Yesterday was a very, very LONG day. We woke up at 4am (John woke up 1am...just too excited!) - and drove up to Portland after picking up Travis and Stephie at 5am. Originally, we were supposed to have a straight flight from Portland to Maui, but Hawaiian airlines not only threw in an extra stop and layover, but pushed back the arrival time into Maui too (still waiting for my rebate check on that inconvenience!). Consequently, it was a long day of flying and time in the airports (especially with the addition of three extra hours)- but, overall all went very smooth. Spirits were eager and high - but mixed in with that tinge of irritability that sleep deprivation creates. This is our crew on the shuttle from our vehicle to the Portland airport at about 7 in the morning.
On the 5 and a half hour flight - we got some pictures of us all as passengers:
When we made it into Honolulu, we had about 90 minutes to kill, so John and I stood outside for a bit and posed for a picture. This, when posted on Facebook, mistakenly gave the impression we were on a second honeymoon....nah, we've got the kids and Whites in tow - and couldn't be happier for it!
In Kahalui, where the flight into Maui is, we were remarkably efficient in retrieving our luggage, rental car, but got slowed down by Travis' I-phone's "Siri" who directed us the wrong way to a favorite restaurant we had eaten at four years ago. Steph's Droid phone came to the rescue...I suspect this will be an ongoing challenge of accuracy between the two phone systems throughout our trip.
Restaurant choice: Ruby's Diner - a 50's style all-American eatery. SO GOOD! Pulled pork sandwich, crispy fries, some of John's onion rings, and half a Mudslide shake. My taste buds were praising me while my waistline was screaming curses. (Another ongoing battle that will definitely be taking place all week!).
Following that, a stop at Walmart for the best prices on the island for the food we'll need to sustain us between restaurant visits and we were off to our the Maui Marriott Ocean Club on Kaanapali Beach. By the time we arrived, we were feeling the length of the day. However, John and Brayden still opted for a walk through the property, so Mikayla and I took off shortly after for our own jaunt. That inspired the highlight of the day for me - swinging in an empty hammock under the stars with her - wearing tank tops and shorts and still absolutely comfortable. (While I know the rest of the country has felt unseasonably warm temps for a while - Oregon has been BRUTAL to us - it's been a very harsh spring with so much gray, rain, and cold....I take none of this sunshine and warmth for granted!). We also dipped our feet in the ocean and strolled the length of the rather expansive property. It was all I needed to turn the irritability upon arrival and unpacking (I had not only some curl spray blow up but a bottle or red nail polish break in transit....THANK GOD they were in their own "similar items" bags, so no clothing or anything of importance was damaged) turn into total feelings of gratitude and contentment.....exactly what I'm feeling as I'm typing right now as I look out as these two views from where I'm sitting....
1 comment:
I hope you have a fantastic trip! Great pictures!
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