September 3, 2010 It is always a bummer to end a vacation, but at the same time I was glad to go. Time to get back to the real world. Mom and I slept in and lazily packed our bags. Our flight was not until 12:30 p.m. and we had plenty of time to bum around collecting our belongings. On our way out our hostess, Janna, thanked us for staying and was glad we enjoyed our time at her condo rental. I would totally stay at this place again, and Noe's Nest on the Big Island. Both were very comfortable and homey. We were in first class again on the way home. Thank goodness! It was great to have that leg room and not have to fight over arm rests. With a couple glasses of wine, ... read more

September 1, 2010 The morning after our snorkel adventure was a tough one. The sunburn on my back hurt so much it was hard to sleep; every time I would change positions it felt like sandpaper was being scraped against my skin. Ouch. My arms and upper torso muscles were also really sore. I couldn't think why, the swimming was so minimal, I didn't want to think it was because I was that out of shape. Then I remembered, cumulatively I spent about an hour clutching onto the boat lines for my life as we sped through the wide open ocean. I mocked gripping on the boat and sure enough those were the muscles that were screaming at me. Still worth it. Mom and I lounged around the condo in the morning. She took a walk ... read more

August 31, 2010 Getting up early after a night of mai tais was a little difficult. Combined with the fact that Mom only got one cup of coffee, we were a little slow-going. Our snorkel boat was to launch at 6:45 a.m. and we were to meet it at 6:30 to check in. Ouch. Blue Water Rafting When I visited Maui four years ago I went on a snort snorkel cruise. We didn't have much time in the water, but it was so much fun I wanted to maxamize the experience this time. After some comparison, I decided that Blue Water Rafting was the best excursion. It is a little more pricey than others, but you are paying for a more private experience, with only 25 or so people, versus the 100 people on the other ... read more

August 29, 2010 Today was designated as the road trip day. There is a 50-some odd mile route (one way) on Highway 19 that wraps around the north side of the island, offering pull-offs for walking, vistas, and tourist traps. When driving on the Big Island, be aware that there are no courtesy signs saying "Destination X 1/4 mile ahead." When it says "Destination X" with an arrow, you had better be ready to make that next turn, even if it is only 50 yards ahead. One sign said "Destination X middle lane." There was only the lane that went straight and a left turn lane. Technically, I suppose the left turn lane was in the middle of the outside lanes, but to a reasonable person, middle lanes are only when there are three lanes in ... read more

August 27, 2010 Alarm Clock Rosters on Hawaii do not crow with the sunrise, which is about 6:30am. They begin at 3am and continue their snooze alarm through the rest of the night. Be aware, rural lodging may come with a defective alarm clock such as this. Volcanoes National Park In Washington, we have plenty of volcanoes to view. And at any given time, one of them may be doing something possibly interesting. But getting to walk around on a volcano which is actively erupting is something that is a little dangerous in the Pacific Northwest region. We spent the entire day with Kilauea. The $10 admission per vehicle is well worth the price if you enjoy short (or long) hikes through natural wonders. Our first stop was the visitor's center. The film was useful, giving ... read more