Category Archives: beach vacation

Snorkeling with My New Hip

Posted on by | 2 Comments

Snorkeling with my new hipJohn Pennekamp State Park

Now that I have my doctor’s approval I am about to try snorkeling with my new hip. I’m a little nervous. The last time I’d tried snorkeling I was swimming lopsided because I couldn’t really kick with my left leg. I’m pretty buoyant and when I’d get tipped over it was hard to get back on track. I arrived at John Pennekamp State Park first thing in the morning. If I messed up I didn’t want witnesses laughing at me. The dive shop was open and quickly outfitted me with rental fins, mask and snorkel. The dive master warned me that there wouldn’t be a lot to see but I assured him it was just a test for me to try out my new hip.

Snorkeling with my new hip Cannon Beach at John Pennekamp.

Cannon Beach is not very big. There are some picnic tables but mostly you stake out a section of sand. I went down to the far corner of the beach where I saw another snorkeler enter. It was pretty rocky. Most of the shoreline was covered with chunks of coral. With the waves about to knock me off my feet I gingerly worked my way into the water. Once I was in deep enough I sat down and pulled on my fins. Then the mask and snorkel and I was off. Lots of little fish in the shallow water. As I went deeper those became more scarce. After what I thought was about 10 minutes I turned around to head back to shore. My test was a success!

Getting out of the WaterSnorkeling with my new hip

I was feeling pretty good about the way my first snorkel went. It felt good, my kicks were strong and balanced. But I hadn’t thought the whole thing through. Although I managed to get in the water without injury getting out was turning out to be a whole different matter. I explored along the shoreline but it was all sharp coral. Finally I just went for it, for about 2 steps. A nice lady with flip flops on came down the beach. She took my fins from my hand and took my arm to help me over the sharp coral rocks. Oh Man it hurt! But with her help I was able to limp back to my things.

Snorkeling with my new hipNot 10 Minutes

Back at my beach towel I dried my feet and stuffed them into my shoes. My watch lay on the sand with the time staring up at me. I thought I’d been in the water about 10 minutes, just a short swim but it was closer to two hours. It was actually lunch time! Except for my feet my muscles felt better than they had in years. I think I can handle the snorkel trip to the reef once they give the go ahead. 

 

When It’s Hot, Hot Hot Out

Posted on by

It’s Hot Enough for a Heat WaveKilauea

What better way to survive hot weather than to find nice , cool air conditioning and settle in for some travel stories? I never told you about my last night on the Big Island from my March trip. I confess I’ve been distracted following Kilauea‘s antics, my work load and life in general but with temps approaching 80 and it isn’t even 10 am , time for a writing break.

Captain Cook’s Historical Dinner Cruise

Dinner cruise

Time flies when you are on a Hawaiian Island. Whether relaxing or playing it really is a paradise. Too soon I was looking at my return trip. I needed to do one more thing before I climbed aboard the airplane in the morning. The Concierge recommended a dinner cruise.  Dinner cruises are not one of my favorite pastimes but I hadn’t done much to see the coastline so I decided to say yes.I booked the Captain Cook Historical Dinner Cruise. It’s about 3 hours long and leaves from Kailua Pier.

Hawaiian HutKailua Pier

It’s not a bad stroll from the resort to the Pier if you are young and ambitious. You can also take a trolley/bus or a taxi. Being on vacation and basically lazy I took a cab. Upon arrival I realized there wasn’t any place to sit unless you wanted to spend the afternoon in a pub or restaurant. After wandering around the pier I found a stone wall to park myself while I waited for the afternoon to pass. Right next to the pier is a lovely little beach. Some outrigger canoes were beached in the sand. There were people snorkeling and even some scuba divers. I began to wish I’d worn a bathing suit. 

outrigger canoes

 

Time to Board

The afternoon passed quickly. Soon I noticed the line beginning to form for the cruise. A tent was set up with rows of chairs. That was much more comfortable than my stone wall so I wandered over to wait there. I didn’t have long to wait.

Luaus in Hawaii

Posted on by
imu

stock photo

Luau’s are everywhere in Hawaii

Luaus are to Hawaii as barbecue is to the South. I’ve been to Luaus on Oahu, The big Island and Maui. I’ve lost count of the number I’ve attended. They all have certain elements. You’ll have Kalua Pig. Its usually the center prices of the celebration. A whole pig is cooked in an underground oven called an imu. You’ll also get to taste poi, a paste made from the taro plant. Some of the other traditional foods are Lomilomi salmon, chicken and long rice. You’ll probably be served Haupia, a coconut milk based treat that’s been popular since the 1940’s for dessert.

The Luau Shows

Princess Dance

There’s a lot of pomp and tradition to the Luau shows. Some start with a procession of Hawaiian Royalty others begin with the opening of the imu. Many just begin as a stage show. No matter what the  format, all of the shows tell a story of the Islands. Different types of native dance and song are showcased. Most have a fire dancers which is always a crowd pleaser.

The Feast at Lele

I was told this Luau was different from any I’d been to before and it shouldn’t be missed. It was a sales pitch and I fell for it but  I was getting a nice discount so why not. Usually tickets are $110/head. I paid $49.00. At most luaus you are seated at long family style tables and go through a buffet line for food. Not so at the Feast of Lele. You’ll have your own table and server.

Our Band

The Band played popular ballads but they all sounded like Hawaiian music. As they started another familiar song I commented ” Here’s another traditional Hawaiian  favorite for your listening pleasure.” My tablemates thought that was quite funny.

Feast of lele dancersJourney across Polynesia

The Feast of Lele differs from other Luaus because you don’t go through a buffet line. You’ll enjoy a 5 course meal themed  by island  and delivered to your table by your server. The entertainment features the dances of the island to match your meal, Hawaii, Aotearoa – New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa and dessert.

 

Let me tell you how I really feel

I fully agree that everyone should attend at least one Luau but by now my luau experiences were approaching double digits.  I love Hawaii but I am not a fan of Hawaiian food. Give me a good steak anytime.  I like the shows but after seeing as many as I’ve seen I don’t need another one. Even the fire dancer has lost it’s exotic feel. Disney includes a fire dancer in it’s Festival of the Lion King.

Fire Dance

What Happened to the Stress Free Zone

Posted on by | 2 Comments

Even Paradise can encounter Stress

Dealing with an owner update shouldn’t be filled with stress. They aren’t supposed to be trying to sell you anything. Its supposed to be educational. That’s why when my owner update came due at 8 AM Sunday morning I was eager to get it over with. Not that I didn’t want to know what changes had been made to my program. I just didn’t want to spend the whole day with the reps from Diamond Resorts. Nice people but my time on the island was limited. I had better ways to spend my time than locked in a meeting.

Changes are Coming

I enjoyed a nice breakfast while I watched several whales cavorting  just offshore. What a way to spend a morning. The rep assigned to me was originally from Chicago and he was very upbeat and fun. We finally wrapped up breakfast and settled down to the nitty gritty. A lot of his presentation had my eyes crossing. There was some interesting stuff but he sure liked to talk! Once he got into the part about maximizing my return and making my timeshare work for me I perked up. Now he had my attention. It all sounded great. Then he pulled my file and the sales pitch began. Oh too bad, you don’t have enough points to qualify for these perks. You have to be at 70,000 points not the 50,000 you’ve worked so hard to reach.  Now I was mad. I’ve scrimped and struggled to reach this level and now he’s telling me within 2 years it won’t be enough to let me vacation when I want. 

It was a Long, Long Morning

That peaceful breakfast with the whales seemed a long time ago. It was only at 8 am but now it was 1 pm. I had an appointment at 2 pm for a massage. I was led upstairs where I was supposed to sign off on the update. It was not to be. First they had a legal question on my last upgrade. Then I still had to wait for someone else to give me my incentives (gifts). I called the spa and moved my massage to 3 pm. No time for lunch. Finally the last person came out and again tried to sell me the upgrade. I was seeing red at that point and stood up to walk out. That’s when they finally let me go. I’d have to come back to see the concierge for my gifts.

Puamana Day Spa

 

stock photo

I arrived at my appointment at 3:15. My stomach was growling but I really wanted to try a massage for my hip problem. I knew a deep tissue massage would hurt and it did, especially on that left hip but at the end I was like rubber. I had to really concentrate just to walk. The ladies at the Spa are mother and daughter and have a very peaceful way about them. Just what I needed after that wasted morning!