Before most of the family was awake this morning, Matt, Kas, and I decided to go for a bike ride. Our Airbnb provided a few bicycles, so it was a great way to start the day!
Morning Bike Ride
We ended up at Hanalei Bay and spent a few minutes standing on the shore. We should realize we had to start our way back to the house, and most of this ride was uphill. I was reminded just how out of shape I am. We eventually got back to the house, however.
Hanalei Bay
We tried to go hiking on this excellent 8-mile trail that Matt and Kas have been to in the past. They said it was one of the most beautiful hikes they’ve ever hiked. I was looking forward to it! When we arrived, however, we discovered that you now have to make a reservation to hike on this particular trail, because it was such in high demand. Unfortunately, the lady at the entrance told us that the booking would’ve had to be made about three months in advance.
We ended up stopping at a beautiful beach, and we played in the ocean for a while. One of my sisters brought sandwiches for everyone, so it was great to sit, chat, and eat on the beach.
We explored downtown Hanalei and I ended up getting my first Hawaiian shaved ice! Growing up in Arizona, we had a place that did this shave ice, but this was incredible! The snowcone was atop macadamia nut ice cream and they pour sweetened conndensed milk over the top. It was the most fantastic thing ever!
We decided that we would go back and swim, once again, at Queen’s Bath. Yesterday, my sister Lori and her husband Scott, weren’t able to be there with us, and we wanted them to have that experience. We even talked Lori into jumping off a high rock into the water. It was amazing! I think, all in all, I end up spending more than seven hours swimming in the ocean.
I set my alarm for 04:15, but my body has been wide awake since midnight. I’m not going to fight it anymore- Today is the first day of my vacation, and I can hardly stand it- I’m so excited! Not only will I be one step closer to visiting every state (bucket list item number 99), but this is just going to be phase one of my adventure for the year.
This past August, my brother announced that we were going to Hawaii for our 2020 family reunion. Those invited: My parents, siblings, their spouses, and myself. We love the next generation, but these family members are not invited. We tried to do this last year, but there were just too many conflicts. We felt like this needed to happen- not only am I one step closer to completing my bucket list item number 99 (visiting every state), but this has been a life long dream of my mother. Since my parents are in their 80s, we figured that this is a good enough excuse to go. She ain’t gettin’ any younger!
The next seven days’ worth of posts will merely be ‘Phase 1’ of my 2020 vacation. I’m going to use ‘#Hawaii 2020’ Because there are going to be three phases over the next two months, I’m going to try my best to update this blog daily. A few friends have told me that they enjoy following along, and so I’ll continue to do what I’ve been doing over the years.
I want to do some more live-streaming on this journey, so I want to invite you to download the Periscope app and follow @DavTravels. I will post the videos on the blog as soon as I have time, but you can always see them sooner via Periscope.
I also want to invite you to join my Facebook page, if you haven’t yet. This is one way to get notifications whenever there is a new post. Just click the Facebook link up top! Then, “Like” the page, and you’re all set!
Salt Lake City, Utah | 04:32
I guess I was too excited to go back to sleep, because now I’m sitting in the Salt Lake City International Airport, waiting for my first flight.
07:34
This is my first time flying on Alaska Airlines. I handed the “A” flight attendant a bag of Dove chocolates, so I hope he was grateful for the gesture. I cannot stress enough: Bring something for your flight attendants!
08:54 | SLC-SEA
The flight crew just paged for medical assistance. It seems like something is going on with a passenger in the back of the plane. I hope they are ok.
09:02 | SeaTac, Washington
If I bring a gift for the flight crew, whether it be a gift card, snacks, or chocolate, all I expect is a “Thank you.” I’m not expecting them to upgrade me or any form of special treatment.
On the flights that I work, I try to make a big deal about receiving a gift, making sure the crew members know who brought it, so they can thank him or her. I’ll even jump on the p.a. and make an announcement if I feel it’s appropriate.
I feel like my first exposure to Alaska Airlines was nothing special. I’ve heard such good things about their flight attendants, but I don’t know what that first crew’s deal is. Nobody bothered thanking me.
When I handed the gift bag filled with chocolates, I smiled and told the lead flight attendant that I was also a flight attendant and that I work for Southwest Airlines.- I got half a smile.
I guess I should be thankful for that half of a smile. I have more chocolates for my second crew, but little do they know- their reaction or lack of reaction is going to be the deciding factor of whether or not I bother to bring a gift on my return trip next week.
Inflight SnackSEA Airport
SEA-LIH | 13:23 (Hawaii time)
It looks like I got my wish. The new flight crew was incredibly kind and even told me they were very thankful for the chocolates. That’s all I wanted- my faith in humankind (and Alaska Airlines) has been restored. I’m going even to go one step further and give the airline bonus points because they have a place for me to charge my phone.
Soon, these amazing flight attendants were comping my meal and even gave me a tablet to watch movies. This crew seemed so much better than the first.
Princeville, Hawaii | 16:16
As soon as I got my checked bag from the baggage claim, my sister Karen, Joe, and Brett were already outside waiting for me. We drove to the north side of the island, to Princeville, where we are staying in two Vrbo homes that are side-by-side.
20:57
This afternoon, my brother Matt took some of us down a very muddy trail to the ocean. The swimming area is called Queen’s Bath. It was so much fun to swim around in the ocean for a while!
The Muddy Trail
Queen’s Bath
The only tough part was walking back up the muddy trail to the car. B the time we made it back, most of us were covered in mud!
For dinner, we had some delicious grits with shrimp in them, that my sister Melanie made. It was perfect!
Dinner with Family
I have now been awake for over 24 hours, and I’m starting to feel that way. I’m hoping to fall asleep fast.
I’m sitting at the crashpad, waiting for my laundry to finish drying. I’m grateful that my crashpad “mom” has a washer and dryer for us to use, and also that my crashpad “dad” is around to fix them when they die. I think my laundry just finished, but I’m too lazy to walk downstairs to fold clothes at the moment.
I am battling a throat thing at the moment. I woke yesterday to an itchy and sore throat, well the beginnings of one. I could only feel the soreness when I’d swallow. My sister Lori turned me on to a tincture from Butterfly Express called Super C. It’s amazing stuff, and here we are, two days later, and all I have left is the sniffles, and an occasional sneeze.
Say what you want about essential oils, but I think that when you find something that works for you, you need to stick with it. I think we don’t give them enough credit- after all, all of our modern medicines derived, at least in part, from a natural source.
I thought it would be cool to start sharing a monthly map of the places I’ve been flying to. Someone online showed me a really cool site that will map your flights and miles for you. This is especially cool of you fly around for a living! When you get a moment, check out GCMAP.com.
Here is my map of routes for the month of December:
This map displays unique routes only. So the routes I flew more than once aren’t reflected. That is 37,531 miles of flying! January is looking like it’s going to be a lot more than this!
It is with an overflowing heart that I am posting this years “I Scream” video! I came up with this idea nine years ago, when I was stuck in a hurricane but would have rather been with friends and family for my birthday.
For this who aren’t familiar, here’s how it works:
Go out and buy your favorite pint of ice cream.
Throw it in the freezer.
On August 28th, take it from your freezer and at EXACTLY 9pm EST, take a bite.
Snap a selfie or have someone take a picture of you, enjoying that first bite.
Send that pic to me!
Each year I gather the pictures and make a video/ slideshow with them, dubbing in some music. Some friends and family have joined in this every single year, others on the years the are able (some forget, however). This year’s count was 155! If you’d like to be a part of this, let me know, I’ll keep you in the loop:
I hope my niece Brooke doesn’t murder me for this!
On this day, 44 years ago, my parents’ were blessed with their favorite child. Up until this point, they’d had a miscarriage, a stillborn baby called Michelle, and five living disappointments, my siblings.
Fact: My mom tells me that after my brother Matt was born, they’d always felt like they had another child waiting for them. One can conclude, from this information, that I was the only inspired child, and therefore, my siblings are merely part of the baby factory.
I started my day in SeaTac, Washington, in a Doubletree hotel. My 03:00 alarm hurt like a mother. Since today was a workday, I had to drag myself out of bed, shower, and head to the SEA airport. I love walking in the morning, so it was a nice stroll to get to my plane.
Today’s Route: SEA – OAK – SEA – DEN
I just got back to DEN after a great three-day trip. My crew was amazing! I’ve always said that makes all the difference in the world- I was, once again in Omaha the first night and SeaTac the second night, which was my assignment for three out of the four weeks in August.
My coworkers blabbed to the passengers that it was my birthday, and so I have had a day filled with “Happy Birthday” greetings. Even the passenger that I wanted to eject from the plane eventually wished me a great birthday. It made me feel amazing!
I’m at the crashpad tonight and I just had the most amazing ice cream social with roommates! Just like last year, I happened to be here in Colorado today, so Dawn went out and bought a bunch of ice cream for everyone. I was really touched that she would turn this into such a big ordeal! It really makes me feel special!
“I Scream: 9” was a blast- I have already started to receive pictures from friends and family! I can’t wait to put together this year’s slideshow! I plan on posting it here on the first if I have time and can find a decent connection for the upload to YouTube.
You can try to self-assign an available trip within our online system, but that all depends on what is available and what you’re legal to work. I checked last night, and there were only two or three trips that I was interested in. I called my scheduling department and asked for one of them, and they said yes! Thank goodness, because most of the other available trips were p.m. shifts and didn’t look very good.
I don’t usually have to work reserve, but one of my coworkers was desperate to get rid of it. I’m not sure what she had going on, but I was even willing to offer a little bit of cash out-of-pocket. I, of course, would never dream of taking money from someone for such a thing. That would be arguably dishonest, as it’s nearly impossible for the government to track or tax such a transaction. *Pardon me while I adjust and polish my halo.
For whatever reason, this reserve assignment was now on my board, and I am so glad to have gotten a decent trip. I’m working with two gals whom I’d never met before arriving at my gate this morning. I lucked out, however, and they’re both just a sweet as they can be.
I hadn’t been to Sacrament in about 6 months, and it’s always nice to get back. Tonight I’m staying at the Holiday Inn, located in a great spot downtown, very close to Old Town, Sacramento. I know I just had a burger the day before yesterday, but I also knew that Burgerlounge was nearby. While I was eating my delicious lunch, I came up with this idea: From now on, I’m only going to have one burger a week (all that red meat can’t be good for me). So at the beginning of my work week, I’ll look at my scheduled overnight locations and decide where I will get the burger from. Burgerlounge is definitely one of the places worth waiting for. Note to self: Get more Sacramento layovers.
Burgerlounge prides itself on being “the original grass-fed burger,” and they do taste absolutely amazing, but what really sucks is the fact that I have to pay so much for this “experience”. My combo meal cost me over $18! That is for my double burger, side of fries, and soft drink. Am I paying for quality? Probably. $18 worth of quality? Hell to the NO! Will I be back? What kind of question is that? I’ll be back.
I suppose my “Burger of the Week” will start next week. Where will I consume a cow next week? You will have to check back and find out! I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that is totally worthy blog fodder.
Today wasn’t all about that burger. I also went to Macy’s and bought some new socks.
My assignment was OMA – PHX – SEA and now I’m staying at the Crowne Plaza, right next to the SeaTac airport. No turbulence, no stupid drama- that’s my favorite kind of day! When I first arrived, I grabbed some lunch (my weekly burger).
I wanted to get out of the hotel but didn’t want to do a major hike. I decided to walk down the street until I came to Angle Lake Park. A few years ago, I happened to be here on the 4th of July and was able to sit on the grass and watch fireworks. Since the sun is out, so were all the kids, playing in the water and swimming. It was a beautiful day!
Today was two legs from DEN – STL – OMA. This is the second time this month that I have had a layover in Omaha, Nebraska. I am, once again, staying at The Magnolia Hotel. This is one of the nicer places I’ve stayed lately. It’s a boutique, so it has a character all it’s own.
When I was here last week, I had a sweet-tooth attack and so I opened my Yelp app and put in “dessert”. I discovered a nearby ice cream parlor called Mixin. Have you ever had rolled icecream? It’s like Coldstone, but it takes it to the next level. You choose your flavor combination and they make the ice cream right in front of you.
When I was here last week, I had a sweet-tooth attack and so I opened my Yelp app and put in “dessert”. I discovered a nearby ice cream parlor called Mixins. Have you ever had rolled icecream? It’s like Coldstone, but it takes it to the next level. You choose your flavor combination and they make the ice cream right in front of you. I told Ray, my crewmate, about Mixin and after lunch, he decided he’d join me for ice cream. Amazing!
I just returned from a visit to Shane Confectionery, having scored some black licorice and a bag of chocolate-drizzled potato chips. As you can see, my diet is right on track. I’m even washing down the salty potato chips with Pepsi.
Shane Confectionery has been around since 1911, but there has been a confectioner on this spot since 1863. That makes this the longest-running confectionery business in the United States. Abraham Lincoln was the president! That boggles my mind! This is 13 years before the invention of the telephone! I don’t retain historical dates as quickly as my dad, but I love historical dates and facts.
I have decided to end the blogging hiatus and start posting about my travels once again. This is only my second work trip back, and I’m hoping I can triumphantly merge from what I think is writer’s block. This probably isn’t the case, since I’m really not really a writer. I am told, as well, that writer’s block doesn’t exist and that I’m supposed to write until I feel like writing. I find this process very annoying, however.
Just last night, I found myself on an eighteen-hour overnight in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Once again, I must say that I am not a huge beach lover, but I do love the change of pace. Even if it’s only for one evening, it’s nice to get away from the chill and the wintry mix weather of Colorado and Utah.
I feel so spoiled that for many of my Fort Lauderdale overnights, I get to stay at the B Ocean resort, which is an amazing hotel that is located right on the water. After changing out of my uniform, I walked down the street to find some lunch. I came across a restaurant called Bo’s Beach. I don’t know how long ago they opened their doors, but the last time I ate at this location, it was an entirely different restaurant.
The food was delicious. I ordered the ‘Catch of the Day’ and paid just over $30. This is a bit expensive for my taste, but this is Fort Lauderdale, and since it’s a tourist trap, they like to jack the prices up sky-high. I won’t splurge for every meal but I just happened to have a craving for fish.
On the way back to the hotel, I walked barefoot along the beach. I ran into my coworker, Chrisantheium, as well as one of her friends who had come up to visit her from Atlanta. This is definitely a great job-perk. She was able to fly her friend up to meet her on her layover, just so they could sit together on the beach.
DavTravels 