by Terry Thorpe | Oct 13, 2023 | Blog, Terry
After a 90 minute bus ride and a 30 minute walk we checked into Hanauma national park. After a short wait we received a lecture and watched a short film on the history and preservation of the park then we’re finally allowed entry. The gorgeous bay proved to be... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 12, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We trekked west to Pearl Harbor to see the World War II memorial and museums. They made clear that this is not an amusement or an attraction. It is a memorial. The USS Arizona still has hundreds of soldiers interred in its hull after the attack in 1941, including some... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 12, 2023 | Blog, Terry
Pearl Harbour and Luau We ate a hearty breakfast at home then caught a bus to Pearl Harbour. The centre was well done and had a sombre and respectful air about it. It was fascinating to see up close artifacts and tools of war as well as learn more about the... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 11, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
After a fully packed day yesterday and another few coming up, today was a day to chill by the pool and walk around Waikiki. The picture shows the Diamond Head mountain at the end of Waikiki beach. 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 11, 2023 | Blog, Terry
After a whirlwind of activity we decided to dial things back a little by taking a vacation from our vacation… It can be tough travelling (I can hear the violins of sympathy) and it’s hard sometimes to overcome the whole FOMO feeling, but we took the day... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 10, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We got up early to spend the morning driving around the North shore. We rented a car and put on the Shaka audio guide that told us about everything we saw and where to stop on the North shore. Shark cove was great for snorkeling (but not sharks though). In the... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 10, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We arose early, picked up our zip car and made our way north, getting out of the more touristy area of Honolulu. We had decided to invest in a self drive audio tour, which turned out to be so good we would use it on the big island too. stopping at a coffee plantation... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 9, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We started the day with a simple breakfast at home then made for downtown Honolulu and our walking tour where we heard about the early days of Honolulu including the origins of surfing and the ‘Duke’ a local surfing legend and ambassador of Hawaii. We also... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 9, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We checked out the surrounding area of Waikiki with a free audio guide from Shaka guide (highly recommended). So many old, luxurious, beautiful hotels along the beach and stories about people like King Kamehameha and Duke, the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer. We walked down... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 8, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Only a few hours after we laid our heads to rest we got back up again. We didn’t get to try the wine station dispenser at the hotel but it was very cool. (Add it to my wishlist). Bus service was not very reliable but we still made it in good time, which was a good... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 8, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We got up early and high-tailed it to the airport, excited to finally be headed for Hawaii. The 5 hour flight passed quickly and soon we were in paradise. To pass time before our hotel check-in we camped out at a nearby Red Lobster, savouring king crab, prawn and... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 7, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We finished our sourdough pancakes and went to bubblegum alley. A narrow side street with walls peppered with bubble gum as far as you can see and as high as you can reach and even higher (some must bring ladders). It was equally fascinating and disgusting. We left... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 7, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We got up mega early, grabbed some pancakes and hi tailed it to the train station to catch our (scenic) train to San Francisco airport to catch our flight to Honolulu in Hawaii. Very exciting. The train trip was great. I got some writing done and was entertained by... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 6, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
3 days in Santa Barbara were over and San Luis Obispo was next. It has once been voted the happiest town in America. Amtrak took us there after a short breakfast at the Goat Cafe right by the tracks. A couple hours later we arrived early to a closed hostel and waited... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 6, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We made it to wine country aboard another scenic train ride. We were a little early to check into our youth hostel so made our way to a nearby park and chilled for a spell. We checked into our hostel and immediately missed our lovely hotel in Santa Barbara, however we... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 5, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The morning started with a hearty breakfast at Joe’s cafe across from our hotel. Our waitress told us about First Thursday, which is an event where bands and art galleries and other groups come together and have a party in the streets of Santa Barbara. Her dance group... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 5, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We ate a breakfast of champions (literally) at the diner across the road, where our very friendly waitress told us about her flash mob dance group who would be performing that night and we said we’d check them out. We decided that we would. We explored Santa... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 4, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Using the free bikes at the Santa Barbara hotel we went to the zoo, a place I’d visited 35+ years ago and fed the goats. There was no feeding the goats this time, but I did get to say hi to them although they could not remember me. My favorite animals were the 6... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 4, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We took advantage of the free bicycles thar were included with our hotel room and made for Santa Barbara Zoo. A pilgrimage for Katrine as she has fond memories from her childhood of feeding the goats. We saw all manner of animals imprisoned for our finger pointing... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 3, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We have three days in Santa Barbara lined up next. What a city. So much cozier and more pleasant than Los Angeles and very walkable. Our hotel let us borrow bikes for free to ride up and down the long sandy beaches here. All the stores and restaurants in the Funk Zone... by Terry Thorpe | Oct 3, 2023 | Blog, Terry
After another scenic train trip, we arrived at our next destination, Santa Barbara. We checked into our lovely hotel room and relaxed for a bit before heading out to a local eatery. We enjoyed mezcal cocktails and some yummy Mexican food before strolling back to our... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 2, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The Pacific Surfliner took us from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. We met a former presidential candidate on the train. A complete nut job that talked nonstop all the way to Ventura about his family, Jesus, the Philippines, Trump, his ideas for his presidency,... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 2, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We left L.A. behind us, safe in the knowledge that we would venture back soon enough. We had a wonderful train trip, travelling up the West Coast on the Pacific Surfliner, with great views, I compliments of the window facing lounge chairs. Gorgeous. The experience was... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 1, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We can’t visit LA without having a wander down Venice Beach and visiting Santa Monica pier and Muscle beach. A lot of interesting people (probably attributed to the legalization of cannabis…) and t-shirts and souvenirs. Everything from Hare Krishna drummers to outdoor... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 1, 2023 | Blog, Terry
After a lovely breakfast with our gracious hosts, we ventured out into the wild and wacky world if L.A. Our first stop was Venice beach, where wild and wacky didn’t quite cut it. All manner of windswept and interesting individuals adorned the boulevards, some... 
by Terry Thorpe | Sep 30, 2023 | Blog, Terry
After a cruise down the strip and a quick look at the impressive looking ‘Sphere’, we hit the road and headed for L.A. We made a couple of stops along the way, most interesting/bizarre of which was the Alien Jerky experience, a balls-to-the-walks, trippy... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Sep 30, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Goodbye Vegas, hello Route 66 and LA again. We found Alien beef jerky in Baker. And not just the jerky, but an entire facility that looked like a space machine with aliens, cars and saucers. Even an alien Trump. Right down the road was also the world’s largest... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Sep 29, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Another day in Vegas, and we packed it with a few hours at the pool, then eating out at Koi before visiting a speakeasy bar called the Lock inside the Cabinet of Curiosities, and ended the evening with Penn and Teller, a great magic show. Well, not quite. We ended... 
by Terry Thorpe | Sep 29, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We started the day chillin by the pool and soaking up the atmosphere of the hotel before getting dressed up and heading out for an early dinner. We dined at Koi, a wonderful sushi joint with excellent food and surroundings, great service (with the notable exception of... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Sep 28, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
So, Disneyland has been taken care of and it’s Las Vegas next. On our way, we stopped by the first McDonald’s. It is no longer serving burgers, but memories. The guy working there just looked at us and sighed when we said we were driving Route 66 to Las Vegas, and... 