Colonial Mexico
October, 2000

The HL&P and Goodyear Retirees traveled through the central Mexico for eight days in October. Our trip began with a short flight to Harlingen wherein we hopped a Pioneer Tour & Travel Coach headed for Monterrey, Mexico. This trip was an inaugural journey for Pioneer. It might have been uneventful had we not been stopped by the Federalizes and police along the way.

On the way into the city, our tour guide, Vincenta Celis, had the bus drive stop so he could have some Mexican serenade us on the bus. In Monterrey, we had the opportunity to take a city tour, shop and dine. The next morning, we left for Saltillo to visit the Serape factory, the bird museum, and a cathedral, the National Museum and do a little shopping. From there we began our travels south to Zacatecas.

Zacatecas is a very large, interesting town in the heart of Mexico, with a lot of history. During our tour of the city, we visited the Cathedral Zacatecas, Museum Pedro Coronal and Convento of Guadalupe. That afternoon, we took a tram ride from the top of a nearby mountain over the city to get a panoramic view of the entire area. From there, we went to a non-working gold and silver mine where we traveled by rail 900 feet down into the mine. The rest of the afternoon was open for shopping and sightseeing around the hotel. Following dinner, we danced through the streets, commonly called a traditional callejoneada, and led by a donkey with interesting, but unidentifiable refreshments.

The next morning, we began our trip to Morelia via a brief visit to Guanajuato. As we approached Guanajuato, we had a beautiful panoramic view of the city, followed by a tour of the area. There, we visited the Basilica de Guanajuato. That afternoon, our coach took us to Morelia.

Just outside Morelia, we visited the Tzintzunzan pyramids, which overlook the city. During the afternoon, we loaded onto a small boat headed for the island of Janitzio. The inhabitants of the island are quite poor and depend on the tourist for income. There, we walked up the winding narrow paths to the various shops. Interestingly, there were no cars on the island. We were serenaded going and returning on the boat. It was on that boat that one could find Ruby dancing with or bus driver, Jorge Trevino.

Our last stop on the Southern route was at San Miguel de Allenda, not too far from Mexico City. In route, we stopped at Yurirai to see Agustion’s Convent. The church was the oldest in Mexico and was built in 1541. San Miguel de Allenda is considered a cultural town as many artists either go to school or live in the area. The art institute is world-renowned. We met the author of a travel guidebook of San Miguel de Allenda and got him to sign a book for a few of us.

The next morning, we went to Parris San Miguel, another very old church and saw some of the traditional street markets. We also stopped in San Gabriel where we visited the pottery factory. A few dollars were spent in that quaint little place along the side of the road.

The mid-point between Mexico City and Harlingen was our final stop for a mid-trip break. We spent the night in Matehuala had a little party to celebrate our past week of fun and newfound culture experience.

All of our meals were exquisite and very traditional of the Mexican culture. Ironically, no one got sick from the food or water (we did take a lot of bottled water.)

On our final leg of the trip, we traveled back to the border and on to Harlingen to catch our Southwest Airlines flight back to Houston. We had a little excitement when the pilot advised us that the right engine would not start. The female pilot assured us that it was just a computer glitch. With only an hour delay, we got the propellers wound up and away we went.

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Christmas in Sedona
December 2000

The HL&P and Shell Retirees left a few days after Thanksgiving on a four-day adventure to Sedona, one of the most popular vacation spots in Arizona. Our trip began when we landed in Phoenix where we boarded a Pioneer Tour and Travel Coach. We drove 125 miles north to Sedona, through the Black Canyon to the small town of 15,000 residents in the heart of the most beautiful Red Rock formations. The elevation was about 4,600 feet, so the climate was wonderful. Temperatures ranged from the low 40’s at night to about 70 in the afternoon. And the humidity was very low.

There, hundreds of western movies have been made, and we got to meet the man who doubled for many of the western movies stars and was often the consultant for filming locations in the area. Our vacation paradise began with a 35-minute movie "Sedona the Spirit of Wonder" at the SuperMax Theater. There, we got an overview and a little history of Sedona and the Red Rock formations.

On the first evening, we had an "old-fashioned Christmas Dinner and tree decoration party.

On day two, we hopped aboard the Verde Canyon Wilderness Train and spent the afternoon traveling through Arizona’s other "Grand Canyon". It was truly a photographer’s paradise. That evening, we traveled to the Blazin M Ranch for a little fun, a "cowboy" dinner, and some good old western music. Our tour guide, Sherry Tinerella, found her new "bow" Otis….. long story.

On day three, we took a trolley tour of Sedona, went to the Chapel of the Holy Cross at the base of the Red Rock formations in Oak Creek Canyon and stopped high atop one of the mountains where we had the opportunity to see and take pictures of the panoramic view of the region. Sufficient time was allowed for shopping in town. That evening was spent in the San Abrrigedos Resort where we took a walking tour through the condominium village to nearly 50 Christmas lights displays, each consisting of about 15,000 lights.

Two of our travelers took a ride on a hot air balloon and said it was breath taking. And, our dinners were very good and representative of the southwestern culture.

Probably the most exciting feature of our trip was discovering that our flight back to Houston had been cancelled. As a result, we were booked on a later flight that got most of us home around midnight.

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Alaskan Adventure
June 2001

The summer of 2001 was a wonderful experience for the Grant’s in that we traveled almost to the Artic Circle in the largest state in the U. S. -- Alaska. The 16-day trip began on June 26, shortly after our 39^th anniversary, with all four couples whom we have known for more than 30 years and traveled with since 1999. As previously mentioned, they live in various parts of the country now, but at one time we all belonged to the same Sunday School class at St. Philips United Methodist Church in Houston. The ten of us met up at Fairbanks, Alaska; however, four of us flew to Minneapolis were we met up with two more.

The trip all started with our being told at the airport in Houston that our tickets had been "cancelled!". If that doesn't cause a pit in your stomach, nothing will phase you. Well, to make a very long story short, we got on the plane and got to Minneapolis and were bumped to "First Class" to Fairbanks.

At that time of the year, you are at the land of the midnight sun - 22.5 hours of sunlight daily. It took some adjusting as we couldn't fall sleepy late with the sun still bright. It didn't take long for us to adjust as our days were packed full of sightseeing, with lots of walking.

Our first two nights were spent in Fairbanks, wherein we started our 6-night land tour.  the trip took us to the Denali Princess Lodge, Denali National Park where our bus broke down 45 miles inside the park and a scenic whitewater rafting adventure.  Via the Princess glass domed train, we traveled to Anchorage  for a city tour and then on to the Kenai Princess Lodge where we took a scenic float trip to see the Bald Eagles and a  whale watching trip.

Our final destination of our on-land package was in Seward, where we boarded the Sun Princess Cruise ship for a 7-night trip down the coastline along the inland waterway.  Our trip to us to College Fjords, Glacier Bay, Juno, Ketchikan and to our final destination, Vancouver, where we disembarked the ship.  In Juno, I took a helicopter ride to a glacier where we got off and hiked around the glacier examining the streams and blue ice.  In Ketckikan, I went on a seaplane to the Misty Fjords.

We had booked a 2-night stay in Vancouver, so we could see Vancouver and travel via a huge ferry to Victoria, wherein we visited the famous Bouchart Gardens and the hotel where High Tea is the attraction at $46 per person!  On our final day in Victoria, we boarded our plane for Houston--Coach Class, of course.

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Branson
November 2002

In November, we traveled to Branson with our retirees group.  The six-day journey took us to Carthiage, Missouri where we saw the Precious Moments museum and the Fountain of Angels show.  From there, it was to Branson to see five shows in three days and to take a tour of the city.  We had a very nice time and was our second trip to the area in three years.  On our return home, we spent the night in Bossier City, Louisiana and went to the Libby glass factory and Outlet Center.

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Australia/New Zealand
January 2003

On the afternoon of January 2, 2003, Betty and I, along with our friends Paul and Marsha Smith, began our 19-day adventure to Australia and New Zealand.   The temperature was 52 degrees when we left Houston.  The trip was a true adventure in every sense of the word.  It started almost a week earlier when Paul received a call from Princess Cruises indicating his Visa had not cleared and he could not leave the country until the matter was resolved.  After several days and numerous phone calls, the Australian Embassy said all was fine.

Though we were traveling the day after the New Year, we found Bush Intercontinental to have relatively few travelers.  Paul’s Visa issue resurfaced at the ticket counter but was resolved rather quickly, and my Passport did not match my flight tickets….this turned out to be an issue throughout the trip.  We found ourselves at the airline gate with more time than anticipated.

 When we arrived at the Los Angeles, we were directed to the International terminal wherein we found ourselves among thousands of other travelers and a rather large state of confusion.  We worked our way to the ticket counter to obtain our boarding passes.  Lo and behold, I encountered a problem with my Visa.  It was not cleared.  After what seemed a very long time, the matter was resolved and we moved to a line that snaked throughout the airport.  This was the line that took us through the first of several security checkpoints.  As time passed, we became a bit worried that we might not make our flight…but we did.

Our flight on Qantas left on time and for the next 12-14 hours, we sat in those cramped little seats.  Fortunately, the Ambien we obtained from our doctor helped us get some sleep.  In fact, I got about 7 blissful hours that helped immensely in coping with long flight and full day of sightseeing upon our arrival in Sydney.  When we landed in Sydney, it was Saturday, January 4…we had lost a day.  Sydney is a city of 4 million people.

The Princess Cruises representative was at the baggage terminal to greet us and whisk us off to our hotel…but, not before Paul discovered one of their pieces of luggage was no where to be found.  The Intercontinental Hotel was quite nice, though we did not have the harbour view we had expected.  Our room overlooked the Botanical Gardens. 

 Shortly after settling in, the four of us met to begin our free morning and afternoon.  Of course, we had to get our priorities straight…deciding where  to eat at Circular Quay (pronounced “key”), the main attraction at the harbour.  From harbour, we were within walking distance of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the famous Opera House…several Kodak moments to say the least.  And, of course, being a weekend, there were what seemed to be hundreds of shops with bargains that were calling everyone’s name. This day was the warmest day we encountered the entire trip.  It was about 80-85 degrees.  We met back at the hotel to rest a bit and then to a small reception hosted by Princess.  Then back to the harbour to seek a dinner spot.  Lights out at 9:00…we were pooped! 

On January 5, we had a city tour, which took us through town, The Rock (the old harbour community), Bondi Beach and to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, followed by a harbour cruise on a catamaran.  Sydney is much like Houston in that it is a major metropolitan city.  However, the area known as the Rock was established in 1788 by British prisoners who were sent there to established a British Commonwealth.

Upon our return, Paul discovered his luggage had arrived.  That evening, we went back to Circular Key to eat at an Italian restaurant that we had been about.  From there we went to the Botanical Gardens to watch the Fruit Bats that become active about dusk.  They were huge…maybe 12”-15” long with a wingspan of 36”.  They hung down from limbs on a form of fruit tree.  Lights out early this night, as we had to be up at 4:30 the next morning.  It was quite cool that night and the winds were a bit brisk.

 January 6 was another travel day.  Our luggage had to be out and ready for pickup at 5:30 in the morning, as we were flying to Cairns (pronounced Cans) for two nights.  The 2.5-hour trip turned out to be on an international flight, so we had the hassle of security again.  Some luggage did not make the flight and did not arrive until the next day.  Fortunately, ours were not among the missing.  We spent two nights at the Hilton, and had a nice view of harbour.

 The weather in Cairns was overcast and misty.  Being 1,200 miles north of Sydney, the weather was supposed to be similar to Florida…. quite hot and humid.  We found the humidity to be high, but the temperature was about 80 degrees.  After settling in to our room, we took a 3-hour walk in town, including a lunch stop.   That evening we went to Dundee’s Restaurant for dinner.  The girls found the Opal shops, for which Australia is known for have the world’s largest supply.

We spent most of January 7 at the Great Barrier Reef.  We left Cairns about 9:00 AM for a 1.5-hour ride on a very large catamaran to the Reef.  The water was extremely choppy and had a lot of us eating ginger tablets to wart off seasickness.  Upon our arrival, everyone suited up for snorkeling, short trips in a glass bottom boat or a submarine-style vessel, or scuba diving.  We opted for the snorkeling.  It was a good experience, tough the water was a bit murky that day.  And, without my glasses, visibility was even more obscure.  Betty got into the water and decided it was too rough for her, so out she came.  Following a buffet lunch, we went out in the glass bottom boat to view some of the sea life.  It was too bad that the water was not clear that day.

 From there we worked our way back via Fitsroy Island, wherein we took a nature walk through the Rain Forest and learned about the plant and tree life.  This island is also known for its nude beach area…and no, we didn’t see it!  Upon our return, we rested a bit and then went to dinner at Verdi’s Restaurant, which had been recommended to us by one of the crew on our boat.  It was quite good!

January 8 – We had to be up at 6:00 AM to have our bags out at 6:30 and to eat breakfast prior to exiting for the airport back to Sydney.  Our flight was an hour late in leaving.  While waiting to fly out, we were told it was 100 degrees in Sydney.  However, shortly after take off, the pilot advised us that a storm was moving into Sydney and the temperature had fallen to 90.  By the time we got to Sydney the temperature was down to 70 degrees and winds were 35-40 miles per hour.  Our plane had to circle for about 30 minutes to allow the storm to pass.  Our baggage was claimed and off we went to board the Regal Princess ship.  We arrived about 6:00 PM.  We were in our cabin by 6:30, but our luggage had not yet been delivered.  We went to dinner and the ship sailed at 8:15 that evening. 

Later that evening, Paul was messing with his digital camera and accidentally erased 65 pictures in his camera.  I had to get double prints of my photos so he would have something to show for the first 6 days of our trip.  Bedtime came early, as the seas were very rough following the storm that had been in the area.  At one point during the night, we experienced 20’ seas.  Fortunately, the prone position helped immensely.  By morning, the seas were somewhat calm and everyone was feeling better.

January 9 was spent at sea.  It gave us time to rest up from the hectic pace we kept the first week and lots of time to explore the ship and get our bearings.  That evening, we had our first formal dinner in the dining room.  Our other tablemates for the cruise were two very delightful British couples – John and Noreen and Robert and Brenda.  Both couples live north of London about 70 miles.  It was a pleasure to have them at our table.  Following dinner, we took in the Salute to Broadway production in the main theater.  Then to the Lido for coffee and cookies before retiring for the evening.

We awoke on January 10 in Melbourne, a city of 3.5 million people.  It was 69 degrees that day.  Two day earlier, it had been 100 degrees.  Our first tour was a bus tour of the city and a few photo stops.  We went to the Botanical Gardens where we saw more Fruit Bats, to the Shrine of Remembrance, and to the Fitsroy Gardens.  Houses were quite small and cost about $300,00 or more.   That afternoon, we a walking tour of Port Melbourne, the oldest part of the city.  Jeanne was our tour guide and she was delightful.  She has lived in the area all her life and currently living in the neighborhood.  As such, she introduced us to the locals and allowed us to visit and ask questions.  Among our stops were the lawn bowling club and the Trugo Club, where “Digger”, the club champion taught us to play the game.  We even got to play a little Trugo, a game invented by the railroad workers there in Port Melbourne.  In fact, I had the only perfect score in our group.

The following day was spent at sea.  We traveled east through the Bass Strait and then southeast across the Tasman Sea heading towards Tasmania.  The temperature was 69 that day.  We got in our 2-mile walk and I entered a putting contest.  I came in 3^rd place.

 On the morning of January 12, we awoke at the port in Hobart.  Our first tour was to a Wildlife Park.  There we experienced firsthand the wildlife of Australia.  We fed Wallabies, pet the Kulahs and Wombats and saw the Tasmanian Devils.  The latter are vicious little devils! 

That afternoon, we took a tour of Historic Hobart and traveled to a mountaintop for our Kodak moment as well as tea and scones at the restaurant adjacent to the lookout point.  We learned that housing cost in Hobart ranged from $110,000 for a small, modest home to about $1 million for location and view. 

That evening we set sail for New Zealand.  We spent the next three days at sea.  On the 14^th, we had our second and final formal night.  And, on the third day, we traveled in and out of Milford Sound, as well as into Thompson Sound and back out through Doubtful Sound.  The mountains were magnificent, though our photos did not necessarily capture the beauty due to the early morning and the barely visible rays of the sun over the mountaintops.

By January 16, we had reached the Port Chalmers, the gateway to Dunedin (sounds like da-need’n).  The small city of 105,000 was quite picturesque as it is set on the hillside of a small mountain with a beautiful church standing out as a focal point for all to view.  Because of its surroundings, the city was tagged as being the South Scotland.  On this day we took a wildlife cruise on a catamaran.  The one and one-half hour trip retraced our ships route into the harbour.  We saw the smallest penguins in the world (5”-6” tall), seals, a variety of birds and the beautiful Albatrosses, with their 10’ wingspans.  Upon our return, we walked to the harbour community up the street from the wharf to check out the Possum furrier shop and visit to the old church.  We learned that New Zealand has over 91 million possum and the old church was a Presbyterian/Methodist congregation.  As it turned out, the Methodist Church had closed its doors and the congregation had merged with the Presbyterian congregation.  The total congregation of sixty has services every other Sunday. 

That afternoon, we took a tour of Old Dunedin wherein we saw another beautiful church, the Railroad Station, the beautiful Oleston Home, and a mountaintop view of the shoreline.  Housing cost for very small modest homes is about $80,000 and up, depending on the view.

That evening, we navigated out of Dunedin and began our trek north to Christchurch.  We arrived the next morning, January 17, about 8:00 AM, having docked at Port Lyttleton, the gateway to Christchurch.  This city of 300,000 people is said to be the most English city outside of England.  It was 67 degrees. There we toured the city, the Botanical Gardens, the Canterbury Museum, which was across the street from the Art Centre, and traveled to the top of a couple of mountains to have our photographic moments.  Later that day, we went to the Antarctic Museum, wherein we experienced the snow and chilling air, and we went to the Willowbank Wildlife Preserve to see some near extinct birds and the Kiwi, the symbol of New Zealanders, also known as Kiwis.  We got some breathtaking panoramic pictures of Governor’s Bay and Port Hills. 

 We pulled away from the dock at 6:00 PM sharp and began the next leg of our trip to Wellington, the windy city that compares to San Francisco.  The winds tend to come from Cook Strait.  We arrived at the Aotea Quay Harbour about 8:00 AM on January 18.  There is a beautiful view of this 360,000 populated city of Wellington from Mt. Victoria.  It is the capital of New Zealand, so one finds many old and beautiful Parliament buildings.

While at Wellington, we took a 1.5-hour bus ride to Camp Russell Marine Memorial to the Marines who died in action during WWII.  It was on this site that they trained for action before moving north for invasions of various islands in the South Pacific.  From there, we went to a private residence to see their gardens.  We then headed for the Lindale Animal Farm to have lunch, watch dog heard sheep and the staff shear sheep, milk a cow and feed some baby sheep a bottle of milk.  Our final stop was at the largest antique car museum, with vehicles that dated back prior to 1900.

 The day climaxed with the traditional Gala at 11:00 PM.  The highlight of the evening was the tower of over 900 champagne glasses, balloon drop and flying streamers.

 January 19 – Today we were at sea on a northerly course around the tip of New Zealand and then on a westerly course to Auckland.  This was bag-packing day and we had to have our bags out in the hallway no later than 10:00 PM.  And, it was our last meal in the Dining Room with our new friends from England.  They invited us to come and stay with them when we plan our trip to England-Scotland-Ireland.  We may just do that!  We have their email address.

 January 20 was the longest day in our lives!  Truly a long day in many respects.  We arrived at Auckland about 7:00 AM.  The alarm went off at 5:45, as we need to be at breakfast by 6:30.  By 7:30, we were in the theater waiting our call to disembark the ship.  Shortly, thereafter, we heard our tour number being called.  By 8:00, we were on the bus and off to have a morning tour of Auckland.   Our first stop was the space needle that provided a  panoramic view of the entire city and harbor.  From there we went to the Antarctic Exhibits where we saw many of the early pioneers’ equipment and notes from their expeditions.  And, we saw several species of live penguins from that area of the world.

Following the exhibit, we were bussed to the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Auckland, the staging area for all the tour folks who needed to be transported to airport according to flight schedules.  Since we have about 3 hours, we left the hotel in search of a place to grab a bit to eat and to look in the stores.  After about 15 minutes of shopping, Paul and I went back to the hotel to retrieve our carry-on bags and have some coffee and cookies.

We left the hotel via a bus about 3:40 and arrived at the airport at 4:20, only to find a maze of baggage outside the terminal.  We had to identify and retrieve our luggage and get in a very long line that snaked throughout the terminal.  That line took 3 hours to get to the ticket counter.  The reason for this mess was a flight delay that caused everyone on another flight to Los Angeles to have to rebook all their connecting flights.  And, it took forever!  Adding to the confusion were the airport agents moving us from one line to another.  During all of this, Marsha was practically strip-searched by security.  We got on the plane only to find that we would not leave until one hour after the scheduled departure…8:40 PM…you can guess what that meant!

We had been up since 5:45 AM and were dead tired and hungry.  We took off and shortly after that dinner was served.  I took my Ambien and was asleep shortly thereafter.  I slept for 7 hours.  Betty slept off and on for about the same amount of time.  When we arrived at Los Angeles, we encountered another problem….it took forever to get our baggage and then through Customs.  Then we had to go to the ticket counter as we had missed our connections.  Paul and Marsha had received a note indicated they were suppose to be on the 2:30 flight to Dallas but we did not get one.  After standing in line for another hour only to be directed to the Business Class line to expedite our ticketing, we learned that the 2:30 flight was booked and we were on STANDBY for the 3:15 flight.  It didn’t seem to matter to them that we needed to leave Dallas with Paul and Marsha, as our limo was to bring us both home.  Otherwise, it was going to cost us another $100 for transportation home if we could get a ride at 11:00 at night.

To make a long story a bit shorter, we got on the 3:15 flight.  I had to cal our limo driver and advise him of the change and new arrival time, IF we didn’t miss our connection in Dallas.  As it turned out, Paul and Marsha had to go through another rigorous Security check and went to the assigned gate, only to find out that there gate assignment had changed.  They came huffing and puffing to our gate not realizing their gate was a bit further down the terminal.  Off they ran to make their flight that was suppose to leave in 5 minutes.  Their flight was only then boarding and the plane sat for 20 more minutes before taking off.  In fact, it took off about 15 minutes before we left. 

Upon our arrival in Dallas, we found our traveling companions.  About the time we were to board the plane, Marsha and I noticed that their tickets showed Hobby Airport and we were going to Bush Intercontinental.  Paul scrambled and told the gate agent what had happened.  They were rebooked on our flight and we took off for Houston, leaving about 15 minutes late.  We were 10 minutes late arriving in Houston.  I got all our baggage and Paul was still looking for his.  I suggested, as did Marsha, that their baggage might be at Hobby.  So, a claim was filed and we left for home.

We arrived in Houston at 11:00 PM on January 20, the same day we left Auckland.  We were home by 12:30 AM and in bed by 1:30.  We had traveled over 22,000 miles in 19 days, and Betty and I had a combined weight gain of over 12 lbs.  Oh, I almost forgot!  Paul and Marsha have been profiled as our token terrorist threat! 

Needless to say, the trip was fantastic and the scenery was beautiful….but, I can’t say the same for the airports!  If we learned anything from our experience, it was to make sure your Passport matches the name on your airline tickets….Visa issues and Security procedures kick in when paperwork does not match!

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BEND THERE AND DONE THAT
August 2004

Thursday

 Upon our arrival in Portland, Oregon, it was 66 degrees and raining.  Our friends and very gracious hosts, Patti and Jared, met us at the airport and chauffeured us to their home in Bend, located on the east side of the Cascade mountain range in central Oregon.  Along the way, we stopped not far out of Portland to view Mulmonth Falls.  From there, we had a three hour drive to Bend.

Patti and Jared’s house is situated high atop a hill that overlooks a huge valley and the mountain range beyond and in full view.  As with most hillside construction, the house appeared to be one-story; however from the rear, you find another floor below.  In their case, the “guest” quarters were on the lower level and consisted of two bedrooms, a full bath and a living room with all the amenities, including a refrigerator.

 Our day ended with a one-mile walk up and down the hills in the neighborhood.

 Friday

Our day began at 8:15 am, with a ride south to the Lava Butte Mountain Visitors Center and a spectacular mountain view from the top.  While at the center, we watched and listened to a man demonstrate how the Indians made arrowheads out of Obsidian.

 From there, we continued our trek south to a quaint little community, Sunriver, followed by lunch at the quaint Victorian Hotel at Hood River.  Following lunch, we again traveled south to Benham Falls where we visited the Lava Lands Center in the National Park and walked along the river on a one-mile round trip hiking trail.  We saw numerous rapids and wonderful scenery.  Along the way, we found a nest high atop a dead tree, with one or two baby Osprey (large birds).  In the same area, we took a one-mile stroll through the Lava Cast Forest.  This lava rock area covers hundreds of acres and was most interesting in that the lava spill formed and cooled around trees in the forest.  Over time, the trees decayed and disappeared, leaving large holes in the lava bed where the trees once stood.

Saturday

 On Saturday, we began the day rather early, as we again traveled south from Bend to Crater Lake.  As the name implies, the 6-mile wide and 1943 feet deep lake was created over a 500 year period following the eruption of the mountain 7,700 years ago.  The sides of the mountain collapsed into the hole after the lava quit blowing out of the top and scattering rocks throughout a several state area.   While the mountain had been calculated to have been over 12,000 feet tall prior to the eruption, the highest point on the perimeter of the lake stands about 7,100 feet above sea level.

There is a small island near the edge of the lake known as Wizard Island, possibly named because there is wildlife on the island that one might not expect.  The secret as to how they got there is known, but I’m not telling!

 Several Kodak moments surround the perimeter of the lake, including the Phantom Ship Outlook formation and Pumice Castle.  The highlight of the day was a 1.1 mile hike along a switchback trail that takes you 700 feet down to the water’s edge.  There, we boarded a large boat and cruised for two hours around the lakes perimeter.  It took us 30 minutes to descend to the water.  There warned us that it might take as much as two hours to return to the top of the crater.  We did it in 40 minutes…dead tired however!

Sunday

 We had a hearty breakfast and a later start this day.  Our trip took us to Mt. Bachelor, which is over 9,000 feet high.  There, we took the ski lift to the 7,500 foot level for a spectacular view of Broken Top and South Sister mountains, as well as a good part of the state.

 From there, we traveled to the South Sister Mountain and then on Century Drive to Lava Lake to take a few pictures.   We had lunch at Cultus Lake.  While sitting on the patio behind the hotel, we took a few pictures of the marina.

We concluded our day with a 2-mile walk in the neighborhood.

Monday

This day also started with a hearty breakfast and a venture to Black Butte Basin.  Located adjacent to a fish hatchery was a 1.7 mile hiking trail that leads one through the Ponderosa Pine forest along the Metolius River.  There we stopped and had a picnic lunch directly across the river from Falls Spring that gushes out of the hillside about 10 feet above the water’s edge.  Aside from the near 90 degree temperature, the hike was magnificent.

 We completed the day with grilled chicken and a wonderful homemade lemon mereingue pie to celebrate my birthday and packing for our 4:45 am wakeup call for our journey back to the Portland airport for our trip back home.

We did not see a lot of wildlife there, but we did see hundreds of cute and very friendly chipmunks and a few deer along the road.  Several deer hang out near the house as well, eating the pretty flowers in the beds.

 Tuesday

Our tip back home would have been uneventful had the airport security not thrown me in the poky for carrying a dangerous weapon – a 2” knife in my finger nail repair kit…just kidding!  They did confiscate it before we could continue past the security point.  And, it would not have been eventful had the car started…took a while but it did finally cranked up.

We had a great time!

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Panama Canal
December 2004

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Kauai, Hawaii
February, 2006

In 2005, we were invited by our friends, Janice and Elvin, to stay with them in their two-bedroom time-share unit on the island of Kauai in February, 2006. Because we had wanted to go Hawaii for a long time, it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill our desire. We immediately contacted Continental Airlines about using our frequent flyer points and American Express points that we had accumulated over the past 20 years or so to obtain free seats. To make a long story short, we got free passage to Honolulu and back. So, the only tickets we had to buy were from Honolulu to Lihue, Kauai.

Before I begin, a little geography about Kauai may help one understand the vacation activities. Kauai is west of the island of Hawaii and considered the laid-back island. It is 33 miles wide by 33 miles long. There is one main road that runs along the coastal area starting from the northern most point around the east side of the island and covering about ¾ of the coastline. The center of the island is basically uninhabited due to the mountains. When approaching the small communities, one will find additional streets. The pace is slow and there are few traffic lights to control the traffic, making it a challenge to get back on the main road if you stop along the way to sightsee, shop, eat, etc. The west side of the island is less inhabited; however, there are lots of beaches and a military artillery range.

Though it was winter, the weather was very pleasant for the most part. The temperature ranged from about 61º to 64º in the morning to 73º to 78º in the afternoon. We had two days when the temperature was uncomfortable, primarily due to the 20 to 30 mph winds coming out of the northwest. We had rain several nights that did not affect our adventures, but did experience rain during the last two days that somewhat curtailed our outings.

Of the 80,000 people on the island at any one time, 20,000 are visitors. The total does not include the thousands of chickens that roam the island. In 1992, a hurricane severely damaged most everything on the island. Chickens at a poultry farm got loose and scattered all over the island during the past 14 years. While they are not protected, these red chickens are a novelty to the visitors to the island.

As a way of background, Janice and Elvin have several time-share weeks in Hawaii and spend two weeks in the Shearwater project each year. It and many other time-share facilities are located in the community of Princeville. This community is located near the northern most area of the island. The Shearwater apartment has two bedrooms and two baths, making it convenient for two couples. It overlooks the Pacific Ocean, producing some huge waves as they approach a shallow shelf water about three feet deep.

We spent a lot of time in small shops and shopping centers. Often, we would get free samples or coffee or stop in a local café or eating establishment for lunch. The closer to the cruise line wharf, the more shops you encountered. Our overall plan was to eat in the apartment for breakfast and dinner and eat out for lunch. There were exceptions to this when we went to pot-luck dinners, a luau and a sunset cruise and dinner.

OK, let’s begin. Our trip began on Friday morning when our friends, Paul and Marsha, picked us up at 9:00 am and took us to Bush Intercontinental Airport. There we checked our baggage and proceeded to the gate. All went well until we got out to the runway and the captain came on the PA system and indicated the toilets in the first-class section had overflowed into the galley, and that he had to turn around and go back to the gate. Two hours after the appointed departure, we were on our way to sunny Hawaii. Somehow, we made up most of the lost time and arrived in Honolulu in time to make the flight from there to Kauai, though we had to hurry through the airport to another terminal. Unfortunately, our luggage did not make the flight and we were without a change of clothes until the next afternoon.

Janice and Elvin were at the Lihue Airport to greet us with a Lai for each of us. Since the airport was 26 miles from the community of Princeville where the time-share unit is located, we stopped at the Coconut Shopping Center in Kapaa to have dinner in a local restaurant.

Before arriving, we made a quick stop for milk at the local store adjacent the entrance to the Princeville community. By the time we had reached the Shearwater units, it was 9:00 pm and we were tired. At 10:00 pm we went to bed…it was 2:00 am Houston time!

On the second day, there was a 9:00 am orientation meeting for the new guest who had arrived the night before. There, we learned about the many sights and adventures available to us and participated in a drawing. We won $75 and a buy one get the other one free offer for a 3.5 hours sunset cruise with dinner. We drove around the area that morning, making our first stop at the Guava Plantation. There we picked a half dozen guava from the trees close to the road. From there, we moved on down the road to a small community where we stopped at a Saturday morning farmer’s market and traveled to Kapaa for lunch at the Country Kitchen restaurant. Following an afternoon of shopping, we returned to the apartment in time to go to an affiliated project to have mai tai’s and to listen to Darryl and Darryl on the guitar. Following that, we returned to the apartment for dinner and games.

On day three, we went to a local church in Hanalei, not far from where we were staying. Waioli Huiia United Church of Christ, a Community Church, has more visitors on Sunday morning than it has members, with a total attendance of about 200 people. We were amazed at the similarity of the service to that of our own United Methodist church.

Some of the hymns were sung in Hawaiian and others in English. The same was true with the responsive readings. All visitors were recognized and new visitors were given the opportunity to stand and tell where their home is located. After church, we ventured north to take in the sights and to have dinner at the Polynesia Café in a small shopping area. We returned in time to watch the Super Bowl and have Guacamole dip made from a fresh avocado we had bought at the farmer’s market on Saturday. 

The next day, I arose early and walked about 1.6 miles, getting back just in time to clean up and eat breakfast. We spent some time watching the Albatross fly by and to look at one nesting with her new born near the road and adjacent to the golf course. We drove to the Kilauea Point Light House to view a beautiful panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and to watch the waters splash against the rock cliffs, pushing water high into the air.

From this vantage point, we could see the whales surfacing not too far off shore. We had lunch at CJ’s Steak and Seafood restaurant. Following lunch, we drove almost to the end of the northern road to Haena Beach Park. To get there one has to drive over the Hanalei Bridge, a one-lane bridge built in 1914, which is often closed due to high water created by rains in the mountains. We did stop on the way and took some snapshots at the Hanalei Valley Lookout where one could see the taro fields. Taro roots are ground into poi, which almost everyone says has a terrible taste…. we could not say one way or another. Across the road from the beach were two caves, the Dry Cave and the Wet cave.

The Maniniholo Dry Cave runs several hundred yards under the lava cliff. The Wet Cave is a short distance away. We had to get back to the apartment to prepare pu pu’s for the get acquainted gathering at one of the affiliate facilities. There was lots of food, good music and hula dancers. Unfortunately, Betty and I got to know Darryl to well, as he selected us to join the hula dancers for a lesson. Fortunately, neither Janice nor Elvin remembered to bring their cameras. We finished the evening with a game or two.

Upon arising on Tuesday morning, I walked 1.5 miles on the road that leads to the entrance to the subdivision. Following breakfast, I went to the office to check my email. Shortly thereafter, we headed south to the Kauai Coffee Company plantation. The harvest had already taken place, so there was no activity going on in the plant. But, we did have an opportunity to walk the fields and pick a few beans, and we had an opportunity to taste a number of coffee flavors. Of course, we had to buy a few bags. From there, we drove to Waimea to eat a Barefoot Bugers. Wow! What a deal. We each had a ½ pound hamburger for $5.25, including fries, because we had a buy one, get one free coupon. When we finished lunch, we drove up the Waimea Mountain road about 18 miles to view the magnificent Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  You cannot imagine the view.

There are three lookout stops along the way. The first stop was the Waimea Canyon lookout. The second was at the Puu Hinah lookout and the last was at the Puu Okila lookout at an elevation of 4,000’. The view was breathtaking. We got back in time for Bingo at the main office and dinner in the apartment. While playing a game, the power went off across the region, leaving that part of the island without lights for 1.5 hours. Had it not been for a half moon, you could not have seen a thing.

On day 6, we woke up late and had breakfast. While Elvin was at the property owner’s meeting, I caught up with these notes and checked my email, while the girls washed clothes. After Elvin returned, we went to Poipu to view the Spouting Horn Blow Hole. The lava rocks in that area have a few holes that open to the sea. When the wave hit just right, it causes water to spray straight up from inside the lava. As one might expect, I waited a long time for it to happen and didn’t see one. I turned the camera off and turned to walk away. Bingo, there was the big blow and I missed it. From there we stopped by the Hyatt Regency Resort to see the spectacular hotel.

We then went to lunch at a nearby shopping area. We bought a loaf of sweet bread, which turned out to be one of our best buys. This day, we bought gasoline. At $2.95 per gallon, I charged $56 to my credit card. It was 61º most of the day and very windy, a bit chilly for us folks wearing shorts. The remainder of the day was spent in the apartment playing games and eating.

On the last day of our first week, we were met with a windy day, with temperatures ranging between 61º and 70º. We ate breakfast and traveled to the Kauao Beach Villas for a 1.5-hour time-share presentation. "What a deal we can make for you!" It started with a $37,000 for one week a year in a two-bedroom unit to a $4,000 every other year one-bedroom unit, plus $700 per year maintenance. The best deal was the cookies they served us. We left there for Duke’s Canoe Club in the Marriott Resort located in Nawiliwili to have fish tacos for lunch. At this restaurant, we had a spectacular view of the beach and bay area. But the best part was the huge slice of Hula Pie, with a drizzle of fudge sauce and whip cream sitting on a crust of rich graham crackers. The hotel was in close proximity of an inter-island cruise line ship in port. So, there were a lot of people shopping in the stores across a small bridge from the hotel. On our return to the apartment, we stopped at Opaekaa Falls near Kapaa.

The first day of our second week in Kauai turned out to be a major disappointment. The day started with an easy leisurely morning. At 12:30 pm, we headed south to Port Allen, wherein we were to take a Sunset Cruise and Dinner trip on the Holo Holo catamaran. Before boarding, we went across the street and bought some Red Dirt shirts and toured their production assembly, such as it was…not much to it. Stick a white shirt in a bucket of red dirt and water, run it several times in the washing machine, dry and fold it. But, they are famous for their shirts.

At the appointed time, we boarded the catamaran and tried to get near the back of the boat, as we were told that was the best place to be in rough waters. We had checked several times to see if they were going to cancel the trip due to rough waters, but were assured it would be OK. After a few minutes in fairly rough seas, they broke out the dinner for us. Within 30 minutes, they indicated we were about to get into rough waters and the food would have to be put away. Well, to say we were in rough seas was not a very good description for the conditions we were in. We had 12’ to 15’ seas! People were getting sick and we were less than an hour into the trip. By the time we reached our stopping point for a few photo moments and to watch the whales, almost everyone on board had a bucket! I think I set the record, having thrown up about 8 times. I was so sick I missed the beautiful Na Pali Coast and the 2000’ cliffs that stretch 15 miles from Kee west to Polihale, the valley and the beaches. I did take a couple of pictures, but I missed all the whales, dolphins and a man-a-ray. I can hardly remember the ride back to the apartment. I had a sour stomach for several days thereafter. Betty only threw up twice and was OK after we got off the boat. Elvin was the only one who made it without getting sick. I took a shower and went straight to bed.

It was a good thing the next day was a lazy day, as I had not quite recovered from the previous day’s activity. We went to another orientation to see if we could win some free stuff…nada. We went to the farmer’s market and bought a few fruits. We had lunch, shopped for a while and got back in time to go to the get acquainted gathering to listen to Darryl and Darryl play their guitars and sing songs. We returned in time to watch the open ceremonies of the Olympics. By then, my stomach had recovered to the point that I could ignore it.

On day 10, we got up late and had breakfast prior to going to the same church we had attended the previous week. Again, the crowd was large and visitors were predominant. For lunch, we went to the Princeville Golf Club. Our table over looked the golf course. We drove through one of the subdivisions and looked at the million dollar homes. If you wanted a water view lot, you could expect to pay about $1.25 million. We stopped by a quaint little Episcopal church built in 1941. From there, we stopped by the Princeville Hotel Resort. We spent some time watching whales and then watched a movie on Maui. After dinner, we watched the Olympics and played a few games.

On day 11, we went to Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville for breakfast. The resort is a beautiful place and the location of the restaurant provided a breathtaking view of the bay area. We were seated on the lanai. It had rained the night before and the waterfalls were noticeable throughout the mountain range. The clouds lifted and the sun began to peak at the tops of the mountains as we sat at the table having breakfast. From there, we drove south to a mountain road that leads to a lookout overlooking a nice view of the Wailua Falls, the waterfalls shown as the opening scene for the TV series, Fantasy Island. We returned to the apartment to prepare our dish for the get acquainted covered-dish gathering. There we had dinner, listened to Darryl and Darryl play their guitars and sing. Betty won one of the door prizes, a magnet frame for one of our Kodak moments while on the trip. Ironically, she had been talking all week about getting one of them. We hid in the back when the hula lesson candidates were being selected, though dancing with Kiani would have been worth the embarrassment.

On Valentine’s Day, us guys gave our gals a Valentine card. After breakfast, we went north to Hanalei. While the girls looked around in the shops, Elvin and I went to the Java Kai coffee shop. We then drove down a dirt road toward the mountains. We were traveling between Taro fields. At the end of the road, we turned around and returned to the apartment for lunch and rest before our luau at Gaylord’s in Kilohana.

We rode a wagon, drawn by two Clydesdale horses, around the property to the historic house on the property, looked at the crafts, watched the buried pig ceremony and had a buffet dinner. We watched a show with hula and native dancers before returning to Princeville via a chartered bus.

On day 13, our objective was to drive south to visit some of the small communities with shops, but with a primary directive to locate the Cookie Company outlet in Hanapepe. There we bought four packages of cookies of assorted flavors. A few blocks away, we walked the main street looking at some beautiful wood craftsmanship. We found the Swinging Bridge.

Adjacent to the bridge was a beautiful, but huge tree with orchids growing wild on the trunk. We went back to the Spouting Horn Blow Hole to try one more time to get a good photo. We had success. We had a late lunch at Gaylord’s, after a 40-minute wait. At the suggestion of a friend, we found Captain Cook’s monument in Waimea, a quaint little community. Down the street, we drove through the Waimea Plantation Cottages. We got back to the apartment about 5:00 pm just before a pouring rain.

On our last full day on the island, it was raining. In fact, it rained most of the day. We spent the morning washing and packing clothes such that we did not exceed the weight limit on baggage. We went to Paradise Taco in Hanalei. I had a beef taco made with a corn tortilla which was homemade and very good. We stopped at a bakery shop to buy some Stromboli for our evening meal. It, too, was quite good. After dinner, we finished packing and watched the Olympics once more. And, at 10:00 pm, we watched House Hunters to see Bob Matthis, son of Leon and Martha Matthis, and his new wife purchase one of three houses they looked at during the 30-minute program.

On our last day, we cleaned out the unit and checked out at the main office. From there we drove to the Lihue area to take a look at the Methodist Church. It, like many others, was also identified as a United Church of Christ. Another older church was located on the same property. We also took one last look at the bay area adjacent to the Marriott Resort and had lunch on the lanai at Duke’s Canoe Club. From there, we went to the time-share facility that Janice and Elvin would be staying for the next week. After checking in and putting their luggage in the apartment, we went to the airport to check our luggage and proceed to the gate. There, we said our goodbyes. The trip back to Houston was uneventful, other than the fact that we did not sleep. We did manage to stay awake all day after arriving at 7:00 am on Saturday.

We had a good time, had been gone for just over two weeks and drove 980 miles in our rented minivan.

Epilogue: I got sick on Sunday afternoon and was ill for about 24 hours.