nateker

Michele Mohr, Roberto Fars (both physicians in my group), and I all took a 2 1/2 hour tour of the D.C. area. The monuments and landmarks were impressive, especially this time of year. The Cherry blossom festival is taking place this Sunday, and the history is facinating. The Cherry Blossom trees were aparently a give from Japan, with over 3,000 trees planted. Now, there are over 4,000 trees. The Jefferson Memorial, when constructed, required the removal of about 80 trees, and the tour guide told us that several women from a local society tied themselves to the trees in an effort to save them. The contractor for the Jefferson Memorial gave the women tea cup after tea cup and eventually the women had to get up from the trees, and then the dozers leveled them! I ... read more

Oahu, Day 4 (6/25/09): Sadly, our trip comes to an end on the 25th, but with the stark reality of returning to real life hitting us squarely in the face like the ocean breeze, we went out with a bang. The morning started with a 2 mile run for me (preparing for the 4th of July 5 K) and then we took one last stroll along the Waikiki beach front. We waded in the waters, saw some schools of interesting marine life, and had a nice breakfast. After shooting some pictures off the lanai (balcony), we walked to the Waikiki Acquarium. This turned out to be a facinating collection of coral reefs and marine life not available for viewing anywhere else in the world. The acquarium was actually small, but was interesting in its diverse representation ... read more

Oahu (6/23), Day 2: We spent the day at Pearl Harbor. Although I could not tell you what ship Grandpa Ker was on, I know he was in the pacific front, and flew planes off the aircraft carriers during WWII, so this trip had some extra special meaning. Pearl Harbor is an all day experience, but the number of memorials and exhibits to see are many, so we chose to see the USS Arizona Memorial, the Bowfin (a submarine), and the USS Missorri ("Mighty Mo"), which also saw combat in Desert Storm. The day was memorable and will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices of our men and women in the military.... read more

Kona, Day 4 (6/22/09): We had a casual day and rested most of the morning, having to catch up on laundry and do some swimming at the resort pool. We decided early on that we should go on a dinner cruise, having enjoyed them in the past with historical perspectives being offered as part of the trip. Now, when I called and booked this dinner, I was met with the following, "Its Gay Pride night, but no other cruises are on schedule until next Tuesday." Sheila and I decided to go and what an interesting trip this was. Most of the couples on the boat spent their evening on the first floor while we watched the most beautiful sunset from the upper deck. The green flash was difficult to see, if it was there, but when ... read more

Day 2 (Kona): We spend the day traveling to the east side of the island. Waterfalls and rain forests filled the morning with a visit to Akaka Falls State Park. The waterfall is over 400 feet! After the stroll through the waterfall trails (paved with stair rails), we ventured to the World Botannical Gardens. This used to be a sugar cane field, but is now complete with a water fall with three drops, a mile section of rain forest, and a garden of exotic plants from the world over. We had a great lunch at Huli Sue's Barbeque--a nice eatery in the middle of a small town on the Big Island. The rest of the afternoon was spend at the beach (Kekaha Kai State Park). After a mile and a half of rough roads, we hiked ... read more