hawaii deux :: three
We started the day with a HUGE breakfast at KOA Pancake House (yum!) and then headed to Ko'Olina beach (lagoon 4) to catch some sun… it was stunning and beautiful for the first hour we were there and then this giant gray cloud moved in *frown." We met our friend Mark and just sat on the beach chatting, hoping that damn cloud would leave… but it didn't.
So we packed it up and headed to pick G up from school. We tossed some sandwiches into a cooler and headed for the North Shore. Stopping at the Dole Plantation to pick up some goodies along the way.
We had shave ice at the Aloha General Store and I picked up a couple of touristy gifts for people. Oh how I love shave ice - I get blue hawaii flavor. Sooooooo good!
We wanted to catch the sunset along the beach and since we made so many pit stops along the way (totally my fault) we didn't make it to Waimea Bay, but stopped just out of town at Hale'iwa Beach. It's simply lovely. I mean just look at these photos…
How could you not be completely moved by this landscape? And just when I thought the guys paddling on the surf boards were amazing … along comes one of those boats with multiple people paddling. I could not have paid to have the scene set any better. Seriously. This happened.
So while I snapped iconic photos of the Hawaiian sunset, B & G explored the tide pools finding all sorts of wildlife. B found an eel, and fortunately this time from afar. No medical attention needed unlike my last trip. Wheew!
And then the magic started to happen… fire in the sky. Seriously stunning.
Don't you just love it when the edge of the clouds light up like this? And then voila… the perfect sunset moment.
I have about twenty shots in various angles and such of this beautiful spot and honestly they barely do the real thing justice. The light. The surfers paddling along the still water. Palm trees make the most beautiful sound with a little wind blowing through the branches. And then there were these assholes - mucking it up!
Then kept climbing on top of that stump talking about how the other person(s) should take their photo. Laughing. Being loud. "Now take a video of us down here and pretend we're mermaids." Really? Come on people. Let the rest of us enjoy this stunning sight in peace. It not only annoys me when people disrespect this type of moment, but makes me sad that it's completely lost to some… Look around you. Take it in. This is nature at it's purest and most magnificent. Aloha!
hawaii deux :: two
SPA DAY!!! We headed to the new Disney (yes, Disney) resort called Aulani for spa & salon treatments at Laniwai. I went for the lomilomi massage which gave me use of the Kula Wai (outdoor hydrotherapy garden) and the whole experience was superb!
It's Disney, so I know everything is very customer service focused, but every single person we came in contact with was crazy nice and helpful! Valet parking is free with a salon or spa service if you spend $50 or more and stay less than four hours - excellent! Our greeting upon arriving in the Laniwai Spa was so enthusiastic I was taken back a little bit. I was then escorted back to the spa treatment area and along the way was given a bit of a story.
Choose a rock inscribed with a word that will serve as a focus for my treatment for the day. I chose harmony (Lokahi in Hawaiian). You carry the rock through this long hallway that has only the sound of rain. It growss louder as you get closer to the spa center. As you reach the center, you find this glass orb suspended by a single line with water trickling down, creating individual drips into the water below. I was to place my rock into the water before proceeding into the locker rooms.
I was given a full tour of the locker room and let me tell you they have covered ALL bases. Big fluffy robes, comfy rubber slippers, private changing areas, roomy showers, towels galore and every single product to use post shower you could think of. I was then taken to the hydrotherapy garden and a custom scrub was mixed to match a scent I chose. Rain showers are located at the entrance to the garden that houses two hydrotherapy pools, five different rain showers and jacuzzi tubs. It's the most peaceful setting with the sound of water falls and lush green plants with winding paths and illuminated glass orbs in the trees. As a spa guest you have use of this area as long as you want.
Chuck, my massage therapist, was very good. And the massage rooms were quite roomy with tables that actually move (like a hospital bed) to put you in just the right position without the addition of pillows under knees and neck. I know, it's Disney and they think of everything... right? My only complaint about the massage is that it was just your basic massage... they website makes it sound like it was going to have some sort of Hawaiian spin, but it didn't.
Overally I give it an A for sure. A wonderful experience. Pricy, but I expected that and with all the extras you get, worth it I think.
hawaii deux :: one
Took G to school, he introduced me to his friends and teacher and showed me where he sits in class. He introduced me as "our visitor" to his friends, which I thought was funny. We hit starbucks so I could grab another insulated Aloha cup for my tea. I love that they say "Aloha from Hawaii" on them.
Spent a couple of hours back at Paradise Cove beach - it's a most lovely beach. Quite. Very few people. Green sea turtles just hangin' out. This is Bethany's "go to beach" and can't you tell why? I slathered on spf 85 and didn't get any sun, so I guess I will go back to my normal 35 with multiple applications. :) We're trying to log a little bit of beach time each day so that I don't end up fried like a lobster.
We picked G up from school - early day because of conferences - he played on the playground with his friends, we chatted with the other moms and then headed back to the homestead for lunch and a nap. The weather was beautiful today - but it did rain tonight. Seems the rain just follows me to the island… time for me to go wash the sand off. Aloha!
hawaii deux :: leica lesson
I made the bold decision to bring only the Leica D-Lux5 with me on this trip - no DSLR! It's wonderful to not be bogged down but the weight of all the SLR equipment, but I did find myself having one small problem with only the point & shoot… no viewfinder. *humph*
Problem #1, I wear polarized sunglasses and that makes viewing anything on the screen almost impossible, so I have to pull them down on my nose to even see what I am shooting. Problem #2, when it's bright and sunny I can't see a damn thing on that screen, even without the glasses! So I guess I will be purchasing the viewfinder that mounts to the hot shoe.
That said .. the results I've gotten from this camera have been fabulous. We took the dog to the local beach (One'ula Beach Park) where she romped around, we watched morning surfers and waded around shallow reef peeking into tide pools. The sun was just coming up and the haze burning off… And, of course, I cannot go anywhere without taking photos on my iPhone (last two). I still have the 4 (no "S" yet) and it amazes me how great they turn out. I think they rival my Leica RAW images.
aloha!
SO happy to finally be in Hawaii again!! Nine hours in coach with the middle seat guy jabbing me in the rib and the seat in front of me reclined the whole time is not so pleasant. But I made it and now it's time to relax and hit the beach!
Bethany and Garrett met me at baggage claim with a beautiful lei (that G-man picked out) and then scampered off to get me some food!! As luck would have it, rain rolled in over the mountains just in time for my arrival. Surprise … I'm in Hawaii and it's raining. HA!
We came back to the house, unloaded groceries and I met the dog (Oreo) who has fully adopted me as family. I am doing my best to stay up as late as possible so that I acclimate to the new time zone. It's 2 AM in Chicago as I type! Oh and Garrett is totally obsessed with airplanes right now - knows literally everything about them. What their names are (and meanings), exactly what they look like and the chronological order in which they were put into rotation. He drew all of these planes and wrote out the names. He's six.
I'm ready!
The packing has begun and I have a million things to do at the office before I hop on a plane for this beautiful Hawaiian beach for the second time this year! My BF lives there and will be leaving in the spring, so I thought I better take advantage while I still can! And as an added bonus, four more people I went to high school with are also stationed there and will be coming together for a mini-reunion Halloween bash! I'm super excited! Bethany and I have worked out our costumes and are ready to show some spirit!
It's raining and cold and windy as all get out today - 25ft waves along the lake, yikes! So I am ready to go back to sunny and 85. Yep. I am just praying for good weather and no rain this time!! Let's just all sing with Blind Melon shall we?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qVPNONdF58?wmode=transparent]
10 on 10 :: September 2011
Hello! Hello! Happy 10 on 10 on a weekend!! I'm always so excited when the 10th falls on a day that I am not in my office - there is only so much to photograph there ... So much easier to find beauty in my city and my travels!!
9 AM :: leaving Chicago and heading to Indiana to spend the day with the Pittman's - I never tire of the Chicago skyline... it's even more dreamy with a little fog
10 AM :: Still on the road to Chesterton ... it was raining and the sun was shining at the same time. Can anyone explain this? Just seems wrong to me! Oh and I love the old Skyway signage!
11 AM :: Bella B shows her cheer spirit at the Trojans game! Now, we didn't have these mini football games complete with cheerleaders when I was a kid, but they are darn cute!
12 PM :: Second half of the game ... Bella's still got the spirit. Sadly neither team scored any points on the field.
1 PM :: Hit the European market to pick up those rosemary flatbreads I love so much! No trip to Chesterton is complete without bringing these home with me!! I love their little market - even picked up some French macarons that were very good. And how delicious do these cupcakes look??
2 PM :: Arrived at the annual Popcorn fest!! Had to get kettle corn and found some adorable little pet toys and holiday decor at a couple of the booths. We buzzed through super quick because there were some sort of flying ant and bees EVERYWHERE. Holly and I were both pulling bugs out of our hair, it was the most disgusting thing!
3 PM :: Finally got Holly's elephant ear - tried on our way in, but they had run out of sugar! Oops! It was super good - worth the wait for sure.
4 PM :: Linus, one of their three dogs, the most adorable great dane. She truly is a gentle giant ...
5 PM :: Slip n' Slide
6 PM :: Still at it ... Don't you sometimes miss being a kid?
7 PM :: Decided to stop off by the museum campus to watch the sun go down behind the city. This is one of my favorite views of the skyline and you can just sit along the lake, people watch, snap a photo or two, enjoy the breeze and watch the lights come on as the sun sets. Lovely.
Hope you had a wonderful day filled with sun, fun, family and friends! So long Summer...
Outliers Project
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scenic/outliers-vol-i-iceland/widget/video.html
I've always wanted to go to Iceland - I think it would literally take my breath away to stand among the crisp blue skies and snow covered mountains. I am not a fan of the cold, but someday ... someday I may just put all that behind me and pay this amazing place a visit. In the meantime, I am supporting a documentary that I think will be nothing short of amazing.
Hawaii :: the end
So it has taken me a ridiculous long time to finish up with the Hawaii photo edits / posting. But I saved the best for last, well maybe not photographically speaking, but fun! I shot a little video of the fire dancer at the Paradise Cove Luau - he rocked!
I bothered Bethany all week to sneak in a Luau and with the crap weather of the week, we didn't know if it would be worth it. We went ahead and scheduled it for my last night in Hawaii and completely lucked out!! The weather was PERFECT!
And we even got Garrett in his Hawaiian shirt - he had originally protested, most likely because Mom wanted him to wear it ... everything is better when it's his own idea! Kids crack me up!!
We arrived and received lei's - shells since we were in the cheap seats - got our photo taken with some of the luau dancers and received mai tai's. They move you from activity to activity by sounding the conch shell, though it took us a couple of events to catch onto this. We had our photos taken with birds - Garrett even had a bird on his head!! He LOVED that and it was the cutest picture too. Then won more leis by playing ring toss games and such. They have lots of stations where you can make your own headbands, bracelets and all sorts of things. I had an orchid bracelet made by this adorable woman, which didn't cost anything but a tip! She was super sweet. I had to grab the camera to try to capture it and was totally surprised at how good the pics came out given that I shot left handed and upside down!
The dancers were amazing (and super HOT!!) and it was the perfect end to my Hawaii trip. Perfectly touristy and full of photo worthy moments. Aloha!
