Pearl Harbor & The Arizona Memorial

Pearl Harbor

During our first trip to Hawaii we avoided doing tours. We wanted to explore at our own pace. There are pros and cons to this approach. By not having a guide you can end up getting lost, miss out on side trips and miss some of the local lore and flavor that a guide can give you. On the other hand, traveling on your own gives you flexibility. There’s no one telling you to move on to the next event or attraction when you’d like to spend more time somewhere. I’m a fan of exploring on my own but find tours helpful at times. So I guess I’d vote for a mix of both. Pick and choose the tours carefully and explore the rest on your own, that’s my motto!

Anyway we decided to use a Tour for Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t that expensive and it meant someone who knew their way around Honolulu would be driving us. The tour bus picked us up right next to our condo at the Fairway Villa so it was very convenient. It turned out that if we were looking for local color or flavor that we got both with our guide. His name was Kemo and he arrived wearing his native dress, a sarong. I forget which Polynesian Island he said he hailed from, maybe Fiji or Samoa? But he was very personable. On the drive to Pearl Harbor he explained the events that led up to the attack and pointed out the gaps in the mountains that the planes came through that Sunday morning.

He did an great job of setting the mood and impressing on us the seriousness of the memorial we were about to visit. Once there, he guided us through the ticketing process before telling us he would meet us back at the bus after we had explored the Memorial.

The Visitor Center has a beautiful garden in the courtyard and the grounds are so lovely and peaceful, it gave me the strangest feeling as I walked around this Island Paradise imagining the horror of the attack. As if to drive home those events, our turn to see the movie was called. The movie is a documentary with real video & audio clips and screaming headlines. For me it was almost overwhelming. I don’t know how others who come here feel but for me there was just an incredible sadness. To think of whole families wiped out because back then brothers or fathers and sons could serve on the same ships. I don’t believe that is allowed anymore precisely because of what happened here.

After the movie we took the launch out to the Arizona Memorial, a gravesite for hundreds of young men. The Arizona Memorial is achingly beautiful, pristine white against the deep blue of the harbor. From the Memorial you can look into the clear water and see the outline of the Arizona. Oil still seeps from the Arizona to this day. On the back of each ticket is the name & photograph of one of the men who died in the attack. Mine was Ensign Frank C. Flaherty of Michigan.

He was aboard the USS Okalahoma and awarded the Medal of Honor. Above and beyond the call of duty…For conspicuous devotion to duty and extraordinary courage and complete disregard for his own life…When it was seen the USS Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Ensign Flaherty remained in the turret, holding a flashlight so the remainder of the turret crew could see to escape, thereby sacrificing his own life.I did not know Ensign Flaherty or his family but my heart breaks even now as I copy this into this post. And he was only one of the 2,388 military and civilian personnel to give their lives that day.

I know this post is getting kind of long but there is one more item from my Pearl Harbor experience that I would like to share. When we got back to the bus, Kemo asked us if we had ever read a poem called DID YOU KNOW ME THEN? It was written by a park ranger assigned to the Arizona Memorial. I looked for a link to share but couldn’t find one so forgive me for going on and on but I have to share this:

DID YOU KNOW ME THEN

I was born in a small town in the mid-west or was it a large city back east?

I can’t remember anymore.

Did you know me then?

I remember getting the chores done so I could go to the Saturday matinee or was it the baseball game.

I can’t remember anymore.

Did you know me then?

I remember the depression of the 1930’s and Papa working so hard to care for the family,

Anyway he could with odd jobs. I especially remember Mama making ends meet.

Papa was stern with the family but, Mama sweet Mama , what an angel she was.

Did you know me then?

I remember the swimming hole that we swam in, the bicycle rides, the picnics.

Did you know me then?

I remember school, Boy, do I remember School. I remember the soda shop and the good times after school.

I remember Mary the girl next door or was it Sue the girl I met at the dance.

I can’t remember anymore.

Did you know me then?

I remember people talking about the war in Europe,

But we’re in America why worry about what’s going on there.

This is America, the land of opportunity. We would never get involved in their problems.

Did you know me then?

I remember my brother Bob and I enlisting in the Navy together.

I remember Mama insisting that we serve on the same ship together, so we could take care of each other.

Did you know us then?

I remember our being assigned to the battleship USS Arizona, she was a beautiful sight to behold.

I remember when we were told we were to be home ported in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu.

Wow! Hula girls, grass skirts, beautiful beaches. Paradise, a dream come true.

Did you know us then?

I remember December 6, we all went to Bloch Arena to watch the battle of the music competition.

The music played by the bands was great.

Did you know us then?

I remember Sunday, December 7, not too much going on, just lying around.

Then that thundering noise that broke the Sunday morning quiet. It sounded like hundreds of aircraft.

I remember the explosion, my breath and whole being taken away from me.

Did you know me then?

I can hear Mama crying, Papa hasn’t cried yet.

I want to tell him “It’s ok to cry , Papa, every tear is a prayer”

We’ve been home ported here for a very long time.

I can see our buddies aboard other ships saluting as they pass by. I hope they see me returning their salute.

Do they know me?

My buddies and I are really at peace now. Pray for us!

Did you know me?

Then if you knew us, remember us always.

John Vierra, Park Ranger, USS Arizona Memorial

　

　

Thank you

　

O'ahu , Pali Lookout

I’m not sure where I heard it but it seems to me someone told us that one of Oahu’s nicknames is the Rainbow Island and it was easy to see why. Each morning there were rainbows and again each afternoon. Our recreation deck was on the 29^th floor. The pool, hot tub and grills were located there. The first morning we were there I headed up bright and early and there it was...an almost perfect rainbow arching over the building. There was always a wonderful breeze thanks to the trade winds so even at 80 degrees at 8:00am, it didn’t feel hot. When you look from the 29^th floor toward the ocean and Waikiki beach, you can see the pink building that is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The Royal Hawaiian is an icon that has hosted such guests as Babe Ruth, President John F. Kennedy and numerous Hollywood Stars.

We started our first full day in Honolulu by doing a little exploring on foot. We walked down to Waikiki Beach first and then worked our way back to the condo by going through the International Market Place. Every kind of souvenir and T shirt was available here. There were a couple of men with parrots outside and we spent some time with them taking pictures. There was also a gorgeous mosaic wall that we just had to take pictures of too.

Then back to the condo to pick up the car and drive around a bit. We followed the coastline taking time out and stopping at every Scenic Overlook. It was just so beautiful. One spot that was a must see was the Pali Overlook and it did not disappoint. The views from here are magnificent! The official name is Nu’uanu Pali Lookout. Pali means cliff in Hawaiian. It was here that Hawaiian Warriors fought for control of the island. The King of O’ahu who also ruled Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i sought to defeat Kamehameha, the ruler of Hawai’i but that wasn’t how things worked out. Kamehameha’s warriors forced the defenders of O’ahu back to the Nu’uanu Valley until they reached the Pali where many warriors refused to surrender, instead jumping over the cliff. With this victory Kamehameha gained the momentum he needed to unite the islands. This unification was completed around 1810 when Kaua’i (which was never defeated in battle)  joined by treaty.

A century later when the first paved road was built through the mountains workers uncovered an estimated 800 skulls at the foot of the cliffs, the remains of those Hawaiian warriors lost in that fateful battle so many years before. There are story boards at the lookout that commemorate this event in Hawaiian history.
I took many pictures here because of the spectacular views and was pleasantly surprised when I was given a calendar with Hawaiian photographs to see that I had taken an almost identical picture of the Pali to the one in the calendar! Nice to know the pros liked that shot too J

After the drive we stopped at Hilo Hattie’s and that turned into a real shopping spree.
Hilo Hattie’s is the flagship store for Hawaiian apparel. I still visit their web site regularly.
Back at the condo we spend some time in the pool and hot tub before we headed down to dinner. There’s a buffet on the corner near us called Smorgy’s so that was our stop for dinner. Very convenient. There was a brook running through the restaurant and it was only partially roofed. The windows were open so birds flew in and out even joining us at the table. Might not be the most sanitary way to have dinner but no different than having a picnic and it was fun.

It doesn’t sound like we did all that much but in fact it was a very full day.

Check out pictures on my Flickr Photostream!

If anyone’s interested Hilo Hattie’s website is www.hilohattie.com

Another Hawaiian Vacation

I told you about my first visit to Hawaii in an earlier series of posts that I called My Great Hawaiian Adventure. I know I never thought I’d be going back again especially within a year but the Islands just kept calling to me and I couldn’t wait to go back.

I told my sister I was going to go again and to my surprise, she wanted to go again too. Since we went to the Big Island on the first trip, we chose Oahu for the return. Part of this was because we wanted to see Pearl Harbor and part was because I want to see all the islands at least once before I start going back for repeat trips. I know I have a long “to-do” list for the Big Island and I still plan to go back there, just not this time.
We decided to meet in Connecticut and fly out of Bradley International Airport so we made a reservation at the Days Inn in Windsor Locks. We checked in there on Saturday afternoon. Our flight out was at 9:35 am the next morning with a layover in Newark. But once on the plane in Newark we’d have the long cross country flight all the way to Honolulu. Not even a stop in California before heading out over the Pacific.

In 2006 we flew American Airlines. In 2007 we flew Continental and I have to rate the Continental service much better than American Airlines. The American flight was strictly “no frills” and even though the Continental flight was supposed to be the same thing, they gave us meals, which we did not get on the American flights. The movies were better on the Continental flight too! Actually, I don’t remember if we even had movies on the American flight, obviously if we did it did not leave a lasting impression! It made enough of a difference that both my sister and I commented on it. Yup, if I were rating the airlines, this round would go to Continental.
　
When we got to the airport to pick up the rental car, the airport location was closed so we had to take the shuttle to another location. I felt really stupid when I couldn’t find the emergency brake on the rental but felt better when the girl at the rental kiosk couldn’t find it either. Eventually one of the employees figured it out and got us ready to head on our way. The nice rental car people gave us maps and directions and assured us it would be easy to find the condo. They probably hadn’t counted on us. Maybe it’s easy for most people but we managed to mess up right out of the airport. It was still light when we picked up the car but it was quite dark when we finally found the condo! Oh well, we were “sight seeing”.

We were staying at the Fairway Villa, a high rise time share right on the Ala Wai Canal and about a 3 block walk to Waikiki Beach. A great location!  The condo was a one bedroom and it was petite, especially compared to Sea Mountain but we are comparing a rural location to a dense urban one where space is at a premium. The spare bed was a Murphy bed that pulled down and took up most of the living room, maybe not as convenient as a pull out couch but much more comfortable. After all, we weren’t going to be living there for long, just the week and how much time were we going to spend in the condo anyway? It had what we needed, kitchen, bathroom, two beds and a washer & dryer. That’s my favorite amenity. I love bringing home clean clothes instead of a laundry bag full that needs to be washed.

Well, I had had enough adventure and “sightseeing” for the first day just trying to locate the Fairway Villa. I was ready for bed. We’d finalize our plans in the morning when we had a chance to see how jet lagged we were.

More to come :)

Boggy Creek 'Gator

I think I forgot to mention that I had a chance to hold an alligator after the Airboat ride.

Orlando to Dulles to Providence the United Way

Good Morning

It’s the day after the longest flight ever!

 It really wasn’t the longest flight I’ve ever taken but it was close. My plane left Orlando at 11:40am, right on time and but I didn’t get home until almost 7:30.

So here’s the story. I flew Delta down and got routed through Detroit so I tried United for the return trip. That seemed more direct as the layover would be in Washington DC at Dulles.

I dropped off the rental car and was in and out of there in minutes. They even got a sky cap to take my bags and escort me to the gate which saved me mucho time there since he knew where he was going and I would have wandered around…lost. I had my boarding pass but I still had to drop off the bags and use the kiosk to check in at the airport. The United rep gave me my baggage claim tickets and checked my ID. He handed it back and kept saying 18, 18 ,18. I tried to ask what he meant but his English was terrible. I made the assumption that he was giving me a gate number. That’s what they usually do. My ticket didn’t have a gate #, it just said pending.

Security was long but uneventful. It was crowded with long lines which I haven’t seen in quite awhile. Probably because Orlando is a really busy airport. Once through security I hopped onto the shuttle to the concourse for gate 18. But that was American Airlines territory and there was no gate 18. I approached the American personnel and they were puzzled too. We decided the United rep must have been telling me my seat number which was 18F and since it was in big bold letters on my ticket that was really unnecessary. They tried to find a gate # but couldn’t see it in their system. They tried to call United but said they weren’t answering the phone. Finally the best they could do was tell me all United flights depart from gates 40-59 so it was back to the shuttles. It took 2 to get to United territory.

Once in the hub of United Land I saw a departure board and my flight was listed…on gate 40. That just happened to be a short walk as gate 40 was one of the first gates out of the hub. Plenty of time. Boarding was fine except for a rude passenger who blocked the plane aisle and refused to move aside inspite of repeated requests from the Cabin Attendants. I though it was pretty funny when a man lifted his bags over her head into the over head bin and the gently moved her out of his way. She really freaked out over that screaming that he'd taken her spot in the overhead! Another passenger grabbed her shopping bag out of her hand and stuffed it in another bin and she finally sat down. Guess she got the hint! Other than that the flight was uneventful. In fact we landed almost 30 minutes early. I thought that was great as I’d have a little more time to locate my gate and maybe grab a bite to eat as it was a little after 1:00. My connecting flight was at 2:22.

In a real first I deplaned on the same concourse my connecting flight was supposed to be leaving from just a couple of gates away ! I really though the travel gods were smiling on me. But I would soon see that they have a real sense of humor. Ha!

As I settled in at the gate I was a little concerned because no one else was there. The departure board with the gate number had a flashing “delayed” next to my flight number but there was no one and nothing at the gate. I waited there a few minutes when another Providence bound passenger came over and asked me if it was the right gate. With two of us now it seemed likely that it was. I took a break to grab a hamburger from Wendy’s...Big mistake! I have never spent $7.00 for just a hamburger and a small diet coke but that’s what they charged. I ate about ½ and ditched the rest. It was just too messy. Still as it turned out I was going to be very glad I ate what I did.

When I got back to the gate someone had activated the information screen and our flight was still delayed but now they were giving a new departure time, 3:29. The reason posted was “airplane”. More people had arrived and everyone was discussing the delay. I suggested that if the delay had something to do with the plane that I’d be happy to wait to be sure it was fixed! But United wasn’t telling us anything more than was posted.

3:29 came & went and finally a rather disheveled young lady arrived wearing a United uniform.. I was surprised at her appearance . She had runs in her stockings and her hair was pulling out of her hair clips. She looked like she had been traveling all day instead of us at the gate. She rushed over to the PA and rapidly announced in heavily accented English “The plane is on the ground, the plane is on the ground. We will load soon. Sorry for delay!” It was so fast and so accented it took everyone a few minutes to process the announcement, Then I confess, I started laughing. All I could think of was the excited Tatoo from that 70's TV show where he yells..”The plane boss, the plane” That seemed to break the stunned silence and everyone else laughed too including the United rep. She must have realized how she sounded and how she looked because she disappeared for a few minutes and came back a little more put together but then TSA descended. They marched in like the Gestapo, pulled on rubber gloves and made us all stand up and hand over our ID’s and boarding passes for inspection again. For a minute there I wondered if I was still in the United States!

We had just sat back down when a United attendant that looked like she should be with TSA stepped to the front and demanded to know if we were listening and to get our ID’s and boarding passes out for inspection. The couple sitting next to me and I exchanged glances and then we decided as one to “push back”. We started telling “Broom Hilda” that the TSA had just checked us. That’s when you could see realization dawning on her face. She was confronting the wrong passengers. She wanted passengers heading to Montreal to being up their passports. She cleared her throat and went to the PA to issue the corrected instructions. I can see why she was confused. I’m sure you don’t normally have 2 plane loads at the same gate. We’d been delayed for so long that the next plane load, the Montreal passengers, were also mixed in with us.

I’m so glad I was sitting in the front row next to the podium because we were being treated to quite the show. United was clearly scrambling. So far none of the passengers from my flight had said much or complained or yelled but the attendants,( and there were quite a few now between  the 2 departing planeloads and 1 arriving , the TSA and security)were obviously scrambling. I don’t think I’ve ever seen airline attendants look so frazzled. Normally they are an island of calm while all the passengers are upset.

Anyway 3:29 had passed and the alleged plane was on the ground but now they had to find a crew. I got this from bits and pieces we overheard being discussed at the podium between the airline personnel. About 4:45 a plane from Boston arrived and deplaned at our gate. A uniformed man came off the plane and our little original attendant grab him and speaking really fast told him he had to take his crew back out to take our plane to Providence. He argued a bit then said ok and left. A few minutes later she made an announcement that no one understood. The TSA leader went over to her and told her to try again but more slowly. I think It might have been the standard announcement about passagers needing assitance, but no one understood.  About 10 minutes later they started boarding us.

The cabin crew was very gracious but they made sure we knew they were “going the extra mile” literally. They made an announcement that they were being pulled off their run to take us to Providence. By now we were over 2 hours late. We were taking off after the time we should have landed in Providence but at least we were finally on our way.

We were offered soft drinks but not even peanuts or cookies for snacks after all that wait. We never found out what happened but judging from the way everyone was running around it makes me wonder if our flight was routed but no one remembered to assign a plane or crew! Working in a dispatch office I have seen work get routed to non-working technicians and the scramble that happens to find coverage. This looked an awful lot like that. Maybe something like that happened here. I was pretty impressed with the passengers who all seemed to keep their cool. There weren’t any scenes at the gate. Can’t speak for elsewhere but the folks near me just took it in stride, pulled out cell phones and let people know at their destinations that they were delayed. My cell phone didn’t have a signal so my calls would just have to wait.

Finally in the air the actual flight to Providence was pleasant and fairly short. My bags were already off the plane when I got to baggage claim and the Valet parking bus was waiting at the curb when I came out so that went very smoothly. At the parking lot my car was waiting and the attendants put my luggage in for me and I was on my way in no time.

Anyway, I’m home now safe and sound. My two fuzzy kids (my cats) greeted me at the door and haven’t let me out of their sight since. Rocky followed me around all last evening meowing at me like he was telling me about his week. Smokey was in my lap every time I sat down. Going places is fun but it’s nice to come home too.
J 　
　
　

Last Day in Orlando

Well this was the last day in Florida. It’s been great weather all week so a little “clouds with chance of rain” can be accepted. Since they actually said “90% chance of widespread showers” we chose today to do our souvenir shopping. We didn’t do much at Universal or on the Disney Walk because those are just too overpriced. Instead we hit all the little souvenir outlets along the street near the Time Share. I love those kinds of gift shops and I found everything I was looking for and at very reasonable prices.

With time to spare and clouds still threatening we headed out to Boggy Creek Airboat rides. Our captain gave his name as Captain Kirk, but said he was not really the Star Trek type. He sees himself more as a John Wayne kind of character.

We had a full boat and since we all had headphones on to block the noise, Captain Kirk didn’t have to entertain us with sparkling banter. It appeared that the gators and crocks weren’t in the mood to entertain either. We spotted just one baby ‘gator the whole ride but there were a lot of birds, great blue herons, snowy egrets, osprey, ducks and some I didn’t recognize at all. Of course I’m not a “birder”. I’ve been calling “sparrows” “finches” as long as I can remember! But all was not lost, the good Captain swooshed us around the saw grass and sent us racing across the open water. I think he was trying to give us an exciting ride to make up for the uncooperative “critters”. The thing is, if anyone had just been a bit observant JR & I spotted one just off shore in the little inlet by the boat dock. There was a fisherman there and we think his lure or bait had attracted it. It was there when we parked and it was still there when we left. I can prove it too because I got a picture.

As we were leaving Boggy Creek the sun began to come out! So we headed back to the time share intending to finish the afternoon by the pool. I headed for the internet kiosk to print my boarding pass. Should have been a 5 minute project, right? Wrong! It took over an hour and I have no idea how much I was charged. Let me explain,

I already paid for wireless internet for the week but that wouldn’t allow me to hook up to a printer so I had to use the Kiosk. The kiosk had no directions except to either enter cash (Minimum $3.00), a credit card, or a debit card. I tried cash first. It took $2.00 and kept spitting the 3^rd back out. So I canceled that and tried my credit card. It gave me a message that it would authorize $20.00, did I want to continue? I used the track ball to place the curser on yes and hit enter. Nothing happened. I tried touching the screen, again nothing so I tried my debit card thinking maybe the credit card was still messed up. Same thing. I went to the front desk and asked for help. They said “just a minute”. So I went back and stared at the stupid kiosk for another 10-15 minutes but no one came to help so back to the desk I went.
This time they told me to call the 800 number on the machine for help. Hate to say it but by now I was well on my way to seeing red. So back out to the kiosk I went. I tried entering the cash again and this time it took the money and gave me a message that I had 3 minutes and could continue. I selected “Print Boarding Pass” and nothing happened. I hit enter, I hit the screen, I pressed the space bar…nothing! I was just digging my cell phone out to call when one of the employees came by and pointed to 2 black unidentified buttons and said “think of these as the right & left on your mouse” and bingo, that got me online. So now I pull up United and they want my mileage plus #, then they wanted my password…I had my mileage plus number but I couldn’t remember my password so I had to do a reset and log back in. Now remember, the clock is ticking. I only have 3 minutes. I felt like I was on “Beat the Clock” or some other timed game show where the prize was my boarding pass.

Anyway, I’m back on the United web page and logged on, I have my reservation in front of me on the screen but I have to get past the upgrade offers to the check bags screen. I was just entering my credit card # to pay for the bag charge when, you guessed it, my 3 minutes ran out. Did the stupid Kiosk ask me to put in more money? NO of course not…It kicked me offline so I lost everything and had to start all over again! By now I must have been beat red because I was sweating and really ticked off (see I’m being nice). I had the credit card out to pay for the luggage so I just inserted it and took the hit for the $20.00 authorization and started again. It took just over 4 minutes to jump through all of United’s hoops again, pay for my 1 bag and FINALLY I could push the button for PRINT! Out came my boarding passes and the receipt for the luggage. The actual charge to my card was is supposed to be $4.87. Of course, I have no way of knowing if the stupid Kiosk actually put authorizations through or not. With the $3.00 from the first try this whole process cost me just under $8.00

I called the 800 number to see if they could tell if the other authorizations went through and got some guy telling me I’d called the wrong # and to call back Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Big help he was. (NOT). Oh and the discount for taking care of my bag online…$2.00. By my calculations that means the process left me $5.87 in the red assuming there are no sneaky extra authorizations on either my charge card or debit card.

In any event I had my passes and I headed out to the pool. The minute I sat down a swarm of Love Bugs (I told you about them in a previous post) descended. They were everywhere. At that point I said I quit! A nice relaxing afternoon by the pool just isn’t happening today. I came back to the suite, plugged in my laptop and spent the afternoon trying to figure out how to set up photo slide shows. After my adventure with the kiosk you’d think the last thing I’d want to do is play with the computer but I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment. I did have some success as I can put together a decent slide show on Photoshop, unfortunately all it does when I try to upload or email it is pixilate so I still have some more bugs to work out. I did manage to get my Flickr photo stream connected to my blog so soon you’ll get my pictures that way instead of pasted all over the page.

But back to the Florida trip, I’d have to say that Cypress Point Resort is a beautiful resort. They do fall a little short in the customer support area but I’ve experienced worse and it really depends on who is working the desk. Some of the staff were outstanding while others took the easy way out in order to make only minimal effort. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it and I would definitely stay here again. The rooms were clean, the resort is pretty and centrally located, and the staff was always pleasant if not always helpful. The pool area is very nice and I'm told the Love Bugs only swarm 2 times a year. It was my bad luck to vacation on one of those 2 times!

Check out time is 10AM so the next post will be from home. Lets hope the trip tomorrow is as uneventful as the flights down here were. J

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios

What can I say about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios?!..A lot actually. This is the new exhibit to beat. Even the Disney Employees were raving about it.

Couple things you need to know about me first…1) I do not like most Theme Parks...I find them noisy and crowded and I don’t like coaster rides. I am prone to motion sickness. With that in mind I’m sure you are wondering why I spent the day at a Theme Park. The biggest reason is that I am huge Harry Potter Fan!!! The 2^nd reason was that I wanted to see if the exhibit lived up to all the hype. Believe me when I tell you it did not disappoint.

We headed to the park first thing because we figured it would be crowded but there was no one around. On the way to the Harry Potter exhibit, we stopped at the Spiderman ride and there was no one there at all. We just walked right in! If you’ve been to Universal you know the Spiderman ride is one of the simulations not a coaster. They can be tough on the motion sickness but I can usually tolerate them. This ride gets a thumbs up from me. It was fun, fast moving and had a sense of humor.

From there we headed into Jurassic Park Territory. Another great movie. I am not a movie buff but I did like Jurassic Park a lot especially the first movie. We skipped the ride but did stop in the Gift shop which is laid out like the reception area in the movie where the dinos have their big fight . Took the time to grab some shots to post for a friend’s son who is a big dino fan. And then it was on to Harry Potter.
We’d seen our first glimpse of the Hogwarts Castle as we walked down the City Walk but up close the detail was amazing. As we came over the bridge we entered a replica of the town of Hogsmeade which in the exhibit includes many of the shops from Diagon Alley. This is also where we found all the people! There was a 45 minute wait to get into Olivander’s to see the wand choosing enacted so we walked around a bit first. Honeydukes had a huge crowd but we did tackle it and I picked up a “caldron cake” & a “chocolate Frog”. I know I shouldn’t be eating stuff like that but it’s part of the experience. I rented a locker and stuck the sweets in there to try to protect them from the heat. It wasn’t even 11:00 am yet and it was really hot and getting more humid by the minute. We’d just be standing in line not even walking around and the sweat was pouring off in rivulets. But everyone else was sweating just as bad! Not a dry body in sight!

We spotted the Hogwarts Express but that wasn’t a ride or anything, still it was kind of cool to see. There was a huge loop coaster called the Dragon Challenge but neither JR nor I chose to try that. A bit out of my league. We spotted the Three Broomsticks and decided we had to come back for lunch there.

 There was also a more tame coaster that was the ride of the Hippogrift. We skipped that too.


So having “scoped out” the place we headed for the main attraction, Hogwarts Castle. You enter the castle grounds through an entrance guarded by 2 winged warthogs. Cast members dressed as Hogwarts Students direct you to the lockers where you are instructed to stow you belongings, including the 35mm cameras. Small point & shoot cameras seemed to be exempt from that restriction because we saw a lot of them dangling from other peoples wrists. I only brought the DSLR even though I do have P&S cameras because I was using the small cameral bag and didn’t have room for them. As a result, I don’t have any pictures of the inside of the Castle which is really too bad. They have the talking portraits, mandrake plants, the Great Hall, Dumbledore addressing the guests, all the key elements are there! There’s the Mirror of Eristad and the Sorting Hat and then there is Harry, Ron and Hermione enticing us to skip the boring lecture and come to the quidditch field and then we are at the ride.

We were told that there was at least a 45 minute wait for the ride but since the whole time you are on line, you are winding through the castle and seeing and hearing all the familiar things from the books and  movies, it doesn’t feel like you are waiting at all. And the ride is spectacular! Oh there are Dementors and giant spiders in the ride but the best part is when we break free onto the Quidditch field where we are chased by a horntail dragon and a holographic Harry is just in front of us shouting encouragement and leading the way. During that part of the ride I could forget I was strapped in a padded seat and imagine I was really flying at top speed on a magical broom. Oh how I hated when the ride came to an end! If I, as an adult, could come off that ride so pumped up, I can only imagine how the younger folks were feeling. I can tell you this, there were no negative comments to be heard!

As we left the Castle we watched a procession of “students” that were at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Anyone familiar with the books would recognize them right off. We followed them down and watched a demonstration all true to character.

From there we joined the line into Olivander’s. It was about a 30 minute wait but it passed quickly as everone chatted like we'd known each other for years. Finally  we were escorted into a fairly small, or so it seemed, dark shop. The actor playing Olivander chose two very cute little kids to have “try” with a  wand. It was a very brief skit but it followed true to the book about the wands choosing it’s owner and I am sure those kids were suitably impressed.

By this time it was lunchtime so we headed to the Three Broomsticks. Both JR & I ordered the Fish & Chips . The portions were huge. We could have bought 1 and split it and probably would still have had some leftovers. We also had to try the Butter beer, it is, after all, a staple beverage at the Three Broomsticks. I ordered mine “frozen” and in a souvenir mug. The first taste and there was no doubt that it was made with butterscotch. What an awesome drink but so sweet. One was more than enough. Plus on a hot day like we had today, my first deep drink gave me one of the worst ice cream headaches I’ve had in a long time! But oh, so worth it.

After lunch I retrieved my sweets from the locker and we headed back into the park to try some of the other rides and exhibits. We went to Jimmy Neutron, The Simpsons, Dr. Seuss and ended up with the ride from Jaws. By then I was worn out. I could feel a blister growing on each foot and I’d sweated myself into exhaustion. I thought about one last trip through the Hogwarts castle but it was getting late and I just couldn’t take any more crowds. But I will go on record here and say that next time I’m in Orlando, I will be back for more Harry Potter!
　
　
　

St. Augustine & Daytona

Hi again

As expected it was a busy day! It’s about a 2 hour drive to St Augustine and we got a late start. We had tickets for the Old Town Trolley tour compliments of the Old Town Trolley, Boston which was a great savings and much appreciated.

The drive from Orlando is fairly easy, Rt 4 to Rt 95 to Rt 1. All main roads and one of the Trolley Visitors Centers was right there on Rt 1 so very easy to find. We kept hitting rain showers and some were pretty strong with huge raindrops. We began to be concerned that we might get rained out but once we pulled off the St. Augustine exit the sun came out and the clouds parted to reveal a gorgeous blue sky.

There’s free parking at all of the Old Town Trolley visitor Centers so we left the car and hopped on the Trolley. Unlike Boston which uses trolleys, St Augustine uses Trams. Our first driver was Ben & he was terrific! He was really the best of the day and we had plenty of time to observe because JR forgot the battery for his camera in the car so we had to complete the whole tour to get back to where we started. By that time it was after 1pm so we decided to eat lunch before we tried this again. The Visitor center had tables and we had packed a lunch so we settled in right there for a quick picnic lunch and when the next trolley came around we hopped back on and started all over again.  The nice thing about the Old Town trolleys is that you can get on and off all day. It’s like that no matter where Old Town has venues, Boston, St Augustine, Key West to name just a few.

We stopped at the Castillo de San Marcos Fort first because it is a National Monument and I collect the “Passport Stamps” from the National Parks & Monuments. It’s a great program and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to visit these places. You can pick up the Passport at any National Park Gift shop. They are only about $8.00, then let the collecting begin! The “Official Cancellations” are free stamps that you collect at each location. There are also stickers to collect that go with the cancellations.
We spent quite a lot of time at the Fort. A ranger started a presentation shortly after we got there so we went to that and then explored the remainder of the fort on our own. The views of the harbor were awesome. We walked back to the trolley stop and JR decided he wanted to go shopping on a quaint little street. I wanted to go to Anastasia State Park and see the Alligator Farm and the Haunted Lighthouse so we decided to split up. The Old Town Trolley includes a Beach Bus Shuttle to the park at no additional charge. As I headed over on the trolley the new driver mentioned that the last trolley would be at 4:30. It was already 3:30 so I asked him how long it would take to see the Alligator Farm and the lighthouse. He said to get back in time to catch the last trolley I would only be able to take the bus ride by everything and come right back. Well, that didn’t make much sense so I just stayed on the trolley tour again. I was able to get pictures of “The Old Senator” a 600 year old live oak ( called the Old Senator because it‘s shady & crooked) and Magnolia Drive which the tour operators say National Geographic named one of the most beautiful streets in the country with live oaks and Spanish moss forming a canopy over the street. There was the “Fountain of Youth”, Ripley’s Believe it or not, The Old Jail, and loads of Flagler influences from churches to colleges!

I had heard of Henry Flagler as the builder of the railroad to Key West. It soon became apparent that he was also instrumental in bringing St. Augustine to prominence as a vacation location and did a great deal for the area. He used his railroad to bring well heeled guests to the area and built elaborate hotels where they stayed in his attempt to match Newport, RI as a vacation paradise for the rich and famous of his time.

Dr. Martin Luther King also visited St. Augustine in the ‘60’s to march peacefully in celebration of desegregation.

Back at the Visitor Center, the concierge, Paul, saw me sitting at the picnic table waiting for JR and invited me inside for the AC. Paul is a resident of St Augustine and took the time to chat about the area. He gave me suggestions for a return visit to the area. He did a great job representing Old Town and St. Augustine!

JR arrived a few minutes after 5 pm so we headed back to Orlando. We followed A1A which is the more scenic route for awhile before getting back on the highway. Just outside of Daytona there was a traffic accident so we got back on A1A. We figured we’d find someplace to grab a quick dinner and stop at the beach. Since we were both pretty bedraggled looking after a day in the sun and breeze, I didn’t want to go anyplace too fancy. We spotted the Starlight Diner and that seemed to be just the thing. The food was good, the atmosphere friendly and casual and they even offered to let us leave the car in their parking lot while we explored along the beach for awhile. Very nice folks there at the Starlight Diner!

Well, it’s getting late again and tomorrow is Universal Studios and Harry Potter so I think I need to wrap this up and head to bed. I hope you enjoy this post and the pictures that go with it.
Nite all!

Orlando Florida

Hello from Sunny Florida. Today was supposed to be a “down day”. I didn’t want to commit to too much because my friend from Georgia was driving down and I wasn’t sure what time he would arrive. Turned out he got here 15 minutes before the Time Share “owners” meeting so I got to show him to his room before running back to my session.

Although I’m in no position to buy anything at this time, it was good to hear the presentation and get caught up on the changes that have been implemented since Diamond Resorts International took over Sunterra. Sounds like more good things are coming too.

After the meeting I went for a walk with my camera and caught up with some more wild birds. That Great Blue Heron was still hanging around or at least I’m guessing it’s the same one.
Then I headed for he pool. My friend had a job interview so he had headed right off to that and expected to be gone for a couple of hours. I hope it goes well for him.

The pool area wasn’t too busy. I first settled near the center but there were a ton of “love bugs” so I went down to the far end where the hot tub is located. The water seemed really cold at first but it was probably because I was so warm after my walk. After the refreshing dip I snoozed on the lounge for awhile, when one of the security team walked by I asked him about the bugs. He’s the one who said they were “love bugs” because they are always having sex. He’s right about them always being attached in twos!

My friend got back from his interview and found me still by the pool. He felt the interview went well so we headed out to The Disney Boardwalk to celebrate. We walked the whole concourse and had a snack at The Rainforest Café. As we strolled along we took our time and enjoyed the vendors and street musicians and even an Irish Step dancer.

We took the water taxi back to the “town square” and headed back to the condo so JR could get some rest. We figured we’d go back for dinner around 8pm. Truthfully, I hope he just sleeps through because I’m worn out and would be happy to stay in tonight but I can play it by ear. We still have St Augustine and Universal Studios to do before the week is out. So I can see a very full schedule in my future.

Editorial Comment

Sorry the pictures ended up on the bottom of the feed. I tried to rearrange them but I can't drag and drop in the laptop window. This is certainly a learning experience. Thanks for bearing with me :)

DeSoto National Memorial

My first night at Cypress Point was fine. I tried out the Jacuzzi and after managing to drench the bathroom got the jets pointed in the right direction. Just the right touch after being on a plane all day.

Just as I finished breakfast the phone rang!? Now that’s something different because it wasn’t my cell phone but the condo phone. I was even more surprised when I answered it and this man’s voice asked for ME!…Now don’t get excited. It turned out to be the concierge calling so see if everything was satisfactory. That’s a first. Just shows this is a classy place. He told me to stop by the desk as he had some discount coupons and a gift for me. It turned out to be coffee but I took it even though I don’t drink coffee. I have a friend coming later in the week and he does so he can use it.

On the downside he asked me if I’d been to an owners meeting yet (read sales meeting) and I told him no. I would have “ducked out” but he told me if I go he will give me two tickets to Universal Studios for the price of one or $45.00/each. With an offer like that I decided I couldn’t refuse.

With that business behind me I headed out to the highway. I wanted to get a National Park stamp and there was a National Park Monument at Bradenton which is just south of St. Petersburg. It took about 2 hours to get there so I arrived in Bradenton about 1pm. I had a quick lunch at DQ and figured I’d be at DeSoto National Memorial by 2pm. Ha! I may have to start thinking about GPS. This chasing around and getting nowhere is starting to get old! I asked the whole crew at DQ where it was and no one had any idea. I drove on down to a gas station and asked in there and no one had any idea either. Strike two! (total locals asked ..5) They did have maps (at a cost of $5.95) While I had the map spread out a delivery man asked me if I needed help. He wasn’t sure where the Memorial was located but he did know the street and I was way on the other side of town. I had to get back on the highway and back track 1 exit then I had to drive all the away across town. Lets put it this way, I didn’t get to the Memorial until just about 3:30! It closes at 5pm. The first sign was at the corner of the street the Memorial was located on. Since it’s a national monument I expected more signage or I would have gotten better directions before heading out here.

The Park Service Volunteer was really nice and we had a great chat. Then I went into watch the movie which was pretty good. With only about 45 minutes to closing I headed out to the nature trail. I don’t know how long the whole thing is but I’d love to come back and walk it from beginning to end now that I know where it is. The grounds are beautiful and they have plenty of benches if you just want to sit back and enjoy the view.

I’m not going to go into more detail in this post. I’m going to try to upload some pictures. If successful I think the pictures will speak for themselves.
J 　
　
　
　
　

Providence to Orlando

Right off the bat this trip got off to a strange start. I guess I confused the parking lots when I made my reservation. I knew the way it was being done was different than when I had made reservations before but it’s been awhile since I’ve flown out of Providence so I figured things had changed. Well, all that changed was that I mixed up the lot names. I usually use Pre-Flight parking in Providence and Park & Fly in Albany. Of course I made my reservation at Park & Fly so when I got to where I thought I was going and realized it didn’t match, I got a little nervous. I was afraid I’d get lost looking for the right one and then miss my flight. Throw in the mess with my credit card and you might say I was a little stressed.

The credit card thing was that I tried to pay the “pending” balance so I wouldn’t have anything on my card when I came down but the Credit card company would only accept a payment in the amount of the actual balance so I had to wait for the pending charges to post then pay the bill, which I did, and the money has left my checking account. I even got the email from the credit card company telling me my payment had been received, but they refused to free up that credit until Tuesday (tomorrow) so I was juggling things around to be sure I had room deposit (refundable), rental car deposits, etc. I left more money in the checking account rather than bringing cash just in case. It turned out that the rental car went through but the room deposit did not so I used the debit card for that. Anything to make it harder, Oh well.

Getting through security was really quick even though I was pulled out to have my hands tested for explosives. I wonder if I look like a terrorist? Doesn't everyone at 6:30 in the moring?

Delta was taking me to Florida by way of Detroit (HUH?) Seems a little out of the way, but what do I know about airline schedules. It was one of the little planes with two seats on each side of the aisle. I had the window seat and was really surprised how comfortable the seat was. Then it hit me, maybe it was comfortable because I’m 30 lbs smaller than I was last June??? I commented that I was surprised how comfortable the seat was and my seat mate gave me strange look so I think it was more the weight loss than the seat!

We took off right on time and landed in Detroit early. We came in at Concourse C and of course my connection was at Concourse A gate 66 which was a different building and the far end of the concourse from where I was. It figures. I have never had to change planes without treking 5 miles between gates! Anyway in this case I’m glad I had to do that because if I hadn’t had to change concourses I wouldn’t have gone through the tunnel. This is really something! The lights are very low and the walls are lit by continuously moving pastel colors. At first I thought they had built an aquarium because that was the effect, almost like light filtering though water. People were stopping and taking pictures and I wanted to but I only had ½ hour and my gate was far, far away.

Coming to the end of the tunnel and reaching “the other side” I went up the escalator to find I was in the hub of Concourse A. Following a series of those moving sidewalks I finally spotted Gate 66 with about 10 minutes to spare. In addition to the “people movers” they also have a high speed tram to help people get around to the various gates and concourses. They certainly looked shiny and new. Another time I wished I had my camera out but again I was concerned about the time and decided not to risk it.

Then it was time to board for the leg from Detroit to Orlando. This flight was also uneventful. It was a much bigger plane and I had 2 seatmates this time, both women. It’s been my experience that men are much friendlier travelers than women and that again proved to be true. Not a word was said to me by my two fellow travelers where as the gentleman on the first flight told me he wanted to sleep than chattered for a good 30 minutes. I learned tons about him and absolutely nothing about the ladies. I’ve noticed that before but today the contrast was really evident.

Landing in Orlando, I was pleased when my luggage was already waiting for me (It was another long trek to baggage claim ) and I headed to the car rental. I chose an economy car  and was rewarded with a little Hyundai but for a little car it has a lot of pep. Getting to Cypress Point was really easy and checking in(except for the credit card blip) went smoothly. The weather is beautiful too. Not humid like it is in the summer but sunny with a nice breeze.

The room/ suite / condo or whatever you want to call it is gorgeous! It is a 3 bedroom “lock off”. The main part of the unit has kitchen, living room, dining room, patio, master bedroom, master bath, small 2^nd bedroom and laundry. Then there is another bedroom which is just as nice as the master bedroom. It has it’s own patio, a huge Grecian style tub and a shower. The bedroom door locks which is why they call it a “lock off”. I’ll take some pictures tomorrow but tonight I’m just ready to kick back and relax.

I had dinner across the street at “Joe’s Clam Shack” and it was excellent but there is no shortage of restaurants in the area. I could see some of that 30 lbs creeping back on if I’m not careful.

One last errand before I can wrap up for the night. I needed to find a grocery store and stock up with breakfast food for the week. The bartender at “Joe’s” sent me to a Winn-Dixie that was almost walking distance to Cypress Point so you can’t get more convenient than that.

Well folks, I am tired tonight so that’s going to wrap this up for now. I promise I’ll get some pictures on here tomorrow.

Not much to say tonight

Counting down to Florida. In the meantime taking a real estate class. One more day of that and then it's just a matter of studying for the exam. No travel news today but some will be coming soon!

Coming up next

　
Hi all, I’ll be heading to sunny Florida for 6 days. Time Share exchange puts me in the Orlando Area. I’ll be staying ay Cypress Pointe Resort. I’ve been in touch with the resort and they have wireless internet for a price, not free. It’s $19.99/ wk so I think I’m going to take it. That way I can keep you up to date on what we’re doing. I do know we are not planning to visit Mickey this trip. I’m thinking maybe an airboat ride, a drive down to St Augustine, and a day at Universal at the new Harry Potter exhibit. Other than that, no definite plans. We’ll play it by ear.

I did have something come up that I thought I’d share. I made my car reservation through a 3^rd party website like I always do. I’ve never had a problem. But this time I don’t know what I did. I didn’t get all of my email confirmations. I went to the airline websites and confirmed my flights went through. I think I got an email confirming the rental car but when I went back in to print it, I couldn’t find it!

I rented from Enterprise so I called their customer service. I was surprised when they told me they might not be able to find my reservation if it was made through a 3^rd party. They mentioned Travelocity and Expedia specifically. Luckily when I said Nettrav, the rep took a look and there it was, popped right up. He was able to confirm all the details and even sent me an email with all the details and confirmation number.
I was very pleased with the customer support at Enterprise. The rep was quick, efficient and pleasant. I will keep you posted on how the rental goes.
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Big Island Note

I love coincidences! I just finished blogging with you for a week about the Big Island and I pick up a magazine and there is a feature about Hawaii. What caught my eye was a new tour called Lava Ocean Adventures. It leaves from Hilo and takes guests to see the lava flows entering the ocean! My oh my…I have to get back to the Big Island and do that!
　
Well, I have to keep this post short because I have to be up early tomorrow. Just 2 days and it’s off to the Sunshine State…keep the hurricanes away ( and the himacanes too)!!!
　
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Please feel free to make comments or suggestions, ask questions, or even suggest destinations! I look forward to hearing from you!…Until next time, Happy Traveling
　
　
　
www.netTrav.com/travelplace www.lavaocean.com

Big Island Postscript

Well we made it back home. But there are a few things I didn’t mention. If you go to the Big Island and spend anytime in Hilo you will end up on Banyan Drive. The trees are amazing! There is also a park, Liliuokalani Park, which is a Japanese garden park that is over 100 yeas old. The Banyan trees on Banyan Drive are relative youngsters having been planted only about 50 years ago.

The other post script is that Mom said she was disappointed that she didn’t see a more energetic eruption or experience an earthquake. It turns out that we just missed the earthquake. About an hour after we took off from Honolulu a major earthquake stuck Hawaii closing the airport and causing a great deal of damage on the Big Island. Many of the roads we had just traveled on were crumbling, buckled or buried under landslides. So Mom just missed getting her wish! I, for one, am glad we missed that! I guess that just proves the old saying “be careful what you wish for”.

I still can’t believe that I spent a whole week in an Island Paradise and never once went swimming, snorkeling or scuba or “snuba” diving. More stuff for my “to do” list. Clearly I have no choice but to go back!

                                                            Aloha



http://www.pdc.org/PDCNewsWebArticles/2006Hawaiiearthquake3/hieq3.html


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/16/powerful_earthquake_rocks_hawaii/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Hawaii_earthquake

Flying over Kilauea and the Lu'au

Well the vacation is winding down. We’ll be heading back to reality first thing in the morning but there are still a couple of “Must-dos” before we climb aboard American Airlines for our very long flight back. We have our flight over the Island and what trip to Hawaii would be complete without a Lu’au?

Bright and early, very early, we headed out to Kona International Airport. We were looking for the terminal for Big Island Air. Our tour was to take us over Kilauea where we hoped to see the fiery red lava that we couldn’t see from the ground. After the volcano we were promised the flight would take us around the whole Island. We considered a helicopter ride to the volcano but went with the fixed wing because we would get to see more of the Island than just the volcano. Next trip I definitely want to try the helicopter!

Before we could climb aboard, we had to get weighed. Now anyone who has ever struggled with their weight can tell you a public weighing is about as much fun as being tarred and feathered! They had to convince me before I would agree. The weighing is required so that they can assign seats that evenly distribute the weight. That is especially true in a small plane. Anyway we were finally on board where we were given head phones so the pilot could talk to us and we could hear the “tour banter”.

As we approached the volcano we could see the “Vog” where the hot lava goes into the sea. It was really cool to see it from the air after having seen it from the ground but we didn’t linger long over that area. We were headed to the main active vent that is feeding the eruption. The land we were flying over was pretty desolate looking. Steam was venting in numerous places where the lava flow was near the surface. The lava is traveling from the vent though lava tubes to the ocean. Occasionally we’d get a glimpse of the red lava where the roof of a tube had collapsed.

Then we were over the vent. Steam billowed up making it hard to see the lava in the crater. The pilot put the plane in a steep bank and circled tightly around the crater so we were able to get some glimpses of the boiling lava before the smoke blocked the view again. Then to be sure everyone had a chance to see, he banked in the opposite direction and circled again. As we circled a helicopter passed below us and right over the vent! Talk about up close! About that time I started to think this might not have been such a good idea but he straightened out before I embarrassed myself. It was exciting but also a little disappointing. The pilot said that the best way to see the lava is at night when the glow stands out. Hmmm another item for the “to do” list.

Having circled sufficiently to make sure my breakfast was well mixed, the pilot headed back out toward the perimeter. Even the area that hadn’t been covered by lava or burned looked pretty bad. The pilot explained that the “Vog” is primarily sulfuric acid so when it rains they get very strong acid rain and that it is killing the vegetation.

As we continued on the landscape changed and became green again and he began to narrate the sights. Part of his talk stated that the opening scene of Jurassic Park was filmed here and flew us into the canyon that he claimed was used. I am withholding judgment on that because I had always heard that Jurassic Park was filmed on Kauai but it made for a nice story and the scenery was certainly dramatic enough.

Landing back at Kona, we were given a souvenir DVD of the trip…or so they said. Imagine our disappointment when we got back home and played it only to have an advertisement for Big Island Air!

We still had time before the Lu’au so we went shopping again ! The Lu’au was also in Kona and they told us at the resort that we would really enjoy it. A lu’au is an all -you-can-eat island feast with Polynesian dance. The main course is the Kalua pig which has been cooking in an underground pit called an imu. There is a whole ceremony for the unveiling of the roast pig. I can tell you, the slow roasting made that pig one of the most tender I have ever eaten!

The were tons of lu'aus to chose from but we settled on the Island Breeze La’au. Their advertising says they are the only beachfront Lu’au in Kona. The whole Lu’au is steeped in tradition and pageantry. There is even an opening ceremony where the Hawaiian King and his entourage arrive on traditional boats and formal procession to the lu’au. Once they have entered the guests are allowed to enter. What follows is a huge show of Polynesian dancing. It is not limited to Hawaiian dances but rather covers many of the different traditions of the South Pacific. The finale was the fire dancer! All I can tell you is that this was amazing!


The night wasn’t over because we still had to get back to the resort. Of course it started to rain and the fog rolled in making navigating the hairpin curves on the mountain “hairy” to say the least! Still it was worth every hair raising minute of the drive back.
　
　
　www.aloha-hawaii.com/dining/samoan+fire+knife+dance

Hilo

Hilo

With an average rainfall of 129+ inches of rain per year, Hilo is probably the wettest city in the country by- passing Seattle by a long shot. Although the big resorts seem to be along the dry west coast, we found we really liked the wetter tropical side where Hilo is located.

Even though we’d been in and out and through Hilo just about everyday that we’d been on the Big Island, we thought it might be time to slow down and actually explore the town. On our way into Hilo we “detoured’ to try to see the lava flows from the other side but the road was closed . Not to be deterred we took another side trip and ended up on a narrow winding road that wound through a lush rainforest. The trees and vines were so abundant that they grew a canopy over the road. We saw a sign that said Natural Hot Tub but even though we followed the road all the way to the end, we never found the Natural Hot tub. We did however drive through Lava Tree National Park. Finally we found our way back to a main road and Hilo.

Our first stop in Hilo was Nani Mau Gardens where we wandered through 20 acres of tropical flowers and trees, pools and waterfalls and separate gardens dedicated to orchids and other Hawaiian plants. We chose to walk but a tram was available to take visitors around the grounds. Nani Mau also featured a Polynesian Buffet so we had our lunch there too.

From Nani Mau we headed to the Pana Ewa Rainforest Zoo. I think we would be safe to call this a small zoo as it houses about 75 animals on 12 acres. What makes this zoo unique is that it is the only rainforest zoo in the United States. Many of the animals housed here are endangered like the white Bengal Tiger. This is also where we finally saw a Nene! The zoo runs on donations. There is no entrance fee! It may be small but it was one of the prettiest zoos I’ve been in. The tropical landscaping was a big part of the zoo’s atmosphere and it was obvious that they took great care of the plants as well as the animals.

Our last stop was the Pacific Tsunami Museum. This was far more interesting than I expected. Hilo was devastated by a Tsunami in 1960 and the guide that showed us around the museum was actually a survivor of that Tsunami. She pointed out to us the changes that have been made to Hilo’s waterfront to prevent that kind of devastation from ever happening again.

The museum closed at 4pm so at that point we headed to Ken’s House of Pancakes for dinner before restocking supplies for the condo at Walmart and heading back to the resort.

There is still so much to see that we just don't have time for. We missed visiting the Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots because we detoured the opposite way but we didn't fee deprived. It gives us another thing to add  to our To-Do list on a return visit. Another stop we didn't have time for was Akatsuka Orchid Gardens. The list just keeps growing!
　

Green Sand and a Place of Refuge

Puuhonua O Honaunau

It was another beautiful day in paradise. I had been looking through some guide books and they talked about a “Green Sand Beach” at South Point. According to the guide book we would find the beach about 5 miles east of South Point. Access is by 4 wheel drive or foot. Mom is always up for a good walk or hike and Sis was as curious as I about green sand so it was decided .Today we would check out the green sand beach.

After breakfast we climbed into out trusty rental and off we went. Since we’d seen the turn off for South Point on our Around the Island Drive finding that was the easy part. The road got narrower and narrower and finally ended in a muddy field where we saw other cars were parked. We also spotted a little fuzzy weasel -like creature that we soon learned were Mongoose. After spotting the first one we seemed to see them all over. Mongoose are not native to Hawaii but like so many other creatures and people alike, once it got here, it thrived.

I tried to take the car further but soon decided that the book was right about needed a 4 wheel drive and , may I add, a driver who is used to off-roading. Back in the makeshift parking area, we headed out on foot. It was a hot day but there was a breeze and the views were nothing short of spectacular. Still, though we hiked along for most of the morning we never found the Green Sand Beach. Another item to add to my return bucket list!

Back at the car again we headed back to the main road and drove over to Kona. We arrived in a rainstorm which is unusual for this side of the island which is very dry. It rained very hard but only for a brief time. We used the time to grab a quick lunch and as the weather cleared we explored some of the shops along the main road.

With our shopping urge appeased we turned back toward Sea Mountain but decided to detour into the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. This is an ancient “Place of Refuge”. When people were seeking asylum from breaking a kapu law, they came here. If they could get inside , they would receive sanctuary. The resident kahuna or priests were required to grant absolution no matter how severe the infraction. Once granted the refugee could return home and resume his life as before as if nothing had happened.

The site has been reconstructed so it is possible to get a glimpse of ancient Hawaiian life and customs. While exploring the grounds we finally had a chance to see some of the sacred sea turtles as they allowed themselves to be washed up on shore to sun themselves on the warm sand. It was here too that I got my first taste of the Hawaiian language. The ranger insisted I try to pronounce the name of the site, which, I, of course immediately mangled. But he was gentle in his corrections and the rest of the trip I drove the family crazy trying to practice pronouncing the Hawaiian words.

Aloha a hui hou kakou!
　
　(Farewell until we meet again)

Chain of Craters Road

Volcano National Park...Chain of Craters Road


With lunch under our belts we returned to the car to see what Chain of Craters Road was all about.

Chain of Craters Road is twenty miles long from it’s start at Crater Rim Drive to where it ends because it’s covered by a recent lava flow. We were cautioned to be sure we had a full tank of gas because there would be no services along the way.

As we set out we had another chance to see how the volcano creates it’s own weather. It began to get very overcast and seemed to be threatening to rain. We decided to go ahead anyway. We stopped a various craters along the way but not being geologists or volcanologists they began to look a lot alike so we pressed on. We wanted to get to where we could see the current eruption. Kilauea has been erupting more or less continuously since 1983.

The road began to curve around the side of the volcano in a series of hairpins as we started to work our way down the mountain. The weather also changed again to a sunny, clear day! Suddenly we could see the sea and the road far below. It was a breathtaking view. The cars we could just make out were tinier than toys! Then we turned a corner and there was smoke in the distance. At this point we didn’t know that this was the plume of steam and sulfuric acid from the lava entering the sea. This potentially lethal cloud is called VOG and is responsible for some pretty desolate landscapes because of the high acid content.

Finally we had gone as far as we could go in the car. This was truly the end of the road. Lava had crossed the road. If we were going any further we would have to walk. There was a small temporary ranger station with rest rooms and bottled water. We loaded water into my backpack and we set out walking.

The first part of the trek was pretty easy but then we hit the lava flows. Walking on lava isn’t easy. The terrain is uneven even when it’s Pahoehoe. You can be sure next time I undertake a hike like this I will have a walking stick or pole for balance!

The rangers had put little markers out on the lava for a trail and we followed it to the first viewing area. If I remember correctly we reached this area about 4pm so it was late afternoon. To actually reach the lava bench where the molten lava was entering the sea would be another 4-5 miles over uneven lava flows and although the sight would be spectacular, at least some of the hike would be in the dark and we didn’t have flashlight and although we had water, we didn’t have food. The decision was made for us however when Sis took a spill on the lava and proved that what the ranger told us in the morning was true. If you fall on the lava you WILL get cut. And Sis was bleeding from a whole bunch of little cuts. Luckily one of the other hikers nearby saw what happened and came to our rescue with band aids. They patched Sis up good enough so we could limp back to the car but hiking any further was now out of the question which was just as well as we really weren’t prepared. So on our to do list for the next trip…hike out to the point where the lava flows into the ocean or take a night cruise to see the lava flow in all it’s brilliance!

Back at the ranger station we loaded ourselves into the car and headed back to the condo. A brief stop for dinner supplies and we were soon in for the night .

Volcano National Park~Crater Rim Drive

Volcano National Park


This is an amazing place! One day doesn’t even scratch the surface of all there is to see here. I don’t think any of us had any idea what to expect. Volcanoes have always fascinated me so a visit to the park was a “must-do.” We were not disappointed.

We started our visit at the Visitor Center where a Park ranger gave us an informative and humorous presentation. The presentations covered history, current conditions and warnings…like what to do if Kilauea’s eruption changes and you are caught near it…His answer…RUN! He told us how he had watched the red glow of the lava approach Hilo and wondered if his home would survive. He also warned us to be careful walking on the lava because it is basically glass and a fall WILL cut you. There were maps, and a gift shop and videos of past eruptions playing. We watched a movie that introduced us to the importance of Volcanoes in Hawaiian culture.

The volcanoes of the park are the home of the Goddess Pele, a part of ancient Hawaiian culture that is still worshiped by some today. But even when she is not worshiped, modern Hawaiians still treat her with healthy respect. Tradition protects the black lava of the islands as it is very bad luck to remove any rocks or sand. It belongs to the Goddess.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was created in 1916 and is the 13th U.S. National Park. It was created to protect the unique land and ecosystem of Native Hawaiian ecology. The park’s seven ecosystems range from seacoast to alpine and provide a home for some of Hawaii’s rarest inhabitants one of which is the Nene, a goose that is the state bird. It is thought that the Nene evolved from a few Canada Geese that strayed off course and found themselves in Hawaii. Here they live in scrubland and grassland instead of lakes and marshes. They walk over rough lava flows so their feet have adapted by losing much of their webbing. We watched for them in the park and near the “Nene Crossing” signs but didn’t see any.

After the presentations and some time browsing we headed out to explore the park. The roads are well paved and easy to drive with well kept parking areas. There are also numerous hiking trails that we did not have time to explore on this trip.

Our first stop was just out of the visitor center when we saw a field with steam coming out of the ground. The “ Steaming Bluffs” . This plain is a terrace between the inner and outer cliffs of Kilauea Caldera. The ground just a few feet down is so hot that trees roots can’t survive, only shallow rooted grasses. The steam is caused when ground water seeps down to the still hot rocks below the surface and evaporates and escapes as steam. Trust me when I say it is hot steam!

As we continued our drive on Crater Rim Drive we passed the Jaggar Museum & Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Visitors are welcome here but we chose to skip it for the time being. However it should be noted that this facility has made this the most studied volcanic area anywhere in the world.

Also on Crater Rim Drive is Kilauea Iki Crater. “Iki” is Hawaiian for little but this crater was anything but in my view. I guess it’s little compared to the main Caldera. Anyway, when we stand looking into the crater and we see it’s smooth, black surface, we are actually looking at a crusted-over lava lake. . If we had been there in November of 1959 instead of October 2006 we would have seen a seething, rolling lake of molten lava. On that day in 1959 cracks opened in the wall of the crater and the molten lava fountained in sometimes bringing the lava lake to depths of over 400 feet. As the surface of the lava lake rose and fell a ring was formed on the wall of the crater. Today it is visible above the crater floor and is called a “bathtub” ring. Distances are deceiving and it is hard to grasp the vast scale of Kilauea Iki…a mile long, 3000 feet across and 380 feet down to the surface of the lake. There is a trail across the crater and people walking across the crater are only the size of ants from where we were standing. In 1988, nearly 30 years after the lava lake formed, holes drilled reached still-molten lava only 230 ft below the surface!

The next stop is Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) . In Hawaii as the rivers of lava flow during an eruption, the surface cools and forms a crust that solidifies. However under the crust the lava continues to flow. When the eruption ends and the lava stops flowing a lava tube is left.

The dense fern-forest jungle along the path to the lava tube is typical of the high elevation rainfall vegetation at this elevation of Hawaii. As we walked through the lava tube it was impossible not to think of the red hot river of lava that coursed through this tube only a few hundred years ago.. The trail climbs out of the tube where a portion of the thin roof has collapsed and we made our way back to the parking area and the car to continue on.

We passed a sign for Devastation Trail but again felt we needed to pass on it for now. If we don’t get a chance to return this trip, we’ll add it to the growing list for a return trip. We stopped at another pit crater and as we walked to the edge a flock of brightly colored birds took off and circled the crater walls. Gorgeous! The show was short and we didn’t linger but headed on to Halema’uma’u Crater. This huge crater is the home of Pele, Goddess of Hawaiian Volcanoes. The crater was steaming when we were there and since then I’ve read that a new vent crack has opened and is being closely monitored. This crater is 3000 feet across and 280 ft deep. Each year during the Aloha Festivals a formal ceremony with traditional hula and chants to honor Pele takes place on the rim of Halema'uma'u. There were bouquets of  flowers left in offering scattered along the rim when we were there. As I said, even modern Hawaiians take Pele seriously.

We left the Goddess Pele behind and continued through the Ka’u Desert to the Southwest Rift Zone. The rift zone is a group of huge gullies and fractures. They are actually areas of weakness in the volcano’s sides and underground cracks often form along these lines which can open up at times of eruptions.

The road now climbed back out of the Caldera and led us back to the Visitor Center. As it was noontime we decided to have lunch at the Volcano House. This is a rustic lodge whose history dates back to 1846. The hotel has been rebuilt several times and kings, queens and presidents have all stayed here. Mark Twain stayed here in 1886. At that time the floor of the crater was molten lava. This caldera has not erupted since 1982 but we were still able to look down the same steep precipice and let our imaginations run wild.

We ate in the cafeteria at the same time a tour bus arrived so it was quite busy but we were able to find a place to sit and enjoy a light lunch before we headed back out to try the Chain of Craters Road in the afternoon.

Big Island of Hawaii - driving aorund the island

Hi Everyone


When we left off last the family was planning the drive around the Big Island. We decided on the drive because we wanted to get an idea of the distances and drive times for planning the rest of the vacation. Besides, after discovering such wonderful sights by driving yesterday, we wanted to see what we might find by just “exploring”.

From the resort we headed south on Highway 11 which would take us around the southern tip of the Island and back up the western side through the Kona District. This is the most popular tourist part of the Big Island with lots of beaches, big resorts and the Kona International Airport.

Highway 11 is also called Volcano Highway and is one of the main highways on the Big Island. Heading south we climbed the southern flanks of Mauna Loa . Turning sharp corners on the winding road we came across beautiful sea vistas and then back into the rainforest only to open up to coffee plantations, home to famous Kona Coffee. Then there was the sign! Ka Lae (South Point) The Southern most point in the USA. I found that a bit confusing because I had been to Key West to visit friends and been to their “Southernmost Point in the US” but a little subsequent research showed that Key West has the Southern most point in the continental US while Ka Lae is the southern most point in all of the US.

Once we passed that point we were heading north west and the lush rainforest began to thin out. As Volcano Highway became Hawaii Belt Rd. we entered a region that can only be described as desert. This is an area that has been hit repeatedly with lava flows from 1868, 1907, 1926, & most recently 1950. These flows were all from Mauna Loa. Although the volcano is quiet now, it is not considered extinct and still poses a threat.

In places the road was built through the lava flows with walls of lava rising on either side of the road. At other times we cruised along on top of the flows.

Stopping a scenic parking area we met a native Hawaiian with a variety of souvenirs from ukuleles to  necklaces, leis and honey! Native Hawaiian Honey! They gave us a taste and is the smoothest , sweetest honey I have ever tasted. Sis & I made sure we bought some jars of that. Between us we had enough for our breakfasts while in Hawaii plus extra to take home. Since that honey has long since been used up I know a return trip is in my future.

This stop was educational too because like most of the Hawaiians we’d met so far, these folks were happy to explain to us about their Island and what we were seeing. The terrain looks rugged because the lava flows were ‘a ‘a (ah ah) flows that are crumbled and sharp. A local joke is that it is called ’a ’a because that’s what you’ll say if you try to walk on it in bare feet! The other kind of flow is smoother and ropey and is called pahoehoe.

Sticking up from the desolated lavascape were grey looking trees that we were told were called Iron Trees and that they were so tough that the lava flows around them . This was the only time I heard this term and haven’t run across it since so I don’t know if it is legend, true, or if they were pulling my leg! Gullible mainlander that I am!

We continued on into the Kona District which is renowned for it’s resorts and beaches. Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park is located in this area which we would return to explore another day.

After a quick lunch in Kailua- Kona we took a minute to book a small plane tour of the Island for later in the week and returned to our round the Island Drive. We spotted the Kona International Airport which is built on top of a lava flow. We were pleased to see that it was easy to find because our sight seeing flight would leave from there.

Soon after passing the airport we changed highways. We weren’t sure then how it happened and to this day I’m not sure what road we were on as we entered the Kohala District but eventually we would pick up Highway 19 to take us to the northeast side of the island. After all, how lost can you get on an Island?  The Kohala district represented another change. As we headed inland there were rolling, green ranchlands. We had entered Paniolo Country or cowboy country. The largest and oldest ranch is Parker Ranch consisting of around 175,000 acres and dating back to 1847. The ranch has a visitors center and offers various tours and wagon rides. Since you can’t do everything in a week, this one was put on our list for a return visit.

Rounding the northern section of the island we left the Kohala District and entered the Namakua District. This is the home of Mauna Kea, the highest point in Hawaii at 13,796 ft. This is the volcano with the world famous observatories. In addition to Mauna Kea we saw smaller cone shaped hills that had a very classic cinder cone shape even though they were now covered with lush green. We guessed that they were old volcanoes or volcanic vents and were rewarded with news that recently geologists had heard “rumblings” under this area!

The road had long since changed from a nice wide highway to a more rural two lane road and the surroundings were becoming rainforest lush and very rugged. . Shortly after that we entered the Hilo district. We were now just north of the scenic drive we had discovered the day before and it was late afternoon. As we discussed stopping in Hilo for dinner we saw a sign we just couldn’t resist. AKAKA FALLS STATE PARK. We all love waterfalls so we had to stop. It was a great decision.

Akaka Falls State Park is near the town of Honomu. It’s just a short trail to Kahuna Falls which drops 400 ft. A lot of this falls is obscured by the tropical overgrowth, but that’s ok because Kahuna Falls is just the appetizer. Continue on and there is Akaka Falls, flowing 420 - 440 feet down a sheer cliff. It is a mesmerizing view and unobstructed by the rainforest.

After taking many pictures we piled back in the car and headed into Hilo where we stopped for dinner at a local favorite, Ken’s House of Pancakes. It soon became one of our favorites too and we returned here several more times during our trip.

Then it was back to the resort to rest up for the next day. We’re heading to Volcano National Park and the most active volcano in the world-Kilauea.

Great Hawaii Adventure ~day 2

Hi everyone,
I'm going to jump right into my story tonight. Please enjoy!

In spite of the long trip and the late night, we were up bright and early awakened by the sounds of birds and surf. Sis was already on the Lanai with her morning coffee when Mom and I made our appearance. What a beautiful way to start a day!

First thing after breakfast we set out to explore our surroundings. Sea Mountain Resort is on the southeast coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.  Each condo is a bungalow style. The pool area had an outdoor hot tub and a small pool and grill area. The resort is located on a a manicured golf course ( in case following a little white ball around is where your interest lies). For us though it was just wide eyed amazement.

We walked about 10 minutes from the resort and reached  Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.  There is a plaque erected to the sea turtles which sun bath here on the black volcanic sand. Sea turtles are not only protected  in Hawaii, they are considered sacred.  Since it was early the sand had not warmed up so the sea turtles hadn't come in to shore yet.

In the middle of all this splendore, the little screw on my glasses fell out. Although I caught the lens we didn't find that little screw so it was back in the car and off to Hilo and Walmart again. This time my sister drove since I couldn't wear my glasses. It was nice to see the countryside we'd passed through in the dark the night before. We were pleased to see we were only about 30 minutes from Volcanco National Park and made sure that a visit there was on our "to do" list before we leave the Big Island.

Back in Hilo the Walmart Vision Center soon had my glasses fixed and with true Aloha spirit sent me on my way at no charge with many good wishes for a wonderful time on their island.

Regrouping we decided to take Rt 19 north to see what sights there might be to see. We had planned to try to drive around the whole Island but with the late start we decided that wasn't practical. The Big Island is just a tad smaller than Connecticut so some short trips seemed the best course of action.

About 7 miles out of Hilo we spotted a sign for "Scenic Drive" and immediatly decided that was the route to take. This turned out to be a 4 mile loop that took us through lush surroundings including bubbling brooks and bamboo trees. It's a narrow road so we had to proceed slowly and carefully. Occasionally there were places to pull off and park to see the views of the ocean. At one such pull out we met a Hawaiian who was weaving hats and crafts from palm fronds. Sis modeled a few and then decided to buy one to take home. I'm not sure but I think she told me recently that she still has it and it is still holding up 4 years later!

As we neared the end of the loop road we spotted a sign for the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. After entering the Visitor Center and paying a nominal fee, we headed to the boardwalk which led into the garden. the entrance is about 120 ft above sea level. The trail into the garden is said to be about 500 ft long and quite steep. Going down wasn't a problem but coming back up was quite a different story still any huffing and puffing on return was a small price to pay for the lush tropical experience.

The Tropical Garden  is located in a rain forest enviroment and the trails meanders past waterfalls and streams , palm jungles and coconut groves, and amazing flowers finally  opening  up to spectacular ocean views of a rugged coast. Near the orchid garden there were huge cages with vibrantly colored parrots.
We took our time exploring the gardens even finding a large Tiki under a huge tree. By the time we had finished enjoying the tropical splendor it was time to head back. The afternoon had passed quickly while we explored.

We all agreed that our first real day in "paradise" had more than met our expectations. We headed back to the south to the condo so we could be well rested for the next day. We planned to be up early and take that drive around the whole Island!

Until my next post..Happy traveling!

The Great Hawaii Adventure 2006

Hello again everyone,




I promised to get the ball rolling pretty quickly so I thought I’d start with my first real vacation, meaning the first BIG Travel Vacation. I’d done the trips home for years but as I mentioned in the first post, I really didn’t “travel”.



Even back in 2006 when I took this vacation I referred to it as “The Great Hawaiian Adventure.”



Hawaii was picked as the first destination because my mom once said that if she was rich she would take “us girls” to Hawaii. So I called my sister and mother and said …Want to go to Hawaii? When they came to visit me we opened the timeshare book and looked at the various locations, they all looked so beautiful . I couldn’t choose. My mom didn’t want to make the choice either so I told my sister to just pick a resort and that’s where we’d go.



She thought that Sea Mountain on the Big Island of Hawaii was the prettiest so I booked a week and the planning got underway.



We traveled in October 2006 from Albany New York to Chicago-O’Hare and then on to Honolulu but from there we still had to get to the Big Island so changed planes and flew from Honolulu to Hilo. American Airlines all the way.



At the car rental counter we were told that we still had a 60 mile drive to get to the condo. They also told us everything in that area closes by 7pm. They suggested that if we needed any supplies that we get them in Hilo. We agreed and asked where was the best place to shop. That’s how the first place we visited on the Big Island was (drum roll please) WALMART! We soon learned that Hawaiians love Walmart!



So fully provisioned and armed with maps and directions we started on our way. By this time it was going on 8pm Hawaiian time. We had left Albany at 5:55am Eastern time. Needless to say, we were getting a bit tired and still had an hour drive. Plus in October it was starting to get dark.



Not too far out of Hilo it began to rain and got really foggy. I was doing the driving and kept asking my sister which mile marker we had just passed. Anything to give some idea how much farther we had to go in this dense fog. Eventually we saw the turn to Punalu’u. From there we were at the Timeshare in just a matter of minutes.



Since we got there so late the office was closed but I had instructions to call a number on a phone by the office. Kind of James Bond-ish because the call gave me a number to open a lock box. Once I opened the box I found a key and a map. We followed the map to our condo and the key fit...Hooray!



We were all so tired we didn’t pay much attention to anything except getting to bed. During the night I thought a storm came through but once morning came we discovered that what I had heard in my “half-sleep” state was the ocean! We had a wonderful condo not far from the ocean at all. What I heard and mistook for rain were the waves breaking on the shore.



We also found out ,when I went to the office to complete the registration that morning, that the fog and rain we drove through was Volcanic Vog. We were driving around the base of Kilauea, the most active Volcano in the world. We were told that the volcano makes it’s own weather!



All checked in, we headed out to explore our surroundings. But I’ll save that for my next posting.

My First Time

Hello everyone
I am new to the blogging world and feel certain that I will have a lot to learn about this form of communication. It took me forever to try Facebook so this is quite a jump for me. To say I'm a little nervous about sharing my thoughts would be an understatement.

Anyway, since today is my first ever blog post I thought I'd outline what I hope to be sharing with you all in this space. My main reason for trying blogging is to talk about the trips that I've taken and future trips that I hope to take. I never traveled much because I was too busy working or didn't have the money or no one was available to go with me or  some other reason. As I've gotten older I've come to realize that I was always able to find an excuse NOT to do something instead of a reason to DO something. So a couple of years ago I bought a timeshare. Probably not the smartest investment I could have made but it kind of forced me to take vacations. I hate the thought of having something that cost me money and still costs money in the form of annual maitenance fees, and not use it. That's like throwing money away. And I don't know about you, but I don't have any money to waste these days.

So I use it. Just about every year or I save the points or borrow points to cover the trips. So far it has allowed me to go to Hawaii... twice. Once to the Big Island and once to Oahu. Still on my travel list..Maui. I've also been to Sedona and the Grand Canyon and Cape Cod, all thanks to that Timeshare.

Well, I'm not trying to convince anyone to buy a timeshare. They work for some and not for others and in todays economic world there are loads of travel deals that rival what you can do with the time share. For
example, I went to South Dakota recently. There weren't any timeshare exchanges near where I wanted to go so I used  a web site to look for packages and found a super package.  Roundtrip airfare, hotel and rental car...cheap! But (and this turned out to be a big but) without the perk of a kitchen, like I get in my time share condo, we had to eat all three meals out everyday  and that really added up.  You see, I still fret about money when I travel. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Anyway, I hope to tell you about these trips and share some pictures, as well as what I liked and what I could do different if I go again and share new trips as they come up.

I hope you'll share you travel stories and suggestions as well.

I guess that's all for my first ever blog post. I hope you enjoy and wish you all Happy Travels!