A low key day...

We have had a really laid back kind of day. With a few nice surprises thrown in here and there. I woke up to find Craig on his laptop on the balcony looking at Myrtle Beach real estate. Okay, nobody panic. He was just LOOKING. But there are lots of places for sale real cheap. Too bad we're not ready to retire!

Most of the morning was spent reading (I started a new book, "The Last Lecture") and catching up on the computer. It was a rainy day here and in the 50's so we decided it was time for shopping; in a covered mall of course! And believe it or not, after two malls (one of them an outlet mall) we came home with only one purchase - a shirt for me - very nice too - a Ralph Lauren silk shirt regularly $149 for $18. Craig didn't buy a thing. Imagine that! We had a nice lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and were able to use a coupon for $4 off. We had a very nice waitress who moved down here from Maryland 6 months ago so all in all, we enjoyed our time out and about despite the rain.

Once back at the villa we settled in to finish Season 1 of LOST which means we watched about 4 episodes in a row! We were interrupted by a phone call and knock at the door with a delivery of some kind. Neither one of us has any idea what it might be. What a wonderful surprise to receipt a box of chocolate covered strawberries from friends of ours at church who also vacation down here (during the summer) and knew we were coming. We are helping them with planning their daughter's wedding so they wanted to thank us. It was a sweet surprise and nice afternoon treat.

By 7 p.m., having had our fill of LOST (we also watched over an hour's worth of extra footage about how they made the series), we decided to head out again. Though we learned that Kenny Rogers is in town performing in concert tonight at a local venue, we opted instead for the Bi-Lo grocery store to buy provisions to get us through dinner, breakfast and lunch tomorrow so we don't have to venture out since we hear it will also rain all day tomorrow and get cooler. Brrrr! But we've also learned today that at home they are due for 5" or more of snow so I guess we should be glad to be missing the weather event. Yet once again it appears we have left Joanie at home to give the snow blower a workout. She thinks we plan these trips with a Farmer's Almanac in our back pocket. Honest, it just happens!

We are ready to settle in for the evening, maybe start Season 2 of LOST and just chill out. And that may be a literal comment! Sounds like the whole east coast is in for a storm. March will be coming in like a lion for sure!

The pictures are of us out by the pool and beach yesterday. Nothing much to take a picture of today!

A much-anticipated, long weekend get-away

This weekend has been planned for, well a year and a half if you want to get technical. In September 2007 Craig and I and his folks spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC together, a first for all of us. We were not able to trade into the Marriott property here (which of course we wanted to do) but we loved our week in this area anyway. Craig and I immediately knew we wanted to come back. So once we visited the Marriott Ocean Watch, right on the beach and purchased a coupon which entitled us to come stay here for 3 nights for $99, we started planning for a chance to come use it. Well, it took awhile to get it on the schedule (a mild understatement) and now, here we are.

We were able to fly here which certainly helps us to make the most of our time rather than driving. We were up EARLY this morning in order to take the metro down to National Airport in order to make our 8:45 a.m. flight. We didn't get much sleep. The fact that we hadn't begun packing as of 10:00 p.m. last night might have something to do with it! We flew into Charlotte and then caught a connecting flight to Myrtle Beach. On that second leg of the trip I think we were in the air 25 minutes. Nice!

We arrived at the resort at noon, after picking up our rental car and checking out the local Costco on the way in. And yes, a hot dog for lunch. Okay, not very original, but a consistent choice for the Harveys. We are in an oceanfront villa and can see the beach and the waves from our bedroom and balcony. This is a 2 bedroom unit and could sleep 8 people. But we have it all to ourselves :)

Craig checked in with work for a little bit and Jeannie took a much needed nap. Then Craig went to work out in the fitness center (he says it's awesome) and Jeannie caught up with e-mail. Together we went outside to the heated pool and hot tub. Yes, it was a little chilly out there (maybe 65 with a stiff breeze) and yes, we were the ONLY ones out there but it was wonderful. I took a few pictures as you will see.

We have some gift cards with us and went to Carrabbas for dinner. Yummy and very filling. There are many great restaurants right near the resort. Now we are back and ready to continue our LOST marathon :) We are nearing the end of Season 1.

We are grateful for this get-away and will pack as much into 4 days as we can. We fly back on Monday afternoon.

Day #16 - The Final Chapter

Sorry that sounds so ominous but honest, could this day have been any more topsy/turvy? Okay, don't answer that. Of course it could have and we are grateful in the end for safe travels.

Well with about 2 hours sleep max last night what with train whistles, the sound of airplanes (who, pray tell, is flying in the middle of the night?) and various other noises, we schlepped our way to the hotel/airport shuttle pick up area in the dark before 6 a.m. And yes, I will post a picture of us standing there. At some point.

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to insure that there were no delays on our part for our morning flight back to the East Coast. We used our food vouchers to buy breakfast at an airport coffee shop and then lunch from Subway to take with us. A familiar choice on this vacation if you have been following this blog. Sad to say we had an In 'N Out Burger shop right by our hotel last night, a favorite of Craig's, but alas, not open during the hours we were there. Ah, so close...

Okay you know I am going somewhere with this story... We should have taken off at 8:05 a.m. but by 8:15 when we hadn't pulled back from the gate you know something had to be up. And it was... the captain came on to tell us that in the midst of their security check that the co-pilot was checking something outside the plane and hit his head on a open door of some kind. He was being checked out but if it turned out he couldn't fly, then it would take over an hour to get another co-pilot here. And so we sat, once again for nearly 2 hours before we could take off. Which of course meant delays on the other end. But at least for us the impact would be minimal this time; only having to adjust Craig's sister's pick up schedule of John & Doris and also arranging after hour care for my mom since we knew we would not be home by 8 p.m. Truth be told, by the time the plane took off I was an emotional mess - sick, tired, homesick and just wanting this adventure to be over (also - one of the meds I'm on might have also enhanced this melt-down!) A United crew member found me a row to myself where I could rest and lie down which I did for the first two hours of the flight; I don't even know that I was conscious when the plane took off!

So, it is now 9:30 p.m. East Coast time and we are in OUR home, ready to go sleep in OUR beds and grateful that this little side excursion is now over.

Thanks for following us on our MANY adventures!

Day #16 - United failed to re-UNITE us :(

Well, there wasn't supposed to be a day 16 to this vacation. But there is. Sigh...
Maybe I will even take a picture to prove it. And it will be of the El Rancho Best Western here in...San Francisco. Not a planned stop on our Hawaiian vacation for sure. At least not overnight.

Well, we knew we might be in trouble from the beginning. Our flight was due to depart Maui at 2:24 p.m. and by 2 p.m. they had not even started boarding the plane. Because it was still being cleaned. So they seated folks from front to back based on the rows that had been cleaned. Ummm - we were in row 40 and 41. Not good. So needless to say, the flight did not take off on time. Then more time passed as we were informed when they were doing their safety check it showed a malfunction in the fuel pump so they had to check it out. So there we sat at the gate... for about an hour and a half... which coincidentally enough was the amount of time between our flights between San Francisco and Dulles. No problem though right? They always pad the flight time...

Next chapter of the story...we find out about a half hour before we were to land that they had put all planes in a holding pattern due to heavy traffic. Ummm - so our new arrival time at 10 p.m. (which would have given us a 40 minute window to catch the next flight which was only 1 gate away) dissolved before our eyes. We landed at pulled up to the gate at 10:30 and by the time we got off we saw our plane had not taken off yet but the door was closed and they would not let anyone on. It turned there were MANY who missed their connecting flights. So it is now 2 hours later and after many lines at United customer service, the hotel shuttle and the Best Western reception area we are now in our rooms preparing for about 4 hours of sleep before we try this again. Kudos to Craig who being the savvy traveler he is, negotiated his way around and at least we got hotel vouchers and meal vouchers for the morning. And thank goodness for the few snacks we carried - we have not had a meal in over 12 hours. Sleep or food? Hard decision. And no Marriott. But we are grateful and all had good attitudes.

So our flight leaves at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and we get into Dulles at 4:00 p.m. - basically we lose a day somewhere. But it is better than spending the night on the floor of the airport.

So, that's the story. Good night! Oh - we just heard that we are next to railroad tracks and a train sped by. Why does this feel like an "I Love Lucy" episode all of a sudden??????

Day #15 - The trek home begins

Day #15 Well one hour to go til we leave. I am at my favorite little coffee shop and Doris came with me to read a local paper. All are packed. Craig is out at the pool for one last time. John is on the balcony looking for whales. Guess we each are doing what we are meant to do. Everyone seems to be feeling pretty well this morning which we are grateful for. We have miles to go before we sleep. But the flights back are slightly shorter than coming and maybe we can sleep on the plane. Craig and I are going to watch some episodes of LOST which for those of you who follow the show, might wonder how we can watch it while flying on an airplane and not hyperventilate (The show begins with a plane crash on a deserted island!) Oh well, guess we live dangerously!
So, we land tomorrow morning. Should be home later in the morning as we need to drive John & Doris back towards Richmond where Beth, Craig's sister will meet us half-way to pick them up. And then home to wagging tails and hugs and maybe a nap!
Hope everyone has enjoyed our Hawaii travel blog for 2009. Aloha!
I leave you with a final picture - our last dinner out together last night.

Day #14 - The sun sets on a wonderful vacation

Day #14 A wonderful last day in Maui. Breakfast and morning activities were on your own. For me (Jeannie) I headed out to my favorite little coffee shop for some internet time. It was wonderful once again and I had another cup of herbal tea – must be helping me to feel better. And also had the nicest surprise – I ran into the couple from the other day with Celine, their dog. I also spent some time at the Bank of Hawaii – going through state quarters looking for the Denver (“D”) mint since those are hard to find on the east coast. Even the front desk here let me look through their stash. Gotta get me some west coast friends who can be on the lookout for me so I can complete my collection.
Lunch was pretty much on your own as well. The Harvey men went out by the pool in the sun for the afternoon hours since it made a full appearance today. What a blessing! I joined them and we thoroughly enjoyed the last of our sun-basking before the thought of returning to the cold weather once again. One funny story about the pool and patio area…
There must have been some real high tides last night or a freak storm because the sea came over the retaining wall which is about 7 feet high. So this morning the maintenance staff here had quite a time vacuuming all that sand out of the pool and washing down the patio area by the cabanas. I’ve seen the surf come up to the base of the wall but to go over it enough to wash that much sand up was quite a wave!
For dinner we went next door to the Sands of Kahana, a sister resort to this one. They have their own restaurant. We caught a good deal, 2nd dinner entrée 50% off. We had a table right next to the beach where we could watch the beginnings of another beautiful sunset. Of course, the pool is also right there (remember, everything here is open air – no windows) and some of the folks had to be reprimanded for splashing us at our dinner table. We all enjoyed our selections; John & Doris had salmon, Craig had steak and shrimp and I had some local fish grilled with a macadamia nut crust on it. Figured it would be appropriate to have something like that on our last night in Hawaii.
For our last evening’s activity we drove back down towards Lahaina taking in the breathtaking sunset views along the way. Our final shopping destination…Hilo Hattie’s where Craig and his father got matching silk Hawaiian shirts. And now all have retired to their rooms for final packing, LOST watching or whatever else suits our fancy.
I plan on getting up early tomorrow to make the most of our last hours here. We check out at 11 a.m. for a 2:30-ish flight from here to San Francisco where we have an hour + layover and then we fly into Dulles landing Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. Whew – just the thought of all that flying again wears me out. But, it will be good to get home. I will try to post one last picture to go with this post in the morning.
And it will be of the beautiful final sunset of this vacation...

Day #13 - The Road to Hana

Day #13 New day and happy to report I (Jeannie) am feeling better. Craig is taking some of my OTC drugs so hopefully he will be feeling better too. It was overcast today but not raining.
Morning was spent having our usual breakfast fare and then time for reading and relaxing. Craig and his father ventured down to the pool for some sun but came back almost as quickly saying it was nowhere to be seen and not worth the trouble to lie out! We decided we ought to take advantage of today and venture out and about for our last long road trip. So we headed for the last rite of passage for any faithful Maui visitor…the road to Hana.
Hana is a small town on the northeast part of the island. The road to there is about 35+/- miles in length and begins after you go through this surfing town of Pa’ia. How they paved a road through the lush rainforest on that part of the island is quite hard to imagine. There are over 600 curves and more than 50 one lane bridges. You go up then down and around, most of the time hugging the north coast shore line. There are varieties of plants to see along the way as well as many streams and magnificent waterfalls.
We stopped in Pa’ia to look for lunch. We found a shack where you could purchase a box lunch, a Hawaiian tradition. Each box lunch comes with a baguette type of sandwich (we all had ham) with chips, macaroni salad and a cookie (we all had white chocolate macadamia nut). We had brought our own cooler with water and sodas. So we headed just outside of town to a picnic area frequented by the local surfers and enjoyed a seaside lunch. The waves are certainly higher here on the north shore. Probably 12-15 feet if I had to guess. Then, the road to Hana begins. We have a CD with narration that helps you to understand what you are seeing along the way.
So, truth be known, we did not go all the way to Hana – probably 2/3rds of the way. It was getting to be late afternoon and I don’t think you want to be driving that road in the dark. So we began the long trek back to our side of the island – about an hour from the time we emerged back out into civilization. We got some great pictures which I will have to wait to post. I plan on going back to my internet coffee shop on Thursday.
Dinner was a quick stop at Taco Bell and we finished the evening back at the resort with bowls of ice cream and the endings of a beautiful sunset. John & Doris retired early and Craig and I – well we continue with our nightly LOST episodes. Think we are past the half-way point of Season 1.
Tomorrow we plan to stay close to the resort, maybe a few last-minute shopping trips and eating up our provisions. Time to think about wrapping things up, packing once again and being homeward bound. I think we are all ready for that. A sign that it has been a great vacation but the draw to return to the routine of life also beckons.
P.S. Picture of the day has now been posted!

Day #12 - Mother Nature speaks...

Day #12 Well, this is a day we will remember. It rained, and I mean RAINED all day. Not just the passing shower kind of rain you imagine in Hawaii. So our day was adjusted accordingly.
Same yummy breakfast. Doris had an appt. to get her hair done at 10:30. So we all headed out and I was dropped off at the Hawaiian Village Coffee Shop where they have internet access. And there I stayed for 2 ½ hours. Much accomplished.
First I was able to connect with my doctor’s office and they called in two prescriptions for me at the local Long’s Drugstore in Lahaina. I was able to go through all my e-mail, download pictures and upload them to Facebook. All while drinking some nice hot herbal tea and watching folks come in and out of the shop. At times I had the place to myself. My favorite was a couple who came in with their yellow lab. Made me homesick. She loved to eat bananas. She camped out by my feet for much of the time. Gotta love any place that will let you bring in your dog.
Craig and his father picked me up and we went to pick up my prescriptions plus some other OTC drugs to help with this cold we all now seem to have (especially Craig). Man, this is becoming an expensive endeavor being sick! Back to the resort to see Doris with her “new do.” We had picked up chicken Caesar salads from Costco the night before so we had lunch in. And still the rain came down.
We were all having nice restful afternoons, reading, listening to music or watching LOST and then *poof* the power went out. Guess that wind and rain knocked out something. So we waited…and waited… and when it was apparent the power wasn’t coming back on anytime soon we considered our options. We are on the 8th floor so a walk down and up the stairwell would not be for everyone. It was starting to get dark so we figured we needed flashlights or candles. Craig went on a search and came back to inform us that the generators were running and were giving enough power for the elevators to work. Okay – a scary thought. But we took a chance, made it down safely and ventured out.
We drove down the road and by the time we got just a few miles south the power was on, including in Lahaina. We went to the local mall and were surprised to find we were just in time for a local music and hula show which we enjoyed until the reality that we had not had dinner yet occurred to us (it’s going on 8 p.m.) Nothing in the food court interests anyone so we head of for… who knows. Craig doesn’t feel well and is tired of making decisions for the group and I can’t blame him cause I felt lousy too. We agree on a Burger King on Front Street and are the only folks in there. Then to a store to buy two flashlights…just in case.
Turns out we didn’t need them – by the time we returned the lights were back on. By the time flashing on the clock the power was out for about 3 ½ hours. It was too late to write a post and we were ready for bed. Sorry, but no picture of the day to post either. Will try to get one up later.
So yes, there are less than perfect days in lovely Hawaii.
P.S. Update - picture has been posted - it is of Celine, the yellow lab from the coffee shop. Today (Thursday) I actually met up with them again - Julio, Carola and Celine, the lab. We exchanged Facebook info! Made some new friends!

Day #11 - Above the clouds and under the weather...

Day #11 – Rain started our day and ended our day. Not a lot – just drizzles. But enough to remind you that even in a beautiful place like this there is bound to be a little rain. Plus I think all of us are starting to feel a bit weary and fighting off some sickness. For me it never left; for the others, well, I think some sniffles are going around.
It was a very low key morning – Craig fixed another bacon and egg breakfast and then he and his father headed out to find a hair salon for Doris; she now has an appt. tomorrow morning. While they were out they found an arts and crafts place and Craig finally found the turtle necklace he’d been looking for (do you call it a necklace if a man wears it?) He got me a matching one too. (I) Jeannie spent the morning reading and trying to contact my doctor back home. We missed each other but I did make my follow-up appt. for the Monday after we return and at this point, it can’t come soon enough. When you feel as lousy as I did today all you want is the comfort of your own home and bed, even if the temperature outside is freezing.
By mid-day we headed out for a dollar menu lunch at McDonalds and then we began the trek to Haleakala. This is the 10,000 foot mountain/dormant volcano on the island that is a must-see drive. Normally, folks go up to watch sunrise which is what we have done in the past, but that takes a lot more stamina than any of us have at this time so we opted for an afternoon visit. The weather is at least 30 degrees colder up there. And there were a lot of clouds on and around the mountain so the views from the top were not as spectacular as they could have been, but still, well worth the trip. It is quite something to literally be above the clouds! On our way up and back we spotted white ducks, a goat standing on top of his shed, multitudes of cattle wandering on the mountainside (some even crossed the road in front of us), and more hair-pin turns than you can count. Once we reached the summit we were at 10,023 feet. And trust me, you feel every bit of that height. The air is thin; the vegetation changes the further up you go so that by the time you reach the top, it looks more like what you imagine the surface of the moon to resemble than anything else. We enjoyed the trip but it was nice to get back down before sunset.
For dinner we made a Costco stop for replenishing and then a quick trip to the Wal-Mart and Krispy Kreme. Then the 45 minute drive back to the resort. I slept the whole way back. All are headed off to bed early as you can imagine.

Day #10 - Better than winning the Super Bowl!

Day #10 I can’t believe this is the 10th day of our vacation and we are on the downhill slope already. Sigh…all wonderful things must come to an end. But we still have 4 whole days left. And we plan to make the most of them.
I (Jeannie) slept in a bit this morning because my coughing kept me awake last night (yes, I’m still having that issue.) Yesterday morning Craig fixed a bacon and egg breakfast but this morning we did our usual cereal and bagels. And the 3 of us went out to the pool in the morning. Craig used the noodle out in the ocean – quite a sight! Both yesterday and today folks have been on the beach playing catch with their dogs which has made us long for our dear fur babies. And yes, there were plenty of whale sightings today; John even saw one breach – where they completely jump out of the water. Back to the unit for lunch and to get ready for the Super Bowl.
We enjoyed pizza and watching the game. What an exciting one. We were cheering for the Cardinals and they almost pulled it out. In the spirit of fair play we congratulate all our Steelers fan friends. The fun part for us was that once the game was over we still had the evening to go out and about. We drove into Lahaina and decided to show John & Doris one of our favorite food places on Front Street – Moose McGillycuddy’s. It’s on the 2nd floor, all open air, and overlooks the street with all its galleries and shops below. We got a table right along the street. The sun was just setting. Craig and I had “Fajitas for Two", John had prime rib and Doris a Caesar salad. Then we shopped – as you know by now a favorite Harvey past-time. They had an “Elephant Walk” store which was the one I liked so much on Kauai. Then we discovered the Croc store. Well for Craig and me, two Croc lovers, it was like being a kid in a candy store – more Crocs and Jibbitz than we have ever seen in one place. But the best find of all – they have Croc high heels; a stylish sandal type shoe but with a large wedge heel and made out of the standard Croc plastic material. Here’s what makes this find so special.
Craig enjoys clothes shopping with and for me and has some, um, strong opinions on styles he would like to see me wear. One area of sharp disagreement comes to shoes – I don’t wear anything with a heel and Craig loves them! I can’t take two steps in a pair of heels without feeling like I’m going to fall over. They may be great for other women but not for me. Well, the Crocs version of heels is a wonderful compromise. They are very comfortable and I can wear these and better yet, actually WALK in them. Granted, they are not super fancy but they will work for most occasions I would need them for. They had several color combinations and we decided the black on black was the most practical. But Craig was so happy on this find that being the generous man he is, also bought me a pair of white and lime green ones as well. My fun pair! Oh, and he got some Croc sunglasses. So the shopping adventure had a little something for him too.
Now we are back, time for blogging but no episode of LOST before bed. Craig has to be up early for work. So I close by saying “Mahalo” (thank you) to my sweet hubby!

Day #9 - A "whale" of a day!

Day #9 – We have enjoyed our first full day on Maui – it started with spectacular rainbows viewed from the balcony. And then we have enjoyed so many whale sightings we have lost count. Honestly, the view from our unit here is worth more than words can say. To think we went all last week without a single rainbow and no whales. Maui is the place!
Craig, his father and I spent the morning out in the sun by the pool. Now, I must say, the pool is laughable. About the size of a postage stamp. When you compare this pool with the one at Kauai (the one there is the largest in Hawaii I’ve learned) it is comical. The one here at Kahana Beach Club is big enough to get in to take a dip, turn around and get out. I asked Craig if he agreed that our pool at home is bigger. He did. We noticed a stash of boogies boards, beach mats and noodles for the owners’ use; so I think we have found a place to donate our green noodles at the end of the week. The parting will be quite sad…
They have some covered cabanas for use which are kind of old and rustic, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to get some sun but mostly shade. And yes, for inquiring minds, my tan is coming along quite nicely despite all my time in the shade, something that drives Craig crazy! How can I stay in the shade so much and still get tan. Just lucky I guess :)
For lunch we headed out and stopped just a block away at…McDonalds. Okay, please don’t shoot us! Ordering from the dollar menu can get you a long way! We then headed north along the shore so that John & Doris could experience “the road less traveled!” Again, not necessarily a recommended sightseeing trip but one we feel is a “must-do!” See, everything starts out fine, nice two lane road with a double center line, sturdy protective guardrails on the ocean side. Then it starts… the “Caution Falling Rocks” signs… you start to leave all traces of civilization… the road winds up and down rather than going straight… then, you know you are at the mercy of your very competent driver. No more guardrail, no double line, in fact, no two lanes. One lane… yes that’s right. So if another vehicle comes towards you it becomes a chess game of who can most easily back up with the least chance of going over the cliff. Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart. The one lane road at some point then becomes unpaved with no shoulder but you’ll be happy to know, we didn’t go that far. There is a nice gallery with locally made arts and crafts way up in the hills before it gets too dangerous and that was our stopping point today after a nice visit. Then, we headed back. Of course, there were many wonderful photo opportunities along the way.
We picked up subs at Subway for dinner and came back to our perch to watch the whales again. Just amazing. After dinner, time for LOST and then bed. Can’t believe a new month is upon us. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl and if we want to watch it live, it will be on early here. We bought some pizzas to cook to make us feel like we are at a gathering at home.
Again, I’ve no pictures to be able to download and share but since Craig has his trusty blackberry, I do have one picture to share which is featured at the beginning of this post to signify this day. And no - that is NOT a whale in the rainbow picture though that's about how clearly we were seeing them. It's a sailboat out on the water.