Thursday...
We are siting at departure gate 52... Waiting for our flight to Hawaii to board... Head for Kona... From there to Volcano... The last of the three islands we are visiting...
Oahu has been fun... We arrived two days ago... Drove across to the north shore... Found a shrimp truck... (finding a truck was easy... Deciding which was a challenge). We looked at the ocean. At old buildings... Avoided Pineapple World, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and a ranch, with cowboys and a rodeo... All created tourist sites... Elsewhere they have helicopter rides, catamaran rides, outrigger canoe rides...
Heading back we drove through downtown Honolulu, past the Iolani Palice, and the statue of King Komeamea... We stopped and took a picture of Tina with the statue...
We ended up at our Hotel... On Waikiki Beach... a tourist district of the highest order... Apparently, while on vacation, In a tropical paradise many find it necessary to shop for Coach Bags, Apple products, and Ferraris... We thought we were three for the sun and the beach... Hotels (and there are many hotels on Waikiki Beach) all have tiki torches, which they light ever evening... the effect surreal, particularly when driving...
The streets are abuzz with activity...People in beach wear... Others on the most stylish of resort wear... And Japanese tourist in the most bizarre cutting edge fashions... I believe the place is all about the beach, but a surprising number of visitors are here for something other than sand and surf... It is corporate organized (maybe also disorganized) Dizneyfied, Las Vegas style tourism...
Our hotel (The Outrigger) was home to Duke's, a local restaurant... we ate dinner on the deck... Overlooking the beach and the sunset... All was good.
Wednesday morning we visited the Hawaiian railroad Society museum at Ewa... There are trains there... I am writing a preservation report about two of their cars... I stopped by to check on things... Tina checked out the museum cats...
Back to Waikiki that afternoon... Tina read on the beach... I first swam, then rented a stand up paddle board... When signing the release form, the asked my age... I noted that I was the oldest listed by nearly 20 years... I climbed aboard (laying down initially) and paddled out... I stood up on the board... I wouldn't use the term "steady" but I stood up, took a few strokes with the paddle, and fell in... Regained the board, stood up again... This time remaining upright for a reasonable amount of time... Eventually, I found that I could stand up... Paddle about calm water, negotiate waves when heading out... But surfing in was beyond my skill set... Eventually I tried surfing in on my knees... With limited success...
All in all the stand up paddle board was a blast... I would try it again... Without a doubt I would fall down again... But it would be fun... And just maybe I would learn how to surf in... More likely I would find new, more spectacular ways to fall down. Later... A short nap. (it's vacation...) followed by dinner at sunset, outside... A mob descended to take pictures... We had a wonderful dinner... Later that evening, well after dark, I walked on the beach... one couple was sitting on the sand side by side, one with a laptop, the other with an Ipad... 200 feet away, a Hawaiian dancer, part of a hotel luau was dancing at the surf line... Further down street people were camping for the night... locals were playing chess at covered picnic tables...
This morning we took our time getting up, checked out and headed towards the airport for our flight to Hawaii... Our third and for now final island...
Friday, October 21, 2011
Honolulu
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Aloha Kauai
Aloha Kauai
It’s our third evening on the garden island… the end of our third day…
We are finally beginning to relax… starting to wind down to vacation mode…
Not all vacations are relaxing… sometimes the goal is to travel and see. This vacation is about escape… seeing, but not seeing to the exclusion of relaxing… There is a tendency when on vacation to need to do all that the destination offers… This can be exhausting… I am guilty of this in some cases… but not this time.
We arrived well before noon Saturday… the time changes working in our favor… The flight arrived at the very small Lihue airport about 10:00… We had our luggage and rental car well before 11:00…
Our first stop was Hamura Saimin… a well known local noodle house… I had found it on a previous trip… with the help of a friend of a friend… That time I was the only Haole in the joint… but welcomed by the locals… this time T and I were the first of the folks to make it over from the airport… Some of the other had been here before, others drawn by reviews on Trip Advisor and various printed guide books… Some expected more than a local noodle house… Based on on line reviews, those who expect a local noodle house are very happy… those who don’t understand that it is a noodle house catering to the local population are less pleased…
We had a wonderful quick lunch…
Then off to the north shore… We had all day, so we took our time… Along the way we found the Kauai version of “Occupy Wall Street”… we found and successfully ignored tee-shirt stores and such… we bought a couple of bottles of wine… And eventually we found our B&B well before check in time, (across the double silver bridge, find the 7 mile marker after a short hill, then two 10ths of a mile, turn left, it’s the 2nd house on the left… it was much easier to find than the directions suggested) so continued to the end of the road at Haena Beach Park and its wet and dry caves…
Having seen the caves, we retreated back down the road to our B&B, the Hale Ho’o Maha Bread & Breakfast… a building high on stilts, tree house like, with 4 rooms (plus the owner’s (Toby and Kirby) suite… Downstairs we found 4 cats and a beautiful parrot with a bad reputation… There were also chickens… and rosters… and baby chickens… In truth, some of the cats get to come inside, to share the owner’s suite… they are just not allowed to mingle with the guests…The chickens stay out side…
Kauai is the island of the chicken… at least since hurricane Iniki in 1992… now they are everywhere… they are the unofficial mascot of the island… this is an island in search of a good chicken recipe… We would see more chickens… and more chickens… but this is a travel blog and not a seminar on poultry…
There was a note at the bottom of the stairs welcoming us… we gathered our bags and made our way upstairs… We noted that the cats were excluded… the area upstairs was pleasantly devoid of chickens but did feature a collection of stuffed dragons... we were confused…
We found the information about local restaurants and started making plans for dinner…
The closest place, The Mediterranean Gourmet, was within walking distance, and had a good reputation, and an ocean view… We later found it was a favorite of Pierce Brosnan, but unfortunately he was no where to be seen… Dinner was nice… we walked on the beach… we started to slip into vacation mode…
We were in bed early… I was up early before dawn, walking on the beach and taking pictures… Tina slept in… We had breakfast with the other guests… then climbed into the car and headed south along the coast… no destination planned… We turned inland in search of water falls… We found water falls…We stopped and Hilo Hattie’s, a well known island souvenir stand with ample bus parking… nothing called our names… We continued southward ending up at Waimea Canyon… On the climb up we found a bazaar red dirt landscape…truly Disney-esk… (but had nothing to do with Disney) We reached the canyon overlook… we overlooked… we (I) took pictures… we retreated down the hill in search of lunch… I found an abandoned sugar mill and took photos…
This was Sunday, and apparently, much of Kauai still celebrates the Sabbath… many restaurants and shops were closed… we found a former brew pub, which does not brew beer (any more) but did have chickens wandering among the outdoor tables… We had a wonderful lunch, then headed back north…
We tried to be tourists, stopping at a couple of tacky shops but our hearts were just not in it… We walked the beach at Hanalei, but at least found somewhere to eat that evening…
Back to the B&B… Tina napped… then after a appropriate interval, back to Hanelei to Bar acuda… a tapas bar… The wait staff thought that they needed to explain the concept of tapas… small plates… apparently some of the guests who visit, from all over the world… who are in that increasingly smaller percentage of people who believe they can afford to travel… who hopefully are traveling in search of new experiences, who when on the islands chose a tapas bar instead of McDonalds, complain that a restaurant with a “small plates” theme serves small portions…
I ended dinner with the caramel balsamic vinegar ice cream… It was one of the most wonderful, unexpected things I have ever eaten… more of a Mexican dulce de leche than an American burnt sugar caramel, with lots of balsamic flavor…
We returned to the B&B, shared wine with our fellow guests, and went to bed…
Up too early this morning… we had breakfast, said our good byes to our B&B, proprietors and fellow guests and headed back south to our one planned activity… visiting a house museum, the Grove Farm, in Lihue… We were due at 10:00, and while only 40 some miles away, the trip was likely to take more than an hour… It took a full hour and a half… including a couple of stops to find the lovely Tina a early morning Latte…
We found Grove Farm, toured (this is a great house museum… you can feel the presence of the family… but also see the others who lived and worked here… they include the Japanese laundry women’s house… the chickens the gardens and a really nice mid 1960’s Buick Skylark…
Having toured, we went in search of lunch, this time at Poipu beach… then back to Lahie where we found our motel, fueled the rental car, then walked across to a bar overlooking the public beach, had a couple of beers (T had wine) and watched people surf and the sun set (well, not the sunset, as it set somewhere out of site, but instead watched it get dark…)
On the public beach the locals were drinking beer around a couple of pick-ups with an Hawaiian flag flying… a quarter mile away at the Marriott resort tiki torches were lit... With enough beer at least one of the locals got restless and turned over a picnic table… nearby at the resort people were blissfully unaware… The scene is probably more closely related to Occupy Wall Street than many would like to admit.
Oh, about the great variety of stuffed dragons… Tina figured it out… the B&B is located in Hanelei… so…
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,
So, all makes sense…
Tomorrow we take an early flight to Oahu… to stay for a couple of nights on Waikiki and play tourist…
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Too many bags....
Oakland airport, 7:20...
We are headed for Hawaii... We arrive with tickets, but without boarding passes... We check a couple of bags... Still no boarding passes... Those will be issued at the gate...
Security was easy and pretty quick...
We check in at the gate... They take our tickets and tell us they will call us... We wait... They are boarding the air plane... Asking people to gate check their carry ons... But we still don't have boarding passes... They call VIP boarding.. They board those who have voluntarily gate checked their bags... They are calling the first general boarding... Starting with the rear of the plane... We still don't have boarding passes...
The lovely Tina cheeks with the gate staff again... Our boarding passes are ready, but they have not called us (yet?)
We have seats together, 29 a & b... Last row... In the first general boarding group... Which had long since started to board... We line up for boarding, but things are going slowly... The line is confused... Everybody is ling up, but they are only boarding the last ten rows... (& 1st class of course, and "million mile club members", & anyone else with special status) but not those seated in rows 9 through 19... But many of those seated in rows 9 through 19 have lined up with those of us in the higher numbered rows... Or worse yet are just crowding the gate, waiting to jump into line once their row is called... We make it to the head of the line where a very pleasant gate attendant was inviting passengers to place their "lovely bag" into her "very lovely bag size check thingie..." Many, most would not fit... Some passengers were repacking, in hope that it might fit... Some argued... Others just surrendered their luggage.. T and I had checked bags, and were only carrying smaller, acceptable bags, and made for the jetway, and our seats...
The strict interpetation of the carry-on rules worked, and once on board, there was little of the too common ritual stuffing of too large bags into the over head bins. Alaska tried something I hadn't seen before... If you surrendered a bag for gate check you got on ahead of the other passengers...of course they didn't have over size carry-ons to hog space in the overheads, didn't block the aisles as the boarded, (not having to stuff over size, over weight bags into the overhead)... As a result, boarding went pretty well.
We took our seats, which being very last row, didn't recline... But the seats ahead of us did... I figure we had a space of about 22" x 26" at at our shoulders...
Now above 10,000'... IPad back on... Music on (Counting Crows)... We settle in... Tina is napping... I work on the blog... We are finally off to Hawaii.
Now 12:32 Pacific Time... The pilot has just announced that he has spoken to Honolulu tower and the found us a short cut, and we will start our decent at 12:47... Not 12:45... Not 12:48... 12:47... Wonder if there will be a count down...
Now 12:47... There are islands visible 20 miles or so to the south... We begin or descent... We are getting close... It is becoming real...
PS... I am blogging from our B&B in Hanale, we have had a great day... went to my favorite Sammi house... visited a light house and saw spinner porpoises... explored a couple of caves... now at the B&B... we have reservations for dinner within walking distance... We are officially on vacation
Friday, October 14, 2011
A short escape… A tropical vacation…
The lovely Tina and I are leaving tomorrow morning “for the islands”, Hawaii, actually Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii, aka the Big Island…
Beyond where we will be, we have virtually no plans… This is not to say we have not done research… We have the AAA book, maps… a three year old lonely planet guide to Oahu… stuff we have downloaded off the internet… (our mutual favorite being entitled “An Exhaustive Review of our Exhausting Hawaiian Adventure” a 22 page discussion of their 9 day Hawaiian cruise, including a comparison of what they planned vs what they actually did, down to details of which pull off to pull of on certain scenic drives… This will not be our trip…)
We are at least informed if without plans.
At work, I have been working to get all the loose ends neatly tied… I am about there… I have a coverage plan… payroll, due next week is mostly done… I have people to watch the fire sprinkler repairs and the soil test people…
With the trip less than 24 hours away I should consider packing… or not… Its not that big a deal… the larger problem being what technology to take… along with cords and memory cards and cameras… Is the Ipad sufficient or do I want my laptop? .The debate goes on…
I have been taking a quick look on the web… the volcanoes seem to be behaving… not fun at all… I was hoping for an interruption… we are likely a bit early for whales… they ran the steam train on Kauai yesterday, so not next week while we are there…
A friend had a house warming party this evening… in part the un-veiling of a mural of people from the Niles Essenay Studios… in her back yard… a spectacular mural… I want to photograph the figures in the mural, print them out life size, mount them on poster board and deposit them about town…moving them as the spirit moves us…
At least I am mostly packed…mostly ready… probably ready enough…
Let the vacation begin…
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Catching up and filling in…
I realize that I Haven’t talked about dad’s death. This is probably my issue…
A fiend, a close friend, called a few days ago… he asked about Dad… he knew but I hadn’t said anything… My issue… I told him…
Dad died July 6th
Since, I have been distracted, in a different place…
It was a good death… he died at home, surrounded by family and friends… the best way to die… dying is never good but inevitable… the Best you can do is to die well… Dad did. Tina and I each held a hand… Dan held his feet… he went gently, without a death rattle or other marker…He simply faded away.
He had Lymphoma… a cancer of the lymphatic system.. He had Burkett’s Lymphoma, the most aggressive kind… from symptoms to death it was about 8 weeks…He checked himself into the hospital on May 16th… Tina and I arrived on May 23rd…He was diagnosed on May 24th..
We moved him to the Hospice care facility on May 28th… We moved him home in June, for the last month of his life.
He was home with friends and family… and his birds.
We had pool parties… we took they doors off his bedroom… we sold birds… he talked to friends… friends visited.. We had cocktail hour…daily… He had a Dr.’s order for a vodka & tonic.
He was aggravated the last night… we called the hospice for help… the next morning he was confused but aware… He slipped into unconciseness about noon… He slipped away about 10:00 on July 6th 2011…
We miss him.
Since I have been catching up… too busy by an order of magnitude… frustrated and hiding… there is a bunch of estate stuff… I now have a lawyer, an accountant… I have had my signature notarized… and notarized… and notarized again… I have read and filled out insurance forms… I am numb from paper work…
I am starting to emerge from my funk… Work is calling… it keeps calling… It never lets up… at least it is reliable…
Work is interesting at least… we are interviewing architects… architects who will develop a project to fix the house foundation, the electrical system, and install a heating system. Interviewing architects is a bit above my pay grade… but within my skill set… We have what I think is a good choice… a decision made well…
We are also getting ready for night tours… fixing the sprinkler system… planning Christmas, both this year and next…
Last weekend I escaped over the mountains… next Saturday T and I head for a tropical vacation in Hawaii… Life is looking good…
Aloha
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Back on the road and the blog again...
I am trying to break the funk with a little little trip and the return to the blog...
I am in Carson City Nevada... Here for Virginia &Truckee Historical Society Conference... (yes, I am spending two days listening to speaker discuss such compelling topics as "25 Years of Ore Car Research" but most of the people who know me know I am crazy and love me anyway)
I drove up last night after work... Through the tail end of the first winter storm of the season... Over the Sierras and through the snow... In the dark...
It was a non-event. I drive a 4 wheel drive... It has fresh snow tires... I carry chains for all 4 wheels... I was ready...
My biggest problem with Sierra winter driving is the traffic... Many if not most of the others don't know how to handle snow, don't know how to put chains on (if they even have them) and are generally a menace to them selves and anyone within their tegectery...
My personal solution is to avoid the commonly traced routes; highways 80 over Donner Pass, or 50 over Carson Pass... 80 is clogged with trucks, some of which invariably spin on the ice, snarling traffic for hours... Equally bad are the chain up areas, at there worse a confused mass of folk who have never chained up, using brand new chains that have never been out of the case before, and probably don't fit fighting with each other as to how best untangle them, and fighting with each other as to how to install them, fast getting wet as they kneel in the snow... Their fingers freezing and getting numb... The smart ones surrendering and paying one of the chain monkeys what seems like too much money to install them, the dumb ones installing them badly... Well enough to get by the CHP officer on watch... But are in fact too loose, and eventually, somewhere a few miles up the road break loose, beating the side of the car, leaving a distinctive, embarrassing, and costly scar. Eventually, the Highway Patrol surrenders and closes the road entirely.
My solution is to take an alternate, secondary route... I like highway 88... It's less known... A bit curvy, which to the unknowing is scary... And currently being upgraded... So The Caltrans web site warns of delays of up to TWO HOURS (if they are BLASTING between 13:00 and 14:00)... The curves, the possible delays, the threat of BLASTING, and ignorance keep the unwashed masses away... Last night it worked and I had the road to myself.
It doesn't hurt that the route is 25 miles shorter, and avoids much of the East Bay traffic...
The drive was fine... There was lots of snow (at least for this early in the season). There was more fog than I like, slowing me a little... But I still made good time.
Now I am here... Enjoying breakfast, and about to head for the conference room....