13.4.08
Places I've Been
States I've Been To:
1) Florida
2) Georgia
3) Alabama
4) Louisiana
5) Mississippi
6) South Carolina
7) North Carolina
8) Virgina
9) West Virginia
10) Tennessee
11) Missouri
12) Illinois
13) Indiana
14) Ohio
15) Pennsylvania
16) New York
17) Michigan
18) Delaware
19) Nevada
20) California
21) Hawaii
22) Kentucky
6.4.08
Pineapple
I thought I was finished Hawaii blogging, but I had to add one more entry. I just sliced up a pineapple for the first time in my life. It's one I brought back from the trip and I'm going to share it with my Sunday school class tomorrow morning. I had no idea how to slice this thing, but I read a couple of Web sites. I don't think I did too bad of a job.
5.4.08
My Blog
This is the first time I've blogged. I am really glad I decided to do it because taking notes during the trip really helped me to keep the memories alive now that I'm home. Otherwise, I think all the stuff would have run together and I would have forgotten parts of it.
This blog goes in reverse sequential order, so probably best to read it from the bottom up. Hope you enjoy it.
I didn't bring my good camera, just a little point and shoot, so don't judge my photography too harshly :-)
This blog goes in reverse sequential order, so probably best to read it from the bottom up. Hope you enjoy it.
I didn't bring my good camera, just a little point and shoot, so don't judge my photography too harshly :-)
Leaving Hawaii
I'm happy to be going home. Hawaii is a gorgeous state, but it's not home, and I really like home. The only place I've ever visited and not been ready to leave is New York. I am depressed every single time I leave that place. I always turn around in my seat in the car and watch the NY skyline fade until there's nothing left to see. I will never forget leaving New York on 9/9/01. I never imagined the changes to that skyline and our nation that would come less than 48 hours later.
That was on my mind when we visited Pearl Harbor. My Papaw was in the Navy and spent time at Pearl Harbor not long after the Japanese attack. As we stood on the memorial, I looked down at the sunken U.S.S. Arizona for a while, but my attention was on the edge of the military base too. I tried to imagine what it was like to stand there and witness the destruction. I got to go back to NY a couple weeks after 9/11. Smoke still rose from the rubble and it smelled like burning plastic. There are no words to describe the scene of utter destruction. I don't think I've ever wanted to be somewhere and not be somewhere so strongly at the same time. I wonder if that's how they felt at Pearl Harbor after the attack and I wonder how it changed the people who witnessed it.
Papaw never talked about those days to me much. I at least know for certain he, like me, was one who was ready to go home from Hawaii. He loved home as much as I do. The woman I bought this ink pen from at the airport store was telling me about their return policy and asked when I would be coming back to Hawaii and I told her I didn't know, but now her question has me thinking. I'd like to visit all 50 states before I die. I feel like I'm now able to check off one of the more difficult/expensive of two, Alaska being the other. I'm definitely thankful I've seen Hawaii first-hand and fully appreciate the blessing of being able to come here in the first place. But, this place just isn't me. I can't see Chris and I making this a regular place to pass through. Chris loves beaches and these were some of the most fabulous beaches we've ever seen. But, there are beaches all over the world. We'll be in Florida a couple times between now and Nicole's wedding, so I'm sure we'll see some beach time there too. I'm just not sure we will ever feel the need to come back to Hawaii. I'll probably take one last look at this part of the world as the plane leaves the island, but it may not be the "see you later" look I give NY, but more of a pure, "goodbye."
I am nervous about the flight, but the Lord is giving me lots of reassurance. I sat down in an empty waiting area at the airport facing the beautiful green mountains. I opened up my Bible study. The first verse I read was Psalm 121:1-8. It begins, "I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?" Sitting there staring out toward the mountains, the passage started to take on a special meaning for me there in that moment.
"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever."
That was on my mind when we visited Pearl Harbor. My Papaw was in the Navy and spent time at Pearl Harbor not long after the Japanese attack. As we stood on the memorial, I looked down at the sunken U.S.S. Arizona for a while, but my attention was on the edge of the military base too. I tried to imagine what it was like to stand there and witness the destruction. I got to go back to NY a couple weeks after 9/11. Smoke still rose from the rubble and it smelled like burning plastic. There are no words to describe the scene of utter destruction. I don't think I've ever wanted to be somewhere and not be somewhere so strongly at the same time. I wonder if that's how they felt at Pearl Harbor after the attack and I wonder how it changed the people who witnessed it.
Papaw never talked about those days to me much. I at least know for certain he, like me, was one who was ready to go home from Hawaii. He loved home as much as I do. The woman I bought this ink pen from at the airport store was telling me about their return policy and asked when I would be coming back to Hawaii and I told her I didn't know, but now her question has me thinking. I'd like to visit all 50 states before I die. I feel like I'm now able to check off one of the more difficult/expensive of two, Alaska being the other. I'm definitely thankful I've seen Hawaii first-hand and fully appreciate the blessing of being able to come here in the first place. But, this place just isn't me. I can't see Chris and I making this a regular place to pass through. Chris loves beaches and these were some of the most fabulous beaches we've ever seen. But, there are beaches all over the world. We'll be in Florida a couple times between now and Nicole's wedding, so I'm sure we'll see some beach time there too. I'm just not sure we will ever feel the need to come back to Hawaii. I'll probably take one last look at this part of the world as the plane leaves the island, but it may not be the "see you later" look I give NY, but more of a pure, "goodbye."
I am nervous about the flight, but the Lord is giving me lots of reassurance. I sat down in an empty waiting area at the airport facing the beautiful green mountains. I opened up my Bible study. The first verse I read was Psalm 121:1-8. It begins, "I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?" Sitting there staring out toward the mountains, the passage started to take on a special meaning for me there in that moment.
"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever."
Some Parting Thoughts
Everything is outdoors or partially open air, including Starbucks. 
These stoors are everywhere.
A taste of home.
Lanais at an apartment outside our hotel room.A few things I noticed about Hawaii...
1) Everybody waits for the crosswalk signal, even if there is absolutely no traffic coming. I kept wanting to go ahead and cross the street, but Chris was afraid I was going to get some sort of jaywalking ticket, considering nobody was doing it.
2) There are convenience stores on nearly every street called ABC Store. They all have the same stuff and many of them displayed alcohol in the window. Every time I passed one of these stores and saw the Wild Turkey bourbon in the window, I would think how cool it is that I can go to so many places in the world and still have access to my hometown drinking water (although bourbon is gross).
3) Like I said before, there are a LOT of Japanese tourists here. Many things are translated into Japanese and there are trolleys that are pretty much just for people from Japan and duty free stores. One of the oddest things to me were the indoor firing ranges that people on the street would hand out flyers about. I guess being able to shoot a gun is something exotic to people from Japan.
4) You can't help but notice, surfers are hot. Chris and I agreed on this, so he won't mind me saying it (there were plenty of female surfers). We'd watched a TV show about how surfing shapes a rock hard body, and they were right. Makes me wish we had some waves in Kentucky, I'd definitely take it up.
5) I had intended to take surfing lessons in Hawaii, but after the boogie boarding, I was too sore and worn out. I still have my shirt, so maybe I will wear it when we go to Florida for Nicole's wedding.
6) Everyone we encountered was really friendly (except the airline employee who checked me in on the way home).
7) Lanais (balconies) are very popular and people seem to pretty much live on them. We saw them used for everything from storage to laundry facilities.
8) There are very few places that are entirely indoors. Even our hotel lobby didn't have a front on it, just a big open air area. If there were bad weather, I couldn't see any doors that would be shut. It think it's pretty much open air all the time.
1) Everybody waits for the crosswalk signal, even if there is absolutely no traffic coming. I kept wanting to go ahead and cross the street, but Chris was afraid I was going to get some sort of jaywalking ticket, considering nobody was doing it.
2) There are convenience stores on nearly every street called ABC Store. They all have the same stuff and many of them displayed alcohol in the window. Every time I passed one of these stores and saw the Wild Turkey bourbon in the window, I would think how cool it is that I can go to so many places in the world and still have access to my hometown drinking water (although bourbon is gross).
3) Like I said before, there are a LOT of Japanese tourists here. Many things are translated into Japanese and there are trolleys that are pretty much just for people from Japan and duty free stores. One of the oddest things to me were the indoor firing ranges that people on the street would hand out flyers about. I guess being able to shoot a gun is something exotic to people from Japan.
4) You can't help but notice, surfers are hot. Chris and I agreed on this, so he won't mind me saying it (there were plenty of female surfers). We'd watched a TV show about how surfing shapes a rock hard body, and they were right. Makes me wish we had some waves in Kentucky, I'd definitely take it up.
5) I had intended to take surfing lessons in Hawaii, but after the boogie boarding, I was too sore and worn out. I still have my shirt, so maybe I will wear it when we go to Florida for Nicole's wedding.
6) Everyone we encountered was really friendly (except the airline employee who checked me in on the way home).
7) Lanais (balconies) are very popular and people seem to pretty much live on them. We saw them used for everything from storage to laundry facilities.
8) There are very few places that are entirely indoors. Even our hotel lobby didn't have a front on it, just a big open air area. If there were bad weather, I couldn't see any doors that would be shut. It think it's pretty much open air all the time.
9) There are a lot of roosters.
Day Seven-Polynesian Cultural Center
Going to the luau
I can't remember what these balls were called, but it was hard to do the tricks they tried to teach us.
Chris learning to hula
My tattoo (which got all over me since I was all greased up with sunscreen)
Practicing my hula skills in front of the Elvis gift shopOur last full day in Hawaii was spent at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It's kind of like Disneyworld without the rides. Most of the employees are college students from Brigham Young University's Hawaii campus. They were very nice and engaging. Our tour guide took us around the grounds which were made to look like the various island villages of Polynesia. There were activities and shows at each "island." We did tolo (spear throwing), got ink tattoos, learned the hula, sampled some weird food, etc..etc... We took a boat to dinner and then went to the luau. I don't regret going to this place because it was a chance to do some quintessential Hawaii stuff before leaving, but it was pretty expensive. I would especially recommend it if you have kids (and a lot of money).
Day Six--Japanese BBQ
Green tea ice cream
The menus were stainless steal so they don't catch on fire.
We went to GYU-KAKU Japanese BBQ for dinner. I think we were the only people there who were not Japanese. By the way, Hawaii really caters to visitors from Japan. Which, I think, is part of what makes America great. All the tables had a little grill thing in the middle and you cook your own food here. This was the most expensive meal we ate in Hawaii, so I found it a little ironic that we had to cook it, but that was part of the fun, I suppose. Chris was the chef at our table. The food was soooo good. We had green tea ice cream for dessert, which tasted a lot better than it sounds. According to the menu, there are a lot of these restaurants in Japan and they're now in the U.S. in Hawaii, Los Angeles and New York.
Day Six--Hotel Time
As much as I wanted to get out and experience more Hawaii, I could barely move on Sunday. I was feeling pretty sick of the sun, sick of sand, and really just sick of anything that requires energy. That IHOP breakfast didn't really help matters. The hot water heater at our rental house at home sprung a leak, so while Chris went to Safeway to get online and call plumbers, I did a little shopping around the hotel and then went up to the room to rest. I watched Davidson nearly beat Kansas in the NCAA tournament. I was sorry to see Louisville had lost to NC (I have to be for Louisville once UK is out on behalf of my little brother, who is a UL alum....although, I'm not sure he would do the same for me.) Watching live sports is odd here since it's 6 hours behind east coast time. The Braves vs. Nationals season opener baseball game came on ESPN. I called mom to see if Josh Anderson (mom's brother's wife's sister's son) was playing, but he wasn't (he's back to triple A for now). Chris came back to the room and said he's made dinner reservations for us. Woohoo, fancy eatin'!
Day Six-TIRED!
The Mayor's Breakfast
Blueberry PancakesAfter yesterday's day of adventure, we are completely exhausted. We had intended to get up this morning and check out a Hawaiian church service. But, we ended up sleeping right through that opportunity. When we finally did get up, we walked to IHOP for some pancakes. I thought I was being indulgent ordering blueberry pancakes until Chris placed his order for The Mayor's Breakfast, which includes Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who Cakes and green eggs and ham. My husband is hilarious. Check out those in the pics!
Flying
Is it just me, or were there way more than usual news reports about the perils of flying while I was gone? Thankfully, we didn't have a flight on Aloha Airlines.
FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- Regulators have largely ignored a series of dangerous incidents in which cockpit windshields in commercial airliners shattered in mid-flight, sometimes forcing emergency landings, according to an American Airlines pilots' group.
KGW.com A Vancouver woman is struggling to help her son get home from Hawaii after he was stranded there with his wife when Aloha Airlines filed for bankruptcy. It may sound like a silly thing to complain about - being stuck in paradise – but if you consider missed work and the price of accommodations in Hawaii, opinions change.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Four U.S. airlines are being investigated for failing to comply with federal aviation regulations. But names of those specific carriers under investigation weren't released today by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA announced an audit of airline maintenance records found 3 of the four carriers had missed inspection deadlines. Officials say wiring in the wheel well was one area where carriers failed to comply with "airworthiness directives." One carrier failed to submit a required plan. The other three airlines were found to have aircraft overdue for inspections.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A Jamaican arrested after trying to check luggage containing pipe bomb-making materials onto a flight home explained that he wanted to show his friends there how to make them, authorities said Wednesday.
FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- Regulators have largely ignored a series of dangerous incidents in which cockpit windshields in commercial airliners shattered in mid-flight, sometimes forcing emergency landings, according to an American Airlines pilots' group.
KGW.com A Vancouver woman is struggling to help her son get home from Hawaii after he was stranded there with his wife when Aloha Airlines filed for bankruptcy. It may sound like a silly thing to complain about - being stuck in paradise – but if you consider missed work and the price of accommodations in Hawaii, opinions change.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Four U.S. airlines are being investigated for failing to comply with federal aviation regulations. But names of those specific carriers under investigation weren't released today by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA announced an audit of airline maintenance records found 3 of the four carriers had missed inspection deadlines. Officials say wiring in the wheel well was one area where carriers failed to comply with "airworthiness directives." One carrier failed to submit a required plan. The other three airlines were found to have aircraft overdue for inspections.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A Jamaican arrested after trying to check luggage containing pipe bomb-making materials onto a flight home explained that he wanted to show his friends there how to make them, authorities said Wednesday.
Day Five--Boogie Boards
After the ATV ride, we were absolutely covered in dust and badly in need of a shower. We had the yet-to-be used boogie board in the trunk and decided we might as well put it to use and wash the dirt off at the same time. There were several really nice beaches on the drive and some of them were nearly empty. I really don't understand why anybody goes to the Waikiki beach, it is soooo crowded. We found a beach where several people were kite boarding, which was interesting to watch. It was kind of chilly, but we decided to brave it and get in the water. The tide was coming in and the waves got progressively stronger the longer we were there. Towards the end, they got too rough for me to handle. Instead of riding the waves, they were knocking me down to the bottom of the ocean with nothing to do but wait under water until they passed over head. I had forgotten how salty the ocean water is. We were so tired by this point in the day, but the boogie boarding re-energized us. I really felt like I was 12 years old again. I had never seen Chris smile so much. After we finished, our covered in dirt problem was replaced by a covered in sand problem. We rinsed off in the COLD outdoor shower on the beach, but that wasn't enough. We got sand all over the interior of the rental car. Chris called the rental company the next day and it would be $75 for them to clean it out, so we made sure to start looking for a car wash! I didn't realize until we got to the car how cold I was. I could not feel my fingers. We turned the heater on and when I finally started to regain feeling, it felt as if hundreds of needles were being stuck in my hands. I can't believe we rode scooters, ATVs and boogie boards all in one day. We are nuts, but having so much fun.
Day Five--Kualoa Ranch ATV Ride
They call this Kissing Gorillas (Can you see why?)
These Godzillas footprints were dug 6 feet deep, but they had to fill them in because the cows were falling in them.
The ranch was a pretty far drive from our hotel. Chris and I had gone on a really cool ATV ride a few years back in Gatlinburg. We'd gone down there in the off-season and were the only ones taking the trail ride that morning. The guide took us to places he couldn't have taken a big group. There were times on that ride when I thought for sure the ATV was going to flip over as it navigated over the rocks on the mountain. We also drove through a creek on that trip. (I made it through and Chris got stuck and had to be towed out, ha.) So, with that trip in mind, we had a feeling this ride was going to be really lame. And, it would have been, if not for the scenery. We all had to stay in a line on a very smooth trail at fairly slow speed. A lot of movies have been shot on this ranch. It's also where they shoot parts of the TV show Lost. I'm sorry to report girls, I have no pics of the hot Lost guys, but the guide said the Lost crew would be coming the following week. I don't watch Lost, but we saw where they shoot the golf course scenes. The terrain was so green and beautiful. We stopped at several of the movie locations so people could take photos: Jurassic Park, Godzilla, 50 First Dates, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor, You, Me and Dupree. The Pearl Harbor site was an old authentic World War II bunker. This ranch was taken over by the government during the war because of its strategic location. Even though the ATV part was not the extreme experience we were looking for, we still had a great time on the ride.
Day 5--Motor Scooters, ATVs and Boogie Boards, Oh My
We need to file this day under "What in the world were we thinking????" That said, this was the most FUN day we had in Hawaii. Pure fun.
First, we got up early enough to get to a motor scooter rental place when it opened. We wanted to rent for four hours, but they said we had to rent them all day since it was spring break and they were busy enough to get enough people to rent them all day. We considered walking to some other scooter rental places to try to get a half day rental, but I decided it wouldn't be woth the time and energy, considering the all day rental was only $10 more. This was out of character for my dear husband, the comparison shopper, but he agreed with me :-)
It had been a few years since I'd driven a scooter in Gatlinburg, but I picked it back up easily, with Chris as my instructor. Steering is really all about the leaning, having very little to do with the handlebars. I had to remind myself to not smile as we drove around, so as to not swallow any bugs, but it was hard not to smile. I really think I need to get one of these things to drive to work. The parking pass would be cheaper and closer to my building.
The most frightening part was driving in Honolulu traffic next to a city bus. I kept trying to determine what I would do if the driver decided to suddenly switch lanes. I felt much better once we got out of traffic and back to the Diamond Head area. We drove around some residential areas where the city's wealthy live. Some of the homes were absoultely breathtaking, especially considering the views of the ocean some of them had in their backyards. Most of the housing in Honolulu appears to be low income, although it's obvious the residents aren't poor...there were Lexus cars in a lot of the driveways. It wasn't uncommon to see a washer and dryer on a front porch or clothes hanging to dry.
But these homes in Diamond Head were very nice. I got the little scooter up to 45 m.p.h. at one point. We stopped at an overlook for a break. We also parked the scooters and chained them up to walk on the beach for a while.
The chains and padlocks we had to use were huge. Although we didn't personally experience it, we were told theft is a really big problem in Honolulu. At Pearl Harbor you are not allowed to carry a purse or any sort of bag onto the memorial, but they advised people not to leave anything in their cars in the parking lot because of the theft problem. Chris and I thought it was odd that even on a military base, they can't keep petty criminals out of cars in broad daylight. The scooter ride through Diamond Head was one of the highlightes of the trip for me. Probably not as exciting for Chris, since he's used to a more powerful ride on his motorcycle, but I liked it.
We had to return the scooters after lunch because we had a reservation at the Kualoa Ranch for an ATV trail ride.
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