A Week on Oahu

This picture shows Waikiki beach the morning after we arrived in Hawaii. It is early morning, so there are very few people around, but Waikiki was bustling by 9am!

The Waikiki area had plenty of nice shops and restaurants. One evening we ate dinner outside at a restaurant overlooking this water feature. There were huge trees strung with lanterns and tiki torches outside, and overall the lush Hawaii vegetation was beautiful. Also, the food was very good! Too bad I don't eat seafood though...

The evenings in Waikiki were very nice. We tried to catch the sunset most evenings on the beach and get a quick dip in. I insisted on getting out of the water before dark however: can't trust those sharks.

On Sunday, our second day on the island, we did a driving tour around Oahu. Unfortunately it rained for most of the afternoon, but the morning was very nice. This picture was taken at a scenic overlook not far from Waikiki beach.

Our guidebook brought us to a little known spot where we saw a sea turtle and a seal swimming. Whales were rumored to be swimming offshore as well, but the choppy water prevented us from spotting any that day.

The best part about our stay in Oahu was the snorkeling. We visited this bay, called Hanauma bay, twice during our stay, where we swam with hundreds of brightly colored tropical fish. And since the bay is a protected area, the fish didn't mind us at all. Sometimes they even swam along next to us! The dark spots in the water are the reef.

On our last day on the island, we visited Pearl Harbor, where we saw the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and boarded the U.S.S. Bowfin submarine. The memorial was a very melancholy place (it is shown in the distance on the left side of this picture) where over 1100 crewmen are buried at sea. And the Bowfin was active during WWII, claiming 44 enemy ships during its commission. It was great to get some Navy and war history on site at Pearl Harbor.

Christmas in Connecticut

The airlines tried, unsuccessfully, to stop me from visiting Connecticut for Christmas this year with their high fares. Well, we outsmarted them. Mom and I figured out that if I flew in early and left on Christmas day, the price was reasonable. Everyone generously pushed Christmas up a day for me. The airlines obviously weren't betting on my family's good spirit and flexibility!

The days leading up to Christmas were full of good food, plenty of treats, chatting time, movie time, puzzle time, and game time. We did a great puzzle of Times Square the glows in the dark. And one afternoon, Evan, Olivia, and I got a game of Texas Hold'em going with all of the treats in the candy bowl. If I remember correctly, Kit-Kats were $1, Peppermint Patty's $5, Tootsie Rolls $10, and Peanut Butter Cups $20. I didn't win, but that may have been because I was eating some of my money... ;)

This year Mom and Dad went all out with multiple Christmas trees in the house. On Christmas morning, we awoke to presents under three different trees! In the family room there was a beautiful inverted tree covered in glittering tinsel.

In the living room was a silver tree with a 1950s theme! Even the wrapping paper was color-coordinated. Olivia and I especially enjoyed the pinks, purples, and bright blues (and not to mention the impeccable wrapping jobs - I have a suspicion that Santa hired Dad to wrap at his workshop this year!).

And in the basement, our traditional tree made its appearance, along with a number of favorite childhood decorations such as the Rudolph screen shown in this picture.

Another theme in the Christmas decor this year was candlelight. There were dozens of candles throughout the house, making everything glitter, glow, and glimmer in the evenings.

It was wonderful to be home for Christmas!

10/18: Sedona, AZ

Sedona is a truly beautiful part of Arizona that is pleasantly different from the cactus-strewn, sandy desert that we drove through to get there. Characterized by massive red rocks, glowing sunsets, and perfect weather, it was a great destination for a long weekend.

The red rock formations only got redder as the sun went down. Some of them had interesting shapes - we saw rocks that looked like a steamboat, a coffee pot, and even one that looked like Snoopy lying on top of his doghouse!

We did a little off-roading while we were in Sedona, and Scott even let me drive the truck he rented a little bit!

On one of our days in Arizona, we took a day trip up to the Grand Canyon.

We hiked into the canyon on the South Kaibab trail. Here's our route down - yikes!

The canyon really is grand, and it had the effect of making me feel pretty tiny!

After our hike, we returned to the rim where we ate trail mix and waited for the sun to set.

And this is the view we enjoyed while we waited!