Thanks for your concern. I wouldn't dare arrive without a lodging reservation. I have one on hold and am still exploring my options. We'll only be there for one night, then on to Kauai the next day. (Need to start figuring out all the interisland stuff.)

We'll be on Kauai for a week, Maui a week, then back to the Big Island for a week. After the pain and expense of flying that far, I insisted on staying long enough to catch up on my sleep before reversing the trip.

Your post brought to mind an image of the four (or six, depending on what my teens decide) of us riding in the back of a friendly Hawaiian's pickup truck. After the day we'll have .... it might look pretty good.

So .... would it be cheaper to take a cab or hire a rental for the overnight if I stay eight or nine miles from the airport? I am still 10 months out, so I haven't started getting that specific with my research yet.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Sheila