Welcome to my travel journal. I started writing this journal during my first sabbatical in 1998. It's my ongoing collection of observations, photos, and traumatic introspection from the road. Enjoy.
Welcome to my travel journal. I started writing this journal during my first sabbatical in 1998. It's my ongoing collection of observations, photos, and traumatic introspection from the road. Enjoy.
OK, so I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and was going to write something and didn’t. I was up at the lake all week and was going to write something and didn’t. Now it is a Pleasant Valley Sunday (at home) and I have to go to work tomorrow. Not good. - 1,000,000 Miles My Chicago trip was nothing to write home about (or write in a travel journal about for that matter), but it did mark a somewhat significant milestone from a “travel” perspective. I rolled over the 1,000,000 mile mark on the Northwest frequent flyer program. Thankfully I hit the mark just prior to the program getting nixed in favor of the Delta's Medallion program...
I’m on the boat’s bridge cruising along Lanai’s southern coast. The sun has just come up and we are fast-trolling (my term) along a deep ridge in the Pacific trying to hook Marlin. In other words we are out for a boat ride. Of course, yesterday someone caught a 400-pound Marlin… Today, we’ll see… The last time I fished in Hawaii we drove the boat around, had one fish on (not me), lost it, and then went home… Fun, fun, fun… I won’t bother everyone with my typical bad-luck stories… It’s a nice day to be out regardless of how many fish we reel in. Chances are, if we do catch any, it will be one or two big ones....
Since this is my third time in Hana, my third time down the Hana Highway, my third time in Maui, and, of course, my third time in Hawaii I made a third pilgrimage across the field, past the overgrown Japanese cemetery, down the steep path, past the dead grey seal (more to come on this) to Red Sand Beach (or Kaihalulu Beach). It remains as amazing as ever and it remains the prettiest beach I’ve seen. Not a bad rating since I’ve also been to “The Beach” of Thailand, Alex Garland book, and Leonardo DiCaprio movie fame. The steep red cliffs, the jagged volcanic rock, and the brilliant blue waters make it a stunning spot in and already stunning place...
In a vain attempt to pretend that I’m actually somebody I’ve (we’ve) booked two days (and nights) at the Hotel Hana Maui, the getaway for the rich and famous at the end of the famed “Road to Hana”. After a slow start this morning in Kaanapili we put the top down on the car and headed for Hana. Believe it or not, this is my third trip down this treacherous road. Fifty-some miles of twists, turns, yields, single-lane bridges, and certain car sickness. The road is narrow and serpentine, the vegetation is lush, and the cliff-side surf is rough (rougher than usual I think). Its reputation as the “Road to Heaven” is well deserved. Its reputation as the “Road to...
Aloha from Maui. If you received a postcard from me you know I started them with “Aloha from Maui”. How nice of me. I’m sitting in my $40/day cabana alongside Black Rock in front of the Sheraton. With Beach in front of me, the blue Pacific waters in front of that, and the island of Lanai in the distance there are few better spots to soak up the sun. It all comes at a price. Along with my $40 cabana I had a $60 breakfast and slept in my $300 room. OK, so the room was only $90 thanks to my Starwood points… I guess traveling for work has some benefits. Anyway, it is damn expensive here on Maui’s Kaanapili...
