December 25, 2019 1 Comment
When the temperature drops in New York City we can only think of one thing: where to go for sun and fun? Don’t get me wrong. Festive holiday times in Manhattan are fantastic! There are a million things to see and do. Every year I make a point of checking out all the store windows on Fifth Avenue and beyond. And I’m never disappointed. Of course there will be no Lord & Taylor display this year. I find this a bit sad. The 104-year-old store was shuttered for good in January 2019 – definitely the end of an era.
One of the best winter trips my husband, Peter and I took was our first visit to Hawaii. I remember it well because we left on Christmas Day. We had never traveled on December 25th before but, because of our work schedules, we had to do it. “Don’t worry,” I said, “The plane will be empty. Nobody travels on Christmas Day.”
What was I thinking? The airport was jumping and every single seat was taken on our flight from NYC to Hawaii. At the time, this was the longest flight I had ever been on and I was rather nervous so I took a huge map and taped it to a wall in our apartment. Then I took a red Magic Marker and drew a line from New York to the island of Oahu. Every day I looked at it and muttered, “I can’t do this.” Looking back, I believe I was being absurd, but at the time it was all very real.
LET’S DO TWO ISLANDS
On the island of Oahu we stayed in a small hotel that was built around a pool and had kitchen facilities. It was located one block from Waikiki Beach and had a parking space for our rental car. We usually ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and went out for dinner – however off-and-on we decided we wanted a home-cooked meal so we drove to the local supermarket.
The 60-unit condo where we stayed in Kauai
This is where I discovered something we don’t have in NYC to this day. I was picking up spuds for our steak-and-baked potato dinner when I said, “We need wine. We’ll have to find it.” Peter pointed so I looked and couldn’t believe my eyes. There were bottles of New York’s Sutter Home Chardonnay almost next to the veggies. In Hawaii, they sell the booze right in the supermarkets themselves. It’s a great idea.
We drove all over Oahu and then decided to island hop. We left everything except essentials, in our room, told the desk we’d be back in four days as we booked a flight to Kauai, also known as the “Garden Isle.” Once there, we checked into a terrific condo that was owned by a Japanese gentleman who had posted a polite notice on the front door, “Please Remove Your Shoes Before Entering.” We dutifully obliged every time.
TASTING REAL PINEAPPLE
In Hawaii, they put pineapple on everything. Grilled steak-and-pineapple is delicious I found. We had pineapple in our salads at the Princeville Resort when we ate outside at an elegant restaurant that overlooked the Pacific.
Later on, I decided that I had never tasted “real” pineapple before our visit to Hawaii.
A SPECTACULAR TRIP
I must admit the highlight of our entire trip was the helicopter tour we took down the Napali Coast in Kauai. To this day it’s still fresh in my mind. I insisted on taking the most expensive tour offered and I was right. When they were prepping us for the flight one of the owners explained the reason for their fee. “Our major expense is maintenance,” he said. “We check every helicopter after every flight to make sure it’s 100%.” (This is exactly what I wanted to hear.) Then he went on to tell us that we had Bose headphones that were very expensive so “please handle them carefully.”
The helicopter to the Napali coast
WITH A “WOW’ ENDING
It may or may not be true but, according to legend, when Mark Twain saw the eye-opening Waimea Canyon (10+ miles long, 3000 ft. deep) at the end of the Napali Coast he called it, “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” As we flew slowly into this spectacle the music coming to us through our headphones was a perfect match: soaring, dramatic, overwhelming – I was so moved I almost burst into tears.
The mind-boggling Napali Coast – Photo courtesy of Travel & Leisure, The Adventure Issue, July 2019
A view of the Waimea Canyon (The Grand Canyon of the Pacific) as seen from the helicopter
Shaun Nelson-Henrick
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October 22, 2020
I just read an article that sounded – to me at least – like “a canary in a coal mine” or an early warning of danger. This piece, written by Joe Pompeo, appeared in the May 2020 issue of Vanity Fair magazine with the title “The British Tabloid Invasion” and a subtitle that read, “How the Daily Mail is conquering American gossip.”
The paparazzi horde, La Dolce Vita, 1960 – photo courtesy of Vanity Fair
October 14, 2020
Apparently the good old U.S. is a nation of “not great” sleepers. Really? And I thought I was the only one! According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it was revealed that one out of three Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. Yikes!
October 06, 2020
I think we’re all taken by the incredible mystique of the famous French fashion house, Hermès that has been with us for two centuries and is still owned and operated by the same family. From its beginnings in fine equestrian leather goods, they are – in the tumultuous year 2020 – best known for their handbags and many other items.
My image of Hermès has always been rarified products at equally rarified prices so imagine my surprise when I recently received a very stylish publication of theirs in the mail.
MArilynn
January 07, 2020
Yes Hawaii is BEAUTIFUL and seeing is believing !!!!!!
Thanks for the reminder of the spectacular scenery.