In the best circumstances, our trip to Tonga was to require five flights over two days of travel. The anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irene on the day of our departure helped further complicate the "straight-forward" trip. After preparing our home for the unexpected visitor, Richelle and I established several contingency plans for escape to Tonga depending on the course of Irene. By Friday, points north were no longer viable options. Thus, under the cover of darkness, coincident with the mandatory evacuation of our neighborhood, we departed in a rental SUV en route to Atlanta with our new tickets.
