Merry Christmas!

Sending you all holiday greetings on a frosty and foggy Christmas Eve morning in southwest Minnesota. Best wishes for a new year filled with good health, happiness and many new adventures!

November Super Moon

If you have checked out even a few of my posts, you may have noticed that I have an affinity for photographing the sky. The heavens are constantly changing but always a subject of beauty...a canvas for God's greatest art.

However somehow I almost forgot that this past Sunday, November 13, was the date for another supermoon. But not just any supermoon...this one was THE supermoon that was to be larger than any since 1948! Luckily Bob reminded me. When I went online to check the moon rise time I was shocked to learn that the moon was scheduled to rise at 4:52 pm...the exact current time!

I grabbed my coat and camera and drove to the western side of the lake where I could get an unobstructed view. The timing was perfect. The enormous, orange ball was just rising over the tree tops on the opposite side of the lake.

The fall day was unseasonably warm and I sat at the edge of the water snapping continuously as the moon climbed higher in the sky. Here are a few of the images I captured that evening. Enjoy! The next time the moon will come this close to earth is the year 2034!!

 

Autumn on the Prairie

It is a long time until our next official adventure (over 200 days in case you were wondering) and I find myself so preoccupied with planning for the future that I sometimes forget to enjoy the present. To remedy that problem, I thought I would include a post today with some of the images I've captured lately. The last few weeks have been absolutely stellar here in the upper Midwest...sort of Mother Nature's last hurrah before our world turns to ice and snow. I love to get out with my camera and search out the bright colors and signs of fall that are only here for such a short time.

On a crisp Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, Bob and I drove to Kilen Woods State Park and spent some time walking the trails along the Des Moines River. Being a little early in the season, the park was still very green, but some pops of color were there if you just looked!

On the recommendation of several people, we stopped in at Kat's Hog Heaven restaurant in Jackson, MN for lunch after leaving the park. Not a BBQ place, but a clean, little eatery that has a <mostly> all pork menu. I had a delicious breaded pork tenderloin sandwich served with shoestring potatoes. Bob's Cuban sandwich was also yummy but we decided most of the flavor came from the spicy sweet pickles. For a side, he ordered the cole slaw which...surprise...had bacon as one of the ingredients! 

Yesterday...another beautiful day, another state park. This time we drove to Blue Mounds State Park near Luverne, MN. The weather was unseasonably warm and it was one of those rare days on the prairie when there was no wind!

The most notable feature of Blue Mounds is the Sioux quartzite cliff that rises about 100 feet above the plains. The rock, although pinkish in color, is said to have appeared blue to the early settlers in this area. The cliffs are a popular place for rock climbers...including Bob who goes several times a year. Here is a photo of the cliffs from last month when he was there:

There are outcroppings of the quartzite all through the park.

Rather than staying on a trail like most people, Bob thought it would be a good idea to bushwhack our way over to these cliffs. Getting across the stream made me realize that I'm getting old. Jumping from rock to rock, I was SURE I would fall in...but I made it!!

After getting across, we climbed the hill and sat on the edge of this cliff enjoying the beauty of the day. BUT...then I realized that somewhere during the stream crossing, hill climbing, cliff sitting activity my cell phone had gone missing from my back pocket. Luckily Eagle-Eye Bobby backtracked a ways and found it in the tall grass. Crisis averted...back to enjoying the day.

A duck swimming VERY close to the edge of the spillway.

Lots of prairie grass.

From the interpretive center you can see many miles across the prairie.

This tree almost looked like it was glowing in the sun.

At the Mound's southern end is a 1,250 foot long line of rocks aligned in a east-west direction. Who built it and why is unknown. It is known that on the first day of spring and fall, the sunrise and sunset are lined up on this stone alignment.

Blue Mound State Park is home to a large herd of buffalo, but none were hanging around the areas we visited. To find them would have required a long walk through the prairie grass and was not something I was inclined to do...especially since I was getting so warm. (Imagine that on a late October day in Minnesota!!) Instead, we stopped along a country road and "tried" to photograph some bison that were grazing on a farm nearby. No longer a protected species...these guys are destined to become buffalo burgers some day.

Finally...I will end this post with a few more photos taken in and around my own neighborhood. I am lucky to live next to one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes and the sunsets this time of year are spectacular! My kitchen window faces west over the lake and I often will stop right in the middle of preparing dinner and run outside with my camera just to capture the beauty! The following photos have all been taken in the last few weeks.

The full October moon...a super moon 

Honolulu to Minneapolis - a LONG day

Wednesday, March 30

Five large pieces of luggage, three rolling carry-on bags, four backpacks, four adults...and ONE small Subaru SUV. All of it needed to be at the Honolulu airport by 6:00 a.m. I was doubtful, but the guys were convinced we could make it work. I was pretty sure two of us + luggage would be going by taxi.

I am happy to admit that I was wrong...but will also state that it was a VERY tight ride. Laurel and I had one of the large suitcases wedged between us in the back seat as we held our backpacks. Bob was holding two of the carry on bags on his lap in the front passenger seat and all of the rest was crammed to the ceiling in the back. Yes...it was tight. I prayed all the way to the airport that we would not have a flat tire or any other type of car emergencies.

Look closely and you can see Bob in the front seat buried under luggage...
and the top of my head peaking over the suitcase between Laurel and I! 

The car was returned to the Alamo office off-site and then the four of us and all of that luggage took the shuttle to the airport. The next hurdle was weighing the luggage to see if it was under the 50 pound weight limit. All was good to go...except mine...which weighed 51.3 pounds. I was ready to start re-distributing stuff into Bob's suitcase but the extremely nice gal working for Alaska Airlines just threw the bag onto the conveyor belt and said "I'm not going to quibble over a pound or two." Bless her little heart!!

Even Honolulu airport has the feel of paradise. There is an outdoor courtyard full of tropical plants and the bathroom signs show Hawaiian symbols.

Most of the flights leaving Honolulu for the mainland leave in the evening. After an overnight flight following our Alaskan cruise in 2014, Laurel and I swore we would never want to do that again. To avoid the red eye flights, the four of us were flying together on the 8 am flight to Seattle. From there Bob and I would connect to Minneapolis. With the flight and change of time zones, we were due to arrive at MSP around midnight.

Looking through the dirty airport window...the sun was just starting to peak over the mountains as we got to the gate for our flight.

There weren't any good connecting flights going to STL for Kent and Laurel, so they opted to spend the night in Seattle and fly out the next morning. This plan also gave them an opportunity to have dinner with a close friend who drove down from Vancouver.

I had dreaded the five hour flight to Seattle, but the time went by much quicker than I had anticipated. I had movies downloaded on my iPad which helped. Before landing, we got a nice view of Mt. Rainier.

We said good-bye to Kent and Laurel and then walked to the gate for our connecting flight. My tummy was telling me it was time for lunch, but after losing several hours from the change in time zones, my watch said it was time for dinner. There weren't many choices to choose from near our gate and we settled on bagel sandwiches. The airport food prices made Hawaii prices look reasonable...and the food was mediocre at best.

Our flight was delayed a bit and by the time we landed and collected our luggage, it was after 1 a.m. My original plan was to take a shuttle to our son's house where we would pick up our car. Even better, our son was nice enough to offer to come pick us up at the airport (even though it was the middle of the night!) We considered driving the additional 3 hours to get home, but even though I wouldn't be the one driving, I was wiped out and was thankful that we could spend the night with our son. The long drive was much easier to face the next morning after a good night's sleep.

An update...

It took a long time (several months) but we finally received a refund check from NCL to cover the missed day of the cruise AND another check to cover our expenses we encountered for the extra day in San Francisco.

Our other compensation that we received (a credit in the amount of 50% of what we spent for the Hawaiian cruise) has also been applied to a future NCL cruise. The credit would have been  enough to cover the complete cost of a balcony cabin for a week long Caribbinean cruise BUT...we had other ideas. For now I will leave the destination a mystery, but will say that even with the credit, the cruise we have booked will be a little bit of a splurge for us!

Honolulu - Day #4 (East Oahu)

Tuesday, March 29

Port days on a cruise force us to be on a schedule. With the ship docked for only a set amount of hours...rarely enough...we are up and off the ship ASAP so we don't waste a single minute. But staying in a hotel on land, however, the opposite situation begins to take effect. The day seems to stretch out before us with unlimited time. With no worry that a ship will sail away without us, we move at a slower pace. And that...is exactly what happened on our last day. No alarm...no rush to get showered...time spent catching up with the online world while eating a leisurely breakfast...flipping on the TV to see what was happening in the real world.

So...it was a later start for us as we got into our rental car and drove away from the Ohana Waikiki East to see the south-eastern side of Oahu. Our Gypsy Guide came along to show us the way. This route was part of the full-island version of the app that I purchased or it can be bought as a separate tour for only $3.99 and is referred to as the Beaches & Volcanoes Tour.

Our first stop of the day was at Diamond Head crater...or it would have been if the parking lot had not been full. Guidebooks recommend getting to Diamond Head first thing in the morning BEFORE the crowds arrive and to beat the hot sun for those planning to climb to the top. Even before we were turned away, I had already made up my mind that I was not going to climb. I know my limitations and did not want to be the one lagging behind, huffing and puffing while the others sprinted to the top. So...while the other three were disappointed, I was relieved that I would not be sitting in a hot parking lot waiting while they were at the top enjoying the view.

Driving a counter-clockwise loop, the Gypsy Guide told us to pull over into a look-out area at Koko Crater. From here we could see a residential area that was created where ancient fish ponds once existed.

A closer look at Koko Crater, an extinct volcano, showed people climbing up the side on what appeared to be a steep stairway. The steps were actually ties from a long-abandoned tramway to the Koko Crater radar station in the 1940's. 

The ultimate Stair Master workout!

Ideally, our next stop would have been at Hanauma Bay for a morning of snorkeling. Unfortunately it was Tuesday...and Hanauma Bay is closed on Tuesdays. I had at least hoped to be able to look down and SEE the bay, but the entrance from the highway was totally blocked and we did not even get a glimpse of the well known snorkeling location.

Driving on, our next stop was at the Lana'i Lookout (which is an odd name because the island of Lana'i is not visible from here!) Bob and Kent climbed down the rocks...just because they like to do that sort of thing.

As we were enjoying the view, I heard what I thought were gunshots. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and others at the lookout did not seem to be upset...but yet it worried me. I did not want to be the headlines on the evening news. Turns out there is a shooting range nearby so I WAS hearing gunfire. Good to know I wasn't crazy...nor did I need to worry!

About a mile and a half past the Hanauma Bay entrance is a parking lot that overlooks the Halona Blowhole. Compared to the blowhole that we saw on Maui, this was pretty wimpy. It took a lot of patience but eventually it did blow...but not much.

Halona Blowhole

This photo of a beautiful secluded beach...

...was actually taken from this crowded vantage point above the blowhole. Sometimes photos can be deceiving!

What was more interesting to me was from the other end of the viewing area you could look down onto a small beach. It was here that the famous kissing scene in the movie "From Here to Eternity" was filmed. No kissing was taking place, but we did see a couple of guys who were spear fishing.

From Here to Eternity Beach

The famous kissing scene!

Spear fishermen. 

We saw a sea turtle swimming below these cliffs.

Our next stop was the Makapu'u Point overlook...perhaps one of the most scenic stops of the day.

Makapu'u Beach

Sunshine in one direction...dark clouds and rain in the other. 

Manana Island (Rabbit Island)

Entrance to Sea Life Park near Makapu'u Beach

There is a 2-mile round trip paved trail that leads to the Makapu'u Lighthouse which we chose to skip, but you can get a glimpse of the top of the lighthouse from the lookout on the other side of the hill.

Trail to Makapu'u Lighthouse.

Makapu'u Lighthouse.

The jagged Ko'olau Range cliffs along the eastern side of Oahu reminded me of the Na Pali coastline on Kauai. The Ko'olaus were the burial place for the bones of the Hawaiian chiefs. A servant would hike to the top and lower the bones by rope along with a digger. Once the digger had buried the bones, the rope would be cut and the digger would plunge to his death, taking with him the secret location of the chief's bones. And it was considered an honor to be the digger!

Bob decided we should just take a random dirt road and see where it might lead...

In the town of Kailua, the Gypsy Guide suggested we make a stop at the Ulupo Heiau State Monument. This former temple is now just a pile of rocks sitting next to the YMCA, but was reported to have been built in 900 A.D. and been an important site in the Hawaiian culture.

Bob showing off a really large leaf at the historical site.

Kailua Beach was a good spot to stop and pull out our picnic lunch that we had packed. (And share some of Kent's fortune cookies that he bought in San Francisco!)

Leaving the beach, we started back towards Waikiki on the Pali Highway. The Nu'uanu Pali Overlook is the site of the last major Hawaiian battle and also a spot for an amazing panoramic view!

Landslide near the overlook.

As we drove back to Waikiki, the guys got the idea to go back to climb Diamond Head. I hadn't changed my mind since morning (I still knew it was a bad idea for me to try and climb) so I requested to be dropped off at the hotel first. I knew I needed some time to reorganize the luggage before our flight the next day and could work better at the task alone in the room. Laurel agreed with me so the two of us opted out of the climb.

Bob took along a camera and came back with the following photos. The view from the top of Diamond Head really does look amazing. Once they get that elevator installed I may go back to check it out. ;)

Tunnel into the Diamond Head crater.

By the time Bob and Kent returned, I had the luggage pretty well "flight-ready" and was ready to go to dinner. Once again our free passes for the Pink Line Trolley were put into use and we went to an IHOP on the trolley route. Laurel wanted to go to Hilo Hattie's at the Ala Moana shopping center...but a mall was the last place Bob and I wanted to go. We did ride the trolley with them TO the mall, but when they got off, Bob and I stayed on until the trolley stopped near Waikiki Beach. 

We strolled down Kalakaua Avenue looking into some of the shops and ended up spending some time in the Crocs store. I am a huge fan of Croc shoes and had a good time looking at all of the styles available! At the King's Village, there was a spray paint artist who had attracted a large crowd and we stopped and watched as he painted to a music accompaniment. They were handing out plates of Asian noodles and also decorated cake to celebrate something major for the artist (100th show or something?) We were still pretty stuffed from dinner, but managed to eat a piece of cake. :) Kent and Laurel eventually showed up at the King's Village and did some last minute shopping before the four of us headed back for our last night at the Ohana Waikiki East.

Tomorrow...the long journey home...and how in the world are we going to fit all of the luggage into the car!!