Hawaii 2012 Part 10

On my last full day, I got to do the Manoa Falls hike I was so excited about. 

Transportation and the tour were included with the pass and though my mom had planned to hike with me, I ended up doing the hike alone. There was one other girl who was on the hike but she freaked out about halfway up and decided not to finish the trail.

I'm terrified of heights and this hike was completely different from Diamond Head. For one, it gets slippery. Two, there are no rails. Three, there are trees and a steep cliff drop. I got really lucky because that day was considerably drier than other days and everything was a bit easier. Still, it was a bit freaky hiking up the side of a cliff sort of alone. There were other people along the way on their way up or down, so it wasn't like I was completely by myself. About 3/4 of the way up, someone actually broke their ankle and had to be air lifted out by helicopter since there's really nowhere for an ambulance to go (I really hope she has good insurance). The slightly scary trek was definitely worth it because the falls at the top are beautiful and the jungle is really really pretty (they filmed parts of it for the arena Catching Fire). 

Sunday Social

1. What was your college major? Did you ever change majors?

I majored in hospitality management and I stuck with it the entire time. I think I may have changed minors but I can't remember anymore.

2. What is the best purchase you’ve made lately?

I booked myself a cruise to the Bahamas. Any travel is a good purchase!

3. What is something silly we don’t know about you and go…

Ummmm...

4. What is your favorite Holiday?

Christmas. I don't do a lot of post-holiday sale shopping so I usually lie around the house, eat horrible food, and watch Harry Potter for four days straight. It's lovely.

5. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

Check my phone. It's like a reflex! Technically I'm checking the time too...

Scrapping Saturday

Happy Saturday!

Howdy Ma'am by The Digichicks 

Howdy Partner by Trixie Scraps 

Bakewell Tart by Little Green Frog Designs

Title Work extracted from Logo

Rock Out by Britt-ish Designs 

Country Fair Picnic by Sahlin Studio 

Home on the Range by Jennifer Barrette 

Limelight by Little Green Frog Designs

Title Work extracted from Logo

Hawaii 2012 Part 9

One of the things that was on my must do list was hiking Diamond Head.

I've never been much of a hiker but this was definitely something I wanted to try. Since the tour and transportation were included, even though Lisa couldn't go, I decided to do it alone.

The trail was really busy and there were tons of people at every section. We only had about an hour and a half stop but that turned out to be plenty of time since it took around 30 minutes each way for me to hike and take photos. The view at the top was amazing (even though I kind of felt like I was going to pass out). 

Hawaii 2012 Part 8

One of our last nights we had run out of things to do.

We decided to check out the Polynesian Cultural Center (included) and booked the shuttle. We spent a couple hours of the afternoon wandering the park and then ventured to the LDS Temple and saw the town right behind PCC. We hadn't booked the luau or the show because we didn't feel like spending any extra money on something unplanned.

Here's where things get interesting: Our bus left without us and several other people and the next bus was not scheduled until after the show. Since the driver screwed up and the front desk couldn't get us back to town any sooner, they comped us dessert and tickets to Ha, the show. 

The show was really cool and the dessert was kind of awesome. Since we didn't really have plans for the evening it wasn't an issue for us except that we were starving by the time we got back.

Hawaii 2012 Part 7

One of my fave parts of the trip was our visit to Kualoa Ranch.

Kualoa is all kinds of awesome. They film a ton of television shows and movies here but they also have a lot of farms and ponds and all kinds of beautiful spots. 

A couple of the tours were included with our pass so we booked the tour bus transportation to get us there and back and also booked lunch so we could take our time hanging out. We did the movie sites tour and the gardens and fishpond tour. We got to see their beautiful pond and the tour the gardens where they grow all kinds of fruits. Our tour guide stopped frequently (we were the only people in his van) and picked us fresh starfruit and macadamia nuts. We stopped for lunch in between and had ribs and chicken at the buffet. On the movie tour we got to see the Jurassic Park sign, one of Godzillas' giant footprints, and all kinds of other cool spots featured in a lot of films. Incidentally, Hawaii 5-O was setting up filming there that day too (I really think they were stalking me). 

My mom and I would love to come back next time and see some of their other tours. 

Hawaii 2012 Part 6

So funny story.

My first full day in Hawaii, Lisa and I had planned to go hang out at the beach and then do the Manoa Falls hike. We went to the beach at the hotel and then waited by our bus depot for the tour to pick us up. After waiting about 30 minutes, I called the tour company only to find they left a recording saying the tour was cancelled because Hawaii 5-O was filming there that day. Thanks for the heads up... NOT. I ended up rescheduling for the end of the trip but was bummed for Lisa since she had to miss it.

On that note, we decided to make use of our free umbrella and beach chair (included with the pass just like everything else lol) at Waikiki Beach. The guys there were really nice and gave us an extra chair so we got to chill for a while and enjoy the view.

Hawaii 2012 Part 5

Makani Catamaran Cruise and random city pics.

The cruise and the city tour were both also included with the amazing Go Pass. Total, I think I did about $500 worth of activities for $250. Pretty great deal, right??? 

My mom and I did the cruise in the morning before it got hot. My mom does not like boats and tends to get seasick whereas I took pictures of the fish, laid out on the net, and passed out staring at the water under the net. We saw a bunch of turtles and several schools of fish pass. The water is insanely beautiful and the view of the city was wonderful. 

We did a couple rounds on the city hop on hop off trolley. We made a few stops downtown so I could take pictures of random buildings that they show in Hawaii 5-O including the statute outside their "headquarters". 

Sunday Social

Morning everyone!

The quiet part of my summer is just about over. I'm working seven straight days until my good friend Tara's bachelorette party here in Vegas (complete with dayclubs, nightclubs, and knowing her probably a food fight). As my club host reminded me, I haven't been out since last year so this should be fun and exhausting! After that I will be spending the 4th with one of my (sometimes) fave people. I also booked a hometown trip to GA for later this summer and am contemplating a new tattoo. It should be an interesting summer!

1. What’s your favorite scary movie?
I don't really have any favorites, but I do love just about any zombie movie. My fave would be Shaun of the Dead but that wasn't even remotely scary. Funny, when I was like seven, I was obsessed with horror movies. Mom and I would go to Blockbuster once a week and I would get like Poltergeist or Chucky. 
So weird!

2. What is your favorite weird TV show you think no one else watches?
Archer, but since it's still on the air and someone else got me into it, clearly people are watching. lol But I rarely meet other people who watch it.

3. What is the song you can sing all the words to without any music?
Just about any Lady A song. 

4. What is your favorite book to re read?
I have a really short attention span and it's really bad but if I see the ending, I might not be able to read the rest of the book so as soon as I know how a book will end, I rarely reread them. The only exceptions might be Harry Potter. 

5. The one website you visit more times a day than others?

It changes everyday; yesterday it was Roadtrippers and today it is Pinterest. On weekdays it tends to be Bloglovin so I have things to read, weekends I'm not really doing much social networking. :-)

Scrapping Saturday

Happy Saturday bloggers!!!

So I thought I'd try something new since every series I've tried has been kind of an epic fail. I've recently started making scrapbooking a priority again because if I don't start scrapping my thousands of photos; they're just going to keep building up!

A lot of these photos have been blogged so if the page consists of something I've blogged, I'm linking back to the previous post. If any of you guys are digi scrappers too and want to know where I got certain kits or fonts, hit me up! Everything is credited below and for the photos that I didn't take, I have credited the photographer/website in the caption.

Today I was in a Twilight mood, can you tell?

From Dusk Till Dawn by Stolen Moments Designs

Emmett by Valorie Brown Designs

Pepperwood by Little Green Frog Designs

Other photos from Chateau Nightclub and Sugar Factory

Out with the Old In with the New by Little Butterfly Wings

Get the Party Started by Trixie Scraps

Pepperwood by Little Green Frog Designs

Birthday Word Art 3 by Elegant Word Art

Vegasnews Photos from Isaac Brekken/Wireimage

Songbird by Little Green Frog Designs

Carlisle by Valorie Brown Designs

Into the Twilight by Studio Flergs

Other photos from Chateau Nightclub and Sugar Factory

Hawaii 2012 Part 4

Luau!

We scheduled it on Lisa and her mom's last night so we could all go together. The moms used the luau as their free activity since they didn't want to swim with the dolphins. We had to rush a bit after our dolphin swim to catch the bus for the tour. We all wanted to get a bit dressed up for the occasion too. I actually made the dress myself with this really great printed tiki fabric I found at Walmart. I loosely used a pattern but it came out really comfortable!

It was super touristy and a bit cheesy but since none of us had done one before we figured why not. Since this is the one the moms got for free, we went with Germaine's. They do their luau on a nice private beach. Oddly enough, when I was at my grandparents house a few months later, I saw a picture they had from the same luau! So funny!

Dinner was buffet style and drinks were provided with drink tickets. The moms weren't drinking so Lisa and I tried to get as drunk as we could on frozen drinks with minimal alcohol. The show was fun and festive and we got to watch the tour guides take the pig out of the ground. 

Such a great way to see Lisa and her mom off before they headed home!

And yes, I tried the poi.

Hawaii 2012 Part 3

Y'all know I'm a crazy foodie so I figured, why not to a food post?

I always try to fit in a bunch of snacks on trips and never eat too much at any one meal. There's always something around the corner somewhere!

Waiola Shave Ice

We walked about 2 miles to get here because we had time and were a bit bored. This shave ice was worth the walk. So yummy; especially with the azuki beans and snow cap!

Snow Forest Shave Ice

This spot is downtown and really good too. The owner was super nice and gave us some custard to try too and told us if we needed more condensed milk or syrup, he would refill us. 

Hula Grill

We randomly stopped in for food after wandering Kalakaua. We got a table overlooking the pool and the beach and the food was really really good. We weren't starving so we had appetizers and desserts (hula pie and creme brulee in a pineapple). 

Wailana Coffee Shop

This spot was right across from the hotel. We came here for lunch one afternoon between tours. The kalbi was awesome and I still dream about their macadamia nut pie. So good. 

Liliha Bakery

Our first morning in town, my friend told us they were going to Ihop. We didn't want Ihop. I asked the bellhop if they could get us a cab to Liliha and she got super excited. That's always a good sign right? We grabbed breakfast and then some goodies for the room. Everything was amazing. It's fairly out of the way but it was worth the taxi. 

Makai Market Food Court

This is the food court inside Ala Moana Mall and while I hate shopping on vacations, I had to stop by just for the food. They have everything here. Not the usual Nathan's and Sbarro, there are tons of places to get all kinds of Asian cuisines and seafood. I opted for steak and mahi mahi.

Zippy's

Everyone from Vegas who moved there from Hawaii told me to go to Zippy's so I made a point to stop there. We got katsu I stopped by the bakery next door for malasadas. We went to the location on the lower level of Sears inside Ala Moana. Really good, so much better than fast food back home.

Hatsuhana

My mom and I always like to come by here at least once for our shrimp tempura udon bowls. It's pricey since it's a resort restaurant but it's so much better than the places back home and insanely different from the instant packages we get stuck with most of the time. 

Tiki's

Our first dinner with Lisa and her mom. We stopped by after Lisa and I spent the afternoon on the beach. We got a table right by the wall on the balcony and got to enjoy the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. We got a great view of the surfers and sailboats too. I will definitely come back here if only for the sunset (but the food was great too).

Sunset at Tiki's.

Hawaii 2012 Part 2

Our visits to Pearl Harbor.

If you're planning on going, don't take a cab. There are a number of shuttle companies in the area that do group pick-ups and drop offs and they're a lot cheaper.

With our Go Oahu pass, we couldn't do ALL of the Pearl Harbor visits in one day but that was fine because you don't want to be rushed and they are all in different spots. We visited the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Bowfin Submarine our first day. Since it wasn't over a holiday, the boats were less full and we were able to take in everything at our own pace rather than feel packed in like sardines. The USS Bowfin was way less crowded than everywhere else which is kind of sad because it's pretty cool. Besides, since it was included, why not stop by? You only get so many chances to wander a submarine, right?

Two days later we came back to see Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. There is a lot to see and splitting up the attractions was a really good idea. These two are over the bridge so you have to catch a shuttle bus from the visitor's center and ticketing area over to the Missouri. Interesting bus ride and it was pretty cool to see the housing that's on the island as well. The Pacific Aviation Museum is fairly small but there are some really cool planes and so much history. Definitely worth the stop. Battleship Missouri was a great visit. We didn't do the guided tour and I'm kind of glad. We got to move at our own pace which I prefer. Watch out for the walls with asbestos!

Hawaii 2012 Part 1

So I had done a really abbreviated blog post of this trip about a year ago. I had a look at it yesterday and I decided I really didn't like it. It was short, not detailed, and well, it kinda sucked. Blame it on me being a new blogger who just wanted to post it in a hurry.

I had to reload the photos so I could add them to my Tripoto itinerary so I decided to do an unhurried detailed version. My mom and I spent about a week in Waikiki and did almost every activity imaginable. My dad travels a ton for work so we got a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village basically for free. Pretty awesome. 

I purchased the Go Oahu card prior to our trip (I think about a month before). The card is ordinarily around $250 but they do a lot of sales. I booked it in advance so that I would have plenty of time to make reservations for the activities we wanted to do and see what the transportation options were. A lot of the attractions are free with the card but you have to find your own way there and that gets pretty pricey. When calling a few of the places, I discovered that several of them provide shuttle service for an additional (rather smallish) charge but that wasn't often publicized. 

We got a really great deal on Hawaiian Airlines that got us there early afternoon. One of the great things about living in Vegas is the direct flights to Hawaii. So convenient. Allegiant has good deals from time to time too but I personally would rather pay a little extra for the friendly service and good snacks you get on Hawaiian Airlines. There was even a welcome Mai Tai. Great way to get into the tropical mood!

I love staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village because it's extremely convenient and there's a lot to do on property when we're too tired to wander. Our first day we had dinner at Tropics which is right on the beach and is often filmed in Hawaii 5-O (along with the rest of the hotel actually). We stopped to see the penguins too and grabbed ice cream at Lappert's (we have one in Vegas but they have fewer flavors and I hate going to Old Vegas just for ice cream). 

For the map and details, check out my Tripoto itinerary for this trip!

Sunday Social

1. 4 favorite phone apps

Aside from the usual ones (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc):Retrica- So many awesome filters for all my moodsPerfect 365- Because sometimes you just wish your lipstick was blue in that shot, right?Bloglovin- Reading material for tripsOpentable- Great for booking restaurant reservations and earning gift certificates

2. 4 favorite Summer TV shows

I'm really only watching one show this summer and that's 24- Live Another Day; everything else is DVD sets and re-runs. :-)

3. 4 things you would NEVER do.
Cheat, steal, skydive, bungee jump. The first two seem way more noble to avoid. 

4. 4 items you carry with you no matter what.
iPhone, sanitizer, lip balm, ID. 

5. 4 blogs we should follow.
Mine. Just kidding. Wonder Forest- So many cool tips and tricks!A Beautiful Mess- Such a fun crafts/recipes/lifestyle/everything blog. Go follow now!Politics of Pretty- Some fun beauty tips and good product reviews.Adventurous Kate- Love all her travel adventures. 

Great ways to piss off...

The person next to you on a plane.

I'm going to start a vent series. I thought it up on my flight from Dallas to Vegas because the woman next to me embodied most of these. I hate flying enough as it is and in such a small space, annoyances are well, more annoying! Feel free to chime in with your own gripes whenever you want!

Kicking me. I know legroom is limited but be mindful.

Seats have an invisible barrier also known as the not so invisible armrest. When the guy next to me doesn't fit it's annoying but understandable. When the bony diva next to me wants all my space for leaning, I want to slap her.

If you're barefoot or in sandals, keep your feet away from other people. Especially if you're behind me, keep then off my armrest and away from my arms and head.

If you pee every ten minutes and the seats are preassigned, take the aisle please; don't be that person.

Pound on my headrest and I want to pound on your face.

Put your phone in airplane mode please. Nobody wants to die just because you couldn't wait for that text. Planes have wifi; you can email.

Try not to smell like well, anything. Please?

I hate rude people. It drives me nuts. Be nice and I might share my snacks! I always have good snacks. :-)

What annoys you when you fly?

Last Updates

So I finished adding in the items in the sidebar that I've been dragging my feet on!

I have a link for my portfolio.

I have a link for my scrapbook that I'm really quite happy about because most scrap galleries have a lot of restrictions that I'm not fond of so I made my own gallery.

I have a link for my Tripoto profile; I've listed a number of my trips here along with budgets, reviews, photos, and there's even a handy little map!

Last I put up an About Me section. It was overdue.

Dallas Part 5- Farewell BBQ

Leaving the South is always sad for me because I have to go back home to crazy Vegas. After twelve years here, I really miss small towns.

Katie and I hit up one of her fave BBQ places before we headed to the airport. I kind of loved this place. For one, it's called Cokers so no risk of getting Pepsi in there. Two, it's adorable with vintage Coca Cola memorabilia just all over. Three, they had King of the Hill action figures and a Homer Simpson in a BBQ apron. Amazing. Oh, and the food was yummy.

Dallas Part 4- Denton & Roadtrippin

This day trip trough Texas and Oklahoma really reminded me of all the things I love about southern small towns. We drove through several cute ones and saw some nice places along the way. The weather held up pretty well until we left Oklahoma.

We stopped in Denton on the way back to see Katie's wedding gown and grab dinner instead of sitting in rush hour traffic. She took me to a fun little dive with the most awesome cheese steaks and fried onions. 

We wandered the town square afterwards and then hit up the most awesome ice cream shop ever for dessert. I had an amazing lavender honey sundae. There were some nice shops aroun the square (cute old school comics and sweets) and a nice music scene. Such an awesome way to end the roadtrip!

Dallas Part 3- Tishomingo

I love small towns and Tishomingo is super tiny. We only really spotted one bar on Main Street but surprisingly, there were some awesome shops.

Next door we grabbed lunch at Rockin Rib. Great little BBQ joint with cheap food and friendly service. If you ever find yourself in Tishomingo, stop in! 

After lunch we wandered the Baker Mercantile for jams an jellies and then walked around the Chickasaw Nation museums. There are three- the bank, council house, and Capitol building. They're all free and pretty interesting. 

By now it was starting to rain a bit an we decided to head home rather than risk gettin caught in Oklahoma dying a severe thunderstorm. The whole excursion in Tishomingo was maybe 2.5 hours and we saw a lot. I'd love to go back sometime I see the wildlife refuge and maybe camp one day. Great friendly little town.