Minnesota / Michigan Day 1, July 1, 2023

Today is Sunday, July 2^nd 2023 but this trip began yesterday.  We left DFW at 12:20 and flew to Minneapolis, MN.  The flight was short and easy but for the first time, maybe ever, the airline put us in random seats not next to each other because despite our booking this flight in mid-November, it changed several times and we lost our original seats.  Ryan sat alone, I sat alone and Grant & Nick sat together (because Grant said he didn’t want to sit with non-family members). 

We arrived at 2:45 and should have been able to walk straight to our Avis rental car but the spot the app said our car was in was empty so we had to wait in a long, slow line then finally got a black Highlander with 7 miles on it and got on our way close to 4pm.

We stopped after about an hour and went through a McDonalds drive thru for drinks and kept going.  The total drive was 4.5 hours.  We stopped south of Virginia, MN in Eveleth MN and ate dinner at Boomtown Brewery & Woodfire Grill.  

Dinner stop

We asked to sit on the patio (the only ones) and were commenting on how nice it felt outside when a family was leaving the restaurant and we overheard the little girl say, “It’s SO hot!”  It was 83 degrees.  The food was good but the service was slow (by Dallas standards) so we stayed longer than planned.  Next stop was at the Super One grocery store in Virginia, MN, just a few miles up the road.  I’d made the grocery list because when we did this in Hawaii, just a few weeks ago, it was a shit show.  So we were in and out pretty quickly but Ryan was stressed and overwhelmed at the pace of the shop and may have PTSD today.

Another 1.3 hours to go and we got to our cabin at 10:10 and there was still a hint of sunlight.  The sun set around 9:50pm – crazy!

The cabin’s adorable and we’re right on Lake Kabatogama.  There’s no AC, which I hadn’t thought about and the bed Nick and I shared was tiny and the pillow was awful so I think I finally fell asleep around 3am, only to wake up to a full-on sunrise at 4:15am!!!  But I’ll save all of this for my “Day 2” entry 😊 

Hawaii Day 8/9 June 3 & 4, 2023 - ALL ONE DAY

We got up Saturday morning and Nick and I took one last walk.  We parked at the Dragon Teeth parking lot and walked down to see the dragon teeth (rocks) and the labyrinth.  

Labyrinth

We got back to the condo and showered, packed, etc.  Grant finished watching ‘The Hangover’ and then we checked out at 10:30 and had a LOT of time to kill before our 7pm flight.  We went back to Whalers Village in Kaanapali and Grant bought a cool (and very Hawaiian) baseball cap and both kids got candy at the candy store. 

We went back to Lahaina and parked at the Maui Outlet mall parking lot and had fun going into the Coach store, Gap store, etc.  Then we walked back onto the main road (Front Street) and had a good lunch at Kimo’s.  

We sat down by the water and it was lovely.  We strolled some more – Ryan & I got Dole Whip one last time and she bought a funny shirt with a chicken (rooster) on it to memorialize her irrational fear of chickens 😊 We watches some birds for a while, one of which moved his head like Stevie Wonder and then walked back to the car.  It was just another spectacular day. 

Next, we drove in to Kahului (airport city) and attempted to go see the Ioa Valley Monument but it required reservations and we couldn’t figure out exactly what we’d be paying to see. 

We made a stop at a beautiful city park – baseball, softball and soccer fields then drove over to the town of Paia and walked through very expensive shops. 

We finally made our way back to the airport and got to our gate about an hour before our flight boarded.  We grabbed sandwiches in the airport and Nick and I watched the A&M/Stanford baseball game on my phone (their regional includes Stanford, San Jose State, Cal Fullerton & A&M).  They one just before I had to turn my phone off!

Grant was impressed by the plane – his first two-aisle plane – but damn if they didn’t offer movies via wifi.  They had the seatback screens but those required wired headphones to listen to the sound and none of us brought any.  So a long flight got longer.  Plus, the plane was FREEZING.  Otherwise, it was an uneventful flight.  We got back to Dallas around 6:30am Dallas time and the kids and Nick got in a couple of hours of sleep.  I think I slept about 30 minutes – I felt strange joint pain on the plane- and we made it home around 7:30am on Sunday June 4^th.

The day was long and disorienting.  My strategy was to not go to sleep at all then go to bed at normal time and be exhausted.  It kind of worked but today is Monday June 5^th and I’m still very disoriented. 

Overall, this was a magical trip – the kids were so much fun and it was a nice blend of a normal Bomersbach National Park trip and a trip like their friends go on…something for everyone.  52 down, 11 to go!

 

 

 

 

Hawaii Day 7 June 2, 2023

Today was fun but I can’t believe we have to go home tomorrow.  Nick and I walked along the Kapalua Trail and by some incredible homes and golf courses.

We stopped at the Napili Market (grocery store) and got home around 10:30. We all put our suits on and hung out of chaise lounges.  Grant got SO sunburned on Day 2 that he wasn’t really wanting to spend a ton of time in the water but we had a small ball and the four of us played volleyball, soccer, baseball and hacky sac with it.  We drank some pina coladas and watched part of the A&M baseball game (vs Cal Fullerton in the Stanford Regional – baseball).  There were six turtles directly under our balcony this afternoon!

Hard to see turtles under the balcony

We got dressed in our family picture outfit and drove into Kaanapali where we had dinner reservations at Leilani’s on the Beach.  We first got gas in Kahana and drove down the Lower Honoapiliani Road a bit. We parked in Kaanapali and walked through Whaler’s Village, getting to the restaurant about an hour early.  We opted to dine outside where we could seat ourselves immediately.  The menu wasn’t as extensive as the main restaurant but we started with ceviche then each got meals we loved while listening to a band of three guys play Hawaiian music and other songs from Little Mermaid.  The sunset was stunning and we were able to get a great family photo. 

First trip where any of us packed "nice" clothes.

Afterwards the kids got gelato and we headed home. 

What a fun trip.

Hawaii Day 6 June 1, 2023

 Today was rather epic.  Up and out the door at 6:15 to get to the airport ridiculously early to fly to the Big Island.  Our flight left around 9:10 and landed in Hilo at 9:50. We rented a small Kia and drove to Volcanoes National Park (in the rain), arriving around 11. (Park 52!)

First stop was the Visitor Center and it was packed.  We ran into a strange bird in the parking lot.

Strange Bird

We bought the magnets, stamped the passbooks then set out on drive.  First stop was the lava tube (which was very cool).  We parked ½ mile before the lava tube and hiked down to it on a cool path that overlooked Kilauea Iki Crater.  The lava tube was cool and sparked an interesting conversation amongst the family about how different cultures choose or choose not to get out of your way on a hiking trail. 

We drove all the way down to the Ocean Arch (Holei Sea Arch) – AMAZING

 Then we ate smushed sandwiches and apples at a picnic table.   

We followed the 19-mile road back towards the visitor center, stopping to look at a few craters along the way.  We then drove the Crater Rim trail that goes towards the west.

We stopped at the Steaming Vents then drove to the end of the road to the Uekahuna Overlook.  It was raining and I’m sure the view could have been amazing but we didn’t see much.  But the steaming crater in the photo below was the one that had been erupting and side note: began erupting again on June 7th.

We drove back past the Visitor enter and took a left on Hwy 11 then took a right a few miles down the road and drove 11.5 miles up to the Mauna Loa Lookout – Mauna Loa erupted in November 2022.  Prior to that it hadn’t erupted since 1985.  The drive was windy, one-lane and a bit treacherous.  Along the way we saw 5-10 Nene which is some sort of endangered duck looking thing – they don’t move out of the road.  

Endangered Nene Hen - probably endangered b/c they don't get out of the way of your car.

When we got the top, we couldn’t see a damn thing but had the day been clear, who knows.  Total bummer.

We got back to the airport at 5 (stopping to refill the car and grab snacks from the gas station).  We returned the car, printed boarding passed, made it through security and to our gate in like 23 minutes – so cool – as was the Hilo Airport.

We had to wait a while for our not-very-full flight but it was great.  I love Hawaiian Airlines with their turquoise seats and lots of leg room!  

Nick and I split a Bikini Blonde beer (Maui Brewing Company) and we got back “home” at 7.  We drove to Paia and ate dinner at Paia Fish Market then got home around 9…I think.

Funny comments of the day – Grant, who’s on Accutane, has very chapped lips – he and Ryan were having fun taking jabs at each other and Ryan told him he had POW lips 😊

We pretty much went straight to bed when we got home.

Hawaii Day 5 May 31, 2023

 We started the morning leisurely.  Grant and I went on a walk and explored the rocky peninsula just south of us.  Along the way we saw a 1,300 sq ft home for sale (on the beach) for $8mm.  

After that we took our time getting ready and around 10:15, left for Lahaina.  We walked thru the Cannery Mall and Grant bought bracelets.  Ryan’s looking for something for boyfriend Ben and we were looking for something for Phil (who’s watching the house) and Mom (who’s watching the dog).  No luck today but we have more shopping in our future.  We hit Star Noodle at 11am (the only time all week I could get reservations) and it was great.  The first main attraction was a woman who we thought was man who was wearing a matching plaid shirt and visor with a wood varnished brim (see photo). 

Left side

The drinks were amazing.  I got a Celebration (passion-orange-mango vodka, sparkling sake and Yuzu juice), Ryan got a strawberry lemon soda and Grant got a Ginzu (fresh ginger juice yuzu juice and club soda).  Nick had a beer – always good.  They’re known for their pork sticky buns.  The dumplings were great and ironically their noodles were not great.  But we sat looking out on the water and the place was packed (for 11am lunch on a Wednesday).  Grant loved it, Ryan didn’t (but was a good sport) and Nick and I thought it was great!

We went back to our condo, changed, then drove to the main entrance of Haleakala.  We went up to the summit and it was raining and cloudy and there was absolutely no view.  But I think the kids understood why we wanted them to see the summit – because that’s what the entire park is really known for. 

Not having clear skies for the view sucked but still very fun.  We went from there to Kihei and stopped for a drink and appetizers (onion rings and chips) at Ohanas Seafood Bar & Grill.  There were some of the biggest roosters I’ve ever seen roaming around and there was a hen with two babies sitting on the patio of the restaurant.  Ryan, of course, was freaking out as she confirmed her chicken phobia that we first learned of in St. John’s.  We did a quick detour through Wailea so that we could see the old hotel (Fairmont) that Nick and I stayed in 20 years ago, then we drove home.  Basically, on the drive home I started my period and got a massive fever blister AND learned that our returning flight from Hilo to Maui (FOR THE NEXT DAY) was cancelled.  When we got home, I jumped on my computer and got tickets on Hawaiian Airlines (departing a few hours earlier than the Mokulele flight we’d been on).  Crisis averted but STRESSFUL.

Home around 6:30? Then frozen pizza & salad for dinner and we rented Tropical Thunder and the kids liked it.  Long day, even longer tomorrow but so great!

Hawaii Day 4 May 30, 2023

 Long day today – up at 5:30am and on the road at 6am for the Road to Hana and Haleakala.  From where we’re staying it takes a good hour to get to Paia which is the starting point for the Road to Hana.  Our first stop was Ho’okipa Lookout – supposedly the home to world class surfers but today was the home to chickens, roosters and a bunch of ugly Instagram Influencer want-a-be’s taking stupid pictures of themselves. (see example below:)

Narcissist  Influencer

Next stop was the “Garden of Eden” which was pretty-ish but a rip off because we had to pay $70 to get in.  We saw a waterfall we could’ve seen from the road but walked around some and did see some cool plants and trees (e.g. rainbow eucalyptus and penis flowers).  We also pet a cat that matched the color of the gravel path – the kids determined he was highly evolved

Highly Evolved Cat

Next stop was Halfway to Hana for famous banana bread (and I will say it was warm and delicious).  Then to Wailua Valley overlook with a very tall skinny waterfall in the distance

From there, after passing lots of water falls and other beautiful sights, we stopped at Pua’a Ka’a Falls, parked and watched people jump in including Abs Guy.

Grant debated doing it but opted not to.  I told him that if the road past Haleakala was closed, which we’d seen signs that it was, then we’d have to double back and he’d have a chance to try again later.  As soon as we left, Ryan was regretting not doing it.

Next stop was the South Visitor Center of Haleakala NP (Kipahulu Visitor Center and our 51st park!)

We ate our standard picnic fare of pepperoni, cream cheese, ritz crackers and apples, then got our passbooks stamps and did a couple of hikes including the ½ mile loop Ohe’o Gulch (Kuloa Loop Trail) which was stunning (seven sacred pools and a black sand beach) and the Pipiwai Trail back to Falls of Makahiku.  

Seven Sacred Pools

Makahiku Falls

It was a LOT more humid on this part of the island.

We finished up the hike, bought the hatpins and magnets and then did have to double back because the road to continue west was closed – which sucked EXCEPT that we were able to go back to the Pua’a Ka’a Falls and despite the rain, both kids jumped in!  Grant went back a second time and did a back flip (in Crocs!).  They were both so proud – definitely created an epic lifetime moment. I think the videos are too large to post but here's a picture of them afterwards!

Smiles post jumping off waterfall in background!

The drive home was long and windy and we stopped once just to allow Ryan’s car sickness to subside.  We stopped at Las Pinatas of Maui which was surprisingly delicious Mexican food in a strip center in Kahului (the city where the airport it).  Then Rya drove us the rest of the way home. It was 6 ish when we got back to the condo.

We watched the sunset, played Cards Against Humanity again and then Nick and I got in bed – it’s only 8:45pm but I’m beat. 

Today was fun – the day was long and most definitely felt more like a normal Bomersbach Vacation Day but tomorrow should be relaxing and Bougie. 

Hawaii Day 3 May 29, 2023

 Today was awesome.  We got up early again (can’t not).  The day started with this as our view:

I did yoga on the balcony and Nick did a workout.  We laid out in the sun and did some more paddle boarding (I had to take a Gen Z pic of my breakfast on the lanai with the kids in the background). 

Kids on paddle boards in the background.

Then we drove to the Ohai Trail – it was short – like 1.2 miles but the views were gorgeous.  We saw a mom and baby mongoose! 

From there we drove counterclockwise 1.5 miles (back towards our condo) and stopped at the Nakalele Blowhole.  

The hike down was fun and a little challenging and we saw the thing spew some but not like what I’d expected.  We even timed it to coincide with high tide but no luck.  We were all beat so we went back to the condo.  

Barb & Nick near the blowhole.

Grant and I took another (final) spin on the paddle boards and it was windy!  We both fell in.  Ryan took a nap and Nick ran to the grocery store.  Dinner tonight was ono fish, potatoes and a salad.  After dinner we drove down to Lahaina and walked, shopped and bought ice cream/gelato/dole whip (delicious).  We bought a couple of air mattresses and made our way back to the house and went to bed!