Category: Travel

Yesterday we decided to take a drive around the island. We took the road to Kaneohe first, to see nephew Craig, who works in the education department at the marine corps base there. Many of the photos were taken out the window of the car.

Craig is between lodging at the moment and was staying on base for a week while I was visiting. He moves to his new condo when escrow closes February 1 but is with the parents until then, in his old bedroom – except that I’m there now! He’s staying at “the lodge,” a combination hotel room  and efficiency apartment, with a microwave and kitchen utensils. Families can choose to stay here in between postings. It was very adequate for his needs, and he can walk to work! I didn’t take any photos of his place because I didn’t want to invade his privacy too much..

We continued on our way in the H3 highway, also known as Kam highway, named for King Kamahameha, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii, LONG before it became a state.  It’s a beautiful two-lane road with gorgeous views of both the mountains and the sea.  We passed Chinaman’s Hat on the way to Turtle Bay at the top of the island, then to the Polynesian Cultural Center and took a short detour to see the campus at BYU on our way to the quaint community  of Haleiwa.

Our destination was a new restaurant we’d wanted to try.  For years, on trips to the north shore, we’d stop at Jameson’s by the Sea, just on the highway, located directly across the grassy Haleiwa Beach Park and boat harbor. It was torn down and replaced by the beautiful and airy Haleiwa Beach House. We were very pleased with our lunch there.

The building is gorgeous, with lovely art scattered throughout, and a bar space punctuated by a model of a sailing ship.

We three were well fed: Ed loved his chopped salad with sherry vinaigrette, and Beatrice and I split a cheeseburger on a taro bun – yes, a purple bun, which was very tasty – and an appetizer with grilled shrimp and lettuce;   the thing to do is to wrap the lettuce around the shrimp.  I’m including this paragraph for  foodie friends like Vickie and La Verne, especially since this also shows a part of Hawaiian culture.  In fact, the cheesecake that we all split had a graham cracker- macadamia nut crust and was festooned with large drops of lilikoa, a Hawaiian fruit that tastes like passion fruit.

We also enjoyed the view across the street, and the art work in the restaurant.

Today we walk Waikiki.

The highlight of our day yesterday was a visit to heiress Doris Duke’s mansion-turned museum, now called the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

We were up and out at about 11:30 and headed to the Honolulu Museum of Art, where we were to pick up our tour for Shangri La. Of course,  we needed a little sustenance before we began our visit, so we stopped at the museum café.  I had a Niçoise salad topped with blackened ahi tuna and my sister had a tasty ham sandwich with avocado. I had a glass of Sauvignon blanc and she had Big Wave Golden Ale from the Kona brewing company, a new favorite. Sorry! I forgot to take photos this time!

The museum itself is lovely and we had time to stroll the exhibits, and, for one of us, make a phone call.

As we got on the bus to drive to the estate, we were given information about her life with a video, which was supplemented later by more details about the art and architecture from our guide Debbie.

Doris Duke was one of the richest little girls in America at age 13 when her father tobacco and hydroelectric power tycoon James Buchanan Duke died. She had the typical childhood and upbringing of one of her class, with a debutant ball in 1930 at age 18 at Rough Point, the family estate at Newport, RI. She married James Cromwell in 1935 and it was on her around-the-world honeymoon that she saw the Taj Mahal and “fell in love” with Islamic art.  They stopped in Honolulu, planning to stay just for two weeks but ended up being there several months. She bought five acres of oceanside property for $100,000 near the back side of Diamond Head, which is where she built  Shangri La.

She loved Hawaii.  She learned to surf under the tutelage of the Kahanamoku brothers and became a family friend. She was a hands-on homeowner, climbing a ladder to a three-story scaffolding to clean the Iranian commissioned murals in the courtyard below:

We were able to see her bedroom and adjoining bathroom, which was assembled in the Middle East and re-assembled In Shangri La. It was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Each room is a jewel into itself with indoor-outdoor views amid priceless art works.  Here is just a sampling of what we saw.  If you’re planning a trip to Honolulu, this is a place you must visit.

For someone who was famous for her wealth and frolicking, this estate offered her the quiet and meditation time she needed with people who let her have her privacy.

We said goodbye to Doris and got back on the bus, heading back to the museum.

Nephew Craig was here when we got back; he had a light day and was able to spend some time with his father.

We had a quiet evening, watching the sun set from the windows.

Today we visit the North Shore.

 

 

Yesterday morning was one of frustration:  some online documents my sister was trying to get weren’t available without a two-hour call to the tech department -ever had to do that? She then found out that the washer repairman wouldn’t come after all..another glitch ! The next repair date from Sears wouldn’t be until the end of the month, so perhaps she will look elsewhere for someone else who deals in appliance repairs..

At least we had a free afternoon!

We decided to take a drive to Ko Olima, a development on the west end of the island. There’s a golf course there along with several resort hotels and some gated communities.  It’s only sixteen miles from downtown Honolulu, but feels like a world away. We were in between commute hours and thought it would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

It was!

We were going to eat lunch at the golf course but we were too late, so we ended up at the Four Seasons Hotel instead.  Many years ago, it was built as a Hyatt Hotel amd my sister and brother-in-law stayed there at a special discount given to the locals, called the “kama’aina special,” before the hotel actually opened  as a test run.  It’s lovely.

And did I mention we had lunch there? One of my readers said mentioning food was overkill, so to speak, whereas another reader enjoyed my foodie sections..so Vicki, this is for you!

We mixed and matched again. I ordered Caesar salad with lobster and my sister ordered steak frites..and we shared. Ed had apple tart dessert. Ed was also happy because he had a good view of the ladies in their bikinis in the pool. There was something for everyone!  The food was DELICIOUS!

After lunch, we admired the flowers and fed the koi carp.  They were hungry..

We had a quiet evening at home – no dinner for me – and are up and ready for a new day.  Our activity for today? Visit heiress Doris Duke’s mansion, Shangri La, now a center for Islamic art and culture and a part of the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Yes, we’ll have lunch at the museum.😎

 

When I’m traveling I’m definitely a tourist, but when I’m visiting friends or family, I become a temporary resident and integrate myself into their lives . We may go to the movies, shop at the grocery store, wait for the repairman, or walk in the neighborhood.  Since they seldom go to the tourist sites, it is a treat for them as well to “play tourist” when I’m here.

Yesterday we went to the Kahala mall to see “The Greatest Showman,” a musical with Hugh Jackman, then strolled the mall.  This is a people’s mall, without the Prada, Tesla and Louis Vuitton stores; it has, among other stores,  Macy’s, Long’s Drugs, and See’s candies.  Some of the smaller stores were closed because it was New Year’s Day..

Ed, the former aviator,  was wearing his classic aviator glasses as he posed next to the sign. At this indoor mall, many of the families used the chairs to rest in between shopping excursions. This is a family place. We stopped at Whole Foods for take out food for dinner, supplemented by a lovely green salad.

We decided to take the scenic route home when  I realized that I hadn’t seen the water yet.  Since we were in the Kahala neighborhood, we drove by some of the fancy gated mansions and to a lookout point to see the ocean.

We headed down to the main part of Waikiki beach, past some charming historical homes that looked like they belonged in the East Coast instead of the middle of the Pacific Ocean..

We drove down Kuhio, then back down to Kalakawa, the main drags of Waikiki, to see the glasss and concrete. Every time I visit,  the area has become more “modernized”, with more stores and less charm. The original open air International Marketplace is gone and has been replaced by white buildings.  I was only able to glance out the window of the car, but it didn’t look very appealing.  We drove by the zoo and listened to the bird sounds, and  I was able to see the white sands and palm trees of world-famous Waikiki beach.

We will return for a stroll sometime in the next four days..but today we need to wait for the washing machine repairman. There will be time..

 

 

 

 

Here I am again, at SFO, waiting to board my flight. Where am I going this time?  Honolulu! Yep,  I’m Hawaii bound, because this is where my sister and her family live.

I  had a quiet, low-key Christmas at home with friends. I had trips into the City with friends, cooked Christmas dinner and had friends over for lunch a few days later. It was a nice time .

Now I’ll finish off the year in the tropics.

The weather in California has been cool but sunny: the frost was evident in the morning, with lows in the 30s but it often got up to 60 degrees.  There has been no rain so we are afraid we might be beginning another drought year.  We weren’t allowed to use our fireplaces most of December because of the poor air quality – they’re called “spare the air” days.  After all the fires in the northern and southern parts of the state, we are being very cautious.  I’d still rather live in CA than live in the northern part of the country…brrrrrrr!

Because of the weather I began my journey with my long sleeved top, fleece jacket and puffy jacket, jeans, socks and walking shoes, even though I knew I’d end up in the tropics.  Dress in layers!

I flew United  on a 737 “skinny” plane, a 3-3 configuration, with one aisle, lots of legroom in economy plus but skinny seats and aisles.  The drink carts could barely make their way through the aisle.  I managed to get seat 7C, right behind first class and next to what appeared to be the one bathroom on the plane – there may be another bathroom at the back of the plane, but I was grateful to be so close, and I got to see lots of passengers too  it was the smallest bathroom I’d ever seen.

You can see all the room we had.  There was room for my carry on and my seat mate Max was the most quiet, focused four year old I’d encountered on a flight. I think I lucked out with the best seat. Good karma, maybe?

The airport was very crowded with lots of people from the mainland ready to celebrate the new year in Hawaii  four flights from all over the U,S, came in with our flight,  with lots of juggling and jostling for luggage .

My nephew Craig picked me up and we were off !

My sister and brother-in-law live on the 26th floor of a condo in the Waikiki section and their unit is in the end with wraparound views of hills and ocean.

My sister cooked a lovely, welcoming meal, I unpacked, went to bed and woke up to see the sun rise over Diamond Head. Good morning, Honolulu!

My sister and I  are off to Ala Moana for lunch with friends in this last day of the year.  Craig and Ed will do some male bonding.  I think there might be some football games on today…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My bags are packed. I’m ready to go. I dropped by the casino this morning because I forgot to cash out. I played quite a bit yesterday and got to know the ins and outs of these funny slot machines. They’re designed to entertain,  to keep people from mindlessly hitting the button and watching their funds diminish. I only played on the free $20 I got from the casino and spent the afternoon going from one machine to the other. The most fun was when the machine seemed to take over offering “free spins” while I watched as the numbers went up and up. I can see why gambling is addictive. I got up to $35 from the $16 I put in at the beginning of the day. However the down side is when the excitement is over and the numbers go down down down. Before I got to that sorry state of affairs, I cashed out last night. I ended up with $12.78 and I forgot to take my coupon to the cashier last night.

I was in line behind a couple who’d cashed out with chips – real players – who pocketed thousands of dollars. I put my cash out voucher on the counter, slid it over to her and said. “Don’t laugh!”

Her reply? “I’ve seen worse this morning!”

Yesterday was fun. We three had an excellent Mexican meal with a delicious Margarita for lunch, which lasted us through the dinner hour. The other highlight of the day was seeing the Wes Winters show.

My sister and brother-in-law first met him at the Liberace Museum, where he was the entertainment. He was originally from Kansas, and never took a piano lesson: his grandmother had an old piano and a stack of Liberace LPs and he spent hours and hours in the barn mimicking them. In the winter he had to use gloves. He “studied” after school and during vacations.  When news of a Liberace competition was announced, the townspeople urged him to put in a demo, but he never thought he’d make it.  He was one of the finalists, and was flown to Las Vegas to perform.  In spite of all odds, and in competition with professional musicians with advanced musical training, he won the contest and got the gig.  When the museum closed down, he worked in other casinos, and my sister and brother-in-law were delighted to find him at the South Point.

He played from 6-9 pm without a break, sitting at the piano, dancing, singing, and excluding energy like I’ve never seen before.  He is quite a showman.  He has his regulars – ladies who would come to the stage and put money in his pockets.  He did a lot of laughing, and mischief making.  The time flew by.  People of all ages were in the dance floor, some young, some old, some in between. One lady was celebrating her 91st birthday  another was 79. They were both rocking to the music.

if you’d like to hear him, just google him and watch some videos  they’ll brighten your day!

Time to check my bags, find my boarding pass and get ready for the flight to San Francisco  back to reality!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful morning and my sister and I did a walk around the complex, stopping at the waterfall by one of the many pools. We were on an errand: we stopped at the sundry store to pick up a few items, then parted ways to get ready for the day. Her last comment:

”Don’t forget your coupon book!”

Most hotels or condos give out these books to offer discounts to their customers, which, of course, encourages them to use the facilities.  We’d decided to go to the multiplex and one of the coupons offered free popcorn but I had to buy a drink. Okay, that’s fair.

The multiplex is on the second floor of the casino, next to the bingo room, the bowling alley and the Krispy Kreme franchise.  It seemed more elaborate than the movie theaters at home. There were huge interactive billboards advertising the new movies.  Guess everything is more elaborate in Las Vegas.

My brother-in-law was getting interactive with the billboard. Oh, dear..sometimes he has to be watched.

Fortunately, it was not a busy time since we’d chosen an afternoon movie, so I was able to navigate myself through the drinks section without too much of a learning curve. Everything was on a touch screen: what kind of a drink do I want..sugar-free? Yes. Cola? Yes.  Coke Zero? Yes. Glad I didn’t have a line of people behind me. I felt like I was a hick from the sticks. It’s not that I don’t go to the movies. I’m a frequent movie-goer but these devices were new to me.

My sister warned me NOT to pull out the free popcorn coupon. The rule is that the vendor must do that, so I put down my coupon book gingerly, turned it to the appropriate page, and the clerk pulled it out for me.

We three entered the huge movie theater and stopped at the handicapped row. My brother-in-law rented a scooter for the Las Vegas vacation, which has been very convenient, but a decision had to be made: stay in the scooter or sit in one of the chairs? I decided to stay out of the way and sit in the row behind them in a non-handicapped seat so they could sort out this decision before the movie began. Navigating the scooter and moving into a regular handicapped seat took a while

The movie was a long one – over three hours – and the special effects were impressive on the huge screen. It was enjoyable even though I don’t normally like science fiction. It had had good reviews and I thought it was worth my time.

Back outside at the casino it was time for another coupon: my free $20.  I did not get cash but I signed up for the “club”and the money was put on a credit card.  I have played slot machines in recent years, but it took a brief refresher course to jog my memory. I decided to only bet $5 at a time and I could always cash out if I didn’t like the machine.  I ended up playing three machines until I found one I liked. At the third machine, I happily cashed out with $16.45 and I still have $5 on my card. I won $1.45 so far, and it’s their money.

We decided it was time for dinner, so we went to the seafood restaurant and splurged on crabs’ legs along with a lobster roll for me and clam chowder for my sister.  The Pinot Grigio I ordered went nicely with the seafood. Although we all shared the crab, Ed cleaned it up.  He was a happy camper and he put on his sunglasses to show his delight.  I’m not sure why he does this – Joe Cool? We all have our quirks.

I walked across the casino and got one cup of coffee ice cream with chocolate sauce.  Ed joined me and helped me eat it then Beatrice joined us, after playing off her 85 cent cash out credit.  We’re a big spender family!

We had one small detour to charge up the scooter so we could get home, then headed back to get ready for one more day of fun and frolic in Sin City.

Its now Friday morning and our last full day. We have lunch scheduled at the Mexican restaurant, some gambling and pool time, and evening entertainment by pianist Wes Winters in the showroom.  He is their favorite act so I’m looking forward to hearing him sing and play.

And I won’t forget my coupon book for my free Marguerita at the Mexican restaurant…or my free money!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was back at SFO today for yet another voyage, but this flight only lasted an hour. I flew to what my sister calls the Disneyland of the Desert to join the family for a few days in Las Vegas.

i have been here before but always stayed on the strip to join the circus atmosphere of excitement which comes with all the glitz and glitter. This time we are staying off the strip, at their timeshare in a quiet area called South Point, where there is a casino with all the usual amenities: gambling, restaurants, a multiplex movie theater, a bowling alley, pool..their timeshare is across the street and is called Grandview. It’s huge. Fortunately, each building has a number and a name.  By some complicated points system, my sister was “given”a second suite, so here I am, ensconced in NOT a room, but many rooms: living room, dining area, full kitchen, bedroom, bathroom with shower and a huge bathtub to boot!

I just had time for a brief chat and time to unpack when we were off to see the evening’s entertainment: the Déjà Vu show band.  The leader of the band and lead singer is one of the foremost Elvis imitators, who is invited to Graceland to perform twice a year, on Elvis’ birthdate and death date. He had two female backup singers -one is his wife – and a four-piece band.  The songs ranged from the 50s on and the act continued for three hours, with one break.

An interesting feature of the performance was the audience. They all seemed to be locals “of a certain age” who loved to dance. They all knew each other and were very effusive in their greetings. They danced well with great enthusiasm and seemed to be in their element. My sister has talked to the ladies before on past visits and she said that they don’t go to the strip any more – “it’s not like it used to be” so they’ve claimed this place and this group as their own. The evening was definitely a slice of local color. I thought I was watching a silver haired equivalent of “American Bandstand,” where everyone was dancing and having a blast.  To be fair, there were also younger folks there, practicing their fancy dance steps and mixing and mingling with their young-at-heart senior friends.

After the show we had a light dinner then toured the casino. The tables were much busier than I’d thought they’d be, since it appeared to be a low-key place.  We checked out what was playing at the movies. We looked at the menus at the restaurants. There appears to be a wide variety of choices. I got my yogurt and muesli combination and fruit for breakfast tomorrow.

What will we do tomorrow? Not sure. There are many options.

 

The day was cool and sunny, and, once again, we were on the move. Bleary-eyed, we had breakfast and there was a little time for a few images of the medieval streets of Trevi, as we begin our last day’s journey.  Our home for the last night was in an area of Rome known as Ostia, a beach area near the airport for easy transfer in the morning.

Our morning activity was visiting a Renaissance garden with a twist. In the town of Bomarzo, we visited the Park of the Monsters. Begun in 1552, the garden features a series of bizarre and grotesque stone statues meant to shock. It’s also known as the Sacred Grove.

“It is the work of Pier Francesco Orsini, who built the park after the death of his wife to cope with his grief. During the 19th and 20th centuries the garden became overgrown and neglected until Salvador Dalí made a short movie about the park and completed a painting based on it. The Bettini family implemented a restoration program, which lasted until the 1970s. Today the garden, which remains private property, is a major tourist attraction. ” – Wikipedia.

We stopped to walk among these statues with the aid of a park map. It was a fascinating stop and much enjoyed by the group.

Our next stop was for lunch at a restaurant in a quaint picturesque village. As we were eating, the restaurant  became crowded with senior citizens.  We later discovered that it was Grandparents’ Day. We joined in the merriment and celebrated the end of the tour at our last lunch by enjoying all the delicious food and the company of our traveling companions.

Our last stop, mid-afternoon, was to our hotel on the seashore of Ostia.  We had a room with a view!  It was here that I turned on the TV and heard about the shootings in Las Vegas. Ann was off to walk by the seashore. I enjoyed the view from our terrace.

After printing off my boarding passes and completing the last steps for my flight home, we met for a nice twenty minute walk along the lido for our farewell dinner. It was a gorgeous evening.  Since we were at a seaside restaurant, we had seafood for dinner – a calamari salad,  and pasta, of course, with crème brûlée for dessert. Alice told us that the reason that we were the only people at the restaurant was because they opened especially for us  they’re usually closed on Mondays.  We were treated royally by the staff.

We strolled back after dinner and said our goodbyes to our lovely group of fourteen travelers. I was to be the first one up, at 3:30 AM, with airport pickup at 4:15. The faithful Alice, our fantastic trip leader, was up to make sure I was off to the airport in my own private car!  I wrote you from the airport, so it appears the cycle is finished, and the trip is over.

I hope you enjoyed your trip to Bologna, Parma, and the back roads of Tuscany and Umbria. It was a wonderful experience for me. I even had a few kickass experiences along the way, Carrera and the truffle hunt with proseco and scrambled truffled eggs on the top of the mountain among them. It was a lot of fun.  Thanks to my traveling companion Ann for putting up with me for almost a month.

I don’t have any other big trips planned but I’ll be flying to Las Vegas soon for a few days to meet my sister and brother-in-law, who are flying there today, and I will be spending part of the holidays with them in Hawaii.  Will I report on it? You betcha.

Any comments, questions or suggestions for improvement of this site are always appreciated.  If you’d like more information on a topic, you can always google or ask.

Take care and happy and safe travels!

As I think back on the beautiful days spent so recently  in the countryside of Tuscany and Chianti, I was constantly reminded of my early days growing up in Vallejo, so reminiscent of the Napa – Sonoma area. I grew up fifteen minutes away from Napa and it’s always been my go-to place for short trips with visiting friends.  As I come home and watch the fire coverage on TV, with wildfires still raging and uncontained in the Napa – Sonoma area, an hour’s drive from my home, my heart goes out to those family and friends who have been evacuated and are in danger of losing their homes.  Mother Nature can be deadly and our lives are precious and precarious. I awoke to the smell of smoke Sunday night from the fires and the Bay Area is still at all time highs of smoke pollution. As I write, there is still no containment.

It’s a crazy world. Take care of each other.