Maui and Hawaii (The Big Island)

We always love vacationing in Hawaii. We have been to the islands numerous times over the years. This trip took us to Maui (which we had explored on previous trips) and the Big Island of Hawaii (our first trip).

In our opinion, a stay on Maui should always include a visit to Mama's Fish House http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/on the north side of the island. (Photo above.) The restaurant sits directly on the beach with the most magnificent sunset views on clear nights. If you want to bypass the sunset, Mama's is equally excellent for lunch. Reservations necessary most evenings. The food is very expensive--all items a la carte--but a memorable experience....and worth it...at least once. My favorite entree' is the Mahi Mahi stuffed with lobster, crab and baked in a macadamia nut crust....superb!

Another awesome Maui experience can be a private dinner on the beach. Many years ago, I was visiting Maui with girlfriends when we saw a chef set up a table with white tablecloth, chairs, tiki torches, and gas grill...right on the beach. We watched for some time before a couple casually walked along the waters edge, came upon the table, and the gentleman offered the young lady a seat. She appeared genuinely surprised. To make a long story short, I told my husband how much I enjoyed watching this romantic setting unfold and wish it would have been us. The very next time we visited Maui, it was near our 20th wedding anniversary, so he made this dream come true.

We booked Tableside Chef http://www.justmauied.com/tableside.html for our own private 4-course meal on the beach. We made our way down the sand to our linen-covered table. We enjoyed the peaceful setting as the sky faded from day to night. The resort lights twinkled on, sand crabs crawled toward the ocean, and a group of night divers entered the water as the sun set on the horizon. We noted that beach activity at night is quite different from daytime activities. Private dining is expensive. We don't generally spend this kind of money on one dining experience. Afterwards, my husband admitted that it was definitely worth the money for this one-of-a kind experience. We can't remember how we celebrated many of our anniversaries....but we will always treasure our 20th wedding anniversary dinner on the beach in Maui. (Our only issue with this evening was our chatty chef. We would have preferred to talk with each other, but our chef interrupted a lot and told stories about himself. If you do decide to use this unique service...ask for a quiet chef.)


We spent our time on Maui at the Marriott Ocean Club on Kaanapali Beach. (In the past, we have stayed in Wailea, which we love because of the newer exquisite mega-resorts and miles of waking paths along the ocean.) We were amazed by the established beauty of the Kaanapali area and would return again. I used points for our 3-night stay which was a bargain at 50,000 for this multi-star resort. The rooms were freshly updated at the time of our stay, the grounds were immaculate, and the pool area refreshing and restful. Every morning, after walking the paths along the beach, we headed to the ocean-view restaurant for a light breakfast...then lounged by the pool sipping slushy drinks the rest of the day. My dream vacation! http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnmmh-marriotts-maui-ocean-club/

Three days was not enough time on Maui, but since we had never been to the Big Island before, and only had ten days of vacation, we had to split our time between the two islands. We packed up and moved to an RCI property in Kona: The Kona Hawaiian Resort. http://www.konahawaiianvillage.com/ This Wyndham property has a Polynesian theme with nicely decorated clean, comfortable rooms. The large balcony allowed for outdoor dining which we used daily. It was truly lovely. Yet after staying at the Marriott on Maui--with bar/food service at the pool--well, we were spoiled.

The location of the Kona property was awesome....close to town. We walked into Kona everyday...sometimes twice a day. The service at this property was great. We didn't find anything about this location displeasing. Ultimately, it is a condo and doesn't have the resort feel since there is no restaurant or bar service on site. We knew it was a condo when we booked, but some RCI properties do have food service amenities. This one does not, so we had to adjust our expectations during our stay. If you are looking for a wonderful, "Hawaiian feel," relaxing property--close to town--this is an excellent choice. If you are looking for a "resort" with restaurants and pool service, you will likely be a bit disappointed. After a brief mental readjustment...we ultimately found this property to be perfect for this stay.


We had a game plan for exploring the "Big Island." We would take a road trip every other day. One day...relax at the pool. Next day...explore the island. Relax...explore. It was a great plan and we went home feeling refreshed rather than frazzled from too much activity.

One of our first day trips was to this authentic Hawaiian village, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park. (Photo above.)http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm



I loved watching the huge turtles in this park. I took so many pictures of turtles hoping to catch a minuscule moment of action. Fortunately for you, I've only posted a few photos on the blog. But I took at least a hundred--trying to get their best sides (does a turtle have a best side?)--and enjoyed every minute.


This national park has many carvings, wooden totems, and structures for viewing. The setting was gorgeous...right on the ocean, and turned out to be an informative day adventure on the history of Hawaii.
Along our travels, we came upon this old historic Catholic church and cemetery.

A statue in the garden was heavily draped by shell beads and the paintings/ murals in the church were enjoyable to see. This unexpected detour--off the main road--was a pleasant pause on our day adventure.




John couldn't resist this sign at the entrance of the church. Might be worded a bit better...don't you think?

On our full-day (self-guided) island tour, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking Waipi'o Valley. The road into the valley requires an SUV as it is incredibly steep. Since we were in a "regular" rental car, we elected to enjoy this amazing sight from the look-out. The "Hawaii Revealed" book describes a trip into the valley as a "real gem" with rewards of waterfalls, trails, and potentially deserted beaches. If more time would have been available, we would have considered one of the many tours into the lush wonderland below. We had a beautiful day for our island adventure--even though it was a bit overcast in the morning. What a spectacular view!

Laupahoehoe Point is a peaceful park on the Big Island of Hawaii and the unfortunate location of a devastating tsunami that killed 24 students and teachers before the start of school on April 1, 1946. There is a memorial honoring those who lost their lives that day. Teacher housing as well as a grade school originally sat on these grounds. Again, we found this park listed in the book "Hawaii Revealed." If you are visiting the Big Island, this book is a worthwhile purchase. This area is so beautiful it seems unfathomable that such sadness could have occurred here at one time.



The powerful waves along Laupahoehoe Point were incredible to watch as they swelled and smashed into huge lava rocks.
If you want to learn more about that fateful day at Laupahoehoe, please go to:
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1028384/pg1




Hawaii Revealed suggested Alaska Falls as a stop on the island tour. Even though our hometown is Silverton, Oregon....near Silver Falls State Park--with some of the most incredible water falls....Alaska Falls was a refreshing diversion during our drive around the island. From the parking lot, there are wooden paths and many steps leading to the falls. There are flowers and lush foliage to enjoy on the easy walk/hike to the viewing area. We were glad we stopped to smell the flowers and enjoy the views.



A visit to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach allowed more viewing of the large Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (which I loved) as well as a marshy lake complete with wildlife. Many people visiting the area were enjoying the beach on blankets and towels. Other tourists splashed in the water, tried surfing, or were swimming in the waves. Even though the black sand was amazing to see, I was not drawn to sit and enjoy like I am to the pristine white beaches of Hawaii and the Caribbean.



I could watch these turtles for hours. Why? I have no idea. They move slowly or rarely. But I'm fascinated with them...taking many more pictures than are necessary for any diverse photo album. What's even more concerning....all the pictures look alike. My final evaluation of this fascination...one just doesn't see such a sight in Oregon.


Our final stop of the day was the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to see the Kilauea Volcano. We explored a lava cave which was surprisingly wet. Puddles on the floor of the cave made exploring more like a walk through a maze as we dodged water every few feet.



At the time of our visit, Kilauea was actively spewing steam. We walked along observation paths, but never saw more action than in this photo above. Apparently, this is the most active volcano in all of the world. There are tours--if you stay into the evening--where you can actually see lava running into the ocean. But an evening visit just wasn't choreographed into our day trip. By the time we had explored the cave and the volcano park grounds, we were ready to travel back to Kona for dinner and relaxation.

John and I were surprised at how much we enjoyed the Big Island. Since our travels had always taken us to the other islands with much enjoyment, we were resistant to come to the island with the active volcano. Yet it was so much fun to explore the various regions of this large mass of land. There is so much to do and see. One of my favorite memories (besides all the sightseeing) on our day trip was during a short stop at Parker Ranch Shopping Center in Waimea. We were exiting the lot, came upon a sign--bright red and shaped like a normal stop sign--but instead of stop, it said...Whoa. "Perfect for a Parker Ranch sign," we all remarked. I tried to get my camera out to capture this on film. But we had moved on.

Unbeknownst to us--prior to our arrival on Kona--our stay coincided with the Ironman Triathlon. A great deal of training was observed everyday--running, swimming, biking. (None by us--but it was fun to watch.) We even made the effort to be on site when the starting pistol blew causing hundreds of swimmers to plow into the water simultaneously, accidentally(?) knocking others down for a few additional seconds head start on the race. The Big Island really does have it all...and more! One week does not allow enough exploring time for this diverse island...we definitely need to return someday soon.

St. Thomas - Favorite Beach Vacation

Photo above: Taken on the island of St. John
Picture below: Entrance to Bluebeard's Castle

Our two-week visit to St. Thomas turned out to be a dream-come-true beach vacation. During our first week, we stayed in Bluebeard's Castle--an RCI extra vacation. Then using Marriott points--a cost effective way to extend our vacation--we stayed the second week at Frenchman's Reef. There is really no comparison on these two properties.... Frenchman's Reef was far superior to Bluebeard's Castle.

As shared above, Bluebeard's Castle was an RCI extra vacation and was a St. Thomas bargain at less than $450/week for a one-bedroom unit. It is a unique property with a thousand, million steps in disrepair. Well, that is probably exaggerating the step situation a bit...but there are a lot of steps and they are in disrepair. The castle sits up on a hill with spectacular views of the port. Several restaurants at the resort are known for their excellent service and food. We did have positive experiences at the restaurants we tried.

Photo Below: View of Bluebeard's Castle during our water taxi trip to St. John. The Castle sits high on the hill with incredible port and ocean views.

Out by the pool, we visited with many guests staying at this property. Some were owners who were disappointed because they have returned here for years and were concerned with the lack of maintenance. Owners shared with us that a recent investigation of these issues revealed maintenance fees were diverted to another property. Their current understanding was that the issues had been resolved, the monies reimbursed, and all the maintenance to be addressed in the near future. (November 2008).

http://www.bluebeards-castle.com/

Photo above: Bluebeard's Castle pool area. While enjoying the pool, guests can also enjoy incredible ocean views. But the pool area needed some attention. (Pool bar, pool canopies, some pool tiles, hot tub, and pool wall--all needed some or a lot of repair.)
Bluebeard's Castle could be an above average choice if the maintenance issues are addressed. We hope they are because it would be a shame to let this property deteriorate any further. Photo above is the view of the port docks from our unit balcony. We enjoyed great sunsets while watching cruise ships depart at the end of the day.

This is an older property (they advertise historic) with basic units. They have tried to dress them up, but with little success. Our unit was sparse and clean. For the bargain price we paid--it was fine. The partial kitchen was poor and had a very small fridge and few utensils. If you preferred to eat every meal in, you would have difficulty with food preparation.

Photo below: Sapphire Beach

But this is St. Thomas. The weather is fantastic and the views are incredible from most locales on the island. The property is clean. Would I stay here again?....If the price was right? You bet! We just weren't in the room that much. We felt safe and the property is close to town so we walked most places. (Beware the hill--we were out of breath every time we climbed the stairs to the resort.) We did not rent a car, preferring to take day trips to different beaches via taxi. Sapphire Beach (photo above) was our favorite. We liked Sapphire Beach better than Megan's Bay, a popular St. Thomas destination. We took a day trip to St. John (Photo at top of blog) via water taxi. (FYI: Rental cars and gasoline are expensive on St. Thomas. We were quoted $350 rental for one week. We spent about $100 in taxi fares for that same week because we enjoy walking as much as we can. And they drive on the opposite side of the road as mainland USA...a concern that left us uncomfortable renting a car on the island.)

Photo above: View of Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort from the ocean.

We had visited St. Thomas via several cruise ships over the years and had longed to extend our stay. Since we were flying from Oregon...one week was just not going to be enough time on this Caribbean island. Yet, the island is expensive. Good food is especially spendy. My work requires several weeks away from home at a time...but the perk to all this traveling is Marriott points. At first, I just booked a room with points. Then, after investigating food prices on the island, I decided that we might want to upgrade our stay at the Marriott to all-inclusive (more points) and am so glad I did. We worried about nothing. If our slushy drinks melted, we ordered more. When hungry, we ordered what we wanted. Breakfast was enjoyed in the open-air restaurant right on the beach with views of sailboats, cruise ships, and other ocean activity. My favorite evening restaurant was "Windows On The Harbour" where the ceiling to floor windows provide excellent views of the Charlotte Amalie city lights. The first time we walked into this restaurant, the view took my breath away. The food was expensive, but since we were all-inclusive, we ordered our favorite meals without worry. We had an over-the-top great experience at the Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sttfr-frenchmans-reef-and-morning-star-marriott-beach-resort/

Photo above: The view from our ocean view room at the Marriott.

Photo Left: One of the two Marriott Frenchman Reef pools...

incredibly beautiful as well as relaxing.

Photo below: Our breakfast view at Coco Joe's (on the beach) outdoor restaurant every morning...

paradise!

Please be aware...no matter where you stay in St. Thomas, it is highly recommended by hotel staff to be extremely cautious after dark. We did not venture off the properties at night for this reason.

Having said that, we felt safe at both properties. The islands are gorgeous and we cannot wait to take another extended vacation to St. Thomas and/or St. John. And I certainly hope to have enough Marriott points to take advantage of their all-inclusive option next time--because when we checked out--our bill was ZERO!

Phoenix and Sedona

In early January 2009, we snagged an RCI one-bedroom condo extra vacation at the Legacy Golf Resort for less than $500/week. This property was highly rated on the RCI website and we felt fortunate to get to stay at this luxury resort at an economy price. The surroundings were beautiful with two large pools, golfing, restaurant, spa, tennis, and shuffleboard courts. The rooms were well-appointed with granite countertops, tile floors, and elegant bathrooms. Our unit was located with a view of the golf course and we enjoyed watching golfers tee off from our living room every day.

When we first walked in the condo, we were immediately thrilled with the accommodations. The decor was fresh and clean. The living, dining room, and kitchen were an open floor plan and welcoming.

The temperatures were in the low 70's (warmer than Oregon, but cooler than we had expected) and even though we used the pool one day, it really wasn't warm enough to use the pool daily for swimming and sunning. So we took lots of long walks, relaxed reading books, visited the local Indian casinos (won a little $$$), and toured Scottsdale and Sedona.

In our opinion, there was nothing negative about this resort. But some individuals may find it far away from the action. The resort, located south of Phoenix, has a "country" feel as you pass horses, flower/plant nursery's and small farms. For us, it was only a few minutes to all the places we wanted to go. There were good restaurants close by and not that far from several area casinos. (Sedona and Scottsdale were further.)

It was a fun, last minute vacation and well worth it. We would recommend Legacy Golf Resort to any RCI members as well as others who may wish to stay at this resort.

Canopies covered the bar area and some pool chairs. The canopies were not necessary during our stay since the weather was comfortable. If the weather was warmer, the canopies could be coveted shade for resort guests.

One of the many Scottsdale sculptures. Lots of areas to explore in Scottsdale...this is in their "old town" portion of the city.

Our Sedona adventure included a "Pink Jeep Tour." http://www.pinkjeep.com/jeep-tours/

These tours promote thrilling adventures exploring ancient ruins, gulches, scenic rims and more. We didn't want something quite that thrilling so we selected a "canyon tour" which was exactly as described in their brochure...."awe-inspiring beauty with a knowledgeable guide."

The "Pink Jeep Tour" was the highlight of our trip to Sedona and we can't wait to spend more time in this area and check out a couple more of their tours. We highly recommend considering one of their adventures. There is also a lot of hiking trails in the Sedona area, but we were unable to take advantage of those on this trip.

We enjoyed every aspect of this quick-trip to Arizona because there was so much to explore. It will be easy to return...as soon as we can find the time!

Favorite 2009 Peaceful Vacation

Above photo: McDonald Lodge at Glacier National Park.

Photos beginning right and below: Evening hike on a Glacier National Park trail, vehicles for the Red Bus Tours (these are not the free park buses), Glacier National Mountain, and upper glacier meadow from the visitor's center on "Road to the Sun."

Last summer, a sad, unfortunate work incident left me wanting to escape to a peaceful retreat. John and I had always talked about a road trip to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. This seemed the perfect time, and the perfect place to go for a brief respite.

John had never been to either of the parks—I had been to Yellowstone and was excited to share a new adventure with him. I felt certain that the beauty of the parks and the serene settings could help heal a wounded heart.

Since we decided to take this trip "at the last minute", we were unable to secure any reservations within Glacier which turned out to be a bit inconvenient. Instead, we stayed at Meadow Lake Resort in Columbia Falls; a city that professes to be the "Gateway to Glacier National Park." It might be the gateway, but this "gate" is about a 30 minute drive to the park entrance.

Meadow Lake Resort was quiet and well-maintained. Activities included golfing (which we did not attempt), walking trails (which we used, but were actually roads used by vehicles throughout the complex), outdoor pool, video rentals and a spa. The restaurant overlooked the greens. The best part of staying at this resort was the day it poured. We began the day with adventure in mind. But it was so unpleasant outside, John chose to watch sports on television and I decided to schedule a hot stone massage and facial at The Spa At Meadow Lake Resort. http://www.spameadowlake.com/. Both the massage and facial were relaxing and pleasant. The atmosphere peaceful. Overall, the experience was worth it...even though the final bill was much higher than I would have paid back home in Silverton, Oregon. Yet I rationalized...."I'm on a rejuvenation vacation," and thought "life is short," and splurged.


The first day in Glacier National Park, the sun was shining brightly while we explored. We tried to drive the Road to the Sun...but there were steep cliffs--dropping off to no where--on one side of the road and steep cliffs rising to no where on the other. The road really did seem to be "going to the sun." My reaction was the same kind experienced while chugging up the zip-line hill in Costa Rica and the bus ride on the Island of Capri (blogs from March). I was terrified and tried to lay down so I couldn't see. There was huge a problem with this...I was driving. John firmly advised, "Linda, turn the car around." Then he coaxed, "we'll take the park bus tomorrow." Generally, I don't like to admit defeat, but I was not enjoying this excursion at all and agreed, "John knows best. " We drove back toward McDonald Lodge and found a peaceful, fairly flat trail to hike before sunset, hoping to see bears. (Clarification: me hoping to see bears--John did not want to see bears). Our only sightings of wildlife that evening were chipmunks and birds.

The following day, we boarded the free (included in the park admission) bus. (Please note that the free park bus is not as regular as the posted schedule would suggest. In fact the schedule was so irregular, we saw only half of what we hoped to see that day. For that reason alone, I might recommend taking the more expensive "Red Bus Tour.") At first, I thought the free bus to be an excellent choice for our day adventure. Mainly because I would not have to drive. It became an even better choice once the road steepened. Soon I found myself on the soft lap of a lady with a five-year-old in the seat right next to me. The five-year-old didn't seem to enjoy sharing a lap with a fifty-plus year-old woman. My husband ignored me as I encroached on this youngster's mother's space. From my prone vantage point, John appeared to have no problem sitting...and even taking pleasure in the views from his window seat. Upon arrival at the upper meadow, I apologized profusely to the woman for laying on her during the ride up. She seemed genuinely accepting of my apology as she hurriedly scooted her son off the bus and away from me. Hmmmm.

At the upper meadow, we were greeted with mostly blue-skies sprinkled with scattered white, fluffy clouds. The soft colorful flowers seemed to dance in the meadow in sync with the chilly breeze. We stood and enjoyed the views for awhile. This....yes, this simple beauty was worth the ride to the top.

Even though it was a perfect day to see and photograph the scenery, there wasn't enough time to hike any of the upper trails due to the poor park bus schedule....resulting in a huge disappointment for me. I love the mountains and felt that walking/hiking amongst this beauty would have been a highlight of our trip. I told John, "I guess this just means another future trip to Glacier," and he agreed. Upon our return to the lower park, we were fortunate to witness several mountain goats climbing the rocky terrain. They were too far away to capture a great photo...but what a treat to see!

Photo to above: The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Photos below: One of the many bison we saw during our drive through Yellowstone National Park, The Grand Canyon Of The Yellowstone; John and Linda near Yellowstone River; and closer view of the Yellowstone River.

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After several days at Glacier, we drove to Yellowstone where we felt like we had won a huge Las Vegas Jackpot when we secured a cabin for one night in the national park near the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

In a whirlwind tour of the park, we visited Old Faithful, Old Faithful Lodge, Fountain Paint Pot, mud volcanoes, and weaved along the roads shadowing Yellowstone River. It was exciting to happen upon herds of bison. Even more exciting to watch the buffalo for extended periods of time, lazily cross the road, eat grass, drink water....all the while trying not to block those who weren't so excited about these park inhabitants.

We both agreed that more time was needed at both of these National Parks. There is so much to see...so much I'm sure we missed....and yet, this last-minute nature adventure certainly seemed worthwhile.

Lake Coeur d'Alene--August 2009--A Dream Come True

During my travels on the catastrophe team, I had several occasions to drive cross country. My favorite route was through Montana, heading west toward Idaho and Lake Coeur d'Alene. From my vantage point on the freeway (actually just a glimpse now and then), the lake seemed to glisten in the sun as the vacationers on the various boats played. I wanted to be one of the vacationers. I wanted to play in/on the water. The area was so breathtakingly beautiful, I wanted to experience the pleasure of hiking the trails, enjoying the sun, and relaxing on one of the many beaches for myself.


It didn't seem fair to be a freeway observer when I longed to be a lake participant. The scenery reminded me of childhood family vacations on Lake Shasta and my hope was to someday, take an extended vacation at one of the Coeur d'Alene resorts. That wish is still on my list. But our travels last summer--on our way to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks--took us to Liberty Lake, Washington to visit cousins. Dawn and Jay Jordan welcomed us to their home and a day adventure on their yacht "Batter Up" on Lake Coeur d'Alene...a dream come true for me. We had a great lunch at one of the lake resorts and enjoyed our time with both Captain Jay and first-mate, Dawn. We never expected such a memorable day--exploring the area from the lake perspective was so much better than anticipated. I wanted to wave to the motorists on the freeway and shout "wish you were here," but...well, that would have been rude. Yet it is important to note, experiencing the lake in a two-story yacht is far more relaxing than from the driver's seat of a company issued, logo-emblazoned vehicle. I can only imagine that the motorists on the freeway that day were longing for their "someday" when they might find themselves on the lake rather than in their car.

Our one-day adventure introduced us to several timeshare resort options on the lake and I can't wait to go back and explore this area further. And just think...the Jordan family repeats this adventure almost every single day in the summer months! Thank you Dawn and Jay...the time with you was such a treat...and a bucket list tick!