SmashBook

As I had mentioned in a previous post I was going to write down the name of every town big or small that we travel through on Our American Road Trip in a notebook like I did on the many trips I went on to British Columbia with my grandparents.  Besides blogging about our travels I decided to kind of scrapbook as we go.  Now taking all the scrapbook my supplies along isn't realistic but using a SmashBook from K&Company where I can paste in ticket stubs, receipts, brochures and other memorabilia from our trip in.  I had read a coupl of blog posts from others that did the same thing on their vacations and thought that would be a neat idea to do on this trip.  Setting aside a bit of time in the morning with a coffe or at the end of the day unwinding before calling it a night.  

I picked up a SmashBook at Walmart along with a couple sheets of letter stickers to start. I got lucky that Walmart still had some SmashBooks still in stock with our store cutting back on their crafting supplies every few months.  Another bonus was it was on sale too!!  I like that it came with an all in one pen and glue stick.  

 

Tonight I decided to add a title to the cover of my travel SmashBook.  Wasn't really sure what to title the book until I sat down and decided to go through the supplies I have and it came to me title it what it really is Our American Road Trip!!

I am very happy how the cover looks!!!  I look forward to journaling our trip and the adventure we'll be on this summer.   

My American Cousins

Our American Road Trip is getting closer each day, only 40 Days!! I am really starting to get excited for our trip for many reasons.  One of them that will be surely be highlight for me will be meeting and spending time with American Cousin in Texas and hopefully meet her younger brother too.  E and I have communicated for over ten years now by email and on Facebook but now we'll get to meet and spend time together, creating a wonderful bond of family and friendship.  As well another added bonus will be getting to see my cousin Billy who used to spend his summers with us on the farm many years ago. Thinking the last time I seen Billy would have been about 44 - 45 years ago.  My how time flies by fast.  Billy and I have spoke on the phone and by email but seeing him again will be so awesome.  They are all in the Houston area of Texas so nice and close to each other.

I have been thinking about what to take as gifts for them all.  I want to take something that is from Saskatchewan.  I have some really nice pictures I have taken of the Aurora Borealis that I think  I will print up, some Saskatchewan jams and maybe a bottle of wine from our local Orchard Winery.  I'm also thinking of putting together mini albums of the farm from years back and current for both E and Billy.  I want to find some pictures of Billy on his visits to Saskatchewan all those years ago.

I am thinking this will be the first of a few trips we'll take to Texas.  

Places We'll See

With our Great American Road Trip less than 50 days away I figured to the best way to see how much data I will use was for the next few weeks I would use the GPS on my phone and use it as a hotspot.  This should give me an idea of how much data I may need for our trip giving me an idea which prepaid phone plan to get.  

So in thinking about our travels on the interstates and the back roads exploring from Texas to Lousianna to Mississippi up to Tennessee and back down to Texas we'll be travelling thru different cities, towns and villages.  This brought back memories of the the many road trips to British Columbia I took with my grandparents.   My first BC road trip was to my Aunt & Uncles in Cranbrook, I was  so excited.  I couldn't imagine driving from Saskatchewan to British Columbia how many places we'd drive through.  The night before leaving my grandma was helping me pack a bag for things to keep me busy in the car when she gave me a small notebook and pen.  She said it was to write the name of each town, city or village we drive through starting right from home and ending when we arrive at my Aunt's house in Cranbrook, BC.  This would be repeated on the trip home, never know we could take a different route home.  I realize now this served as a dual purpose one to keep busy on the trip and the other was see all the places we travelled through on our trip.  It was almost as if my grandmother was talking to me from Heaven telling me to keep a notebook of all the places we travel through on our road trip this summer.  So I am going on o do just that but with a twist.  I will start my log of the places we travel through starting it just like I did as a little girl with HOME being my starting point.  I will date the pages as well as the highway number, road name or interstate number for each leg of our trip. 

Keeping a travel log of the places we travel through will also help me each evening as I write about our day in my travel smash book and at home when I scrapbook our Great American Road Trip.  

The nice thing about using a little pocket note book to document the places we'll is dual purpose; one it will fit easily in my purse and two will fit nicely a scrapbook of memories of our Great American Road Trip to look back on through the years to come.  

Pre-Trip Planning

We love checking out the travel forums on TripAdvisor for places we are visiting, especially when visiting places for the first time.  We kind of like to have ideas of things to do and see when visiting these areas.  We read reviews with an open mind.  I think some people just have to complain about something in order to be happy, don't understand it but each to their own. 

Besides making a mini bucket list of places to see and thing do on our trips, there is other planning that we need to do.  Like who is going to watch our furbabies...we have 3 of them!  Do we need to pack enough clothes for the entire duration of the trip or do we have access to a washer & dryer.  Less clothes more room to shop while on holidays ~ win/win in my books.  Medications, is there anything we need to take with us.  I learned this on our trip to Kauai that you can not buy Robax across the counter in the United States like you can here in Canada.  I tweaked my back the day we were flying home....sitting for 6 hrs on the flight back to Vancouver was not going to be fun with my back, neither was the 12 hr layover we'd have once we landed in the morning.  We happened to meet people from back home at the Lihue airport while talking with them mentioning how I am not looking forward to the 6 hr flight home with a sore back, turns out they had some Robax and offered me enough to get back home to Saskatchewan....my saviors that night!  So I have to be sure to pick up some Robax before our Great American Road Trip. 

Need to get my cell phone unlocked from SaskTel so I can put in a US card so I can use my phone as a GPS for our travels without incurring a huge data bill from SaskTel.  So I have started doing some research on which US provider to go with.  T-Mobile has a Tourist Plan for $30 USD which connects you like a local for 3 weeks and includes: Unlimited Data (this will be good as I will need to use the maps GPS on my phone daily), Unlimited domestic and international texting to 140+ countries & destinations - I only need to be able text the kids back home in Canada, 1,000 minutes of domestic talk within the U.S. - this will be good so that I can connect with my family and friends that we'll be staying with and a Free SIM card - free is good.  The Tourist Plan expires 3 weeks after activation, with no renewal.  No need to worry about canceling my Tourist Plan - worries about inuring additional charges if I forget to cancel the plan.  With AT&T looks like it will cost me more money than T-Mobile for the same thing but coverage is a bit better.  Version looks like it will be the same as AT&T but looking at the coverage maps I am thinking Version might be the best to go with for that reason alone. My iPhone 6s will work on the Version Network, now to do some more research to see which is the best to go with.  Leaning towards going with Version Pre-paid plan...better coverage and can get what I need for a good price.  Now to get my phone unlocked with SaskTel and for it to be successful...have heard of a few people that have had nothing but a headache trying to unlock their phone.

Off to do some research for which Cellular Provider is going to give me the best coverage and options for the best price!!

Counting Down The Days

As of today we have 54 days, 8 hours and 57 minutes until our flight leaves for Houston then onto to Sugar Land Texas to start our Road Trip across the Southern States.

I am looking forward to seeing my second cousin who I have only met through email, Facebook and a couple of conversations over the phone!  Her and I have worked on our family tree together for a few years now.  Anyways back to our plans!

We will be starting our road trip from Houston heading for New Orleans with an over night stop in Donaldsonville Lousianna.  The next morning we are taking the Old River Road to New Orleans visiting two or three plantations along the way to New Orleans.  We want to stop at Laura Plantaion, Whitney Plantation and St. Joseph's plantations!  We'll have three days in New Orleans, staying in the French Quarter.  Three days won't be enough to see and do all the things we want to but we'll have a great time never the less.  

From New Orleans we'll make our war to the birth place of Elvis Presley, Tupelo Mississippi.  We'll be staying with our daughter's husbands Aunt & Uncle.  Bonus is there is a small Elvis museum and sights to see from his first few years of his life.  Tupelo is not too far from Memphis Tennessee so a trip to Gracland is in order while that close.

After our visit in Tupelo we're heading back to Sugar Land Texas to the last part of our Road Trip!  On our way back to Houston we're planning a day/night in West Monroe Lousianna. Touring around there, visiting Duck Dynasty.  Who knows maybe we'll see Willie, Jase, Uncle Si and who knows maybe even Phil & Miss Kay.  

Once back in Sugar Land we'll spend the duration of our stay with my cousin and her husband.  You could say we'll have gone full circle on our trip!  

54 days till lift off but who's counting!!!  

Surfing USA

I have always enjoyed listing to the music of the Beach Boys since I was an early teenager.  From the time we planned our trip to Kauai months earlier my son in-law said he wanted to try his hand at surfing.  Surfing was something my son in-law had never done before but he was determined to try. 


Try he did, while we were spending some time at the beach he headed over to Beach Boys Hut to rent himself a surf board and try his hand at standing up on that board while riding the waves of the Pacific Ocean at Kalapaki Beach.  No lesson, just the board and give it try.  His plan was to watch the others and try to do the same thing. 

 My son in-law paddling his way out to try surfing for the first time. 

There was a few guys out there that gave him pointers and told him how to do something things.  He tried and tried and nearly got all the way up!  One of the surfers told him he had a good form on going from laying down to getting up on his feet.  He was close to standing up and riding the waves.  I give him credit for trying and I know he will try again next time in Hawaii. 

So as my son in-law was heading back in to shore we noticed that the Pride of America was pulling out of Port, heading back out to the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.  My son in-law had no clue that the cruise ship was only a few hundred yards out behind him.  We're all on the shore waving at him trying to get his attention when I was able to finally get a picture of him with the cruise ship behind him.

 Surfer Boy!

Our son in-law gave it a good effort on his own trying to surf the waves of the Pacific Ocean. 

Day 2 In Kauai

After breakfast we set out to explore the North Shore of Kauai! Prior to our journey for the day I called my cell phone provider to add on an International Data Pkg onto to my phone to reduce the cost of my data from $6/mb to $0.10/mb.  I had an App on my cellphone kind of a tour guide & GPS  of Kauia combined together.  Then we were off for the day....

As we are heading up the North Shore we come across a small pull out overlooking a valley.  Of course we stop to see what we could see.  You can see where people have stepped over the guard rail to photos and have a better view.  I had picked up a selfie stick for my iPhone and here are a couple of pictures my daughter took using the selfie stick. 

This is one of my favorite family pictures she captured.  My husband and to bend down so that he didn't block our son in-law out of the photo.

Across this valley was a farming operation and a forestry operation.  Being that I work for Forestry I am always checking out the trees at the places we visit.  Seeing an actual logging operation was a bonus in my books.  

Here you can see where the trees have been harvested on the side of the mountain and the farm land that has been worked below it. 

 A wider view of the farming and forestry operations 

 

After a about 15 minutes we are back on the road to see what awaits us up the road.  Not for after we start traveling our Kauai Guide pipes up telling us we'll be coming to the Wailua Falls, that were seen in the opening credits from the 1970's television show "Fantasy Island"! 

 Wailua Falls

Wailua Falls, are located just north of Lihue.  They are located at the south end of the Wailua River, they cascade into two streams, dropping 80 feet below.

Wailua Falls is most recognized in the opening credits of the long-running television show "Fantasy Island."  Wailua Falls can be seen from the roadside, it tends to get busy and the parking lot beside the falls is small.   If you visit in the mornings, you may be treated to a rainbow at the falls but we weren't so lucky but they were beautiful just the same. 

The falls can change their appearance dramatically with excessive rainfall.  

I remember when I was young around 10 years old seeing those falls on TV and thinking how beautiful they were and how much I would love to see them one day, never realized at that time where the falls were actually located.  This was a childhood dream come true, a tick off the bucket list.

  

 The force in which the falls are hitting the bottom of the Wailua River.

After about 30 minutes we are back on the road exploring further north.  Below is one of the beautiful views I was able to capture of the mountains in the distance. 

 The first town we come to Kapa'a! We found a viewing point along the highway to stop and admire the Pacific Ocean.

These two went in search of shells on this stop....They found nothing by the way!!

 Unknown to us at the time when we stopped here to admire the view that just over from where we were parked was a monk seal sleeping out on the rocks.  A lady that volunteers when a seal is sighted on shore sleeping they spend the day there protecting the seal showed us where the seal was.  What they do is educate people about these beautiful endangered mammals, about why they are protected.  They are there so people don't get too close or too loud and disturb the Monk Seal while it sleeps.  They are nocturnal and rest during the day for a night of swimming and hunting.

Our First Seal Sighting

 This Monk Seal is a 9 month old female.  She  loves to sleep on the rocks for some reason.  

The Hawaiian Monk Seals are mostly seen sleeping on the beaches.

Hang Loose!!

From here we were on our way to our next destination, Kilauea Lighthoue!  Kīlauea Lighthouse is located on Kīlauea Point on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi in the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.  The steep cliffs plunging to the ocean is one of the best places on the main Hawaiian Islands to view wildlife and is also home to some of the largest populations of nesting seabirds found in Hawai'i.  Visitors to the Kilauea Lighthouse also have a chance to see spinner dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals, native Hawaiian coastal plants and Hawai‘i’s state bird - the nēnē or endangered Hawaiian goose.  During the winter months visitors also have the chance to see Humpback Whales.

We did see a few Humpback Whales way out but too hard to get photos of them.  Lots of sprays and the backs of the whales but no big breaches. 

From here we were back on the road to exploring the North Shore....next stop is Hanalei Bay for lunch.  Not knowing where to stop we pulled into a parking lot and decided to get out and check what was there.  We ended up stopping at Bouchon's Grill & Sushi Bar, It was a good choice.  The food was amazing, the atmosphere was wonderful and the service was top notch.  It was starting to drizzle as we left the restaurant so we got back on the road and continued our journey north.

 As were driving along we seen these fields. Not sure what they were we thought maybe rice fields as they seem to be in water.  Found a little pullout where I was able to get a few photos and we were back on our way.  As it turned out we ended up coming right up to these very same fields we seen from the highway up above.   Well they weren't rice fields......they are Taro Fields. 

Hanalei Taro Fields

As we come to the Taro Filds we upon a Single Lane Bridge.  This was really cool, Local Courtesy is 5 - 7 vehicles then stop and let the other side go.  It works really well. 

The further north we drove the more it rained.  By the time we got as far as we could drive on the highway it was pouring so we turned around and headed back towards the south and Lihue.  

As we were traveling back on left side of the road, just before Mile Marker #9, across the street from the Ha'ena Beach Park we seen Manini-holo Dry Cave.  We pulled into the little pullout there and off to explore the inside of the cave. 

 Roots from plants dangling down in front of the cave

Looking in from the outer edge of the cave

The rock formations look like something you would imagine seeing in outer space. 

Looking from the back of the cave out to give you and idea to the size of opening and the depth of the cave.  Which apparently was much larger at one time than it is now. 

Another quick stop in Hanalei to see the Hanalei Bay Pier.  It was raining pretty good here so only my daughter, son in-law and I got out of the vehicle.  I said I have to walk the pier and see it....the pier was made famous in the movie "South Pacific"

 Hanalei Bay Pier

 This sail boat just a ways off from the pier.  I love how it looks in the mist over the ocean. 

 

One of my favorite pictures of my daughter & son in-law!!!  

As we were driving back heading south to Lihue we were sure this rain was socked in over the entire ilsand of Kauai!  We couldn't have been more wrong.  Slowly you could notice the clouds lifting and the rain getting lighter and lighter.  Soon we could see clear skies up ahead and that is when we came across the most beautiful vibrant rainbow I have ever seen.  The photos just don' t do it justice.

 Some Where Over The Rainbow~

By the time we arrived back in Lihue there was no sign of the rain we had been in earlier that day and no sign that it was heading our way.   Seeing this rainbow was a wonderful way to end our day of exploring the North Shore of Kauai!!!