KIAWAH ROCKS...United STINKS

Lily, Addison and I had the BEST time in Kiawah for the last few days. We were bummed that Barclay couldn't join us, but we had a fabulous time with Aunt Lindy and Uncle Tim...relaxing, swimming, relaxing, being beach bums, relaxing, bike riding, relaxing. I am Kiawah Island's new biggest fan. It was so much fun to just go to the beach and let the girls run free, exploring and splashing. Really - that's what I'm meant to do with my life...not work work work :) We did the following - got there on Wed afternoon. Checked places out, saw the Angel tree, and had dinner on the back porch. Thurs we went on a long bike ride in the morning. Aunt Lindy rented a thing to pull behind the bike to pull the girls. They loved it. Then went straight to the pool and beach. We stayed there for quite a while. On the way back Lily had her crocs on and we discovered a massive group of alligators by a pond. We had to stop and check them out - there were 8 or 9 of them. 2 of them were HUGE. They were on the shore and in the water...oohh scary! Lily was standing on the bridge with me and kicked her foot and whoooppp...her shoe went right into the water. Oh, she was mad. She wanted me to go get it, but that was NOT happening. Eventually she recovered and thought it was funny that croc ate her croc :). Friday we went to the beach early, then after naps we went and got ice cream and picked up some pizzas for dinner. Yesterday we went to the beach again and then went to the shopping center after showering......THEN we went to the airport. THANKS so much Aunt Lindy and Uncle Tim!


Get this saga - I officially LOVE Kiawah and HATE United Airlines. I should note that on the way to Charleston our luggage didn't make it and the airport delivered it in the middle of the night on Wed night/Thurs morning. Well, yesterday our flight was supposed to leave at 4:52. Here's the saga that followed 1) we learned initially that there would be about a 20 minute delay. No big deal - I would still have a one hour lay over in Chicago and get home by 9:00. 2) We board the plan at what appears to be on time - 5:15 ish. We sit and sit on the plane and eventually an announcement is made that we will not be taking off until 6:30 b/c of bad weather in Chicago. Sit on the plan for one hour and 15 minutes with squirmy crying toddlers. 3) At 6:40 the pilot announces that we will now not be taking off until 11;30 b/c of problems in Chicago. We deboard. I will now clearly miss my connecting flight 4) I stand in a loooonnnng line to figure out what the heck is going on and how I can get home. At 7:30 I make it to the front of the line (the girls were absolutely angelic and sat in chairs playing with their new toy turtles the whole time). 5) At the front of the line I am met with a lame faced dude who volunteers no information other than " we can't get you to Indiana tonight". I asked a million questions and eventually learn that at 7:40 a plane was leaving that went to Milwaukie and then to Indy. I did not have time to board that plane b/c stupid United did not figure this out themselves and had me wait in line for 900 hours. They couldn't get me to Cincy, couldn't get me to Louisville. I'm about to cry and leave the line. 6) I take the girls to the bathroom then go back to the line at around 8:00 (by now, they have announced that the flight to Chicago will leave at 10:00 - this was eventually changed to 9:30). I ask when the earliest flight from Chicago to Indy is and am told that it is 9:00 am. Dude told me that my only option was to "find a place to stay in Chicago" until morning. Now I'm super ticked and ask if THEY can find me a place to stay in Chicago. I'm then informed that United in Charleston will not put me in a hotel in Chicago and I'd have to wait until I got to Chicago to know if rooms were available and if they'd pay for them. Clearly not an option b/c Barclay would have to be to Chicago before I'd know if we'd get a flight. 7) at this point I'm about to cry and leave the line again to call husband. Barclay says he'll drive to Chicago to pick us up at midnight ish, but is peeved like I am! 8) I go back to the line to tell them that I need my luggage taken off the plan in Chicago and not sent on to Indy. Girl is now at the counter with Dude and girl ROLLS HER EYES at that request. Now I'm ticked ticked ticked. I stand and watch as they make appropriate calls and give bag description to make this happen. 9) Girls remain angelic - it's a miracle! 10) We board the plan and take off for Chicago. There is a lightening storm. So now we are flying but risking our lives! 11) plane lands at around 12:00 and both girls are sound asleep. 12) We have to walk through quite a few terminals all across the Chicago O'Hare airport to get to the United baggage claim. In order to get there, I need Lily to walk, but she is EXHAUSTED, crying and practically sleep walking. I go to the United counter and ask if they can send a golf cart and explain the situation. They say no, and that there are no golf carts at that terminal. they make no additional offers to help. I buy Lily candy to attempt to improve the situation! It helps a little. 13) We get to baggage claim and WAIIIIIITTTT as everyone else gets their baggage and ours never comes. Barclay gets there. Ours isn't coming. We go to the customer service line - it's 12:30. It takes an hour and they eventually retrieve our bag, but not the stroller. 14) At 1:30 we go to the car and leave Chicago. We get home at 4:00 in the morning. United did none of the following - reimburse for luggage fees, find our stroller, offer to help in ANY way with hotels, transportation, information, even drink vouchers. I will never ever ever fly them again and I hope none of you will either. It was by far the worst experience we have had with an airline. However, it did not spoil our trip. We have great Kiawah memories. Here are some pics....