Just a silly little TR - Run Away!!

[pkondz]

Ponzi-great update. The resort looks beautiful. Hopefully we will be able to go when Chloe gets old enough that we won't want to jump out of the plane after 10 hours with her .

Thanks Kristen! Step 1 keep Chloe up for 24 hours before you get on the plane... DO NOT let her go to sleep until you are on the plane! Once you're on, it's nighty night... probably for the whole family by now.


Coming back... you're on your own.

Ok...I know you're not going to believe this but I just can't find the right words to describe your pictures of Aulani!

You're right. I don't believe you. How many ways are there to say 'meh', anyway?

I am in awe and I want to go there right now!

Me too! Let's go!

Here's hoping I win the early bird on the HSC Lottery tomorrow If so, you know where we'll be!

Thanks for the kind words Jacquie. You know, I believe that's the first time that I've called you that instead of the name God gave ya... Queen.

Hopefully you'll post before you go... and of course with your winnings you could afford a tour guide. Perhaps someone that's been recently. If you need help thinking of someone... let me know.

 

[pkondz]

Super update, you didn't disappoint!!

Thanks Dawnabell! Hope it was worth the loooooong wait.

Aulani looks amazing, that beach is something I could seriously spend HOURS on and not look back!! And that pool is fantastic!!

Gotta admit... as much as I'm not a beach person... I could've spent some time on that one.

I love the pics of the leis---I'm a florist and on occasion we'll get a special order for some leis---either for a wedding or a party or something, they're fun to make, definitely worth the money they're charging! Lots of blooms, lots of labor!! We typically charge by the stem we use (5-6 blooms for orchids per stem) plus 25% of the material charge for labor, give or take.

It did look like it was a schwack-load of work to make. And they make TONS of those puppies. Cool that you can make them. Any pictures of some of your work you'd like to share? The floor is open.

Sorry, I guess I should've used a German accent on that one...I guess that should be 'the flor-ist open'.

Whatever. You get my drift.

Thanks for the update!! By the way, I'm really feeling sorry for Ruby, you and the girls are having so much fun, seeing so much and doing so much, please tell me she gets in on some of the fun eventually?!??

~~Dawn

Starting tomorrow... but she is not the adventurous type... You'll see.

You can't ask a question like that and THEN post an update... How am I supposed to answer?

Yes, I do!

There, I "might" give you more details after I read the update...

Hmmm... Mortimer, I'm not sure if you've supplied me with a clue here or not. In any event Manny, I'll wait for a post update personal pick.

 

[smidgy]

thanks for the great pictures!!! and apparently you need to thank nebo for helping you find the convenience store!

that place looks great. you sure do get around on your trips!!

 

[shan23877]

Aulani looks amazing! And for the record, I was very glad that you didn't harm your children. Thanks for posting all the great photos.

I showed my DH the pics of the resort,and I think he's a little bummed that when we finally get to visit Hawaii I'm likely going to make him stay at a Disney resort.

I was glad to see (by matching up outfits) later in the update that you were taking photos of your daughter during the hike, not some stranger's rear.

Love the photos in the florist shop. How great that you took the girls to get a nice lei! Did you buy one for Ruby too?

Those "doughnuts" look a lot like my favorite dessert from Chinese buffet restaurants. They usually call them 'Chinese sugar doughnuts'.

 

[Sandy Mouse]

The resort pictures are great, especially the beach and the pool. I had been wondering how Disney could hope to attract visitors in Hawaii, where there are already so many wonderful resorts. Now, we know... a fabulous private beach and pool experience.
Thanks for the update.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Wow! You got some beautiful shots at Aulani! Isn't it just heaven on earth? Being in the lobby at the Hale Koa and at the Outrigger was nice, but not at all the engulfing experience of Aulani!

Hmm, your experience with parking was way different than ours. I wonder if we got in under some preview time and now they've started charging. We drove right up and had free Valet - just a tip.

Our experience walking down to the beach was different too - no gates. I didn't even think about pool crashers, because with the rock outcropping, people would have to be pretty determined to get in.

I think I missed why you called the girls evil? Guess I'll have to go back and look. They look like little angels in their leis - so cool you got to explore Chinatown and knew where to eat!

ETA: Oh! I see they are evil for being smarter than you? at least you could blame this one on Ruby - she had too far to get to work from here.


Thanks so much for the update!

 

[laura74]

I don’t remember what time I was going to get up that morning, but I do know that Ruby was going to be up before me, to get ready for work.

Poor Ruby. I hope she gets to join in the fun at some point.

Does that just sound weird to you? Hawaii and work?

Does to me.

Me too.

Dressed, out of breath, with eyes the size of saucers.

“You were supposed to wake me!!!” she says with obvious distress.

My daughter is the same way.

Well, not quite 27,500 ft… if you take off the first and last digit, it’s a little bit more accurate. That still leaves 750 feet to climb!!!

Tall enough for me! I'd watch from the ground.

When my husband and I were vacationing in Mexico we went to Chichen Itza to see the pyramids. We're both afraid of heights but he decided to brave the climb of Kukulkan Pyramid. Things went well going up, but then he had to come down, and it's a lot scarier when you can see how far up you are. He ended up scooting down the stairs on his butt, toddler style. But that's not even the best part. He followed a tour group into the pyramid to see what was inside and ended up climbing the whole way up again. And this was without air conditioning in 90 degree heat!

That still leaves 560 feet of mountain! Straight up!

EEEK!!!!!!!!

Except you don’t climb it straight up. There’s a trail that switchbacks up the hill. And a couple of gently sloping tunnels. And some stairs for the steep parts.

Oh.

But still! It was an arduous trek that no mere mortal should attempt!

Um, sure.

I wanted to go up here for the view. Whaddya think, was it worth it?

So beautiful!

We headed back to the hotel, picked up Kay and were off to….

Drum roll please

Aulani.

It's about time!

All over the world, in countries great and small, a small handful of people are saying:

“It’s about freaking TIME!!!!!”

Yes, just said that Ponzi!

LOL about the small handful of people though.

The valet tells me that I can park in the holy parking lot.

Wow! They have a holy parking lot? There's no end to the wonders of Aulani!

A panoramic shot of the interior lobby. Notice Elle and Kay on the left. Don’t they look like they are really enjoying waiting for their Dad to hurry up and take the d^#% picture already!

Looks amazing! I'll have to start saving up my points.

This is the chandelier above the lobby. Below it was this neat little bit of Disney magic. If you stood in the middle of the lobby, you could hear a droplet of water fall and hit the ground. I have no idea where the speakers for this were, must’ve been an acoustic thing. After a while, a tile on the floor would light up in a pattern. I don’t recall for sure what it was, but I think it was a letter W (for Walt) or M (for Mickey). I’m not sure what the orientation was supposed to be.

Love that.

Maybe both.

We headed down onto the grounds and looked around. There’s a lazy river which looked really inviting. Both girls were on me like a dog on ice cream….

“Daddy, why didn’t we stay here?”
“Why couldn’t we stay here, instead?”
“Why can’t we stay here, instead of where we’re staying now?”
“Can we stay here?”
“Can we move here?”
“Can we come back and stay here, next time?”

LOL. Ingrates.

At some point though, we had to stop. We came to a gate that would only open with (I assume) a room key. Whatever it was, the gate would open only if you spoke the magic words or waved a magic Disney wand. The upshot is, we could’ve gotten out but then would’ve had to wait for someone to unlock the gate before we’d be able to return.

Gotta keep the riff raff out.

I let each horrible child pick out a lei for themselves (within reason!! Those things can get pricey!) I don’t remember the price comparison, but I saw ones elsewhere that were not as nice and astronomically more expensive, so I believe I made the right call.

Aw. Nice Dad...

Here are the evil children with their leis. And no, I don’t need any smartbutt (stole your word, Laura) puns about my underage children and how I got them lei’d in Hawaii, thankyouverymuch.

That's ok. I probably stole it from someone else.

The verdict? Mixed. I tried one right away and… oh man. They were really good. But… by the time I got ‘em back to the hotel… and the girls (all three of ‘em) showed up…. They were pretty, well, ordinary.

Lesson learned. Eat ‘em while they’re hot, folks!

Sounds like Krispy Kreme.


Great chapter Ponzi!

 

[pkondz]

thanks for the great pictures!!! and apparently you need to thank nebo for helping you find the convenience store!

True. But if he'd insisted on getting loot as soon as humanly possible, I would've found it sooner. So it's thanks to him that I found it... and his fault that I didn't find it sooner.

that place looks great. you sure do get around on your trips!!

Did I mention that I frequently need a holiday to recover from my holidays?

I always feel that if I'm going somewhere where I might never return... or seldom return... I want to see as much as I possibly can. I also want to make sure the kids get a chance to experience as much as possible.

Aulani looks amazing! And for the record, I was very glad that you didn't harm your children. Thanks for posting all the great photos.

You're welcome! Glad you liked the pics. I too am glad I didn't harm the kids... I still had stuff I wanted to see and do and how could I if I was in jail? Besides, their grandparents would be miffed and then I'd have to explain it to them, too.

I showed my DH the pics of the resort,and I think he's a little bummed that when we finally get to visit Hawaii I'm likely going to make him stay at a Disney resort.

Sorry about that.

I was glad to see (by matching up outfits) later in the update that you were taking photos of your daughter during the hike, not some stranger's rear.

Yeah, I don't post those ones. :

Love the photos in the florist shop. How great that you took the girls to get a nice lei! Did you buy one for Ruby too?

No, I got Ruby a pearl pendant to put around her neck instead. Actually, I did ask if she wanted one... and thought about getting her one anyway, after she declined. But we were leaving in two days, and I know her well enough to know that she'd question the expenditure. Kids were happy, though.

Those "doughnuts" look a lot like my favorite dessert from Chinese buffet restaurants. They usually call them 'Chinese sugar doughnuts'.

Wow! What wonderfully creative names for them! How do they think of these things?

If I was in the area and if the rest of the family was with me, I might go again. But I wouldn't make a special trip for them again.

The resort pictures are great, especially the beach and the pool. I had been wondering how Disney could hope to attract visitors in Hawaii, where there are already so many wonderful resorts. Now, we know... a fabulous private beach and pool experience.
Thanks for the update.

Thanks Sandy. That beach was something else. The whole courtyard was just amazing.

Wow! You got some beautiful shots at Aulani! Isn't it just heaven on earth? Being in the lobby at the Hale Koa and at the Outrigger was nice, but not at all the engulfing experience of Aulani!

I know! You walk into that lobby and just stop dead.

Hmm, your experience with parking was way different than ours. I wonder if we got in under some preview time and now they've started charging. We drove right up and had free Valet - just a tip.

NOW you tell me! Where were you when I needed you?????

You owe me ten bucks.

Our experience walking down to the beach was different too - no gates. I didn't even think about pool crashers, because with the rock outcropping, people would have to be pretty determined to get in.

Really? No electronic gate? We were there not that much later than you guys. Odd.

I think I missed why you called the girls evil? Guess I'll have to go back and look. They look like little angels in their leis - so cool you got to explore Chinatown and knew where to eat!

I kid the rats all the time. I'll frequently ask one or the other if they're evil. I love 'em to death though.

ETA: Oh! I see they are evil for being smarter than you? at least you could blame this one on Ruby - she had too far to get to work from here.

Thanks! There you go kids. It's all your mother's fault.

I feel much better now.

I guess it would've been a bit much for us to stay at Aulani while Ruby stayed at the Hilton?

Yeah, I guess so.

Thanks so much for the update!

No probs!

 

[pkondz]

Poor Ruby. I hope she gets to join in the fun at some point.

Soon... soon. But she's not quite as adventurous as the rest of us.

When my husband and I were vacationing in Mexico we went to Chichen Itza to see the pyramids. We're both afraid of heights but he decided to brave the climb of Kukulkan Pyramid. Things went well going up, but then he had to come down, and it's a lot scarier when you can see how far up you are. He ended up scooting down the stairs on his butt, toddler style. But that's not even the best part. He followed a tour group into the pyramid to see what was inside and ended up climbing the whole way up again. And this was without air conditioning in 90 degree heat!

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

So... you guys wanna go sky diving with me?

We headed back to the hotel, picked up Kay and were off to….

Aulani.

It's about time!

All over the world, in countries great and small, a small handful of people are saying:

“It’s about freaking TIME!!!!!”

Yes, just said that Ponzi!

I knew it!

Wow! They have a holy parking lot? There's no end to the wonders of Aulani!

Any parking lot that costs $10 per freaking HOUR has to have something special about it.

Besides, when I saw how much it was, I guess you could describe my reaction as some sort of religious experience.

LOL. Ingrates.

Agreed. I'm thinking of selling them off to slavery.

Gotta keep the riff raff out.

Yeah! I think that... Hey! Wait a minute. That riff raff is ME!!!

Aw. Nice Dad...

Nah. It's just to keep the whining down.

Great chapter Ponzi!

Thanks Laura!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Thanks for posting the Aulani photos -- and what a great climb you had! I think the leis are very pretty...I'm really enjoying your TR!

Maria

 

[pkondz]

Thanks for posting the Aulani photos -- and what a great climb you had! I think the leis are very pretty...I'm really enjoying your TR!

Maria

Thanks Maria. The climb is one of the things that I'm really glad I didn't skip.

Glad you're enjoying the TR... two days left...

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

I was glad to see (by matching up outfits) later in the update that you were taking photos of your daughter during the hike, not some stranger's rear.

Glad to know I wasn’t the only one thinking this.

Now waiting for a Mrs. T TR.


Oh, oh.

We’ll see about the TR. Mr. T seems interested in doing one, and since we haven’t been to DL in ages, and that was when we were both a lot younger and not together, it could be an interesting perspective. However, you read Mr. T’s story, I had maybe half a drink before we went on this so called bus ride…I still don’t remember it. Yet, I remember everything else surrounding it. I still say Mr. T and his sister are messing with my head.

 

[bankr63]

Great update! Love the pics, now I want to go even more! I have a feeling it will be hard to get Aulani at a reasonable price for a VERY long time though!

Hmmm... Mortimer, I'm not sure if you've supplied me with a clue here or not. In any event Manny, I'll wait for a post update personal pick.

Nope wasn't a clue, just being recalcitrant.

Thought about PM'ing this, but I know how much Nebo likes a good burger, and we've had some good discussions about pizza and other foods. So I'll put my stake in the ground over burgers.

Well, the thing is, Ottawa has the BEST burger joint in the world!!!

I know no one is going to believe this, but check out the menu at:
http://www.worksburger.com/ and you'll see what I mean.

The Works started as a little burger joint in a VERY drafty 10 table restaurant in a transitional part of town probably about 20 years ago now. When I say drafty, I mean drafty. One cold winter night we went there and there was a rime of frost on our seats near the window. But the burgers were (and still are) phenomenal, and they slowly grew (the restaurant, not the burgers - darn dangling participles are showing again). Actually, they've been franchising now for a couple of years, so it's been more of an explosion of late. But most of the locations in Ottawa are very true to the original.

These are big beef burgers with a plentitude of unique toppings (no really, look at the menu; there are over 70 burgers on there!) They are moist and juicy, but perhaps not quite as drippy as Nebo prefers. Never had an overdone dry piece of shoe leather there as so many other places insist on these days (Mad Cow, what Mad Cow?)

My recommendations: well, I can't recommend a specific combo, they are all too good! If you are worried about calories, try the Elk instead of Beef - done to perfection and MUCH lower in fat. That's what I do, but I save all those calories for a Tower-O-Rings as a starter. Amazing rings, and you get a whole month's supply of vitamin "G" in one half the tower.

Wash it all down with a pint of the Cracked Canoe or the Barking Squirrel. If you aren't into beer, the shakes are huge and frosty.

Ottawa Market or Glebe locations are closest to downtown, but they are spread fairly liberally around town if you are staying elsewhere.

I wonder if DW wants to go out for dinner tonight? It's about 100F here today with 100% humidity. Surely we don't want to be cooking at home...

 

[pkondz]

Quick post... shout outs later (how dare work make me work!!!)

Just ate a Wunderbar.

It was good.

 

[nebo]

I have not forgotten you my friend,,, I took a day and a half off of the confuser,, and wow,,, been a bit busy trying ot catch up with my own and Laura. I have never been involved,, or seen it this crazy with so many GOOD trip reports in my entire existance here on the DIS.
I will be back tomorrow to applaud and possibley comment on how clever you are on the writing of your last chapter. I'm pretty sure there must be something funny or worthwile reading in it.
Wow,, this sarcasm thing can be hard to turn off,, between you, me and Laura,,,oh,,, and Shanalicious,,,
ok,,, it's coming back to me now why it's hard to turn off.

 

[Kgroo]

Thought about PM'ing this, but I know how much Nebo likes a good burger, and we've had some good discussions about pizza and other foods. So I'll put my stake in the ground over burgers.

Well, the thing is, Ottawa has the
BEST burger joint in the world!!!

I know no one is going to believe this, but check out the menu at:
http://www.worksburger.com/[/UR
L] and you'll see what I mean.

The Works started as a little burger joint in a VERY drafty 10 table
restaurant in a transitional part of town probably about 20 years ago now. When I say drafty, I mean drafty. One cold winter night we went there and there was a rime of frost on our seats near the
window. But the burgers were (and still are) phenomenal, and they slowly grew (the restaurant, not the burgers - darn dangling
participles are showing again). Actually, they've been franchising now for a couple of years, so it's been more of an explosion of late.
But most of the locations in Ottawa are very true to the original.

These are big beef burgers with a plentitude of unique toppings (no really, look at the menu; there are over 70 burgers on there!) They
are moist and juicy, but perhaps not quite as drippy as Nebo prefers. Never had an overdone dry piece of shoe leather there as
so many other places insist on these days (Mad Cow, what Mad Cow?) [URL=http://www.smileyvault.com/]http://www.smileyvault.com/al
bums/userpics/10172/Cow_waving_hi.gif

My recommendations: well, I can't recommend a specific combo, they
are all too good! If you are worried about calories, try the Elk instead of Beef - done to perfection and MUCH lower in fat. That's what I
do, but I save all those calories for a Tower-O-Rings as a starter. Amazing rings, and you get a whole month's supply of vitamin
"G" in one half the tower.

Wash it all down with a pint of the Cracked Canoe or the Barking
Squirrel. If you aren't into beer,
the shakes are huge and frosty.

Ottawa Market or Glebe locations are closest to downtown, but they
are spread fairly liberally around town if you are staying elsewhere.

I wonder if DW wants to go out for
dinner tonight? It's about 100F here today with 100% humidity. Surely we don't want to be cooking at home...

That is so funny, my in-laws just returned from niagra falls and were talking about the barking squirrel beer and how good it is

 

[Kgroo]

Just had to jump on and share with people that will understand my excitement. I just booked a trip to DL in February!!! Chloe is obsessed with Cars so I thought we would get it in while she is so into it. Booked flights with miles (one of the few perks of flying so much for work) and we are staying with our DVC at GCH. It is a little daunting since I know nothing
about DL, but 7 months should be enough time to get up to speed.

 

[pkondz]

We’ll see about the TR. Mr. T seems interested in doing one, and since we haven’t been to DL in ages, and that was when we were both a lot younger and not together, it could be an interesting perspective. However, you read Mr. T’s story, I had maybe half a drink before we went on this so called bus ride…I still don’t remember it. Yet, I remember everything else surrounding it. I still say Mr. T and his sister are messing with my head.

Just out of curiosity, was the half drink you had in a large bucket? 'Cause that would make a difference.

Great update! Love the pics, now I want to go even more! I have a feeling it will be hard to get Aulani at a reasonable price for a VERY long time though!

Oh, no. Aulani and Hawaii are dirt cheap.

Well, it is if your name's Bill Gates.

Nope wasn't a clue, just being recalcitrant.

Recalcitrant I don't mind. It's those pesky calcitrant people I can't abide.

Thought about PM'ing this, but I know how much Nebo likes a good burger, and we've had some good discussions about pizza and other foods. So I'll put my stake in the ground over burgers.

Well, the thing is, Ottawa has the BEST burger joint in the world!!!

Hmmm... pretty bold statement... and I can't wait to verify or refute it!

I know no one is going to believe this, but check out the menu at:
http://www.worksburger.com/ and you'll see what I mean.

That's some menu!!

The Works started as a little burger joint in a VERY drafty 10 table restaurant in a transitional part of town probably about 20 years ago now. When I say drafty, I mean drafty. One cold winter night we went there and there was a rime of frost on our seats near the window. But the burgers were (and still are) phenomenal, and they slowly grew (the restaurant, not the burgers - darn dangling participles are showing again). Actually, they've been franchising now for a couple of years, so it's been more of an explosion of late. But most of the locations in Ottawa are very true to the original.

These are big beef burgers with a plentitude of unique toppings (no really, look at the menu; there are over 70 burgers on there!) They are moist and juicy, but perhaps not quite as drippy as Nebo prefers. Never had an overdone dry piece of shoe leather there as so many other places insist on these days (Mad Cow, what Mad Cow?)

Well if people would stop eating them, maybe they wouldn't be so mad.

Sorry, I have to milk these moments when they come up.

My recommendations: well, I can't recommend a specific combo, they are all too good! If you are worried about calories, try the Elk instead of Beef - done to perfection and MUCH lower in fat. That's what I do, but I save all those calories for a Tower-O-Rings as a starter. Amazing rings, and you get a whole month's supply of vitamin "G" in one half the tower.

Wash it all down with a pint of the Cracked Canoe or the Barking Squirrel. If you aren't into beer, the shakes are huge and frosty.

Ottawa Market or Glebe locations are closest to downtown, but they are spread fairly liberally around town if you are staying elsewhere.

I wonder if DW wants to go out for dinner tonight? It's about 100F here today with 100% humidity. Surely we don't want to be cooking at home...

Wow! Thanks for all the info Monty. Have you tried Vera's, by any chance?

I at the "If you are worried about calories" comment. When I go to a good burger place, calories are pretty much the last thing I'm thinking of. But the elk sounds interesting just for the sake of it being different not leaner.

Thanks again!

I have not forgotten you my friend,,,

Hmph.. You have too forgotten me. I saw you over at Laura's TR. Don't try to deny it.

Oh, wait. I commented on her TR before yours too...

No fair! She's pretty and we're... well... let's just say, 'not'.

But we should be able to rebound from the exodus of readers, don't you think? Sure she's got the looks and the wit, but if we both put our collective wits together, we'd make a whole wit! Right? Right? Righ....


Oh, God...

I took a day and a half off of the confuser,, and wow,,, been a bit busy trying ot catch up with my own and Laura. I have never been involved,, or seen it this crazy with so many GOOD trip reports in my entire existance here on the DIS.

I hear you! I'm desperately trying to keep up with 5 TRs and my own. And I'm losing!

I will be back tomorrow to applaud and possibley comment on how clever you are on the writing of your last chapter. I'm pretty sure there must be something funny or worthwile reading in it.

Nope. You want clever or funny (or worthwhile) go to Laura's TR. Here you'll just find bitterness and remorse.

Wow,, this sarcasm thing can be hard to turn off,, between you, me and Laura,,,oh,,, and Shanalicious,,,
ok,,, it's coming back to me now why it's hard to turn off.

Yup. That's the reason. No sarcasm. These people are the best.

Just had to jump on and share with people that will understand my excitement. I just booked a trip to DL in February!!! Chloe is obsessed with Cars so I thought we would get it in while she is so into it. Booked flights with miles (one of the few perks of flying so much for work) and we are staying with our DVC at GCH. It is a little daunting since I know nothing
about DL, but 7 months should be enough time to get up to speed.

Hey! That's great, Kristen! Congrats!

I too know nothing of DL. What's GCH? And yes 7 months should be plenty to figure it all out.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Just had to jump on and share with people that will understand my excitement. I just booked a trip to DL in February!!! Chloe is obsessed with Cars so I thought we would get it in while she is so into it. Booked flights with miles (one of the few perks of flying so much for work) and we are staying with our DVC at GCH. It is a little daunting since I know nothing
about DL, but 7 months should be enough time to get up to speed.

Excited for you! That's our stomping ground - if you have any questions, shoot away!

 

[nebo]

Hey Thump,,, great bus story,,, sounds like your lady may have gotten into my painkiller stash. And without a doubt,,, the busses to DD are the worst,,, if we have a car with us,,, we ALWAYS drive there

Oh Sandy, your post is so funny!!

I agree,, Sandy that was great! Along with bless your/his/her/ heart,,, how come nobody in the south can just die? You always have to "Up" and die.

I'm a Carolina girl myself and I have to agree that the "bless your heart" saying is said pretty frequently around here and it is always, always laden with sarcasm. I have said it to Nebo on more than one occasion!

Wait,,, you're telling me,,,,

Climbing to Aulani (part I)

I’ve got too many pictures… so this is going to be split into three (three!) sections.

So,, you're going to make up sects. on your own?




Before lights out the night before, Elle reminded me at least twice, “Dad make sure you wake me up when you get up.”

That is so cute,,, sometimes I really miss not having a daughter,,,,but if I did, she's still probably be locked in the tower, away from any boys. "When you turn 50, then we'll talk young lady!"





Does that just sound weird to you? Hawaii and work?

Does to me.

Agreed,,, sounds very weird to me. I can see maybe having to get up early and go work with the public in the tourist industry,,,yeah,,, that I can see,,,,but I cannot picture getting up in the morining in Hawaii and going to run a punch press or be a machinist all day.
no,, not in Hawaii.




I wander over to say good morning and chat a bit.

Excuse me? I'm sorry,, your story just lost it's believability right there,,,, NO woman will actually talk to you in the morning, especially a wife woman!

We hear a thumping sound coming from the bedroom… or is it just the main room. What do you call the room where the bed is when there’s no other room? You walk into a hotel room and to the left or right is the bathroom and straight ahead is the… room-room? It’s not the living room… there’s a bed in the middle of it! A bedroom seems to imply a separate room, no?

In Chicago,,, to avoid confusion in cases like this,, we usually just say,, "Over by dere".

The thumping noise is followed by some scrabbling sounds… and a knock on the door. I open the door and standing there is Elle.

Ok,,, I have to ask,,, just what, exactly is a "scrabbling" sound? Is she holding a Scrabble game and shaking in violently back and forth? And if you already have "bling" , sitting on the board in the far right, , and you use s c r a b to stretch it up to the triple word score in the right corner,, how many points would that be worth?
What was the question again?



Dressed, out of breath, with eyes the size of saucers.

A-1?
Worsteshire?

“You were supposed to wake me!!!” she says with obvious distress.

“Ummm… honey? We aren’t leaving for a while yet.”

Well, at least I won’t have to wait for her to get ready, right?

I never thought she was going to make it and hike with you.




Or so I thought. I had seen that there was a business center and post office in that direction and since somebody forced me to send them a package, I had to go there.

Darn Smidgy!

Which is when I discovered that right around the corner from our front door… about 40 steps away… was a convenience store… with everything we needed.

Well, that's um, convenient.

And a Starbucks right beside it.

thumper man would have shot it. Oh,, wrong kinda buck.

Elle and I pile into the car and head off to Diamond Head.
We’ve got a hike in front of us!

How come cars have to be "piled" into,,nobody ever just "gets" into a car?
Just like a shower. Nobody ever just gets in a shower,, they always have to "HOP in the shower.



Here’s a comparison. Most people know that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. It’s a shade over 29,000 ft. Some people know that K2 is the second highest at about 28,250 ft.
The highest peak in North America is Mt. Mckinley at 20,320 ft.

Diamond Head is an extinct volcano which towers over Honolulu at an amazing 27,500 ft!!


And Elle and I scaled it! Without portable oxygen tanks, too.

Well, not quite 27,500 ft… if you take off the first and last digit, it’s a little bit more accurate. That still leaves 750 feet to climb!!!

Oh and the parking lot is 190 feet up.

That still leaves 560 feet of mountain! Straight up!

I am well aware that it can be a brutal climb, anyway. Clingman's Dome in the Smokies in Tennessee is the highest poing east of the Mississippi in the US,, and it purt near killed me to walk up back in '91.
Love those "Come Hither" tourist signs:
Clingman's Dome: Highest point east side of North America!
Easy, graded walking path
See 7 states from our observation tower!

Right,,, and then you get up there and the fog limits you to a visibility of the person standing in front of Smidgy!



But still! It was an arduous trek that no mere mortal should attempt!

I shall remember that when I'm there again.


Forgot sun-screen. Hang on.



Here’s a couple of shots of the trail leading up. It starts off paved but then changes to gravel.

that's got to be fun to watch. How often does it do that? And then it changes back to pavement again?

There are signs posted warning/begging people to stay on the trail. Seems there’s concern about premature erosion. (oh, go ahead) Of course everytime there’s a youngster off leash, he’s gotta be scrabbling up and down the mountain off the trail. But it’s okay. ‘Cause every parent knows that those signs don’t apply to their precious little darlings.

Nope, I will not take the bait and expectorate on that sentence


The trail is about a mile in length, and as mentioned 560 feet in height. Nearing the top there are 74 steps of stairs and a tunnel.

Ok,, is this a Canadian language type of thing? What are "steps of stairs"? Wouldn't they still be steps if you left out the "stairs" part? Or, could it possibley be, "Stairs of steps?" And why can't you put metal in a microwave?

After that there’s a spiral staircase ( I love you more today than yesterday)


which ends at a bunker that you have to crawl through to get out of.

Ah yes,, I've heard of it,, they call it Archie.


Then it’s a few more stairs and you’re finally at the top.

I wanted to go up here for the view. Whaddya think, was it worth it?

Well, yes,, if you like city type views.

The walk down was uneventful.
What a shame: eventfuls make for a much better trip report than uneventfuls.

And a lot easier. I greatly enjoyed seeing out of shape people gasping for breath as they toiled up the trail.

Oh, I'm sure I'd be a riot now for you,,,as I soiled up the trail.

Passing one fellow about my age I grumbled to Elle, “I can’t believe we went all that way only to find out that it’s closed.”

He chuckled and remarked, “Nice try.”

Darn!

Continued next post…

Cool. A trilogy!