Family Vacation Day One Continued!!

So I left off my last post with us headed to pick up our rental vehicle. So I had a prepaid car rental. Thankfully Alamo was not busy because you still have to stand in line with everything else. This is the same with all rental car companies. I wish they would develop lines for those who have pre paid and just want to pick up. Now I decided I did not need the GPS option. Why do you ask would I do that driving from one city to another. Well I am not so silly, I have my phone and use google maps all the time. It provides awesome navigation. On a trip to Toronto it took me off the 401 due to an accident and saved me long delays so why would I not rely on it for this. We were given a lovely Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid to drive. We were six people, six suitcases and 6 carry on bags. Yes I got everything and everybody in and we were comfortable.

 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrd

 Front Seat

Middle Row

So we picked up this lovely car headed out of the Fort Lauderdale airport starving and needing to get to Miami to the Embassy Suites Hotel and it was pouring cats and dogs. So my car just as a reference is a 2004 Hyundai Sonata (no real technology) our family car is a 2012 Chevy Orlando (has hands free calling and that is it). So you can imagine that I may have been a bit wowed and maybe a little confused by this lovely rental vehicle. So I have seen the new display screen back up camera's etc I have friends who have newer vehicles than I do. Heck I have even see the no push start that I had to use and just carry the key fob with me. My parents drive a hybrid so I was even familiar that when you are stopped at a light your car sounds like it is not running while it is charging. No my problem was with the gear shifter. I could not find one. Looked on the steering wheel, looked on the dash, looked between the seats etc.. Took me a few to find it because here is a picture of what it looked like.

(picture courtesy of consumer reports.com)

You got it it was a dial on the dash that you move around to park, drive reverse etc.. Not easy to reverse and then drive I will admit I found this very awkward and wonder who came up with this concept. Who knows maybe after driving the car more than once or twice I would become used to using it but I did not like it and while I enjoyed the van itself I would probably not get it for my family with this shifter (and we have been looking for a van).

So back to my trip first thing I do is set up my planned route on my cellphone and try and connect it to the Bluetooth in the vehicle so I can see the GPS on the screen and be safer. Well the rental people fixed that they lock you out of connecting to the Bluetooth. I assume this is so you will bite the bullet and rent the GPS. Yes next time I will. Of course I also did not realize that my phone was set up to avoid tolls so instead of nice relaxing drive on the I 95 my GPS took me through every back alley, industrial area and side street from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. My mother is not technologically inclined and was no help and the two oldest did the best they could to help me out.  Let me tell you something else about the way the streets run.  They are mostly numbered streets. Normally you would see first east and west, second east and est etc... But here it may be First runs east and west, second is east only and third is west only. So I am counting streets on my west for turns etc and then the gps is telling me I am missing turns not realizing this system as  we are four lanes across for traffic in both directions. Once I catch on less re routing and our ride was less complicated but still long. With a stop at Popeye's for lunch it took us almost two hours and we were really tired by the time we got to the hotel.

Popeye's has been in Ottawa for about a year or so now. I have tired it once but no one else in my family had. It was much better in the States than it was hear that is for sure. We enjoyed it for a quick fast food lunch and we would definitely do it again. We went for Chicken tenders, breaded shrimp and Cajun fries.
Stay tuned for my next post as I will review the hotel we chose to stay out for or evening in Miami...

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area