Sometimes I actually travel somewhere besides Disney (gasp)! So I thought I would share the links to some of my most memorable trips.
We visited Atlanta in Georgia 2006. It was the first time that Marc and the girls had ever been. We visited Stone Mountain with my friend Kelli and her friend. We also visited World of Coca Cola and Underground Atlanta. No trip to Atlanta would be complete without a trip to the Martin Luther King Memorial. I heard about the Varsity on the food network and had to try it out. This was my second trip to Atlanta but it was fun seeing the place through my families eyes. We are now planning for a family reunion in the lovely peach state for 2009.
I had the time of my life in Alabama at the Scrap Etc Event 2007 (scroll down a bit to see highlights from the trip). It was my second scrap event, but this one was like nothing you have ever seen before. I met a lot of great new friends and got to spend some time with my goddaughter.
In July (2007) I got to go on a dream trip with my mom (and my cousins) in Chicago. We had a blast! We started the weekend off by going to see the Color Purple. I didn't realize until much later how much I would enjoy the city (I am so not a city girl). We did some major sightseeing.
Monday, October 27, 2008
My scrapbook obsession
My scraproom has gone through a drastic change over the last few years. I eventually had to upgrade from my diningroom to my livingroom.
Scrapbooking became one of my newest obsession when I decided to scrap some of my Disney trips . My cousin introduced me to Creative Memories . After one show I was hooked . I had my first show a few weeks afterwards and introduced it to one of my best friends Cassandra . She also became hooked ! I went on the internet checking out other scrapbook sites and slowly trying to build up supplies so that I could began my own scrapbook. I already had and album , and I created a small space at the end of my family room steps to store my supplies and stuff. I got a lot of great gifts for hosting a class.
At the time my space consisted of two carts with drawers for my supplies ( mat and blades , scissors , punches , etc ) , a trashcan for my paper scraps , a bag which held my new Creative Memories album , and a binder which I used to store my stickers and die cuts . Over time I set up a craft table in my dining room.
My first album was filled mostly with family and friends events. From there I started doing Disney vacation albums .
At the time my space consisted of two carts with drawers for my supplies ( mat and blades , scissors , punches , etc ) , a trashcan for my paper scraps , a bag which held my new Creative Memories album , and a binder which I used to store my stickers and die cuts . Over time I set up a craft table in my dining room.
My first album was filled mostly with family and friends events. From there I started doing Disney vacation albums .
Pictures from Hawaii
Our view from the beach cottage each morning
Inside the cottage
Marc and I on Glen's Harley ( no I did not ride, but Marc did. And no we will not be getting a motorcycle anytime soon ).
The day we left the airport in Honolulu. I was just glad to have gotten through security (see trip report). Also did you notice the tan ?
After I returned from Hawaii, I started looking for sites where I could shop for Hawaiian products ( including music, fabric, shirts, dresses and scrapbook products). Along the way I have found a couple of good sites that are now favorites. Maui Photography, Hawaiian Apparel , Hawaiian Jewelry , Hawaiian Music , Hawaiian Gifts , Scrappers Friend , Island Paperie , Hawaiian Games
After I returned from Hawaii, I started looking for sites where I could shop for Hawaiian products ( including music, fabric, shirts, dresses and scrapbook products). Along the way I have found a couple of good sites that are now favorites. Maui Photography, Hawaiian Apparel , Hawaiian Jewelry , Hawaiian Music , Hawaiian Gifts , Scrappers Friend , Island Paperie , Hawaiian Games
You can see more pictures from our trip here ( just in case you missed it in the trip report ).
Hawaii Part 5
Day 11: Our last day in Paradise
It seemed as if our last morning in Hawaii went by very fast (especially since we had been up until after 12 am-the longest we had stayed up all week). It was not even the fact that I wasn’t ready to go home. I missed me family and children a lot, but I also loved the time that Marc and I had been able to spend so much quiet time together in such a beautiful place. I’m pretty [positive that if given the chance to do it all over again I would not hesitate. Marc and I have never had a problem with making time for ourselves, but usually we don’t take as much time as we did on this vacation. We also learned a lot from Glen and Shelly about keeping your marriage fresh despite the day to day responsibilities and how important it is to be a blessing to someone else. Around 7 am I woke up to the sound of little people talking. Boy, it’s been a long time since I heard that sound, especially on a Sunday morning. Most of the time Marc and I are the ones waking up our twenty something year old folk (lol). I went and got washed and dressed first, and then Marc proceeded. When we were both dressed and bags completely packed we went out into the family and kitchen area to join the family for a breakfast of strawberries, grapes, oatmeal and sausage. We loaded up into the two cars and headed to church. The Word of Life Center has energy almost like that of a small city as soon as you enter the area. There are people walking around dropping off children at various stations, there were several men washing off the pastors car, and setting up for the church store in the courtyard for after church. The most energy is found inside as soon as you enter the door; you are greeted with a hello and the sound of praise and worship. Last Sunday Shelly saved seats for us while we went to the overflow parking area. This time I went with Shelly to check the children in and Marc and Glen met us out front and we all went in together. We were seated close to the front. After the praise and worship service ended the Pastor got up to do church announcements and showed us a giant valentine’s card for his wife with a large picture inside of himself. The drama ministry then did a skit on love and valentines. After service Marc and I went to the ‘market area” of the center so that I could find a copy of there praise and worship cd. Glen brought Fraya over and said she had decided to ride home with Uncle Marc and Aunt Cyndi. We walked back to the car with her and then proceeded to follow Glen and Shelly out to the highway. We went back to the house where Fraya and I had a snack (she had chips and I had chips and a salad) while Marc played with Buddy for the last time (I swear that man got just a little too attached to that bird). When the rest of the family got back to the house Marc and Glen went to spend some time with the boys playing a video game and the two older girls went outside to listen to their cd players while Fraya went down for a nap.
Close to 2pm we said our goodbyes and loaded up the van for the ride to the airport. Marc had been itching to see the boat that Glen worked on all week long. We had a few hours left before our plane left so we stopped at the base briefly and got a modified tour of the boat and then headed to the airport. Glen pulled up in front of the leis shop and purchased us one last goodbye gift. We pulled in front of the airport and unloaded our bags and said our goodbyes. The one sour note in the whole trip occurred when we put the new luggage up on the scale and found out that we were overweight on the souvenir bags. It cost us an additional 50.00 which made Marc hot, but I reminded him of the beautiful ten days we had shared together and that they were priceless and in the end this would just be a blurb in an otherwise beautiful vacation. I would need to remember this a few minutes later when I got tagged by security for a complete search of me and my bags. I must say that was the most unfriendly time of our hold entire Hawaiian experience. I reminded myself about what I had said to Marc only a few minutes before and the fact that I had nothing to hide and handled the whole thing a lot better then a younger Cyndi would have. We spent just over and hour in the airport after this (Marc walked around, got one last cup of Kona coffee and I picked up a book and magazine to keep me occupied on the long plane ride home). We checked in with the girls one last time and made arrangements with Nicki for pickup at the airport the next day.
Day 12: Home Sweet Home
We arrived in Atlanta early Monday morning after a long and sometime bumpy ride from Honolulu (I actually slept most of the trip) and made a mad dash to the next gate just in time to board (the Atlanta airport is huge and it seemed as if we would never reach our gate). The flight home was made in no time and before I knew it I was back at home sweet home. We called Nicki when the plane landed and after we got off of the plane we headed to baggage claim, picked up our bags and then preceded to the front to await our ride. To our surprise both girls pulled up in the van to greet us. (Do you think we might have been missed?) I know I missed them and had to keep myself from once again falling apart and crying. I shed a few tears the morning we left when I said goodbye to Nicki and again in Hawaii when I talked to the girls a few days before we came home. It did not help that even the little cousins were saying its time for me to come home or that my mom had said she was missing her baby (me). I consider it a blessing that we are all so close and it’s hard to be away from them for so long. Glen and Shelly’s youngest daughter reminded me of Nicki when she was younger, especially the very first day when she said excuse me doing a conversation in the van after they picked us up at the airport. I must say she stole my heart in part because of that reminder. Also, their youngest son “Peanut” as he is called reminded me of my son when he was young. Those kids pulled on our heartstrings and we will miss their energy. Glen and Marc may be apart for many years but when they get together you would not know it has been so long since they were last together. I gained a big respect on this trip for Shelly. She has a tough job and she does it without fail and with very little if any complaint. I admire all that she has taken on and with the grace and which she does it. I really enjoyed our time together. We loaded up the car and headed home. It felt good to be home. In some ways Hawaii seemed like a beautiful dream. When we arrived home there were “Welcome Home Mommy and Daddy” signs all over our front door and on our bedroom door courtesy of “Mama” Quisha ( Quisha had stated several times while we were gone that she wanted me to come home and be the mommy because she did not want the job anymore). We unpacked the gifts for the kids, Marc went off to take a nap and then we took the girls to school, church, etc ( now that we are home we will have to deal with day to day stuff including getting the girls cars back on the road. Seems like everyone had car trouble while wee were away. Even Marc’s Lincoln must have missed us because it would not start for us). I took a short nap that evening and then went with Marc to drop Quisha off at church. We went to the store to get some soup for dinner and then even went to a local thrift shop where I found a large glass vase for Marc’s shells and beach sand he brought back from Hawaii. By the end of the day I was bone tired and Marc and I both had slept off and on all day. I looked at the pictures from our trip one last time and then hit the sack. Aloha Cousin
It seemed as if our last morning in Hawaii went by very fast (especially since we had been up until after 12 am-the longest we had stayed up all week). It was not even the fact that I wasn’t ready to go home. I missed me family and children a lot, but I also loved the time that Marc and I had been able to spend so much quiet time together in such a beautiful place. I’m pretty [positive that if given the chance to do it all over again I would not hesitate. Marc and I have never had a problem with making time for ourselves, but usually we don’t take as much time as we did on this vacation. We also learned a lot from Glen and Shelly about keeping your marriage fresh despite the day to day responsibilities and how important it is to be a blessing to someone else. Around 7 am I woke up to the sound of little people talking. Boy, it’s been a long time since I heard that sound, especially on a Sunday morning. Most of the time Marc and I are the ones waking up our twenty something year old folk (lol). I went and got washed and dressed first, and then Marc proceeded. When we were both dressed and bags completely packed we went out into the family and kitchen area to join the family for a breakfast of strawberries, grapes, oatmeal and sausage. We loaded up into the two cars and headed to church. The Word of Life Center has energy almost like that of a small city as soon as you enter the area. There are people walking around dropping off children at various stations, there were several men washing off the pastors car, and setting up for the church store in the courtyard for after church. The most energy is found inside as soon as you enter the door; you are greeted with a hello and the sound of praise and worship. Last Sunday Shelly saved seats for us while we went to the overflow parking area. This time I went with Shelly to check the children in and Marc and Glen met us out front and we all went in together. We were seated close to the front. After the praise and worship service ended the Pastor got up to do church announcements and showed us a giant valentine’s card for his wife with a large picture inside of himself. The drama ministry then did a skit on love and valentines. After service Marc and I went to the ‘market area” of the center so that I could find a copy of there praise and worship cd. Glen brought Fraya over and said she had decided to ride home with Uncle Marc and Aunt Cyndi. We walked back to the car with her and then proceeded to follow Glen and Shelly out to the highway. We went back to the house where Fraya and I had a snack (she had chips and I had chips and a salad) while Marc played with Buddy for the last time (I swear that man got just a little too attached to that bird). When the rest of the family got back to the house Marc and Glen went to spend some time with the boys playing a video game and the two older girls went outside to listen to their cd players while Fraya went down for a nap.
Close to 2pm we said our goodbyes and loaded up the van for the ride to the airport. Marc had been itching to see the boat that Glen worked on all week long. We had a few hours left before our plane left so we stopped at the base briefly and got a modified tour of the boat and then headed to the airport. Glen pulled up in front of the leis shop and purchased us one last goodbye gift. We pulled in front of the airport and unloaded our bags and said our goodbyes. The one sour note in the whole trip occurred when we put the new luggage up on the scale and found out that we were overweight on the souvenir bags. It cost us an additional 50.00 which made Marc hot, but I reminded him of the beautiful ten days we had shared together and that they were priceless and in the end this would just be a blurb in an otherwise beautiful vacation. I would need to remember this a few minutes later when I got tagged by security for a complete search of me and my bags. I must say that was the most unfriendly time of our hold entire Hawaiian experience. I reminded myself about what I had said to Marc only a few minutes before and the fact that I had nothing to hide and handled the whole thing a lot better then a younger Cyndi would have. We spent just over and hour in the airport after this (Marc walked around, got one last cup of Kona coffee and I picked up a book and magazine to keep me occupied on the long plane ride home). We checked in with the girls one last time and made arrangements with Nicki for pickup at the airport the next day.
Day 12: Home Sweet Home
We arrived in Atlanta early Monday morning after a long and sometime bumpy ride from Honolulu (I actually slept most of the trip) and made a mad dash to the next gate just in time to board (the Atlanta airport is huge and it seemed as if we would never reach our gate). The flight home was made in no time and before I knew it I was back at home sweet home. We called Nicki when the plane landed and after we got off of the plane we headed to baggage claim, picked up our bags and then preceded to the front to await our ride. To our surprise both girls pulled up in the van to greet us. (Do you think we might have been missed?) I know I missed them and had to keep myself from once again falling apart and crying. I shed a few tears the morning we left when I said goodbye to Nicki and again in Hawaii when I talked to the girls a few days before we came home. It did not help that even the little cousins were saying its time for me to come home or that my mom had said she was missing her baby (me). I consider it a blessing that we are all so close and it’s hard to be away from them for so long. Glen and Shelly’s youngest daughter reminded me of Nicki when she was younger, especially the very first day when she said excuse me doing a conversation in the van after they picked us up at the airport. I must say she stole my heart in part because of that reminder. Also, their youngest son “Peanut” as he is called reminded me of my son when he was young. Those kids pulled on our heartstrings and we will miss their energy. Glen and Marc may be apart for many years but when they get together you would not know it has been so long since they were last together. I gained a big respect on this trip for Shelly. She has a tough job and she does it without fail and with very little if any complaint. I admire all that she has taken on and with the grace and which she does it. I really enjoyed our time together. We loaded up the car and headed home. It felt good to be home. In some ways Hawaii seemed like a beautiful dream. When we arrived home there were “Welcome Home Mommy and Daddy” signs all over our front door and on our bedroom door courtesy of “Mama” Quisha ( Quisha had stated several times while we were gone that she wanted me to come home and be the mommy because she did not want the job anymore). We unpacked the gifts for the kids, Marc went off to take a nap and then we took the girls to school, church, etc ( now that we are home we will have to deal with day to day stuff including getting the girls cars back on the road. Seems like everyone had car trouble while wee were away. Even Marc’s Lincoln must have missed us because it would not start for us). I took a short nap that evening and then went with Marc to drop Quisha off at church. We went to the store to get some soup for dinner and then even went to a local thrift shop where I found a large glass vase for Marc’s shells and beach sand he brought back from Hawaii. By the end of the day I was bone tired and Marc and I both had slept off and on all day. I looked at the pictures from our trip one last time and then hit the sack. Aloha Cousin
Hawaii Part 4
Day 9: Dole Plantation/North Shore/Marc’s Birthday
Friday morning bright and early we got up and began packing for the exit out of our beachside cottage. Check out was 10:30 am so we finished packing up the food (we had been living out of our bags all week, so that was the easy part). Had a quick breakfast of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and loaded up the van. We checked the cottage one last time and headed to the golf course to turn in our keys. We were a ½ hour early so we headed to the local 7-eleven so Marc could get coffee and then headed back to drop off the keys before heading to Glens to drop off food that needed to stay refrigerated. Shelly and the children had already headed out for the day so we followed Glen to the base to check into our room for the night. The room was perfect considering the fact that it only cost 28.00 for the night. It had a separate living and kitchen area with a bedroom for two. If we were to ever get a chance to visit Hawaii again I would be happy to stay there. Unfortunately they only had the one night available. We hit the gas station to fill up before hitting the highway bound for the North Shore. I do not think there was one person who did not suggest no trip to the island was complete without a ride around the north shore. We also wanted to visit the Dole Plantation. Within minutes it seemed we had passed the plantation and had to turn around and go back. Not sure how we missed it because as soon as we opened the van door you could smell the strong scent of pineapples! We did a quick check around the gift shop and then headed out near the maze to pick up tickets for the train and garden tour ( I had decided early on the skip the maze ( glad I did because they weather had gotten very hot that day. The train ride was a 20-minute trip through a sample of a working pineapple field and also various other plantings including flowers, sugar cane and even coffee bean. We then headed out to the garden tour which was very impressive. The train ride would have been more fun with a group of small children, but I was very impressed with the gardens. Marc and I strolled around taking lots of pictures of the various foliage and trees. We did a quick run through the shop for dole whips and postcards and then hit the highway North Shore bound. There had been reports of 5 foot waves and twenty foot surges so of course it was a must see event for a one in a lifetime trip. The view (as always) was awesome, but it was amazing to see the Pacific Ocean slapping against the rocks and watching the surfers ride the wave. Several people were out with cameras and along the sides of the road trying to get a glimpse of the reported waves. It took us a couple of hours but we finally made around the North Shore and even down half of the windward side past the Mormon Temple and the famous Polynesian Culture Center. We hit the H3 highway through the tunnel and hit H1. Glen and Shelly had invited a couple of people over to celebrate Marc’s birthday. We had a dinner of spinach salad, ravioli, steak, vegetables platter, and a ice cream cake. We wished Marc a Happy Birthday and headed back to Hickham Air Force base for the evening. Pro Bowl started that weekend so we were unable to get a room for more then one night. We stayed up as long as we could and then hit the bed around 11 pm (late for us).
Day 10 : Downtown Honolulu/Waikiki Beach and the Windward Side
We checked out of the lodge around 10 am and headed to downtown Honolulu. I was determined to find the buildings I had seen in the travel brochures before I left Hawaii on tomorrow. Including those elusive statues I had been searching for all week. We headed down Nimitz highway for the Aloha Tower and the Marketplace. This time I was on lookout for the tower and before I knew it we were following the signs to the tower (how had I missed those the first two times?). We entered the parking lot directly across from the marketplace shops and headed towards the waterfront. Once again we were not disappointed by the view. This time we were on the port side where the ships come in. Directly next door as a matter of fact was a NCL ship. Boy, that ship is huge. Hopefully in two years we will be on a ship like it on our way to Alaska (after this trip I know anything is possible). We passed a Don Ho lounge on our way out back and one of the Wyland Galleries. I made a mental note to visit the gallery before leaving. We took a few pics of the boats and the NCL ship and headed towards the Tower to catch the elevator up to the top. Now this is what you call a view. There are four sides to the tower and you can see the city for miles. We checked out all four areas snapping pictures left and right. Afterwards we headed to the gallery where we spent an hour looking around and talking to the sale people including a young man named Devin from the Word of Life Ministry church where Glen and Shelly are members. We then went to the top of the mall area to watch the Whale watching cruise take off. Originally we had planned to catch a ride but we missed the cruise by an hour and the next one would not be available until the morning we departed. We would be at church anyway, so I am determined to go whale watching when I get back home at one of our local beach areas. We hit the pavement in search of the Ioloni Palace, the Kamehameha Statue, Mission Houses Museum and the Kawaiahuo Church. It took a while but eventually we found them all with the exception of the Duke Kahanamoku Statue. We did get lost on our way back to the parking lot, and as we continued on the rain started to come down. Perfectly fitting since this was technically our last day (it rained the day we arrived). If I did not know better I would have thought that the island was crying because we were leaving (smile). We did stop at a Jack in the Box to get lunch (I had not eaten all day and I was starting to get a headache, plus I had not packed a hat and today despite the rain seemed very hot indeed). Hot, tired and a still a little wet we finally made it back to the car. We decided to check out the swap meet one last time (it would not be open on Sunday due to the NFL Pro Bowl). We ended up buying an additional piece of luggage and a small carry on bag for me to use as a purse in place of my big bag. One note : I got to hear the Backstreet boys singing while we walked around the swap meet. They were there for the Pro Bowl.
I really wanted to see the Duke statue before I left so we headed downtown for the second time that day in search of the infamous statue. I began to tag it “Where in the World is the Duke”?
* Note: Never found that statue, but found lots of pics when I got home. Here is a live link to the statue ( with music ). So now I can check it out everyday. We parked across from an Army War Museum that unfortunately had just closed, briefly walked along the beach near all of the big name hotels. You could tell there was a big event on the island that weekend because the streets and hotels were packed and more people seemed to be poring in. At this point I was starting to get homesick and I really missed my babies (they may be grown, but they are still my babies). I called home and even Quisha, Trice and Jen said it was time for me to come home. I think if Marc could have stayed with a good job he would have. As much as he loved the scenery, the homeless and the isolation of the island was one thing that bothered him about this otherwise perfect pacific paradise. We had basically seen the whole island with the exception of the lower part of the leeward side just pass Diamond Head. We worked our way out pass the crowded streets of Waikiki and headed for the coastline. It was worth the little bit we got to see before dark, and once again the words “no bad view” seemed to echo in our mine. On the following day we would meet someone who told the story of a man who had said if it was conceivable to know what Eden looked like Hawaii had to be an example of what it was like. I would have to agree, the whole island is beautiful and as my friend Kelli had stated earlier in the week after I sent her pictures “it’s amazing to see God’s creation so awesome and glorious”. We returned to Glen and Shelly’s that evening tired but satisfied that we had spent our ten days here in paradise seeing all sides of the island. Marc and Glen spent some time together chatting while Shelly prepared for tomorrow (we had actually gotten there to late to see the children that night. Shelly and Glen joked how we must have waited for them all to go to bed, but in fact time had just gotten away from us and we had every intention to get there as soon as possible) and I repacked our bags in anticipation of our return to the mainland on Monday. There oldest son was gracious enough to give us his room for the evening. Marc did not seemed to be hungry, but I knew even here in paradise it was important for me to take care of myself. I had packed my medicine and tried to take my hbp pills at the same time each day ( actually around the same time I would when I was home just to stay on schedule ) so I forced myself to eat a salad. Around 11 pm I was ready to hit the sack, just as Marc turned on the internet. I briefly checked my email and then settled in for an early morning.
* Note: There are very few things we did not get to see ( except that doggone statue, the Hale'iwa War Memorial, the Hawaii Maritime Center, and of course the waterfalls ( actually Marc wanted to see them). Here is a list of places that might be interesting to see if you are ever in Honolulu, Hawaii. Places to See
Friday morning bright and early we got up and began packing for the exit out of our beachside cottage. Check out was 10:30 am so we finished packing up the food (we had been living out of our bags all week, so that was the easy part). Had a quick breakfast of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and loaded up the van. We checked the cottage one last time and headed to the golf course to turn in our keys. We were a ½ hour early so we headed to the local 7-eleven so Marc could get coffee and then headed back to drop off the keys before heading to Glens to drop off food that needed to stay refrigerated. Shelly and the children had already headed out for the day so we followed Glen to the base to check into our room for the night. The room was perfect considering the fact that it only cost 28.00 for the night. It had a separate living and kitchen area with a bedroom for two. If we were to ever get a chance to visit Hawaii again I would be happy to stay there. Unfortunately they only had the one night available. We hit the gas station to fill up before hitting the highway bound for the North Shore. I do not think there was one person who did not suggest no trip to the island was complete without a ride around the north shore. We also wanted to visit the Dole Plantation. Within minutes it seemed we had passed the plantation and had to turn around and go back. Not sure how we missed it because as soon as we opened the van door you could smell the strong scent of pineapples! We did a quick check around the gift shop and then headed out near the maze to pick up tickets for the train and garden tour ( I had decided early on the skip the maze ( glad I did because they weather had gotten very hot that day. The train ride was a 20-minute trip through a sample of a working pineapple field and also various other plantings including flowers, sugar cane and even coffee bean. We then headed out to the garden tour which was very impressive. The train ride would have been more fun with a group of small children, but I was very impressed with the gardens. Marc and I strolled around taking lots of pictures of the various foliage and trees. We did a quick run through the shop for dole whips and postcards and then hit the highway North Shore bound. There had been reports of 5 foot waves and twenty foot surges so of course it was a must see event for a one in a lifetime trip. The view (as always) was awesome, but it was amazing to see the Pacific Ocean slapping against the rocks and watching the surfers ride the wave. Several people were out with cameras and along the sides of the road trying to get a glimpse of the reported waves. It took us a couple of hours but we finally made around the North Shore and even down half of the windward side past the Mormon Temple and the famous Polynesian Culture Center. We hit the H3 highway through the tunnel and hit H1. Glen and Shelly had invited a couple of people over to celebrate Marc’s birthday. We had a dinner of spinach salad, ravioli, steak, vegetables platter, and a ice cream cake. We wished Marc a Happy Birthday and headed back to Hickham Air Force base for the evening. Pro Bowl started that weekend so we were unable to get a room for more then one night. We stayed up as long as we could and then hit the bed around 11 pm (late for us).
Day 10 : Downtown Honolulu/Waikiki Beach and the Windward Side
We checked out of the lodge around 10 am and headed to downtown Honolulu. I was determined to find the buildings I had seen in the travel brochures before I left Hawaii on tomorrow. Including those elusive statues I had been searching for all week. We headed down Nimitz highway for the Aloha Tower and the Marketplace. This time I was on lookout for the tower and before I knew it we were following the signs to the tower (how had I missed those the first two times?). We entered the parking lot directly across from the marketplace shops and headed towards the waterfront. Once again we were not disappointed by the view. This time we were on the port side where the ships come in. Directly next door as a matter of fact was a NCL ship. Boy, that ship is huge. Hopefully in two years we will be on a ship like it on our way to Alaska (after this trip I know anything is possible). We passed a Don Ho lounge on our way out back and one of the Wyland Galleries. I made a mental note to visit the gallery before leaving. We took a few pics of the boats and the NCL ship and headed towards the Tower to catch the elevator up to the top. Now this is what you call a view. There are four sides to the tower and you can see the city for miles. We checked out all four areas snapping pictures left and right. Afterwards we headed to the gallery where we spent an hour looking around and talking to the sale people including a young man named Devin from the Word of Life Ministry church where Glen and Shelly are members. We then went to the top of the mall area to watch the Whale watching cruise take off. Originally we had planned to catch a ride but we missed the cruise by an hour and the next one would not be available until the morning we departed. We would be at church anyway, so I am determined to go whale watching when I get back home at one of our local beach areas. We hit the pavement in search of the Ioloni Palace, the Kamehameha Statue, Mission Houses Museum and the Kawaiahuo Church. It took a while but eventually we found them all with the exception of the Duke Kahanamoku Statue. We did get lost on our way back to the parking lot, and as we continued on the rain started to come down. Perfectly fitting since this was technically our last day (it rained the day we arrived). If I did not know better I would have thought that the island was crying because we were leaving (smile). We did stop at a Jack in the Box to get lunch (I had not eaten all day and I was starting to get a headache, plus I had not packed a hat and today despite the rain seemed very hot indeed). Hot, tired and a still a little wet we finally made it back to the car. We decided to check out the swap meet one last time (it would not be open on Sunday due to the NFL Pro Bowl). We ended up buying an additional piece of luggage and a small carry on bag for me to use as a purse in place of my big bag. One note : I got to hear the Backstreet boys singing while we walked around the swap meet. They were there for the Pro Bowl.
I really wanted to see the Duke statue before I left so we headed downtown for the second time that day in search of the infamous statue. I began to tag it “Where in the World is the Duke”?
* Note: Never found that statue, but found lots of pics when I got home. Here is a live link to the statue ( with music ). So now I can check it out everyday. We parked across from an Army War Museum that unfortunately had just closed, briefly walked along the beach near all of the big name hotels. You could tell there was a big event on the island that weekend because the streets and hotels were packed and more people seemed to be poring in. At this point I was starting to get homesick and I really missed my babies (they may be grown, but they are still my babies). I called home and even Quisha, Trice and Jen said it was time for me to come home. I think if Marc could have stayed with a good job he would have. As much as he loved the scenery, the homeless and the isolation of the island was one thing that bothered him about this otherwise perfect pacific paradise. We had basically seen the whole island with the exception of the lower part of the leeward side just pass Diamond Head. We worked our way out pass the crowded streets of Waikiki and headed for the coastline. It was worth the little bit we got to see before dark, and once again the words “no bad view” seemed to echo in our mine. On the following day we would meet someone who told the story of a man who had said if it was conceivable to know what Eden looked like Hawaii had to be an example of what it was like. I would have to agree, the whole island is beautiful and as my friend Kelli had stated earlier in the week after I sent her pictures “it’s amazing to see God’s creation so awesome and glorious”. We returned to Glen and Shelly’s that evening tired but satisfied that we had spent our ten days here in paradise seeing all sides of the island. Marc and Glen spent some time together chatting while Shelly prepared for tomorrow (we had actually gotten there to late to see the children that night. Shelly and Glen joked how we must have waited for them all to go to bed, but in fact time had just gotten away from us and we had every intention to get there as soon as possible) and I repacked our bags in anticipation of our return to the mainland on Monday. There oldest son was gracious enough to give us his room for the evening. Marc did not seemed to be hungry, but I knew even here in paradise it was important for me to take care of myself. I had packed my medicine and tried to take my hbp pills at the same time each day ( actually around the same time I would when I was home just to stay on schedule ) so I forced myself to eat a salad. Around 11 pm I was ready to hit the sack, just as Marc turned on the internet. I briefly checked my email and then settled in for an early morning.
* Note: There are very few things we did not get to see ( except that doggone statue, the Hale'iwa War Memorial, the Hawaii Maritime Center, and of course the waterfalls ( actually Marc wanted to see them). Here is a list of places that might be interesting to see if you are ever in Honolulu, Hawaii. Places to See
Hawaii Part 3
Day 6: Shopping in Dowtown Honolulu at the Ward Center and the Alo Moana Mall
When we started the day we did not have a plan per say. I knew I wanted to head back towards downtown Honolulu to see if I could find the mall I had seen in the visitor’s brochure. I knew Quisha would have a fit if she knew there was a build-a-bear here. We still took our time getting ready in the morning. I made a breakfast of scrambled eggs and applesauce and we shared the last muffin from the little store at the Navy Lodge. After cleaning up the cottage we loaded up the van (with our cameras) and headed towards HI. It took us a little while to find the area we were looking for, but we did find a free parking area near the Ward Center. I was actually looking for another shopping area but the free parking was worth it even if we had to walk a ways. At least then we would not have to worry about getting back to the car to refill the meter. The Ward center had lots of offerings, but I was on a mission to find a build-a-bear shop and the Hawaiian shop I had seen in the advertisement. We probably walked about three blocks before we asked someone where the mall was. Seems we were not far from the parking garage and the mall itself. The Ala Moana Center (sp) is huge! We ended up staying for hours, checking out the stores and the scenery. Every time there was a open area we would go look and see some of the best views (Marc says there are no bad views in Hawaii), We stopped in several shops including a Disney store, the Hilo Hattie Hawaiian shop (where we got some great coupons), Build a Bear (where I picked up outfits for Marc and my bears) and a Taco bell for lunch (thanks to the Hilo Hattie shop where we got several coupons for buy one get one free). On our way back to the car we stopped at the ColdStone Icecream shop where we had our first taste of ColdStone (figures I would have to go all of the way to Hawaii to have coldstone). The girl behind the counter even allowed us to take pictures. Marc had strawberries and white chocolate and I had pineapple, coconut and bananas. We still ended up walking around the center for another hour peaking in at some of the local shops including a soap factory. We got back in the car and headed for the highway. We made a brief stop at an Office depot (yes, again) and then went over to Glen and Shelly’s to check our email. Glen was leaving to go to a class so Marc and I stayed a little while (actually I think Marc just wanted to spend time with Glen’s bird). We made it back to the cottage around 7 pm watched a little TV, uploaded the pictures to the computer and fought with a gecko (a whole other story). After that I am ready for bed. Tomorrow we plan to return something to WalMart and then pick up a suitcase from the swap meet so that we can put our souvenirs in it (its actually cheaper then trying to mail a package back to the mainland). Hopefully after that we can find the Bishop Museum. We check out of the cottages on Thursday and the plan is either to go to the Navy Lodge or spend the last few days with Glen and Shelly. We still have the Dole Plantation near the North Shore to look forward to and the Luau of course. I am still hoping to get to the Aloha Tower and Marketplace and a few of the other local landmarks before weeks end. We have yet to be able to hook up with our church member from back home, but we still have a few more days yet. I am not sure that we will get to go whale watching, but we can so that at home so it is not a big deal. Later….Cyndi
Day 7: Shopping at Aloha Stadium/Beachcombing
Marc and I slept in late this morning. But around 10 am we got dressed and headed to the WalMart to return an item and compare the price of a suitcase (seems that it is cheaper to buy another suitcase rather then send the packages). The prices in WalMart are higher then the swap meet, so we hit the HI highway for downtown Honolulu and the Aloha stadium. We purchased the last of our souvenirs (how many times have I said that?), including a suitcase set for $35.00 (Glen actually met us at the stadium hoping to give us a better deal then the one we had. I ended up getting a better deal in the long run). Originally we had planned to visit the Bishop Museum today, but by the time we got out of the swap meet it was getting late (we actually walked the whole area) and we decided to try the museum tomorrow and then prepare for the Luau. When I first heard about going to Hawaii I wanted to do the Luau for Marc’s birthday. Glen and Shelly were not able to attend with us so we are going to spend Friday evening with them to celebrate Marc's birthday instead. We headed back towards the HI exit, but stopped at a L&L Drive Inn to try our hand at a “plate”: A meal that is popular in Hawaii with the locals. The average plate cost about 7.25 and includes some type of meat ( usually barbecue (terriyaki) or chicken ) with rice (or eggs) and coleslaw or macaroni salad. Marc ordered the barbecue and I had the chicken. After we finished eating we drove around a bit and then headed back to the beach cottage. I did finally get to speak to TJ today after nearly a week. We had a good conversation and then I said goodbye as Marc and I headed back to the beach. We were trying to get back before the sun set so that we could walk around and just enjoy the view. We changed into our bathing suits and hit the sand. We walked a little, took pictures of the surfers and Marc even sat in the sand and let the water wash over him. At first he thought he might actually get a chance to swim in the ocean but the area below the surface was very rocky and he did not want to take the chance on getting hurt. After a while it started to get chilly so we headed back to the cottage, rinsed the sand off of us and set on the porch to watch the sun set. We plan to go to bed early tonight so that we can get up early make our Luau reservations ( keeping my fingers crossed on that one ) and head downtown to spend the day at the Bishops Museum before getting dressed for the Luau. Well Aloha and goodnight…Cyndi
Day 8: Bishop Museum/Luau
We got up really early this morning (4:30 am). Marc was still trying to catch that elusive sunrise. Today he finally succeeded. Also the girls called early this morning to update on the saga surrounding Nicki’s new muffler. After that I got up and made a few calls (one to mom and one to Uncle John). We had a breakfast of eggs, grilled cheese sandwich and applesauce. We then left for Glen and Shelly’s so that Marc and I could get tickets for the Luau that evening. We ended up staying a while (including having lunch – turkey sandwiches and Mai chips), hanging out with the kids and Marc even helped Glen with his Harley before taking a spin on it to pick up the tickets. We left around one for the Bishop Museum where we learned quite a lot about the Hawaiian history and heritage. We stayed for a few hours and then headed back to the house to change for the luau. The Paradise Cove luau started at 5pm. We were greeted with shell leis, and a drink (non-alcoholic for us). You then were shown your seating area and allowed to walk around to various booths for games and crafts. We also watched the sun go down and listened to traditional Hawaiian music. There was a fisherman’s demonstration, tree climbing and shower of flowers presentation. I even learned how to create an authentic leis for my wrist and headband. We set down for a live show with hula dancers, fire throwers and a buffet meal of rice, chicken, pork, pasta; macaroni salad and poi (get definition). Dessert included fruit (pineapple) and cake with coconut. At the end of the evening we gathered our entrance picture and a souvenir glass. We are now back at the cottage and tomorrow morning we will be checking out of the beachfront cottages and into Hickam Air Force Base. Until then...Aloha
When we started the day we did not have a plan per say. I knew I wanted to head back towards downtown Honolulu to see if I could find the mall I had seen in the visitor’s brochure. I knew Quisha would have a fit if she knew there was a build-a-bear here. We still took our time getting ready in the morning. I made a breakfast of scrambled eggs and applesauce and we shared the last muffin from the little store at the Navy Lodge. After cleaning up the cottage we loaded up the van (with our cameras) and headed towards HI. It took us a little while to find the area we were looking for, but we did find a free parking area near the Ward Center. I was actually looking for another shopping area but the free parking was worth it even if we had to walk a ways. At least then we would not have to worry about getting back to the car to refill the meter. The Ward center had lots of offerings, but I was on a mission to find a build-a-bear shop and the Hawaiian shop I had seen in the advertisement. We probably walked about three blocks before we asked someone where the mall was. Seems we were not far from the parking garage and the mall itself. The Ala Moana Center (sp) is huge! We ended up staying for hours, checking out the stores and the scenery. Every time there was a open area we would go look and see some of the best views (Marc says there are no bad views in Hawaii), We stopped in several shops including a Disney store, the Hilo Hattie Hawaiian shop (where we got some great coupons), Build a Bear (where I picked up outfits for Marc and my bears) and a Taco bell for lunch (thanks to the Hilo Hattie shop where we got several coupons for buy one get one free). On our way back to the car we stopped at the ColdStone Icecream shop where we had our first taste of ColdStone (figures I would have to go all of the way to Hawaii to have coldstone). The girl behind the counter even allowed us to take pictures. Marc had strawberries and white chocolate and I had pineapple, coconut and bananas. We still ended up walking around the center for another hour peaking in at some of the local shops including a soap factory. We got back in the car and headed for the highway. We made a brief stop at an Office depot (yes, again) and then went over to Glen and Shelly’s to check our email. Glen was leaving to go to a class so Marc and I stayed a little while (actually I think Marc just wanted to spend time with Glen’s bird). We made it back to the cottage around 7 pm watched a little TV, uploaded the pictures to the computer and fought with a gecko (a whole other story). After that I am ready for bed. Tomorrow we plan to return something to WalMart and then pick up a suitcase from the swap meet so that we can put our souvenirs in it (its actually cheaper then trying to mail a package back to the mainland). Hopefully after that we can find the Bishop Museum. We check out of the cottages on Thursday and the plan is either to go to the Navy Lodge or spend the last few days with Glen and Shelly. We still have the Dole Plantation near the North Shore to look forward to and the Luau of course. I am still hoping to get to the Aloha Tower and Marketplace and a few of the other local landmarks before weeks end. We have yet to be able to hook up with our church member from back home, but we still have a few more days yet. I am not sure that we will get to go whale watching, but we can so that at home so it is not a big deal. Later….Cyndi
Day 7: Shopping at Aloha Stadium/Beachcombing
Marc and I slept in late this morning. But around 10 am we got dressed and headed to the WalMart to return an item and compare the price of a suitcase (seems that it is cheaper to buy another suitcase rather then send the packages). The prices in WalMart are higher then the swap meet, so we hit the HI highway for downtown Honolulu and the Aloha stadium. We purchased the last of our souvenirs (how many times have I said that?), including a suitcase set for $35.00 (Glen actually met us at the stadium hoping to give us a better deal then the one we had. I ended up getting a better deal in the long run). Originally we had planned to visit the Bishop Museum today, but by the time we got out of the swap meet it was getting late (we actually walked the whole area) and we decided to try the museum tomorrow and then prepare for the Luau. When I first heard about going to Hawaii I wanted to do the Luau for Marc’s birthday. Glen and Shelly were not able to attend with us so we are going to spend Friday evening with them to celebrate Marc's birthday instead. We headed back towards the HI exit, but stopped at a L&L Drive Inn to try our hand at a “plate”: A meal that is popular in Hawaii with the locals. The average plate cost about 7.25 and includes some type of meat ( usually barbecue (terriyaki) or chicken ) with rice (or eggs) and coleslaw or macaroni salad. Marc ordered the barbecue and I had the chicken. After we finished eating we drove around a bit and then headed back to the beach cottage. I did finally get to speak to TJ today after nearly a week. We had a good conversation and then I said goodbye as Marc and I headed back to the beach. We were trying to get back before the sun set so that we could walk around and just enjoy the view. We changed into our bathing suits and hit the sand. We walked a little, took pictures of the surfers and Marc even sat in the sand and let the water wash over him. At first he thought he might actually get a chance to swim in the ocean but the area below the surface was very rocky and he did not want to take the chance on getting hurt. After a while it started to get chilly so we headed back to the cottage, rinsed the sand off of us and set on the porch to watch the sun set. We plan to go to bed early tonight so that we can get up early make our Luau reservations ( keeping my fingers crossed on that one ) and head downtown to spend the day at the Bishops Museum before getting dressed for the Luau. Well Aloha and goodnight…Cyndi
Day 8: Bishop Museum/Luau
We got up really early this morning (4:30 am). Marc was still trying to catch that elusive sunrise. Today he finally succeeded. Also the girls called early this morning to update on the saga surrounding Nicki’s new muffler. After that I got up and made a few calls (one to mom and one to Uncle John). We had a breakfast of eggs, grilled cheese sandwich and applesauce. We then left for Glen and Shelly’s so that Marc and I could get tickets for the Luau that evening. We ended up staying a while (including having lunch – turkey sandwiches and Mai chips), hanging out with the kids and Marc even helped Glen with his Harley before taking a spin on it to pick up the tickets. We left around one for the Bishop Museum where we learned quite a lot about the Hawaiian history and heritage. We stayed for a few hours and then headed back to the house to change for the luau. The Paradise Cove luau started at 5pm. We were greeted with shell leis, and a drink (non-alcoholic for us). You then were shown your seating area and allowed to walk around to various booths for games and crafts. We also watched the sun go down and listened to traditional Hawaiian music. There was a fisherman’s demonstration, tree climbing and shower of flowers presentation. I even learned how to create an authentic leis for my wrist and headband. We set down for a live show with hula dancers, fire throwers and a buffet meal of rice, chicken, pork, pasta; macaroni salad and poi (get definition). Dessert included fruit (pineapple) and cake with coconut. At the end of the evening we gathered our entrance picture and a souvenir glass. We are now back at the cottage and tomorrow morning we will be checking out of the beachfront cottages and into Hickam Air Force Base. Until then...Aloha
Hawaii Part 2
Around 8:30 pm Marc and I left the navy lodge to pick up Glen and his son from the Honolulu Airport. As soon as his flight came in we circled around to the front area to pick them up (we had been sitting in the parking area waiting). Another note…while waiting I noticed that there were ladies sitting nearby outside making leis for people (probably the very same ladies there when Shelly brought ours the first day we arrived) to purchase to give to their family and friends when they arrived off of the plane. I was surprised they were working outside, and especially surprised that they were still working so late. I was able to persuade Marc to go across the street and take a few pictures of the ladies at work. Glen drove his van back to there home where we stayed briefly (although Marc and Glen could have gotten together and talked half the night) . It was late ( at least for us ) when we got back on the road so it was not surprising that we got lost trying to get back to the base. Thankfully we happened upon another base gate and the guard was able to point us in the right direction. After we packed up all of our stuff so that it would be ready in the morning we headed to bed. I did take the time to update my email with pictures to send out to family (hopefully it was waiting in the morning).
Day 4: Word of Life Worship Christian Center
(Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium/Dinner with Glen and Shelly)
Marc and I were up bright and early the next morning (4:30 am to be exact). I wanted to be sure to have everything packed up and in the car before Glen and his family arrived to show us the way to their church. We had a breakfast of leftovers (muffin and water for me and chicken for Marc). We emptied the mini fridge and filled the cooler that Shelly gave us to use with water and butter and cream leftover from the week. We will most likely pick up a few things from the commissary when we get together with Glen and Shelly. By the time we had gotten dressed and loaded the car up our friends had arrived. Marc and I were dressed in casual attire (at least for us) and Glen and his family were dressed up! From the time Marc first told me we would be going to Hawaii, I knew we would be here for church service at least one Sunday. Anyone who knows Marc knows that he is always dressed up for church. Even when we have had a casual Sunday Marc can still be found in his suit and tie. From the very beginning of planning this trip apparently Glen had been trying to persuade him to dress casual for church. Shelly told me that she had only seen her pastor in a suit one time (and his wife had made him wear it then). I too had been trying to convince him that he would be more comfortable if he went along with the crowd (another thing my husband has never been good with -lol). So the surprise was on us when we went to get in the car and found that they had dressed up so that we would not feel uncomfortable. The joke was on all of us. We hit the highway and headed towards downtown Honolulu. Glen and Shelly belong to a very large church, and because it is in the downtown area they are spread over several buildings. The children are various ages so some of the little ones go to one building and some of the older ones have to be shuttled to another building all together. It is an adventure to say the least. Shelly went one way with the little ones and Glen went the other way with us to park the cars and drop off the older boys so that they could catch the shuttle. We then met up with Shelly and their baby girl (2 years old) in the church sanctuary. The energy in their church is electrifying. The one thing we have found while over here is that the people are very friendly and even though parts of the city look old, it is very clean. We saw very little if any trash on the streets. We arrived in time for praise and worship, followed by a welcome to visitors. Marc and I received leis made out of shells. Then their pastor got up to announce the opening of a new gym for their school. Following his announcements a young praise dance team got up and danced to my favorite gospel artist..Ms Cece Winan. I told Nicki she would have enjoyed the steps and the energy of the dancers. After offering there was a guest speaker and the service was over. One note, the most touching part of the service was a video presentation honoring Mrs. Coretta Scott King. We left to round up all of the kids and then headed to the navy exchange. It’s been years since Marc and I have even been near an exchange. This place is huge. As a matter of fact if I did not know better I would have thought I was at the local Mall. When you enter the exchange there is a large mural on the ceiling created by one of my favorite artist. Mr. Wyland has a gallery at my favorite place in the world (WDW). He also has murals all over the world on the sides of buildings. One is not far from where we live, and today I saw another one near the church that Glen and Shelly attend. We left the exchange and went to the commissary next door to pick up items for the bungalows’. (By the way as I am writing this I heard Glen tell Marc that we are right on the water). I can’t wait to share pictures! After we left the navy exchange Marc and I headed to the Stadium to pick up the last of our souvenirs for the girls and my mom and sister (I even got a Hawaiian bag for me and a Hawaiian shirt for Marc). We then tried to get on the highway to get to Glen’s home, but as usual we got lost and had to get our barring. We finally got it together and I am now sitting at their home typing out my trip update before I forget it. We will check into the bungalows tonight after we have dinner with the family (barbecue style). Marc is chilling with Glen watching the Superbowl. I think we got here in time for him to catch the last of it. We had dinner that evening with the family (chicken, steak, tossed salad, and macaroni/potato salad - which is a Hawaiian dish) and then Glen lead us out to the cottages on the beach. For the next few days we will be at a beachside house with a full kitchen, living area, 2 bedrooms and bath. It was pitched dark so it would be morning before we would get to see what our view was like. The one thing that was very apparent even in the dark was that we were very close to the ocean. All night long would could here the waves hitting the island shore.
Day 5: Beach Cottage Morning/Ewa Beach
Marc and I slept in for the first time since our world wind vacation started. It’s very easy when you have the sound of waves and the breeze of the ocean coming in through your bedroom window (no air conditioning anyway). But as the sun began to come up we were curious to see what our surroundings looked like. So we got dressed in our beachwear and hit the sand. A funny story, Marc got up before I did and went to look out the windows. He excitingly came running back to the room to get our camera because he thought he saw dolphins on the water. Only to find out that the “dolphins” he thought he had seen were surfers (lol). We spent about an hour on the beach taking pictures, collecting coral and taking in the beautiful scenery. We had only briefly grabbed a couple of bananas, juice and coffee before hitting the beach. Thankfully Shelly had given us leftovers from last night so as soon as we got dressed we had a brunch of chicken, macaroni/potato salad and applesauce. It is now around 1 pm and Marc and I both have been watching a Star Trek marathon on cable (funny that out here the telephones don’t work, but we have more cable channels then we did at the Navy Lodge). We did get to talk to the girls (still haven’t talked to TJ) and I called my friend Diane to check in. Well looks like we will be hitting the road in a few. Marc has been pacing the last few minutes while I have been typing so I know that is a sign that he is read to get out and explore. The one thing I will be able to say after this trip is that I got to see a lot of Oahu. We have discussed what we will do the rest of the week and besides the Luau, the Dole Plantation and the North Shore. We are debating taking the boat ride for whale watching. I am also hoping to make it back downtown to Honolulu to see the Kings palace and other various historic buildings. One of the brochures mentioned a mall that has a build a bear factory, if we can find it I will try to get a Hawaiian t-shirt for my bear. Around 1:30 we finally left our beachside cottage and headed back toward the area near Glen and Shelly’s home. We drove around for a while trying to get a feel for the place. Eventually we ended up at the local WalMart. This time there were less people so we actually spent a good little while looking around ( I even picked up a second placemat with the island of Hawaii on it like the one I had picked up a few days ago at the WalMart in Pearl City). We had seen a Wendy’s on our way in so after leaving WM we headed to Wendy’s for dinner. Marc had a burger with fries, a side order of chili and a frosty. I had a burger with a few fries off of his plate and a frosty. I remembered that I had been cold the night before, so we decided to head back to WalMart to get a blanket and a Hawaiian t-shirt I had seen for TJ. We ended up buying more souvenirs for family and a few things for ourselves. We left WM hoping to get back to the beach before the sun set (the first night we came in, I felt like I was being taken out into the woods near my mom's home). It was good to find out in the morning when the sun came up that we were not stranded out in the middle of nowhere alone. Thankfully there are about 12 other cabins/cottages along the beach together. It’s just hard to see in the dark at night. We also hoped to get back before the sun set so that we could take a picture of it over the water. We are either in the wrong spot for that or we were too late. We are now sitting in the living area chilling and watching the HGTV show. Not sure what we will do tomorrow. There does not seem to be a lot to do here on Ewa Beach except go to the beach (dah). And frankly neither Marc nor I are beach people. I mean if you think about it how often do we go to our own local beaches? Well it will probably be a early night for us, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Until then …..Aloha.
Day 4: Word of Life Worship Christian Center
(Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium/Dinner with Glen and Shelly)
Marc and I were up bright and early the next morning (4:30 am to be exact). I wanted to be sure to have everything packed up and in the car before Glen and his family arrived to show us the way to their church. We had a breakfast of leftovers (muffin and water for me and chicken for Marc). We emptied the mini fridge and filled the cooler that Shelly gave us to use with water and butter and cream leftover from the week. We will most likely pick up a few things from the commissary when we get together with Glen and Shelly. By the time we had gotten dressed and loaded the car up our friends had arrived. Marc and I were dressed in casual attire (at least for us) and Glen and his family were dressed up! From the time Marc first told me we would be going to Hawaii, I knew we would be here for church service at least one Sunday. Anyone who knows Marc knows that he is always dressed up for church. Even when we have had a casual Sunday Marc can still be found in his suit and tie. From the very beginning of planning this trip apparently Glen had been trying to persuade him to dress casual for church. Shelly told me that she had only seen her pastor in a suit one time (and his wife had made him wear it then). I too had been trying to convince him that he would be more comfortable if he went along with the crowd (another thing my husband has never been good with -lol). So the surprise was on us when we went to get in the car and found that they had dressed up so that we would not feel uncomfortable. The joke was on all of us. We hit the highway and headed towards downtown Honolulu. Glen and Shelly belong to a very large church, and because it is in the downtown area they are spread over several buildings. The children are various ages so some of the little ones go to one building and some of the older ones have to be shuttled to another building all together. It is an adventure to say the least. Shelly went one way with the little ones and Glen went the other way with us to park the cars and drop off the older boys so that they could catch the shuttle. We then met up with Shelly and their baby girl (2 years old) in the church sanctuary. The energy in their church is electrifying. The one thing we have found while over here is that the people are very friendly and even though parts of the city look old, it is very clean. We saw very little if any trash on the streets. We arrived in time for praise and worship, followed by a welcome to visitors. Marc and I received leis made out of shells. Then their pastor got up to announce the opening of a new gym for their school. Following his announcements a young praise dance team got up and danced to my favorite gospel artist..Ms Cece Winan. I told Nicki she would have enjoyed the steps and the energy of the dancers. After offering there was a guest speaker and the service was over. One note, the most touching part of the service was a video presentation honoring Mrs. Coretta Scott King. We left to round up all of the kids and then headed to the navy exchange. It’s been years since Marc and I have even been near an exchange. This place is huge. As a matter of fact if I did not know better I would have thought I was at the local Mall. When you enter the exchange there is a large mural on the ceiling created by one of my favorite artist. Mr. Wyland has a gallery at my favorite place in the world (WDW). He also has murals all over the world on the sides of buildings. One is not far from where we live, and today I saw another one near the church that Glen and Shelly attend. We left the exchange and went to the commissary next door to pick up items for the bungalows’. (By the way as I am writing this I heard Glen tell Marc that we are right on the water). I can’t wait to share pictures! After we left the navy exchange Marc and I headed to the Stadium to pick up the last of our souvenirs for the girls and my mom and sister (I even got a Hawaiian bag for me and a Hawaiian shirt for Marc). We then tried to get on the highway to get to Glen’s home, but as usual we got lost and had to get our barring. We finally got it together and I am now sitting at their home typing out my trip update before I forget it. We will check into the bungalows tonight after we have dinner with the family (barbecue style). Marc is chilling with Glen watching the Superbowl. I think we got here in time for him to catch the last of it. We had dinner that evening with the family (chicken, steak, tossed salad, and macaroni/potato salad - which is a Hawaiian dish) and then Glen lead us out to the cottages on the beach. For the next few days we will be at a beachside house with a full kitchen, living area, 2 bedrooms and bath. It was pitched dark so it would be morning before we would get to see what our view was like. The one thing that was very apparent even in the dark was that we were very close to the ocean. All night long would could here the waves hitting the island shore.
Day 5: Beach Cottage Morning/Ewa Beach
Marc and I slept in for the first time since our world wind vacation started. It’s very easy when you have the sound of waves and the breeze of the ocean coming in through your bedroom window (no air conditioning anyway). But as the sun began to come up we were curious to see what our surroundings looked like. So we got dressed in our beachwear and hit the sand. A funny story, Marc got up before I did and went to look out the windows. He excitingly came running back to the room to get our camera because he thought he saw dolphins on the water. Only to find out that the “dolphins” he thought he had seen were surfers (lol). We spent about an hour on the beach taking pictures, collecting coral and taking in the beautiful scenery. We had only briefly grabbed a couple of bananas, juice and coffee before hitting the beach. Thankfully Shelly had given us leftovers from last night so as soon as we got dressed we had a brunch of chicken, macaroni/potato salad and applesauce. It is now around 1 pm and Marc and I both have been watching a Star Trek marathon on cable (funny that out here the telephones don’t work, but we have more cable channels then we did at the Navy Lodge). We did get to talk to the girls (still haven’t talked to TJ) and I called my friend Diane to check in. Well looks like we will be hitting the road in a few. Marc has been pacing the last few minutes while I have been typing so I know that is a sign that he is read to get out and explore. The one thing I will be able to say after this trip is that I got to see a lot of Oahu. We have discussed what we will do the rest of the week and besides the Luau, the Dole Plantation and the North Shore. We are debating taking the boat ride for whale watching. I am also hoping to make it back downtown to Honolulu to see the Kings palace and other various historic buildings. One of the brochures mentioned a mall that has a build a bear factory, if we can find it I will try to get a Hawaiian t-shirt for my bear. Around 1:30 we finally left our beachside cottage and headed back toward the area near Glen and Shelly’s home. We drove around for a while trying to get a feel for the place. Eventually we ended up at the local WalMart. This time there were less people so we actually spent a good little while looking around ( I even picked up a second placemat with the island of Hawaii on it like the one I had picked up a few days ago at the WalMart in Pearl City). We had seen a Wendy’s on our way in so after leaving WM we headed to Wendy’s for dinner. Marc had a burger with fries, a side order of chili and a frosty. I had a burger with a few fries off of his plate and a frosty. I remembered that I had been cold the night before, so we decided to head back to WalMart to get a blanket and a Hawaiian t-shirt I had seen for TJ. We ended up buying more souvenirs for family and a few things for ourselves. We left WM hoping to get back to the beach before the sun set (the first night we came in, I felt like I was being taken out into the woods near my mom's home). It was good to find out in the morning when the sun came up that we were not stranded out in the middle of nowhere alone. Thankfully there are about 12 other cabins/cottages along the beach together. It’s just hard to see in the dark at night. We also hoped to get back before the sun set so that we could take a picture of it over the water. We are either in the wrong spot for that or we were too late. We are now sitting in the living area chilling and watching the HGTV show. Not sure what we will do tomorrow. There does not seem to be a lot to do here on Ewa Beach except go to the beach (dah). And frankly neither Marc nor I are beach people. I mean if you think about it how often do we go to our own local beaches? Well it will probably be a early night for us, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Until then …..Aloha.
Hawaii 2006 (February 2nd through the 13th)
I know this is my Disney Website, but in 2006 Marc surprised me with a trip to Hawaii to celebrate his birthday and Valentine's Day. We have never taken a honeymoon so in many ways this was our honeymoon (lol).On January 31st my husband informed me I had less then 24 hours to pack for a surprise trip to Hawaii for ten days! I am keeping a trip log of the trip and have reported back to family and friends daily about our trip thus far. I will update with the full report upon our return to the mainland. Until then.....ALOHA COUSIN.
Day 1: Arrival Day
Wanted to check in, before I begin the day. We are staying in Waikiki for the next few days at the navy lodge ( which is real nice ) before heading to the beach bungalow for the rest of the week. We will then be back here for the last few days before getting back on the plane for home. Will try to send some pictures soon. Will not have internet access at the cabin but will check back in at the end of the week. We arrived at 3:00 ( Hawaii time ). Our friends wife picked us up at the airport ( along with five of their kids ). Marc's friend is in the US ( even though he planned the whole trip ) along with one of their sons ( he will be back on Saturday ). They have 7 kids total ( two which they are in the process of adopting ). Shelly greeted us with "Aloha" and two beautiful Leis. We then headed to their home for dinner and then to the Navy Lodge . Marc crashed right away, so we are now paying the price by being up at 4:30 am ( 9:30 am your time ). We have already talked to the girls this morning. All is well. Plan to relax today and then do some exploring tomorrow. Maybe I can give a daily report ( when I can get to the computer). Marc is up and dressed and has gone exploring. The room has a mini kitchen so we will try to get some food in us soon. The flights were ok ( I hate flying). We left home early morning ( Nicki dropped us off at the airport at 4:30 am ) and landed in Ohio 10 am, then spent nine hours on the plane from Ohio to Honolulu. I slept a little ( Marc slept a lot , because he never went to bed the night before we left ). The food was pretty good on the delta flight ( surprising to me since, its been a long time since I had airline food ). We took a few pictures while en route but did not have window seats to Hawaii. The traffic here is crazy. Marc kept commenting on how American it was (lol). I had to keep reminded him we were in America ! It gets better as you get away from the city. Our friends home is a little further away so it started to look a little more "tropical" as we got further away from the airport. We will be roughing it a little at the bungalows but it has a living area, kitchen, and separate bedroom and bath area, and it is on the beach. No air though , but not needed this time of the year. It was cold last night when we checked into the navy lodge ( which is brand new and is very pretty ) so I turned the air off ( yes, I actually turned off the air ). Still waiting for the sun to come up ( its not due to rise until 7 am ). There is a pool here so I plan to relax by the pool today ( ok, reading back on this two days later, I have yet to make it into a pool ). At the camp where the bungalows are there are lots of activities. Including a lei making session, beach hikes, Hawaiian breakfast, etc. Will have to try a few things. There is a lot of oriental influence here. Last night we had stir fried rice and orange chicken ( Yah ! I actually got to eat real food yesterday after 4 days off eating mush ). It will be fun to explore all of the different taste. Well, that's today's report so far. Will check in later. Aloha everyone.
Day 2 : Waikiki Beach
We finally pulled ourselves together enough to head out around 10:00 am ( we did stop to take pictures of our surroundings ). The navy has it pretty good if you ask me. When we came in last night I did not realize we were on the water. This morning while heading out to the car I was amazed to find myself surrounded by mountains and water. Gorgeous! Our friends have given us the use of their van for the week. So there will be lots of opportunity to explore. We thought we would head downtown near the beach to check out the area and grab something to eat. We got lost and did circles around the area downtown for a while. Eventually we found the restaurant we had been looking for. It was a disappointment ( if you are ever in Hawaii ignore the Chinese buffet place that advertises in the vacation brochure ( I think it was called Perry's restaurant or something ), but it filled me up enough to take a walk down to the beach to see the Pacific ocean on Waikiki . A very beautiful view. We strolled around for a while , took lots of pictures and then walked hand in hand back to our car. Got caught in traffic coming back ( but somehow Marc found an Office Depot on the way back. It was not the same as home, so we got away without buying a lot of stuff ). Not sure where we are going to eat tonight , but we are back at the hotel right now chilling. Made a few phone calls to the kids and one of my girlfriends . Will check in tomorrow with Day 3 of our Hawaii Adventure. Aloha until then.......Cyndi
Forgot to add tomorrow we plan to visit Pearl Harbor which is next door since we are at the base on Ford's Island. Hoping to get to the north Shore before we leave and also to the Dole Plantation. Planning to go to a Luau for Marc's birthday next Friday. Hopefully all of my plans will pan out (lol).
Marc is sleep and it is only 10 pm here. I told him I had better not wake up at 4:30 am again. We didn't go far after our rest at the hotel after making it out of the traffic of the HI freeway. We went to the small shop at the front desk area to pick up a light dinner and something to eat for breakfast. Marc still wanted to explore so after picking out some fruit, sandwiches, water and packaged french toast and sausage for breakfast we put them in the fridge in the room beside our leis ( Marc is trying to preserve them as long as possible ). I realized I did not have syrup or butter for the morning so we left the base to find a convience store. So far I have yet to see a familiar grocery store ( although I did see a Safeway-thought they were gone a long time ago ). We headed in the opposite direction from that of this morning and to our surprise saw lots of places that are familiar to us. From McDonald's, to Burger King and even a Home Depot ! We were starting to believe there was no Walmart near to us. Just as we started to head back to the base lodging we noticed a Walmart sign up on a hill. Marc turned the car around and we headed towards a really huge WM. We would find out later that it is not as big as it seems, and there was way too many people. Plus there is not as much to choose from like at home but there was a whole section for Asian style food. We picked up a few more items for the next few days ( I also got a gift for the girls and a cheap swimsuit for me, so that I can at least dip my feet in the water before I leave Hawaii ). I forgot to say that my husband actually stopped in the WM parking lot to take a picture of the Walmart building (lol). He is a true scrapbook spouse. We will probably explore the area some more after our Pearl Harbor tour tomorrow morning. We got back a little later then I would have liked to be when eating, but the tuna sandwich nd chips ( I only ate a few ) were worth the wait. So now I am sitting at the computer waiting for my food to settle. Marc is out like a light, and I will not be far behind. Well goodnight everyone........Cyndi
Day 3 : Pearl Harbor/Aloha Stadium
We will be heading out in a bit to view the Pearl Harbor Memorial. We just finished breakfast in the room, and I am about to go get dressed. Marc's friend gets back today, so we will probably meet up with the family some time today. Glen's wife and children are sick so we will probably come back here and stay after the few days at the bungalow ( I think originally we were suppose to spend the last night with them, but with a few of the kids sick, not to mention poor Shelly herself , the last thing she needs is two house guest ). Tomorrow we check out of the Navy Lodge and into the bungalows.
This morning was awesome. I only recently saw parts of the Pearl Harbor movie. The fact that I am here and seeing the site first hand has been amazing. I cannot even describe it. I will have to send pictures for you to get the full effect ( as much as you can get seeing it through our eyes ). We left this morning and went immediately to the Arizona War Memorial. The whole exhibit is free , but I recommend getting the audio tour ( $5.00 per person ) . It made all the difference while we were doing the tour. You start out viewing a mural of the ship ( The Arizona ) and then go through a series of displays about the base, and the different events that lead up and included the Pearl Harbor attack. You then are called to see a video presentation about the days following up to and actual footage of the attack. After this you board a boat out to the wreckage of the ships and the memorial to those who died and are still entombed (sp) below the memorial. It was very sobering and to think of all of the lives lost that day is mind boggling. It also served as a reminder to me that my stepfather served during this time and the irony of his recent death. Marc and I walked around the museum shop after we returned from the memorial area. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to have been here and to have seen a part of history in person. Its also amazing to me that we have stayed on the very island in which all of this occurred. I can almost imagine what it must have been like for the wives who watched from the windows of their base housing as there spouses and friends were attacked . Its as if paradise put a spell on you and for a moment in time our people forgot the reason for which we are here. As beautiful as it all is , one must remember this is a military base and that are men and women are here for a purpose.We came back to the lodge for a light lunch ( left over sandwiches, chips and some fresh fruit ) and will go out again to explore some of the area near the base that we saw briefly last night. Glen called just as we began the tour to ask if we would pick him up from the airport this evening ( 9 pm Hawaii time ) , because Shelly and the kids are still very sick. After all they have done for us that is the least we could do. Until later......Aloha.
After lunch we went to the Aloha Stadium where they have a swap market set up three days out of the week. We were able to pick up some souvenirs for the family ( we got there right at the end of the day, so we may go back on Wednesday to pick up some things for the girls and my mom that we missed out on ). We then went a little further down the road near the Walmart that we went to last night. They had a bargain store ( named Price Busters ) where I found of all things, some scrapbook supplies including some vacation stickers and USA military embellishments that I can use on the Pearl Harbor pages. I also got some tropical looking plates that I will put up at home. Also couldn't resist some Hawaii style placemats and coasters for the kitchen. Marc will probably have Glen mail some of our stuff back home. I still have to pick out something for my mom and there are a few things that I would like to get before leaving for the kids and us. We then stopped at a Kentucky Fried chicken place to pick up dinner ( I have a salad waiting back at the room ).
We are chilling at the lodge right now until Glen's plane comes in tonight with him and his son ( I guess Marc will not be in bed by 9 pm tonight ....guess who is asleep as I sit here typing ). Tomorrow we will be going to church with them and of course Marc has been talking about the Superbowl game tomorrow. We have been waiting for Uncle John to send us the address and number for one of our church members who is stationed here. Hopefully we will catch up with them and there family before the week is over. We check out of the lodge in the morning and into the bungalows. I am not sure if I will get to use the internet over the next few days. But I will still keep up with my reports and when we can get internet access I will copy and paste them here. Not sure what the plans are for the next few days either, taking a day at a time. I do want to take advantage of the fact that the bungalows are on the beach and spend some time sunning by the water ( never thought I would say that ! ) We are hoping to go to the North Shore and I hope to get to the Dole plantation the same day ( of course I am not leaving Hawaii without attending a Luau ). Aloha Cousin
Universal Studios Preplanning
Our trip has been canceled so many times that I am not sure what year we will get there, but I know at some point it will happen so here are my planning notes:
Update : This trip will be planned completely by my daughters. I told them to have fun, I will go along with whatever they decide. Of course you know this would never happen with a Disney trip. Better get cracking girls !!!
Universal Studios December 2009 (or 2010)
Pre-Trip Report
Cast of Characters : Disney Veterans
Marc ( AKADisney Dad ) 46 year old Baptist pastor and trip financier.
Cyndi ( AKADisneyqueen ) 45 year old SAHM - trip planner extradinaire
TJ ( AKA Disney Prince ) 25 year old , Epcot lover
Quisha ( AKA Sleeping Beauty ) 24 year old college graduate, Winnie the Pooh lover
Nicki ( AKADisney Princess ) 23 year old college student, Eeyore lover
Trice ( our cousin ) 24 year old college graduate, thrill rider
New : Mimi ( grandmother extraordinaire ) this will be my moms second trip to Orlando, and her first US/IOA visit. I am looking forward to having her travel with us on vacation. She will probably fly, along with the kids and meet Marc and I in Orlando ( we will probably drive the van so we can have transportation for everyone).
New: not flying this trip, and our trusty van caught on fire a while back, so we will be renting this year. Should make for an interesting ride with 7 passengers.
Also New: While adding to my planning sheet Disney announced the opening of Value Family Suites at the Music resort. This may be a perfect plan for us. Especially now that my mom is tagging along. TJ will still be able to get his own room at the same resort, and we will be able to afford to stay at Disney with a mini kitchen and suite. I'm hoping that they will have additional suites built at Pop Century next year so that we can stay at our fav. value resort. If not the music resort will be ok also, since we have stayed there before. Here is a peak at a model of the suites that will open this year Disney Value Resorts Family Suites.
Update: After a lot of back and forth we have decided to stay offsite this trip. Quisha and I found a great place to stay though (of course this could change again so stay tuned).
We are giving the Universal Studios/Island of Adventure parks one more chance. As much as we love Florida, the best part of the journey is our visit to the WDW resorts ( hey, they don't call me the Disneyqueen for Nothin ! ). But lately we have been talking about giving Disney a rest and trying new places ( not my idea by the way ). Originally we planned to give the guys a break and hit US/IOA during the summer with other female members of my family . But after our last visit in May in really hot weather we thought better of this decision. My family is in a unique situation due to the fact the children are all in college and its just more fun for us to vacation in the winter because we can. Knowing I could not stay away from Disney completely I compromised hence the planning stage we are now in for a different Florida experience. So despite my feelings about US ( we have been before and not being thrill ride folks we had a hard time adapting to the "edgy" park ). The good news is that we get a second chance at Seaworld and the cost for staying on Disney property is actually cheaper for this family of five versus staying at a US/IOA hotel. As usual it will be interesting to see how much our plans in the next few years. So here goes - something !
Tickets will either be annual passes or 4 park flex-ticket which gives you access to 4 parks ( including Seaworld for 14 consecutive days ). Hopefully the second option will still be available next year because this seems to be the best choice for my family.
I'm hoping to try some new places and take the girls back to Boma's for dinner since they missed it in May. I'm leaning towards Ohana's breakfast meal with Lilo and Stitch ( who I have yet to meet ) and thanks to some great food threads on the wdwinfo board I may finally give Whispering Canyon a try for lunch ( hopefully giving us a chance to enjoy the meal without all of the ruckus usually associated with the dinner meal ).
Beyond those choices I am not sure. I have created a loose week of events which include : 2 trips to Seaworld, 2 trips to Universal Studios and 2 Trips to Island of Adventure.
Update : This trip will be planned completely by my daughters. I told them to have fun, I will go along with whatever they decide. Of course you know this would never happen with a Disney trip. Better get cracking girls !!!
Universal Studios December 2009 (or 2010)
Pre-Trip Report
Cast of Characters : Disney Veterans
Marc ( AKADisney Dad ) 46 year old Baptist pastor and trip financier.
Cyndi ( AKADisneyqueen ) 45 year old SAHM - trip planner extradinaire
TJ ( AKA Disney Prince ) 25 year old , Epcot lover
Quisha ( AKA Sleeping Beauty ) 24 year old college graduate, Winnie the Pooh lover
Nicki ( AKADisney Princess ) 23 year old college student, Eeyore lover
Trice ( our cousin ) 24 year old college graduate, thrill rider
New : Mimi ( grandmother extraordinaire ) this will be my moms second trip to Orlando, and her first US/IOA visit. I am looking forward to having her travel with us on vacation. She will probably fly, along with the kids and meet Marc and I in Orlando ( we will probably drive the van so we can have transportation for everyone).
New: not flying this trip, and our trusty van caught on fire a while back, so we will be renting this year. Should make for an interesting ride with 7 passengers.
Also New: While adding to my planning sheet Disney announced the opening of Value Family Suites at the Music resort. This may be a perfect plan for us. Especially now that my mom is tagging along. TJ will still be able to get his own room at the same resort, and we will be able to afford to stay at Disney with a mini kitchen and suite. I'm hoping that they will have additional suites built at Pop Century next year so that we can stay at our fav. value resort. If not the music resort will be ok also, since we have stayed there before. Here is a peak at a model of the suites that will open this year Disney Value Resorts Family Suites.
Update: After a lot of back and forth we have decided to stay offsite this trip. Quisha and I found a great place to stay though (of course this could change again so stay tuned).
We are giving the Universal Studios/Island of Adventure parks one more chance. As much as we love Florida, the best part of the journey is our visit to the WDW resorts ( hey, they don't call me the Disneyqueen for Nothin ! ). But lately we have been talking about giving Disney a rest and trying new places ( not my idea by the way ). Originally we planned to give the guys a break and hit US/IOA during the summer with other female members of my family . But after our last visit in May in really hot weather we thought better of this decision. My family is in a unique situation due to the fact the children are all in college and its just more fun for us to vacation in the winter because we can. Knowing I could not stay away from Disney completely I compromised hence the planning stage we are now in for a different Florida experience. So despite my feelings about US ( we have been before and not being thrill ride folks we had a hard time adapting to the "edgy" park ). The good news is that we get a second chance at Seaworld and the cost for staying on Disney property is actually cheaper for this family of five versus staying at a US/IOA hotel. As usual it will be interesting to see how much our plans in the next few years. So here goes - something !
Tickets will either be annual passes or 4 park flex-ticket which gives you access to 4 parks ( including Seaworld for 14 consecutive days ). Hopefully the second option will still be available next year because this seems to be the best choice for my family.
I'm hoping to try some new places and take the girls back to Boma's for dinner since they missed it in May. I'm leaning towards Ohana's breakfast meal with Lilo and Stitch ( who I have yet to meet ) and thanks to some great food threads on the wdwinfo board I may finally give Whispering Canyon a try for lunch ( hopefully giving us a chance to enjoy the meal without all of the ruckus usually associated with the dinner meal ).
Beyond those choices I am not sure. I have created a loose week of events which include : 2 trips to Seaworld, 2 trips to Universal Studios and 2 Trips to Island of Adventure.
Universal Studio's/Island of Adventure
If you are planning a Universal Studios Trip here is the place to get answer's.
Update : We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites when we went to Universal Studios in August 1999 . They offer continental breakfast and is centrally located between Universal Studios and Walt Disney World . Hubby Marcus has always liked the Hampton Inn chains so this was not a difficult decision to make as a choice for a "off-site " hotel . We were minutes from Downtown Disney and the outlet malls ( which fit right in with my family's need to shop ). Also it was close to labor day , so the parks were fairly empty and the shops had great back to school sales . Our rented car was filled to the brim when we returned home from our weeks stay !
Update : We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites when we went to Universal Studios in August 1999 . They offer continental breakfast and is centrally located between Universal Studios and Walt Disney World . Hubby Marcus has always liked the Hampton Inn chains so this was not a difficult decision to make as a choice for a "off-site " hotel . We were minutes from Downtown Disney and the outlet malls ( which fit right in with my family's need to shop ). Also it was close to labor day , so the parks were fairly empty and the shops had great back to school sales . Our rented car was filled to the brim when we returned home from our weeks stay !
Universal Studios Scrapbook:
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Here are a few of our Universal Studios Photos. If you are interested in visiting US and IOA click here .
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Here are a few of our Universal Studios Photos. If you are interested in visiting US and IOA click here .
Update : Coming Winter 2008 (or 2009) stay tuned for a week at Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. The cast will include Marc, Cyndi, Nicki, Quisha and maybe TJ. A few family members may tag along , but I'm not counting on it. I still plan to stay at Disney ( unless I get a better deal ). And I will try eating at a few new places. We also want to check out Sea World in a lot cooler weather. Maybe this time I will actually enjoy the park. So stay tuned !!!!!!
Downtown Disney
This is us hanging out with the "old man " at Downtown Disney area ( don't tell anyone , but he snores ) !
No trip would be complete for my family without a shopping trip to Downtown Disney . World of Disney is the largest Disney store in the world ! You could spend hours in this place. There are also lots of great restaurants and shops too numerous to name. Night owls and party animals may want to take time out for an evening of entertainment at Pleasure Island ( a six acre complex ). They offer adults a get - away with comedy clubs , dancing , and eating. There is also Disneyquest for video game lovers , Cirque Du Soleil , and the mega AMC theatre with 24 screens.
Update : A new addition to Downtown Disney is a huge toy store where you can buy the pieces for Mr. Potato head ( as many as you can get into a box ) at a great price . We spent about a hour filling up a box up for Quisha . They have some pieces that I am not sure are available anywhere else ( including Mickey ears , mickey ice cream bar and few others that I can't remember ) . I hope to pick up one for myself when we return in 2004 ( which by the way is starting to feel like a long way off ). I also hear they have a pretty good Scrapbook Store which I will have to check out next trip also .
Our Favorite Shows and Parades
The whole family in front of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom
Marc ( AKA Disney Dad ) , Nicki ( AKA Disney Princess ) , Cyndi ( AKA Disney Queen ), Quisha ( AKA Sleeping Beauty ) and TJ ( AKA Disney Son ).
There is so much to do and see at WDW , that I could go on for ever and ever. Instead I will try to collect a few pictures to post just to give you a glimpse into some of the nightly activities we experienced while visiting the happiest place on earth. Each of the family members will have an input in this ( thus the family picture above ). I hope you enjoy our reviews .
Marc ( AKA Disney Dad ) , Nicki ( AKA Disney Princess ) , Cyndi ( AKA Disney Queen ), Quisha ( AKA Sleeping Beauty ) and TJ ( AKA Disney Son ).
There is so much to do and see at WDW , that I could go on for ever and ever. Instead I will try to collect a few pictures to post just to give you a glimpse into some of the nightly activities we experienced while visiting the happiest place on earth. Each of the family members will have an input in this ( thus the family picture above ). I hope you enjoy our reviews .
The most impressive shows and parades for me was when I went to WDW at Christmas . I really enjoyed the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights at MGM . The Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade at Magic Kingdom really got us in the spirit of Christmas. And for the first time I witnessed Spectromagic. Truly an electrifying event ! But I must admit that my all time favorite became the Jammin Jungle Parade at Animal Kingdom. The girls and I danced during the entire parade and the interaction with castmembers and characters was truly a " hakuna matata " experience. ( must be a little bit of our african roots coming out ).
We got separated from Marc during the wait for Fantasmic at MGM because he was off getting one of the famous " turkey legs ". We have yet to see The Beauty and the Beast Show or Hunchback of Notre Dame ( maybe this trip ). I would say that the most impressive thing Marc saw during our trip to the world has been "Illuminations " , the nightly fireworks spectacular at Epcot each night. Know one does fireworks like Disney! I can't describe them , so you will have to see for yourself.
Update : In August 2002 we finally got to see Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame ( not to mention Tarzan Rocks at Animal Kingdom ). We went back for a second time just to get Beauty and the Beast on film . Unfortunately because of the heat we never made it back to see Hunchback . Sadly Disney has announced that it is closing the show this year . We did get lots of pictures though !
Update : In August 2002 we finally got to see Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame ( not to mention Tarzan Rocks at Animal Kingdom ). We went back for a second time just to get Beauty and the Beast on film . Unfortunately because of the heat we never made it back to see Hunchback . Sadly Disney has announced that it is closing the show this year . We did get lots of pictures though !
Nicki's favorite all time show is the Stars and Motorcars Parade at MGM ( no surprise to me since she wants to be a star ).
Quisha especially enjoyed the special Christmas show with Mickey and Minnie in front of Cinderella's Castle in December 2001. And fondly recalls seeing the Share a Dream Come True Parade during our first time at MK. We heard this song in our head for many months after returning home from vacation.
TJ has always loved the Indiana Jones Stunt Show at MGM. We spent one entire afternoon trying to find the hat that Indiana Jones wore . It ended up being way out of his budget and he was not as impressed with it once it was on his head.
This is just a small part of what Walt Disney World offers to it's guest . There is still Downtown Disney, and Pleasure Island . WDW has six golf courses, a movie theatre , and loads of shopping and dining . The list goes on and on. I hope that I have provided you with a little bit of the pixie dust that hit my family and that you will consider taking a journey to the Happiest Place on Earth.
This is just a small part of what Walt Disney World offers to it's guest . There is still Downtown Disney, and Pleasure Island . WDW has six golf courses, a movie theatre , and loads of shopping and dining . The list goes on and on. I hope that I have provided you with a little bit of the pixie dust that hit my family and that you will consider taking a journey to the Happiest Place on Earth.
Christmas Disney Style
We have been to Disney at least twice at Christmas. I thought it would be fun to create a Disney Style Christmas page. I can add pictures of us at Disney in December and change them out over the coming years. It is my wish to spend Christmas ( at least every few years ) at Walt Disney World in the future. Less face it know one does Christmas better. Some of my families fondest memories are of our Disney trips, but the best one was spent at the Contemporary Resort in 2001 and 2004 at Christmas time.
Merry Christmas !!!!! Click below to see why others love it as much as I do (this was posted on the DIS Boards ). I had to share. Christmas
WDW Transportation
Transportation at WDW is like no other place in the world. You can travel to the parks in so many ways. This page is dedicated to the best transportation options in the "World " !
1900 Park Faire Princess Dinner
I must say one of my most favorite things to do at Disney besides Park hopping is to visit the various resorts on property. The best way to do this is to make Priority seating arrangements for the various restaurants. By far my favorites are 1900 Park Faire at The Grand Floridian and Chef Mickey's at The Contemporary Resort. For many years we have been trying to make it to Boma's and the Animal Kingdom Resort , but it never seemed to happen. This pass May while celebrating my goddaughter's birthday we finally had the chance to eat at Boma's. It was the best meal I have ever had. Although we did not make it back to Chef Mickey's during this trip, the two sit down meals we did have were great.
The pictures above are from 1900 Park Faire. We had dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming in honor of my goddaughters birthday, at the Grand Floridian Resort.
Turkey Legs
Marc became addicted to "Turkey legs " on our last trip to WDW in 2001. This past December ( in 40 degree weather no less ) we once again hunted down Turkey legs at one of the food carts at Epcot. The cart is located right near the American Pavilion.
Chef Mickey's ( the second time around )
For the second time we had breakfast at Chef Mickey's. This time we were finally able to convince Marc to go with us. He may not admit it , but I think he had a great time. He was especially impressed by the variety of food available at the buffet !
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