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vacation

Hawaii’s Big Island Delivers Big

April 23, 2010 by Shelli

In early April we spent our spring break on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was our second time there. It is one of our favorite places in the world.

Finis, our 2-year-old, poses on a rock in the ocean tidepools. That's the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in the background.

We had a magnificent time. We had seven days there, including the first three days in the Kona area, and the last four days in the Waikoloa region.

Our initial nights were spent at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, and it is fabulous. It’s located on the ocean and is literally a few steps from several tidepools. Our three young sons had a wonderful time starting and ending each of our days in exploring the pools, where they spotted sea urchin, sea turtles, crabs, and made other interesting discoveries.

Me, dog-piling with our three boys during sunset at the Outrigger, in Kona.

The view looking out to the ocean from the bar and eating areas was magnificent. The breakfast, which is included as part of your stay, was abundant and delicious. Each morning we stocked up plate fulls of fresh fruit, eggs, pastries, pancakes, coffee, juice, etc., while watching the ocean hit the shore.

All four of my guys on the beach next to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in Kona.

It was also nice to be located so close to many other restaurants and to the heart and pulse of the great town, Kona. Just a handful of miles away were many restaurants and bistros, as well as beaches and places from which to rent surf and boogie boards, snorkel equipment, etc. We loved Kona the first time we visited six years ago. We love it even more now.

While based at the Outrigger, one day we snorkeled and swam at the adjacent beach, Kahalu`u Bay, where water toys are available for rent, there is a beach shower and bathrooms, as well as a food truck complete with shaved ice, grilled lunches and other tasty snacks.

Another day we traveled a few miles north of the Outrigger to a beach called Keauhau Beach. I rented a stand up paddle-board and oar and gave standup paddling a try. It was a blast and I’m now hooked!

Here’s a video clip I captured while enjoying some stand up paddle-boarding. Watch toward the end and you’ll see a sea turtle:

As I sit here now in my hometown of Lander, WY, which is in the snowy mountains, I ponder how/where I can do stand up paddle-boarding in Wyoming. It was that much fun.

Mostly, stand up paddle-boarding provided a different way to “tour” the ocean. As I stood up and paddled out into the ocean, sea turtle would every now and then swim near me or right with my board. (See video for proof-it’s toward the end of the clip) Then, with a little more confidence, I tried catching a wave. That didn’t work out so well. :> But, it is a great sport that I will definitely look forward to doing again on a return trip to Hawaii.

In addition, the older boys and I went on an adventure where we got to swim in the wild with dolphins, and see humpback whales and a manta ray. This was an adventure of a lifetime we’ll never forget. (Provided by Barefoot’s Adventures and Sunlight On Water.)

Here’s a video clip of Wolf, our 9-year-old, during one of the swims:


Our Outrigger room was beautiful and clean, and after a day of adventuring, we could see and hear the ocean from our room’s balcony and its sliding doors.

Next stop: Luxurious Paradise
After a lot of adventuring in the Kona region, we headed north for luxury, what our boys later dubbed “as sort of a paradise” — the Hilton Waikoloa.

Take it from me, once here, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a reason to leave the Hilton Waikoloa — ever. (Except maybe to return to work to start saving for the return trip)

There is a natural lagoon area, complete with sandy beach, ocean access, a waterfall, sea turtles, eels and other ocean critters, and water toys like bike and pedal boats, kayaks and stand up paddleboards to rent and explore.

The lagoon at the Hilton Waikoloa is a magnificent place at which to spend time.

Or, just suntan on the lagoon’s beach while listening to the ocean slap against the shores behind you.

Our three sons loved riding the pedal boats in the lagoon while looking for turtles and other critters.

Here’s a video clip of us playing the lagoon:

Then, after exploring in the lagoon each day, our mission was to swim, swim and swim some more in the many pools on the property. (Our routine was pretty stringent at the Hilton Waikoloa.)

Here’s what swimming looked like for Fin and I:

It basically went like this: Eat a bunch of fruit, head to the Lagoon to swim, look for turtles and ride toys until noon.

Wolf and Hayden pose in front of one of the main pools at the Hilton Waikoloa.

Then, move to the pools, but only after stopping for a great lunch at the grill in between the lagoon and pools. (Also worth mentioning, as we ate, we watched the dolphins swimming at the Dolphin Quest complex also located between the lagoon and the pools.)

A video of the “pool experience” at the Hilton Waikoloa:


Then, after re-fueling, we staked out chairs near the main pools. One pool is a baby pool that is sand-bottomed. Babies and young toddlers love it! The other pools are big and connected, eventually boasting a waterfall and a pretty good-sized slide, and a couple of hot tubs. There are bars everywhere, from which to treat your kids to a Green Gecko, or yourself to a Whale Watch, pina colada or Lava Flow. Take your pick. From my investigation into the matter, they are all more than satisfactory.

Playing at Anaehoomalu Bay, near the Hilton.

Longing for a little more direct ocean and beach time, one afternoon we drove a few minutes to Anaehoomalu Bay (called “A Bay” for short), where we did some more snorkeling, sand castle-building and played with a few sea turtles that were near the shoreline.

The older boys and I departed for another guided adventure when we did a “deluxe” parasail over the ocean for 14 minutes. By deluxe, I mean we were about 50 stories over the ocean. UFO Parasailing provided the adventure, and it was a hoot! The boys did it for me, and they ended up loving it as much, or more, than I did!

Me, parasailing with our 9- and 8-year-old sons, Wolf and Hayden.

Some helmet cam video of the parasail:

My guys on the walk between pools, etc.
Yummy. This was the famous chocolate soufflé at Roy's Bar and Grill, in Waikoloa.
Family pic.
Our son, Fin, shows how all of us felt about our Hawaii trip. It was awesome!

Other Hawaii blog posts:
Swimming with dolphins in the wild.
Parasailing

Filed Under: Family, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: adventure, big island, family travel, hawaii, kona, vacation, waikoloa

Air travel: Overpriced then, cheap now?

June 8, 2009 by Shelli

We all bellyache about the airlines. I had a terrible lost luggage experience with American Airlines last week, and ranted about it. I’m still upset about all the cab fares and late night shopping and money-spending I had to do because they couldn’t find and deliver my bag in time for my keynote presentation to a travel conference. (It arrived during my presentation, thank you very little –– for nothing.)

But I was thinking, 20 years ago I paid the same rate I do now, to fly half-way across the U. S.

Flying 20 years ago cost me the same amount it costs today. Why?
Flying 20 years ago cost me the same amount it costs today. Why?

I have talked to some of my friends who are avid travelers, and they recall a time when flying was more of a luxury. Judy Legerski, a friend here in Lander, WY, who’s a baby boomer who travels about 100,000 miles/year, recalls that she used to get dressed up to go flying, an activity that was considered a privilege.

My parents, who weren’t financially worse off than our family is today, relatively speaking, didn’t fly on an airplane until they were in their 20s. My first flight was when I was in 6th grade. And yet our three young children …well, they’ve been to San Francisco, Hawaii, New York City, Mexico, and other destinations, all by flight.

My question is were the flights I paid $350-450 for 20 years ago better than the same flights I pay the same rates for today? I can hardly think of any other business or product that in 20 years has not raised their rates or prices.

I just wanted to post about this as I was thinking about it recently as I complained about American Airlines because of my luggage debacle.

We always complain about the airlines, and yet how can it possibly be that I can be in a June Wyoming snow storm at 8 am and be on a beach at the Atlantic Ocean by 1 pm? It’s like a miracle really. No wonder we love technology. Add to that that I’m not paying any more for the transportation that gets me there than I did 20 years ago, and well, I might even feel a little giddy about flying.

Hanging out on Miami Beach, about 5 hours after leaving the frontier of Wyoming via air travel.
Hanging out on Miami Beach, about 5 hours after leaving the frontier of Wyoming via air travel.

It leaves me to wonder if the quality of the flying experience has gotten so much worse, or if it was simply provided for significantly fewer people and as a result of scarcity it was priced more at a premium 20 years ago? Just curious.

I’m probably missing something, and am likely naive about all this, but I think it’s an interesting question. I would love to get some feedback and insights into why the cost to fly today is similar to what it was 20 years ago.

(BTW, I’m not proposing that airfares increase!)

Filed Under: Marketing, Technology, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: airline travel, transportation, vacation

Country bumpkin visits Miami Beach

June 3, 2009 by Shelli

Greetings from Miami Beach!

From Peaks to Beach.
From Peaks to Beach.

Been having a blast on this trip. Was a keynote presenter today at Eye For Travel’s Online Travel Marketing conference at the Fontainebleau.

(Here’s the Twitter thread on Day 1 of the conference)

View of South Beach from hotel's beach.
View of South Beach from hotel's beach.

Well, yesterday I arrived. Made all connections and flights and had feet in sand by 2 pm EST. Bad news: Suitcase didn’t arrive with me. But, wait, good news, says “Baggage Service” person-having-a-bad-day: “It’s on another flight that arrives at 4 pm.” Whew. Crisis averted, so heck, I’ll go get my feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean and by dinnertime my suitcase with “outfit” in it for tomorrow’s presentation will be safe and sound in my hotel room.

To make money to pay to replace clothing in lost suitcase, I took up a shift of lifeguarding.
To make money to pay to replace clothing in lost suitcase, I took up a shift of lifeguarding.

The beach is spectacular. White sands. Staying at The Palms Hotel & Spa, with direct access to white sands, pool and of course, tiki bar. This place is okay. Not too shabby at all. (Especially for a Wyoming bumpkin.)

By 9 pm suitcase still not here, despite numerous calls to “Baggage Check” at American Airlines that indicated, on each call on the hour: “your suitcase is on the way to your hotel.” (Strange since it took me only 20 minutes in the cab to get here!)

Getting ready to save a life during lifeguarding duty on Miami Beach.
Getting ready to save a life during lifeguarding duty on Miami Beach.

By 10 pm, not having much fun…growing worried about having to present in my stinky, already-been-worn, full-of-sand, Life is Good t-shirt and capris and flip-flops. I decide I better go shopping.

It’s not my fault, I told myself. It’s American Airlines’ fault. (BTW, I really wish someone in a position to help get my suitcase to me would give a damn. Everyone who’s not in a position to fix the problem is caring, and that is helpful for moral support (hotel concierge, peers at conference, valet staff, maids, hotel staff, life guards, @theycallmemrjoe, a conference attendee that tweeted his support… if he was a girl I bet he would have given me the shirt of his/her back — basically everybody who I’ve met and whined to, except for the many shifts of workers I’ve pleaded to, kindly I might add, at American Airlines.) But they just don’t seem to care that I need my suitcase by hour 11 of my 36-hour stay.

So, I’m going shopping. Destination: Lincoln Road Mall.

But there were only ultra-hip stores open at that hour. If you’re looking for Affliction clothing, after 10 pm at night, Lincoln Road is your place. Being from Wyoming, the Affliction clothing in so many of the stores’ windows just didn’t grab me. In fact, it was all a little frightening to me: Skulls, lightning bolts and lots of black and silver.

Also served some guests and helped meet their needs with tables, etc.
Also served some guests and helped meet their needs with tables, etc.

Affliction was certainly fitting at the moment… for those of you who don’t know, affliction means “a state of pain or discomfort.” Still, athough very relevant to my mood and circumstances, this skulls clothing wasn’t a good substitute for what I was originally planning on presenting in. (Funny, though, as the night went on and I walked along Lincoln Road, I saw lots of stylish people wearing Affliction, and by gosh, it did look pretty cool and hip. Still, because I couldn’t envision myself ever wearing it in Wyoming (the “frontier” remember – “the country which lies just beyond the existing boundary”), I just couldn’t bring myself to drop a load of cash on Affliction. I had enough of it already without breaking the bank.

Affliction? Oh yeah, I was feeling it. But the clothing? For me? Not so much.
Affliction? Oh yeah, I was feeling it. But the clothing? For me? Not so much.

I would have to present “in character” even if not by design. (That is, sandals and Life is Good and capris)

The presentation went pretty well I think, despite the anxiety related to my alternative “outfit.” (The suitcase, would you believe it, was delivered to my hotel room during my presentation).

The conference was great. Heard lots of great presentations and met some great people, and got reacquainted with others. We’re headed to Lincoln Road to eat some sushi tonight and then to the Hotel Delano.

Stay tuned for lots of coverage on that in tomorrow’s post, which I’ll send from layover at DFW.
———————
BY THE WAY, the moral of the story, if you’re in customer service, or marketing, or the airlines industry, is: hire people who give a damn. Someone could have been a hero just by physically hunting down my suitcase yesterday. I would have paid a cab to fetch it. Now I’m angry. Not good for AA. (And p.s., I know: I should have packed it in my carry-on.)

Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: country bumpkin, miami beach, travel, vacation

Giant Sequoias and other Yosemite Sights

May 22, 2009 by Shelli

(Written by one of two country bumpkins following a miraculous arrival to the San Francisco airport on May 19, which followed a trip that included several imbibings at fruit stands, some wrong turns, attempts to gas up the rental car at a non-gas station, a scolding or two, and other mishaps not fit for print)

Here’s short coverage of our drive to Mariposa Grove in southern region of Yosemite National Park.

Among other amazing sights to and from, we especially loved the Grizzly Giant Sequoia, a tree whose base measures 27 feet wide (92 feet in circumference).

Standing in front of Giant Grizzly Sequoia in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove.
Standing in front of Giant Grizzly Sequoia in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove.

The giant sequoias seen in Mariposa Grove are 1,300-3,000 years old. They are truly giants, and should be a must-see on your Yosemite Park trip.

Also on this short clip enjoy the famous “Tunnel View”, Bridalveil Falls and El Capitan:

And while Yosemite is on your mind, check out a fantastic hiking adventure.

To plan your trip, start here: myYosemitePark.com.

P. S. A special thanks to our friends Delaware North for helping provide fantastic accommodations to us during our first, and epic trip to Yosemite National Park.
Also, thank you very much to my good friend, Mike Lilygren (and his business partners, Cade Maestas and Brendon Weaver) of Bridge Outdoors, who outfitted me with enough portable power to charge an army’s media gadgets.

Filed Under: National Parks, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: giant sequoias, national park, redwoods, travel, vacation, yosemite, yosemite national park

Thunderous waterfalls and granite giants

May 21, 2009 by Shelli

(Written May 17, 2009)
As I write this I’m in a tent in Yosemite National Park. When we step outside we have views of a thick, green, healthy forest of big pine trees dotted with dogwood, and views above of Half Dome, a granite behemoth that towers over Curry Village. If that all isn’t enough, we can hear a thunderous roaring waterfall… Yosemite Falls, as in the 2,425-feet-high tallest waterfall in North America, which is just down the way from us.

(Don’t tell anyone, but our tent is insulated and heated… electricity included… I’m plugged in right now as a matter of fact. We’d prefer people think we roughed it, but the truth is we’re not very bad off. Thanks to our friends at Delaware North, we have a comfy, warm refuge to retreat to following two days of hard hiking and exploring.)

Yosemite's Curry (Tent) Village. Not really roughing it, if I must be honest...
Yosemite's Curry (Tent) Village. Not really roughing it, if I must be honest...

My dear friend, Sabrina Thoren, is on this trip with me. Yosemite National Park was a our Plan B. Our Plan A had been to take a backpacking trip to the remote Havasu Falls, in the Grand Canyon West region. We were going to experience a little adventure and soaking and relaxing as a belated celebration for our turning 40. (As it is Sabrina is 43 already, so this trip was long overdue) Havasu Falls is on both of our bucket lists. But one-and-a-half weeks ago, we got a call from the Havasupai Tribe informing us all access to the area was closed until June 1. Our flights into Las Vegas, long booked, were nonrefundable.

We soon discovered that not only is Yosemite a Plan A, but it's a true bucket list trip. It is truly magnificent and was an epic trip.
We soon discovered that not only is Yosemite a Plan A, but it's a true bucket list trip. It is truly magnificent and was an epic trip.

Ironically, at the time I was helping lead development of several national park sites, one of which is myYosemitePark.com. While working with the Yosemite-based writer, reviewing and compiling content, and selecting photos and videos to feature on the site, I was beyond inspired. Yosemite remained one of the national park wonders I had yet to visit.

At the same time, I was furiously looking for a Plan B based out of Las Vegas that would be “epic” and as memorable as Havasu Falls would have been. Zion and Grand Canyon, two epic alternatives, were not options since I only recently returned from great adventures in those regions.

Surfing the net one evening in bed four nights before our flights were to depart, after learning we could extend our flights to SFO for under a hundred bucks, I texted Sabrina (who lives next door) the following message: “How about Yosemite for a Plan B?” Swiftly I got a response. “Wow! Go for it. I’m in.”

And just like that we had a Plan B. These two “country bumpkins” (small town Wyoming girls) would be going to California’s Yosemite National Park. Turns out I’d get to see firsthand what all the fuss is about when it comes to Yosemite. And, most importantly, turns out our Plan B has turned out better than probably our Plan A would have been. If it was a waterfall we wanted, we’d get lots of them, and not just any waterfalls…

Yosemite National Park can best be described in one word: MAGNIFICENT. If I must use a few more words, they would be spectacular, giant waterfalls, phenomenal, giant granite formations, awesome, giant sequoias, magnificent and epic. This is truly an amazing place. Its beauty is astounding.

Half Dome.
Half Dome.

By the time we flew into San Francisco and got lost and took several extra hours to find our way to Yosemite National Park, we had taken to referring to ourselves “country bumpkins #1 and #2.” The name was fitting, especially as we stumbled into Yosemite’s Curry Village looking for Tent #942, long after dark.

After a restful night in the tent, we awoke to a clear sky, got coffee from the Coffee Corner and walked a couple of miles to Yosemite Lodge, where we would catch the Hiker Shuttle to Glacier Point. An admitted coffee junkie, who needs coffee when you have views like Yosemite’s? We were greeted by Half Dome towering over a thick green forest surrounding our tent. Along our path to the shuttle pick-up, we enjoyed views of North America’s tallest waterfall, Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet tall, is a stunning sight and provides a backdrop for much of the Yosemite Village area.

Near start of our hike to Panorama point and the Mist Trail.
Near start of our hike to Panorama point and the Mist Trail.

After an hour-long, educational shuttle trip, we were delivered to Glacier Point, where our jaws hung open at the view that greeted us. There before us the Yosemite Valley unfolded, complete with Half Dome towering and framing the left end of the view, and a roaring, white Nevada and Vernal Falls framing the right. Linking it all was a dense, green, healthy forest of endless trees. After being adequately stunned and inspired, we headed down the trail to Panorama Point and the Mist Trail.

It was a long hike, but a pretty reasonable one, as far as effort goes. After about two or three miles, you cross a small bridge over the under-promoted-but-still-beautiful Illoluette Falls, before continuing on for the main prizes, Nevada and Vernal Falls.

Along the raging Merced River.
Along the raging Merced River.

The 9-mile trail is mostly downhill, except for a mile-and-a-half stretch right before your first encounter with the impressive, roaring, huge Nevada Falls.

The volume of water running off forming Nevada Falls is astounding.
The volume of water running off forming Nevada Falls is astounding.

Check out this sampler of the scenery hikers enjoy:


Nevada Falls blew us away. The volume of water and its force and loud roar is overwhelming. Photos and videos don’t do it justice, but certainly they do better than mere words. We could hear the roar of the waterfalls, and also feel them under foot as we approached on the trail. You really have to check these out firsthand. You will be better for it. I know the sights and sounds will remain with me forever, and I will recall them in the coming days and weeks and be inspired each time.

By the time we were done taking in Nevada Fall, we were overheated. It was about 85 degrees, if not more, and we had been hiking in the hot sun for a couple of hours.

We kept hearing people mention Mist Trail and Vernal Falls. As we made our way down the trail between Nevada and Vernal Falls, the people hiking up that we met on the trail were soaking wet – literally dripping wet, hair and all. We couldn’t wait to see what the Mist Trail section would bring, as we were hot and looking forward to some relief and cooling off.

At Vernal Falls, people laid out sunning on the big slab of rock that is separated (thank goodness) from the river and waterfall’s upper brink by a metal fence.

The brink of Vernal Falls.
The brink of Vernal Falls.

Boy, were we hot. Sabrina was getting a little tired of all the media capture and wanting to get “misted” like the upward hikers we were meeting on the trail. I was eager as well.

Soon after we finally got a great vantage of Vernal Falls and started descending a stone staircase-like trail that was being misted over by the nearby rush of Vernal Falls. The view and sound and mist of Vernal Falls was more than enough to satisfy, but throw in a rainbow cutting through the mist and this was a major thrill for us.


We packed all the gadgets and cameras away except for the one waterproof camera and off we went. Eager to get wet but (apparently) not too wet, Sabrina left me in the Mist and I lolly-gagged taking videos and pictures and enjoying both the awesome, cold, refreshing shower Vernal Falls provided me and the spectacular scene… a rushing waterfall, rainbow and mist spraying a cloud over the nearby trail and its visitors.

Country Bumpkin in the Mist.
Country Bumpkin in the Mist.

From there, we hiked another mile or two to the bottom, ending at Happy Isles, where a shuttle awaited, but we didn’t take. (Much to Sabrina’s regrets. I bribed her to walk the remaining flat mile to Curry Village and it only cost me a fudgecicle.)

It was a glorious day in God’s country. Like so many of our national park wonders, Yosemite National Park gave and gave and gave. Our first day, and time, in Yosemite National Park was nothing short of epic. The sights were stunning, the sounds were exhilarating and the adventure was epic. It was a fulfilling and rewarding day in California’s star national park.

We returned to our tent village, where we enjoyed a hot shower, great meal and restful night, where I’m currently entering this post. : >

Here is a compressed video clip that captures the hike from Glacier Point to Panorama Point to Mist Trail:

If interested, here’s another post about Giant Sequoias, and other stunning Yosemite Park sights.
If you’d like to see more images from Yosemite National Park, here is a link to my Flickr Photostream of the whole Yosemite trip, including waterfalls, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Grove (including the 27-foot-wide Grizzly Giant Sequoia).

Or, here’s a link to another post that covers a handful of other stunning Yosemite sites.

BTW, when I’m not enjoying our national parks in the West, I’m most likely working on promoting them on behalf of Active Interest Media.

To get in on all fun, start here. We want to share tips and media about our favorite national park wonders in the West and help others have a vacation of a lifetime like my recent one in Yosemite.

P. S. Thank you very much to my good friend, Mike Lilygren (and his business partners, Cade Maestas and Brendon Weaver) of Bridge Outdoors, who outfitted me with enough portable power to charge an army’s media gadgets.

Filed Under: National Parks, Travel & Tourism Tagged With: granite, half dome, mountains, national park, nevada fall, travel, vacation, vernal fall, waterfalls, yosemite, yosemite fall, yosemite national park

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About Shelli

Hi. My name is Shelli Johnson. I live on the frontier in Lander, Wyoming. I’m a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, certified life/leadership coach, wellness coach, keynote presenter and inspired speaker, leadership development facilitator, personal development strategist, writer and adventure guide. This blog mostly includes stories about adventures and travel, but other passions are reading/books, technology, fitness, nutrition, and national parks, so you’ll find a wide range of articles here. I am founder of Yellowstone Journal and YellowstonePark.com, and NationalParkTrips.com, which was my first business. My current company, Epic Life Inc., is in its 7th year, and going gangbusters. If you’re interested in learning more about my current work, I hope you’ll jump over there and learn more about that. I have a more personal blog, more directly related to life and living and leadership, at YourEpicLife.com/blog. I’d love it if you’d also check out that collection of my writings. Thank you for stopping by! Finally, if you’d like to connect with me directly, please email me if you’d like to connect.

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