Hawaii

Aloha! Here in Hawaii at last and just relaxing now.  Has been pretty full on.  Got here yesterday arv, and by the time we picked up the car and got to the hotel, we'd had it.  Tried to have a bit of a rest for a while, but was overtired, so went down to a bar and had a couple of cocktails. Watched the sunset over the water - aaahhhh.

Had a few hours on the beach this morning and then played 18 holes at the Ko Olina Golf Course, which is the area we're staying in.  Beautiful course, and everyone's so friendly.  When we came in, 2 guys met us with the carts and wiped all the clubs down and gave us cold towels to refresh with.  Where do you get that in Australia?  Going back to play again tomorrow!

Barby for dinner tonight - this resort is great - so big, 3 towers 3 swimming pools and private lagoon, barbeques. So relaxing. Probably won't blog too much more, as the above is what we pretty much plan on doing whilst we're here haha!

Aloha! Relaxing at the Resorts Lagoon

John and I at the Longboards Bar Ko Olina Resort

Ko Olina Golf Club with Resort in the background

John on Ko Olina Golf Course

Daryl, Luanne & John on the course.

 

It's been a fantastic holiday and we've had the time of our lives and memories we'll have forever.

Las Vegas

Got into Vegas about 6pm on Monday 1st October.  Virtually just dumped the bags and went down to the gaming!  The Flamingo Hotel where we stayed, was awesome.  Not one of the bigger, ritzier ones, but so central - it was great. Vegas is just amazing - and it really is hard to describe.  It's just a total 24/7 with peope, gambling, shows, shopping, lights, weirdos, traffic - awesome.

We had an early start on on wedding anniversary the next day, 2nd, as we flew over the grand canyon in a helicopter and had to be picked up at 8am.  President Obama and Romney were in town, and because of that, there was a 30 mile radius of 'no go flying' so, we had to be shuttled to another airport.  Same happened on the way back, and because of this, we were really starting to panic that we'd not 'make it to the church on time' ha! It was 2.30 when we got back, quite flustered and exhausted and were getting picked up at 3.30pm!  We made it of course, and you can check out the photos on Gracelandchapel.com. click on 'view/order photos' and type in JDOTO. It was a blast, we had so much fun and you can see how dressed up Daryl and Mick got for the occassion!  We then got dropped back to the Flamingo and grabbed a cab into Freemont St, which is the old strip.  The light show there was fantastic, people dancing in the streets, and the casinos are just as glitsy!  We had our 'wedding breakfast' at a fantastic seafood restaurant at the Golden Nugget, had a win on the slots, so all in all, it was a fantastic, special day, and one we were glad to be able to share with good friends.

Yesterday - Wed - thankfully we had a bit of a later start, and had to hit the shopping outlets.  The guys went to golf shops and a place called Outdoor World - which they said was just out of this world.  Over 6 acres under cover, with everything sporty/outdoorsy you could imagine.  Guns for sale, boats, golf etc. etc.  They were like kids in a cand shop!

I'm so over shopping - never thought I'd ever ever say that!  Caught a cab back to Flamingo then we checked out some of the other casinos.  They all have themes and are just amazing.  Very hard to describe.  We saw a show at Planet Hollywood, which was great - all about the progression of Vegas, from the mafia, through the rat pack years, Elvis etc.  Feathered show girls and all!  Was great!  Starting to lag a bit, so had a great meal and caught some more of the sights on the strip then crashed into bed.  Early start to get to the airport by 6.30am! 9am fight to Hawaii.   Said our farewells to Mick and Anne - won't be quite the same without them.  

Sitting at Vegas airport now, nearly had to pay excess luggage on the bags under our eyes!  John's gone missing, but I'm guessing he's putting $20 in the slot machines that are everywhere here!  Only in Vegas!  Sorry about the following photos, was so tired and they're a little out of order, but you'll get the gist.

Our drive out in the desert to heli airportReady to go! Yeehaa!Heading to the Grand Canyon

The Canyon

More breathtaking views of the Canyon with the viewing platform right at the top if you take a bus tourAnd more!

Us having  bubbles in the Canyon
 John at the slot machines in the airportView from our room of Ceasars Palace

 

More great views of the canyon

Real flamingos at our Flamingo HotelArriving at Vegas Airport

I found another Johnny on the streets of Vegas!

Daryl was supposed to be pointing to the Eiffel Tower - say what????

Inside Ceasars Palace

Mick's own chocolate shop - in heaven!

Our hotel of a night

The water, music and light show at the Bellagio Casino

Inside the Bellagio Casino. They change the flowers 5 times a year - for each season and chinese new year. Amazing displays!

 

Hopefully we can have a bit of a rest on the next leg of our journey - fingers crossed!

More Seattle

Had a slower start to the day today, which was great. Went to the infamous Pike Street Markets where there is a fish market where when you buy a fish, the vendors throw it from the crowd to the guy at the scales and everyone cheers and yells! Quite entertaining.  The rest of the markets were great as well, and many interesting and unique stores. Was fun.
Then we went on a great tour of Underground Seattle where we were told the history of how Seattle was burnt down in the late 1800s and rebuilt slowly but surely at a higher level. So interesting going through the old streets and our guide was fantastic.

Luanne & Daryl shorefront of Seattle

Mick nearly got run over muking around with the steam coming out of a vent in the road!

Our grown ups at the market!

Us waitin for Anne - sorry!

Fish throwing at Pike St Markets

In my element at fish market - yummo!

Old streets of underground Seattle

Under the pavements looking up through the old original skylights

An original old "crapper" designed by Mr Crapper!

Other streets under the road in Seattle

 

We then all went our separate ways for a few hours and met up for predinner drinks before grabbing a cab and finding an Irish Bar.  We had a great, fun night and sensibly, us girls left early - don't know what time - but stupidly left the guys there!  They don't know what time they left, how they left and we seem to have acquired a bit of memorabillia!  Anyway, off to airport in a couple of hours and on to Vegas.  Hopeully into some warmer weather. Still sunny here in Seattle, but cool winds.  Having a great time with everyone, and sad to know that it'll be over for Anne and Mick in a few days.We've had a ball!

Seattle

Have have now said our fond goodbyes to the RV's - have had plenty fun and if only RV walls could talk haha!
We've booked into a hotel right in Seattle and will stay 1 more night here before leaving for Vegas tomorrow.  Have bought a few things along the way, so really have to repack now! The Bassans and Hughes have had to buy another suitcase, but we're hoping we'll be right.
The guys fitted in another game of golf before we left the RV Park and we went for another bit of a shop/look around.  Caught a cab to a local Mall which was pretty much deserted, but shop assistants so friendly.  No-one's in a hurry here at all, whch can be a bit frustrating at times.  We couldn't get a cab back from the Mall, so had to get on 2 buses and walk a bit.  Anne wanted to walk the whole way, but we told her she was crazy and we'd just had a pedicure for goodness sake!  A nice country lad helped us with the buses and directions, but lordy, we were glad to get back to the park!
John, Daryl and Mick did a Boeing tour, which they really didn't think was so fantastic, but you'll have to talk to them about that.  Us girls went up the space needle and relived Sleepless in Seattle, and of course had a drink up there.  Great views of Seattle of course. Had to have a bit more retail therapy then met the guys back at the hotel where dinner and drinks were on for all.  Was another long day, so crashed into bed.

Yesterday morning we were up early to catch the ferry over to Vancouver Island.  Had to be on the jetty at 7.30am!!! It was a 2 and 3/4 hour journey, with very little to see on the way, and of course, the wind is freezing.  A lovely harbour to enter and as it was nearly lunchtime, found the first pub, ate and watched some of the golf.  In doing this, we missed our tour of the island at 1pm and had to wait till 2pm - but really we could have missed that too, as it was probably one of the most boring tours we've ever.  The guides voice was so monotoned, 3 of us fell asleep whilst he took us around the streets of rich people which he either truly wanted to be one of, or despised them.  Couldn't quite work it out!  Then part of our packge was a high tea at the Empress Hotel.  Our first high tea ever, which was very nice and uperclass, but then we left there and went straight back to the pub for a beer!
Not really the guys cup of tea - no pun intended!

Farwell to the RV's

Daryl, John  & Mick after golf!

Luanne at the Space Needle in Seattle

View from Space Needle over Seattle

Old snow capped mountains coming into Vancouver Island, Canada

Idiots!

Not idiots!

Street musician in Victoria, Vancouver Island

"Welcome To Victoria" in flowers along the harbour bank

The Empress Hotel - high tea

Us having high tea - very posh

John and Daryl in Sts of Victoria

Me and my moose in Victoria

Heads on the boat coming back from Vancouver Island.

 

 

 

The shops in Victoria, which is the township, are very quaint and some quite unique.  Anyway, we can now say we've been into Canada!  The boat trip home was long again, and getting back to the hotel around 9.30, we were all pretty tired.  We had made big plans to watch the grand final at the Kiwi and Kangaroo Bar, but it wasn't on until midnight, and we just couldn't do it, captain! Couldn't wait for a nice hot shower and crash into bed, but alas, the hotel had boiler problems and no hot water!  What a day!

Getting close to Seattle

Well we left our classy overnight stay and surprisingly felt rather refreshed! Another foggy morning and a big day ahead to try and get to Seattle tonight.  Not a lot to see, but the drive not really boring either. We were going to have a look around Portland, but Mick was the driver and had the  GPS and not sure what happened but we ended up in Beaverton - not much to see there, but where we were there were a lot of nice restaurants!  Anyway, back on the road again and on the other side of Portland we left the State of Oregon and entered into the State of Washington.  No happy snap border crossing here, as we were flying across a bridge! Went through Tacoma, saw the airport where we have to be back at in a few days (not fair) and ended up in Seattle - after a few interesting navigational issues - and saw a little more of Seattle that we intended to after a long days driving! But we got here! Asked someone where an RV park was, as by now Daryl's USA mobile was dead, and of course no internet.  Well, we came to a couple and we now know where the term "trailer trash" comes from - OMG. Not meaning to be nasty or anything, but Woah! So, we went a bit further and found a great RV park - so incredibly clean and different.  Actually, all the parks we've stayed in have been pretty good.
Cracked open a bottle of bubbles and beers, and settled in for a game of cards and Greed!  Funny night - dinner in tonight to try and get rid of the food we have before we leave for Vegas. There'll be no "Sleepless in Seattle" for these happy campers!

Our classy free stay!

This was what was our backyard at our free stay on the highway haha!

Crossing the border into the State of Washington

Coming into Seattle

Trees in a section of Seattle covered in knits

Still cool here but not so foggy.