G-Gram Would Be Proud

Uncle Mark and I took the kids golf ball hunting yesterday afternoon around the golf course. The kids found several balls in and around the lava rock. Since that time, Carson has been clamoring to go golfing. This morning, we set up our own course outside the villa (with plastic cups). Then we borrowed Uncle Mark's putter and the rest, as they say, is history. Can you say Tiger Woods? :) Carson used to golf all the time with Great Grandma Vivian (G-Gram); I'm sure she's smiling down on us now!

Aloha! From CJ & Ben

So, near the end of our trip, I figured I should test the video capabilities of our new camera. After all, I am a media professional, right? "Okay kids, say Aloha!"

Through Carson's Eyes II

So, our little artist has been at it again. This time he said, "Daddy, put these on the blog." So , without further ado...

Here's the fourth hole of the golf course (just beyond our lanai):




Here's a geko:



Here's the ubiquitous palm tree with coconuts:



And, here's a volcano (I think this is Kilauea):

Watch for more. Maybe we can get Benjamin to draw a few. Aloha!!

Our Trip to Kurt and Jane’s

On Thursday, the Fletcher family loaded in to the van and ventured to the Hilo side of the island to visit Kurt and Jane (my sister’s in-laws). A couple of years ago, they decided to give up the hustle and bustle of the Seattle area and transitioned to a new way of life in the tropics. They sold their house and purchased a 10-acre parcel of land in Laupahoehoe—about 25 miles North of Hilo. It was a magnificent, 90-minute drive through back country Hawaii and we observed parts of the island that tourists don’t traditionally see; a great experience.

On our way, we stopped for lunch at Tex Drive-In; a favorite of the locals. Tex is known for its home-cooked BBQ and its famous malasadas; traditional, island-style doughnuts covered in sugar (plain or filled with the goop of your choice). We purchased a mixed dozen and our entire ohana enjoyed them for breakfast on Friday.



When we arrived at the Arthur/Corbin Plantation, we were greeted at the gate by Kurt, Jane and their dog Hanna (and Hanna’s black lab friend from next door). We were given a tour of the barn, the house (which is under construction) and their beautiful, expansive property.




Until the house is completed, Kurt and Jane are living in an apartment above the barn. Just look at the view they awake to every morning (that's the Pacific Ocean if you couldn't tell).



In a relatively short time on the island, they have planted 130 coffee trees, 40 lychee fruit trees and various other plants such as banana, lemon, and lime. We learned about the island and a bit about growing coffee. The kids also spent some time on the tractor and the mower and they couldn’t have been happier.



Though our visit with Kurt and Jane was entirely too brief, it was so good to see them and experience the new, island life they are creating for themselves. What a beautiful place to begin this new phase of their lives. As we waved and drove away, the kids asked if we could come back tomorrow. To that, I responded “some day kids, some day.”

From Oahu to Hawaii: An Alternate Reality

On Sunday, we flew from Oahu to the big island of Hawaii on a quick 40-minute inter-island jaunt. We touched down at 9:20AM giving us the entire day to explore our new island get-away. And a true get-away it is. Enter the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort at historic Kaupulehu in Kona. We knew from the descriptions and pictures that we were in for a luxurious treat but we truly had no idea that the villa and the grounds of this resort were something out of an alternate reality—a reality that, in my view, only a select group will ever experience. Think Donald Trump. Think Richard Branson. Think Michael Dell (who actually bought the resort next door and was here just two weeks ago). Our villa is right on the golf course and we have a Northwestern view of the ocean; perfect for sunsets.







In truth, much of Kona is surrounded by lava flows (Pahoihoi, or smooth lava, and A’A, or jagged lava). What you see all around you is not the beautiful Hawaii that you would imagine because everywhere you look is lava rock. However, amidst all of this natural devastation is an oasis in the truest sense of the word. With its lush tropical greenery, turquoise blue ocean as far as the eye can see (until you run in to Maui to the North), and endless sunshine with accompanying postcard-perfect sunsets, we have found Shangri-La.

Today, our ohana (family) spent the entire day at our pool-side cabana. We were fed, we were spritzed with Evian water followed by ice cold eucalyptus towels, and our pool attendant custom cleaned our sunglasses. We were then very excited to learn that we would be given brightly colored icicle treats (okay, they were otter pops but the kids were in heaven). It was all straight out of a movie and I still don’t quite believe it all.

This week is going to be amazing and we aren’t taking anything for granted. This is not going to be an easy place to leave so we’re going to stretch out this new reality as long as we possibly can. Aloha! More to come…

Through Carson's Eyes

Carson is very excited to be a part of our vacation blog. As such, take a moment to see what Hawaii looks like through his eyes.


Here are the Hawaiian islands:

Here is our first hotel in Waikiki:

Here is Carson and Ben at the beach:

And here is a dolphin from Sea Life Park:

More to come as time permits. Stay Tuned! You won't believe our lodging on the big island.

Ohana

Ohana in Hawaiian means family and there’s no better way to describe the relationship we have with our friends the Lundborgs. Rosa and I have been colleagues and friends since the early days of UW Bothell so when the idea of traveling to Hawaii with her family came up, we jumped at the opportunity. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Rosa’s husband Mark lived in Hawaii for several years when he was growing up and their two boys—Garrett (15) and Brandon (11)—are no strangers to the islands as they have visited many times with their folks. Rosa’s parents also lived on Oahu when they retired so it was fitting to visit the beach they called home.

Following a brunch prepared by Chef Rosa, we headed over to the windward side of Oahu to visit the beach where Rosa and her dad used to sit and talk. On the way, we stopped at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout; the high ledge where Kamehameha the Great conquered the island in 1795 by running Oahu’s forces over a high cliff.

Though Mark tangled a bit with a jellyfish (his arm stings a little but he’s okay), we all had a wonderful time at this memorable beach.

And it wouldn’t have been a true local experience without some shave ice for the entire ohana prior to the trip home. Garrett watched the kids and the adults had a great dinner at Honolulu’s Hard Rock Café. We topped it off with dessert at the local Cheesecake Factory.

Though our time on Oahu is coming to an end, we are all excited to visit the big island of Hawaii on the next leg of our journey.

Aloha!

Well, here we are on the beautiful island of Oahu! As Mara and I sit here on our lanai, the sun is out (of course), the skies are blue with large, white clouds moving past almost undetected, and the kids are currently napping. Though traveling with two small children isn’t altogether restful, we have definitely disconnected from our everyday lives and we are enjoying a slower, more restful pace free from daily distractions. We are truly having fun on our island get-away.

On Wednesday of our first week in paradise, we all piled in to the minivan and headed toward Sea Life Park. This popular tourist attraction is known for its dolphin shows and its huge reef tank of local fish. The boys had a wonderful experience seeing and learning about the wonders of the ocean. Ben has been fixated on sea turtles recently so this excursion really brought a smile to his little face.

In addition to the sea lion show and an act with several dolphins, we saw a “wolphin” which is a mix between a whale and a dolphin. Though it was a bit toasty outside, we had a great time and the view from Sea Life Park was breathtaking!

Our day ended with a poolside BBQ of teriyaki steak sandwiches and burgers (YUM!). The perfect end to another “Aloha” kind of day!

"Blue Hawaii"

As a kid, Grandma Edna would always sing “Blue Hawaii” to my sister and I as we would drift off to sleep. When I sat down to write this post, her words and her voice came back to me so vividly. I remember her rubbing my back and singing quietly “Dreams come true, in Blue Hawaii.” At the time, little did I know that these words would ring true so many years later.

Though Honolulu and Waikiki Beach have grown quite a bit since I last visited some twenty years ago, it is still a place where one feels their dreams can come true. Even with the hustle and bustle of what is truly a major metropolitan, the island has the leisurely tempo, beautiful weather, and the brilliant fragrance of a place conjured up in the sweetest of dreams. And on this visit, we couldn’t have better tour guides.

Some might say the Lundborgs know Hawaii like the back of their hands. They have many ties to the islands; for one thing Mark lived here from age eleven until he went off to college. And they have been back many, many times since. This time, the Fletchers have been lucky enough to come along for the ride. Yesterday morning—having moved from our hotel to the Lundborg's timeshare up the beach—there was a nock at our door. It was Rosa and Mark indicating that I should come with them to pick up some doughnuts for the group. Come to find out, these weren’t your standard, run of the mill doughnuts. Oh, no. We were going to Leonard’s—a favorite of the locals. It felt like a whole-in-the-wall kind of place but let me tell you something, these were some of the best doughnuts I have ever had; especially the passion fruit-filled extravaganzas. Our seasoned tour guides knew exactly where to go for these morning treats.

After breakfast (which, by the way, we ate poolside) we were off to the beach for a wonderful morning of swimming, relaxation, basking (as Carson would say) and, of course some shaved ice for good measure.

After a quick jaunt back to our condos to get cleaned up, we were off to the Dole Plantation for an afternoon of tours, train rides, treats and a few surprises along the way.

We had another day in paradise; blue water and blue skies everywhere you look! And as Grandma Edna used to sing: “The night is young and so are we!” More to come...