Tinken family has memorable and harrowing vacation in Maui
Mario, a local man that Matt Paeper and Lylah Tinken befriended during their stay on the island of Maui, shows the pair how to make a hat out of palm leaves.
By APRIL KELLEY
Jeremy, Alecia, Lylah and Fiona Tinken along with Alecia’s father Randy Trenary and Lylah’s fiancé, Matt Paeper could tell you some distressing stories from their dream vacation to Hawaii. The stories are all there. No electricity, mixed and confusing information, food scarcity, looting, harrowing stories of what those around them endured. You would expect the tales to be morose and full of regret. You would be wrong.
The family admits that they rarely take time off for trips as both Alecia and Jeremy own their own businesses. Alecia owns the Real Thing Salon and Jeremy owns his own construction company. Getting time away can be difficult but they promised their daughters, Lylah, 20 and Fiona, 16 that they could go on a big trip of their choice for graduation.
“We were told that there was a fire coming over the mountains but we didn’t have any idea how close it was or how far we were from it. You couldn’t see fire, just a glow” Jeremy said.
From then on, many things became scarce. Food, gas, basic necessities turned into more of a scavenger hunt than a quick trip to the corner store.
“All I heard was he said Lahaina is gone. Front streets gone, the whole town’s gone,” Lylah said.
Read exclusively about the family's vacation in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for local news and sports.
