The dunes

This year we managed 2 trips to the dunes. Last month was in Coos Bay for a little sand camping. It was our first opportunity to take our new 4x4 truck out on the sand. And once we got the tires aired down adequately -- she performed perfectly!!!

We still tent camp but had a reprieve when we discovered we had forgotten our tent poles. Don't ask..... So our good friends Doug and Tina offered to share their trailer. Wait.... I said we "forgot" our poles, right??? =]

It was only a long weekend, but we had a great time. It's always nice to have the opportunity to completely relax...... To sit around doing absolutely nothing---with no guilt!

Not only did we enjoy great weather, making for great rides, but we ended with equally awesome camp fires.

We did have one rather exciting (and late) night..... You see, they like to take night runs on the RZR's and this one night, their fearless leader was distracted ........ SQUIRREL !!!!! There were 3 RZR's in the group, and the got headed down a steep hill with basically no way out. So there was one down at the bottom, one half way down, and Jaime who luckily hesitated, I mean WAITED at the top. The only problem.....Jaime has no winch on his RZR. So they came back to camp in search of a 4x4 truck.   Long story, short...they winch both RZR's back up the hill, and dug the truck out before finally getting back to camp at about 2 or so. Yes, 2 a.m..... It certainly made for an entertaining story that is sure to be told over, and over, and over...... Right, Doug???!!!

(This is now known as "Doug's Hill" )

And, the weekend before our Idaho trip, we spent a long weekend in Florence. This time it was in a
camp ground --- with SHOWERS! On this trip , Josh and Justine were able to join us. Though
slightly less exciting.....oh wait, I did take a night ride..... We definitely had some lively campfires =]

Idaho

It’s been quite awhile since I updated, so I’m hoping to catch up. I’m hoping that things have slowed down enough that I can catch my breath, and catch up. Rather than try to go back to where I left off, I’m gonna start with last weekend and work my way backwards.

Although I have to go back a little bit farther……

It’s been a very busy and exciting summer.  Justine (our middle “baby”) got married at the beginning of June – details to follow in a later post. This past weekend we drove with her, her new hubby Josh and Lucy to Rexburg, ID. Josh is attending BYU-Idaho while he finishes his last year of school – and then possibly another 2 years for his MBA. While they are there, Justine hopes to get at least halfway through nursing school, and possibly some other training like phlebotomy. 

Our plans were to leave bright and early Friday morning, trying to get an early start for the 12 hour drive. Things were going according to plan and on schedule, until we made a stop at the grocery store on our way out of town. And this is when we discovered a significant leak from the radiator. We were fortunate to get it into the mechanic almost immediately. That was the good news. The bad news – turns out the water pump was failing, and it could possibly take all day to fix. Ugh….

So, we sent Josh & Justine on their way….no sense them sitting around waiting on us. And we tried to make the best of an irritating situation. The mechanic is in downtown Gresham, so we had breakfast at the bagel shop, browsed the local market, and even went to the library and checked out some books! Next we made a trip to the candy store, on our way to lunch. And, with lady luck looking down on us, they finished the truck and we were finally on our way by 1 pm. Aahhhh….

So a 1 pm start time means we rolled into Rexburg at 3 am. And since we had all their stuff in the back of the pickup and in an open trailer, that necessitated unloading ‘til 4 am.

When we started planning this trip, I had no idea that Rexburg is less than 150 from Yellowstone !!!  So our original plan was a day trip to Yellowstone on Saturday. That changed with our 3 am arrival…. Instead, we spent the day running errands and visiting the Idaho Falls temple. We even managed to run into our niece and nephew who live in Ammon, which is near Idaho Falls.

We also discovered that some really cool sand dunes are only about 20 minutes from Rexburg -- who knew ??? So we also spent awhile scouting out camping sites....

Sunday we visited their new Ward. They live in married student housing, and I believe everyone in their complex belongs to the same Ward. Oh, and the church building is within walking distance, just a few blocks away – which Justine says she’ll have no part of!! And, the Rexburg temple sits next door to their Ward meetinghouse. In fact, you can see the spire from their complex parking lot.

That evening we headed back to the Idaho Falls temple and then on to Joe and Christy’s (our niece & nephew) house for dinner. Ahhh what a great evening. It’s nice that they will have family that close. In fact, rumor has it they’ve already made plans for Thanksgiving.

And then Monday morning, we were back on the road again.

Paradise

Aloha from Kimo & Kalina !! As many of you may remember, Jaime (Kimo) and I (Kalina) had plans to spend our 25^th anniversary (April 2010) in Hawaii, but had to postpone our trip due to Jaime's illness. Well, what a difference a year makes !!! So, on Saturday the 23^rd, our journey began.

Day 1 in Paradise:

Our first day dawned beautiful and sunny here in Oregon. We couldn't have asked for a better send off! I have to start by telling you that this trip was full of “firsts” for both of us. To begin with, it was the largest plane I have flown on.........2 isles, 7 seats across. I have to start with our arrival on Oahu. I have never seen water come in so many shades of blue. Of course, I've seen pictures and postcards of Hawaii, but you still don't believe it....until you see it. We arrived in Oahu in the early afternoon and immediately headed for the condo at Ko Olina. Knowing we would probably be wiped out after our 5 hour flight, we purposely did not plan anything for our first day. So once we checked in, we spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing. We did, however, go down to the beach to witness a beautiful sunset. 

Day 2 in Paradise

The next day we headed to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. This was one of the main reasons we wanted to spend part of our trip on Oahu. And we were not disappointed. The “tour” began with a 20 minute film about the circumstances surrounding the attack, as well as footage of the attack and the aftermath. Having set the tone, we then were loaded onto a boat for a short ride out to the memorial site.

There is actually not a lot to the memorial itself. It is simply nothing more than a long, open walkway where at the end is a large marble wall that lists the names of all those that perished that day.

However, I cannot begin to explain the feelings it evoked in us as we walked across, and looked down upon that burial ground. It is very true, what they say....you can actually see an oil sheen on the surface from fuel that still seeps from the ship. Here's what Jaime posted on his facebook profile: “Yeah was not prepared for the emotion that overwhelmed me there. I was sad to see so many that saw it only as a tourist stop and not what it truly is. At least everyone was reverent in their speech (volume wise). I saw a name on the memorial, J.R. Hall. Just sharing two initials with one of those heroes all of a sudden made it very personal and very meaningful. Hard to explain...” Like Jaime, I was truly saddened that many people saw it as a photo opp. Especially people younger than us. For us though, it was an incredibly moving experience. One that will certainly leave a lasting impression.

Then, to pick up the mood, we headed to the North Shore for our surfing lesson ! Yes, I said surfing lesson. We had a little time to kill so we had lunch and then decided to indulge in some famous hawaiian shaved ice – yummmm.

When we were planning our excursions, trying to find a surfing lesson, I came across the North Shore Surf Girls. And it was the perfect choice. Unfortunately, Jaime has a bum shoulder and had to throw in the towel after just one wave.....paddling back out was just too painful. I, however, was able to stay out (barely) and catch 3 or 4 waves!!! Oh what a blast =) I have to tell you though, I couldn't believe how shallow it was out there. For most of the time, our instructors could actually stand up. And we could see the bottom!!

OMG! Absolutely incredible, especially for us who grew up on the gulf coast. And the neatest part – we can say we actually caught some waves on the North Shore !!!

Day 3 in Paradise

This was, by far, our busiest day of the trip. Our first stop was Waikiki to do a little shopping at the International Market. The best part --- lunch at Puka Dog. 

OMG....definitely a must do on our culinary list. This was also the day we got the most rain (or showers as we like to call them in Oregon). But as I posted on facebook..........a rainy day in Waikiki, still a good day !!

We then headed back through the central part of the island (toward the North Shore) and stopped at the Dole Plantation for a tasty treat – pineapple soft-service ice cream with pineapple (for me) and coconut (for Jaime) topping. 

Again.........yummy :-) We did spend a few minutes and walk through the grounds for a look at some of the many pineapple varieties they have from all over the world. 

The most fascinating part – a stop at the koi pond. Seriously. 

They have fish food that you can purchase and feed to the fish. And they are so accustomed to being fed that all you have to do is step up to the railing and they will congregate at your feet. It was actually kind of creepy, like something out of a horror movie.

We then continued north, again through North Shore, Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach. I thought Jaime was gonna wet his britches when he realized we were driving through these places, places that he had read about in surf magazines as a kid. And it was beautiful. This was all our on way to our next stop – the LDS temple. 

We only stopped long enough to take a few pictures and yet it was enough time to appreciate its beauty. Later that evening, as we drove back to our condo, we got a glimpse of it all lit up. It is truly beautiful. On a side note, that only members of our church will appreciate.....as we left the temple, we noticed a house directly across from the temple grounds that had a name placard that read “Monsons”. What are the chances ???

Our final destination that day was the Polynesian Culture Center. Unfortunately we didn't arrive until about 3 pm, so we didn't have much time to visit all the different villages. 

But what we did visit was very entertaining. Our tickets included dinner – which was awesome – and the show, “Ha, Breath of Life”. And they definitely saved the best for last. The show was simply amazing. It was full of dancing and singing – what could be better --- a Polynesian musical !! But it truly was an amazing production....so beautiful. We were treated to a taste of all the different polynesian cultures, both in dance and dress. All while they weaved an incredible story. Truly the high point of our evening.

Day 4 in Paradise

This was a travel day for us as we moved from Oahu to Maui. Our flight was right in the middle of the day, so again, we didn't plan any activities. Upon landing, we were treated to a water dance of sorts. As we came in for our landing, we got a glimpse at Ho'okipa Beach, a favorite for windsurfers and kitesurfers. And the beach was super busy that day. Once we were settled into our condo, we spent a little time to get a bite to eat and get a feel for the lay of the land. Then, we picked a spot on the beach and settled in for another beautiful sunset. We finished our evening with a Hawaiian shaved ice at the local marketplace on South Kihei Rd. Don't know if I could ever get enough shaved ice :-)

Day 5 in Paradise

The day dawned beautiful and sunny, but what else would you expect in paradise, right? With free time on our hands, we headed to the beach again. We took advantage of the warm weather and headed straight for the water. Still, amazed at how clear it was. After our swim, we found a spot on the sand to let our swimsuits air dry. This, however, came with a sand storm of sorts ! We really got a taste for how windy Maui is.

Our next voyage was around the west side of the island to Lahaina for our anniversary luau. It was during this drive around the edge of the island that I really got a sense that we were truly on an island. What a great time we had that night!! First of all, the food was amazing....best buffet I've ever eaten at.

The mahi mahi was to die for....but I digress..... This is the traditional turning of the pig. It's a whole ceremonial thing.

Our next treat was an extraordinary sunset. 

We were then treated to a good show, and a fun host. 

Jaime really got a kick out of him cuz he was very Don Ho like. Bottom line – what a great anniversary celebration !!

Day 6 in Paradise

This had to be the funnest day....We headed into the mountains of Wailuku for a zipline tour. 

For those that aren't familiar with this, it's a series of cables strung along the side of the mountain that you literally hang from and zip down. This was a series of 8 cables, 2.5 miles of cables in total. 

The last in the series is the 3^rd longest in the world. 

And the view............no words are adequate. You could literally see across the neck of the island, from harbor to harbor. 

And, of all the choices for zipline tours, we definitely made the right choice. 

Not only were they a lot of fun, they made it more personable by learning all 13 of our names, they were so knowledgeable on the island's flora and fauna, and they included an “eco” element by providing the opportunity to water some of the “endangered” plants they had planted in hopes of helping to remove them from the endangered list. Truly a phenomenal experience.

Once we were down from the mountain, we headed to Ho'okipa Beach to try and get an up close look at the windsurfers and kitesurfers. And we learned that it was just as impressive up close. It had been a long day already, so we didn't last long at the beach. Our next stop was a late lunch in Pa'ia. After eating what Jaime claimed were the best fish tacos he's ever had, we headed back to the condo. Our next meal – dessert at Ono Gelato. Yummmmm And boy, did I sleep good that night having been sufficiently worn out.