t have a worry in the world about this situation. After the cop came and wrote the statements my car was towed to a local body shop where I was told the repair would take about 3 days to fix, the owner of the body shop then took me to the nearest Avis car rental where I got to pick out my brand new car for the next three days. My motto when doing anything is always “go big or go home” and since I had no car to go home in I decided I was better off going big. My decision was the brand new 2009 Chevy Camaro SS, I’ve always wanted to test drive one of these and I guess my dream finally came true, not only did I get to test drive it I got to test drive it for 3 Days! The bright yellow car attracted so much attention to me within the 30 minutes I took to drive from Avis to my house. It seemed like I was getting attention from everyone especially some pretty females, and I thought to myself “I can get used to a car like this” the first day of renting that car was great and I can truthfully say it was hard to sleep that night knowing I get to wake up and drive it again! My boss was very happy the next day when I showed up 20 minutes early for work simply because I couldn’t wait to leave the house and take a seat into the yellow speed machine. The work day flew by as I anticipated going home, luckily it was a Friday so I was able to show off my new car to all my friends and random people at a local place where a lot of people like to hang out, as soon as I pulled up I stole everyone’s attention as the exhaust pipes roared and the fine tuned American muscle engine purred. The third day was probably the only day I did not want to drive the Camaro all because I knew I was driving it right back to Avis and never to be seen again until I embark on another random road trip to an unknown destination hundreds and hundreds of miles away. Upon returning the car Avis made a quick and easy heartbreak it actually took a record time of 4 minutes and 53 seconds to return this car. Getting picked up from the body shop’s transportation service all I could think about was the Camaro until I finally made my mind, as soon as I get my car back from being repaired I’m going to a Chevy dealership and trading it in for a brand new Camaro!

New York

noreply@blogger.com (Snow Bird) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:09:00 +0000

When we decided to travel across the country from Florida to Long Island in New York we expected that renting a car would be a hassle, boy were we wrong. We went to Hurtz expecting a wide variety of complications that would come our way, and so we arrived a day early to ensure we got our car. We pulled up, and pulled out nearly 10 minutes later! That fast, and that easy, we paid, filled out a form, gave information and chose a mini-van that was perfect. The employees even helped us find one that would be able to travel through snow! We took off on a two day trip across the country from the south to the north. We ended up stopping in several places along the way, none that actually showed up on the map, but we were armed with a camera and everything that could possibly look interesting just had to come home in a scrap-book. So every crooked house, every mountain-side view and anything and everything that caught my wife’s eye was a must take image.

About the time we were passing through Virginia we stopped off the side of the rode and visited some friends. Virginia is a beautiful state, however, at the time it was very cold, which only fueled our desires to make it to Long Island where it would be snowing. We set off a few days later after visiting Mount-Trash-More, a public park that used to be a waste dump, you would never have guessed it.

We arrived in Long Island Patchogue a few thousand pictures later, and the first thing we did was find a place to stay. We searched around for a little until we found a comfortable Holiday Inn to stay at. We then called to make reservations to have a boat ride across the bay to the outer ocean. You can get there by car but by boat is an experience in itself. When we woke in the morning we traveled down to the bay, and we must have taken a hundred pictures of blue clawed crabs before the boat arrived. And then we traveled across the bay and docked at a secluded beach. We went clamming, yes clamming where you wade out into the water and bury you’re tows in the sand, and when you feel the hard shell of a clam you scoop it up with a net. The water was incredibly cold, but we were given wetsuits, now I may be getting old but I can still stand a week or two in the cold weather. Once we had a sufficient amount of clams we took them onto the beach and found one of those metal grills and cooked us a clam meal. We watched the sunset and then traveled back across the back in the dark. It was fantastic, and for the next two days we rinsed and repeated this day.

After spending three days in the cold water clamming and relaxing on the beach we went further north into the mountains, where we went to a ski range. Now this was entertainment, we skied for nearly three days, and at the top of the mountain was the greatest view you will ever see. For as far as the eye could behold there was snow-tipped mountains and beautiful evergreen trees. This is an experience I think everyone should have.

After a full weekend up in the mountains it was time to turn back and head south into the warm weather. The next two days were uneventful, but I think that was the best way to end it. If you are ever looking for somewhere to go, New York is the place, and if your looking for a hassle free rental car service, I recommend Hertz.

Houston 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Renting a car to drive to Texas was a fairly simply task. I started my journey at the Orlando International Airport where I rented a Corvette ZHZ from Hertz mainly because I just wanted to say I got to drive one! The friendly representative behind the counter then convinced me to rent the Hertz NeverLost with the car since I’ve never driven to Texas and tend to be the person who always stops at every attraction along the way which usually increases my chances of getting lost by a great deal. Before I left Orlando I decided to make my trip a little more interesting and instead of going the fastest way I decided to cruise up to Valdosta, Georgia for a little and enjoy some more of the southern style living. The main reason I wanted to extend the trip a little just to visit Valdosta is because I wanted to visit the Wild Adventures Water & Theme Park coming from Florida we have a ton of water parks however I have never seen such a humble family orientated water or theme park in all my live, this was just 170-acres of friendly southern love at it’s best. Leaving Georgia was something I definitely did not want to do in fact if I could I would have just stayed there! However I had a list of things to do in Houston and time was becoming scarce so I put the pedal to the metal on the Corvette (doing the speed limit of course) and headed toward the lone star state. My next major pit stop was Alabama,
I didn’t really have an idea of what part I wanted to stop in I just figured I stop wherever the most appealing billboard sign was, believe it or not I didn’t see one that really captured my eye so I decided to stop in Mobile, Alabama simply because I saw a hilarious YouTube video on this small town where many of the locals believed they saw a leprechaun in a tree. I did not see this mystical leprechaun in Mobile however I stopped at a gas station with Wi-Fi and watched the video on my laptop again which made the trip worth wile. It was a little late in the night when we arrived in Mississippi and I was getting tired of driving so I stopped and decided to check into the Magnolia Plantation Inn in Gulfport, Mississippi while checking in a little pamphlet caught my eye, it was the Biloxi Shrimping Tour-without hesitating I read through the whole thing and woke up extra early in the morning so we could get on the tour before we continued driving. The tour was breathtaking; we set sail on the historic “Sailfish” and made our way around the harbor. Returning from our trip they raised the net and displayed a variety of aquatic creatures such as blue crabs, flounder, stingray, oyster fish, squid and one puffer fish. Though this trip put me in the mood for sea food we had to get back on the road. One of my favorite places in the United States is New Orleans, Louisiana and I could not pass up the opportunity of going there on our journey to Houston. When entering the city limits you can almost hear the jazz music which puts you into an entirely different mind state. Out of all the times I’ve been to New Orleans I’ve never purchased anything, and I made sure I visited the French Quarter where I got an ample amount of souvenirs for my friends and family back home in Orlando, Florida. Not only did I do that I ate at my favorite Italian restaurant in the world, Bacco. I finally got that seafood meal that Gulfport put me in the mood for. After a great dinner I spent the night at the Prince Conti French Quarter Hotel and the next thing I knew I woke up and began my final drive to Texas. In Houston I had to go to a meeting for work which was probably the least favorite part of my trip however getting there was well worth the journey. The same night I began to back track my tire marks and make my way back to sweet home Orlando.

Avis Budget posts prices in private offering

noreply@blogger.com (michael) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Rental Car giant Avis Budget Group posted a price of $300 million of 3.5% senior notes to initial buyers. Closing on the offer last Tuesday, Initial buyers have the rights to purchase $45 million of additional notes covering more securities than available.

The initial conversion price is roughly $16.25 per share equal to 61.5 shares of common shares per $1,000 of notes. This is an amazing 30% conversion premium above the closing price last Wednesday of $12.50 share maturing on October 1, 2014.

Naturally, Avis should enter a warrant transaction and buy a convertible note hedge of which 10% of net proceeds from offering will pay for the convertible note hedge and other corporate expenditures.

Buyers of convertible senior notes will have the option to purchase up to an additional $37.5 million of notes.

Good Eats in the North East

noreply@blogger.com (Rental Car Boy) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Just recently I flew up to the North Eastern part of the US to visit my sister, family, and some friends. Going to and coming from the North East involved flying, but my time on the ground I spent in an Enterprise rental car. My first stop was in Long Branch New Jersey to visit my sister.

My sister lives in a great location in Long Branch. She has a studio apartment that is close to Monmouth University (the school she is attending), and the Jersey shore line. It is only a 10 minute walk to the beach from her place! With the beach being so close, there's no excuse not to go. So, we went there.

When we got the beach, we visited a great area just before it called Pier Village. Pier Village is an upscale shopping, dining, and residential complex. They have all sorts of dive bars and restaurants where you can grab a snack and drink to go. We certainly took advantage of that while we were there. I got a delicious cheese pizza from Michael Angelo's Pizzeria. They cook their Tuscan style pizza's in brick ovens. That pizza sure had some flavor. I'd recommend that place to anyone.

The beach itself was fun. I took a jog and then I took a swim. My sister took a nap. I didn't expect the waves to be as rough as they were. I almost got knocked over! Also, that water was few degrees colder than what I'm used to in Florida. But, once I was in it, I got over it. So, aside from the cold water, our day at the beach was great.

The next day we drove over to my uncle's house in Jamaica, New York. From where my uncle is situated, it's only a short distance to catch the F Train to get into the city. I have a couple of good friends who live in the city, so I spent some time with them. Now, this wasn't my first visit to New York city, but there are so many things to do there it always feels like a new experience when I go.

This time around I got to do some real good eatin' and drinkin'. I went to a couple of different restaurants and bars. One place was the Caracas Arepa Bar in East Village, where I got some authentic Venezuelan Arepa. An arepa (in case you are wondering) can be described as a flat patty of bread made from corn that is stuffed with a variety of latin foods. It's crispy on the outside and steamy soft in the middle. I had two; one that had shredded beef, white cheese, and sweet plantains in the middle, and another stuffed with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, and cheese. I'll use one word to describe both: delicious. I washed them down with some PBRs.

Another great place was the Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This place had the only two things you ever really need: really good beer and really good food. I had some Radeberger (a German beer) and Palm Ale (a Belgian that really grew on me). Radeberger had a very rich-filling flavor and the Palm Ale went down oh-so-easy. I got a really good taste of those beers because they served them in mugs that held a liter. To eat, I had one the best steak dinners that I ever had in my whole life. The meal was a French rib steak with home fries and sauteed green beans. This rib steak was cooked to perfection. Cutting a piece of it was as easy as putting a hot knife through butter. After I took a bite, the server asked if I needed any sauce for the steak, and I just looked at her like she was crazy woman. To put any kind of sauce on this steak would have been a food-felony. As for the rest of the entree, the home fries were crispy and seasoned just right and the roasted green beans had a smoky flavor that was fantastic. All together, the home fries, green beans and that delicious steak combined to make a remarkable dish. I made sure to send my compliments to the chef after that meal. In my book, the Radegast Hall & Biergarten is a must see.

The last stop I had to make before catching my flight back home was the Cherry Valley Deli & Grill. Cherry Valley is a one-of-kind deli that is family owned and managed (I happen to be part of that family too). They have over a 150 different kinds of rolls, heros, and wraps at this place. There's a pretty good chance that if you dream about your ideal sandwich, you will find it on the Cherry Valley menu. My own personal goal in life is to try EVERYTHING on the menu, which probably means I would have eat there everyday for a good year (and from what I have sampled so far, that wouldn't be bad thing). The sandwich I had on this visit was called the Corona. It had a chicken cutlet topped with bacon, cheddar, onion rings, BBQ sauce on a toasted garlic roll. It was made fresh and wrapped in aluminum to keep in the heat. And I can definitely confirm that it was hot because when I took my first bite, I started to sweat. The Corona did not disappoint, it was even better than what I thought it would be. It was the perfect end to a great trip.

So, if you want to gain 10 pounds in a week while you visit the North East, make sure to include the places I mentioned above in your game-plan.

Back in B-MORE!

noreply@blogger.com (wigga) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Man, where do I start? I finally made it back to bmore after 17 years of being in Florida. For those who aren't from B-More that's Baltimore for short. Man did I miss it. To start off when we got there we found out we got upgraded to a new camaro at the Avis rental car place. Sweeeeet! Of course I had to play it off like it was really my car and not a rental. You know I had to do a little flossin. Once we hopped in the whip we bounced to my old neighborhood to check things out. Swung by my old middle and high schools to get a blast from the past. Had to work up a appetite, So now it's on! First place we went to was Attman's on Lombard st.. This place is off the chizzzzain. I got the Whopper which is corned beef with pastrami, rye bread, Russian dressing and cole slaw. Swwwww! Hit the spot. Nobody does corned beef like Attman's. Jewish deli's are the shizzznick. Then I decided to hit up the mall I remember going to as a kid, Owings Mills Mall. I remember when it first opened, It was the nicest mall around. With it's gold plated railings of course as kids we thought they were solid gold, LOL. But man has it changed. I still got the hook up on some old school Adidas forums (the suede ones too). I copped them for $30.00. What a lick. I ain't seen them since I was in school. Anyways, off to the hotel. We stayed at the Marriott by the inner harbor. Talk about nice. Plus it was only 5 blocks from the harbor. So of course we walked down there. Even though we had a fresh camaro sittin in the parking garage. While down at the harbor we went to Phillips to eat some good and I mean good crab cakes. For those that don't know Maryland is the place for crab cakes. Man, crabs for that matter. After a few drinks feeling real good now on top of being back in my home state. We start to plan for the days to come. We have the next 2 days to spend in D.C.. Very cool I should say. Last time I was in D.C. it was middle school on field trips. We drove to union station and caught the trolley tour threw D.C.. We checked out all the memorials. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, Veterans, Miller(LOL) you name it. What really cool was getting a tour to go through the capitol. I've never been in there. Very Nice. We also were able to get good pictures of the White House. Talking about the white house, The police presence was crazy around there. There was a lady who open a gate by the white house and walked on the property. Man let me tell you not a good move. The police hawked down on her like crazy. Funny, but very serious at the same time. They don't play around there so be on your P's and Q's when you visit. Not a place to be doing stupid stuff. Besides that all the history around there that should be all that's on your mind. While we there we went to the air and space Smithsonian. That was pretty cool since my lovely wife's grandfather helped build the persian 2 missle which was on display there. There was lots of cool planes and space ships from the past also. Crazy that we actually go in space like that. There was a poor monkey they had on display (Dead of course) that used to put in space back before they used people. Poor guy, The look on it's little face :( . After that we went to have lunch at one of the local eateries. Had to get a cheese steak sub. I haven't had a good cheese steak since I lived up here. Florida doesn't do good cheese steak. We pretty much saw everything you could see while we there. If you do go to D.C. you have to use The Old Town Trolley. The drivers knew their stuff. Very informative. They deserve every tip they get. Always on time to pick you up and take you to the next destination. After that we piped out in the camaro back to B-MORE. The next day we were chillin in bmore. We went to the Aquarium in the inner harbor. We picked field trip day to go (not on purpose) but it was cool. The kids seemed to have a great time. We checked out the dolphim show and got watch the feeding of the sharks and the rays. They also had a sea turtle which was rescued and only had 3 flippers. They were training him or her to tap it's nose on this card that had an big X on it. Once it hit the X they would feed it heads of romain lettuce. There was lots of fish and cool birds to see there also. Off to get some lunch at De Pasquales by Patterson Park. That was the best Italian food I've ever had. I left there so full. They had so much food to choose from I almost got everything they had. Only if I still lived there, But then again I would probably would weight 300 pounds from all the good eatin up there. We had breakfast at the Blue Moon in Fell's Point which had the best crab and bacon eggs benedict I ever had in my life. If you like pancakes they had captain crunch pancakes too. Different, But sounds good. Later on that night we went to the U2 concert at Fed Ex field, OMG!!!!! BONOOO!!!!! Just kidding, my wife is the huge U2 fan almost groupie LOL. If you consider someone who goes to a concert in D.C. then Atlanta, then Tampa all in the same year actually back to back to back a groupie lol. It was cool for a first time experience. The next day I met up with one of my best friends from high school and had drinks at the inner harbor. It was cool to catch up on old times and see some old friends. The only bad thing about this trip is that I had to go back to Florida. Life goes on! This was a trip that I will never forget. Go Redskins!!!

Quick Trip To Cancun

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Our girls getaway took us to Cancun, Mexico.... This was my first trip to Cancun & my first experience through customs. ( I learned not to be friendly & outgoing just keep your mouth shut!!!) We stayed at the Oasis Cancun, an all inclusive resort and it included our airport transfers and Alamo Car Rentals were available. It was great not having to worry about arranging a ride and getting lost or perhaps driven off the road (they drive CRAZY in Cancun). Don't get talked into exchanging the U.S. dollar for Mexican money (pesos)the U.S. dollar is worth more. We learned that the hard way, we were told at the Cancun airport to exchange our money for a higher exchange rate.

So that's what we did to later discover they accept U.S. currency in Cancun. And if you want to exchange the pesos back to U.S. money you lose half the value... so the next time we visit Cancun we won't do that again!!!! Mid afternoon we arrived at the hotel (Oasis Cancun) from the outside the hotel appeared nice, but the inside not so nice very plain and hot no air condition. The marble floors were a nice touch but very slippery. The staff members of the Oasis were very friendly!!! We headed to our room which was small, very plain, our air conditioner wasn't working so we only had the fan slightly uncomfortable and the bathroom was small but we had a nice view from our balcony we could see portions of the pool. The hotel grounds and the pool area is landscaped perfectly!!! Creating the perfect tropical getaway with palm trees and huge tiki huts everywhere. All the bushes are manicured to perfection, the grass is green & lush topped off with beautiful peacocks walking freely around the grounds.

The hotel is right on the beach but the beach is very rocky so not you ideal swimming beach... However it's a great spot to lounge on a chair & soak up some sun without the crowd. Next, we found the area where you can book your excursions there are several fun and exciting choices and we decided we wanted to go snorkeling. Our adventure was booked for the next morning a two hour snorkeling trip about 45 minutes from the hotel. We also inquired about shopping, he suggested the Market aka:Market 28 so we caught a cab from the hotel and headed off to The Market which is located in central Cancun. They have every type of souvenir imaginable so no matter what you are looking for you should be able to find it here. A helpful tip: if you are looking for gold or silver jewelry be sure to look for signs posting the cost per gram or weight also make sure the piece of jewelry is stamped properly and remember everything is negotiable!!! When I purchased silver jewelry I was offered tequila shots not sure if it was to make a sale or just to party because I was on vacation... After a while you get tired of everyone trying to sell you something constantly you can only take so much and it's time to go.. We were vacationing during a slow time and the vendors wanted to see something so we did allot of negotiating... We caught another taxi and headed downtown Cancun where we walked around and window shopped.

The downtown area is the perfect location for eating at popular restaurants such as: The Rain Forest Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, Carlos'n Charlie's, Senior Frogs and Daddy O's (this is a very popular night spot). We did not eat out while we were shopping we ate all of our meals at our Hotel. We were all shopped out and caught a taxi back to the hotel. There is public transportation available if you don't want to take a taxi. We headed back to our room to get ready for dinner. We dined at the Thai restaurant at the Oasis and this restaurant was a find the food was good not great but the restaurant itself was beautiful and offered outdoor dining right next to the ocean. The view was stunning and we had a very nice breeze we all laughed and said the temperature here was cooler than our room. They served the tastiest desserts especially the fried ice cream.... Then we called it a night.

Saturday morning we got up early for our snorkeling adventure, we all ate a good breakfast at the hotel and met out front of the hotel for our transportation taking us to Puerto Morelos for snorkeling. Our snorkeling guides were great they explained everything in great detail, we had some beginners in our group and it was GREAT. Our guide went the extra mile making sure we could see as much as we possibly could. He would even swim to the bottom of the reef turning over rocks to uncover marine life. He even caught a baby stingray for us to hold & he picked up a sea cucumber for us all to see up close it was amazing!!!!!!! We were very pleased with the Puerto Morelos Snorkeling Tour he took us to a very beautiful reef. We were in the water for about two hours it was a great trip. Once we got back we had about one hour until our transportation came to pick us up so we walked around the small little town and shopped along the street. We meet a few other people that were staying at the same hotel as us and we were all talking about shopping and they mentioned they got some great deals at La Isla Shopping Mall not too far from the Oasis Hotel. They thought good bargain prices compared to other malls and better deals compared to the Market. Either way I think you need to experience The Market..

When we arrived back at the hotel we decided to check out the pool and the rest of the hotel. The pool area was very nice and relaxing the main area was very loud and crowded as you pass that there are several quiet places to relax and take in the warm sun. There are several bar areas and a few swim up bars you won't go thirsty that's for sure... Another plus is the hotel is on the beach even though you can't swim in the ocean it's very relaxing to hear the waves crashing behind you as you swim or sun next to the pool. Plus, you have the constant breeze it's very relaxing!!!! Also you will see people para sailing this is very cool...
We all were getting hungry so we went back to our room and got ready for dinner tonight we dined on Mediterranean food it was good not great but once again the restaurant made up for the food. It was outdoor dining in an elegant & relaxing setting overlooking the pool not much breeze and the mosquito's were out. After our meal we walked around the pool and sat in relaxing beach chairs overlooking the ocean. There was a full moon that evening & the breeze was heavenly and our view was spectacular!!!!! We all were relaxing it was so awesome we almost spent the night in our beach chairs....

Sunday morning we got up early, ate a good breakfast and headed for the airport... Our trip was short but overall we had a fantastic time. Our room accommodations were not that great, uncomfortable with out air conditioning, the food was good not great And the gift shop didn't sell you common necessities such as towels, batteries, sunscreen and no first aid type things. What we did like was the pool area, all the outdoor landscape and the friendly staff. The Oasis Cancun is perfect for spring breakers.

Lake Minnehaha 09'

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:33:00 +0000

A ride from Orlando, Florida to Clermont, Florida is nowhere near the longest car ride I’ve lived through however the 45 minute drive used to be pretty uncomfortable in the back seat of a coupe. My dad’s best friend and family came down from Maryland to visit some of his family in Clermont and since we are all very close we were invited to tag along. We rented a Ford Explorer from Hertz and about 7 of us rode very comfortably for our hour long trip. During the short 45 minute ride nothing really exciting happened however all the fun began when we arrived in Clermont. While arriving to our destination we noticed a brand new jet boat in front of their driveway, as we entered the house we sat down for a while until everyone decided they wanted to go to tubing on a lake with the boat. We ended up driving to Lake Minnehaha which was only about 20 minutes from the house, the advantage of having the Ford Explorer was that while everyone was getting ready at the house we loaded up the grill in the trunk with ease as well as a suitcase filled with a change of clothes for everyone. On the way to the lake everyone was very excited to either get on the new boat, get on the tubes or both. My cousin boasted that he had an A+ in physics at Drexel University so it would be impossible to make him fly off of the tube. To everyone’s disappointment we took the twin supercharged Sea Doo Speedster 200 to nearly 50 MPH, twisting, turning, circling and the tube carried right along with it as he maintained his position for the whole ride. When I got on the tube it was a completely different story – mainly because I enjoy jumping off and pulling whoever is on with me off too. I went on with my little brother who weighs 100 lbs in wet clothes so performing that task was simple, I waited until we got to around 20-25 MPH and pulled him off with me and then proceeded to tell him I saw an alligator in the lake, he practically swam back to the boat before I even finished my sentence! After that run we cranked up the grill and enjoyed some food. Getting back to the house was a lot less fun than leaving, mainly because everyone that was excited fell asleep or bragged about how long they stayed on the tube, it was actually pretty annoying! As soon as we got back we sat down for about an hour or so and headed back to my house in Orlando so we could finally relax. We got home at about 8PM and decided to head out for some dinner, we went to Tabla Bar & Grill in Orlando and enjoyed every minute of it, usually I spend my weekends doing my homework, studying or at least something productive however I spent this weekend doing nothing of the sort and I actually enjoyed it!

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Chandrapaul) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Driving to Boston, Massachusetts in a car that was evenly divided by Tampa Bay Rays fans and Boston Red Sox Fans was a very awkward experience. Not only was it a long drive the trash talking was endless for almost the whole way there. It seemed like the only times it was quiet was when everyone but the driver was sleeping or when we were eating. Lucky enough the 6 of us rented a minivan from the Orlando International Airport (MCO). This vehicle wasn’t a chick magnet but this soccer mom van got us guys to our baseball game, and very comfortably at that. Not only was the ride comfortable it was pretty cheap too! Using Rental Car Momma we saved a little over $100 on our rental. As I stated earlier the trash talking was going on the whole way there however it wasn’t as bad because the seats were spaced farther apart than they would have been in any of our sedans or coupes. Boston is an overall beautiful city, the driver’s wife requested (some would call it demanding) that we stop at Massachusetts Bay to take pictures and purchase some souvenirs since she was not able to attend our “guys only weekend”. We parked the van and spent some time at the bay and surprisingly we actually enjoyed it! It was unlike any sights I’ve seen in Florida! One thing that was a MUST in Massachusetts was the Winery and Breweries we were all interested in those so we visited the Plymouth Bay Brewery and enjoyed every second of it, we never knew that our favorite baseball game beverages went through such a complex process! Aside from out little stops we made we were most excited about the baseball game, Fenway Park is a beautiful field and it’s pretty big at that – stepping into the stadium and seeing the field was just a breathtaking experience and at that point I could hardly wait for the game to start. All I have to say is I have my money on the Red Sox so hopefully things go my way!

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

noreply@blogger.com (Dominiky) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:11:00 +0000

After working hard for an entire year, it was time to take a vacation. Since I hadn't been to the islands in such a long time, I decided to fly the family down for some much needed relax time in the Dominican Republic. After a smooth yet exciting flight, we arrived at the Santiago Int. Airport. Once off the plain it was time to get our rental car. I had been to the island in the past without a car, and it is simply to complicated and expensive to get around without a vehicle, so this time we knew we had to rent one. Since we had reserved our car through www.rentalcarmomma.com we knew we had a vehicle waiting for us. The Website was easy to navigate, it was very user friendly. I am not the most patient person in the world and normally get frustrated when I have to wait in long lines. However, since we had already made our reservations, they got to us rather quickly. Our car was ready and we did not have to waste any time at the rental location. Our vacation was underway.

Once out of the airport, I decided to visit some of the many monuments this town had. The family enjoyed it to the fullest. It was now getting dark and we had to get to our hotel, once there they had parking close to our villa which was amazing. The next morning, while relaxing by the pool, a fellow traveler and I had sparked a conversation. This person had decided not to rent a vehicle, which seemed fine since it was just him and his wife. A few days later ran into our new friend, and he explained that after spending so much money in transportation, they had decided to rent a vehicle. They called to the same location I had gotten my car rental from and he explained to me what they had quoted him, I was shocked when he ran the numbers by me. It was a substantial increase from what I had paid. I told him about rentalcarmomma.com and he decided to check it out, it turns out the he got a rate similar to mine and it helped him save also. It was a pleasant surprise that he was able to book his reservation with such short notice and still receive such a substantial discount. Our vacation continued and we were able to see all of the places we wanted to, thanks to our rental car we had control of our own time. Now my family and I will have pictures and videos to share with our friends back home.

I would say that no matter where you go, having control of your time is priceless, but it does help when you can find a website that can make sure that prices stay low. I am glad that I found rentalcarmomma.com, it definitely made my trip a lot easier, and cost effective.

So to those that helped make my trip so relaxing thanks, and to the rentalcarmomma team, thanks for all the help and guidance while allowing me to ask a million questions and working with me to get an amazing vehicle at a great price.

Easy Car Rental

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Friday, August 28, 2009 did not start out as a very good day. I had to borrow my moms car to take my son to the hospital at 5:00 am in the morning. He had to go in for surgery. The surgery took much longer than the doctors thought. I had to leave my son at the hospital over night. I was not really happy about that, but I knew it was the best for him.

I left the hospital at about 8:30 pm that evening. As I was driving home from the hospital it started to heavily rain. I was driving on West Interstate 4 because that was the quickest way for me to get home. I had to exit off of West Interstate 4 to Florida Turnpike South. As I was going on the on ramp to the Florida Turnpike South and the next thing I know is, I am being thrown up against the drivers door and being forced onto and over the median, thank god I was able to pull out of the way of the on coming traffic.

It turns out that the other driver lost control of her car. She was driving to fast for the exiting curve on that rainy night. Because of that reckless speeding/driving, the car spun out of control and the back bumper of her car is what slammed into my mothers car. The accident was really bad. Thankfully, I was not injured. Wished I could say the same for my moms car.

The damage to the car ......was on the right front passengers side of the car. Starting at the front right wheel. The wheel was bent in at the top and jutted out at the bottom. The fender above the wheel was smashed in. The passenger door at the seam by the front fender was pulled back and the metal of the door was peeling back. The backside passenger door was dented in and scrapped all the way back to the gas tank. I was lucky I could drive the car the short distant to get it out of the way of the on coming traffic.

This accident happened about 9 pm and it was still raining with thunder and lightening. The Orlando police officer finally showed up at 11:15 pm. Only 2 hours after the accident happened. Once the assessment was done, it was determined that the car was totaled so I had to have my moms car towed away.

That night when I finally got home I was so tired but I knew I needed a car for the next day. I went online to Rental Car Momma to rent a car through Enterprise. It was so easy ! I was able to get a car for the next day. When I went to the location to pick up the car the associates were so nice and helpful. Once I told Elizabeth (the Enterprise associate) what happened to me the night before she gave me a free upgrade on the car plus unlimited mileage. The car I got was a 2009 PT Cruiser. I ended up having to rent the car for a total of 2 weeks.

When I called into Enterprise to rent the car for the second week, I talked with Elizabeth. She actually remembered me and gave me the same rate as the week before. When I returned the car it was so quick and easy. If I ever have to get a rental car again, I am going to go through Enterprise. This company takes care of their clients and makes sure they are happy!

My Mustang GT

noreply@blogger.com (Brock) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:23:00 +0000

We landed in Dallas, Texas early one August morning. I stepped from the plane to the terminal and made my way to the airport gates. As I was walking from the plane terminal to the baggage claim my stomach began to growl. All of this traveling had made me very hungry. I needed to get something to eat and I needed it fast! I met up with my family and we all quickly grabbed our bags (them being just as hungry) and made our way down to the rental car lot.

We quickly walked over to the Avis rental car center and hopped in line. As I was standing in line my stomach began to growl even louder. Oh man I couldn't wait to get something to eat. It was our turn at the counter and we spoke to a nice lady named Amanda. She was very polite and helped us out a ton with our rental car. I was expecting us to be there for at least half an hour. However this was not the case. She just simply looked our name up in the computer, we showed our photo id, paid her the amount that we owed, she handed us the keys and we were on our way.

We took a step outside and saw it there waiting for us. It was a 2009 red Ford Mustang GT. My dad threw me the keys and said “let’s go I’m starving.” From the airport we drove off the lot and went straight to Chilies to get a bite to eat. It was really great that we rented our car. Not only are we able to explore everything that Texas has to offer; but we look good while doing it!