Our flight here went smoothly until landing in San Fran. We were on the ta

Airport journey and arrival (October 12, 2018):

Everything went smoothly until we landed in San Francisco. We got stuck on the tarmac for almost an hour before we were able to de-board the plane. So not only was it a 6 hour flight, but then we were on it for another hour to boot. After getting off the plane we ran to our next gate only to find out we had to turn and go back to the gate we just came from because the plane we came in on from Newark, was the one taking us to Honolulu. (The plane had to switch gates when we landed -Hense the reason we were stuck on the tarmac so long- due to its wing span being to large to fit with the other planes around it. They didn’t update the tracking until we were almost to the other gate... ughh! we atleast got our steps in! Luckily we had enough time with the crew having to clean the plane, that we were able to grab some lunch. Once we boarded for Honolulu we were stuck on the plane again for another hour and a half due to a condensation issue. Once maintenance fixed it we were then cleared for take off to our final destination! When we got to Honolulu we made our way to baggage claim and luckily all our stuff made the trip with us. It was pouring when we got outside but super warm! We made our way to Dollar rental where we picked up our Nissan Rogue and headed to our Condo at Waikiki Marina. By the time we got to the condo we had all been up for about 24 hours, Barby was pushing close 40 hours, minus our little snoozes on the plane, but we were starving and it was our first night so we headed for The Cheesecake Favtory. Our meals and drinks were delish!! After that it was crash time!

Good Morning! Our first full day has begun. Barby went to climb Diamondhead this morning (I was suppose to go with her but woke up super congested and couldn’t breathe out my nose so I didn’t go 😕, but she said it was beautiful!)

Our view from the condo is pretty awesome! We are on the 26th floor! All the elevators are on the outside of the buildings with floor to ceiling windows, I prefer to face the doors and not out the window😬!

Our plan is to start with Pearl Harbor today and the Dole Plantation and then go from there. ☀️

Day 1: October 13, 2018 - Oahu

After Barby got back from hiking Diamondhead we went to a mall to look for sunglasses for Mike and Keens for John, even with as giant as the mall was, we had no luck with either. From there we went to Pearl Harbor. While Mike, Barby and I went in to the memorial, John headed off to find his Keens.

Pearl Harbor was amazing to experience! The museums and all the artifacts were incredible to see and the video was very moving, almost bringing me to tears. The USS Arizona memorial was closed due to structural damage 😔 so we were only able to go out via boat to see it. There were a couple battleships in port that we were able to see when we went out on the boat to the Arizona. Nothing can prepare you for how enormous they are!

From Pearl Harbor we headed to the Dole Plantation where we got our Dole Whips. They were delish! Then we went to Sunset beach. It was gorgeous! We got to see some surfers and guys on a giant flamingo float. We drove around the island after that and were able to see some pretty beautiful sites!!

We had dinner last night at Dukes, names for the surf king. We ate outside right along the beach and were surprised by a sweet fireworks show!

First day in Maui: October 14, 2018

We took an early flight from Oahu to Maui,once we landed we headed for the car rental to pick up our Dodge Grand Caravan! From there we headed for “The Road to Hanna”, but not before stopping at Krispy Kreme 😁🍩.

Our first stop was Twin Falls. It was a little muddy hike in but it was so pretty. The best part (according to John & Barby) was blocked off. There was a warning sign for experienced hikers only to go further 😔. From there we went to The Garden of Eden. It was beautiful! The 30 acre garden was created by a \240man in 1991. Part of Jurassic Park was filmed there! From there we made our way to a little place fore lunch where we all had pork fried rice. It was so good and had star fruit in it! After that we went to the Black Sand Beach. It was so cool!!

We were all quite tired so instead of continuing on to Hana we headed back to get some groceries before going to the condo. We made it to the condo (and luckily they had the Pats game!) just in time to see Gostkoski kick the game winning field goal against KC!

After the game we got settled in to the condo (which is absolutely beautiful) and had a drink, Barby and I had a Blueberry Apple Martini and Mike and John, you guessed it, Jack and Dr. Pepper, out on the Lanai and watched the sunset.After having some pizza we crashed. We were all asleep by 7:30!

Dive Day 1: October 15, 2018

Mike, John & I woke up early to meet the boat at 6am in Kihei (about an hour from our condo in Lahaina). Once there we met the crew and signed our lives away 😆. One the way out we went passed a sea turtle! Mike and I talked with one of the dive masters during the boat ride, Kate, and come to find out her sister is a dentist in Waterville!

First stop was Molokini! It a volcano island that formed 3/4 of a circle. The water was a bit tougher then we had hopped for but you could see clear to the bottom (100 ft dow), non the less). I ended up getting a mouth full of water after stupidly taking my regulator out of my mouth and then had a mini hyperventilation session so my dive ended before it began. Mike & John were able to continue on (so jealous!). I was not the only one that didn’t make it down though, another woman had pretty much the same thing that happened to me, happen to her, and another guy had his mask knocked off and panicked as he was going down so the 3 of us sat on the boat with the Captain, Andy and deck hand, Warren.

After everyone finished the first dive we headed for the second site, a man made reef known as Saint Anthony. Originally the site was made up of a bunch of old cars, but after they rotted away, they were replaced by tires and a shipwreck. This one I was good for! We saw a white tip shark!!, a puffer fish and a whole bunch of other pretty fish!!

The biggest bummer is our go pro wouldn’t work at the depth we were at so we didn’t get any cool pics of the shark or fish. 😫

Tonight we are going to The Old Lahaina Luau!

The Old Lahaina Luau: October 15, 2018

The Luau last night was awesome! Barby and I were given a flower to wear behind our ear when we first arrived (on the left of you are married, on the right if you are single), as well all walked in to the Luau area we were greeted with a Mai-Tai (that was super strong) and we all got leid (with purple orchids 😁). From there we were taken to our seats and able to walk around and see all the activities. At 5:45 they uncovered the pig that had been cooking in a pit with river rock. After the unveiling of the pig it was dinner time. There was a big buffet of all kinds of choices. The drinks were unlimited and delicious! I personally loved the Honey Girl! After dinner the dancing began. It was narrated and told the story of the Hawaiian people and hula dancing. During the show they served dessert, with was also delicious! I loved the guava cake and the coconut custard! After the Luau we headed home and crashed!

Diving Day 2: October 16, 2018 - La Perouse and Tank & Landing

The day started out calm and beautiful. The first stop was La Perouse, the last lave flow in Maui. It was a stop of lava surrounded by sand. There were lots of pretty fish! We went down 77 feet, the furthest Mike and I have ever been down. From there we went to a site known as Tank & Landing. It’s where an old tanker from The 1940 training excersises sank. It was very cool to see! There a Lot more pretty and bigger fish at this site and we saw an eel with a cleaner shrimp cleaning it’s mouth! The water was very rough At this site but the waves were fun! Getting out of the water was a bit more challenging but we did it!

After we got back we had some lunch and Barby and I went down to the pool deck to read and I took a short nap while the guys played on their computers.

Tonight we are enjoying our drinks on the Lanai and having steak and potatoes for dinner. The condo complex we are staying at has a couple communal grills for us to use down by the pool. 😁🐠🍹

October 17, 2018:

I went to a nursing conference at the Pioneer Inn on Burn Out in the Nursing Profession. The speaker was originally from Boston but had moved to Honolulu 8 years ago. They were all interestered to hear how I happened to be there all the way from Maine. I got to meet some amazing women! It was so interesting to hear how we are all dealing with the same issues even though we are thousands of miles apart!

Mike, Barby and John took it easy in the morning and then went to a beach that was near my conference and snorkeled. After my conference was over, they picked me up and we went back to the beach for a while.

On the way home we saw an amazing rainbow.. the whole thing! Now I understand why their license plate is a rainbow, it was beautiful and had the start of a second rainbow outlining it. Can’t believe our time in Maui is almost up already! What a beautiful island this is!!

October 18, 2018: Headed for Kauai

We were able to sleep in a little and then cleaned up the condo and got packed up for the airport. on our way we stopped to see the Banyan tree. It takes up an entire street block! The tree is amazing and the pictures donnit do it justice! (Thank you Aunt Donna for mentioning it to me!)

The flight to Kauai was beautiful! One we landed we headed to get our car rental. The minivan we booked they were out of so sadly we were upgraded to a Yukon XL!! 🤣 From there we headed for our condo, “The Cliffs of Princeville”, about an hour drive. Man is Kauai gorgeous!! It’s so lush and green!! The hour drive did not seem like an hour, that’s for sure, there was so much beauty to look at!

Once we arrived we got checked into our condo and we were all pleasantly surprised, the best was most definitely saved for last! Our condo is fabulous! Once we all got in packed, Mike and John watched the end of the Red Sox game (that we won - Bring on the World Series!) and Barby and I went to the bluff for the beer and wine tasting. I tried a merlot and Barby had the Wahilua Wheat, it was delicious!!

After that we headed for the grocery store... Cha Ching!! Hopefully we don’t have to buy any more food this week 🤪.

Barby and John made Mike and I take the bedroom, it’s a king size bed (I think we might have to buy one when we get home 😁) with its own full bath. The pull out is a queen and there is also a full guest bath for John & Barby.

Today was our first full day in Kauai! We started the morning with a walk out to the Bluff and then Barby and I went for a walk around the golf course. It was beautiful and so many people were out doing the same thing!

After we got back we packed a lunch and headed off. Our first stop was Hideaway beach. It was quite a steep hike to get to it, but totally worth it!! The beach was secluded and surrounded by steep cliffs. We climbed up on one side and saw 2 sea-turtles swimming around!

From there we headed off to Hanalei Bay and went to Waioli Beach Park. The surf was pretty big! We all got some color and mike played in the sand 😆.

After we got back, Mike, John & I checked out the pool and Mine and I hit the jacuzzi. The pool area is so beautiful! The pool is 83 and the jacuzzi is 101!

Tonight we are having burgers on the grill prepared by Mike 😁.

Waimea Canyon: October 20, 2018

What a day we had yesterday! We went to Waimea Canyon A.K.A. the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”, about a 2 hour drive from where we are staying. It was incredible! I am not one for heights, so it extra took my breath away! the pictures of this place do not do it justice (like most of the pictures we have taken during this trip). We stopped at quite a few over looks and had our lunch before deciding to hike the Canyon Trail. The hike was 3.6 miles with 1.6 of it being a rough dirt road. Let’s just say we got our exercise for the day! The end of the hike opened up to a full view of the Canyon with drop offs that were terrifying! We also walked in to see a portion of one of the falls. I know I said it before, but the views were absolutely beautiful... Stunning!

When we got home mike and I hit the jacuzzi before showering and heading out for a little date night. We went to Happy Talk Lounge in the Halalei Bay Resort. It was gorgeous! We each had a drink and did a Cinnamon Toast Crunch shot and we got to keep the shot glasses! Mike has wings and I had spring rolls, both were delicious! John and Barby stayed at the condo and rested while we went out. When Mike and I got back we all watched some TV and had a few more cocktails before hittin’ the hay.

Today we got up early to watch the Patriots play the Chargers at 7am! After we watched them win we headed for Ke’e beach, however, the road was closed so we were unable to get there. We ended up at Anini beach. The beach was not our favorite but we were able to snorkel and there was tons to see! We saw Sea Turtles, tons of colorful fish and a flounder. I could have floated and watched the sea turtles forever

After our beach day we headed to the grocery store and then back to the condo. There was a craft far going on at the resort so Barby, Mike and I checked it out. After that, Mike and I hit the jacuzzi.

For dinner, Mike is making chicken for us and he made me a delicious frozen drink!

Today Barby and I started the day with a walk around Princeville and the golf course.

After, we made our lunches and then Mike, Barby and I went to do some shopping in Hanalei. We went to Kalypso for a drink and an app. Barby got beer battered artichokes and Mike and I got pork tacos, it was all delicious! After that we headed to the beach. Mike did a lot of body boarding and caught some good waves. When we were getting ready to head out Mike and I headed to the showeres so he could rinse off. On the walk I stepped on a bee. Not gonna lie, I cried and it hurt like crazy! Mike pulled the stinger out for me. One of the life guards gave me an ice pack while the other one took Mike back over to Barby so they could go get the truck. When they went to get the truck they found a $50 ticket bc we had tires half on the damn road 😡. Once they picked me up we headed back to the condo.

When we arrived at the condo Barby and I headed to the Welcome Reception for all the guests at the resort. \240It \240included free Mai Tias! We hung out there for some music and dancing before going back to the condo. Once back at the condo, Mike prepared a steak that he took out to grill. Dinner was delicious as usual!!

We ended the evening with an Asian soap opera that we watched via subtitles 🙃

October 23, 2018:

We attempted to see queens bath again today but the line was to long. Fingers crossed for tomorrow! We spent the day at the beach, Mike spent about 3 hours in the water body boarding.

After our beach day we came back to the condo and got ready for dinner. We went to Street Burger (about a 35 minute drive away). The burgers and fries were delicious!! They had a bunch of home brew beers on tap and specialty wines. John tried a couple of the beers and Barby and I had the wine. They only had 4 specialty cocktails (one with Whiskey) but Mike wasn’t interested. (They did not have a full bar and did not make anything other then what was on the menu, drinks included, sorry Mike 😫).

After dinner we headed home and crashed.

October 24, 2018: Our last full day

Barby, Mike & I started the day going to Queens Bath. It was quite the hike, super muddy and slippery, but well worth it!

After Queens Bath we went to the pool and hot tub for a bit before we got ready for our helicopter ride.

We drove about an hour to Sunshine Helicopters. Our Pilot was named Baogarts. The ride was beautiful but we did hit some rain and turbulence! The ride was about 55 minutes long. After the ride we did some shopping before heading back to the condo.

Once we got back we got changed and ready for dinner. We went to Kalypso in Hanalei. The food was yummy but our service was not so great.

After dinner we headed home and the packing began 😫

October 25, 2018: Our treck home begins

We started our morning by heading to drop the car off and then got on our first flight. Hawaiian airlines from Kauai to Honolulu. We had a couple hour layover so we found a little personal pizza bar and had a couple beers. We also got Quiznos so we would have something for dinner on our 8hr+ flight to Chicago.

October 26, 2018: Home

Our flight from Honolulu to Chicago was a red eye. I didn’t get much sleep but Barby, John and Mike were able to get a little. We landed in Chicago about a half hour early. During our couple hour layover we got some breakfast at “Zoot”, a little cafe. It was decent and not super overly priced. From there we caught our last flight, the one to Bangor. When we got on the plane they mentioned the time we would be arriving in Bangor and it was a half hour early the. Expected so luckily I had time to message mom quick before take off. We landed in Bangor at 11 and dad was there to pick us up. From there we made our way home where Mom was waiting for us with Mingo. Mingo, I think, was quite excited and happy to see us! Mom had made a chicken Mac and cheese and salad. We all had some! It was delicious!

After everyone left Mike, Mingo and I snoozed off and on the rest of the day!

What a trip! It was a whirlwind but so worth it!!