The Porch

So this past Sunday was John Willey’s birthday. We didn’t get to celebrate with him so we all went to dinner last night. He had heard good things about the restaurant called The Porch on Henderson. I have a feeling we will be returning there often! We started with the spinach dip. Best spinach dip ever. I kinda want to go there for lunch today and just eat that! After polishing it off, out came our food. Chicken Parmesan, Fried Shrimp, and Three Grilled Cheese. Our sides were fries, coleslaw, onion rings and of course the smoked ham mac and cheese. Wow. They need to have a side item plate like the Black-Eyed Pea! The mac and cheese was smoky and rich. More of a grown up style though…tasted nothing like your traditional box mix. Creamy cheese and chunks of smoked ham…mmmmm. Then the onion rings. Thick, steak cut onions perfect amount of breading and an awesome flavor. No dipping sauce necessary. The sea salted fries were perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside. I had ordered the three grilled cheese. It was good. Port Salute, provolone, and cheddar with tomato. It was pretty tasty. The bread was a little more buttered than I care for, but then again, I don’t put any butter on my grilled cheese when I make them at home. Since I don’t care for shrimp or coleslaw, I don’t have anything to say about that. The chicken parm had grape tomatoes, little chunks of fresh mozzarella, and greens on top of it, and the marinara came on the side (so the chicken would not get soggy). It was really good. I really liked their marinara. It had thick cuts of tomato, spices, and roasted garlic. Definitely would order it again…at least after I tried a few of their other menu items. For dessert we split a strawberry shortcake. Perfectly toasted honey butter biscuit, freshly whipped cream, sliced strawberries with a few bits of chopped mint (very subtle). Wonderfully fresh and perfect for a summer day. I was so full I could only fit in a couple of bites though. When we arrived at 6:00, the restaurant was practically empty. By the time we left, it was packed and we were getting the stink eye from the waitress. So we left. By the hostess stand on the way out, instead of giving out mints, there was a huge bowl of starbursts!!! I took two orange and off we went. We crossed Henderson and found a table outside at a place called the Old Monk. A neat, but small little bar. It was a little humid and a little uncomfortable, but not too bad. We each had a drink and visited for a bit then decided to head home about 9. We had such a wonderful time! I think I have found a new favorite restaurant…which may end up costing us money and a few pounds! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Four Movies and a You Tube

This past weekend Ryan and I set a record for ourselves. We saw four movies in one weekend. First, The Hangover, then The Proposal, went home and rented He's Just Not That Into You, slept, visited my granddad then watched The Departed. All in all a nice lazy weekend. Makes me feel selfish.
Yes, The Hangover is as funny as everyone says it is. Has a few things in it that aren't exactly what I like to see or hear in film, but it was funny.
The Proposal was good. Sandra Bullock (who has the same birthday as John Willey I might add) is her usual self. I wouldn't see it again unless it was on TV I don't think though.
He's Just Not That Into You I thought was hilarious. So true in so many ways. Made me remember what it was like growing up and kinda giggle to myself a bit. I might buy this one, and I would definitely watch it again.
The Departed. If you can get through the language and the blood, I liked it. Star-studded cast for sure. All handsome men.
A couple other things of note. All of you need to go to YouTube and search for JK Wedding Dance (it's about five minutes long) and watch it. TOO CUTE! I made everyone at my Komen meeting watch it the other day. We also watched a couple of episodes of Whale Wars this weekend. Ask Ryan and I about that in person...too many thoughts to type in one blog. Yeesh.

And now deep thoughts

I love words. Indulge me. I think if I actually had the patience to write a book or screenplay or such, I would. Everyday on my way to work, I turn off the radio and have quiet time. By the time I get to work, I find myself humming a line from a song that seems appropriate. Tends to play intermittingly in my mind throughout the day. Most of the time it is something Walt or someone we know has written. If I could make a mixed tape still, it would include pieces of all these random lines floating around in my head. You know how there are books of quotes? I think I’m going to start a journal along the same lines. On the top of each page in the journal will be one of my daily lyrics. Ones I think are beautiful, funny or ironic. If I did actually do this…and decided to start today, here are the lines that would be a top the first pages.
-Just one thing is clear to me, there is always more than there appears to be, and when the light’s just right, I swear I see Poetry. –Walt Wilkins & Davis Raines
-Someday we may have a house up on hill, someday we may see the whole wide world, maybe we never will. Everyday I hold you on this circus ride, and it is one more thrill money could never buy. –Walt Wilkins
-There is space enough and time for your dreams to come true. –Walt Wilkins
-I give the Lord my soul to keep, but my heart belongs to you. –Walt Wilkins
-It’s not the destination, but the journey that I’ll treasure best. –Susan Gibson
-Two folks, livin’ together. He’s an oak, she’s a cedar. Over time they’ve intertwined. She tried to choke him out and now he needs her…they had sun, they had rain, and each other’s help to gain the strength enough to bend or else they’d break. They had room enough to grow and the courage to get too close, alone they won’t last long, Together Strong. Deep roots below the surface, it’s the only way they can survive. Without the roots, the branches are worthless. She could’ve killed him, now she keeps him alive. – Susan Gibson
-Everyone is at the mercy of another one’s dream. –Sam Baker
- Somebody made every natural thing from the soul inside out to Saturn's rings, how my baby smiles and how Sam Cooke sings, of course we were created. The clouds make rain, the ocean makes sand, the earth breathes fire, and lava makes land. Now that took a mighty hand and a wild imagination. –Walt Wilkins & Davis Raines
-Before the sun, before the heat. Before we untangle from our sheets, before the summer day unfurls…Pretty World. Before the paper is dropped at the gate, before our coffee, before we are late. Before dreams are lost like midnight pearls…Pretty World. –Sam Baker
-When tonight gives way to another brand new day, come what may. I’m up and on my way. – Walt Wilkins

Relax! (Duran Duran style)

The weather has been awesome! Saturday morning we slept in. HOW NICE! It was wonderful to not have to hurry to be anywhere or to get the house clean. We drove up to Chipotle and had lunch. I went home and showered then Ryan dropped me off at the Mokara Salon in Las Colinas for a facial (it was a birthday present). I had my first facial ever while in Cabo back in February, but I was really excited about this one. Called the Expertise/Oxygen facial, the chick analyzed my skin, then did stuff to it based on what my skin needed. I checked in at the front desk then was taken to the ladies locker room. I was given my very own locker, comfortable shoes, the best robe ever and a little bottle of Evian (which I didn’t drink). After I got changed I was told to go wait in the coed lounge area. A little room with soft lighting, spa smells, teas and fruit slices (not sure if for your eyes or for your tea), and soft music. I waited about thirty minutes reading Food & Wine and wishing I had brought a pen to jot down the Cuban beef recipe in it. When my lady came to get me I kinda felt like I was half asleep. She had me lay down on a neatly made table in a room about the size of our kitchen. Again, it was dimly lit and soft music playing. She washed my face first with a gentle cleanser then pulled out a magnifying glass to zoom in on my skin. After analyzing for about ten minutes, she gave me the update. Papaya peel then a cucumber peel first. They smelled awesome! The papaya one I wish I had at home. I would have come home and put it on Ryan so he could enjoy it too. Made your face feel so soft! All the time she had this little steaming arm that was blowing moisture onto my face (apparently my skin was quite dehydrated!). After the peels, she did an exfoliating mask, then an Oxygen treatment. Best was I can describe it is a nebulizer for your face…even had a little vitamin pack she attached to it. She kept talking about all the free radicals your face absorbs and how it needs the oxygen treatment to fill out the molecules and makes your face appear more plump and soft. Sounded good at least! She slowly pointed it all over my face and it made it feel all tingly! Afterward she put on an intensified moisture cream, covered my eyes with some cucumber smelling cotton stuff and a hot towel across my forehead. Then she took some rejuvenating serum and rubbed my hands and neck with it. It felt oily at first, but after my skin absorbed it, actually felt quite nice! She wiped off the moisturizer, then put the rejuvenating serum around my eyes and such. All the while giving me tid bits on what to do going forward, etc. She assured me she had written everything down and was giving me samples to try. Said if I followed the treatment I should be able to tell a difference within a few days. I got dressed and went back upstairs. Sure enough, she was there with little samples and a detailed sheet of what products she recommended for me. Talk about a relaxing afternoon! Ryan had dropped me off about 1:30 and it was 3:45. Time had flown! Ryan said he could tell a difference :o) My face did feel very soft! We went home, changed and headed off to the Ranger game. We bought seats on the 2nd level and went up and watched batting practice. It was wonderful out! Mid-80’s and a nice breeze. We watched the Rangers lose, but it was a wonderful night out.
Sunday morning after church we ate a quick lunch at Dos Amigos in Grapevine, ran a few errands then headed back to the house to do laundry and water. About seven o’clock we packed up our picnic basket with wine, fruit, cheese and crackers and headed out to Shakespeare and the Park with Melanie and Todd. Taming of the Shrew (Texas Style). The Texas style pertaining only to the clothes and set style. Again, it was an absolutely perfect night to be outside! Not to mention getting to have a dinner only of Boursin and fruit. The play started about 8:30 and we left the park about 10:30 or 11:00. We had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. First time in a while I felt rested coming back to work!
Last night we went to the Rangers/Red Sox game. I was a little nervous. When we went to the Yankee games, the fans were obnoxious, drunk and annoying. Last night was a completely different experience. Fans cheered for their teams, but nothing outrageous. So there you go. Thank you Red Sox fans for being decent…now don’t go making me change my mind after Wednesday night’s game. Have a great week everyone. We love you all and even though we may not see you or talk to you, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Happy Happy Birthday!!!

Saturday morning I woke up 30. Mom had me at 7:00 in the a.m. on July 11th, 1979. Funny how 30 feels the exact same at 29. Ryan and I had pretty much all the cleaning done except a few small things. We finished up and people started arriving. First my mom and nephews, then Aunt Sheila, Uncle James and Granddad. Then Trisha and Larry and Rita…then…you get the picture. We had such a fun day! Ryan grilled out hamburgers, chicken, sausage and even gluten free sausage! We made queso, potato salad, ranch and such. Mom made spinach dip, lemon cake, these wonderful bar things...and tons more. Rita brought cinnamon squares and beautiful flowers. And as the day went on, the more people brought in! It felt like we had about a hundred hamburger buns :o) And while the food was quite good and everyone ate and was merry…the real hit of the day were the water balloons. John was so kind as to team up with my mom and fill a ton of water balloons! Quinton and Mathis were beside themselves they were so excited. My friend Melissa could only stop by for a second and they kept running in interrupting us wanting me to see how many balloons there were. Once filled, out we went. We started with a water balloon toss. Everyone did really well, but John and Adam just barely beat Trisha and I for first prize. After the toss was over, that’s when the true water balloon fight began. Harold and I ended up getting hit the hardest I think. Both of us very wet by the end! Wesley being so young didn’t get to participate, so mom had filled him a little bitty balloon that only had about a half a cup of water in it…just so he could hold something. After the water balloon fight we all settled into the living room and visited with one another. I was lucky enough to be holding Wesley when he fell asleep. Trisha said he’s only done that ever just a few times. He’s always been a baby that wants to be laid down and left alone. So I got good snuggles in. As he slept I held his little balloon…that is until it busted and went all over me! Wesley didn’t budge! After we finished laughing, Trisha came over and cleaned me up a bit. He slept for almost an hour and he about put me to sleep with him!
As the family began to trickle out, our friends trickled in. While Adam and Ryan went on a run to the store for Catch Phrase and dominoes, the rest of us looked at Hawaii pictures…and others napped :o) When the boys got back, Ryan started up the grill again. After we all ate, we started playing Catch Phrase…and continued playing all night. Well, with one intermission. We had a second water balloon fight…only this time the balloons were filled much more and sometimes broke in your hand! I stayed up as long as I could and made it until 1:00. A few others stayed up and visited longer. I had such a fantastic birthday! Thank you to all who helped me celebrate either with me or in spirit :o)

Walt & Tina Wilkins Luckenbach Fourth of July

When Ryan asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, I told him I wanted to go to Fredericksburg. Most of you know that we go every 4^th of July anyways, but it was what I wanted to do! We loaded up the car on the morning of the 3^rd and hit the road. Traffic was pretty bad so at Waco we split off. We made it into Fredericksburg about 2:30. We stopped at Wildseed Farms, Becker Vineyards, and Grape Creek Winery. When we got to the hotel, we checked in then immediately headed out to the shops to browse around. I had a couple of gifts I wanted to get and the shops would be closing pretty soon. I got exactly what I was looking for! We had eaten lunch pretty early that day so even though it was only 5, we were both already hungry. So we trotted on over to Rathskeller’s. I had the tilapia and Ryan had the pecan crusted chicken…and for dessert, of course…Peach Bread Pudding. Wow. There was a Johnny Cash song that had just started when the waiter sat it down…and it was gone before the song was over. SO good. This year they used vanilla cream on top instead of the vanilla ice cream…personally I like the ice cream…something about the cold vs. the hot pudding. Regardless it was fantastic! We ordered another one to take with us then headed back to the hotel. I was exhausted. So while Ryan read and shaved, I took a nap. I woke up an hour later groggy. Then we headed out to the pool. The pool at the Fredericksburg Inn is one of the best places to be in the summertime. Many singers, songwriters and friends all gather there the day before the event out at Luckenbach. It was wonderful. We met people from Houston, saw old friends from Austin and just got to catch up with everyone. We had a wonderful time. Marion, Walt’s mom, had made appetizers (including smoked salmon) and Tina had made “ice bucket” dip. Called that solely because she didn’t have a bowl and had to make it in her room’s ice bucket. I hope they weren't offended Ryan and I didn’t have any…if they could only have seen what all we had consumed at dinner. Yeesh. Our friends Randy and Joanne got back to the hotel with their group after a nice dinner out right as we were getting ready to turn in. So I stuck my feet in the pool with Jo and a couple of her friends and we chatted for quite a while. We headed back into the room at about 12:30 and slept soundly. The 4^th of July parade started at 10:00 the next morning. We woke up at 9:30. I convinced Ryan to go to Rather Sweet and pick up breakfast for us while I showered and got ready. By the time he got back and we got dressed…it was too late. Randy, Jo, their family, Walt and Tina were all on the Fredericksburg Inn float in the parade! Oh well…no excuses…just overslept. I’m on vacation, I’m not going to worry about it. We walked around a bit then headed out for Luckenbach, stopping only at Subway for me to get some lunch. We set up our chairs front and center and got nestled in.

Our friends Cherron and John put theirs right next to ours. Perfect. Then Walt started. It was early, but there was a nice crowd. Each year for the past four years Walt and Tina have hosted the 4^th of July out in Luckenbach. They invite families, all sorts of awesome singers and songwriters from all over. They play in sets all day. Tina, Walt, Johnny, Bill, Autumn, Jimmy Davis, Davis Raines, Josh Grider, Austin Mayse, Bill Worrell, and the list goes on and on. It was wonderful. Wasn’t even too hot under the shade of the trees. Of course, we were making it a point to drink lots of water too. Not so bad when the breeze is going, but when the afternoon winds stopped…it was warm. It was about 4:00 when I heard from Jennifer. They were almost into town, were going to check into the hotel and be ready to meet up with us for dinner about 6:00. Perfect! We stayed in Luckenbach listening until about 5 then headed back to the room. I had hat hair so I showered and got ready all over again. Just as I was finishing up, Jennifer called. We went by and picked them up then went across the street to Mamacita’s for dinner. Ryan and Bryan were both really hungry. We ate and caught up then headed back out to Luckenbach. We got there just around the time things were starting. It was Jennifer and Bryan’s first trip there so we were trying to show them around a bit before it got too dark.

The Mystiqueros put on quite the show in the dancehall that night. Unfortunately it was so hot, and no air moving, we ended up going in and out quite a bit, then finally just sat down at some picnic tables. We had a wonderful time people watching too. You can tell who is local and who isn’t by their barefeet and their dancing skills. We had a wonderful evening. When the show was over our group loaded back up and went back to the pool. We sat around out by the pool and introduced Jennifer and Bryan to several folks until it was way past all of our bedtimes. We drove them back to their hotel, came back and fell fast asleep.

I woke up first Sunday morning, showered and got dressed. Jennifer and Bryan’s checkout time we thought was at 11 so I waited until then to call and see what they wanted to do that day. They got an extended checkout time so Ryan and I drove around a bit. We are always trying to find different roads we haven’t been down, half hoping we get lost and find something amazing no one else knows about. It didn’t happen. We did get to see some beautiful country though. We called Jennifer and told them we would be waiting at the Auslander for lunch. We had just gotten our drinks when Jennifer and Bryan arrived. We had a fantastic queso/bean dip, sandwiches and a really nice visit. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for coming to celebrate with us. Ryan and I headed back out to Luckenbach. We had a few things of Tina and Melinda Ann’s so we needed to give all that stuff back to them. We again took our chairs, set up and listened for a few hours. By three or four, I was ready to hit the pool. As soon as Ryan gave the go ahead we gave hugs and headed back to the hotel. Everyone else was heading home on Sunday…but Ryan let us stay another night. I was so happy we did. The pool had emptied. We swam around a bit, then laid in the lounge chairs until we were dry. Went back to the room, changed into our nice clothes (and me into my new boots...see June post) and we headed off to dinner at August E’s. Randy and Jo have been telling us to go there for years now, but we just never have made it. It is more expensive and we always tend to find an excuse not to go. Not tonight. We walked right in and sat down. Ryan’s head seemed awfully close to the huge painting on the wall…it had a price tag next to it for $10,000….he moved his chair. I had a glass of Becker Iconoclast Cabernet and Ryan had iced tea. We were given hot poppy seed dinner rolls and the chef made us these little tomato and shaved beef appetizers to thank us for coming (we weren’t special, I saw two other tables get them too). We both had salads…and it was perfect. I could taste the dressing on my salad, but there wasn’t an excess drop of dressing on my plate and none of the greens were weighed down…how did they do that? Then came dinner. Wow! I had the tenderloin filet with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Ryan had the mixed grill. It was the best filet I have ever had. Hands down. Perfectly cooked, melted in your mouth…it was just wonderful. Ryan said his shrimp part of his meal was the he had ever had. We took to go boxes for my leftover beef and Ryan’s leftover quail then walked down to Lincoln Street. Lincoln Street is a very relaxed little old house that has been converted into a wine bar and patio. We each got a glass of wine, then found a comfortable couch and sat. Took us a little over an hour to finish a glass each. We just sat, chatted, twittered and enjoyed one another’s company. It was truly a wonderful evening. Afterward we went back to the hotel and got our bathing suits back on. We swam around watching the sun go down, then the first stars come out. When more and more local kids began to show up, we headed back to the room. Both of us slept soundly.

On Monday morning we woke up about eight, showered, packed then headed to Rather Sweet. Rebecca Rather (yes, Dan Rather's daughter...she's quite the "Pastry Queen"...some of you will get that if you google here) was in there. Her shop sits in a little courtyard back a bit from the street right now, but she was telling two women about how she was moving into the larger space just in front of her building on Main Street. Nice! I had a peach scone, Ryan had a cinnamon roll and we left. We checked out then headed into Austin. We stopped at Maudie’s for lunch. It is so good. I am convinced that if I moved to Austin, I would triple how much I spent on eating out. After lunch we booked it on back to Dallas. Traffic wasn’t bad at all and we got home about 4:00. I had such a fantastic weekend. Blessed by beautiful scenery, beautiful friends and most of all blessed with a wonderful husband :o)

Saturday

Saturday we woke up very tired, very late (relatively), and very sad. Neither of us wanted to say goodbye to everyone. We dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast. Freshly ground hot coffee while looking at a waterfall.

Once in a lifetime I am sure. Our hostess fixed us each whatever we wanted for breakfast. Waffles, eggs, fresh cut fruit, and of course fresh POG juice. She had a secret though...add a bit of mango to it too. So good...no wonder there was a POG flavored snow cone! After breakfast we loaded the cars with our things and went off to find a few waterfalls that were nearby. First stop, Rainbow Falls.

Which was really beautiful...and a great picture...but wow...the waterfall where we were staying was really a bit more impressive. We only stayed a minute or two then headed up the road. That's when we saw a HUGE Banyan tree. We parked and all went to check it out. It was giant! So cool! I didn't feel like getting into my suitcase to find my sneakers so I observed everyone climbing this giant tree.

It was too cool! Now mosquitoes were a problem. I coated myself in Off over and over yet had a dozen or more bites all over. We played for about thirty minutes then headed up the road to the next waterfall...PeePee Falls.

Again, quite beautiful, but still not anything near what we had off our porch at the Inn at KF.
We only stayed a few minutes then headed back down into town. We drove along Banyan Drive and saw all the trees. Each one is named with a plaque of the person who planted it and when. Really quite interesting. When the cars stopped to get out to look around, Howard, Ryan and I decided to go pick up our rental car from the Hilo airport. We needed a car to get us back over to the Kona side to go home. So Howard drove us over and dropped us off. We politely asked the lady, uh...is there anyway we can upgrade to a comfortable? They had a silver mustang waiting. Awesome! We hopped in and we led Howard back to Banyan Drive. We were going to try to eat an early lunch with everyone at Uncle Billy's, but it was closed. We decided it would be best for us to scoot on down the road and let them get along with their day. We transferred our bags over to our car then started saying our goodbyes. It was really hard. We didn't want to leave. After long hugs we got into the car and drove away. Felt weird not having everyone with us. We headed up the road, top down. The map showed a little scenic drive so we took it. That is when it really started raining. Had to pull over and put the top up. When we passed the Hawaii Botanical Gardens, it was raining so hard we decided not to stop. It's one thing if we would have had a place to change, but didn't feel like being wet the whole day. It was a beautiful drive through the rain forest though. HUGE towering trees all around you...very thin little road...how on earth do they keep that thing cleared and maintained. A constant chore I'm sure. Our next stop was Akaka Falls. Now that was impressive.

About three times what we'd seen before. Just breathtaking. Like a scene out of a movie. It wasn't raining up at the falls so we didn't mind walking around for a bit. When we got back in the car we were starting to get hungry, but not too bad quite yet. I found a bag of peanut M&M's and we snacked on them. Next stop was Laupahoehoe Point.

It was an eerie place. The town had been destroyed by tsunamis twice. You got an odd feeling being down there. You literally had to drive back up the cliff to get back to the highway. Lots of people camping, and extremely rough water. You truly got a feel that it was a dangerous place where bad things had happened before. There was a memorial set up there to those who had lost their lives. The boat ramp looked like a natural wave pool and kids were playing in it. I don't know...little too spooky for me. Anywho...back up the road we went. All the way up to Honokaa. It was the last stop before Wai'po Valley. I had an average sandwich at a place called Jolene's then we walked around town. We found a cute little souvenir shop and made a few purchases. Then it was time to head up to the Wai'po Valley Lookout. And, for the first time on the trip, I got to drive!

And that way Ryan could look around too. At the start of our trip we had gone to Pololu Lookout...well you could see the rocks from the picture we took at Pololu Beach while we were at the Wai'po Valley Lookout.

We'd done it. We made it almost completely around the island. There aren't any roads that connect those Wai'po and Pololu..just valleys. You can hike it, or kayak it, but not drive it. It was beautiful. We loaded back in the car and decided to try to find a side road further off the highway so we could look over the cliffs into the ocean as we drove. Ryan had me turn down a little road. Shortly after turning we decided it was in fact the wrong road, but it was one way, so we just kept going. When all the sudden I slammed on the brakes and took a turn. Hale Kukui...THAT'S WHERE THE REST OF THE FAMILY WAS STAYING THE NEXT NIGHT! You see, I'd taken a Father's Day card and a thank you card for Larry and Rita and found them in my journal while driving up that direction. Both of us were disappointed we had forgotten to give them to them before we left. So this was perfect! I pulled out my trip itinerary travel agent Howard had so carefully prepared. It gave perfect directions as to where they were staying, in what rooms, etc. It also mentioned "will be unlocked, keys on the kitchen counter." Ryan and I pulled in to the main house. We were going to at least tell the owner what we were about to do. Saw a dog...bunch of chickens, but not a person. We drove back over to the house, went into Larry and Rita's room and wrote their cards. Ryan even set the timer and took pictures of us writing.

We were so excited! We didn't feel right about not leaving KK & HH cards too. So we tore out a couple of pages from the dining section of the Big Island Guide (trust me, they were worthless) and Ryan wrote a couple of notes. We looked around a little bit, absorbed the gorgeous views they had then got back on the road. It was just meant to be for us to take that little wrong turn down the road. We got back on the highway and again it began to rain. This time hard all the way to Waimea. We tried to stop there to find some ice cream, but to no avail. Oh well. Next trip I guess. We did get the top put back down. It was just sprinkling and we could tell we were almost back to the desert side. As we drove out, Ryan exclaimed "Dayna I'm holding the wheel, turn around." It was a double rainbow!!! Wow...never seen that before.

Talk about cool! We drove straight to Mauna Kea beach. We got one of the few parking passes, parked and walked down to the water. It was gorgeous.

If we would have had any more time, I would have changed into my suit that was in my purse and played until we had to get on the plane. Ryan had to drag me out of the water and off the beach after about an hour. It was just as pretty as Hapuna, but not nearly as crowded. Goodbye beautiful water...goodbye beautiful sunset.

We showered off and headed back into Kona. We had dinner at a little Italian place along the sea wall. Second floor so you got a great view of the water.

I cleaned my plate of capellini and Ryan ate most all of his Hawaiian pizza. Even though we were both quite full, we went right over to the shaved ice place, again each getting our own so we could get the flavors we wanted. We sat on the steps of a souvenir shop and ate them, just taking it all in and enjoying our last few hours there. We walked across the street to a little boardwalk area and found all sorts of cool shops! Whoa! Why didn't we come here days earlier. Oh well. At least we were getting to see it now. We had heard you could buy a coconut and you could mail it...by itself...just the coconut, and we really had wanted to find one for Larry. The only time we had seen one he was with us so we couldn't get it then. But there we were, an hour before we were to be at the airport, we found it. You got to draw on it yourself or you could buy one artists had drawn on with puff paint. Ryan decided to pick one out and us draw on it ourselves. While he was writing, I was talking to the shop owner. Apparently only certain people can now mail coconuts! He had some special license to be able to do it. Okay dude, just so long as you'll mail it for us. We handed him the nut, and hustled to the car. We got to the rental car return just before the crowd. Got the car returned and were the only people on our shuttle to the gate. We started in a long line at the counter. Oh no. They took all your bags and scanned them. Then put a pink sticker on them. Scan #1 was done. Ryan saw a sign about e-check in customers go here...so he asked one of the workers...and she sent us to the front of the line....well, actually into the first class line! Wow! We just skipped like fifty or more people! Rock on! The lady checked us in then told us to take our checked bags over to scanner #2. Scanner #2 was TSA. They took our checked bags from us then we proceeded to security check three with our carry ons. Again...lucky and happy to not be in a line! Off go my shoes, there goes my purse and not a minute later, my shoes were back on and we were off to our gate. Well, I take that back Ryan stopped and bought us a couple of waters, I went to the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair up. To walk into where the gate waiting was we one again had to send our things through another scanner. Things taken here were things like mangoes, pineapples and such. The two macadamia nuts I'd picked up off the ground earlier that day made it through though....didn't realize I even had them until I got home. Anyways, right before we boarded Ryan and I both went and changed into fresh clothes. Group 3...ugh...I hope we would still have room for our carry on luggage. This was going to be interesting. First class, families, group 1....then group 2 passengers and e-check in passengers...SCORE! We'd hit the jackpot again! So again we stood up, walked past a bunch of disgruntled passengers and strolled up the staircase onto the plane. I get teary thinking about how I was feeling even now. So very sad to leave. We nestled into our spots then had a young college aged girl sit down next to us. The three of us were great seat buddies. Ryan and I neither one slept very well. Ryan ended up buying a "nap sack" from USAirways and I think both of us started resting better after we got that. When we switched planes in Phoenix, our gate was only two down from where we had arrived. We drug ourselves over there, got on the plane to Phoenix and both immediately fell asleep and didn't wake up until we got the call from the flight crew telling us we were about to arrive in Dallas. Ugh...time changes stink. When we got to the airport, I called mom and she was already there waiting for us. We grabbed our bags, loaded up and headed home.
We had such a wonderful trip. Ryan and I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity of a lifetime to spend such a cool experience with family. Neither one of us will ever forget the generosity and love we got to be a part of on the trip. Aloha and Mahalo.

Friday part 2

As we drove into Hilo, we stopped at a little place called the Cafe 100 we had read about. None of us were incredibly hungry so we got snacks (I had a decent cup of chili...Howard had an Orange Bang...which was kinda like an Orange Julius) and headed on up the road to our bed and breakfast. It was a nice little drive up the hill. All along the sides of the roads were macadamia nut trees (full of nuts by the way), banana trees, just all sorts of plant life. We definitely weren't on the desert side anymore. We got to our bed and breakfast and wow...talk about beautiful. It had rained the night before so lots of water was flowing over the Kulaniapia Falls.

It was gorgeous! We were greeted by the owner's wife, she showed us around then we checked into our rooms. The place is completely "green." The power they use is generated from the waterfall. All of Hilo collects rainfall and purifies it for their water source. It was just incredible. It made you want to go home and try to invent cool ways to make your own home more green...oh wait, we live in Texas and not next to a giant waterfall. Anywho, we checked in then went off exploring. Down a beautiful path to the waterfall. Along the way we saw more sleeping grass...wait, I think I forgot to tell you about "sleeping grass." When we were at the coffee farm, our little guide showed the kids what he called "sleeping grass." You would touch it and its leaves would fold up. Then about ten minutes later, it would open again. We found all sorts along the way down the path! Banana trees, beautiful flowers...it was gorgeous!


We hiked down to the bottom of the waterfall, looked around then meandered down a past to see another series of smaller waterfalls.

There was a deck they had built out over the water you could sit for hours on and just listen to the sound of the water, birds etc. Ahhh...so relaxing! Huge bamboo...bigger around than I have ever seen. After looking around a bit, we all headed back up to the top. I headed back up to the room. I rinsed off to cool down then began to unpack/repack my bags while Ryan took his shower. I had to get everything ready for us to go home the next day. Our snorkeling equipment was the hardest to pack. Not so much mine, but Ryan's snorkel vest. He'd somehow filled his vest with water! How do you pack that...he worked a bit getting some of it out then left it for Krystal to cart around for a couple days to see if it would dry out anymore. After we had all rested for a while we all loaded into the cars and headed back down into Hilo for dinner. We had heard great things about a place called the Hilo Bay Cafe. It was in a strip mall away from the water. Once we got in though, the hostess informed us they were full for the night. It looked fantastic, but I don't think they liked us. We had heard tourists aren't greeted as warmly on this side of the island...and it is true! We loaded back in the cars and headed off to the Puka Puka kitchen (at the recommendation of the guide book).

It was along the ocean....well, kinda...you could see the ocean from where we ate, but definitely not on the water like we had been in Kona. Talk about a small place. We filled it with our little group. I ordered the chicken gyro. It was wonderful! What a neat little place to find! Wesley had big fun eating his dinner too...he took his peanut butter and spread it all over the table. No one minded so long as he was happy! After dinner we then went on the hunt for Tropical Dreams Ice Cream we had heard so much about. We walked up and down for about an hour unable to find it. Sweet Kayla was exhausted so we decided to load up and head back to the inn. Along the drive, there were absolutely no lights. We stopped along the road and turned off the cars and looked up. It was gorgeous!!! Beautiful stars...I can't imagine getting to live there and see that every night! We got back to the inn and both kids were sound asleep. HH & KK took them upstairs and put them to bed. Rps and I walked down to the parking lot trying to see stars. All the lights were on motion sensors so we got as still as we could. Silly lights wouldn't go off so we walked back. And what do you know, as soon as we walked past the sensor, the lights turned off. Oh well, we weren't walking back down. Larry and Rita were sitting on their balcony watching the stars too. Ryan and I finished up our packing then headed back downstairs to the lobby computer to try to print our boarding passes for the next night. Drat! You have to wait until exactly 24 hours prior to boarding to print them. We decided we could stay awake for another hour. We looked at baseball scores for the first time in a week...WHAT!!! Rangers no longer in first place!!! Then the news a bit...then just sat on the couches flipping through books. Then someone else joined us. He was a guy...can't remember his name so we will call him Gary. Gary lived on Oahu, but was worked monitoring the sulphur dioxide levels coming out of Kilauea. He had to wait up until after midnight to make sure his equipment was working. He told us stories about how he and the owner of the inn co-own a glider. They apparently take out tourists on rides sometimes even. Too bad he didn't bring his plane with him this trip. We chatted with him until we could check in, printed out our boarding passes then said goodnight and headed to bed. Both of us were so exhausted we were asleep before our heads hit our pillows.

A Little Side Note

It takes a lot to try to remember all we did on our vacation toHawaii...so much so that I need another vacation...so Ryan is taking me on what I told him I wanted for my 30th...a trip to Fredericksburg. We are lucky enough to have our friends Jennifer and Bryan join us. So while I know everyone is dying to know how our vacation ended...you'll have to wait until Monday when I return! By then hopefully we will have the rest of the pictures so we can post a few more from everyone's point of view, not just mine :o) Have a fantastic and safe 4th everyone! Happy Birthday to Jill, Gene, and Marshall Lee!!!

Friday Part 1

Friday morning we woke up and felt soooo much better after a long night’s sleep. It was a beautiful clear morning too! You could see the caldera really well!

We dressed then headed downstairs for breakfast. Larry and Rita were already downstairs as well.

We all went through the buffet line and each of us got a glass of POG juice. Our first experience with it. Passion Orange Guava juice is really quite tasty! Especially when you are eating looking out a giant picture window at the volcano. It was gorgeous. Midway through breakfast the Huhn’s came downstairs. They were smart and had bought pastries at Punaluu the day before to eat for breakfast.

We decided to drive over to the Jagger Museum to get a better look at the smokin’ crater, then drive down to walk through a lava tube. The Jagger museum had not opened yet, but we got to take pictures and read some of the literature around without a crowd around.

We were kicking ourselves for not driving up to the museum the night before and looking into the crater itself…it is heard you can see the orange glow at night! Oh well, it was really foggy and we probably wouldn’t have been able to see anything…at least that is what we have all convinced ourselves. The Chain of Craters road that drove around to the other side of the crater was closed so we doubled back to make our way to see one of the lava tubes. All along both sides of the road, it was somewhat creepy.

Cracks had steam rising out of them…a couple of the cracks had little fences around them so you could walk right up to them and look down…something was causing that steam that was very very hot. We drove down a ways and pulled into a parking lot to get out and look around a bit before heading on down to the lava tube.

It was at the Mauna Iki lookout. It is said that when Mark Twain had stayed at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, he had been there with Mauna Iki was active. He stood at the edge of the caldera and watching the lava steaming and bubbling below. He’s a lot braver than I am that is for sure. If we would have had a bit more time…and a bit more energy, we probably would have walked down inside the crater to look around.

But, we pressed on. A photographer taking pictures of the volcano said it would be hard to find a parking spot at the lava tube and to just walk. It was a nice little hike. Much nicer than the wet hike we had the night before. But when we got to the end of the trail we were disappointed to see the parking lot empty…ugh. Oh well…we’d all end up sending Ryan and Howard back for the cars! It was a short hike to the lava tube itself.

Then you went in. They had even installed lighting so we didn’t need my flashlight. Some lava tubes are tremendously long, but this one was short enough to not creep you out, but long enough that you got the picture. Where we came up out of the tube, you could have kept going…but the disclaimer on the gate you had to go through was a little unnerving. We just went back up. Howard and Ryan brought back the cars and we headed back to the visitor’s center. We listened to one of the park rangers talk and looked around a while, then headed back to the hotel to checkout. We loaded the cars, took a few pictures then went across the street to some picnic tables for a snack. Howard pulled apart the pineapple Ryan had bought on Sunday with his hands and someone got the avocado open. We also had some macadamia nut candies and a couple pastries from Punaluu leftover. It was a perfect snack! When we were done we cleaned up and headed back down the road to Devastation Trail. It’s a trail where you can see, well…devastation. You walk through a beautiful little forest area then all of the sudden everything goes bare.

Lava that bubbles and turns into gas had spewed out of cinder cones around and the fallout destroyed the area. The rock in that area was extremely light...almost weird. Ryan wanted to find a really big one that he could pick up and throw to Howard so it would appear they had super human strength! We walked around looking a bit then headed back to the cars. We all wanted to walk through the Jagger Museum to touch a piece of the newest Hawaiian island that is still under the ocean (we learned about it from the park ranger).

By the time we got back over there, Wesley was sound asleep in the car. We made the trip a quick one. The Jagger Museum was also where they kept all the seismographs…there had been a couple little earthquakes since we’d been on the volcano! None of us felt them though. We loaded in the cars, said our goodbyes to the volcano and headed to Hilo. Now, until now I have failed to mention one of the best parts of the trip…Howard and Ryan on the walkie talkies. HH & KK had the foresight to bring theirs so our cars could talk to one another. Howard and Ryan’s commentary as we drove all over the island were truly hilarious. Also quite entertaining were the variations of stories you would hear being read to Wesley. The book that I would read would be vastly different than the book Howard and Ryan would read. I think ad lib while reading children’s books is something I need to bring into my world. Food for thought…I digress. So we got into Hilo and decided to stop at one of our book’s recommendations called Café 100. More of a drive up, outdoor eatery than a diner or café in my opinion. We had a quick lunch then headed on toward the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, the bed and breakfast we stayed in our last night.

Thursday

Thursday morning Ryan, Howard and I had decided to meet early in the morning to snorkel before breakfast. When our wake up call arrived which went “Alooooooha. A all’I mai.” Which is not the proper spelling, but it’s what it sounded like…and it sounded so nice and pretty and jovial when we were already awake before our bodies had adjusted to the time difference…but now, when we had adjusted…that call came sooooo early! We called Howard to tell him we were running late…no answer. So we hustled downstairs and found him waiting for us. We all went out and had a blast! Howard saw a spiny lobster and even an eel! No way would I want to see an eel while snorkeling! I saw a Nemo fish and the Blue Cornet fish which were the only two on my laminated guide I hadn’t seen! After an hour or so, I was tired and swam back to shore. Howard and Ryan slowly drifted in. When I got to where we had left our towels, I was surprised to find all our stuff except a room key and the guys’ shirts gone! I shouted to them asking if they moved our stuff. Both shook their heads. Then a lifeguard that had just gotten to the beach approached me apologizing. He said he thought that someone had left them from the night before since it was so early! While we all had been sluggish to get out of bed, we were also very happy we did! We gave all our things a final rinse in the shower by the pool then headed up to change. Krystal had found a place called “U Top It” that made all kinds of pancrepes that we were very anxious to try for breakfast. It was in a little shopping center not far from the hotel. The menu looked awesome…so many decisions!!! Krystal and Kayla got sweet crepes while Ryan, Howard and I went with more breakfast hearty choices. All were very tasty! Too bad we hadn’t discovered this the day before! After breakfast we went back to the hotel to pack up the cars. Talk about a tight fit. I carried down my bags, then immediately left the area leaving Howard and Ryan to figure out how everything would fit. We looked at the turtles one last time.

We got in our cars and headed south! First stop, Greenwell Farms. It is a coffee farm that was mentioned in our Big Island Travel Guide so we pulled over. Talk about a neat place! The outdoor kiosk would have fit on our back porch. They sold all the different coffees that they roasted (and they were roasting some that morning…you could smell it!) as well as a few odds and ins. Next to the outdoor shop were several orange trees, a pineapple growing, and a coffee tree.

One of the workers let us know a tour was about to start of the farm if we would like to go. We all said no, then just kept staring at him. He went over and got a Jackson Chameleon out of one of the orange trees. Even let Kayla and Wesley hold him. He said a whole family lives in the tree! Too cool! So neat looking too.

Then he walked us over to the coffee tree and started telling us all about the farm, how many trees there were, how all their beans have to be picked by hand-picked because they ripen at different times, the difference between peaberry coffee and just your regular kona coffee, how the coffee plant is part of the gardenia family, and all sorts of good info. They even sold green coffee beans there that you could take home and roast yourself. Howard bought a bag. The gentleman told him to go buy a popcorn popper and roast them in there…wow! Genius! I am personally really anxious to hear how that turns out! The worker also let us know that up in the main house, they make sweet bread and it would be ready in a couple hours if we’d like to stop and get some. No, two hours is a bit too long to wait. All of us were browsing around and I found Ryan and I each shirts to buy. Krystal found an avocado tree! Such a neat little place to stop. We all piled back into the cars and headed down the twisting road. We read about a beach in our book called Pebble Beach that sounded pretty neat so we looked extremely hard for the turnoff. We knew the mile markers it was supposed to be between, but missed it the first go around. We had a couple of members in the party feeling a bit carsick so we made a loop looking for the turnoff for the beach. Wow…talk about hard to find and EXTREMELY steep. We lost 1,000 feet really really quickly. It was worth it once at the bottom though. Pebble Beach was well, full of pebbles…and had an incredible sound to it. Very similar to the sounds of Cabo. We all had our leis with us. It is a saying in Hawaii that if you throw your lei into the ocean, you’ll come back to Hawaii. So we all chose to throw our leis in here at Pebble Beach. Goodbye beautiful orchids.

The guidebook also told us that if you took a short hike to the right of Pebble Beach, you would find a little cove that had green sand.
(I'm standing in the cove here...)
Now in Hawaii there is a whole beach made of green sand…it is also a 45 minute hike to and from or a 4wd road. So when we read we might get to see green sand, we were all ecstatic! Ryan, Howard and I made the trip over to see if it would be worth having the whole family walk it. And it was. A nice little cove where a few beginnings of sea caves had begun. In those sea caves, green sand mixed with the black sand!

Too cool! The green sand is from the stone olivine which is in the ground on Hawaii. As the waves breakdown the lava and olivine, it forms the sand, and thus green sand beach! We took quite a few pictures in the rocky cove…doubt many people in the world have ever made it to that little place on earth. It felt special :) As we walked back, we noticed that all of the black rocks we’d walked on to get to the green sand had olivine all in them! It looked like the sugar crystals you put on top of sugar cookies…but green. It was gorgeous. We gave our Alohas to the beach then got back in the cars. As we approached the southern tip of the island, things got a little spooky. Vast expanses of lava flows. Very barren, no coral graffiti, hardly any plant life, just barren. We stopped at a scenic point and looked about quickly. From here you could see the road to the southern most tip of the island…and a wind farm. We had a couple of hungry tummies, so we didn’t turn to go down the road to the tip though. Trees grew sideways the wind was so strong. Just amazing. Larry had happened upon the name of a bakery while looking at a website before we went to Hawaii called Punaluu Bakery. Touting itself as the southern most bakery in the US, and with two car fulls of bakery critics, it seemed to be the most logical place for us to eat. What a magnificent place to stop.

Attached to the bakery/restaurant was a gift shop and a little botanical garden to browse in. It was here Krystal and I bought matching Plumeria Blossom perfumes, but more importantly had our first malasadas. Wow…think doughnut or beignet made with Hawaiian sweet bread. Wow. The plain sugar was my favorite…only after I had my burger though :o) While our food was getting ready we browsed around the gardens…and my camera ran out of batteries. Tall beautiful palm trees and all sorts of plants. Yep, we had crossed from the barren west side of the island onto the eastern wet side of the island. We saw lots of our favorite birds too. Neat little red headed, black backed, gray chested birds. We loaded back into our cars then started the climb up to Kilauea. We got to stay in the Volcano House which is on the edge of the Kilauea caldera. Cool people like Mark Twain and Franklin Roosevelt had stayed there. We drove into a foggy mess. We were all somewhat disappointed, wishing we had a better view. We unloaded our bags into our rooms and I rinsed off. Ryan had headed down to look around (the walls were full of photographs, history, volcano information) and browse the gift shops. I joined him. FINALLY! I found Christmas ornaments! I’d looked at several places in Kona and never found one I liked! Immediately bought two as well as an Israel Kamakawiwo`ole cd. Then I headed into the great room. In it was a fire that has burning for over 120 years. It smelled like it in there too. Take the smell of your favorite campfire and triple it. Then we loaded back in the cars and headed down the volcano to eat and then to hike out to see the lava. All of had rain jackets, but not all had hoods. All wore closed toe shoes except Ryan. We ate at a “steakhouse” in a little town at the bottom of the volcano. Krystal and I both had never been to a steakhouse that seemed so much like…uh, well…not one. No one was very hungry so we ate light and hit the road. It would rain really hard for a few minutes, then let up, off and on, off and on. Finally as we got closer and closer to where you could go see the lava, it started to lighten up. The road came to a dead end and had a sign posted about park times, all sorts of cautions etc. Our impalas pressed on…over new lava fields…down a one lane, one way makeshift road. Kayla and I had been brushing up on our Hawaiian phrases and quizzing one another when out the window, oh my gosh…you could see the lava coming down the side of the mountain! Whoa. You may have seen it on tv, but until you’ve sat at the foot of a mountain and watched it coming down, you never get how truly amazing it is. Cars that seemed to be “stalled sat every once a while randomly in a field…until you realized…wait, it isn’t stalled, it’s abandoned because the lava came and took it. And the same went with houses! You could see where old parking lots to “go see the lava” used to be…with lava flows on them now. You feel completely humbled. We finally arrived and realized the rest of the world got there before we did. You even had to back into your parking space, which we could only assume was in case a quick evacuation needed to take place. We got out of the cars and headed down the path. Of course it started to rain. Poor Howard carried Wesley the long hike down over the slippery, treacherous lava surface. Cracks all over, random drop offs, and did I mention it had gotten dark suddenly? Great. Lots of flashlights headed back toward us…I kept wanting to stop someone to ask “excuse me, how much further.” I bet it easily took us forty five minutes to hike down there. When you got to the bottom, it was worth it. Where the lava hit the ocean a huge plume of steam was constantly rising. And with it dark out, you could see it exploding as it hit the water. Utterly amazing. It has quit raining by the time we got down there. We all sat down and just watched. You could see the lava flowing from the top of this hill down into the ocean. We were witnessing the birth of brand new land. We sat and stared for probably an hour.

HH,KK and the kids headed up a bit earlier than we did. I didn’t mention that when you looked straight up, between the clouds, the stars were unbelievable. Hundreds upon hundreds. I cried a little. Truly the most incredible sight I have ever seen. “Clouds make rain, ocean makes land, earth breathes fire and lava makes land. Now that took a mighty hand and a wild imagination (WW).” We slowly hiked our way back up with Larry and Rita stopping every once in a while stopping to look and watch it some more. When we got back to the cars, both kids were asleep. We quietly headed back to the hotel. Car ride home was filled with ooohhhs and aahhhs of amazement of what we’d just witnessed…how blessed we were. And all of us were cold and wet too. Ryan and I both took hot showers to warm up when we got back to the Volcano House. As I laid on probably the most uncomfortable bed I have ever been on, I fell asleep…absolutely forgetting I even had a journal.