Road Trippin'

L/R,T/B - Jenn Minocqua (WI), Niagara Falls (Canada), Old Faithful (WY), Groundhog Day (IL), Matt South Bend (IN), Yellowstone (WY), Views (WY)The month of May found us at home after nearly four months exploring the mysteries of the orient and the islands of Polynesia.  After a few weeks at home we hopped in our Jeep and set-off to experience some of the strange and exotic offerings on the open roads of North America.  Nearly 6,000 miles, 15 states, and two Canadian provinces later, we’re ready to share what we saw:

• National Parks – Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, National Grasslands, and others
• National Treasures – The Great Lakes (all five of them), Niagara Falls, Old Faithful, and the world’s largest cow and buffalo statues (both in North Dakota)
• A Salina, Kansas Car Dealership – Where we stopped for a bit of unplanned vehicle maintenance
• Family and Friends – Matt Gray in Chicago, Aaron Stratton and family while visiting Ohio
• Great Little Towns – Woodstock, Illinois where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where we stayed in the Grand Geneva Resort which was originally built as the first Playboy Club in the United States…Photos of ‘Hef’ and many celebrities from the glory days of the ‘60s and ‘70s were on display
• Great Museums – The Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana and the unforgettable Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, Missouri

As we reflect on our seven week break from the international scene, the words of Paul Theroux come to mind, “One of the greatest rewards of travel is the return home to the reassurance of family and old friends, familiar sights and homely comforts.”  We’ve made the most of our fleeting time in the U.S. and are happily recharged and ready to set off on our next adventure:  Hiking across Scotland, 135 miles along the John Muir Way leading from Helensburgh in the east to Dunbar in the west.

Guam - A Few Surprises

Glow in the Dark Fish at Piti Bomb Holes

We thought we had Guam figured out – An Americanized destination between Hawaii and Manila where we would acclimate to the time zone changes.  We were told the food wasn’t exciting and we shouldn’t expect much…Going in with this expectation, we were surprised to discover a few gems along the way.

It started at Hotel Nikko where we met TOTO, the sophisticated Japanese-style toilet that included what we’ll refer to as an advanced “cleaning feature” complete with instructions on its use.  Did we use it?  We’ll just say one of us let our curiosity get the better of him or her.  Do the surprises stop there?  Heck no!

We spent the next morning exploring the town (Tumon).  We ate at a local breakfast place named The Kracked Egg.  Jenn went for the Ramen noodle with spinach, spam, and poached egg – totally yum.  Matt added on a French toast slice stuffed with ham and cheese accompanied by apple Mogu Mogu (drink).  It’s like any other fruit juice, but with gelatin bits added for texture.  It sounds weird, but is quite tasty.  It’s apparently sold in Asia Pacific areas, so we’ll try some of their other flavors during our future travels.

Guam has a huge (HUGE) Asian influence and it is a popular Japanese tourist destination.  We didn’t put it together until we saw the TOTO and realized that many signs are in Japanese with English subtitles.  The food is Asian-influenced as well and we had the privilege of eating one of the best meals of our lives at Toh-Lee Restaurant.  Almost all of it was seafood (lobster, stuff crab claw (stuffed with more crab), whole fresh fish, etc.)  It was a flavor sensation and we ate every bit of it up.

We rented a car to further explore the island and found the usual activities – snorkeling, sightseeing, and pretty beaches (the best of which was difficult to reach, but worth the effort – Ritidian Beach).  After three weeks of “beach time”, we are ready for city life again – Just in time to leave for Manila tomorrow. 

Fact or Fiction? Shaved Ice Vendor Experimenting with Sushi Flavors

Haleiwa Shaved Ice

The following submission is either completely fictional or is fact-based.  Please post a comment noting whether you think it is True or False with your own entertaining or supporting commentary.  The answer will be revealed in a future comment on this post.

Our stay on Oahu and Maui is reaching its conclusion and somehow we nearly missed out on a Hawaiian islands’ tradition, shaved ice - That tasty treat known in Ohio (where we grew up) as snow cones.  Luckily, our travels this week took us to the little town of Haleiwa where we encountered Matsumoto’s Haleiwa Shaved Ice.

This legendary shaved ice hot spot was hard to miss with its long line of customers cascading onto the sidewalk.  We spotted a camera crew from the local news outlet and quickly learned that Matsumoto’s supplemented its traditional syrup flavors (i.e.: cherry and banana) with more creative offerings such as green tea and pickled mango, but that wasn’t what had attracted the media.  Further investigation revealed that the owners were experimenting with a new flavor based on sushi grade ahi tuna which was presented with an optional dollop of fresh wasabi.

When asked about the creative offering, the shop’s representative informed us that it was created in an effort to appeal to the Japanese tourist community which contributes strongly to their business.  While sales of the unique flavor have not been significant, it has garnered positive press and increased foot traffic to this local institution which currently sells more than 1,000 shaved ices each day.

Making New Friends in Hawaii

Steve Snyder and Teresa Allred

When our good friend Rich Batenburg heard about our plans to visit Hawaii, he recommended that we contact Steve Snyder and his lovely wife Teresa.  Steve is a highly accomplished public speaker and Teresa built a very successful aircraft parts engineering and manufacturing company in California before they moved to Nahiku on the island of Maui.

Steve and Teresa have found satisfaction in a simple lifestyle that celebrates relationships more than material possessions.  They spend most of their time outside and built a yurt (two actually) on their property to provide comfort and protection.  They, along with their two lovely golden retrievers, were generous and welcoming to us.

We spent a long afternoon visiting on their deck while taking in the sweeping ocean views.  Teresa's keen sense of observation allowed her to quickly observe Matt's accomplishments at MSU (Making Stuff Up) - An entertaining acronym we hadn't heard before.  At lunchtime we set off for Nahiku Marketplace to enjoy tender pork and fresh fish tacos followed by incredible ice-cream at Coconut Glen's.

The afternoon was capped off with a tour of their beautiful tropical fruit orchard where Teresa shared information about the trees, plants, grafting techniques, and harvesting methods.  We sampled a few items as we traveled through the grounds and before parting ways Teresa blended a fresh passion fruit juice for us to enjoy.  We were delighted by the delicious flavors of the beverage as well as the kindness extended by our two new friends.

Pearl Harbor

Waterfront Memorial with the USS Bowfin submarine in the background

Moving…Memorable…Peaceful - These are the words that describe our trip to Pearl Harbor’s portion of the Pacific National Monument, in particular, the USS Arizona Memorial.  The national park is configured well, providing a variety of sites and experiences that are free of charge supplemented by for-purchase packages to historic treasures such as the USS Bowfin submarine, the Battleship Missouri, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.

We arrived around 1:00 PM and located convenient on-site parking.  The park doesn’t allow any “items that offer concealment” including handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, etc.  Once we figured this out, Jenn returned to the car where she stored her purse in the trunk.  Alternatively, personal items can be stored on-site for a $3 charge.

Upon entry into the park we inquired about our options and were handed two free tickets to the 3 PM tour of the USS Arizona.  We occupied our few hours of free time prior to the tour by exploring the grounds containing lovely monuments to fallen heroes as well as survivors of the December 7^th, 1941 attacks.  We also learned about history in the open air museums which described how “a date which will live in infamy” started WWII.  Lastly, we explored a variety of submarine and artillery items that were on display.

The time passed quickly and before we knew it the tour was ready to start.  After watching an informative 30 minute film, we boarded a US Navy operated boat that shuttled us to the USS Arizona’s resting place.  It is a beautiful memorial to the fallen; the ship below, fish swimming and nesting on it, a flag flying overhead, and the names on the wall dedicated “To the memory of the gallant men here entombed and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941 on the USS Arizona.”  It was quite moving.

If you find yourself on Oahu, reserve a little time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country by making an educational, yet moving visit to Pearl Harbor.  You’ll be glad you did.