More on Maui - day 2

Starting on our second day in Paradise, we sat outside and ate breakfast overlooking the Hana Bay. I had seen on Martha a story on pineapples, and she had said that the most sweetest, the BEST pineapple where from Maui. So of course, being a Martha follower, I had to try one. Boy, was she right. We had a "Maui Gold" pineapple for breakfast and we ate the entire pineapple. So sweet.

The flower above is a Plumeria flower. These are absolutely the most sweetest smelling flowers I have ever smelled. I saw fallen petals on the ground and had wished I had picked up more. Later on in the trip in Kauai, I actually bought some linen spray that is made from boiling of these flowers in Kauai, and then they extract the oils out of it. So beautiful!

Anyways, after eating our yummy Maui Gold pineapple, we left behind our Yurt and continued our drive east on the Maui Coast. We were going beyond Hana and our destination was the 7 sacred pools. This is a state park that has pools of water descending from the mountain into the ocean. There are more than 7 but the story behind it went something like this: Each of these 7 pools represented one aspect of your spiritual soul and if you swam through each of these 7 pools in the correct order your soul would be cleansed. We did not swim in these pools because of the high rip tides due to it being winter. But it was a great adventure getting to these pools, or the O'heo Gulch as it is otherwise known.

So, our first stop that morning, along what turned into a ONE lane highway along the coast, as we ascended the mountain WITHOUT a guard rail, was Hamona Beach. It was already a beautiful morning and it was probably about 8:30, so we decided to go for a morning swim. Ahhh, to feel the ocean water on your skin. A strange sensation, scared at first with the chill of the water and then refreshing and enticing once you get the courage to take the plunge. Such a great feeling first thing in the morning.

This next picture is for my friend Leanne, to see that they too have cows in Hawaii. In fact, Maui has a large amount of beef cattle, that are exported for sale on the Mainland. You can see that on this Sunday morning, these cows had decided to go for a stroll, taking our road. We met them actually on a one lane bridge. Quite a sight to see some cows sitting on a bridge in a tropical paradise.

Along this beautiful drive, which was somewhat nerve racking, because of the inability to see around corners and that the ocean was below us, or a rocky cliff, we did see some spectacular sights. Here is one of the water falls and ocean views that we saw along that drive.

Our destination of the 7 sacred pools, where we ran into Canadians from a town near Pickering where Ryan grew up, Courtice. Sure does show you how small of a world it is. The second picture is of the ocean where the pools dump out in to. You can see that there was a strong current that day. I read in one book that the sharks hang out down there and wait for the people who get swept out to sea! I don't know how truthful that really is though.









After that we hopped back into our convertible and headed back the way we came towards the town of Wailea. The road that continues around the island is pretty tricky to drive, as roads get washed out over there and stuff. We actually heard that due to the earthquake that hit Hawaii in the fall, some of the bridges were out. As well, rental companies won't insure your if you drive down this road, so we opted to go back the way we came.

We got to our hotel, which was the Renaissance Beach Resort and it was somewhat overcast. We went swimming in the ocean and then spent the rest of the afternoon soaking in the hot tub. We had some tropical drinks and some chips and salsa, yummy! Around sunset we headed down to the beach, wrapped up in our towels and cuddled up to watch the sunset.

We then had a real low key night, we actually had a prime room. We had an ocean view room that we were able to hear the live Hawaiian music from our lanai (balcony). So we decided to have room service to our balcony and have a private dinner which had live music. Here I am enjoying my room service. I love room service, I always want to get it. Something mesmerizing about a person bringing you warm food to your room and you don't have to lift a finger.

We did find the best dessert that night - Hula Pie. It is like a ice cream pie with macadamia nuts and a chocolate wafer crust. So good! I am going to try to make it... I think you can put some pineapple on it as a topping.

Hula Pie

Posted by Shaz at Recipes To Go

1 box Oreo cookies

3 ounces melted butter

1/2 gallon macadamia nut ice cream

Heavy, dark chocolate fudge topping

Diced macadamia nuts

Whipped cream

Grind cookies to the consistency of ground coffee. Blend in butter. Press firmly onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan. Freeze until hard.Soften ice cream until you can mold it with a spatula or large "putty knife." Fill cake pan evenly, molding an even dome of ice cream. Freeze 4 hours or until very hard. Spread with dark fudge topping (use hot water to smooth it) as thick as you like. Freeze for 1 hour, unmold, cut with hot, wet knife and garnish with nuts and whipped cream.

Serves 8-12.

Why I loved Hawaii.. Day One

Well we are back! We got back yesterday from our 9 day adventure in Maui and Kauai. If one word was to sum it up it would either be Breathtaking, Relaxing and Beautiful. So I guess it needs more than one word.
We left on Friday, January 12th. That day we flew to LA in preparation for our next morning flight to Maui. Nothing very exciting happened in LA, we stayed at an airport hotel, and got up early to go catch our 7 am flight to Maui. We had one funny event at the Double tree. We were asleep and at 11pm there was a knock at the door. So Ryan jumps up to answer it, and there is a man from the hotel with Campaign and some fish dish. He says to Ryan, something about a romance package. Ryan, who is half asleep said he was like, "Did I order a romance package" Then he thought, "Is there anything good that we could use for breakfast? " The poor guy was so confused when Ryan said no, he even just offered it to Ryan saying, "Well, do you want it anyways". I think he was shocked when Ryan said no - No romance package that night.

Anyways, we got to Maui the next morning at 10:30ish. Which was great because we had our whole day before us. We got our rental car, which was a Sebring Convertible and we headed to the "Road to Hana"

The "Road to Hana" is one of the more popular day trips to do in Maui. We decided to do it first and to spend the Night in Hana, as we had heard doing both ways in one day can be grueling. The Road to Hana is on Maui's north shore and it is 52 miles of undeveloped road. This road passes by some of the most breathtaking views. There are 56 one-lane bridges, and 617 curses and turns along the way. It is very much about the journey not the destination, as the town of Hana is not the main attraction, rather nature is. It definitely was one of our highlights. It sure was curvy. Lots of "hair pinned turns" which made you guess what was around that corner. We had picked up a picnic lunch at this place in Pa'ia, a small town that is famous for its large waves and windsurfers. We ate at a rest sop along the Road to Hana. So nice to get out of the car and stretch our legs.

We saw lots of waterfalls, small towns and even a black sand beach. The black sand beach was pretty cool because this is from old volcanic activity, and there is only one on Maui, which is the one we saw.

That night we had quite the experience. We stayed in a Yurt. As there was not many places to stay in Hana, we opted for a unique experience. We stayed in a Yurt, which is basically as furnished tent. We were out in the middle of no where, all by ourselves. We were basically in the middle of the rain forest. Our shower was outside, we showered under the stars that night. It was very cool. You could really get back nature there.

This was just our first night too! We did so much, I have so many more stories to share. Have to run though Ryan is home.

Getting ready to celebrate

On January 17th, it will be 3 years since we said, "I do". In two different perspectives I find it (a) hard to believe that it has ONLY been 3 years, i.e. it feels longer; and (b) hard to believe it is 3 years already, i.e it feels shorter.

In that it feels longer, we have done so much in that time period. We have travelled on many different trips, Mexico twice, Dominican Republic, Eastern Canada, New York City, Chicago, Colorado, California. We moved to a different country. We lived in an apartment, which I have totally phased out of my memory. We bought our first house. We bought a second car. We both got new jobs. We have seen friends and family get married and have kids. A review of these past three years does make me feel like we have accomplished a lot, therefore making it feel like it is more than three years.

In that it feels shorter, when I tell people that we are having our 3rd anniversary and people say to me"Oh you are still babies, you are still in the honeymoon phase, or you have lots of time to start a family, see the world first". These comments make me feel like I a young cookie. Which is great, because I no longer am addressed as "Miss" when I go out it is "Ma'am". That does a lot to a ladies confidence you know, especially when I still shop in the "Young Miss" section. As well, time does funny things as you get older, it goes by at a faster speed. So time feels like it is playing a joke on me, in that 3 years have already passed by us, when it feels like yesterday we were getting our pictures taken in the snow.

I am going to hypothesis that due to our "day to day happiness," each day is special which makes it feel "longer" than 3 years. However, this "day to day happiness" has changed our sense of time making it feel "shorter" then 3 years. Either way, these past three years have been wonderful. I have been so fortunate to share these years with my best friend ever - my husband Ryan. He is the best, and I would credit my good memories to him. He is what makes my life memorable and so full of happiness and love. Thanks Ry! Happy 3rd Anniversary! I love you with all my heart and soul.

Feelin' Good

Finally! I feel better. Actually, I felt "normal" on Wednesday when I woke up. This "bug" which I have diagnosed as the Norwalk bug, sure took a lot out of me. It left me feeling weak, dizzy and even nauseated until Tuesday. I would not wish that on my worst enemy.
I am so appreciative of the healthy state that I live the majority of my life. I could not imagine going through life feeling sick day to day. Being a intensive care nurse, I look after the sickest of the sick. I know that my little stomach flu is nothing compared to the hardships of ill health that my patients have to deal with, but I definitely have a fresh prospective on feeling sick. The people that I work with who have battled cancer for many years are SO courageous. The drive to overcome an illness must be so great that it encourages you through the worst of times. I am definitely thankful for my health, and pray for the fortune of good health to all .

The Continuing Saga of California

After seeing the stars on the sidewalk, I was on a mission. I HAD to find that darn "Hollywood" sign that is on the mountain. We could see the mountain, we could see the antenna on top of the mountain but we could not find that darn sign. So we drove and we drove, and I even suggested getting out of the car and standing on some one's roof top. But Alas, my dear old dad in the back of the car said, "There it is" and by gosh, there it was. A lot smaller than what I had expected, but at least we got to see it. You can see it in the distance on the mountain. Pretty cool.



We then drove through the posh Beverly Hills, past the turn off to "Rodeo Drive" and over to Santa Monica Beach. We stopped here and took a walk. It was a nice sunny day probably in the low 60s. There were a lot of Michigan people there because they were having a pep rally there in the afternoon. We didn't stay here too long because we had to get to Ryan's great Aunt and Uncles house and then onto my Great Aunt's house.




We then travelled towards San Juan Capistrano (spelling may be off on that one) to Ryan's Aunt Dorthea and Uncle Roger's home. We were welcomed into their new home were family was gathering of new relatives that I had not yet meet. It was a great opportunity to put a face to the stories that I often hear from Ryan's mom and his Granny, both of who were there at the house when we got there. You see Granny has two sisters that live in California and before any of us were planning on going out there for the Rose Bowl Granny and Ryan's parents had planned to go out for a party. Granny's oldest sister May turned 90 on January 4th and her kids planned a surprise birthday party for her. May didn't know that her sisters, Ryan's Granny and his Aunt Barb from Calgary, had come to California for the party. It was going to be a great surprise. I am looking forward to hearing the stories from that party.
So, we went and visited with Ryan's family for about an hour and a half and then we had to get on the road again to drive another 2 hours to see my Dad's Aunt Margaret.



Now this drive was very interesting. It was RIGHT through the mountains. It had many quick turns and around every corner was another mountain. It was a great surprise for us who had been driving on the concrete highways all day. But again, people drive unbelievably fast on these roads. We were continually pulling over to let the locals go by as they were lining up behind us.


We ended up getting lost, as had happened to us quite a number of times on this trip, which made the trip about an hour longer than what we expected. However, when we reached my Aunt Margaret's house we found a lady very happy to have us in her home, and it was all worth the travel headaches. She was so happy to see my father and I and meet Ryan. She had dinner waiting for us, which was a nice treat to have a home cooked meal when you have been eating out everyday.




After catching up with her for a couple of hours we headed home to our hotel to prepare for our early morning wake up for the Big day, New Years day. We had to be at the parade 2 to 3 hours before it started, even with tickets. Luckily, Ryan's Uncle Roger, who had been to the Rose Bowl 17 times, gave us directions to parking areas so we wouldn't have to pay a lot for parking.
Now, the Rose Bowl parade was absolutely spectacular. This is something that everyone has to see once in their lifetime. The parade on the television does not do it justice. Nor do my pictures on the camera. Every float is made with many different variety of flowers and other natural ingredients such as feathers, bark, etc. It is truly a wonderful site to see. The parade lasted about 2 1/2 hours. There were wonderful bands with lively music and each float was truly spectacular. George Lucas was the Grand Marshall, so there was about 4 floats with Star Wars themes. They say that about 1 million people go to the parade.





We then headed over to the Rose Bowl for the big game. The anticipation of this event was high, and the temperatures were lovely, high 60's. Of course we were hoping for a Michigan win, we did just travel across the country not to see them loose. Unfortunately, that is what happened. Michigan lost to USC. It was a pretty bad game, Michigan got a total of one touchdown. However, the atmosphere of being at the Rose Bowl was pretty terrific. I mean where else could you sit outside in a t-shirt on New Years Day and watch a football game.







After the game, we had to drive back to Las Vegas for our flight home on the following morning. Which meant little sleep again. The one thing about this trip was that it was the most exhausting trip that I have ever been one. We did a lot in a short time span, but it was too hectic. Ryan and I both want to stay at home for a long time after that trip.

I then worked three days once returning home. There is a lot of the flu going around, both gastrointestinal (Norwalk), and upper respiratory. So I was determined that I was not going to get sick. I was disinfecting all the phones, and computers that I was going to be using at work so I wouldn't get sick. So Friday night I get home from work at 8, and around 9:30ish, my stomach starts to feel strange. By 10:30, I was sick with both diarrhea and vomiting. It was horrible, the pain in my stomach was unlike none I have ever felt before. Today I am starting to feel a little more like myself. Extremely weak, as I haven't really eaten anything all weekend. I sure hope that Ryan doesn't get this.
So that is the story of a whirlwind trip to California. Next time we go, it will not be so hectic.

Las Vegas, California, The Rose Bowl, Work,and Norwalk

So here I am. You have probably been wondering where have I been. Well let me tell you my stories.
On December 29th, we hopped on a plane and head to Las Vegas. We has my Dad with us, and for him it was his first visit to this crazy place. We decided to spend our one day there showing him the sights. The weather was mid 50s, the sun was shining but as the day went on it sure was cold. Note to self, if you go to Vegas in December bring heavier coat and maybe gloves and hat. We walked up the entire strip and saw the sights of Ceasars Palace, Bellagio's Dancing Fountain, The Mirage's erupting volcano, Venetian's boat rides. Most of the spectacular sights that one can put into a 5 hour span. It was sure busy that night in Vegas as it was 2 nights before New Years. I think that my Dad was probably a little overwhelmed as everyone usually is when they get to Vegas as we did a lot in one night. Vegas is definitely a world of its own. It is a fictional place were realities from other places a brought to one street. In the picture below you can see the replica of the Eiffel tower outside the "Paris" hotel. I guess it allows you to take in many different cultures all in one visit.

The next morning we woke up and drove down to Old Vegas, Freemont street. There really wasn't much to see there, so after a breakfast at a hectic Denny's we were on the road again.
Ahead of us was a 4 hour journey to Burbank California. This trip ended up taking longer as the road was closed due to an accident investigation. We had gotten off in a hicks ville town to get a map and decided to try the interstate again. Getting onto the On-ramp was as far as we got, so after I backed us off the on-ramp we were on our way again. We went through the mountains. It was a breathtaking ride that we weren't expecting. Here is another note to self, people drive really fast out there. Like 80+ miles per hour on these back curvy roads. It was unreal.

Anyways, we got to our hotel around 5pm and we headed straight for the outdoor hot tub. Now this was probably the most relaxing part of the trip. We enjoyed this for about a half an hour, then Ryan and I got ready to go visit with my friend Jenn from Nursing School. She is working in Hollywood as a travel nurse with our other friend Amanda. Amanda was at home for the holidays so we didn't get to see her. It was so great to see Jenn. We had not seen each other since my wedding day! So we had a lot to catch up on. I also got to meet Jenn's Boyfriend Greg which was great. He seems like a really good guy.

The next day was the day was a busy day, New Years Eve. We got up early and went into Pasadena to get out tickets for the Rose Bowl Parade. People were already lined up on the street for a parade that was 24 hours away. Unbelievable. We then went over to Hollywood and saw The Kodak Theater and some stars on the side walk. That was pretty cool. My dad bought some souvenirs for the grand kids and we off again....


To be continued... I am just starting to get better from the horrible Norwalk and I am going to lay down.. will finish at a later date. . . .