tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68192553071763394122024-03-21T18:05:12.275-07:00My Crazy Happy LifeShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-68135509543285452962012-05-05T21:47:00.000-07:002012-05-05T21:47:02.278-07:00Super MoonTonight was the night for the Super Moon....the moon is suppose to be really close to Earth....I played quite a bit with my camera and think I got some pretty good shots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGycnQB-zhMBOocWb5tWsz-iFEHa2yI-6fQ8Sh9pGO71rPW8848BEL1thYy92x-S-YZWdyluusB5qmps7Pt1588gJRgY0c5xlQzOPCF6e1WQNoq7Ng7oOCoPfrGGC_4JgwMCxvT-t-2gY/s1600/SuperMoon+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGycnQB-zhMBOocWb5tWsz-iFEHa2yI-6fQ8Sh9pGO71rPW8848BEL1thYy92x-S-YZWdyluusB5qmps7Pt1588gJRgY0c5xlQzOPCF6e1WQNoq7Ng7oOCoPfrGGC_4JgwMCxvT-t-2gY/s320/SuperMoon+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmY4YTKJq9UQ78NiM3NBRmDQbXQhNwNRo35-zbQUYB0YWFkrkiScS0obg05KMrP3vY7-SylfZUVMQ6dKg2EAkUsj6PLpIc-XXOySdPF0KVCgPVNVZTg3QIABniHjFMVdCmq44j64kwLU/s1600/SuperMoon+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmY4YTKJq9UQ78NiM3NBRmDQbXQhNwNRo35-zbQUYB0YWFkrkiScS0obg05KMrP3vY7-SylfZUVMQ6dKg2EAkUsj6PLpIc-XXOySdPF0KVCgPVNVZTg3QIABniHjFMVdCmq44j64kwLU/s320/SuperMoon+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-62848492170361057282012-04-22T09:44:00.000-07:002012-04-22T09:44:15.869-07:00Kauai - Day 2 continuedAfter the amazing plane ride we still had a few hours to kill...so we headed to Duke's to have some lunch and have some of the Hula Pie that we had heard so much about. The food did not disappoint...the view was pretty good as well since it sits right on a beach and oh my word...the Hula Pie....YUM!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoi04Uq_0nhjNNyHgWjs0AtSETK5-z4a9lyj7gVF-N0fEDvg1cG_Uhnu7vlCBOM8I82iIjUw5qygYOrgLQ720GbemxHwNxHbiTTezdFPYb-vAnAnGl35p7HmKwhYdW6UgeYk4IBnDwmQ/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoi04Uq_0nhjNNyHgWjs0AtSETK5-z4a9lyj7gVF-N0fEDvg1cG_Uhnu7vlCBOM8I82iIjUw5qygYOrgLQ720GbemxHwNxHbiTTezdFPYb-vAnAnGl35p7HmKwhYdW6UgeYk4IBnDwmQ/s320/069.JPG" width="239" /></a>Now doesn't that just look like heaven on a plate...seriously...macadamia nut ice cream on a chocolate crust...with whipped cream...hot fudge and macadamia nuts sprinkled on top...and the only place you can get it as far as I know is at Duke's in Hawaii.....this alone is a reason to go back. Oh and I'm sure that there are no calories involved at all.</div>
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We had to back on the ship by 1:30 since the ending to this awesome trip is a sail-by the Na'Pali Coastline and with having the aft balcony - we could hardly wait. We had a couple of whales that decided to see us off which just put the cherry on top of a perfect trip. We even had one breach right off the back of the ship...I didn't get him in the air but here he is hitting the water.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi158K6qdYq5iGdE9zeU3rffGUxMIyqSAKUcRTefjZir-25zf816Ukzm2kDMDWO9JQQ-R1u-2OjltJ09fexV8Mf3WDSAKAisKe-7IoVXniCO5wVwF7co7PbsNM1JlRS2CTxci7erkPyTLs/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi158K6qdYq5iGdE9zeU3rffGUxMIyqSAKUcRTefjZir-25zf816Ukzm2kDMDWO9JQQ-R1u-2OjltJ09fexV8Mf3WDSAKAisKe-7IoVXniCO5wVwF7co7PbsNM1JlRS2CTxci7erkPyTLs/s320/013.JPG" width="232" /></a>The crowning point of the trip...really.</div>
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Then we reached the Na'Pali Coast....I would love to be able to take a smaller boat ride to this area the size of these cliffs is just without words</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQMsmth9e8wZ5vpab_ab47VtB4XLTbsIgnu1x49gBdYNqvqRvFq0J53LUWV7u8G_F2s7JvWuxWuNjZwysKbsFg9W6tlIzOHtlKVZ2zqdCNV89fqS81puOTz7A6AeYhCg5jFxJaCWPA-U/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQMsmth9e8wZ5vpab_ab47VtB4XLTbsIgnu1x49gBdYNqvqRvFq0J53LUWV7u8G_F2s7JvWuxWuNjZwysKbsFg9W6tlIzOHtlKVZ2zqdCNV89fqS81puOTz7A6AeYhCg5jFxJaCWPA-U/s320/036.JPG" width="208" /></a>Can you see the face?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7NYdMsIiI-S7-8-0n1wu6QjLDud3CD-2dxw-h9687XEJvpVLiryiM76hAp26377Ph6WYa7vPUVGaVzZo-OB9XAEiZ2CF1jmqx-ecWjp_KBgjfUAM-UxTnb2J-P4ZGaR9guNeou95R84/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7NYdMsIiI-S7-8-0n1wu6QjLDud3CD-2dxw-h9687XEJvpVLiryiM76hAp26377Ph6WYa7vPUVGaVzZo-OB9XAEiZ2CF1jmqx-ecWjp_KBgjfUAM-UxTnb2J-P4ZGaR9guNeou95R84/s320/048.JPG" width="320" /></a>Our very last sunset in Hawaii - at least for this trip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAXp4gd8bQfbVRka_6Q73AWqFBXxCdp2_irLOEWgYRuoGVVbkicVRk1kjz5tepGXenn7xZ-Xk3GMXvbtGnnxtBaI7IZMdNv8pgZIFgaNyaZlZFeX1K0t8HIpy7japBAuuqIB1DsqciC0/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAXp4gd8bQfbVRka_6Q73AWqFBXxCdp2_irLOEWgYRuoGVVbkicVRk1kjz5tepGXenn7xZ-Xk3GMXvbtGnnxtBaI7IZMdNv8pgZIFgaNyaZlZFeX1K0t8HIpy7japBAuuqIB1DsqciC0/s320/052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-67068281805140612072012-04-22T08:35:00.001-07:002012-04-22T08:35:38.067-07:00Kauai - Day 2Just realized that I never finished my Hawaii trip.....oops....our last day on Kauai was met with lots of clouds and it had rained through the night....not looking good for a flight over the Na'Pali Coastline and the Island itself....we made our way to the Anchor Mall to wait for pick-up from Wings Over Kauai and while waiting we received a phone call from them telling us that they were trying to decide if it was safe enough to go up. Pretty soon they showed up for our pick-up and told us that we had the choice of making the decision to go up or not - it was safe enough but that they had no idea what we would actually be able to see....after debating back and forth we decided to go for it....I don't think it was a mistake at all - the other couple that was suppose to go with us had decided against going....oh darn...you mean we have the entire plane to ourselves.....we boarded and I was lucky enough to get the front seat....our pilot was awesome and explained everything that he was doing while we lifted off and then was extremely knowledgable about the area...wish I would of taken notes or recorded him or something because I sure couldn't remember everything that he told us about.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDqk7j6SWkDByMySP5GkorfWCGZqvFD-k6PPstDcyw0hH21ayrhF_zxi28W3aCk5TJ5_ihqG_mf0JHWCZNj429-hCsPt2mOZ97airnoC2I1tPsMYy6nsNQoT2S0H1ofAsbCz_o7-1GdU/s1600/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDqk7j6SWkDByMySP5GkorfWCGZqvFD-k6PPstDcyw0hH21ayrhF_zxi28W3aCk5TJ5_ihqG_mf0JHWCZNj429-hCsPt2mOZ97airnoC2I1tPsMYy6nsNQoT2S0H1ofAsbCz_o7-1GdU/s320/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+037.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Hy0AssBuxTxNl_MlWU1-u_FxQq-WC1cpX7HIbvosfepS3-IDg29LFr92Zjm4hPbJ4S-t0rQdKBBJHoNPwINnUEsGEaQwyuoHSH1xZbtloj8FGUeIvyLOlfiMH_lYetNZEb3k9eHL5mY/s1600/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Hy0AssBuxTxNl_MlWU1-u_FxQq-WC1cpX7HIbvosfepS3-IDg29LFr92Zjm4hPbJ4S-t0rQdKBBJHoNPwINnUEsGEaQwyuoHSH1xZbtloj8FGUeIvyLOlfiMH_lYetNZEb3k9eHL5mY/s320/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKEaJFJuSEbievpVB8VGCj8xB01jEeXx8YdFtasto6JHdoW1JyEPNLk1xow0_vg8ZMxwh5F-Q28IpVdfuDFrbr-BNtL1JpxezcZxY06cL-h5TGHnVhjfBpwVWLMxzzFZk-CN8JDotShM/s1600/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKEaJFJuSEbievpVB8VGCj8xB01jEeXx8YdFtasto6JHdoW1JyEPNLk1xow0_vg8ZMxwh5F-Q28IpVdfuDFrbr-BNtL1JpxezcZxY06cL-h5TGHnVhjfBpwVWLMxzzFZk-CN8JDotShM/s320/Wings+Over+Kauai+Trip+056.JPG" width="183" /></a>This has to be the most beautiful island of all of the ones that we visited. We loved every island that we were on so much that we couldn't pick a favorite. I think what are plans are is to visit each island in the next few years. We are starting by going back next year to Oahu! Spending a week on each will give us more time to explore what makes each one special.</div>
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<br /></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-3303124835095426862012-04-22T08:16:00.001-07:002012-04-22T08:16:09.504-07:00Day TripWe decided last week that we wanted to go check out Meteor Crater - neither of us had been there or could remember being there so we decided that today would be the day. Then on Thursday we were watching the news and they showed pictures and talked about a place called Grand Falls that is up on the Navajo Indian Reservation just East of Flagstaff - so we decided to head there since it stated that it was only flowing from about April-June....we after 10 miles of washboard dirt road.....this is what we saw<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD97tB2MppNbFNFg-ZyRm6TXbt2rXagnWORofKIDNWYhEa-XL03Jm8iJSN9dQI6O_5gjb4-q7Lo5mm-yBGE0g25yPAN_2meL-0ffFGdlQalY8LRj1zaTm0roPkxoVWJ-KrmEgv45KWvF8/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD97tB2MppNbFNFg-ZyRm6TXbt2rXagnWORofKIDNWYhEa-XL03Jm8iJSN9dQI6O_5gjb4-q7Lo5mm-yBGE0g25yPAN_2meL-0ffFGdlQalY8LRj1zaTm0roPkxoVWJ-KrmEgv45KWvF8/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+004.JPG" width="213" /></a>See all that water...what you don't - "oh come on...something that was on the news wasn't leading me astray....didn't tell us that the segment could of been taped a month ago to get the awesome shots that they had.....here is the "waterfall" <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1pojVRfscoWr_7TufeSzntiYe_NhGJTidpPY2ZDAeaVQkos5z4bMSsWiWcPm4aw5jn_rs5CyZWUnPO47-S2KX5MrOLbBTzEkS2ijuyDfWCSMPaNjXRsSY-Xu5HICIIPkHffSOSLYBFA/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1pojVRfscoWr_7TufeSzntiYe_NhGJTidpPY2ZDAeaVQkos5z4bMSsWiWcPm4aw5jn_rs5CyZWUnPO47-S2KX5MrOLbBTzEkS2ijuyDfWCSMPaNjXRsSY-Xu5HICIIPkHffSOSLYBFA/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+009.JPG" width="213" /></a>yes a little drizzle down to land on that rock and make a little trickle sound...it was a tad disappointing but we had a good time on the ride in and there were beautiful rock formations so the trip was worth it...besides I got to talk to these lovely ladies on our way out and they posed so nicely for a few shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoW1MPMeFoxJnRtniawmUBBLrRKS4mM8SjVWM70EyBRs3k37RCQnQkXRZdGDX0rRHoZiw2M0YDSVIl-URRl_AHMNDyMm5IrO_NR5pLdj8km5cn6kYuaaaldlI7XcbZ6zBhDZVDOpoUGLQ/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoW1MPMeFoxJnRtniawmUBBLrRKS4mM8SjVWM70EyBRs3k37RCQnQkXRZdGDX0rRHoZiw2M0YDSVIl-URRl_AHMNDyMm5IrO_NR5pLdj8km5cn6kYuaaaldlI7XcbZ6zBhDZVDOpoUGLQ/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+013.JPG" width="320" /></a>We also had the fortune of seeing the backside of the San Francisco Peaks and they were just gorgeous today</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7omqbrt68bsqMpSn7JmArHXFoECVZW9gQeM6bH_VonAh_vW1THcI1fh6AJavh-c3tAuglnsY6ySghCj5OHj4FoaOJpq0ir1maZInpXGdGCVpuRep1jbs5HC28FFxP-iGXfn96PYOBg4/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7omqbrt68bsqMpSn7JmArHXFoECVZW9gQeM6bH_VonAh_vW1THcI1fh6AJavh-c3tAuglnsY6ySghCj5OHj4FoaOJpq0ir1maZInpXGdGCVpuRep1jbs5HC28FFxP-iGXfn96PYOBg4/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We then headed to Meteor Crater....and it was a fascinating place.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiViPnnOEheJobQEdEgwwrxWEMQC9V99m1M91OlwppktuD8RgdWHDOfIAiG3m8Dw9SVVtlUwxqjVPKev7cMxwjxb8r4TGI9_QhVu4AQBSIFEvlMzVwxhkcUl2FSA5h80dB80wGbt9OOwg/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiViPnnOEheJobQEdEgwwrxWEMQC9V99m1M91OlwppktuD8RgdWHDOfIAiG3m8Dw9SVVtlUwxqjVPKev7cMxwjxb8r4TGI9_QhVu4AQBSIFEvlMzVwxhkcUl2FSA5h80dB80wGbt9OOwg/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+028.JPG" width="320" /></a>If you live here and haven't been...go and if you don't live here and are planning a trip...add this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8dUIUdUBUzYZmZUaNFYsDgurXbZTvNYTq7fp7caiZeyc1lSFYccomJ3XQECjtcLJFoYsr9OtkEraAAy55fzCUQbwcQvJ26imbRhpVRPESdlG4U6uyuwm7n6yiM0JTQPBbcny8i-ozKw/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8dUIUdUBUzYZmZUaNFYsDgurXbZTvNYTq7fp7caiZeyc1lSFYccomJ3XQECjtcLJFoYsr9OtkEraAAy55fzCUQbwcQvJ26imbRhpVRPESdlG4U6uyuwm7n6yiM0JTQPBbcny8i-ozKw/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+025.JPG" width="320" /></a>This was a sign into the crater...just thought it was pretty funny.....we finished off the trip with a drive through Sedona....which it never seems to disappoint...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t5CbzKwZy1Ov_FMu8g2Rgp-WJUDNogtwSB20PTeWQx0V6O2cQuYIBR9zM5OyiXaxNGyTEqD_OjPBgJimPRd83GsokBz0iL_jrk7WlgxkNdhrvKo0dIuUo5_Db5OCOec1xaJZ5x1GKdE/s1600/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t5CbzKwZy1Ov_FMu8g2Rgp-WJUDNogtwSB20PTeWQx0V6O2cQuYIBR9zM5OyiXaxNGyTEqD_OjPBgJimPRd83GsokBz0iL_jrk7WlgxkNdhrvKo0dIuUo5_Db5OCOec1xaJZ5x1GKdE/s320/Grand+Falls+-+Meteor+Crater+035.JPG" width="320" /></a>A perfect way to end a wonderful day! Next up...I'm thinking Antelope Canyon....need to do some research first though</div>
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<br /></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-40089521695029346242012-03-09T21:05:00.001-08:002012-03-29T20:53:15.518-07:00Kauai<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Kauai – Day 1</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K1_sVx8-iJGjhVYqnxmbn-OaNqA2EGEklciVmQFJPVVD-KDLqPVs7gBYmi1fopIdIgRpRh8uR4y2MVMQiQ28RT0Zkjqcs51b-KdQu7Ytm8u8KHgPIP84WhIKbzVfuqRI88FIAh-iFOA/s1600/274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K1_sVx8-iJGjhVYqnxmbn-OaNqA2EGEklciVmQFJPVVD-KDLqPVs7gBYmi1fopIdIgRpRh8uR4y2MVMQiQ28RT0Zkjqcs51b-KdQu7Ytm8u8KHgPIP84WhIKbzVfuqRI88FIAh-iFOA/s320/274.JPG" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;">We arrived in Kauai right on schedule and we were off the
ship and at Thrifty to get our car in no time flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop was going to be Waimea Canyon –
we headed there and instead of taking the turn off that the road signs suggest
we took the Waimea Canyon Road – which at first you think that you have taken a
wrong turn and have ended up in a residential area…just give it a few and you
will find yourself seeing some gorgeous scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We soon came along the red rocks with
waterfalls – these to us were just gorgeous…they just kind of mesmerized me….not
really sure why but it may have been the white rushing water falling over the
deep red rocks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We then headed up to the first look-out….quite fascinating..we
live in the “Grand Canyon State” and have visited it quite often and Waimea was
so gorgeous..it definitely is worth the visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The greens mixed with the reds and then the blue skies…such a
magnificent place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at several
of the areas on the way up to the top and went all the way to Pu’u o Kila
Look-out – it is a pretty steep incline to the top but it is a ramp not stairs
that lead the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Views are beyond
awesome….the clouds were pretty good to us while we were there…it wasn’t
completely clear but enough to be able to see the ocean down below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I completely forgot about the Koke’e Museum
as we left…so can’t comment on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
left via the Koke’e Road so we had completely different views on the way down –
that didn’t disappoint either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We then headed North from here to Polihale State Park –
which we had to drive on I believe it was 5 miles of dirt road – not all that
rough but you definitely knew that you weren’t on pavement any longer….it was a
beautiful beach and the sand dunes of average height here…the water was very
nice…didn’t go all the way in but standing at the edge the surf came up and hit
me about mid thigh….refreshing to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could see the start of the Na’Pali coast
line from here…again a gorgeous view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We decided that we were hungry and we headed towards Island
Tacos but once we got there we veered off and ate at Shrimp Station – ordered the
garlic shrimp since at the time we didn’t know that they are known for their
coconut shrimp….the plate was good but didn’t come close to measuring up to the
garlic shrimp that we had at Giovanni’s on Oahu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided then that since we had heard good
things about Island Tacos that we needed to try one of those as well…we shared
a taco…very good and very friendly people here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We have red dirt shirts here in AZ from our Sedona dirt so
we definitely needed to have red dirt shirts from Hawaii….so we made a stop at
the Red Dirt Shirt Warehouse – had a hard time choosing just one shirt so we
ended up with two – one red dirt a piece and I had to get a purple one with all
the islands on it and DH got a black one that says “Bite Me” on it with a big
lizard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We still had about 4 hours before we needed to be back at
Thrifty to catch the last shuttle to the ship so we headed to Wailua Falls….the
falls were raging since there had been quite a bit of rain in the last week and
it was pretty red as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left here
and decided to hit another waterfall – Opaeka’a Falls….this was just as
beautiful but not flowing quite as much as Wailua.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">At this point we had a decision to make….we were trying to
decide to drive the rest of the way to Princeville or turn around and head to
Duke’s to get a Hula Pie….we decided to head to Duke’s…this became an issue
since we knew it was in the Marriott but didn’t know exactly where…we drove
through the entire Marriott area – which is very pretty and was a really nice
drive…we got to the end – turned around and headed towards Anchor Cove and that
is when we spotted Duke’s – we parked in a handicap spot to walk over to Duke’s
and we were told that we had to leave because it was parking for another restaurant
(didn’t know that they could do this with handicap spots).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided at this point to just take the car
back and head back to the ship – it was about 6:30 or so at this point.</span></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-16229773381707839372012-03-03T08:53:00.002-08:002012-03-03T08:53:44.647-08:00<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hilo Day 4<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We woke up to rain and it was pretty solid the entire day and from my
weather reports it had been raining earlier in the week and was still raining
when we left Hawai’i on Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
that some people let this keep them from their plans but we headed out since we
love the rain to begin with and besides we were in Hawai'i how bad can it
get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We headed towards Volcanoes National Park and went to the Visitor's
Center and then to the museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
still raining pretty well but we made our way down the Chain of Craters Road -
this is just unbelievable and the feeling that you get walking around pretty
much on an active volcano is pretty surreal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We made it clear to the end and then I walked the additional what 1/2
mile or so to where the lava came across the road...I figured I hadn't come
this far to not make that trek and lo and behold the rain subsided long enough
for me to get there and get back before it started up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The seas were pretty rough that day so the
waves crashing into the side were spectacular and the Hole'i Arch was
beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also made a stop at the Orchid Farm - which there is not much to say
except that those flowers are just beautiful....we didn't see the $20,000
dollar one but we did see the sister to it and I have to say with beauty and
all...still can't see spending that kind of money for a flower...especially one
that you have to handle with kid gloves to get them to live at least here in
Arizona.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">We
then headed to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory...oh this was a BIG
mistake...my wallet took a direct hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am a huge macadamia nut fan and to be surrounded by them in every possible form
I had a hard time deciding what I wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ended up with our selection and checked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Found out later that our favorite so far has
been the Onion and Garlic ones – ended up picking up more of these later in the
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed out back of the store
and had some macadamia nut ice cream....yum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a great end to a very nice day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRPdZrmO-aPLV2bUoEYZsUIGrWySFXkY8lfJzFob_IFu-5MsrxzDioFdpTMKsaK8cbShXeZR3s5KpmdyXElP5ZLhZJRzr_ENSyAKl4c71BkD_TYnutWtDdbMA7DwJO3Sb4FAuBeYCeO4/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRPdZrmO-aPLV2bUoEYZsUIGrWySFXkY8lfJzFob_IFu-5MsrxzDioFdpTMKsaK8cbShXeZR3s5KpmdyXElP5ZLhZJRzr_ENSyAKl4c71BkD_TYnutWtDdbMA7DwJO3Sb4FAuBeYCeO4/s320/047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madame Pele'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holei Arch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister of the $20,000 Orchid</td></tr>
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<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-90045400671078260702012-03-02T21:02:00.000-08:002012-03-02T21:02:20.085-08:00Maui - Day 2<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maui Day 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today we rented a car with Thrifty again and it was again
pretty painless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove to Lahiana to
go whale watching, everyone says that this trip takes about 45 minutes but it
didn’t seem to take nearly that long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Parking is a bear here...we arrived about 9:30 if I remember correctly
and the free lot was already full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
did find close parking to the Banyan Park but had to pay $16 for 4-6 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We chose the Pacific Whale Company because not only do
they do great tours but also some of the money goes to the conservation of
whales which is important to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
arrived quite early for the tour so we had some time to check out the Banyan
Tree and they were having a art show under it - so wish that we would of had a
way to get some of the photos back...just awesome photography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We boarded the boat and no sooner did we get
out of the harbor that we were seeing whales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
understand that a couple breached but I wasn't at the front of the boat to see
this happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must of seen at least 40
whales...doing everything but the breaching part for the rest of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guide actually at one point counted over
10 whales all swimming together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw
them fighting, fin slapping, diving and blowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was amazing watching all the
activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were babies all around
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made the entire trip at
this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had unfortunately
forgotten to pack my larger lens so the whale photos aren’t as close as I would
of wanted them to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished up the
tour and headed down Front Street - we were going to eat at Bubba Gump's but
ended up going to the Aloha Mixed Plate - very good food and with it sitting
almost right on the beach it was a perfect setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then headed back towards the ship and on
the way back there was a big traffic back-up and realized as we got closer that
there was a seal laying on the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All in all it was a very successful day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPHCyFgWTDPTT8lW2ufc-RTsWmFEmQmZPDjIJ-yM1enRB67KzdMUVVVhJRtm6O_8zs-ssjSzg-0dd80aXBnkhhiCWqEVvRvCUdj45HtFjFlu68IYpq_qfst-1a2t1unhcU4OmSIBYglI/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPHCyFgWTDPTT8lW2ufc-RTsWmFEmQmZPDjIJ-yM1enRB67KzdMUVVVhJRtm6O_8zs-ssjSzg-0dd80aXBnkhhiCWqEVvRvCUdj45HtFjFlu68IYpq_qfst-1a2t1unhcU4OmSIBYglI/s320/027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-12946819876274165532012-03-02T20:41:00.000-08:002012-03-02T20:41:48.596-08:00Maui<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maui – Day 1<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had the Road to Hana planned today with Valley Isle Tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get to the meeting point and our van is pulling up to meet us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David our tour driver for the day and he did an outstanding job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started out as a pretty dreary rainy day but that didn't let us hold us back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stopped at just about every waterfall that was out there and let me tell you there were a ton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My DH is a little impaired when it comes to walking due to arthritis and Dave was so fantastic - never made him feel rushed or pushed him at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tour takes you around in a circle instead of going part of the way and then turning around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were also in a van instead of a big bus - I think there was something like 12 of us on the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At our first stop Dave pointed out turtles in the water – I think I caught a glimpse of one of their heads but he said that this is a very popular beach for them...it wasn’t too far from the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we started on the Road to Hana – he stopped at the first waterfall and I mentioned that he could do that all he wanted to so he did – seriously we stopped at tons of waterfalls all the way thru the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped for the world famous banana bread at Aunt Sandy’s and they ran out before we could get up there so Dave kindly stopped at another roadside stand to get us some more and the place he stopped had a bunch of fruit as well and let us sample some of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent quite a bit of time at Black Sand Beach - enough time to enjoy the beach and use the facilities if it was necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at a house on the side of the road that sold flowers and bouquets that shipped anywhere and this is also where we had our lunch - which was quite tasty – it included macaroni salad, chicken, drinks, rolls and dessert – which was chocolate covered macadamia nuts - yum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at the Oheo Gulch which is a little bit of a hike to get to them and we couldn’t swim in since the waters were running at such a rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited Charles Lindbergh’s grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point on the back side of Hana, Dave stopped and pointed out some waterfalls up the mountain – one of the ladies on the tour said she counted 19 of them...breathtaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our last stop before returning to the ship was at the winery - which I think is probably a mandatory stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wine was pretty tasty but we didn't purchase any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All and all I wasn’t big on taking a tour but I would highly recommend Valley Isle – you definitely get your money’s worth and you don’t have all the hassle of driving the road and someone not enjoying the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that several people say that it isn’t that bad of a road and it really isn’t if that is what you want to do is drive...but if you want to look at the scenery and enjoy the views then this is the way to go. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6szbk2L27_FjMcbgUdoERaHqAQnMu8oxEGJIqG0kippsHJZzqCMXbd6AUfyeQpc3bJlrIhPAE08xpwZ1FXFG2z5IfSSuRvHZEzeZZ3dY6q2FCCKhf3dXLO53XRjHy5P9b9BQiO0KB0zU/s1600/328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6szbk2L27_FjMcbgUdoERaHqAQnMu8oxEGJIqG0kippsHJZzqCMXbd6AUfyeQpc3bJlrIhPAE08xpwZ1FXFG2z5IfSSuRvHZEzeZZ3dY6q2FCCKhf3dXLO53XRjHy5P9b9BQiO0KB0zU/s320/328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We flew into Oahu on the 16th landed at 11:25 a.m. and then rented a Mustang Convertible from Thrifty as Blue Chip members and were at our resort Aulani by about 12:15 or so. The arrival here was nothing short of wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each received leis as we arrived – they also met us at the car and referred to us by name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short tour of the grounds – pointing out where the restaurants were...giving us some brief information concerning the resort we were handed our room keys and were headed to our room on the 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> floor overlooking the grounds and out into the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are serious Disney freaks so this was perfect for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grounds and resort are amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sorry that we didn't have time to enjoy them - just gives us a reason to go back again (which we are already planning for next year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Our room was ready so we headed up to it and then had our luggage delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we were on the road to the North Shore to experience some of the things that I had read about on Cruise Critic and Oahu Revealed book. We stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation - walked around the grounds - had a Dole Whip with fresh pineapple, went into Haliewa and stopped at M. Matsumoto for a shaved ice - we both got cherry with ice cream in the bottom and condensed milk on top....oh yum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely worth the drive and the waves weren't too bad to watch either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stopped at several beaches along the way...looked for turtles (never saw any – for the entire trip) and ended up at Ted's Bakery which was another yum spot. They didn’t have a lot to choose from this late in the day but enough to get us to return the next day. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The next day we started our day at Pearl Harbor - we arrived at 8:00 and our ticket time was for 9:15 which I didn't think was too bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got the video tour and walked around the museum and listened to the all the information until it was our time to go into the theatre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many have said this is so much more and makes you understand the events so much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is really hard to explain your feelings about seeing this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left here about noon and headed again to the North Shore - we really fell in love with this side of the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed towards Giovanni's Shrimp truck with a side trip to Ted’s Bakery and oh my goodness we both thought that these were the best shrimp we had ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both ordered the Shrimp Scampi which came with rice – so glad that I read about these trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished the meal off with a fresh half pineapple from the Smoothie truck that is right there as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to Chinaman's Hat and Byodo-In Temple – which I think is a serene and beautiful place – we made sure that we rang the gong and onward back to the resort via H3 – seeing this beautiful piece of highway was another thing on my to-do list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heading back to the resort we pulled off and picked up some malasadas at Leonard’s Jr – this is a little trailer in a parking lot of a K-Mart...if the malasadas are any different at the original Leonard’s then I don’t think that we could of stood it....they were amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately we didn’t get to try them all – another reason to go back!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Saturday morning - we walked around the grounds at Aulani and then checked out and headed towards the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Checked the car back in and were at the pier by about noon, check in went extremely smooth and we were on the ship in no time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were on I went over and made reservations for two of the specialty restaurants - Jefferson's Bistro for that night and Teppanyaki for Tuesday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again this was quick and painless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then headed to the Aloha Cafe on Deck 11 - wasn't crowded at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ordered a drink immediately and then went and got some food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly after finishing our meal it was announced that our room was ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed to Deck 9 Aft Room 9702 to be exact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had heard that the rooms were small so I wasn't surprised when I walked in and I loved our balcony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bags arrived before 3 p.m. and ended up with an issue here - I had checked my camera bag - now my bag has a zipper and has a latch on it to keep it sealed and all of its contents safe which had been done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received the bag and the zipper was unzipped and the bag was completely open when I opened the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No worries at first since I checked that my lenses were in place - I had kept my camera with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon further examination I found that my battery charger for my DSLR was missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I contacted Guest Services immediately and they kept in contact with me concerning this for the rest of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was never located and I have paperwork to give to the insurance company which I'm not sure what that means yet but the entire staff at customer service was wonderful in the whole process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe what may have happened is since I had so many wires inside the bag that it may have been opened at security and never sealed up again - I figure it is really my fault since I should of just kept it with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">On to the room - we had plenty of space for all of our clothes and essentials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had enough hangers for 20 shirts, shelving for all the shorts and jeans and two drawers held all of our undergarments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The suitcases fit nicely under the bed and the power strip I brought worked perfectly for all of our electronics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two drawers under the television we didn't really use - I put the beach towels in there and a few things that we wouldn't need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used the medicine cabinet in the bathroom for everything that needed to be in there and the shelving next to the closet for snacks and other items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As has been said on here more times than I can remember - the rooms are smaller than most ships but you aren't in them all that much either and I felt that the space was very good for two people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the balcony was awesome - we had two chaise lounges, two chairs and a small table and still had plenty of room to walk around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downside to this is that our neighbors were smokers and of course, it came right into our area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">When we arrived our beds were separate so we needed to get our room steward to fix that, clear out the refrigerator and give us ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He accommodated us fantastically while we were on board - never had to ask for anything and our room was always spic and span clean when we came back from whatever we had been out doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also always had a towel animal!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">As far as the food went we are pretty easy to please...my DH can have a hamburger and be satisfied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Aloha Grill - we ate in it for dinner every night but the two nights we were in the specialty restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just easier and it had enough of a selection to make us both happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was always very pleasant and accommodating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we got separated and ended up at two different tables - my DH sent one of the crew to see if they could find me - which they did and then escorted me to where he was sitting (he was in the wrong place).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Jefferson's Bistro - we had the "Best of All" meal on embarkation night and it was fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were given the menu but also told that we needed to go and get food from the buffet that they had and then order off the menu as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buffet had a ton of different foods - salads, sushi, pasta, carving station and a dessert table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting a plate from there I didn't really think I needed anything else but the crew member said "oh come on" so we ordered off the menu as well - I got the Onion soup, which was fantastic, the crab cakes - were yummy and then my DH ordered the filet mignon which I tried as well and it was as tender as could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was all for $15 per person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never felt rushed or like they wanted us out of there - the atmosphere was very nice and they had a guy playing the keyboard too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Teppanyaki - If at all possible you must do this once on this cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show was spectacular and our chef was hilarious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ordered the Shinto which was scallops and shrimp and DH had the Land and Sea which was filet mignon and shrimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also received prior to our main course -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miso soup and Seaweed Salad - both very good in my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For dessert we had fresh fruit and Green Tea cake and ice cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point we were so stuffed that the dessert was good but so not needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chef asked before he left if anyone wanted more and he cooked up about 4 more filets and dished them out to the guests that had ordered that originally and even asked those of us that didn't if we wanted any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only do 3 shows a night - 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 so I would suggest booking this as soon as you get on the ship because it was sold out the entire time we were there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Since we did Jefferson's Bistro on Embarkation day we missed lobster night and the other night that is lobster night is Wednesday in Lazy J Steakhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">If you have any questions please feel free to ask....next up Maui!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Photos are being posted at <a href="http://travel.webshots.com/album/582418523ZPcCYF">http://travel.webshots.com/album/582418523ZPcCYF</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-27999976359067986332012-01-28T09:20:00.000-08:002012-01-28T09:20:26.623-08:00New iPhone Cover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvDSGNjqZ_sSMX_KZghZdaUCAtwtDdCJcInflLl7GlPDX6liA4wxf8uyHHY8fMVVIp93tHcv0czpjTk9qzI6xs3czEpFQ44QR4mOJkZwlnB5jeqWJI6_rTQFpOBTFjQDUN3FgiZeMg-A/s1600/Project+Life+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvDSGNjqZ_sSMX_KZghZdaUCAtwtDdCJcInflLl7GlPDX6liA4wxf8uyHHY8fMVVIp93tHcv0czpjTk9qzI6xs3czEpFQ44QR4mOJkZwlnB5jeqWJI6_rTQFpOBTFjQDUN3FgiZeMg-A/s320/Project+Life+021.JPG" width="239" /></a>Isn't it the best cover EVER!!! My friends David and Rhonda picked this up for me at WDW when they were there last week....I totally LOVE it and it makes me completely happy every time I look at it!</div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-16129654753118356222012-01-28T09:17:00.000-08:002012-01-28T09:17:46.635-08:00Toy Story 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-qHEVNntgo9DMOV0U8abWBOogjgO40pApoeYkiNX9YG5q9ZV4kYBU_H1gbnmwRZ-uTMBzTvSSZVJ7wg-wb-tzEzS7DWcTmPrxi5DJXcxgQrwJBhXXVOa1z_ljigJ5y0vnScPY_z2fc0/s1600/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-qHEVNntgo9DMOV0U8abWBOogjgO40pApoeYkiNX9YG5q9ZV4kYBU_H1gbnmwRZ-uTMBzTvSSZVJ7wg-wb-tzEzS7DWcTmPrxi5DJXcxgQrwJBhXXVOa1z_ljigJ5y0vnScPY_z2fc0/s320/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Last weekend we went to Toy Story 3 - and like most Disney productions this did not disappoint. All the characters showed up...the only thing that was a little weird was that Buzz Lightyear was Asian...that was just a little strange but he could skate. We had a great time! Got my Goofy fix....</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3HIzrGMbIK9ylf9h1tcdr38sgrPriN_loGvI4OBg1mrUd6eq3EViS5o4nGplzRqV8oxLGi2QlHiJejfVCqIYo7c81R_hiJId1zLjuNDF0w_aF7CD5Muan5Z1n-nOOpbsquecGkOyaMM/s1600/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3HIzrGMbIK9ylf9h1tcdr38sgrPriN_loGvI4OBg1mrUd6eq3EViS5o4nGplzRqV8oxLGi2QlHiJejfVCqIYo7c81R_hiJId1zLjuNDF0w_aF7CD5Muan5Z1n-nOOpbsquecGkOyaMM/s320/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+011.JPG" width="235" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiu8hFaMu2FxpZqTpI2jmfGr0b7ja-BY8PEdktNkcFxhCqejT_I1Fc7DrZqwMEiZyUqPbRmEOCph7hFURZ7W-HUZhoScvdeRzeGH3f5xb3jifujEmn4kquBUF2JzLSjxUC-p1bajihHOY/s1600/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiu8hFaMu2FxpZqTpI2jmfGr0b7ja-BY8PEdktNkcFxhCqejT_I1Fc7DrZqwMEiZyUqPbRmEOCph7hFURZ7W-HUZhoScvdeRzeGH3f5xb3jifujEmn4kquBUF2JzLSjxUC-p1bajihHOY/s320/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSin6Sm9IP2dLC3c00zheIzwur3Esb8oMwi0-1kyHTR67c2-emfRSuVTkcVGFBj-14-xDUO2DOaWIxERfqD4B9ngX-a-Adc6l207tqI2TY_xl56QQbBHVhdb2aqirUo2amA8g-eF4CoY/s1600/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSin6Sm9IP2dLC3c00zheIzwur3Esb8oMwi0-1kyHTR67c2-emfRSuVTkcVGFBj-14-xDUO2DOaWIxERfqD4B9ngX-a-Adc6l207tqI2TY_xl56QQbBHVhdb2aqirUo2amA8g-eF4CoY/s320/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBeOMgJum_ACrISRcn6DKtEZj11j4liUAkMGXTn87v87ZnkyFtW32eUFud2EqGXg1ZTnFPXd8BeGl0ajzX2EZr3lZ7zRiTN9Kfvn-nnzmmyx7VD5-Rbw2BKZ1bAmATyMZNBp695sS4Ro/s1600/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBeOMgJum_ACrISRcn6DKtEZj11j4liUAkMGXTn87v87ZnkyFtW32eUFud2EqGXg1ZTnFPXd8BeGl0ajzX2EZr3lZ7zRiTN9Kfvn-nnzmmyx7VD5-Rbw2BKZ1bAmATyMZNBp695sS4Ro/s320/Disney+on+Ice+-+Toy+Story+3+039.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>Can you see the little green men....they are on their knees....they did get up and skate but most of the time that they were on the ice they were on their knees...that is dedication! And Mr. & Mrs. PotatoHead were hilarious...the other characters kept rearranging their faces....or taking their parts and throwing them on the ice....Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6819255307176339412.post-10152921857953585102012-01-27T16:25:00.000-08:002012-01-27T16:25:23.457-08:00Hi<span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">Decided to change my blog from typepad to here....hopefully I will be happy with the switch. Not a lot going on here right now other than getting everything together for our trip in less than 3 weeks. Can NOT wait....and if you are in the dark about where we are headed.....this is a clue</span><br />
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warm, sunny, tropical....about 3,000 miles away......Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02208980039332148647noreply@blogger.com1