From Shopping to Luau's

Todays blog starts with a warning.  Do not mention Loren or my name if you are on the islands and choose to shop at the Kehei ABC store.  With the sun and all, I decided I needed a hat.  We went in and they were a little expensive.  As Lori was checking out, I told her to leave the tag on the hat and we would return it when we were leaving.  Apparently the clerk thought this was tacky and cut the tags off as Loren and I commented.  I then felt we were no longer welcome and happened to see the condom display.  I merely asked if she had any extra large and she told us to leave and she was working every day for the next five days.  I felt it necessary to advise her we were here for ten days...Lori didnt get a free gift for shopping there.

Okay, now for the fun stuff.  When we last blogged, we were getting ready for the Luau in Lahaina.  Off we headed for the other side of the island and the promise of a great time.  We got to the lot at about 445 and again was able to park in the front lot.  Soon we were in line and a Mai Tai in hand.  Soon I was sipping on Long Island Ice Teas and thinking about how much I enjoy this.  Soon I was being accused of saying things by Gwen when I know I didnt say anything about that particular subject.  Of course the other two backed her and i could tell it was bash Steve night.  Why me and why now?  I never cause problems with the possible exception of the store earlier in the day.  Just because I was a little buzzed, they took advantage of me and it was not pretty!

Soon the hula girls were dancing traditional Hawaiin dances as we enjoyed great food and did I mention, open bar?  We had a nice evening and a beautiful moonlit drive home.

Today, we woke up to clear skies and warm temps (go figure).  We headed for the volcano and drove the long winding road to the very top.  As we were about two miles from the end of the road, they have this visitor center.  We took several pictures and then Lori and Gwen get this stupid idea to climb this trail to the top of a lava cone.  It was 60 degrees but we were at 10000 feet high and the air was very thin.  I reluctantly tagged along waiting for an embolism and stroke on the ten minute rock climb.  We were rewarded by spectacular sights and views of the crater.  It was worth the hike and made for a very nice trip.

Soon it was lunch and time for the famous Paia Fish Market and their fish Taco's  We stopped by the county beach after lunch and watched 25 foot waves hit the beach with hundreds of surfers looking for that perfect wave.  A little gang style fight right next to us made me a little uncomfortable, but felt pretty good no weapons were involved as most had bathing suits only.  It was broke up and I got out from behind Lori to again watch the surfers.  We ended the day with a beautiful sunset and a warning from the condo management.  Seems Loren grabbed a shell and tried to perform the traditional sunset calling to the fishermen or what ever the tradition is.  Seems his call was a little off and about twenty endangered dolphins intentionally beached themselves!

Dinner at Peggy Sues and back for a cool and restful evening.  We have to drop Gwen and Loren off at the airport at 0500 for their Oahu leg of their trip.  For some reason, Lori wants to go immediately to Little beach...

Back to Paradise

After months of planning, paying and waiting, the time has come.  Lori, me, Loren and Gwen have arrived in paradise, alos known as Maui.  Lori and I are here for 10 days as Loren and Gwen are here for 7.  On Wednesday morning, they fly to Oahu to be tourists on the island filled with history.

We both headed to Portland a day early to shop and just get away.  After sneeking out on the cats and making nice with Chad, we were off.  We needed to find a light coat for Lori in case it cooled in the evening.  Once we finally made it to Portland, we made a snap yet deliberate decision to buy a Netbook computer.  There was a best Buy right around the corner and it does everything we want it to do while on the road.  I wanted to add some RAM and remembered as we got to dinner, I had no tools.  I Mcgivered a clipper into a screwdiver and soon I was up and running.  Nice little HP unit with lots of battery.

We met up with the Falls at Joes Crab Shack and had a very good dinner.  We headed back to the room and soon were off to bed.  I have trouble sleeping in motel/hotel rooms and was up and ready to go by 0230. Lori got up at 5 and we headed to the airport and off by 0845.  It was a smooth flight and soon we were here.

Into the airport and as we dropped down by the main area, here was a beach bum and his wife holding up a  We received a lei greeting sign and a fruit basket!  We were surprised by Jeff (my boss) and Monica who got here on the 28th.  We visited for a few and headed to baggage claim and then to the rental car place.  Soon we had got in a very long line and felt it would take an hour or so to get a car.  I saw the quick check kiosk and within minutes, so quick it cost me extra for more time.  They told us they were running low on full size cars and had placed a few 'premium' cars in line.  We found a Mercury Marquis and loaded up the land yacht and headed for Kehei.  We got everything into the room and hung out most of the afternoon.  I drove the crew around a bit to get them used to the layout of the island and we later headed to our traditional 1st night dinner at Gator McGoons.  We tried to watch a movie, but soon went to bed and slept well for the night.

Day 2:
I made ham and pineapple omelets with our coffee  Today was a trip down to the lava fields and then end up the evening with a Luau in Lahina.  We drove down the coast and all enjoyed the great beaches and sights.  We found Big beach which is infamous for little beach right next door.  Once on the beach, we walked around and made it to the rock 'staircase over to little beach.  Loren was unable to make the hike as the path was pretty difficult to navigate on a bum knee.  We crossed over and the first thing we see is a female in the nude standing there watching us come down the path.  Soon there was skin everywhere.  Gwen 'told us' she wanted to check on Loren, but I suspect she got a little overwhelmed with the abundant display of male anatomy.  I made sure she got over the trail ok and turned back thinking she was standing right by me.  No, she was getting surfing tips from about five guys and commenting how the water must be warm today!  I was appalled by her actions the gratuitous nudity on the beach.  I was forced to walk all the way down the beach to get Lori to turn back.  She told me hot it was and was disrobing as I escorted her back to the other beach.  You think you know someone but wow! When we went to a few other beaches, she just moped around as everyone had bathing suits on. 

Soon it was time for lunch, goofing off around the condo and now its time to head to the Luau.  More from our travels soon.

Steve

A Day of Healing

After a very difficult weekend and Monday, Shawn, Peyton and I had previously made plans to make a day trip to Sand Lake for some fun in the sun!  The weather looked like it was going to be perfect and we were ready to tackle the sand.

I was at Shawns house at 0545 and both were ready to hit the road.  We loaded up and headed south.  Traffic was light and we made good time.  Once at the lot, we had few people to look out for and soon were out playing.  As we tested Peytons bike and made a few repairs, we started to climb a hill.  His bike started to smoke and we shut her down quick.  It cooled and we turned around.  A short time later, his chain broke and I towed him back to the truck.  I did notice alot of bikes breaking down around us and thought is was strange.  Shawn headed for the store and repairs. 

He returned a short time later and found he had the wrong type of master link.  He also realized he had lost his ATV key.  We looked and could not find it anywhere.  He returned to the store and they had it there for him.  He had also dropped it in the driveway at home in the morning.  He was lucky.

After we realized there was nothing that could be done there to get him running, Peyton bucked up and hopped on with me.  We rode for awhile and then he hopped on Shawns bike.  They played and climbed some hills.  I goofed off and we ended up having a great ride despite the bike problems.

Shawn said it best after we loaded up heading home.  I was getting a little cocky on my bike.  I went down a hill and had to turn at an angle.  The ground gave a little and I stopped and then managed to bury the bike. Shawn came and got it out for me and made sure I knew he had helped!

After a long and slow ride home, we unloaded and marveled at how few injuries we had.  Shawn had a sunburn where the lotion didn't cover but other than being a little sore it was a great day.

It's amazing how a distraction like this is good for the body.  I feel a little better about everything now and the healing has begun.  Thanks Shawn and Peyton for a wonderful day!

A Sad Day in the Fretts Family

 Part of us died on Monday.  Beloved companion and protector Walt was put to sleep after his battle with age and bad hips finally caught up with him this weekend.  Since he was a pup, he was the kind of dog that had a personality that always lit up the place he was at.  His love of travel was only second to his obsession for retrieving...yes he was a tried an true yellow lab. One of Walts favorite activities was diving for rocks or anything under water he could find.  He was inseperable from both Mark and Shawn and frequent trips to the river was just the thing for all.

As Walt got older, you could see his desire to be with Lori and I  was getting to a be a problem.  He was very vocal about being left at home and could be seen often hanging with us at the local coffee shop.  There were few dogs or cats that Walt didnt like.  He will be sorely missed,

A couple years ago, Lori and moved from our motorcycle to a trailer.  Partly as we knew Walt was getting older and mostly because we wanted him around us as he wanted to be with us,  I remember the many times as soon as the keys were picked up, he would bolt out the door taking out anything or anyone in his way.  He would do laps around the truck till I opened the door and he would jump from wherever he was standing usually hitting the door or truck and falling down,  He will be missed.

Last spring, the reality of his age really hit me in the stomach like I was getting socked.  He could not navigate the rocks and would not swim.  This site sickened me as the Walt we had been annoyed with over the years by  his tireless desire to make anyone in his reach happy by bringing them a stick.  I have come to associate our beach property with the many lives of both people and pets that have come and gone from this place.  Why Walt and why now?  It doesn't seem fair that God always takes the good ones way too early even if they lived a long life here on earth.  We are never happy or seem ready to accept the reality of life and death.  They will all be missed.

Last month we took Walt on one final vacation.  I knew from the start, it may kill him as he was slowing quickly.  He still managed to hold his head high and search the roads for us even though his sight was nearly gone.  We had to find a vet in Canada to help him and they gave us some great joint paint pills that helped him alot.  As we neared the end of the trip, we could tell poor Walt was too worn out to do much more and was content to sit and smell the air.  He faded quickly after returning home and began to have balance problems.  A couple weeks ago we came to grips with the inevitable and I tried to prepare myself for the trip to town that one last time.  I think he heard us and got quite a bit better.  We were relieved.  It was for not as this last weekend, he was now suffering and I needed to man up and get on with my responsibility as a pet owner and friend,  He didnt deserve to go out with anything less that holding his head up, making friends even in those last few breaths.  Even the vet was emotional as Walt layed in my arms taking a last few peaceful breaths on this earth for now.  I know his spirit will return soon and a dog will 'pick' us to help him grow up to be the same or better dog than Walt.  He will be missed.
 
One last thought in my obituary for my companion.  I feared the final act more than anything on earth.  When the decision was made, there are three distinct acts that I had to complete.  The hardest for me was to make the call to the vet.  This was the moment of reality.  I was commited to following through now.  Then I sat and watched the clock waiting for the time to take the drive.  Walt enjoyed his final ride and seemed relaxed as he almost knew it was his last.  I dont know, maybe I wanted him to be ok with what I was doing to him.  He walked in mostly on his own and layed with me on the floor as the sedative wagiven.  We said our goodbyes and asked him to say hi to a few pets who have already gone to 'dog heaven' He seemed to understand as his eyes slowly closed and his pain went away.  A calm came over me and I actually felt ok.  Dont mistake what I mean, I still have moments I lose my composure, but it was the right thing to do and probably should have been done sooner.

He is missed!

Toutle River 2010

Radium Hot Springs and Beyond

My writing has slowed the past few days after getting home from vacation.  I have a few minutes to get caught up, so here I go.

After leaving Revelstoke, it was time for that long, hard drive to Radium Hot Springs.  The weather has finally warmed and with all of 150 miles to go, we were in no hurry.  We pulled the pass heading east out of Revelstoke with no problem and after an hour, it was time for a potty break.  Once  we pulled off in a pull out for a break, I happened to look over and got a great view of the Columbia River far below.  It was a great spot and we sat there for several minutes watching the river.  Back on the road, we pulled into Golden and had no problem finding our way.  We hit 93 south and made the final 30 or so miles to Radium.  Not alot to see as we head south till we got close to town.  What a beautiful area.  As we neared town, we spotted the RV park on our right.  We stayed at the Radium Vally resort.  AS we were there on our RPI card, they directed us to and area on the north end of the park.  It seemed small for sites, but one we started to back in, it was deceiving as there was a wood walkway and a patio complete with barbecue.  The site was right on the hill and looked toward the mountains on one side and out over the huge valley to the north.

We goofed off at the resort that day and hit the pool after dinner.  A very nice facility and not that many people.  We had checked in town and found a coffee stop with an outside patio and a spot for Walt to sit and watch people and critters.  The following day, we headed back north to Golden and hit Hiway one.  We headed up the the pass and stopped at the famous railway corkscrew tunnels.  We sat and waited hoping to see a train for over an hour.  This location is unique as it has two series of tunnels to lessen the elevation/drop of trains crossing the pass.  As the locomotive enters the tunnel, it make a turn and exits as the middle of the train is still on the top side of the tracks.  At one point you can see three different sections of the train at the same time.  We ate lunch and sat some more.  I was about to give up when a tour bus arrived and several people lined the observation area.  We soon learned they had spotted a train further up and it was expected soon.  Within minutes, the train passed by us and entered the tunnel.  It was quite a site and worth the wait if you are a train buff!

Day three here took us to the hot springs.  We went to the hot pool which was very soothing and enjoyable.  It is built on a rock canyon type setting with rock going straight up all around you.  It was enjoyable sitting and soaking while talking to all the people visiting the area.  As we sat there, I noticed two large big horn sheep walking the 90- degree walls just up from us.  What a site...wish I had the camera.

One thing about this area was the little canyon I mentioned.  When we leave town the following day, we have to pull the trailer through this area and there is one spot that requires me to straddle the center line as there is not enough clearance to get the trailer through in my lane.  They placed a mirror across the street so you can look and make sure the coast is clear as you round the corner.  Oh, did I mention it was also an 11% grade on top of that?  We made it no problem and continued on our way to our next destination, Canmore, Alberta. 

The following morning, we made the short drive to Canmore.  This town is located just east of Banff and at the eastern edge of the Rocky mountains.  We were planning on two nights here and as we dove in, marveled at the beauty all around us.  We found the RV park no problem and as we checked in, the gal told us we were a day late.  I showed the paperwork showing they had booked it correctly and she told me we would have to move sites if we wanted to stay.  I chose to head south instead and we set up for the night.  After getting settled, Lori and I walked to town.  We found a walking trail that took us around and to the center of town.  We shopped and found coffee of course.  After a couple hours, we headed back and found a boardwalk along a creek which ende at the bridge by the park.  It was a wonderful walk and very scenic.  We settled in for the night and talked with several people also traveling in the area.

The next morning brought clear, but windy conditions for our next leg.  We were headed for Lethbridge for a stop over before entering the US.  As we headed for Calgary, we reminisced about the many trips we had made through here on the bike.  Soon we were in Calgary traffic and once we cleared it was a straight shot south.  We made such good time, we made it to the area just west of town by 1100.  We decided to forgo the stop and find a place in Montana.  As we continued, the winds howled and made it tough to keep our speed.  The diesel was working hard to keep us headed down the road and the fuel gauge was dropping fast.

Once we crossed the border just east of Glacier park, it was up and down on narrow roads as well as the wind.  We hit a pullout and had lunch while viewing the park out of our back window.  It was great.  We continued and I felt we could make Whitefish by 5 pm.  We called the KOA and they told us they had a site for us.  We pulled in to a dusty, noisy and cramped park.  There was no way I could fit in the site they had for us and we declined to stay.  We called the KOA at Polson (our favorite) and they gladly allowed us to stay.  We love this KOA and enjoyed the two days  here on R&R just goofing off.  It got kind of cold and this made for early nights.  We made a day of Big Fork shopping a bit.  I have to say that Lori was great this trip and shopped very little.  I also have to mention that no Casinos were contacted either which is a record for me!

Soon it was time to head for Spokane.  We made the quick trip across and hooked up with Mark and Sandy.  I helped Mark change his water Pump and enjoyed visiting with the crew.  Our final two days were in Randle at the K&M park where we were to meet up with the Falls.

We left Spokane that Friday morning having so enjoyed our visit, but with the reality that this was our last stop on our great adventure.  We headed west and soon were in the heat of the Yakima valley.  Up and over White pass with no problems and soon we were pulling into the park.  We got set up and soon the Falls arrived and set up next to us.  It was a pleasant evening and we sat and talked, laughed and laughed some more.  Soon it was bed time and we slept good as we usually do on vacation. 

On Saturday morning, we woke to sunshine and great weather.  We walked to the latte stand and I was able to prove to myself I was better.  (this walk was the one that I had alot of pain on and came to the realization I had a heart problem a couple months ago.)

When we got back, Gwen and Loren wanted to go Geo Caching and hit the dusty road to their own adventure.  Lori and I had lunch and as I sat, looking out the window, I couldn't help notice there were not that many people on the golf course.  Soon Lori and I were on the course hacking and digging divots like the best of them.  We had a great time and headed back for dinner and much conversation. 

All to soon, it was time to head home.  Not much conversation today and Walt was worn out.  He had done pretty good, but the reality of his age quickly made me realize, he is not meant for too many more vacations.  He had a great time and every day stands by the truck waiting for that next great adventure.  We are too and hope to hit the road again soon!

Revelstoke

Greetings  from a cool and wet Revelstoke.  We arrived to find cool, misty weather.  They tell us there is only one more day of this grey weather and then the sun will come out.

Our first day, we decided to go to Mount Revelstoke Park.  As we climbed the steep grades to the top, it got very cold and was in the 30's at the top.  We hiked around a lake in the snow while Walt snoozed in a warm truck.  Soon, we were headed back down the mountain and we found a spot to sit and have a picnic lunch.  It was breath taking scenery this day from the overlooks showing the Columbia river down below.

Soon we were back in town scoping a good coffee house.  We found one and enjoyed a good cup of coffee to warm our bones.  It was a good day and we had fun.

Day two took us to the local vet for Walt.  He was having trouble with his feet and needed a toe nail clip bad.  We had stopped at a pet store and got some chewable pills for his hips which were working great.  He got his manicure and the doc looked at his leg.  He got some stuff for his leg and we were off.  It was clear today and the sun was shining bright.  It was warming fast and highs were forecast for the 90's.

We headed north and went to the Revelstoke dam.  It was fun, but they wont let you even take a camera or purse inside.  It was a nice time, but nothing like the dams in WA.

In the afternoon, we headed for the train museum.  We spent alot of time here looking at all the neat artifacts from the steam era of the Canadian Railway.  Back for another coffee and we chilled in the very nice park we had found.  We located a riverside walk and got our exercise there the one night.  Walt went a ways and then chilled while we continued.  There was a dike walk right at the RV park and this provided a nice and long walk for us.  Later in the evening, we sat in the main street area and listened to music for awhile.  As we listened, the heat and exercise were catching up, so off to bed we headed.

The next morning we packed and headed for a four night stay at Radium Hot Springs.  I will try to catch up as we stay at places with the internet.  Goodbye for now.