20 Days in Hawaii and Disneyland - Yes, we are Lucky Nuts (Updated 9/19)

[jekjones1558]

Bittersweet day for the Diving Dad. Glad you made it there safely!

[mckryan]

I'll be thinking about you two today. It's okay to shed a tear or two as you drive away, but it's also perfectly acceptable to do a little seat dance, too! As each year of college passes, less tears are shed and more seat dances are done by me. We are on year four, so I'm just about dancing the whole way home! =) I hope she has a spectacular year and a good roommate!

[Pinkocto]

That's certainly a long drive. Whew! Good luck today

Thank you for the diving thoughts. I'll definitely incorporate some into my trip. The manta dive is top on the list.

[jekjones1558]

So how did the college move-in go?

[irenep]

Originally Posted by cj9200

She is already planning the next trip to Hawaii. Next summer however I think we are going to the UK to visit a friend of mine and then all go diving in the Red Sea.

Phew! For a second there I thought you were planning on diving the North Sea

Originally Posted by cj9200

Gas was over $4.00 a gallon.

If you think that's expensive, wait until you visit the UK -it's probably double that here

Hope the move went well and your DD settles in quickly.
Have a safe drive home and hope you get back to the TR soon

[cj9200]

Originally Posted by jekjones1558

Bittersweet day for the Diving Dad. Glad you made it there safely!

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

That's certainly a long drive. Whew! Good luck today

Thank you for the diving thoughts. I'll definitely incorporate some into my trip. The manta dive is top on the list.

Originally Posted by jekjones1558

So how did the college move-in go?

She is settling in at school. Finalized her classes today, got her ID and computer. She is doing well. I leave New Jersey tomorrow to drive to Washington to stay with some friends. Then to Savanna to take my SIL to dinner and spend the night. Some hugs today when I dropped her off but no tears.

An update on the TR will be soon. Maybe before I get back or at least soon afterwards.

For those interested in her move in, I posted this on the Dis Dads board yesterday.

The Pirate Princess Pirate moved into the dorm this morning. She is in bed now at the hotel taking a nap. At 6:30 she has to be back for a meeting. Then at 12 pm tomorrow for the start of orientation.

This was a well organized operation. They stagger the times to drop your stuff off and move into the room. We were between 8:45 - 10:00.

Each dorm had a staging area where you waited in a parking lot for spots to open up in front of the dorm.




You were then allowed to drive to the dorm and directed to an open spot. The student signs in and gets the key while you unload the stuff on the grass by the car. You then go park.




Lots of volunteers from the Athletic Teams, ROTC, Fraternities, Sororities and other clubs helped the kids move the stuff to their the room.




Music is playing and it was a fun atmosphere for the kids. The Athletic Department was selling season tickets for the Men's Basketball team. Good deal, $100 for the season and includes transportation to the arena. For $10 more you get to go to the tailgate parties for free food and drinks.


And they give out Class of 2016 T-Shirts. (I have no idea what she is doing in this picture)


Her dorm








I guess dorm rooms haven't changed much over the years




We unpacked everything and made the bed. Ta-Da!






We got there about 8:30 and were done with everything by 11:00. Andriana has yet to meet her roommate. Her stuff was already there and she was gone before we got there.

They are having welcoming parties over the weekend. Grilled cheese tonight, pizza tomorrow and sundaes on Saturday.


All and all a pretty easy move in. Liked that others did the work so I didn't have to.

It is a pretty campus. Most everything faces or is near a main quad. Lots of greenery.

[jekjones1558]

Nice that there is help for hauling stuff to rooms. Almost makes it worthwhile for The Diving Dad to be broke for 4 years!

[franandaj]

That is nice that they had people on hand to help out. I hope she likes her new roommate!

Drive safe on the way home and enjoy your stops. We'll be here when you get back!

[dgbg100106]

Glad everything went so smoothly, and that there was lots of help, seemed like it was pretty organized..

[kid-at-heart]

Originally Posted by cj9200

Music is playing and it was a fun atmosphere for the kids. The Athletic Department was selling season tickets for the Men's Basketball team. Good deal, $100 for the season and includes transportation to the arena. For $10 more you get to go to the tailgate parties for free food and drinks.


And they give out Class of 2016 T-Shirts. (I have no idea what she is doing in this picture)

What a great deal, $110 for tickets, transportation, food, drinks and companionship!

If they pass out "free" 2016 T-Shirts it will encourage the students to stay on track and graduate in 2016. We also will be having a graduation in 2016, but ours is high school. Sarah is already checking out colleges, none local. A few are across an ocean, most are on the west coast which would make me happy as I am originally from Washington (the real WA not DC).

[Chellymouse]

Glad to hear the Pirate Princess is settling in! Safe travels as you head back home!

[cj9200]

Day 2 in Hawaii Continued: More Diving and Then Dining AKA: Lobsters, Sharks and Dolphins? Oh my.

Made it home from dropping the child off at college. She has settled in and seems to enjoy her classes and college life. After 1,300+ miles each way, thank god for the Disney podcasts I loaded on the I-Pad to pass the time.

So we were at the first dive. As I said earlier, the seas were 1-2 feet and that was “rough” for Hawaii. It was a good dive and some pictures to prove it.

Some coral. I had problems with the external flash which is needed in Hawaii. So colors all look blue.


A very friendly lobster?




Our guide playing with him. He took video during the dive which I bought. Some great shots, especially on the second dive. More on that later.


OK, it was just a shell after a lobster molted. No self respecting lobster would let someone hold him or sit on someone’s head.

There were some good swim throughs


And a video. The popping you hear are from fish near the surface that make that noise. They are called popcorn something or other fish
http://youtu.be/uYhmVN8-30w

While we were there, a couple of White Tip Sharks came swimming by. If you look closely, you will see a large hook in his mouth.


Not to preach but shark populations are being devastated in the world’s oceans. They are truly magnificent animals and over harvesting for their fins or trophy jaws is creating havoc in the oceans and reefs. Off soapbox now.


Another swim through


Ooh, pretty fish


An eel hiding in the reef




There was a strong current at the end of the first dive and when I got on the boat, I was a little tired. Begged out on the second dive. It was too bad because turtles and spinner dolphins were spotted on the dive. While they were tying the boat of at a buoy, the spinners were jumping out of the water and, well, spinning as they crashed back in. Very cool. Our guide captured them both out of and in the water on video but because of copyright considerations I can’t post them here.

For all her diving, the Pirate Princess never saw a turtle underwater. She spotted the first one and let everyone know where it was. As a bonus she also saw another one. Adding to that, she got to see dolphins in the wild while diving, something I never saw. Needless to say, she was over the top when she got back on the boat.

The Diving Princess and the guide about to go under


And getting out of the water




Think she is happy after seeing turtles and dolphins?


So after getting back to the pier and the van ride to the dive shop, it was back to the resort to shower and get ready for dinner.

Space Time Continuum Alert Thing

For those that read this update as originally posted, you saw that we ate at Huggos two nights in a row. And had the same thing and the pictures looked the same. Well, that did not happen. Chalk it up to trying to get an update posted and driving 2,600+ to NJ and back. Cut and pasted the wrong thing. My bad.

Felling a little beat, we went to the bar lounge at the Royal Kona; Don's Mai Tai bar. For dinner, the Princess had the Humongous Fungus. A portobella mushroom marinated in white wine and fresh herbs, flame broiled and topped with caramelized maui onions, roasted garlic, gorgonzola cheese and fried leeks. served with a marsala demi-glace. According to them, this one has won awards. Around $11.00. She sucked that down. I had a pedestrian Ham and Swiss panini that was also very good. Around $10.00 Both were tasty and filling. Sorry no pics too tired and hungry to think of taking any.

After dinner, we went back to the room to crash. Having gotten a workout diving, we both slept like logs. Purposely kept the sliding door cracked open (we did it every night we were there) so we could hear the waves lap on the shore.

So the first day of diving was a hit. Wish I was up for the second dive and see the dolphins, but I was perfectly happy with the one dive I did. Glad the kid finally saw turtles underwater and the dolphins were a bonus.

Up Next: The Mantas, I promise. AKA: No more teasing.

[jekjones1558]

The dive video, though short, is cool! I love Huggo's, glad you liked it too. This extended report is making the fun last longer!

[dgbg100106]

Thanks for a wonderful update and I would have been over the moon for the dolphins and turtles also..


That is wonderful.

[AquaDame]

Hmm... maybe we should try to get certified before we go back next year... that looks amazing!