Sunday afternoon in the park

My sister and family came over to my Mom's house on the Sunday I was back in the Bay Area. We made a run with my niece and nephew to the park I grew up playing in and around. It's changed a bit since then, with a nice skateboard section and updated (read: a little safer!) playground equipment, but the heart of it stays the same: large pond with ducks and the usual paths carved through the grassy areas. After a little while on the swings, we thought it was going to start raining so we packed up and made a quick getaway. I snapped this picture of my Mom, holding my nephew's hand with one arm, and holding on to the leash of her beloved dog Max, with the other. When I told her I took a few pictures of her from behind, she looked aghast (I think this would be a universal reaction, no?). But I reassured her the composition looked really good and was actually quite flattering!

Furlough Friday is on

The court has spoken and let the Furlough Fridays stand...for now. I believe the judge made a good call to postpone his actual decision for a few weeks. If he indeed overturns the Fridays, then schools and parents will have more time to prepare. In a statement which will no doubt leave Noel stunned and asking for a DNA test, Robbie declared this morning that he wanted to go to school. Life is confusing, son. No school for you. Instead we're taking a road trip to get out of the house and see some of the island we don't get to often. This shot is from my Mom's garden earlier this week. The day lilies were thriving!

News and notes from the island

Here's another aerial shot from the plane on Tuesday. Minutes earlier the pilot had gone on to say that no more electronic devices were allowed, etc. But then I look up out of my window to see the Leeward side coming into view, with a great shot of the Ko Olina coves from the air and I couldn't help myself. So I guess I shouldn't be posting these as they were taken against FAA regulations, but worth it! I had my iPhone in my purse under my seat, but the DSLR camera was out of reach in the overhead bin. Hard lesson learned!
If you place this picture side by side to the left of the earlier pic posted, they should more or less match up. If you look hard, you can see the man made coves and the Ko Olina hotel properties. (Not having the iPhone in my hand made me miss a really great shot. Doh!) That bizarre rectangle butting into the coast is not a cove, rather an industrial port. From our neighborhood, we can see the industrial port and the ocean beyond it, but the coves are just out of view. TheBoat no longer runs due to budget cuts, but when Noel was commuting on it, that's where we drove to catch it and later pick him up. If I were more industrious, I could also draw a line to show you where the Oahu Railway train runs in this area, but sorry, no time for that just now!
The first "Furlough Friday" is scheduled for tomorrow, but word is that a Federal judge is going to rule this afternoon on whether or not it will be a go. A group of parents got together to challenge the days off. So I will watch the news this evening to see if I need to get Robbie up for the bus in the morning. On a lighter note, the first humpback whale sighting of the season was yesterday, in waters off West Maui.

Mainland run...in reverse

I'm home now and getting back in the swing of things. Went to the Bay Area for a long weekend to attend the National Kidney Association's Annual Authors Luncheon. A fabulous event! More on that later. Also was able to see many friends, as well as spend a lot of time with family. Although my boys were missed, the days flew by filled with good times that were truly good for the soul and spirit.
I sat on the left side of the plane that brought me back to HNL yesterday, which offered this view of Leeward Oahu. The large mass of homes in the center of the photo above the freeway (H1) is where we live. To the left and out of the frame is Ko Olina. Below the freeway (in view) is commercial development in Kapolei (stores and gas stations, etc.) as well as more housing. The plane was flying east over the coastline, in its final descent to the airport.

Riding the Pineapple Express*

So the week went well with the two boys home. Pretty much a normal week with errands, shopping, playing with our train set, and late afternoon playground runs. We picked up a new tricycle for Cub, but he's not that into it yet. On Saturday I wanted to treat the boys to a train ride at the Dole Plantation (it was really for me, celebrating that we made it through the week!). I was buying tickets and forgot to ask for the kama 'aina rate (local rate) but the ticket agent asked me and gave me the discount without even asking for ID. Nice! But then as we were about to board, one of the staffers pulls us aside and asks to take our picture. Oh, I thought, so we don't look so local after all. Instead of getting out of it, I went ahead and roped Robbie in and smiled. I wasn't even thinking of the pic as we got off the train, they actually spot you and come up with the print. I looked and was surprised. A very good smile on Robbie and I didn't look like the frazzled mom I had expected to. Had I known this, I probably would have moved closer to the train as the photographer asked, stood up straighter, and tried to get Cub to look at the camera (and maybe smile, but looking and smiling is asking for a lot!). We'll take what we can get! The picture ($15) ended up being more than the train ride for the three of us ($12.75) but going with that day's theme of "treats," I figured why not. I also like the continuity of Robbie holding the red train in the pic this time.

* We rode the train years ago (pre-Cub) when Robbie was a year or two old. I didn't remember it being called the Pineapple Express then, but I'm sure it was. I guess they don't have rights to the name...the plantation administrators had to be appalled by the movie of the same name!

Waiting for the train ride

Cub's 2nd birthday was Saturday. On Sunday we celebrated with a ride on the Hawaiian Railway - a train ride that starts in Ewa and runs through Kapolei, KoOlina, and up to Kahe Point. We snapped a few quick shots of the boys just before the train pulled out of the station. Robbie was completely excited. We couldn't figure out why the birthday boy was making this face. (You can click on the pictures in the following posts for a larger image.)

Waiting for the train ride (2)

Next shot on the camera roll...Cub's expressions had Noel and I laughing to the point of almost crying. Note him clutching a James train from the Thomas the Tank Engine set.

Waiting for the train ride (3)

Here we were getting rather excited and making a lot of "woo-hoo" type sounds. Cub still wasn't into it.

View from the train

Like the Sugar Cane Train on Maui, the Oahu train has roots in the sugar cane plantation era. During the 90 minute train ride, we got the historical overview of how the train came to be (a narrator is on board), when and where it ran and was used, as well as some other fun facts. The train starts in Ewa and reaches its destination (Kahe Point) in about 40 minutes. We sit for about 10 minutes along the coast before the train heads back to Ewa. No turning around or repositioning the trains cars...we just went back.
Here's the gorgeous view of the Waianae Coast from that final stop before heading back to Ewa. On the mauka side (not pictured) you would see Kahe Point. Sadly, a good portion of the trip is not this scenic. As we ride past Kapolei, it's pretty empty except for recent commercial developments like the new Costco. Through the KoOlina properties, we ride alongside the golf course. Past KoOlina, the train is wedged between the coastline and Farrington Highway and we finally see the ocean. The boys ended up having a lot of fun. Even the grandparents were up for more rides in the future!

Art imitates...life?

I've been pondering a functional re-org of our house and we've been trying a new sleeping arrangement for the boys. Basically seeing if they can sleep together in the same room so we can use our third bedroom as a dedicated guest room and office. I had concerns that they would keep each other up or otherwise disrupt the sleeping pattern. We've had a few hiccups but so far, so good. The other night Cub went down pretty quickly but Robbie was restless (and loud!) so I moved him to another room. He didn't like that! When he got up the next morning, he wanted to know if he could sleep with Cub that night, and when he got home from school, he reminded me again. So I guess it's working.

Sometime last week this drawing came home in his backpack. It has some inaccuracies! They do not share the same bed, rather they each have their own mattress. And we don't have a cat. Not sure where that one came from! When Noel saw it, he said, "So that's why my allergies have been bad recently!" I'm also unclear as to what the yellow box with the vertical stripes is. Best guess is the window with horizontal blinds. Nice eye for detail, kiddo!

Next week public schools are off. Officially called "Fall Intercession." Fall break! I don't remember Fall break as a kid! They do get the traditional 5-day weekend at Thanksgiving and a lengthy Christmas break, so this is not to make up for that. And in addition, due to state budget cuts, the teachers voted last week to add 17 "Furlough Fridays" to the calendar instead of teacher layoffs and other cuts. We have a lot of 3- and 4- day weekends in our future.

Future Park Ranger?

I am drinking in the PBS Series "America's Best Idea" like a fine, fine wine! OK, truth be told, it has been on three nights, and I've caught no more than 30 minutes each night, but oh so inspiring! A lot of Tivo to catch up on. I also watched Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan on BookTV Saturday discussing the series and the companion book. The episodes run this week and again in January for, as they clearly state, folks to watch when they are deciding where to go on their next vacation. No kidding! One look at Arcadia in Maine and I'd want to hop on a plane next summer for sure. Here's our own future parks lover (just like the Grandpa he's named for), in full, goofy kid form at Yellowstone this summer. This was after he ran through the boardwalk surrounding the nearby thermal pools. Note the dusty knees from when he stopped to get a closer look.

Poolside fun

We crashed the ongoing party at KoOlina last weekend. We went over for the morning to be with friends and hung out in and around the fabulous property pools. We barely got Robbie out. Even while we had lunch he just sat there, similar to the shot attached. This week I went out and bought him a pair of goggles. We are hoping that the pool experience makes him more comfortable in water and if he has goggles on, he'll experiment more with his face in the water. Initial test runs in the bath tub went OK. Baby steps!

Arizona Memorial replica

Last of the can art display from the mall. Here's a replica of the Arizona Memorial. My favorite! Somewhat easy to stack yet nice touch with the soft curving of the top edges. And a nod for the best use of bottled water. I had to laugh recently - friends were visiting last week and went to Pearl Harbor. They asked about Noel's various jobs as a Marine and whether or not he ever drove the boat that ferries visitors over to the Memorial. No, he wore a lot of hats as a JAG, but never that one!
In a related note, read in the paper over the weekend that the Arizona Memorial Visitor's Center was hosting a special 45 minute preview of Ken Burns' latest PBS project, "America's Best Idea." (Hours and hours - in HD - on the history and geography of the national parks? I can barely breathe thinking about it!) Wasn't able to make it to the sneak peek, but I'm anxiously awaiting the series starting next Monday. They aired a shorter preview on the local PBS station two weeks ago and it looks amazing.

My runner-up in the canned art display

Here's my second-favorite display: Shave ice! And my favorite flavor, too. Red! Yes, sadly a color and not an actual flavor. Cherry and strawberry are pretty much interchangeable in all that sugary, thick syrup, and they taste the same to me. To achieve the deep red color for the display, they wrapped each can in red cellophane. Coincidentally, we went to Matsumoto's on the North Shore yesterday with friends in town. I think it will be my last for a while. Either that or I try Aoki's next door. I ordered cherry and lime, and the lime was a yellow-green color, very unappetizing to the eye. And it didn't taste that great either. My friend sat down right outside when open seats became available before I had time to warn her about the smell. Each time I've been there it stinks of a sewage backup. Yes, right out front. Gross. My kids were a little restless so I didn't make a fuss and move but thinking back that wasn't one of my best decisions.

Canned food drive with an artistic twist

We rarely plan our mall outings around shopping; normally we plan a monorail ride and then walk around a bit while we're there. (The monorail connects two areas of a sprawling shopping complex that costs $0.50 per adult, one way, lasts just a few minutes, and offers a unique view of Pearl Harbor. But it's really just the ride the boys like.) Late last month we stumbled upon a large art installation timed in conjunction with a canned food drive. Here's Robbie's favorite. I like the use of white balloons to complete the replica of a steam train. Pretty clever.

Pizza night!

Sometime back in February or March zpizza opened at the Ward Centre. I remember it - fondly - from its early origins during my college days, but had no idea that it had gone on to become a relatively big franchise. We finally got there earlier this summer and it's even better than I remember. The staff is super friendly as well, going beyond the call of duty to help us out as we rolled in with a toddler and a preschooler in tow.

Hands-down beats Boston Pizza here, who claim to be the best pizza on the island. Even better news for us, there will be a new zpizza location coming in a yet-to-be-completed shopping and dining complex near KoOlina.

Photo Trek at Waimea Valley

A few Sundays ago, I joined a small group of local photographers on a day trek with professional photographer George Lepp. Lighthaus Camera hosted the day and bused us out to Waimea Valley on the North Shore. The theme for the day can be summed up quickly: HDR - Bracket, bracket, bracket! Lepp has embraced the hot photographic trend and was eager for all of us to try it. Sure you can take a zillion images, but you need to later run the images through Photoshop or other similar apps to really see what you can get. And I haven't yet, which should surprise no one. This shot is from my phone, proof that I made the short yet tiring hike to the falls that day. Sadly it's not that far and completely paved, but always seems longer than they sell it.
They promised lunch in the deal and I was a little worried. I'm not a picky eater; I simply do not like a lot of "normal" stuff. I had visions of cheap, deli meat sandwiches slathered in mayo and mustard. Yuck, yuck, yuck. (I guess I'm outing myself in my hatred of mayo here. It's beyond dislike. The stuff makes me sick.) But I was very pleasantly surprised. The organizers let us have our pick off the menu at the Waimea Valley snack bar. For a snack bar, it was surprisingly good. I bypassed the standard plate lunches and instead opted for the Vegan Taro Burger figuring this might not be something I can easily get elsewhere. It was pretty good - moist taro patty on a soft taro bun. I looked around at the folks having the Kailua pulled pork and teriyaki chicken plate lunches and they looked pretty good too. If you're planning a trip to Waimea Valley, I can recommend eating there without any hesitation.

One more try with the thermal pool pics...

More images highlighting the unique colors and markings surrounding the thermal pools in Yellowstone. I spent a good chunk of time (when not trying to keep tabs on Robbie) studying the ground for interesting pictures of the patterns. Yes, that's a good vacation for me. :) I think the deep oranges are caused by sulphur. There really is an amazing range of colors, for some reason I liked best the shots highlighting mainly the earth-tones.

More from vacation...

It's Labor Day, and folks all over are probably wishing summer would not end. So here's my take on that time-honored tradition. I'm dragging out more pics from our trip this July. This was taken while roaming the grounds surrounding Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park. I loved this thermal pool for its depth, color, and interesting interior "walls." Wanted to dive in, but you know that would be a very, very bad idea!

Sunset at Ko Olina

We're having a fantastic weekend with my sister and her family. Local beach run this morning followed by dinner at the Marriot Beach Villas (Lagoon 3 for the curious). Live music, a lawn for the kids to run around, and this view. When they leave Sunday for Maui the house will be very, very quiet.

Viloria retains world title

Maybe you haven't heard...on Saturday night, Waipahu's own Brian Viloria retained his IBF championship belt at an event held at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. Truth be told, I wouldn't have known either except he's a local boy and he gets a lot of press here. My father-in-law didn't go to the fight, but met with him the next day at a party hosted by the Philippine Consulate. Here he is posing with the local celeb.

50th Anniversary Statehood Stamp

As mentioned last week, the Postal Service might have held the only official celebration of Hawaii's Statehood anniversary. Here's the stamp that was released. Regardless of the circumstances around the release, it's a very cool stamp. It was created by an artist from the Big Island, Herb Kane, who also did Hawaii's 25th anniversary stamp.

KanDoo!...Kan't

I spoke too soon in my blasting of the KanDoo! Island moored off Waikiki Beach. In yesterday's paper there was a quick update indicating the island has not been in the water since August 17th due to "insurance issues." They hope to get problem resolved soon (and reading between the lines, I think that means they hope to get insurance back soon), but in the meantime have laid off ALL of their employees. Should have known something was up - and sure glad I didn't trek down to Waikiki to try to get a glimpse of it - when the link to "How Kan I Get There" was broken on their website Monday. Maybe the obvious attempt to be "kute" by replacing the letter "c" with "k" every chance they could was bad karma.

Good times for Lego fans on Oahu

A new Lego store opened at the Ala Moana Center this month. They had special activities and freebies with purchase, but we didn't manage to get there. But we did make it to McDonald's, where the Happy Meal toy is a Lego car. Pretty nifty - each car is made up of three sections which are interchangeable with the other cars in the Happy Meal set. Don't care for the actual food in a Happy Meal? No worries. You can buy toys separately for $1.69 each. We bought a Happy Meal for Robbie and just a car for Cub during a recent mall visit to ride the monorail. Statehood Day treat. ;)

KanDoo! anchored off Waikiki Beach. Seriously?

Soon after we arrived home from our vacation, I read this in the Travel section of the Advertiser:

KanDoo! Island, a floating playground 200 yards off Waikiki, has officially launched. The "island" is a steel catamaran that includes a water slide, water trampoline, sun deck, four bars, and food service among other activities...

KanDoo! Island operates 9 am to 9 pm daily with food and beverages served all day. After sunset, Kandoo! becomes a romantic evening getaway spot/nightclub. ... A four-hour admission to the island is $20 for adults, $10 for children, plus the cost of activities. [note: I'm sure food is pricey, too.] www.gokandoo.com

I was horrified, sick to my stomach, and shocked all at the same time. I haven't been able to get into Waikiki and view it for myself, but I will soon. I'm at a complete loss as to how this monstrosity was allowed, yet folks are STILL fighting (and will for a while) about how an elevated track for rapid transit will ruin Chinatown. Four words for you people: Chinatown is already ugly. But mooring this "catamaran" off the beach in still-prized waters could have been avoided. I guess it could be worse. It's not there 24/7. If you want to have a nice stroll along the beach without this on the horizon, you have a very brief window in the morning.

Happy 50th Hawaii

Today marks 50 years of Hawaii statehood. Surprisingly, the only celebration scheduled is from the Post Office. There's a new stamp issue today and not one, but two, first-day issue stamp cancellation events around Honolulu. No Waikiki parade? Shocking!

Not only are there no celebrations, there were protests. Here's a shot from the Advertiser of a group of Native Hawaiians rallying downtown on Friday. Note the Hawaiian flags flown upside down.

Backyard Bird Watch - Redux

We went shopping yesterday to get Cub a new bike. Taking a stroll through the craft aisle on the way to the sporting equipment, Robbie spotted small, unpainted bird houses. He asked for one so we could feed the birds in the backyard. It was only a couple of dollars, so I was happy to buy it for him (along with red craft paint - the color he wanted after I asked him if he wanted to paint it). Once home we painted it and set it up with bird seed, but no birds yet. A "real" bird house we had a few years ago didn't end well (for the bird house) so we'll see how long this lasts. We might have to figure out a way to hang it so it attracts birds. So far this spot low to the ground isn't working. I'm getting just as sad as Robbie that no birds are showing up!

Day trip to Old Faithful

Grand Teton National Park is separated from Yellowstone National Park's South Gate by an 82 mile stretch of road called the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Highway. We decided to drive the road one day and spend some time around Old Faithful. We were caught off-guard a bit with a lot of road construction (stimulus dollars in action!) and got stuck in more traffic than we cared to, but really had fun once we reached our destination. First stop was lunch. While we were there the geyser went off. This sad (because he's looking at the phone and not the national landmark!), over-exposed shot above is my attempt to get Cub watching cartoons on the iPhone while Old Faithful erupts outside. We had a great view while we finished eating. Don't worry, we stuck around and got a little closer to more eruptions later in the day. And I think at least Robbie appreciated his surroundings.

Now entering the "black" period

Our preschooler started school immediately upon our return home from vacation. He was not happy about it. Loved summer and repeatedly said he did not want to go back to class. But trooper that he is, he gets up without a word every morning and has gotten on the bus with no problems. Then the first artwork of the year came home in his backpack and it was a little disturbing. Maybe this is his rebellion? I'm wondering if he picked this color, or if it was simply one of a few choices.

We now bring you...Grand Teton National Park

For reasons I don't even remember now, I've always wanted to visit Grand Teton National Park. Noel was interested in a photo class in Jackson, and I jumped at the chance to tag along. My first thoughts of the park were that it was very accessible and family-friendly. You can see the Teton Mountain Range easily from many points along numerous scenic drives. And the activities! Rafting, biking, hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing (although we struck out here for the most part)...lots if fun. Unfortunately most activities are lost on the under two set, and even at four+, Robbie was too young for rafting. So we'll go back someday and plan a longer stay, for sure. I'm a little burned out on flying right now, so I see more inter-island trips in our immediate future, but we will return!

Wyoming recycles!

More from the camera roll. I'd forgotten I snapped this one morning at the Jackson post office while buying postcard stamps. It reminded me of our apartment in Maryland and how I wished we had a similar bin near our mailboxes. A nearby trash can always filled up quickly with junk mail. I should have bugged the management to set up something like this. And this wasn't the only recycling bin here. Each row of mailboxes had their own bin, so they easily had five or six in the building. Makes me sad that I live in a state that doesn't have a comprehensive recycling program. I think we're going ahead with the plan to pay to have our excess trash shipped to a Washington state landfill.

...and recycles...

Not just at the Post Office! Here are a sampling of recycling options near the parking lot of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson. Nice!

... and recycles.

I was pretty impressed with the array of bins at the Elk Refuge and then I turned the corner and saw a few more. I love it. Someone who walks the walk with regards to the environment.

Elk Antler Arches, Jackson Town Square

Here's a famous landmark in the city of Jackson: the Town Square park. Each of the four corners sports an Elk Antler Arch. After flying in with the boys from Seattle, the first thing I wanted to do was eat, and then I requested a walk around town. Noel brought us here. It was fun! Boys got to run around and we got to enjoy the late summer evening. It's a small lot. Guide books I read indicated otherwise, but the antler arches did not disappoint. Elk shed their antlers each Spring, so these were obtained without hurting any animals, in case you are concerned. :) If you would like to create your own elk antler art, each year the local boy scouts collect the antlers from the National Elk Refuge and the antlers are auctioned off in this square.

Elk Antler Arches close-up

Here I go spouting off about the iPhone again, but even using the camera with no bells and whistles produced results I like. Here's a zoom in on the arches. I have to say I like this composition!

Yes, we got that close

On the last drive back to our hotel room on Thursday, we took an alternate road to Jackson. We'd had poor luck with wildlife spotting in both parks (Yellowstone and Grand Teton) so we tried Antelope Flats Road. Well, we got bison. Lots of bison! Noel was shooting with his camera as we all sat in the car. The windows were down and Cub started getting fussy and crying, so I started thinking we might upset this guy and drove away.

Summer Morning at the National Elk Refuge

This is my view from the second floor of the visitor center at the National Elk Refuge as I sit and compose this. The boys are back in the hotel room sleeping and I'm checking out the scene here, just inside the town of Jackson. We'll head down that road in the distance today and head back to the Grand Teton park. Our final day will be spent driving around to highlights we missed earlier in the week, as well as a few we want to revisit. I highly recommend a trip this way. More pics and stories to follow once we're home!

Greetings from Jackson Hole

Here's the plane that brought us to Wyoming, the last leg of our big trip. The airport is technically in the middle of Grand Teton National Park. Feels a bit like Tahoe to me, at least the air and altitude combination. I'm loving the late summer nights we've had since Oregon. Stays light out until 9:00PM!

Can we go back to the Lake House?

While in the Seattle area, we stayed at the lakeside home of my uncle's girlfriend. Everyone should be so lucky! Temps soared this weekend and I stayed out of the sun and off the water during the peak hours (surprise, surprise) but took the kayaks out during the evenings for a short run with one of the boys along for the ride. On our last night I had Cub in my lap and my Mom alongside us with Robbie in another kayak as the sun set over the tall trees of the northwestern skyline. Beautiful!

Oregon Coast run

While visiting friends in Salem, Oregon, we drove west to Lincoln City (on the Oregon Coast) to escape the inland heat. Escape we did! It was overcast and in the 60s and 70s. But no worries. With good friends it's fun no matter where the destination.

You know you're in Berkeley when...

We were in Berkeley last weekend for a wedding and spotted this in the church parking lot.

Maui's Sugar Cane Train

Here's one of my other favorite shots from the quick weekend in Maui. On Sunday before we flew home, we rode the short, overpriced Sugar Cane Train. A lot of fun for kids though, and even fun for adults. Great views along the way, but a lot of it is dry, like this bend you see here. Got Cub looking out the window by holding the camera as far out of the train car as I could.

Earlier that week I had taken the boys to a shady playground after running some mid-day errands. The shade came at a price - Cub was playing with the pods that had dropped on the ground, and at some point rubbed his eyes. By the end of the day, his left eye had swollen up and he looked like he'd gone a few rounds in a prize fight. Took him to the doctor the next morning to make sure it wasn't a more serious reaction to something or an allergy, and the doctor said it was a "normal" reaction for kids. The reddish marks lasted for over a week. Sadly, that playground may be off-limits for us until the seasons change and the pods don't drop.

Pano at the Park

So, since I got the new iPhone in June, it seems that every picture I post is from my phone. Sorry...hopefully will have some really good stuff from a real camera by the end of summer. But for now another iPhone shot! This I want to share because it uses the Pano iPhone app. Basically for $1.99 you get the functionality (albeit very limited) of the Photoshop panoramic tool. And I love it! Here I was practicing late one afternoon at the local Kapolei park while Robbie rode his bike. This is the result of three or four images stitched together.

Lazy evening waiting for fireworks

After the carsickness experience late Friday night, we needed to do some laundry before getting back home. So after a fun afternoon at the pool, I got Cub down for a nap and found the hotel's guest washing machines and cleaned up before the nightime fireworks. Sitting down and waiting for the cycles made me sleepy, so I wandered around the hotel to stay awake. Stood outside the hotel's luau and heard the crowd learning the Hukilau! The lyrics are plucked from the Internet and look a little odd, but I don't have time to fact check.

Ah, what a beautiful day to go fishin'
The old Hawaiian way
And the hukilau nets were swishin'
Down in old La`ie Bay

Oh we're goin' to a hukilau
Huki-huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau
Everybody loves the hukilau
Where the laulau is the kaukau at the lu`au

Oh we throw our nets out into the sea
And all the `ama`ama come a-swimmin' to me
Oh, we're goin' to the hukilau
Huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau

Oh we're goin' to the hukilau
Huki-huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau
Everybody loves the hukilau
Where the laulau is the kaukau at the great l`au

Oh we throw our net out into the sea
And all the `ama`ama come a-swimmin' to me
Oh, we're goin' to the hukilau
Huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau
Huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau
Huki-huki, hu-uki-huki, hukilau-au...

Hyatt Ka'anapali

After what turned out to be a rough and long leg to the hotel Friday night, this beautiful scene greeted us on Saturday morning. (That's the island of Lana'i in the background.) We ditched plans to ride the Lahaina Sugar Cane Train (bumped to Sunday) and spent all day at the pool instead. What you see here is the "adult" side. Pass through under the rocks on the right and you find more connected pools and a great kids play area, complete with two slides.

Driving down the crater road

We left the parking lot near the Haleakala crater overlook after sunset but before it was too dark. Driving slow, I pulled over and let a few cars pass me, and also stuck my iPhone out the window and took a few shots at the fading skyline. An amazing range of reds, oranges, and yellows sandwiched between the blue sky and the clouds. All was going smoothly until about 30-45 minutes into the drive when Cub woke up from a nap. He started crying and then got sick. We pulled over and cleaned him, the car seat, the car, and everything else we could, but it still smelled really bad. Up until that point we had wished we would have been able to take the Superferry over. Not anymore. We were happy that the rental took the direct hit! We drove directly to the hotel that night and went straight to the room (with a brief Safeway stop for more milk).

Moonrise over Haleakala

When we were discussing the quick weekend getaway to Maui, Noel mentioned going to Haleakala on Friday afternoon, heading straight out from the airport. I jumped at the chance. Although we've been to Maui a few times since the last time we were at Haleakala (December, 2006) we've never managed to make it back to the crater. Later Noel would mention something about "moonrise" and I spied a calendar entry/entered time on it on his iPhone, but I didn't know what he was talking about. It would finally make sense when we were there - the time when the moon comes up and you can see it, even though it is still daylight. I shot this picture with my iPhone. (Noel did drag one of his nicer cameras up with us, but didn't shoot much as we were all kind of tired and a bit sick.)
We took turns going up the short hike with Robbie to the view the crater from the highest point. He scared me more than once getting to close to the non-fenced edge (read: fall over and fall into the crater!). He was pretty fearless. Instead I steered him toward the rocks away from the edge, where he seemed to have fun anyway.

We're baaaack

Hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July. Sometime last month we got word that good friends from high school were coming out to Maui. So we joined them there for a quick getaway this weekend. Flew in on Friday afternoon and drove directly to Haleakala National Park. (Crater shot above, taken in the late afternoon on my iPhone.) One of my favorite places. When the boys get older, I'm looking forward to hiking within the park...maybe even camping one day. For now, we'll stay at comfy resorts at sea level like the Hyatt Ka'anapali, where they have a fantastic kiddie pool. We spent the two nights there before coming back to Oahu Sunday. Overpriced food, but a good pool. Robbie said this morning, "Can we go on an airplane and go back to Maui?" Sadly, no, we can't right now. We want to, as well. Trust us!