Back from our vacation

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
:hawaii_girl:We had a great time in Maui, and I am soooo tired.

We had to save every penny to pay for everything, so I really missed you all in Cleveland. I hope you all get together next yr!

Our airfare was a gift from a relative who works for an airline and we were very, very lucky to get it. We rented a condo (online), a much better deal than a hotel, even the cheapest hotel. The condo was very nice and had two bedrooms and a hide-a-bed couch in the LR. That's where difficult child slept.

husband let difficult child bring his PS2. Grrr. He also let him bring an Airsoft gun (double grr, especially since it went through security with-o my knowledge and it looks just like a real gun, except the orange cap, of course). difficult child showed it to me when I was searching his luggage for his eye drops. He was angry and panicky, and when he gets like that, I know something's up. He said he'd only show me if I promised not to get mad at husband. (Don't you hate it when the kids say stuff like that?)

Anyway, he did very well on the flights (all 3 of them) there and back(6 total. Boy, am I good at math, or what?). The only time he was really bratty was when we drove to Haleakala to see the sunrise at 4 a.m. He refused to get out of the car. He refused to wear a jacket. (34 degrees) I was torn between staying with-him in the car and missing the sunrise we'd driven an hr to see (not to mention traveling 15 hrs b4 that), and catching up with-husband and easy child. I caught up with-them and we saw the sun rise (sort of like a Martian sunrise--beautiful and creepy, with-clouds and lava, lots of cliffs and ledges). Afterward, we went out to breakfast at a restaurant that had a fabulous view, and difficult child told me he was afraid of heights.
Say what?
We had a trip planned to drive the road to Hana--an all day affair, 2 hrs there, beach time, then 2 hrs back--and I thought, what are we going to do about difficult child? husband and I decided to give difficult child 1/2 a Xanax and tell him it was for motion sickness. It worked! Trouble was, everyone was stressed out, because there are dozens of hairpin turns on the edges of cliffs--most with-guardrails:anxious:--and I was driving. If I had been a passenger, I would have taken a whole container of Xanax, LOL! It was a stressful drive up, but not bad on the way down, because we knew where we were going.
We ate grilled chicken at a roadside stand (it was actually someone's back yard) and tried to buy as many gifts and as much food as possible that way throughout the trip, because the economy is so bad. I read somewhere that Hawaii is the 5th worst state in regard to the economy.
Made it great for traveling, though.

The people are so nice! The culture and climate are so different, difficult child and easy child found it hard to believe we were in the US.

The weather was hot and sunny the entire time.
The beaches were great (we swam at about 1/2 doz beaches, incl the beach at Hana, although the Black Sand Beach was too rough and scary so we just went in and out of the caves, and husband and difficult child skipped rocks, no easy feat with-waves like that!).

One day, difficult child and I dived into the waves on the beach for about 2 hrs, great fun (the waves are about 3X bigger than VA Beach). We got a little unnerved when we both took a tumble in one of the big waves and got stuck in the undertow, thinking "this is it, just write my obit," but after a 5 min. break we were back at it again.

difficult child, easy child and I went on a 2-hr horseback ride. It was absolutely gorgeous. Poor difficult child got the smallest horse. He wanted a wild Arabian steed, LOL! We got to gallop twice. easy child's saddle fell off and she was very scared. Luckily, she remembered to rein in and the horse stopped b4 easy child hit the ground. I was wondering why her hair was flying sideways off the saddle while we were running ... Her horse was gorgeous, with-a long mane, and her name was Blondie. I think the guide chose the horse to match easy child so their manes would match, LOL!
The guides briefed us b4 we left ... stuff like, when your horse stumbles (on the edge of a cliff?) hold on to the reins but don't yank. Most of the time, they can get up again. I wasn't sure if that was a joke or not ... :anxious:)

We ate lots of Mexican food and lots of fish tacos. And I had a few cute little umbrella drinks, to make up for what I missed in Cleveland.
I got my fill of art galleries, too.

We went to a traditional luau and ate and ate and ate. The luau told the history--in song--of the Polynesian people and the islands, incl. the way the clothing changed when the missionaries showed up. Very odd to see long red and white skirts and blouses, 18th and 19th c clothing during a hula! The narrator was a middle aged Hawaiian with-a great speaking voice, who was also a drummer, and the story was segmented so that ea time a historical change happened, it incl a costume change. Most of the time, the outfits were grass skirts, etc.
difficult child did NOT think it was appropriate for the women to wear coconut shells on their boobs, LOL! :redface: The women were drop-dead gorgeous and the guys were gorgeous, too. difficult child was embarrassed that they had bare b&tts and just wore long loin cloths and headgear.
I think it was very educational.

easy child and husband took a catamaran snorkeling trip and saw lots of sea turtles and fabulous sea life. I skipped that, as well as the helicopter ride, and stayed at the condo with-difficult child, since he's afraid of heights and I get motion sickness.

I had to force difficult child to leave the condo and get off the stupid PS2 one day. (I think that's when easy child and husband were snorkeling.) I had no real plans except to get a shave ice, and he kept bugging me ... "Why? I don't want one."
"You've never had one. You don't even know what they are."
"Yes I do. They're snowcones."
"No, they're better."
"I don't want to go."
Sigh.
When he finally got one, it was HUGE and he got 2 colors. After that, he was hooked.
Getting him to try something new is like pulling teeth. But then he always loves it.

He even admitted to one of the sales clerks that the long flight from VA was worth it. :D:D:D And he actually wanted a floral Hawaiian shirt, after steadfastly refusing to wear one for 12 yrs straight. (He ended up with-a conservative blue-on-blue that he could wear at home.)

easy child got her nails done on the last day, while difficult child, husband and I walked on a nature path that wound around all the nice hotels. I have GOT to win the lottery. Guests on the beach on pure white towels, getting massages. Drinks on the beach, delivered by barefoot waiters and waitresses wearing leis. Phenomenal artwork and sculptures on the lobby walls.

But the beaches are ALL public. Anyone can go to any beach, even in front of the hotels. Great idea.

We all missed the kitties and the dog, but difficult child missed them the most. He is so happy to be home in his familiar surroundings.
:hawaii_girl:
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a great trip. husband and I got to go when he worked in the Insurance Industry. It was a fantastic trip, but not one I would want to make again---and I've got a cousin who lives over there so I could go for the cost of a ticket.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
Sounds wonderful. We were there in Feb. and thought the weather and culture of the islands wonderful.
I know what you mean about the hairpin turns but it is worth it. husband did a dawn bike ride down from the volcano. I passed on that.

Sounds like everyone had a nice trip. Glad you are back.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
I have to admit, I am green with envy! It sounds so lovely. I would have loved to see that luau. I love stuff like that....educational and entertaining at the same time. I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Terri -

I'm sitting next to Loth on the envy bench so I'm green too! WOW sounds like you had the vacation of a lifetime. I'm happy for you all! The horse on the beach is a dream!!!!! And diving with turtles???? WOW....

The way you wrote is just so beautiful and picturesque - I'm glad you're a writer I could see it all - even the bare butts of the georgeous men. :surprise: Um - yes just for education...haha.

Glad to have you back.

Maybe next year we ALL go to Hawaii! lol
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Ahhhh... you're reminding me of our vacation last year! I think Hawaii is (so far) my most favorite place to be in the whole world. Everything you described is so true. The people are so laid back. And yes, the economy there is in the toilet. Has been for a while. That really pains me to see.

I'm glad you were able to get difficult child to participate and experience a few more things. My difficult child 1 is a lot like that -- very small comfort zone sometimes.

So when do we get to see the PICTURES??? :winks:
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
Oh sounds so nice! I love Hawaii!
I am glad difficult child was able to handle it.
Living in the mid-west I finally understood why people from there further East went to the Caribbean and the eastern sides of Mexico, shorter flights much less expensive flights.
And when you live in the West everyone goes to Hawaii or the western sides of Mexico.

Sounds like a much needed break!
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Sounds wonderful! I'm also sitting on the envy bench with Loth and Star. I still remember our trip there when I was in 9th grade, best trip I've ever taken.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Amazing how many of you have been to Hawaii. It IS a trip of a lifetime.

Somehow, I plan to go back.

While I was there, I made mental notes of all the places I wanted to travel. Now that I'm home, I just want to sit. And sit. LOL.

Star, leave it to you to notice the guys' butts, even online, LOL!

Yes, I do have pics. Guys' butts and all. Heh heh. But my computer is in the shop and I have to wait until it's back b4 I do a show. :)

easy child stayed up almost all night when we got home, and worked on her photos in PhotoShop, then posted them on Facebook. Sigh.

difficult child was great on the flights. He watched movies, read, and on the way back, slept. He insisted, of course, he was going to stay up all night. He was the first one to fall asleep, LOL!

I've eaten half the gifts I was going to give to friends. BAD, bad friend! Lavender cookies, choc toffee macadamia nuts ... I made teriyaki mahi mahi last night, with-aji sauce (had to look it up online--I bought a cookbook and didn't understand a word of it! It's very authentic) and tonight made teriyaki chicken. I put sliced lime and pineapple in the juice, made steamed white rice, and sprinkled toasted, broken pistacio nuts on everything.
difficult child said, "We're not in Hawaii any more."
"Yes, but I'm carrying the spirit of it."
"That's stupid."

Whatever. Everyone ate the food anyway.
I'm going out to buy some more little umbrellas for drinks ...
wish I could afford tiki torches to line the driveway but, alas, we have to have to roof repaired. Real Life intrudes, as usual. ;)
 
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