Hi :)
Well here we are...back on the mainland.
The flight from Honolulu to Seattle was lovely. Pretty sure it is thanks to the two benadryl each that we both took at 9:00 pm before we boarded our flight. Both of us were knocked out...didnt even take advantage of the beverages or peanuts/pretzels/cookies. Before we knew it, we were making our descent.
Now we sit and endure our 6 and 8 hour layovers BLahhh
Curious as to what we do to keep ourselves entertained.
<3
Kayleigh, Bec, and Mr. Moose
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
ALOOOOOOHAAAA
So this morning we walked to the main strip in Waikiki and found ourselves a spot on the grass and in the shade to sit and wait for the Aloha Flower Parade. It was a great time. We saw several highschool marching bands, ROTC, colorguard, horses, princesses, Ms. Teens/Jr. Teen, the Mayor, hula dancers...ect.
It was a long parade, but we enjoyed every minute of it. By the end of it, it was already after 12 so we were ready for some lunch.
And since then, we have been catching up on some laundry/recycling/cleaning :(
Bec's computer bit the dust and Kayleigh's is SlOwEr THAN slow, so blogging and pictures will be few and far between. Don't worry though, we will be keeping in touch and you all will see our shining faces soon!
Love,
Us
It was a long parade, but we enjoyed every minute of it. By the end of it, it was already after 12 so we were ready for some lunch.
And since then, we have been catching up on some laundry/recycling/cleaning :(
Bec's computer bit the dust and Kayleigh's is SlOwEr THAN slow, so blogging and pictures will be few and far between. Don't worry though, we will be keeping in touch and you all will see our shining faces soon!
Love,
Us
FIREWORKS!!!!!!
So our time is quickly coming to an end on our great adventure! We are fortunate to say that we have done everything that we have wanted to do! This morning we woke up extra early, paid our 5 million dollars for Starbucks (ok, not really that much :), and set out to see the sunrise. Beautiful is just about the only word that can describe it. We watched from the beach closest to us (Waikiki Beach), and saw the sun as it peaked over Diamond Head Crater.
Today our goal was to hit the last site we want to experience before we leave. The Byodo-In Temple. It was built without using any nails. We have seen pictures and it is just wonderful. We had our route all set, and after breakfast we left to catch the bus. Our first leg of the trip went super smoothly, then it was time to transfer. Ohhhhh boy were we in for a curve ball... We sat and sat annnnnd waited as patiently as possible. Bec even had time to make a fool out of herself talking to a local (surprise surprise!!). After over 2 hours later. That's right. TWO HOURS LATER we borrowed a schedule someone pulled out of their bag (they were also waiting on the same bus) and discovered that particular bus would not be running for another four hours... OOPS!! Sooooo, we headed home to eat lunch then took our daily nap :). We later went to Heaven on Earth AKA--> Yogurtland!!!
We ended our night watching the spectacular sunset and finally we got to experience the fireworks we have been chasing for the entire month we have been here. It was breathtaking to watch in the sky and also the reflection in the ocean. We were so happy to finally get the full effect of the fireworks in our perfect spot that we watched them from!
Tomorrow we are going to try and find a bus that will go to the temple without having a transfer that we have to wait six hours to catch :) See yall soon!!! XOXO --Bec and Kayleigh
Today our goal was to hit the last site we want to experience before we leave. The Byodo-In Temple. It was built without using any nails. We have seen pictures and it is just wonderful. We had our route all set, and after breakfast we left to catch the bus. Our first leg of the trip went super smoothly, then it was time to transfer. Ohhhhh boy were we in for a curve ball... We sat and sat annnnnd waited as patiently as possible. Bec even had time to make a fool out of herself talking to a local (surprise surprise!!). After over 2 hours later. That's right. TWO HOURS LATER we borrowed a schedule someone pulled out of their bag (they were also waiting on the same bus) and discovered that particular bus would not be running for another four hours... OOPS!! Sooooo, we headed home to eat lunch then took our daily nap :). We later went to Heaven on Earth AKA--> Yogurtland!!!
We ended our night watching the spectacular sunset and finally we got to experience the fireworks we have been chasing for the entire month we have been here. It was breathtaking to watch in the sky and also the reflection in the ocean. We were so happy to finally get the full effect of the fireworks in our perfect spot that we watched them from!
Tomorrow we are going to try and find a bus that will go to the temple without having a transfer that we have to wait six hours to catch :) See yall soon!!! XOXO --Bec and Kayleigh
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Aloha kakahiaka - Good Morning
9-20-11
We choose to go on our own walking tour of Hawaii's statehood.
We began at the 'Iolani Palace. The Palace was built in 1882 and it was the official residence of the Kalakana Dynasty until the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. The Palace is huge! The structure is beautiful and has been restored with original royal furnishings.
There are massive trees in the lawn. We took one picture of Kayleigh wrapping her arms around the trunk and i would probably take 4 of her to wrap all the way around the trunk!
Next we stopped by the Judiciary History Center and the King Kamehameha I Statue. It was built in 1874 and today it is home to the Hawai'i state Supreme Court. The statue of the first king of a unified Hawaii stands at the front entrance to Ali'iolani Hale.
Then we stopped by the Kawaiaha'o Church. It is the first permanent Western house of worship on the island, it was built in 1842. Twenty one royal portraits hang in the upper gallery, and the pews at the rear are still reserved for royal descendants.
The Mission Houses Museum - built in 1821, the museum consists of the three mission houses that served as homes and work places for the first Christian missionaries to the Hawaiian kingdom.
Honolulu Hale - houses the offices of the Mayor, the City Council, and several departments for the City and County of Honolulu. The architecture is a mixture of California-Spanish design during 1928.
This is where our walking tour came to an end due to some hunger pains. We paled around town for the rest of the day,and made another trip to yogurt land!
9-21-11
Off to Kailua to kayak!
We really wanted to get there as close to 8:30 in the morning as we could. So we were up at 6:30 and down at the bus stop by 7:40. According to Google maps/directions, our bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:49. Well, 7:49 came and went... the bus finally came, but almost 45 minutes later. We were perturbed. We were on that bus for about 15 minutes when we had to get off and make a transfer. This transfer kept us at the bus stop for over an hour waiting on TheBus that would take us straight to Kailua. We rode on that bus for about 30 minutes and we were finally in Kailua. We walked to the rental place instead of waiting on another bus. We were waaaaaay over TheBus already, and we found our way just fine. The guys that worked at the rental store were very cute, and gave us backrests for free :) There were a couple of guys there that doubted we could kayak, much less in two single kayaks, and were especially doubtful when we told them we wanted to launch on the beach, not the canal. Well we would show them! We rolled our kayaks to the beach, parked our little carts, and made our way to the shore. It was very windy...so that was a bit daunting, but we hoped in our boats ( 1 of us successful on the first try, the other one needed a second go at it :)) and paddles out. It was so much fun! There is no way we could describe to you hoe beautiful the water is ...
We paddled to Popoi'a Island, a protected seabird sanctuary. Here, we spotted a sea turtle at the surface, got rained on (still no rainbow), we walked around and explored, layed out, and went for a dip. On our paddle back, we stopped for a while and just floated around, taking it all in and dodging windsurfers and kite-surfers before we attempted a graceful landing onto shore ( one of us made it to shore in her kayak, the other bailed out early in order to avoid the kayak from flipping :)) We drug the kayaks back to the carts, loaded them (the wrong way), and returned them back to the shop. The guy laughed at us and said, "You know why it was so heavy for you, you had them loaded the wrong way". haha...go figure.
It was a great day!
Now we are off to see what we can get into today!
<3 us!
I
We choose to go on our own walking tour of Hawaii's statehood.
We began at the 'Iolani Palace. The Palace was built in 1882 and it was the official residence of the Kalakana Dynasty until the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. The Palace is huge! The structure is beautiful and has been restored with original royal furnishings.
There are massive trees in the lawn. We took one picture of Kayleigh wrapping her arms around the trunk and i would probably take 4 of her to wrap all the way around the trunk!
Next we stopped by the Judiciary History Center and the King Kamehameha I Statue. It was built in 1874 and today it is home to the Hawai'i state Supreme Court. The statue of the first king of a unified Hawaii stands at the front entrance to Ali'iolani Hale.
Then we stopped by the Kawaiaha'o Church. It is the first permanent Western house of worship on the island, it was built in 1842. Twenty one royal portraits hang in the upper gallery, and the pews at the rear are still reserved for royal descendants.
The Mission Houses Museum - built in 1821, the museum consists of the three mission houses that served as homes and work places for the first Christian missionaries to the Hawaiian kingdom.
Honolulu Hale - houses the offices of the Mayor, the City Council, and several departments for the City and County of Honolulu. The architecture is a mixture of California-Spanish design during 1928.
This is where our walking tour came to an end due to some hunger pains. We paled around town for the rest of the day,and made another trip to yogurt land!
9-21-11
Off to Kailua to kayak!
We really wanted to get there as close to 8:30 in the morning as we could. So we were up at 6:30 and down at the bus stop by 7:40. According to Google maps/directions, our bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:49. Well, 7:49 came and went... the bus finally came, but almost 45 minutes later. We were perturbed. We were on that bus for about 15 minutes when we had to get off and make a transfer. This transfer kept us at the bus stop for over an hour waiting on TheBus that would take us straight to Kailua. We rode on that bus for about 30 minutes and we were finally in Kailua. We walked to the rental place instead of waiting on another bus. We were waaaaaay over TheBus already, and we found our way just fine. The guys that worked at the rental store were very cute, and gave us backrests for free :) There were a couple of guys there that doubted we could kayak, much less in two single kayaks, and were especially doubtful when we told them we wanted to launch on the beach, not the canal. Well we would show them! We rolled our kayaks to the beach, parked our little carts, and made our way to the shore. It was very windy...so that was a bit daunting, but we hoped in our boats ( 1 of us successful on the first try, the other one needed a second go at it :)) and paddles out. It was so much fun! There is no way we could describe to you hoe beautiful the water is ...
We paddled to Popoi'a Island, a protected seabird sanctuary. Here, we spotted a sea turtle at the surface, got rained on (still no rainbow), we walked around and explored, layed out, and went for a dip. On our paddle back, we stopped for a while and just floated around, taking it all in and dodging windsurfers and kite-surfers before we attempted a graceful landing onto shore ( one of us made it to shore in her kayak, the other bailed out early in order to avoid the kayak from flipping :)) We drug the kayaks back to the carts, loaded them (the wrong way), and returned them back to the shop. The guy laughed at us and said, "You know why it was so heavy for you, you had them loaded the wrong way". haha...go figure.
It was a great day!
Now we are off to see what we can get into today!
<3 us!
I
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hele me kahau 'oli - go with joy
Hello all!
Yesterday we started the day off with another great hike at Hanauma bay. Then we cooled off and had some lunch at the beach across from Sea Life Park. There were many boogie boarders, and we even got a peep show from some British tourists who chose to change into their swimsuits on the beach and failed to do so inconspicuously.
After we got enough sun, we went back to the condo to shower and change.
And after a quick jam session to "Tutti Frutti - Little Richard", we walked to what we thought was the Tutti Frutti yogurt shop, but it ended up being "Yogurtland". Either way we were excited. You get your cup/dish and you can choose from about 12 different and delicious flavors and then you may add just about any topping you can imagine to your yogurt! We will definitely be making more than one trip here....there are just too many yogurt flavors and toppings to chose from!
Kayleigh's choice for the day : strawberry, mango, coconut, yogurt with fresh kiwi, mango, and blueberries
Bec's: Dutch chocollate and devils food-cake cupcake batter with fresh strawberries
Our evening consisted of some much needed laundry doing and surprise SuRpRiSe! Our first beer since our evening out last Monday.
Today September 19, 2011
We gave ourselves a break and slept in until 8:30!! Wooo sleepy heads :).
We did our usual routine and set out to Maunawili Falls. We had quite the day on Public Transit! We haven't had an adventure like this in a while. At our first transfer we waited FOREVER, but we finally caught it and were off! The directions got a little hard to follow at some point so we enlisted the help from a few locals and still didn't get too clear of directions but we went to wait for the new bus at a stop near a hospital.. After debating on if we had to pee bad enough, we sneakily got inside and stole some bathroom time :)
Our bus finally arrived and we headed to the falls. We started in on the trail and boy was it muddy! As we walked along the muddiness multiplied but the sights around us were absolutely beautiful! The hike was perfect, nice and easy but sooo pretty. We eventually got to a fork in the trail and were taking a minute to decide when we heard a voice say to go left.. Ok, not as cool as it sounds. Just another hiker who had been on the trail before! We went through woods, mud, and finally water ans ended at a really cool secluded waterfall! It wasn't too big but awesome nonetheless. We watched the daring guys jump from the lower ledge and even a super tall ledge that was definitely scary to watch! After some rest we headed back down the trail. The angels above must have been taking extra care of us today, because we slipped and stumbled all the way day but somehow we did not fall. This was a definite surprise to us!
After a full day we headed back home and washed up then cooked some din din!!
TTYL --K and B :)
Yesterday we started the day off with another great hike at Hanauma bay. Then we cooled off and had some lunch at the beach across from Sea Life Park. There were many boogie boarders, and we even got a peep show from some British tourists who chose to change into their swimsuits on the beach and failed to do so inconspicuously.
After we got enough sun, we went back to the condo to shower and change.
And after a quick jam session to "Tutti Frutti - Little Richard", we walked to what we thought was the Tutti Frutti yogurt shop, but it ended up being "Yogurtland". Either way we were excited. You get your cup/dish and you can choose from about 12 different and delicious flavors and then you may add just about any topping you can imagine to your yogurt! We will definitely be making more than one trip here....there are just too many yogurt flavors and toppings to chose from!
Kayleigh's choice for the day : strawberry, mango, coconut, yogurt with fresh kiwi, mango, and blueberries
Bec's: Dutch chocollate and devils food-cake cupcake batter with fresh strawberries
Our evening consisted of some much needed laundry doing and surprise SuRpRiSe! Our first beer since our evening out last Monday.
Today September 19, 2011
We gave ourselves a break and slept in until 8:30!! Wooo sleepy heads :).
We did our usual routine and set out to Maunawili Falls. We had quite the day on Public Transit! We haven't had an adventure like this in a while. At our first transfer we waited FOREVER, but we finally caught it and were off! The directions got a little hard to follow at some point so we enlisted the help from a few locals and still didn't get too clear of directions but we went to wait for the new bus at a stop near a hospital.. After debating on if we had to pee bad enough, we sneakily got inside and stole some bathroom time :)
Our bus finally arrived and we headed to the falls. We started in on the trail and boy was it muddy! As we walked along the muddiness multiplied but the sights around us were absolutely beautiful! The hike was perfect, nice and easy but sooo pretty. We eventually got to a fork in the trail and were taking a minute to decide when we heard a voice say to go left.. Ok, not as cool as it sounds. Just another hiker who had been on the trail before! We went through woods, mud, and finally water ans ended at a really cool secluded waterfall! It wasn't too big but awesome nonetheless. We watched the daring guys jump from the lower ledge and even a super tall ledge that was definitely scary to watch! After some rest we headed back down the trail. The angels above must have been taking extra care of us today, because we slipped and stumbled all the way day but somehow we did not fall. This was a definite surprise to us!
After a full day we headed back home and washed up then cooked some din din!!
TTYL --K and B :)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Our days are dwindling!
Aloha :)
Good morning again!
Yesterday we conquered Koko trail for the second time! We both beat our times from the first attempt and again, it was worth the torture.
This morning we are going to hike another scenic trail that looks over Hanauma Bay and then beach it up at another beautiful beach that we have been eye balling.
Hopefully a trip to Tutti Frutti will fit into our afternoon as well :)
Hugs and Kisses
Love,
Us
Good morning again!
Yesterday we conquered Koko trail for the second time! We both beat our times from the first attempt and again, it was worth the torture.
This morning we are going to hike another scenic trail that looks over Hanauma Bay and then beach it up at another beautiful beach that we have been eye balling.
Hopefully a trip to Tutti Frutti will fit into our afternoon as well :)
Hugs and Kisses
Love,
Us
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Good Morning!
We forgot to blog last night...
Yesterday we went to Sunset beach. We got an early start because the bus ride there would take almost 2 hours. But it was worth it! The beach was beautiful. There weren't but a few other people there, the water was so blue, yet crystal clear, and the sane was like little shell pebbles. There was a big shore break and a really strong current. You walked two steps into the water and it could pull you in, then push you even further onto shore. We had fun playing in the water (didn't venture in too far). At one point we were giggling and laughing so much we felt like 3 year olds that were seeing snow for the first time :)
We were hungry so we hopped back onto the bus and towards the town market. There we saw a Mexican food restaurant named "Cholo's" hahaha The prices were decent so we stopped in.
The food was ok, but definitely not the Mexican food we know. You all have no idea how much we want avocado. The ones in the produce section are gross, and the restaurants tell you that they are out of them or for a side ( more like a dallop) of avocado it'll cost you $6.
After lunch we got back on the bus for the 2 hour ride back.
We could have driven from CC to San Antonio in the total time we spent on TheBus today. Sunset beach was worth it though.
We got back to the condo, rinsed off, and then headed down towards Waikiki beach to catch the sunset and the fireworks.
Well we caught the sunset..BUT not the fireworks. We were in front of the wrong hotel :( But we were not the only ones who thought they were there! IT's ok though, we have one more Friday to see them, and we will see them!!
We are considering hiking the Koko trail this morning...considering *key word* And this evening kicks off the Aloha Festival (a big block party). So that's where we will leave ya!
We love and miss everyone back home!
<3
We forgot to blog last night...
Yesterday we went to Sunset beach. We got an early start because the bus ride there would take almost 2 hours. But it was worth it! The beach was beautiful. There weren't but a few other people there, the water was so blue, yet crystal clear, and the sane was like little shell pebbles. There was a big shore break and a really strong current. You walked two steps into the water and it could pull you in, then push you even further onto shore. We had fun playing in the water (didn't venture in too far). At one point we were giggling and laughing so much we felt like 3 year olds that were seeing snow for the first time :)
We were hungry so we hopped back onto the bus and towards the town market. There we saw a Mexican food restaurant named "Cholo's" hahaha The prices were decent so we stopped in.
The food was ok, but definitely not the Mexican food we know. You all have no idea how much we want avocado. The ones in the produce section are gross, and the restaurants tell you that they are out of them or for a side ( more like a dallop) of avocado it'll cost you $6.
After lunch we got back on the bus for the 2 hour ride back.
We could have driven from CC to San Antonio in the total time we spent on TheBus today. Sunset beach was worth it though.
We got back to the condo, rinsed off, and then headed down towards Waikiki beach to catch the sunset and the fireworks.
Well we caught the sunset..BUT not the fireworks. We were in front of the wrong hotel :( But we were not the only ones who thought they were there! IT's ok though, we have one more Friday to see them, and we will see them!!
We are considering hiking the Koko trail this morning...considering *key word* And this evening kicks off the Aloha Festival (a big block party). So that's where we will leave ya!
We love and miss everyone back home!
<3
Friday, September 16, 2011
Back on track
This morning we were both feeling up to par.
We were up and at it at 6:30 this morning.
We had our breakfast, coffee, and chocolate and picked up the weekly paper/magazines (we call it our literature) and found us a nice spot on the beach. We posted up here for quite some time. Then it began to sprinkle...and the sprinkles turned into a decent rain! So we packed up our things and went to the International Marketplace for a little browsing.
Twas about lunch time now so we headed back to the condo for some grub and just hung around till it was time to get ready for the "Creation" A Polynesian Journey show. This was our splurge for the trip. We went all out and purchased the ALI'I DINNER SHOW PACKAGE - 4 course "journey through Polynesia" menu, two complimentary "run of the bar" premium beverages, preferred seating, VIP entry, and a fresh flower lei greeting!
Plus we found a 25% off coupon that they recognized in one of the weekly papers.
Check in time was at 5:30 and it was first come first choice seating, so we wanted to check in right on time and get the best seats... well, us being the gals that we are... we got dressed, were out the door, and were soon at the Sheraton Hotel where we ThOuGhT the show was taking place... :) Good thing we were a little ahead of schedule! We went to the front desk and asked if we could check in yet and the nice gentleman informed us that we were at the wrong location. Thankfully it was not across town, we just had to walk a little ways to get to the right spot.
We checked in, received our ticket stubs, received our lei greeting, and got in line!
We were silly excited :)
Once we got inside and seated, things got started fast! We both ordered cute tropical drinks just because we could (it was still too soon to thoroughly enjoy the adult beverages) and water. Our first course was butter, crackers, and a roll that had a purplish tint. The second course was fruit, salad, cocktail shrimp, and smoked salmon. The main course was broccoli, carrots, rice, lobster, and filet minion. For dessert, there was macadamia vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate, whip cream, a biscotti, strawberries, and some other lemon tasting dessert. It was all delicious and we definitely cleaned our plates! It was a nice change from Ramen noodles :)
Soon after, the show began! I don't even know how to describe it to you all... But it was wonderful and gave us some good laughs, and lasting memories. Now for the dancers/performers, the girls were pretty and talented and all BUT the men... they were gorgeous :) We had to pick our jaws up a few times ;)
After the show, the performers came out to the lobby and although we did enjoy (who are we kidding...LOVED) them, they were intimidating in real life. And our goofball selves ran out of the hotel blushing and wishing we were not so silly and a little more daring!! :) As we were leaving the lobby a couple English boys came to Kayleigh and before the boy could finish saying "Will you do me a favor??" Kayleigh decided "Heck Yes!!!". He was nice enough to say "Wait. You don't even know what the favor is..." He was trying to cash in his money for US dollars, but we were not able to since we didn't stay at the hotel. It was pretty hilarious to watch and we giggled about it all the way home. The night, all in all, was a huge success, and we have finally found Kayleigh's type and it is POLYNESIAN FLAME THROWERS!!! :):) And of course Bec enjoyed it to the fullest and fell in love 500 times over again!
Tomorrow we are going to get out to Sunset Beach Park on the north side of Oahu. XOXO
--Bec and K-Lee <3
We were up and at it at 6:30 this morning.
We had our breakfast, coffee, and chocolate and picked up the weekly paper/magazines (we call it our literature) and found us a nice spot on the beach. We posted up here for quite some time. Then it began to sprinkle...and the sprinkles turned into a decent rain! So we packed up our things and went to the International Marketplace for a little browsing.
Twas about lunch time now so we headed back to the condo for some grub and just hung around till it was time to get ready for the "Creation" A Polynesian Journey show. This was our splurge for the trip. We went all out and purchased the ALI'I DINNER SHOW PACKAGE - 4 course "journey through Polynesia" menu, two complimentary "run of the bar" premium beverages, preferred seating, VIP entry, and a fresh flower lei greeting!
Plus we found a 25% off coupon that they recognized in one of the weekly papers.
Check in time was at 5:30 and it was first come first choice seating, so we wanted to check in right on time and get the best seats... well, us being the gals that we are... we got dressed, were out the door, and were soon at the Sheraton Hotel where we ThOuGhT the show was taking place... :) Good thing we were a little ahead of schedule! We went to the front desk and asked if we could check in yet and the nice gentleman informed us that we were at the wrong location. Thankfully it was not across town, we just had to walk a little ways to get to the right spot.
We checked in, received our ticket stubs, received our lei greeting, and got in line!
We were silly excited :)
Once we got inside and seated, things got started fast! We both ordered cute tropical drinks just because we could (it was still too soon to thoroughly enjoy the adult beverages) and water. Our first course was butter, crackers, and a roll that had a purplish tint. The second course was fruit, salad, cocktail shrimp, and smoked salmon. The main course was broccoli, carrots, rice, lobster, and filet minion. For dessert, there was macadamia vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate, whip cream, a biscotti, strawberries, and some other lemon tasting dessert. It was all delicious and we definitely cleaned our plates! It was a nice change from Ramen noodles :)
Soon after, the show began! I don't even know how to describe it to you all... But it was wonderful and gave us some good laughs, and lasting memories. Now for the dancers/performers, the girls were pretty and talented and all BUT the men... they were gorgeous :) We had to pick our jaws up a few times ;)
After the show, the performers came out to the lobby and although we did enjoy (who are we kidding...LOVED) them, they were intimidating in real life. And our goofball selves ran out of the hotel blushing and wishing we were not so silly and a little more daring!! :) As we were leaving the lobby a couple English boys came to Kayleigh and before the boy could finish saying "Will you do me a favor??" Kayleigh decided "Heck Yes!!!". He was nice enough to say "Wait. You don't even know what the favor is..." He was trying to cash in his money for US dollars, but we were not able to since we didn't stay at the hotel. It was pretty hilarious to watch and we giggled about it all the way home. The night, all in all, was a huge success, and we have finally found Kayleigh's type and it is POLYNESIAN FLAME THROWERS!!! :):) And of course Bec enjoyed it to the fullest and fell in love 500 times over again!
Tomorrow we are going to get out to Sunset Beach Park on the north side of Oahu. XOXO
--Bec and K-Lee <3
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A Hiatus from our Hiatus :)
Weellll its been a few days since you have heard from us! Monday we finally made it to the Holona Blowhole!! It was a pretty cool little spot. When the waves come in it pushes water up through the hole in the rock. It almost looks like steam from a tea pot.
After the Blowhole we walked down to Sandy Beach. This was off the beaten path so it was mainly locals. It was also a no swimming beach which was A-ok with us because the water looked as though it was coming it at all different directions. The perfect spot that was semi-shady was just waiting for us. We dipped our feet in when we got hot and watched the surfers safely from the shore :).
It was around lunch time when we had to listen to our hungry tummies and head back to our condo. We lunched, napped, ran, and then we talked ourselves into experiencing the nightlife. It has been about a month since we stayed up past 9 pm but somehow we did it! Bec has always wanted to go to Senor Frogs, so that was our first stop. Since it was only 7:30 the bar was dead, we didn't stay too long there, but will likely return for Juan Wednesdays ($1 dollar tequilla!!! haha). Our next stop was Margaritaville for some drinks and Bec was ecstatic to catch the end of Monday Night Football!! Kayleigh found Sashimi Tuna that she just had to try so she did. It had an interesting smell and wasn't cooked to Bec's surprise (yes mom, this is Bec typing :), After eating and finishing the game at Margaritaville we decided to head back to the street near us where it isn't too touristy and the prices are lower... Boy did we find out why.
Bec (living in her own little world) walked in to what we later found out was a gay bar, but we did find someone that had ties to some of the same people we knew! He lived in College Station for the past two years and recently moved back to Waikiki. He definitely gave us some good laughs and it was a good starting place to get our courage up for the rest of the evening. After we left there we went on to Nashvilles where we met a local Navy boy and a pilot that was in the area for a couple days. They were a lot of fun and we were happy to at least appear to not be two girls alone. We made friends with the guys and went on with our night. To Bec's delight we found a promoter with a bullhorn and convinced him to let her say something on it. Helllloooooo Hawaiiiiii is what she chose and the bullhorn was quickly taken away after we all discovered she really did not need it at all. The final place we went to was called The Sandbox, and Kayleigh met the local pimp. No worries she is not working for him or anything, but we did have some great laughs.
The night was one for the books and boy did we pay for it on Tuesday! Must have been staying up past 10 :). We have been resting ever since, but we are excited for our luau on Thursday!! Our goal is to hit the beach several more times, hike some waterfalls, and to go kayaking at a local beach!!
Talk soon. Love love --B and K
After the Blowhole we walked down to Sandy Beach. This was off the beaten path so it was mainly locals. It was also a no swimming beach which was A-ok with us because the water looked as though it was coming it at all different directions. The perfect spot that was semi-shady was just waiting for us. We dipped our feet in when we got hot and watched the surfers safely from the shore :).
It was around lunch time when we had to listen to our hungry tummies and head back to our condo. We lunched, napped, ran, and then we talked ourselves into experiencing the nightlife. It has been about a month since we stayed up past 9 pm but somehow we did it! Bec has always wanted to go to Senor Frogs, so that was our first stop. Since it was only 7:30 the bar was dead, we didn't stay too long there, but will likely return for Juan Wednesdays ($1 dollar tequilla!!! haha). Our next stop was Margaritaville for some drinks and Bec was ecstatic to catch the end of Monday Night Football!! Kayleigh found Sashimi Tuna that she just had to try so she did. It had an interesting smell and wasn't cooked to Bec's surprise (yes mom, this is Bec typing :), After eating and finishing the game at Margaritaville we decided to head back to the street near us where it isn't too touristy and the prices are lower... Boy did we find out why.
Bec (living in her own little world) walked in to what we later found out was a gay bar, but we did find someone that had ties to some of the same people we knew! He lived in College Station for the past two years and recently moved back to Waikiki. He definitely gave us some good laughs and it was a good starting place to get our courage up for the rest of the evening. After we left there we went on to Nashvilles where we met a local Navy boy and a pilot that was in the area for a couple days. They were a lot of fun and we were happy to at least appear to not be two girls alone. We made friends with the guys and went on with our night. To Bec's delight we found a promoter with a bullhorn and convinced him to let her say something on it. Helllloooooo Hawaiiiiii is what she chose and the bullhorn was quickly taken away after we all discovered she really did not need it at all. The final place we went to was called The Sandbox, and Kayleigh met the local pimp. No worries she is not working for him or anything, but we did have some great laughs.
The night was one for the books and boy did we pay for it on Tuesday! Must have been staying up past 10 :). We have been resting ever since, but we are excited for our luau on Thursday!! Our goal is to hit the beach several more times, hike some waterfalls, and to go kayaking at a local beach!!
Talk soon. Love love --B and K
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Easy like a Sunday morning...
Well yesterday consisted of some much needed rest. We were a little sore from our triumphant Koko trail hike, and Kayleigh had a migraine that began in the morning and lasted until early today. So we just hung out in our condo yesterday, watching movies and vegging. I think we were both mentally and physically exhausted.
Today we woke up and went to have breakfast at the "Tango Market". We had read about their velvet waffles in the local paper and we were dead set on trying them. They were delicious! They had different toppings you could put on your waffle : chocolate chips, strawberries, cherries, apples, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, and whip cream! HeAvEn and they had great coffee to accompany it.
We spent some time at the beach and went to the store for some fruit. We did more than yesterday, but took it easy. And tomorrow we will be going to the infamous blowhole! We know where to go and how to get there now :)
That's all for now
Hugs and Kisses
<3 us
Today we woke up and went to have breakfast at the "Tango Market". We had read about their velvet waffles in the local paper and we were dead set on trying them. They were delicious! They had different toppings you could put on your waffle : chocolate chips, strawberries, cherries, apples, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, and whip cream! HeAvEn and they had great coffee to accompany it.
We spent some time at the beach and went to the store for some fruit. We did more than yesterday, but took it easy. And tomorrow we will be going to the infamous blowhole! We know where to go and how to get there now :)
That's all for now
Hugs and Kisses
<3 us
Friday, September 9, 2011
Glutton for Punishment
We were up by 6:45 this morning!
We ate, were out the door, and at our bus stop by 8:30am. We were on a mission to hike up the side of Koko Crater, and we wanted to get an early start. Howeverrrrr, we waited and waited for TheBus to come. We waited for 45 minutes and eventually just hopped on one that was headed in that direction, but didn't stop where we needed to get off. And, well, because of that "detour" our bus ride to the trail took us longer than expected...but we made it!
We stopped, stood at the beginning of the trail and starred for a while, looked at each other, and said sayonara!
We knew it was going to kick our butt.
Koko Head Crater Trail Hike - approximately 1,100 steps. The steps are actually part of an abandoned railroad track that was once used by the military to transport supplies to a lookout shelter at the top.
On our way up, people came flying by on their way down. Some people were running down, others seemed to be dancing down, and you even had your barefooted thong-wearing crazies.
Everyone was huffing and puffing , but still cheering each other on. We were so glad that we each had 2 bottles of water with us. I had a guy tell me "You are probably the smartest one here today, you brought water", THERE IS NO WAY I could have done that and made it alive without water!
As we climbed higher and higher, the view became more and more breathtaking. It was a little nerve wrecking to be huffing and puffing, trying to keep your balance, and take it in the scenery all at the same time.
How did we know we were about half way? There was a dreaded bridge! Dun-dun-dun
And the bottom drops out from under the "steps". If you were sure footed, you walked across it, others chose to crawl it. After the bridge, the trail was very much the same, just steeper.
At 1208 feet above sea level, we had finally made it to the top! What a beautiful sight! We climbed atop an abandoned military shelter (covered in graffiti) and rested. We cooled off, drank some water, ate a snack, and took some pictures. Then it was time to head down.
Going down, we were definitely feeling good. We were proud of ourselves for making it all the way to the top. We really felt that we had accomplished something :)
On our way down, we could her gunshots from the shooting range near by. We probably didn't notice the gunshots on the way up because of our huffing and puffing. But we both thought, "That would be one heck of a way to go down, A stray bullet to hit us as we are hiking our way down". haha
Before long we were back to the bridge. There was a path around the bridge (we learned after we already crossed it once) but we opted to take the bridge again. Kayleigh didn't trust her footing so she chose to do a crab crawl of some sort on the way down, and Bec managed to remain standing.
After the bridge, we seemed to fly down as well. And at the end, we were giddy and delusional haha
That was a great workout/endurance challenge, with a beautiful reward :)
We made our way back to the bus stop, climbed on, and graced strangers with our stinky and sweaty presence. Next we stopped by our condo for a snack, and then ventured to WALMART for some groceries.
We managed to catch the bus home from WALMART with the most people already on, and once again, we missed our stop :) It wasn't a terrible miss, but any unnecessary walking at that point seemed painful, and all we wanted at that point was a COLD ONE. So we stormed through the crowds of tourists and made a b-line to the closest ABC store and then continued on our "walk with a mission" home . I don't think either one of us has been happier to be back in the condo or in the air conditioning after today's adventure :)
We had dinner and hoped to catch the fireworks from our lanai, but looks like we have to venture out for that so NEXT Friday you can find us on Waikiki beach watching the fireworks.
We will sleep well tonight!
And who knows, perhaps we will take on Koko head again before we leave...only time will tell.
Good Night!
<3 us xoxo
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mongoose
Welp today was the day! Bec finally has at least figured out what she is doing for the next 10 months! Americorps notified her today that she has been accepted to serve at the Southwest campus in Denver.
That set our tone for today! We hopped on the bus and were off to Hanauma Bay. The most beautiful place on Earth. We payed $7.50, watched a video telling us NOT to step on the reef/coral, then found a place to set up camp.
We were so excited! We grabbed our gear and went right in. We swam around for a little bit and laughed at us struggling to fix our masks and get the water out of our snorkels without stepping on any of the coral. We (more Kayleigh) had moments of simply floundering about :)
We heard a group of people shout "turtle!" and so of course we swam ourselves over to where they were as fast as we could and moments later we saw it! We were so excited! We got one decent picture...but we will remember that forever. It definitely made our day.
We beached it for a bit, ate our lunch, then went back out for round 2.
Around 3pm we dried off and attempted to walk our way to the Halona Blowhole...but we quickly came to the smart decision that we should not try to walk... there was no room for pedestrians.. and no cliff for us to attempt to side-wind either :) We will take the bus another day and get dropped off at the appropriate stop to view this site.
We made our way back to the bus stop and chatted up a few people about hiking Koko park and the football game (Geaux Saints.... well maybe next time).
Now that we have turned over a new leaf of trying to be as cheap as possible we compared multiple locations and multiple brands of rum to make our wannabe mai tai... The $8.99 bottle we got was prob not the best choice! haha Buttt hey we're young. :) So we bought our ingredients and suffered through the first drink...Semi enjoyed the second and, well, by the third we are good to go :)
Aloha ahiahi ia oukou ----- Good evening to all of you
<3,
Us
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Pearl Harbor
Yesterday we found the farmer's market! Then we were beach bums for the rest of the day. We've been taking it pretty easy these past few days. Bec has a little cold so we haven't wanted to do too much.
Today we made our way to Pearl Harbor. The bus trip there, touring the memorial, and the bus trip back took up our day. It was worth it though, we are both glad we went. It definitely serves as a sobering reminder of what freedom really is.
Tomorrow we want to go to Hanauma bay and the the Halona Blowhole.
GoodNight!
Today we made our way to Pearl Harbor. The bus trip there, touring the memorial, and the bus trip back took up our day. It was worth it though, we are both glad we went. It definitely serves as a sobering reminder of what freedom really is.
Tomorrow we want to go to Hanauma bay and the the Halona Blowhole.
GoodNight!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Uhhh... I think I'm a little sugar drunk!
Today we woke up bright and early as usual since we have been in HI! As soon as we were up and at it we headed out the door to the bus stop. All we had to do was catch one little bus and transfer once to get to our destination, annnnnnnd WE DID IT! On the first try we successfully got to the Dole Plantation.
We did a quick little looksey around the place and saw the cutest little pineapples (and even some red ones!). The plantation had a train that toured the entire acreage and also is home to the Worlds Largest Maze!!! Being that we aren't the best explorers without some sort of map we decided against the maze, because we did not want to get lost forever! After we had a look around we came across some delicious looking fresh fruit. It was papaya mango, bananas, and sugar cane from the North Shore. Boooooy it was yummmmy!!
After Dole, we headed to the little town of Haleiwa, HI. This is on the North Shore of the island. Not too touristy of a location, but is home to two delicious eateries. First though, we did some window shopping. There were several little shops that had awesome art and surf gear. After our window shopping the first place we tasted was a shrimp truck. Sounds funny, we know, but it was actually quite tasty! The name of it was Giovannis's Shrimp Truck. It is basically like a taqueria truck that serves fresh shrimp from the truck. Bec had the shrimp scampi and Kayleigh had the lemon butter shrimp. It was a success!
After lunch we headed to the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice. We just can't explain the excitement we had built up inside of us!!! We waited in line for several minutes, but it was worth it! The flavors we went with was Strawberry and Pina Colada, and The Hawaiian with Ice Cream (Coconut, Pineapple, and Banana. With ice cream at the bottom). Soooooooo amazing!!! Pretty sure it was Heaven sent :)
It was about time we headed home so we waited and waited on our bus. It didn't stop for us on the first time around, but scooped us up on the the next go-round :). At our transfer point we had an extremely animated homeless guy who was talking to us a mile a minute about just about everything. We smiled and nodded all the way until we got on our final bus. He was still chatting away as we drove away. Gotta love em. We safely arrived back at the casa and prepared our dinners that are way better than any of the 5 star restaurants Hawaii could offer! Thank you Ramen Noodles and Bologna Sandwiches...
We are preparing ourselves for our third try at finding a farmer's market. Tomorrow is the day we can feel it.. We think we can, we think we can...
Over and out -- B and K
We did a quick little looksey around the place and saw the cutest little pineapples (and even some red ones!). The plantation had a train that toured the entire acreage and also is home to the Worlds Largest Maze!!! Being that we aren't the best explorers without some sort of map we decided against the maze, because we did not want to get lost forever! After we had a look around we came across some delicious looking fresh fruit. It was papaya mango, bananas, and sugar cane from the North Shore. Boooooy it was yummmmy!!
After Dole, we headed to the little town of Haleiwa, HI. This is on the North Shore of the island. Not too touristy of a location, but is home to two delicious eateries. First though, we did some window shopping. There were several little shops that had awesome art and surf gear. After our window shopping the first place we tasted was a shrimp truck. Sounds funny, we know, but it was actually quite tasty! The name of it was Giovannis's Shrimp Truck. It is basically like a taqueria truck that serves fresh shrimp from the truck. Bec had the shrimp scampi and Kayleigh had the lemon butter shrimp. It was a success!
After lunch we headed to the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice. We just can't explain the excitement we had built up inside of us!!! We waited in line for several minutes, but it was worth it! The flavors we went with was Strawberry and Pina Colada, and The Hawaiian with Ice Cream (Coconut, Pineapple, and Banana. With ice cream at the bottom). Soooooooo amazing!!! Pretty sure it was Heaven sent :)
It was about time we headed home so we waited and waited on our bus. It didn't stop for us on the first time around, but scooped us up on the the next go-round :). At our transfer point we had an extremely animated homeless guy who was talking to us a mile a minute about just about everything. We smiled and nodded all the way until we got on our final bus. He was still chatting away as we drove away. Gotta love em. We safely arrived back at the casa and prepared our dinners that are way better than any of the 5 star restaurants Hawaii could offer! Thank you Ramen Noodles and Bologna Sandwiches...
We are preparing ourselves for our third try at finding a farmer's market. Tomorrow is the day we can feel it.. We think we can, we think we can...
Over and out -- B and K
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Sunday Funday
...still waiting on those fireworks ;)
We slept in a little bit later than usual this morning. After breakfast we made our way to the Okinawan Festival. We went into a tent that had all different types of plants. There were orchids of every color and lava plants, and vegetable and fruit plants. We went into two food areas, one was giving free samples :) We tried the pickled cucumber and the pickled melon. Thumbs up on the cucumber, not so much for the melon. There was a stage with performers that were dancing/singing/playing the drums. The little kids who performed were adorable. The festival was packed and it was already very hot so we made our way to the shade where along the fence line of the zoo, local artists displayed their artwork (they do this every weekend). We saw some beautiful artwork! But of course, the majority of it was way beyond our budget.
Next we walked down the strip that we had yet to venture to. Many of the stores were the same, and then you had your COACH, LOUIS VUITTON, PRADA, BURBERRY and so on. CrZaY. Bye this time we were getting hungry for lunch. We walked our way to the opposite side of town to the "Rainbow Drive-In". It was fast, cheap, and good! Bec had a cheeseburger,fries, and a drink for $5 and Kayleigh had a tuna fish sandwich coleslaw, and a drink for $5.
After lunch we wanted to go to WALMART. Our neighbor told us to go there for groceries instead of the Food Pantry. So we made our way but went into Ross's so Kayleigh could buy some new shoes since she had to finally part with hers at Diamond Head. We had some fun there and then went to WALMART. We were so excited to see that you can buy bread for $2, yogurt for less than $1, and lunch meat AND cheese without emptying our wallets. We bought a couple of things and that is where we will be going from here on out!
We came back to the condo in hopes to hit up the pool, but the sun was not shining over it anymore. So we rested our feet for a little bit and then went for another lovely run on the canal.
Tomorrow we will be visiting the Dole plantation and enjoying some Matsumoto Shave Ice along with whatever else we can get ourselves into :)
Good Night
<3
We love and miss everyone back home
We slept in a little bit later than usual this morning. After breakfast we made our way to the Okinawan Festival. We went into a tent that had all different types of plants. There were orchids of every color and lava plants, and vegetable and fruit plants. We went into two food areas, one was giving free samples :) We tried the pickled cucumber and the pickled melon. Thumbs up on the cucumber, not so much for the melon. There was a stage with performers that were dancing/singing/playing the drums. The little kids who performed were adorable. The festival was packed and it was already very hot so we made our way to the shade where along the fence line of the zoo, local artists displayed their artwork (they do this every weekend). We saw some beautiful artwork! But of course, the majority of it was way beyond our budget.
Next we walked down the strip that we had yet to venture to. Many of the stores were the same, and then you had your COACH, LOUIS VUITTON, PRADA, BURBERRY and so on. CrZaY. Bye this time we were getting hungry for lunch. We walked our way to the opposite side of town to the "Rainbow Drive-In". It was fast, cheap, and good! Bec had a cheeseburger,fries, and a drink for $5 and Kayleigh had a tuna fish sandwich coleslaw, and a drink for $5.
After lunch we wanted to go to WALMART. Our neighbor told us to go there for groceries instead of the Food Pantry. So we made our way but went into Ross's so Kayleigh could buy some new shoes since she had to finally part with hers at Diamond Head. We had some fun there and then went to WALMART. We were so excited to see that you can buy bread for $2, yogurt for less than $1, and lunch meat AND cheese without emptying our wallets. We bought a couple of things and that is where we will be going from here on out!
We came back to the condo in hopes to hit up the pool, but the sun was not shining over it anymore. So we rested our feet for a little bit and then went for another lovely run on the canal.
Tomorrow we will be visiting the Dole plantation and enjoying some Matsumoto Shave Ice along with whatever else we can get ourselves into :)
Good Night
<3
We love and miss everyone back home
Saturday, September 3, 2011
lots of pigeons but no seagulls
Today we went and hiked the trail to Diamond head crater. We waited at a statue outside the zoo where we read in a tripadvisor article that "Every Saturday a group meets here at 9am to hike the trail together". Well we waited till 9:05 and wanted to wait no longer so we continued on our own, deciding we would make friends on the trail. On the walk to the trail we discovered that there was a big festival going on. Tents were set up, food was cooking, and art was being displayed. We also passed by what seemed to be a farmer's market of some sort. We were eager to complete our hike and then take a look around at these places.
We walked a ways to the gate entrance where we paid $1. The hike itself appeared daunting but it was not. You get to walk through a tunnel, climb stairs, walk a spiraling staircase, and then climb into/out of a bunker then reach the very top. It was great, but very VERY busy. To any of you who may do this in the future: GO FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. The park opens at 7...so go early and beat the crowd.
We made our way down and headed to the Saturday farmer's market but we were too late! Everyone was shutting down :( it it was about noon so we were hungry and it all smelled so good. Well, we were too late for that to that so we made our way to the Okinawan Festival. There was lots of food for sale and you could make your own bonsai tree! We looked around for a bit and went back to the condo for lunch.
While we were getting ready to go to the beach Bec spied a guy at the pool in a thong and called me over to look. As Im walking to our balcony Im yelling at her to get her camera and "zoom in on that!". We were laughing and both at our balcony ledge when we hear from the side "I hope you are not looking at what I think you are...". It was our neighbor on his balcony! hahahahaa he knew what we were looking at :) All I could say was "OOPS". then we giggled our way into the room and laughed so hard. Twas funny.
We spent the evening at the beach and are now hanging out on the lanai where we have been waiting for fireworks that don't happen until next Friday. Miss-communications make life exciting!
<3 us
Friday, September 2, 2011
Makupu'u Point dayyyyyy
Aloha,
Had somewhat of a sleepless night last night. Must have been all our napping during the day. So we were up and at em once again at 6:30! We had our breakfast and headed to the bus stop! We waited patiently for bus 22 to round the corner (i thought i was patient before, but this whole public transportation system has proved me wrong). When it finally pulled up to the curb, we hopped on and enjoyed the ride. It was a full bus ride but we managed to gran two seats. All the tourists were making their way to Hanauma Bay (We will be going there too one day). When the bus stopped at Hanauma bay, I went to tell the driver where we were going and ask how far the stop for Makapu'i point was. He responded with a giggle and said "There is no stop for that, I take you to the closest stop. Come up close so that I can tell you where you will need to go". That's us... two howlies not too sure where they are goin :) He was very sweet. He was sure to remind us to walk opposite of the traffic flow. "Because those guys, those guys will not be looking for you". He seemed to find us humorous, yet he was very concerned. He dropped us off at Sea Life Park and even escorted us to the restrooms. Then we were on our own! We crossed the street and walked up the highway of death! Ok it wasn't really that bad but it was a little scary and combined with our inability to take in the scenery and walk straight we had to really concentrate!!
We finally got to the trail-head and began our hike. There are no words to describe how beautiful this shoreline was. (if you look in our shutterfly account you will see the pics) The view was breathtaking! The hike was a fun one, and once we got to the normal look out spot we decided to go on and hike to the highest point on the mountain. This really got our adrenaline going. And once more the sight that we saw took our breath away!
After our hike up...well we headed down of course! Once we got to the bottom we discovered a side trail and being that we have no schedule we decided to follow it. This led us to a local hangout spot, so we kept our distance (as to not step on any toes) but enjoyed a little beach cutout in the rocky coastline. After cooling off we headed back to Sealife Park to wait for the bus.
Later in the afternoon we decided to venture into Chinatown...Booooy was this a grand idea! Ok, maybe not so much, but there were some cool things to be seen and Bec even bought a souvenir for her pop! In two other states we have yet to find a Chinatown like the one in San Fran. So, on we went. And what would our day be like if we didn't get turned around and get on the wrong bus. We rode and rode and rode that little bus...we looked up and we were the last ones on the bus. THAT IS NEVER GOOD. We got kicked off at the bus depot and took the familiar bus into Waikiki. After about an hour we were back on our street. wheeeww..
It was a quick stop for some beer and wine and then back at the pad for some Ramen noodle. Yes, that's right. It'll be a Ramen noodle kind of night just about every night.
<3 Us
Had somewhat of a sleepless night last night. Must have been all our napping during the day. So we were up and at em once again at 6:30! We had our breakfast and headed to the bus stop! We waited patiently for bus 22 to round the corner (i thought i was patient before, but this whole public transportation system has proved me wrong). When it finally pulled up to the curb, we hopped on and enjoyed the ride. It was a full bus ride but we managed to gran two seats. All the tourists were making their way to Hanauma Bay (We will be going there too one day). When the bus stopped at Hanauma bay, I went to tell the driver where we were going and ask how far the stop for Makapu'i point was. He responded with a giggle and said "There is no stop for that, I take you to the closest stop. Come up close so that I can tell you where you will need to go". That's us... two howlies not too sure where they are goin :) He was very sweet. He was sure to remind us to walk opposite of the traffic flow. "Because those guys, those guys will not be looking for you". He seemed to find us humorous, yet he was very concerned. He dropped us off at Sea Life Park and even escorted us to the restrooms. Then we were on our own! We crossed the street and walked up the highway of death! Ok it wasn't really that bad but it was a little scary and combined with our inability to take in the scenery and walk straight we had to really concentrate!!
We finally got to the trail-head and began our hike. There are no words to describe how beautiful this shoreline was. (if you look in our shutterfly account you will see the pics) The view was breathtaking! The hike was a fun one, and once we got to the normal look out spot we decided to go on and hike to the highest point on the mountain. This really got our adrenaline going. And once more the sight that we saw took our breath away!
After our hike up...well we headed down of course! Once we got to the bottom we discovered a side trail and being that we have no schedule we decided to follow it. This led us to a local hangout spot, so we kept our distance (as to not step on any toes) but enjoyed a little beach cutout in the rocky coastline. After cooling off we headed back to Sealife Park to wait for the bus.
Later in the afternoon we decided to venture into Chinatown...Booooy was this a grand idea! Ok, maybe not so much, but there were some cool things to be seen and Bec even bought a souvenir for her pop! In two other states we have yet to find a Chinatown like the one in San Fran. So, on we went. And what would our day be like if we didn't get turned around and get on the wrong bus. We rode and rode and rode that little bus...we looked up and we were the last ones on the bus. THAT IS NEVER GOOD. We got kicked off at the bus depot and took the familiar bus into Waikiki. After about an hour we were back on our street. wheeeww..
It was a quick stop for some beer and wine and then back at the pad for some Ramen noodle. Yes, that's right. It'll be a Ramen noodle kind of night just about every night.
<3 Us
Thursday, September 1, 2011
hotel to condo to homeless...almost
We were eager to get to our condo this morning so we packed up everything and headed to room 2311. We were pleasantly pleased. We have an awesome view of the mountains and the canal, and even some ocean view. The room itself is much brighter and we feel more at ease. We quickly made ourselves at home and unpacked. Then we went to buy our bus passes. With the pass you can get anywhere and everywhere on the island. We definitely thought about renting a car because it would get us places faster, but pretty sure that would end up being a disaster. One of us is severely direction-ally challenged and the other one easily spaces out :) We will leave the driving to someone else. We also bought postcards! So be check your mail! And if we don't have your address, text it to us! Then we went grocery shopping for some basics. We were both sleepy and lazy today so we just hung around the condo and did laundry and what not. We were to meet with the tenant to give her the rest of our payment at 5:00, so we headed out to get the rest of our money. Well, long story short, it was 4:55 and we were still short due to maximum with-drawls and maximum transactions taken place. We were stressing. We didn't feel like we could call the tenant up and explain the situation so thanks to a last minute lifesaver by Bec and a thanks to Discover, we were able to withdraw the last bit through a credit card. EEsssh Here we were all settled in, even took a nap in the room and we were about to have to leave at 5 in the evening because we couldn't make the payment. hahahaa
This evening we went for a nice run down the canal. It was lovely. (Brother Greg- You would have loved our run)
Tomorrow morning we are going to Makapu'u Point to hike, check out the tidepools, and the blowhole!Then we are adventuring to Chinatown!
We miss everyone!
Love K and B
This evening we went for a nice run down the canal. It was lovely. (Brother Greg- You would have loved our run)
Tomorrow morning we are going to Makapu'u Point to hike, check out the tidepools, and the blowhole!Then we are adventuring to Chinatown!
We miss everyone!
Love K and B
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
:)
Last night we took a look at all the little shops on the main strip in Waikiki. There are tons and tons and tons of t-shirt shops! We headed towards the beach to catch the sunset. There, we saw a crowd of people sitting on the grass, and a stage and lights set up. We found a perfect spot to view the sunset, cute surfer boys, and a free! heritage program where the mayor spoke and dancers danced the story of the islands through traditional hula.We were thrilled :)
We headed back to our place, ate, and crashed out.
This morning we headed to Manoa falls using Hawaii's public transportation. We waited on a bus bench and we discussed our game plan on meeting people, and meeting our future hawaiian boyfriends, and why we are a good-catch, and while discussing such matters we were simultaneously applying deodorant and sunscreen...we might as well have been clipping our toenails and plucking stray hairs. WE HAD A GOOD LUAGH AT OURSELVES once we realized what we must look like... Anywayssss we must say, OAhu's public transportation is a bit classier than good ol' Portland's. And we didn't get lost today. In fact, a girl was nice enough to tell us that there was another stop that would take us closer to the trail.
The hike to the waterfall was basically an easy going muddy buddy. Over rocks and roots we went! At the top the view of the waterfall was quite amazing! We just did not get enough of hiking soooo we decided to take a side trail. Good idea at the time... Lets just say that the muddy trail just got muddier and more narrow. Kayleigh being the deligent walker that she is wanted to try and keep her shoes as clean as possible so she was weaving in and out of the mud puddles. Bec gave up after she flung mud from her sandal to her face on the previous trail :) Well long story short Kayleigh was using some bamboo for support and ending up slipping and doing the nature's version of an eliptical for a few seconds before sliding to the trail. Hilarious. Proud of ourselves for not peeing our pants then and there!
After our hike back to the main road we stumbled across an arboretum (that is now pronounced abor-tree-um... okkk maybe you had to be there for that one). This was a gorgeous little path that led us to an inspirational view. After our rest.. Off to the city we gooooo. Back to Waikiki for some relaxation on the good ol beach!
It was the most perfect day for the beach! So super sunny, not a raindrop in sight...NOT. As we were were beebopping our way to the beach it was a raining and a raining. All the other beach goers were running back to their hotels, but not us. There we were headed to the waves with our snorkel gear in tow. The rain stopped when we got there and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon.
We had a date with the lady who is renting us the condo so we went to get a money order and rushed to meet her at 6pm in the lobby. We nearly had a collision with a jazzy red lexus but thankfully it saw us and embarrassed the heck out of us by honking at us :( oopps A guy came up behind us though and said,"Has that happened to you guys alot here? I don't know what it is about Hawaii but I've done that too, just walk right out in front of cars". hahaha As we continued our walk back we scored some coupons for happy hour! (we gratefully snatched out of the guy's hands).
We met with Irene, got the keys to our "permanent residence" (so excited to really unpack our bags), had dinner and that puts us where we are now, sitting on our lanai, enjoying the breeze and beauty of Hawaii!
Goodnight and aloha! :)
We headed back to our place, ate, and crashed out.
This morning we headed to Manoa falls using Hawaii's public transportation. We waited on a bus bench and we discussed our game plan on meeting people, and meeting our future hawaiian boyfriends, and why we are a good-catch, and while discussing such matters we were simultaneously applying deodorant and sunscreen...we might as well have been clipping our toenails and plucking stray hairs. WE HAD A GOOD LUAGH AT OURSELVES once we realized what we must look like... Anywayssss we must say, OAhu's public transportation is a bit classier than good ol' Portland's. And we didn't get lost today. In fact, a girl was nice enough to tell us that there was another stop that would take us closer to the trail.
The hike to the waterfall was basically an easy going muddy buddy. Over rocks and roots we went! At the top the view of the waterfall was quite amazing! We just did not get enough of hiking soooo we decided to take a side trail. Good idea at the time... Lets just say that the muddy trail just got muddier and more narrow. Kayleigh being the deligent walker that she is wanted to try and keep her shoes as clean as possible so she was weaving in and out of the mud puddles. Bec gave up after she flung mud from her sandal to her face on the previous trail :) Well long story short Kayleigh was using some bamboo for support and ending up slipping and doing the nature's version of an eliptical for a few seconds before sliding to the trail. Hilarious. Proud of ourselves for not peeing our pants then and there!
After our hike back to the main road we stumbled across an arboretum (that is now pronounced abor-tree-um... okkk maybe you had to be there for that one). This was a gorgeous little path that led us to an inspirational view. After our rest.. Off to the city we gooooo. Back to Waikiki for some relaxation on the good ol beach!
It was the most perfect day for the beach! So super sunny, not a raindrop in sight...NOT. As we were were beebopping our way to the beach it was a raining and a raining. All the other beach goers were running back to their hotels, but not us. There we were headed to the waves with our snorkel gear in tow. The rain stopped when we got there and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon.
We had a date with the lady who is renting us the condo so we went to get a money order and rushed to meet her at 6pm in the lobby. We nearly had a collision with a jazzy red lexus but thankfully it saw us and embarrassed the heck out of us by honking at us :( oopps A guy came up behind us though and said,"Has that happened to you guys alot here? I don't know what it is about Hawaii but I've done that too, just walk right out in front of cars". hahaha As we continued our walk back we scored some coupons for happy hour! (we gratefully snatched out of the guy's hands).
We met with Irene, got the keys to our "permanent residence" (so excited to really unpack our bags), had dinner and that puts us where we are now, sitting on our lanai, enjoying the breeze and beauty of Hawaii!
Goodnight and aloha! :)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
in Paradise
We made it safe and sound last night around 7pm. It was dark when we arrived so we could not see too much. We are staying at the Island Colony hotel/condominiums in Waikiki. As we drove through town, the streets were BUSY with people shopping at all the high end shops. It kind of had a Vegas feel. We were very tired so we went to sleep and were early to rise this morning! We were eager to get the day started. We got dressed, headed out the door about 8am, and began to do what we know best...WALK :) We didnt have to walk far though.Our rental is centrally located, which is ideal! Our jaws dropped when we got to the beachside of town. The water was gorgeous, the waves were out of this world, and the surfers everywhere.
We had not eaten since 4 the day before, so food and coffee was on our mind too. We stopped and ate Crepes at "Crepe House". They were very yummy and the coffee was amazing alone. After breakfast, we found us a spot on the sand to set up camp. This is where we spent much of our day. We layed out, people watched, swam, took a nap...and repeat :) Then we headed back to our room to change clothes and visit the local food pantry. Talk aboutsticker shock... we heard that meat, milk, and bread would be pricy but just about everything was. Apples were $2.49 a pound, oatmeal was $6.49 , and a loaf of bread was almost $5. It's wasy to say our baskets were light when we left. There is a big farmer's market wach Sunday, a "Chinatown", and another midweek market where we can get local produce that is fresh and at a better cost, so we look forward to that.
And as of right now... we are relaxing for a bit and pondering an evening jog.
We will post some pictures later!
We send lots of hugs and kisses!
<3 Kayleigh and Bec
We had not eaten since 4 the day before, so food and coffee was on our mind too. We stopped and ate Crepes at "Crepe House". They were very yummy and the coffee was amazing alone. After breakfast, we found us a spot on the sand to set up camp. This is where we spent much of our day. We layed out, people watched, swam, took a nap...and repeat :) Then we headed back to our room to change clothes and visit the local food pantry. Talk aboutsticker shock... we heard that meat, milk, and bread would be pricy but just about everything was. Apples were $2.49 a pound, oatmeal was $6.49 , and a loaf of bread was almost $5. It's wasy to say our baskets were light when we left. There is a big farmer's market wach Sunday, a "Chinatown", and another midweek market where we can get local produce that is fresh and at a better cost, so we look forward to that.
And as of right now... we are relaxing for a bit and pondering an evening jog.
We will post some pictures later!
We send lots of hugs and kisses!
<3 Kayleigh and Bec
Monday, August 29, 2011
HI Bound
Aloha :)
We are up and packing!
Our flight leaves Portland at 1pm and then we stop over in San Francisco...then we are on our way to Oahu! (We land around 7 pm their time)
We rented a place at Waikiki Island Colony. Mom's and Dad's, we will have all the important info: phone number and address, crime rate, unemployment rate... ;) later.
Love you all and will be in touch soon
<3
Kayleigh and Bec
We are up and packing!
Our flight leaves Portland at 1pm and then we stop over in San Francisco...then we are on our way to Oahu! (We land around 7 pm their time)
We rented a place at Waikiki Island Colony. Mom's and Dad's, we will have all the important info: phone number and address, crime rate, unemployment rate... ;) later.
Love you all and will be in touch soon
<3
Kayleigh and Bec
Saturday, August 27, 2011
2 for 1
Friday! End of the tough work week for most and we respect you, we do! As for us we are lucky enough to say that we got a nice start by hitting up the food carts for breakfast.. Went to Brunch in a Box. It basically offered fancy and delicious egg sandwiches... After we had our wiches we headed out to Mt Tabor Natural area. This is a little park tucked away in Northeast Portland. It is home to two reservoirs which was a new sight to see to both of us. We hiked for an hour and a half and wanted more so we decided to make our way to "The Butte". The bus ride took forevvvverrr but we finally made it. At first, we felt like we were just hiking dirt trails in Texas but it turned into a gorgeous view of the mountains. We were in the park for about 2 hours. So by the end of it all we were some very tired puppies. We made it back to our neighborhood, stopped by Fred Myer's for some refreshments and pretty sure we were both passed out by 8:30!
Saturday (Bec's B-day eve)
We slept in, got a late start to our day but felt that the sleep was much needed. Our plan was to make it to Voodoo doughnuts again, but when we got there, the line was too long and we were not feeling patient. We walked a little bit and found an Irish pub/restaurant. We both ate a lunch that kept us full for hours!Next, we made our way to the oldest brewery in Portland, the Tugboat brewery, where much to our disappointment, it did not open till 5pm. Soooo we headed to the Saturday Market for some entertainment. There was food, beer, and vendors of every kind. The best part of it was the people watching :)
The Saturday market had everything to offer and we had to keep a tight hold on ourselves in order to avoid buying everything is sight! We window shopped and wondered in amazement for hours.. We decided to head out to Gresham, where we passed on Friday, because we saw super cute little shops. Guess those packed up and left sometime before the afternoon because they were nowhere in sight! Back on the MAX we got and headed to a local spot in our hood that had amazing happy hour offerings and pizzzzzzaaa. Once we got there we found a delicious local beer (Session) and friendly faces. We chatted with the owner (Luke) and enjoyed our goodies :)
After UFO Pizza we decided to go ahead and get Voodoo doughnuts in order to avoid the morning line.
And this is where our evening ends. Tomorrow is Bec's b-day so there will be much celebrating! Miss you all! <3
Kayleigh and Bec
Saturday (Bec's B-day eve)
We slept in, got a late start to our day but felt that the sleep was much needed. Our plan was to make it to Voodoo doughnuts again, but when we got there, the line was too long and we were not feeling patient. We walked a little bit and found an Irish pub/restaurant. We both ate a lunch that kept us full for hours!Next, we made our way to the oldest brewery in Portland, the Tugboat brewery, where much to our disappointment, it did not open till 5pm. Soooo we headed to the Saturday Market for some entertainment. There was food, beer, and vendors of every kind. The best part of it was the people watching :)
The Saturday market had everything to offer and we had to keep a tight hold on ourselves in order to avoid buying everything is sight! We window shopped and wondered in amazement for hours.. We decided to head out to Gresham, where we passed on Friday, because we saw super cute little shops. Guess those packed up and left sometime before the afternoon because they were nowhere in sight! Back on the MAX we got and headed to a local spot in our hood that had amazing happy hour offerings and pizzzzzzaaa. Once we got there we found a delicious local beer (Session) and friendly faces. We chatted with the owner (Luke) and enjoyed our goodies :)
After UFO Pizza we decided to go ahead and get Voodoo doughnuts in order to avoid the morning line.
And this is where our evening ends. Tomorrow is Bec's b-day so there will be much celebrating! Miss you all! <3
Kayleigh and Bec
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Had a late start this morning! Took our time getting up and drinking our coffee! We had a bite to eat and we were off!
Head to the Oregon Zoo! Both of us were excited to hear you get 1.50 off with our MAX ticket! Wooo :)
We loved seeing all the animals, but were disappointed in the exhibits...
We passed through several without seeing anything :( We felt that it did not live up to its potential.
After the Zoo we went into Portland's city center and ate at "Taste of Paris".
We timed it just perfectly because we got there during happy hour! It was happy hour for food and beverage! Bec got a fancy french burger and Kayleigh ordered mussels cooked in chorizo...with french fries! We got cutsie drinks as well :)
Afterwards we made our way to Powell's Bookstore. Biggest bookstore ever! You could spend a day and a half there.
Then we made our way to a MAX to go back to our humble abode and rest when we passed a placed that served gelatao :) And, well, it was delicious.
Theeen we took the MAX back to our place. We stopped by Fred Myers for a few necessities and took a timeout.
We rested for about an hour and decided that we wanted to go to Festa Italiana. We got dressed and poured us some wine to drink on the patio before we headed out. Well, our host came out, we chitchatted and before we knew it, she was along for the festivities as well :) We were anxious, and excited and nervous about her joining us. But she is a very sweet, laid back, and motherly type. We were more concerned about being on our best behavior.
We got to the festival, bought some wine and pasta and enjoyed the music! The festival was held in Pioneer Square so there was a lot to see! It was a blast. We saw the cutest Italian couples (prob hitting the 100s :) dancing their life away! It was a perfect ending to a fantastic day! Of course what is next?! We hopped on the MAX and headed home. Only this time our host drove to the stop so no walking and walking for us tonight!
Head to the Oregon Zoo! Both of us were excited to hear you get 1.50 off with our MAX ticket! Wooo :)
We loved seeing all the animals, but were disappointed in the exhibits...
We passed through several without seeing anything :( We felt that it did not live up to its potential.
After the Zoo we went into Portland's city center and ate at "Taste of Paris".
We timed it just perfectly because we got there during happy hour! It was happy hour for food and beverage! Bec got a fancy french burger and Kayleigh ordered mussels cooked in chorizo...with french fries! We got cutsie drinks as well :)
Afterwards we made our way to Powell's Bookstore. Biggest bookstore ever! You could spend a day and a half there.
Then we made our way to a MAX to go back to our humble abode and rest when we passed a placed that served gelatao :) And, well, it was delicious.
Theeen we took the MAX back to our place. We stopped by Fred Myers for a few necessities and took a timeout.
We rested for about an hour and decided that we wanted to go to Festa Italiana. We got dressed and poured us some wine to drink on the patio before we headed out. Well, our host came out, we chitchatted and before we knew it, she was along for the festivities as well :) We were anxious, and excited and nervous about her joining us. But she is a very sweet, laid back, and motherly type. We were more concerned about being on our best behavior.
We got to the festival, bought some wine and pasta and enjoyed the music! The festival was held in Pioneer Square so there was a lot to see! It was a blast. We saw the cutest Italian couples (prob hitting the 100s :) dancing their life away! It was a perfect ending to a fantastic day! Of course what is next?! We hopped on the MAX and headed home. Only this time our host drove to the stop so no walking and walking for us tonight!
pictures
pictures are up on shutterfly
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you can log on using Bec's
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becbsgl@gmail.com
password
aggies
Day tree :)
This is going to be pretty short and sweet.... Here is what we did in a nutshell
Woke up and headed to Voodoo donuts which is delicious btw!(there wasn't a line at 9am!) After our not so healthy RASBERRY ROMEO AND CAPTAIN CRUNCH DONUTS, we headed over to the awesome awesome farmers market downtown.The vendors were real strict on not making the first sale until "the bell" rang. Buuut we were able to sample foods, and sample we did! All the different fruits, veggies, cheeses... it overwhelmed us.We bought some cherries, peaches, strawberries, and fresh salsa and headed home to have a fruit/veggie buffet!
After we did that we headed out for our daily hike! As we were meandering our way to the trail we discussed how some boys in our life, past and present, and how they never notice the little things or give good compliments, and Bec decided the next guy that said nice things to her she would not let go (remember this detail for later :). Oh by the way, Council Crest is where we decided to checkout today! Absolutely beautiful!!
After hiking all day we retired to homebase for a few minutes to freshen up for dinner! We met Bec's cousin Denise and her partner Tonya! Awesome awesome people :). We also met several of their friends and went to dinner at the Shed. Once more very tastey!
As we rode the bus home Bec found her soulmate... Who cares if he was one of the deranged locals, he told Bec she was one Hot Ass MOFO... She'll take it :) Just joshing...still in search of that summer fling. Maybe tomorrow at the Italiano Festival :)
We got home later than planned tonight, but we made it home safe and sound :)
Good Night!
Woke up and headed to Voodoo donuts which is delicious btw!(there wasn't a line at 9am!) After our not so healthy RASBERRY ROMEO AND CAPTAIN CRUNCH DONUTS, we headed over to the awesome awesome farmers market downtown.The vendors were real strict on not making the first sale until "the bell" rang. Buuut we were able to sample foods, and sample we did! All the different fruits, veggies, cheeses... it overwhelmed us.We bought some cherries, peaches, strawberries, and fresh salsa and headed home to have a fruit/veggie buffet!
After we did that we headed out for our daily hike! As we were meandering our way to the trail we discussed how some boys in our life, past and present, and how they never notice the little things or give good compliments, and Bec decided the next guy that said nice things to her she would not let go (remember this detail for later :). Oh by the way, Council Crest is where we decided to checkout today! Absolutely beautiful!!
After hiking all day we retired to homebase for a few minutes to freshen up for dinner! We met Bec's cousin Denise and her partner Tonya! Awesome awesome people :). We also met several of their friends and went to dinner at the Shed. Once more very tastey!
As we rode the bus home Bec found her soulmate... Who cares if he was one of the deranged locals, he told Bec she was one Hot Ass MOFO... She'll take it :) Just joshing...still in search of that summer fling. Maybe tomorrow at the Italiano Festival :)
We got home later than planned tonight, but we made it home safe and sound :)
Good Night!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
So much to say about today... But first a shout out to our boyyyy Cory Foust.
The morning started started with a wonderful breakfast accompanied by delicious coffee. We then made our way to public transit once more. Our favorite, but today was different.. We zipped over to downtown and once more had a helpful stranger (outside Timber soccer field) point us in the right direction for the Rose Sanctuary. We had a friendly bus driver that was filled to the brim with funnies and knew all the locals by name. He dropped us off and we were on our way to the RS.
We arrived around 10:45 and there was a free rose garden tour at 11:30 but we were too anxious to hang around and wait to get into groups so we took it upon ourselves to tour the garden. The place was MAGICAL. It had roses of every size, shape, and color. We felt like we were in Alice in Wonderland. From the rose garden we went to the Japanese Flower Garden. Well, we went as far as we could until we got to an admissions booth and we didn't want to pay, so we decided to take the "Wild Wood" trail.
The Wild Wood trail was long, green, and peaceful. We definitely got a good hike in, about 2 and a half hours worth. We saw a snail, then slugs, and then ate wild berries :) Then we arrived at a Mansion where we used the restroom and took a picture, then continued on our trek that we thought would loop us around to where we began....but no. We were just hiking further and further into...well away from where we began. But no need for us to freak out, its not like we had a car to return to. Soooo we continued hiking and eventually ended up in a neighborhood. We had hiked all the way through one park...and all the way through another! We found our way to a bus stop and hung out for 15 minutes. We were laying down, singing, just living when the bus pulled up. We excitedly stood up, found our tickets and hopped on to be greeted by grumpy pants McGee who said, "You all sure were doing a good job at goofing off. Where are you all going, Im about to be on my break. You can either catch another bus or wait on the bus for 27 minutes". We chose to catch another bus that took us into uptown Portland where we ate a lovely lunch at "Sal's kitchen". Sal sureee knows how to make a nice Moscato.. Anywho the food was delicious and we got a few pointers from our waitress who suggested we head to the river....
So our trek began to this river. What do you know?? We walkeeed and walked and walked some more. Finally asked a guy where we should really be going and headed there. As we walked we tried our hardest to run from and irate homeless lady that was denied a bus ride...hmmmmm wonder why... and found food served out of food carts (that smelt amazing by the way...more on that tomorrow). We made it to the Williamette River and as you will see in our pictures it was just wonderful...now on the other hand the park that we were walking through had some questionable hippie/homeless/deranged folks scattered about. But all in all it was a nice sight to see (the smells not so much). We continued on to downtown where we experienced some hilarious encounters. For example: walking by a guy smoking a joint and then another passerby asking "Is that you getting high?? Sure smells like they got good weed around here..." We quickly made our way back to the familiar side of downtown to be greeted by the sound of bongo drums playing. Bec suggested we go to there to hear the awesome concert. Turns out it was one single boy trying to make it in the big city.
As we walked to the familiar side we passed by Nines Hotel where the Chivas soccer team would be resting their heads until the game tomorrow... Needless to say we were in heaven for a few minutes as we watched the boys unload their bus. As we made our way through the sea of hotties we drooled and wished we did not appear to have walked 5000 miles today. Welp, you win some you lose some. Sorry to our moms... We wont be coming home with a soccer boy husband....
Our little feet were soooo sleepy so we decided to head out to our neck of the woods. We hopped on the MAX but got the great idea to stop at China Town. We never de see one Chinese descendant.. We were fooled, more like strip club and peep show town. Oh well! Back on the MAX we go.
We arrived back in our hood just in time to have a locally brewed brewski and read the local newspaper. Sooooo different than TX newspapers, but got some good laughs. Swung by Fred Meyers and picked up a six pack of Full Sail Ltd and headed to the casa.
On the itinerary for tomorrow: voodoo donuts, farmers market, hiking, food carts, and meeting up with Bec's cousin!
Check out today's pictures!!!! http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=194215c578408148c9f3edf1ebadc1fb
The morning started started with a wonderful breakfast accompanied by delicious coffee. We then made our way to public transit once more. Our favorite, but today was different.. We zipped over to downtown and once more had a helpful stranger (outside Timber soccer field) point us in the right direction for the Rose Sanctuary. We had a friendly bus driver that was filled to the brim with funnies and knew all the locals by name. He dropped us off and we were on our way to the RS.
We arrived around 10:45 and there was a free rose garden tour at 11:30 but we were too anxious to hang around and wait to get into groups so we took it upon ourselves to tour the garden. The place was MAGICAL. It had roses of every size, shape, and color. We felt like we were in Alice in Wonderland. From the rose garden we went to the Japanese Flower Garden. Well, we went as far as we could until we got to an admissions booth and we didn't want to pay, so we decided to take the "Wild Wood" trail.
The Wild Wood trail was long, green, and peaceful. We definitely got a good hike in, about 2 and a half hours worth. We saw a snail, then slugs, and then ate wild berries :) Then we arrived at a Mansion where we used the restroom and took a picture, then continued on our trek that we thought would loop us around to where we began....but no. We were just hiking further and further into...well away from where we began. But no need for us to freak out, its not like we had a car to return to. Soooo we continued hiking and eventually ended up in a neighborhood. We had hiked all the way through one park...and all the way through another! We found our way to a bus stop and hung out for 15 minutes. We were laying down, singing, just living when the bus pulled up. We excitedly stood up, found our tickets and hopped on to be greeted by grumpy pants McGee who said, "You all sure were doing a good job at goofing off. Where are you all going, Im about to be on my break. You can either catch another bus or wait on the bus for 27 minutes". We chose to catch another bus that took us into uptown Portland where we ate a lovely lunch at "Sal's kitchen". Sal sureee knows how to make a nice Moscato.. Anywho the food was delicious and we got a few pointers from our waitress who suggested we head to the river....
So our trek began to this river. What do you know?? We walkeeed and walked and walked some more. Finally asked a guy where we should really be going and headed there. As we walked we tried our hardest to run from and irate homeless lady that was denied a bus ride...hmmmmm wonder why... and found food served out of food carts (that smelt amazing by the way...more on that tomorrow). We made it to the Williamette River and as you will see in our pictures it was just wonderful...now on the other hand the park that we were walking through had some questionable hippie/homeless/deranged folks scattered about. But all in all it was a nice sight to see (the smells not so much). We continued on to downtown where we experienced some hilarious encounters. For example: walking by a guy smoking a joint and then another passerby asking "Is that you getting high?? Sure smells like they got good weed around here..." We quickly made our way back to the familiar side of downtown to be greeted by the sound of bongo drums playing. Bec suggested we go to there to hear the awesome concert. Turns out it was one single boy trying to make it in the big city.
As we walked to the familiar side we passed by Nines Hotel where the Chivas soccer team would be resting their heads until the game tomorrow... Needless to say we were in heaven for a few minutes as we watched the boys unload their bus. As we made our way through the sea of hotties we drooled and wished we did not appear to have walked 5000 miles today. Welp, you win some you lose some. Sorry to our moms... We wont be coming home with a soccer boy husband....
Our little feet were soooo sleepy so we decided to head out to our neck of the woods. We hopped on the MAX but got the great idea to stop at China Town. We never de see one Chinese descendant.. We were fooled, more like strip club and peep show town. Oh well! Back on the MAX we go.
We arrived back in our hood just in time to have a locally brewed brewski and read the local newspaper. Sooooo different than TX newspapers, but got some good laughs. Swung by Fred Meyers and picked up a six pack of Full Sail Ltd and headed to the casa.
On the itinerary for tomorrow: voodoo donuts, farmers market, hiking, food carts, and meeting up with Bec's cousin!
Check out today's pictures!!!! http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=194215c578408148c9f3edf1ebadc1fb
Monday, August 22, 2011
We made it!
The day began with much excitement as we boarded the plane. Kayleigh had to do some sprint training as she rushed to Terminal E... We debated giving up our seats in order to gain travel vouchers, but soon realized if we did that we would never make it out of Houston. So, we quickly decided against that and hopped on our plane to our destination! We even scored seats next to each other on a full flight! We sipped tomato juice and sprite (fearing to be frowned upon by requesting wine at 8 am :) AND argued about the time difference until we landed. Once we landed, we retrieved our luggage and got a bite to eat at the "Flying Elephant". We loved our sandwiches and our one beer each SO much that we would have been happy ending our trip right there, the very place we started it. We didn't know where we were going or what we were going to do from there. So we walked by the welcome center, felt too touristy, and made a B line to the MAX rail ticket purchase machine. BEST PURCHASE YET. We got on the MAX and headed towards our rental...
Well, we were basically dropped off on the freeway, with our luggage, didn't know what to do but walk. And so we walked...and walked...and walked some more. We weaved and wove our way through neighborhood streets, up and down some streets multiple times before having a seat in some shade when a sweet lady pulled up and asked us if she could help. She got us going in the right direction, and then we were asked by another friendly face if we were lost when we stopped on the sidewalk outside his house. Needless to say, we were very gracious and thankful for all the kindness we came across, AND the amazing weather. We would not have made it walking around in South Texas with all our loot.
We finally met our rental's owner along with a too friendly of a neighbor that was wayyy to excited to see two new girls wandering the streets of NE Portland. She showed us our cute little house for the week as well as a few secret passage ways to get to the rail. (no more walking for hours for us!) Next we thought it would be a grand idea to explore our new city! This boils down to spending several and we mean SEVERAL hours on public transportation. All we wanted to do was be one with nature but nooooo. We have witnessed Portland's finest, from tween lovers to the worst mother ever, as well as several feral children. Later in the evening we returned to homebase and dragged our sleepy and hungry selves to the grocery store to once again be overwhelmed by all OR has to offer.
We have high high hopes for tomorrow's agenda. Planning on touring the local Rose Sanctuary and making our way to nature.
Loooove,
Kayleigh and Bec
Well, we were basically dropped off on the freeway, with our luggage, didn't know what to do but walk. And so we walked...and walked...and walked some more. We weaved and wove our way through neighborhood streets, up and down some streets multiple times before having a seat in some shade when a sweet lady pulled up and asked us if she could help. She got us going in the right direction, and then we were asked by another friendly face if we were lost when we stopped on the sidewalk outside his house. Needless to say, we were very gracious and thankful for all the kindness we came across, AND the amazing weather. We would not have made it walking around in South Texas with all our loot.
We finally met our rental's owner along with a too friendly of a neighbor that was wayyy to excited to see two new girls wandering the streets of NE Portland. She showed us our cute little house for the week as well as a few secret passage ways to get to the rail. (no more walking for hours for us!) Next we thought it would be a grand idea to explore our new city! This boils down to spending several and we mean SEVERAL hours on public transportation. All we wanted to do was be one with nature but nooooo. We have witnessed Portland's finest, from tween lovers to the worst mother ever, as well as several feral children. Later in the evening we returned to homebase and dragged our sleepy and hungry selves to the grocery store to once again be overwhelmed by all OR has to offer.
We have high high hopes for tomorrow's agenda. Planning on touring the local Rose Sanctuary and making our way to nature.
Loooove,
Kayleigh and Bec
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Hi family and friends!
Our adventure begins tomorrow...so EXCITED!
The plane lands in Portland, Oregon tomorrow at 11:05.
We will be staying in a guest house until August 29th that we rented through airbnb.
I can not wait for some cooler weather :)
We are looking forward to everything that Portland has to offer; from the Farmer's Market to running through Forest Park trails and then eating at Voodoo Doughnuts! AND celebrating Bec's birthday!
My plan is for us to blog about our busy day each night, so keep in touch and feel free to send us any tips/pointers/suggestions!
Love you all
Our adventure begins tomorrow...so EXCITED!
The plane lands in Portland, Oregon tomorrow at 11:05.
We will be staying in a guest house until August 29th that we rented through airbnb.
I can not wait for some cooler weather :)
We are looking forward to everything that Portland has to offer; from the Farmer's Market to running through Forest Park trails and then eating at Voodoo Doughnuts! AND celebrating Bec's birthday!
My plan is for us to blog about our busy day each night, so keep in touch and feel free to send us any tips/pointers/suggestions!
Love you all
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