The Sunsets...ahhh The Sunsets

This post is going to be dedicated to the odds and ends of our Oahu adventure. First off lets talk about people.  I am always one to people watch, whether it be an average everyday person or a  celebrity siting, I want to watch them. While we didn't see any celebrities per say, we did see an Olympian, Bryan Clay.

 He won a gold medal in the decathlon in the 2008 Olympics and I actually remember watching him on tv. However, I couldn't remember his name so I decided it wouldn't be the best idea to go up to him and say, "hey it's...you...." so I just watched him from afar. Well that sounded creepy. But yes, Jon and I did notice we were mere feet from an Olympian.

 

And oh yeah, I took a picture with our President. He was just chillin in an ABC store, he looked a little thin though...

So on to the non-Presidents/Olympians, the guy that worked behind the desk at our hotel totally had the strange factor turned up on high. First off, we get in to the hotel at 9 o'clockat night (midnight California time)  so we just wanted to get to our room. However Mr. So and So behind the counter decided to talk to us for about 40 minutes. Did he tell about the room features? NO Did he tell us about the surrounding area? NO. He decided give us a stroll down memory lane and tell us about the time he got sent to boarding school because he broke a yard stick over his classmates back. He then told us how he snuck out of said boarding school-and it didn't end there! Odd just odd.

Even though our hotel had quite a character working there, they also had awesome decor. The whole theme of the hotel was "under the sea". There were large pictures of neon coral and beautiful fish (many of which we saw while snorkeling). Here I am kissing a big fishy outside of our hotel room.

Another odd occurrence presented itself as Jon and I sat at a beach side bar. We were just hanging out when this little kid, no parents in sight, walked up to us and just hung out by our sides. I told Jon to take a sly picture because the peeps on the blog would want a picture of this.

And then there were the tourists at the pool that we had to explain what the salt water hot tub was. We seriously sat there for about ten  minutes trying to help these people understand that a salt water hot tub was just that, a hot tub with salt water.

Aaaanyway...

Jon and I did a lot of other touristy things that did not involve the beach or our hotel pool. We are the type of travelers that want to see it all. One of my favorite activities was just walking up and down the streets when they turned on the tiki torches and white lights on the trees, it was just so magical.

And then we stood in the smallish crowd to take a picture with this surfer guy. (Note to self: find out who this surfer dude is)

We then drove to Pearl Harbor to visit the USS Arizona monument which was very chilling.

Especially since the oil is still seeping out of the sunken battle ship.

On the lighter side of things, we went to watch a luau. Well Jon watched the luau, I participated in it!

And then, just when Jon thought that things could not get any better, he found the restaurant of his dreams, the Yard House. The Yard House has 133 beers on tap.

This place almost helped him forget the fact that I was a pretty crummy co-pilot. But come on, these are some pretty difficult street names to pronounce.

Many times Jon would say, "ok where do I turn next?" and I would do my best to pronounce the street name, meanwhile we would pass said street just as I squeaked out the final syllable. oh well.

The most consistently awesome part of the trip were the sunsets. I mean just look at 'em.

Ooh ooh and before I forget, I bought this awesome print in an art gallery. This masterpiece is by Heather Brown. I fell in love with her use of colors and shapes and I knew I just had to bring one home. 

And those are the cliff notes of our Hawaiian vacation.  There were so many moments that will stick out in our minds from this trip but as they say "I guess you just had to be there". 

Have you ever been to Hawaii? What is one of your favorite vacation memories?

*Images of Bryan Clay and Heather Brown's artwork courtesy of google images.

Show and Tell: Hawaii edition

First off let me say a huge "Thank You" to all of my wonderful guest bloggers! I loved coming home and reading their posts! Now I am back to reality and I really want to share all of the pictures I have with you because the trip was beyond awesome. However I have a bit of a conundrum, you see I want to share all the fun recaps but I also don't want to bore you to tears. because I know it can be fun to read about someones vacation but I also know that it can become tedious. 

Like this one time I had a friend that went on vacation and she was still on a post vacation high so I wanted to share in her excitement so I agreed to watch her 2 hour vacation video with her, but the sound was broken, but I watched it anyway...and then the sound began to work during last 10 minutes of the video.....so she asked we watch it again with sound....and I wanted to poke my eyes out after watching the video twice through.... so I am going to try and make this very much un-like that experience. I am going to TRY.

Recap: Jon took me to Oahu for my 25th birthday-Best boyfriend ever. The End.

I thought I would start off with the beaches we visited.

Our first full day we visited Waikiki beach which was near our hotel. Jon and I snorkeled around with great gusto. Looking at the fishies and letting the waves push us around. On my swim back to the beach I saw the most perfect shell ever so I dove down and got it. Once I got back on the beach I rolled this perfect shell around in my hands and realized that it had Hawaii stamped on the side. I showed Jon and he said he was pretty sure that shells grew like that in Hawaii. I am not quite sure how this souvenir ended up in the ocean, but I am glad I found it

I recouped from my swimming by resting my head under this lovely palm tree.  Pretty darn perfect right?

The next day Jon and I drove around the island and discovered this beach and apparently we were the only ones that had done so because we were allll alone on that beach. Well that is until these two women on brought their kids (which doesn't bother me at all) but out of the ENTIRE EMPTY beach they chose right in front of our blankets to build castles. Which is not the worst thing in the world but I found it ironic that of allllllll the space on this sleepy little beach they picked smack dab in front of us. Just sayin'

The next day we went to Hanauma Bay which is a wonderful snorkeling spot, but more importantly, it is where Elvis filmed Blue Hawaii.

Yes, that is right, I was standing on the same beach where Elvis filmed such scenes as this one.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

As you can tell I was thrilled to be sharing scenery with the king.

And heck yes I am totes sucking in, those tropical drinks were not doing me any favors at this point. So we snorkeled for hours and as we were doing so I felt something sucking onto my foot...and I tried to brush whatever it was off of my foot, but it didn't budge.... so then I looked what it was and I freaked out and got out of the water to see this:

ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Jon and I deduced that a black sea cucumber must have splooged all over me.  And here is the thing, the goop would.not.come.off! Jon scraped it with sharp rocks and shells. In the heat of the moment I screamed "What if it makes me stop breathing?!" at which point Jon just looked up at me and said "I'm sorry...what?" I then realized I was being stranger than normal so I tried to ignore the gunk on my foot. (FYI it came off two days later...TWO)

The last beach we visited was by far my favorite. Hands down.

I mean just look at it.

Just. Look!

This is Waimea Bay on the north shore.

Here's a little sumpin sumpin for the lady readers. Your welcome ;)

Alrighty I hope that wasn't too painful.

Tomorrow I will recap the people we met and other non-beach related things.

Aloha!

*Elvis photo courtesy of Google Images

Don't pack the "Clipboard of Fun."

Hey guys! It's Sarah from Sarah said. Although I've never met Sassy in person, we're totally soul sisters. We're both named Sarah Marie, we're both 25 years old and we both go steady with boys named John (or in her, case - Jon.) And we also hate when people chew their food too loudly. Dude, we're practically twins!

Well, besides the fact that Sassy is the lucky twin because she and her boy are totally having the time of their lives in Hawaii. For sure! Well, at least I imagine they are. See, the thing is -- I have never been to Hawaii before. I hope to remedy that one day but for now, the only thing I know about Hawaii is what I've learned on TV and in the movies.

In case any of Sassy's readers are also wondering what the heck the 50th state is all about, I have a quick lesson for you, courtesy of the hit '80s/'90s TV show "Full House."


I learned all I need to know about Hawaii from the first episode of season three -- "Tanner Island."

1. First of all, when planning a trip to Hawaii, it's a good idea to surprise your family members/friends about the upcoming tropical vacay. Jon must have seen this episode before, because just like Danny Tanner surprised the girls, Jesse, Joey & Rebecca, Jon surprised Sara with a trip to Hawaii, announcing the big news on a video blog.

2. Before heading to Hawaii Stephanie Tanner already gives the islands thumbs up.
"Hawaii? I love their punch!" Follow Steph's lead and get excited about the drinks! A good attitude and lots of anticipation before a trip is key.

3. As soon as Steph and the rest of the Tanners get to Hawaii, the middle sis is not disappointed as she proclaims, "Hawaii has a swimming pool, an ocean and a soda machine." Yep! You heard that right --ALL THREE! You are going to have an awesome time. No doubt.

4. If you get in trouble in Hawaii, call out for the Menehunes. Wikipedia says: "In Hawaiian mythology, the Menehune [pronounced meh-neh-HOO-neh] are said to be a people, sometimes described as dwarfs in size, who live in the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian islands, far from the eyes of normal humans. Their favorite food is the mai'a (banana), but they also like fish." "Full House" doesn't really explain how these creatures will help you in your time of need, but the show points out that the Menehune will only come to your rescue if you believe in them. So you best believe!

5. The episode features Uncle Jesse dragging the fam to historical Elvis landmarks as Elvis filmed "Blue Hawaii" and "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" in Hawaii. Sassy, I know you're also a big fan of Elvis so I can just picture you getting pumped about all the neato Hawaii Elvis stuffs. Yay! I love it! I'm super excited for you and I hope you get to see tons of The King's landmarks. But I also hope you're not going too overboard though, or else you might find Jon jumping into a waterfall, just like Aunt Becky.

6. Which brings me to my next point -- if you're fighting with your significant other in Hawaii, unfortunately jumping into a waterfall won't help. Dang. After jumping into the pool of water (which seems like it should be super romantic), you'll just start fighting again.

7. It's good to plan out some of your excursions but don't make a "Clipboard of Fun" or else your traveling party might go nuts with all of the to-dos on your list. Then again, if you're bored and trying to fish, you might reel in the clipboard, which makes for a good laugh!

8. Watch out for falling coconuts. 'Nuff said.

9. If you're sailing towards an island, don't get any potato chips on the map because you might find yourself headed for an imaginary potato chip island rather than your real destination.

10. And lastly (major spoiler alert) -- if you find yourself stranded on a deserted island, don't freak out/fight/jump into waterfalls. Instead, build a little fort, make a fire and eat coconuts. Don't worry, you're actually right where you want to be. On the other side of the island is a giant concert with a feast and hula girls. You'll even be allowed to jump on stage and perform an Elvis song with your family! Have mercy!

The end. That's all you need to know about Hawaii!

***
Sair, I hope you're having an amazing time! I can't wait to hear all about your trip! Hope you're taking tons of pictures! xoxo

p.s. Next time can I come in your suitcase? I promise to tag along on all of the Elvis adventures!

Toes in the Water

Real Quick: I'm kind of, really obsessed with this song. I can't stop listening to it....on repeat. I think it is because I WANT TO GO ON VACATION. Instead, I'll settle for writing a guest blog about vacation for a friend who is actually on vacation.

That being said, I'm Emily. I too, am lucky enough to know Jon & Sarah in person. Huzzah! Like Ashley, we met at Blogher '08 (represent!).

Since then, I've rendezvoused with Jon and Sarah at Lake Tahoe a few times, and have even ventured over to their neck of the woods to hang out for an afternoon. I'm even securing a spot on their couch for the future when I'm out their way!

See... PROOF!

OK , now that the introductions are over.... let's get back to me whining about wanting a vacation, shall we? You see, other than a long weekend here or there, the last time I had a proper vacation was May 2007. Over two years! Before that, my husband and I were taking vacations every year



2007: Cancun, Mexico

2006: Married & Honeymooned in Hawaii

2005: Hello SIX weeks in Thailand!

2004: umm, Port Aransas, TX ... heh.

What happened in 2008? Who knows... but, guess what? We're going on vacation this year! In November, we are going back to Thailand for two weeks. I am actually photographing a wedding there... but we are taking the time off to actually have a real vacation!

The last time we were in Thailand, we had an incredible amount of time (6 weeks!) on our hands. For one four-day stretch, we set up shop at a place called Bottle Beach on Koh Phangan. Bottle Beach was awesome because the only way we could get there was by long tail boat (or hiking up and over a mountain). The beach had about 4 different companies that owned and ran the little beach huts on the small stretch of white sand. There were one or two little outdoor "cafes" and that's about it. We had electricity for a couple of hours each day... and once the electricity came on, we hopped over to the cafe and ordered giant smoothies! I think the blenders were going non-stop those few hours each day.

Bottle Beach was the first place we learned how to relax. We didn't worry about getting in all of the sights or where we were going next. Our days were filled with lounging on the beach, on the hammock on our porch (when the beach got too hot), or hanging out in the cafe with the other backpackers. Looking back, we can't differentiate one day from the next.

Oh, I can't wait to go back!

.......................................

How about you? Leave a comment about one vacation that stands out in your mind.... or tell about a vacation you have coming up. If you blogged about the vacation, feel free to leave a link back to the post. I'm all about reading vacation posts to avoid having to actually do real work ;)

Remember that time I went to Hawaii?

Hey guys! It's Steph Corwin of Those Corwins fashionably late to her Wednesday guest posting. So let's pretend it's Wednesday. Remember how that day was? I don't know if I want to go back to mine; let's just say I was rather grumpy, and you probably didn't want to read anything I had to say anyway. But now it's Thursday a new day.

Sarah is off in Hawaii; getting her tropical drink on. Not at all jealous. Nope.

She's a pretty lucky girl though because Hawaii is great. Really great. I would know I've been there.

I've also been to their urgent care. You see, my family went to Hawaii the January after I graduating from high school. I was pretty excited for the following: getting a tan, laying on the beach, enjoying the sunshine. We landed Monday, and by Monday night I was sick with the flu. Not just the flu, the worst flu I've ever had in my life. Even to this day I credit that week to be the sickest I've ever been. So while my family was hitting the beach, I was curled up in bed with the shades closed trying to tell myself that I was going to survive.

I guess you could say I almost died in Hawaii.

Sarah: I hope you are having an amazing time! and have a drink (or two!) for me!

credit: hawaii on flickr

Sup Brother!

Hey little bloggers! I'm Ashley and am guest bloggin for Miss Sassy today. Sarah and I met trough blogging and I feel lucky enough to know her in REALLLLL LIFE!!!!!!!! We've attended BlogHer together, met up for thai food and ugly Xmas sweaters, double dated, and MOST importantly we are both proud owners of baby bulldog BROTHERS!

I think you have seen these before, but I can't help but repost these photos from Burrito and Frankie's first meeting!

Jon and his baby:

The little Family:

I'm dying:

Mama's boy:

Kisses to Uncle Chris:

Baby feet:

Passed out:

Look at this freaking face!

Ah!

Ah x2!

Little belly... err, big belly, but little:

I mean, come on!

Smooch for dad:

The bros:

Frankie's little star on his side:

Precious!

I want another one. We can have one, right Chris?

Ahhh, I am DYING here over that baby cuteness. I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: I'm obsessed with my dogs and these photos remind me so much of when Burrito was a lil baby. Of course I LOVE him now, but there is something I just miss soo much about that little tiny baby. Seriously, why can't they be little forever?! Watch this video from baby Burrito times and tell me he is not the most adorable thing ever. My hubby is pretty cute too, I know.

So let's take a vote people. I'm the first one to say that English Bulldogs are the cutest baby puppies EVER! Leave me your thoughts in the comments, what breed of dog do you just wanna eat up when they are baby pups! You get extra points and a hi5 is you leave a link to a photo.

Have fun in Hawaii you crazy kids! Aloha!