Beckers 1,136 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 After a tooth paste incident I've learned all liquids go in zip locks.That sucks about the luggage being wet! I never thought about that happening. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Wow... just reading about the delays and mishaps, made my blood pressure rise! You're like my DH, he would be like "oh well, nothing we can do about it...we'll figure it out later"; that type of comment (of course) just further frustrates a type A person such as myself however... in several cases, you two have the right attitude (don't tell him I told you that). I mean, really, what can you do about the fact that you're up in the air, waiting to land? Frisco is pretty. The people have gotten more "interesting" over the years. The weather is very similar to where I grew up (in the Pacific NW), so just looking at your pictures felt like home :) When you were living in the area, did you ever make it down to Monterey? Spent a decent amount of time down there, 20+ years ago. Beautiful area. Too bad the girls didn't want to tour Alcatraz. It really is a neat experience. My great grand-dad use to transport prisoners up there from S. Cali. Excited to hear about the rest of your trip! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I love that y'all were wearing sweatshirts in July. It's like the old saying.....the coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco. I've been there in the summer for work and wasn't prepared for that....looks like you adequately prepared the girls to pack for it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Today is Pearl Harbor day, so while the girls are getting ready, thought I would respond to you guys up to this point... Sorry about your soaked luggage and the sunscreen! That's not a good way to start vacation. I would have had a meltdown too. Your San Francisco pictures are great. Oh well things happen.. to me this is how memories are created and laughed about later on... I would love to say that this was the only melt down but I would be telling a tale if I did... Remember, we have to pack again and travel to Hawaii... Thanks for the compliments on the pictures... there are a bunch more to come. After a tooth paste incident I've learned all liquids go in zip locks.That sucks about the luggage being wet! I never thought about that happening. Next time it will be double bagging for us... Claudine had all of her large liquids packed in ziplock bags...I guess the seal was not closed very well... As for the wet luggage, next time, we will most likely place a some of that dry cleaners plastic on top and bottom of the clothes in the suitcases Wow... just reading about the delays and mishaps, made my blood pressure rise! You're like my DH, he would be like "oh well, nothing we can do about it...we'll figure it out later"; that type of comment (of course) just further frustrates a type A person such as myself however... in several cases, you two have the right attitude (don't tell him I told you that). I mean, really, what can you do about the fact that you're up in the air, waiting to land? Frisco is pretty. The people have gotten more "interesting" over the years. The weather is very similar to where I grew up (in the Pacific NW), so just looking at your pictures felt like home :) When you were living in the area, did you ever make it down to Monterey? Spent a decent amount of time down there, 20+ years ago. Beautiful area. Too bad the girls didn't want to tour Alcatraz. It really is a neat experience. My great grand-dad use to transport prisoners up there from S. Cali. Excited to hear about the rest of your trip! :) A long time ago, I just realized why should I get upset over things that I have no control over... I just learn from it and move on... There is a whole chapter on this in the man's handbook... I think some guys sometimes skip over it. But don't tell anyone that I said it. I never lived in San Fran, just went there on many business trips... I have never lived outside of the Tar Heel State... I have however been to a lot of places. I have done Alcatraz many times, but I still don't think they would enjoy it... If they went and just as soon as they stepped off the boat and got a whiff of seagull poop, they would be ready to head back across the water... I love that y'all were wearing sweatshirts in July. It's like the old saying.....the coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco. I've been there in the summer for work and wasn't prepared for that....looks like you adequately prepared the girls to pack for it. Dave, since I already come somewhat insulated, it was shorts and a long sleeve tee shirt for me, however, I forewarned the girls that San Fran would be chilly this time of the year, and it didn't prove me wrong. The mornings were chilly but as the sun burned off the clouds and fog, it warmed up to just be comfortable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Better get your camera checked out, it's taking crooked pics :)Seriously though, out of all the major cities I've visited, SF was my least favorite to walk around. Those hills are brutal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 After a tooth paste incident I've learned all liquids go in zip locks.That sucks about the luggage being wet! I never thought about that happening.A liter of tequila coming back from a cruise met the same fate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 That stinks about your luggage but the rest sounds good so far. That breakfast looks yummy. And so do the crabs! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 A liter of tequila coming back from a cruise met the same fateOh that's awful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Better get your camera checked out, it's taking crooked pics :)Seriously though, out of all the major cities I've visited, SF was my least favorite to walk around. Those hills are brutal. I think its the slow slide of California into the ocean. We all knew one day it would happen... As the old saying goes, its a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there... Several years ago, and several pounds lighter, I got a "wild hair" and walked from Geary St all the way to Fishermen's Wharf... by the time I got there, my legs were screaming at me. Now I do love to drive there. Some of those hilly streets are really fun to drive on. A liter of tequila coming back from a cruise met the same fate I wonder if tequila would remove sunscreen stains from clothes....? That stinks about your luggage but the rest sounds good so far. That breakfast looks yummy. And so do the crabs! Claudine would much rather have wet clothes than clothes stained with sunscreen... Me, it really doesn't matter. Oh that's awful. Traveling is such a gamble these days.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 It's still Sunday in SF and when we left off, we had just left "The Rock"... From there we headed over the the most crooked street in the US... Lombard St. Me and the rest of the driving tourists were out in force today to head down that famous thoroughfare... If there is anyone out there who has never heard of Lombard St, it is basically a very steep one way street traverses back and forth all the way to the bottom of the hill. Cars line up at the top to drive down it, while folks at the bottom walk to the top. I thought I heard that the residents wanted to close it because they were tired of tourists walking up and driving down their street all hours of the day and night. From there we headed across the Golden Gate Bridge... I tried to take several pictures from different vantage points on the Marin County side because there is really no good place or vantage point on the SF side (at least none that I know of). Anyway, if you tired of looking at the bridge, just skip along to the next set... The fog was still rolling in from the coast. However things got better as the day wore on. The building just below the fence used to house a lookout back during WWII. There are several of these located all around the place. Some of these structures used to have large guns used to guard the entrance to the bay. One more bridge shot Now its off to Sausalito... We were getting hungry about this time, and I knew we could find something to eat here... I don't have any pictures to speak of, but trust me, it was a good place to get out and stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat. After we ate, we were starting to fade and thought it would be best to head back across the bay and back to the hotel because it was going to be another early morning. Our drive back across the bridge The picture really doesn't do it justice... This thing is massive! I would have loved to seen them build it. They have a hard enough time now just repaving streets and filling potholes, much less, building a monstrosity such as this back in the day... Does anyone remember the show Full House? You know, Uncle Jessie, DJ, Joey, Stephanie, Michelle and Danny Tanner... If you remember, this show took place in SF and in the opening credits, they showed four row houses with the family having a picnic in a park just across the street. When I told Ashleigh we were stopping in SF, all she wanted to see were the "Full House" houses. Well with the power of my iPhone, Verizon internet, I looked up those bad boys and proceeded to find them.... They are called the Painted Ladies, and here they are... Can you see them? How about now? It looks as if one of the "ladies" is getting a face lift. We meandered our way through town... Looks like the steets of America at Hollywood Studios doesn't it? The Oakland Bay Bridge By this time, we were at a good spot to vacate SF and headed back toward the airport where we were staying. This is the view of the "Back Bay" from our hotel room. We would head to Hawaii the next day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 That's awesome you found the houses from full house! The picture driving across the bridge made me immediately think of that show (in the opening they are driving across the budge in a convertible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Great pictures again! I was just watching Full House this morning but didn't know the house actually exists. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Man...Frisco is so pretty. Kind-of like Seattle...absolutely beautiful, when the sun shines Pearl Harbor. I love that place. Incredibly touching. I've been there 5 or 6 times... had to hold back the tears, each and every visit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 This seems like the trip of a life time to me. I hope you are all having a wonderful time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Cool! Looks like a nice day sampling the bay area. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 DH Bart and I went to San Fran 14 years ago for a short 3 day trip. We rode the trolley car down to the wharf and on the ride back we got stuck halfway in Chinatown and had to hike up the hill to our hotel.It was Chinese New Year, February, and there was a parade. Those hills give you a real workout. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Looks like a fun day!!! My son got caught in the walking those hills in SF too. His hotel/conference was just a few blocks from the airport, and he thought, like New York, he could walk it!! Ooops!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Once again, I am waiting on the ladies to get ready for our Luau, so I will try to get as far as I can with this... Its hard to believe we start home on Monday morning, so I need to step up the pace. That's awesome you found the houses from full house! The picture driving across the bridge made me immediately think of that show (in the opening they are driving across the budge in a convertible. Ashleigh hasn't been to SF since she was about 3. She and Claudine flew out to meet me on a business trip back then, so she doesn't remember anything. When she heard our plan to stop in SF that's really all she wanted to do is to try to find these houses. Great pictures again! I was just watching Full House this morning but didn't know the house actually exists. These are the houses shown during the opening of the show... The actual house front that is supposed to be the Tanner's is on another street not too far away. We didn't get a chance to search it out though. Man...Frisco is so pretty. Kind-of like Seattle...absolutely beautiful, when the sun shines Pearl Harbor. I love that place. Incredibly touching. I've been there 5 or 6 times... had to hold back the tears, each and every visit. I really enjoy coming out here to visit. It is really a neat place. I have been to Seattle as well, and thought how much it reminded me of SF. Pearl Harbor did turn out to be a special place, but I won't go into it until we "get there" in the TR. This seems like the trip of a life time to me. I hope you are all having a wonderful time! Marty if you ever get a chance to get out here to see this place it would be well worth the time. It has always surprised me of how folks plan and save to travel elsewhere in the world to see the sights when there is SO MUCH here in the US to see and experience. Cool! Looks like a nice day sampling the bay area. With the audience I had, I think we hit the highlights... If we had more time, there are so many more things I could have shown them. DH Bart and I went to San Fran 14 years ago for a short 3 day trip. We rode the trolley car down to the wharf and on the ride back we got stuck halfway in Chinatown and had to hike up the hill to our hotel.It was Chinese New Year, February, and there was a parade. Those hills give you a real workout. Now that would be an experience... I had a internal relocation for one of the banks that I work for last year, and it was just outside of Chinatown. There are some strange things to be seen in that part of the city... Looks like a fun day!!! My son got caught in the walking those hills in SF too. His hotel/conference was just a few blocks from the airport, and he thought, like New York, he could walk it!! Ooops!! Funny story about one of the guys that I used to work with... He was a tried and true New York City boy... We had a relocation job in Petaluma, which is a city in Marin County on the other side of SF and across the Golden Gate Bridge. He arrived at the SF airport and took a taxi to the job... He thought (in his NYC mind) that Petaluma was just a quick taxi ride down the street. Long story short, it was over a 50 mile cab ride and well over $100 fare. That taxi driver had a great day, and we all had a good laugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco Well once again, it is the butt crack of dawn on Monday morning of our little journey. The next stop would be the Honolulu International Airport in the Aloha State of Hawaii. But before we could feel those warm Polynesian breezes on our faces, I had to get the troops up, get the luggage together, load up the transport and get our butts about 2 miles down the road to the airport. Like I have discussed before, I don't like to be late anywhere, and not wanting to take any chances, we were up and out by 6:00 AM. It looks like a great day for flying! We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to check in the rental car, take the air train to the terminal, check in the luggage at the curb and get through security. We got to the gate in time to see this little crop duster we would be flying to the islands. Pretty soon it was time to board. We were some of the first folks to board, and for those of you who fly a lot can agree, that plane loading time rates right up there with sitting at a boat ramp on a holiday weekend. You have the folks who clearly are setting foot on a plane for the first time in their lives, you have the couple who are trying to cram all of their worldly possessions in the overhead bin space, You have the ones who are sitting in coach, but think they are first class and want to argue with the flight attendants about some useless subject. It was very entertaining to say the least... Anyway, after we loaded about 1000 people on the plane, this is what we saw... Within a couple of minutes, we were headed west out over the open ocean.... I hope they checked the oil before we left... The trip from SFO to HNL was about 5 1/2 hours... Before you know it, this is what we saw Its kind of hazy, but trust me, there is land below.... land of the island variety Within a few minutes, we landed and parked at the gate. I'm not gonna lie, but once we stepped off the plane, it was not what I was expecting.... I was expecting some glitzy new and modern facility, but to me it looked like a cross between Chicago O'hare and LaGuardia. They need to do a little upgrading here and there, but I guess it served it's purpose... Oh... the boss just informed me that I have to go and change for the luau, so I will have to leave it here for a bit... so talk amongst yourselves until I get back. Mahalo! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Waiting for luau pics... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duane 152 Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 OMG that will not fit! Before I was abruptly interrupted to head off to the Luau, we had just landed in Honolulu... After we retrieved ALL of our luggage from baggage claim it was off to pick up the rental car from AVIS. Again for all of you who travel frequently know that when it comes to picking up that rental car, there are more than several ways that it can happen... In some airports you have to take a bus to an off site lot, you may have to take a train all the way at the other end of the airport, or the best of all, just walk out the door into a parking garage just to get into your car and drive away... Well the set up at Honolulu is kind of in the best category... You do walk out the door and across the way into the rental car lot, however, there is no parking garage, and you just walk out into an open parking lot. To find your rental company, which mine is AVIS, you have to look for the tent with your company's name on it. I am not kidding when I say tent. There is no structure to speak of, just and attendant with a computer terminal and a board of keys. Picture this in your head... There is me with a backpack on, rolling 2 large suitcases tethered together, and 3 women trailing along behind, each loaded down with a bag or two. As we approach the AVIS tent I am steadily praying that I received an upgrade to at least a small SUV from the full size car that I had reserved several months ago. SInce I travel so much, I have managed to earn some sort of status with AVIS where I get an automatic upgrade to the next level up. And boy, today, I would NEED that upgrade. Anyway, as I approached the counter and gave the lady under the tent my name, she handed me my contract and keys... I usually ask what they have given me at this point, and when she said: "Oh you have a Nissan Altima" my heart sank.... All of my college physics began kicking in and I was quickly realizing that I (not we) was going to have a problem! As we threaded our way between all the rows of cars, I was trying to work it out in my head how in name of King Kamehameha was I going to get all of this luggage into that car. My fear was soon realized when I gave it a try... I turned to the girls and loudly proclaimed: "OMG that will not fit. I told the girls to wait by the car, and back to the tent I went... As I was walking, I was thinking, holy crap, what are we going to do, if they don;t have anything larger available.. When I got back to the tent, I put on what I like to call "the southern sugar". No offense to my friends in the north, but when "the southern sugar" comes out, I can sweet talk and negotiate just about anything... (I find myself using it a lot when I go up north) And the situation that I was currently in, I was really gonna have to work it hard. With my best southern boy charm, I asked the lady if they had something "a little bit bigger?".... She banged out something on her keyboard and said that they were all sold out on SUV's. FAIL! Well about that time her boss walked up, and she turned and asked her if there was anything larger available.... The boss said "hold on, let me go check something"... She disappeared for a minute or two, and just as I was going to walk back to the girls in defeat, the boss drives up in a 4 door Jeep still wet from the car wash. SCORE! The Gods were smiling upon us. Southern Sugar I tell ya! That stuff is powerful! So off to Aulani we go. Just to get you oriented, Honolulu is located in the southern part of the island and Aulani is in a golf course resort area called Ko'Olina, about a 20 minute drive west on the leeward side of the coast. Before long, we were seeing this! its about 1:30 HST (that's 6 hours behind EST) and we were starving. Being a DVC member, you know not to expect to have your room ready anytime before 3:00, so we thought we would get a bite to eat. I had read in several places that a good place to grab a bite was just across the street from Aulani at a place called MonkeyPod. So MonkeyPod it was... Eagerly awaiting grub No food pictures of kitties, just burgers and salads... As soon as we finished eating we loaded up and took the long journey across the street to our home for the next 7 days... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beckers 1,136 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I'm so excited! You are there! Now stop having fun and post more Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 The airport may need some upgrades but... oh my gosh can't you just smell the Aloha when you walk outside?! I love, love, love the smell of the tropics when you walk out the doors. Wow, grew up in Washington State, so I've been to the islands 9 or 10 times...but it's been a good 8 or 9 years and your TR is really taking me back! So excited to hear about the rest of your adventure :jumpforjoy Aloha!! :wave1: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
disney4dan 68 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I have always wanted to travel to Hawaii ever since I saw Peter Brady take a header on his surf board, but flying across this wide country adds quite a few Benjamins to the price tag. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Really looking forward to pics of the resort! You are probably still sleeps right now....I don't know why you don't wake up and post an update for us! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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