Vacations...

I have been on vacation for the first half of this month... I've been lucky that my job ended at the same time the rest of my extended family was also taking time off so I could visit with them.

I had no idea how much I needed a vacation until I returned. I have read a total of 4 books in the last 2.5 weeks and in turn realized it has been more than a year since I read my last book.

Now I wasn't reading anything remotely intellectual, but I do love a complete fictional retreat. This summer I'm going to make sure I get back into my reading habit again.

The needed vacation...

I got to visit my parent's home for the weekend and was so glad we had time to run out to Boca Grande (on Gasparilla Island). Not only did I come home with a whole bunch of venus clams but just smelling the salt air, if even for only a couple of hours, really improved my outlook on life. Of course I did find my next home for sale... now just where to get the $1.2 million to buy it!

If I could go anywhere, where would I go?

I have been very lucky in the first half of my life that I enjoyed extensive traveling - seeing ancient wonders like Prambanan,

Prambanan from Java Tours

scaling mountains to enjoy views of active volcanoes, viewing native arts done in centuries-old fashion, staring in amazement at the damage done to Borobudor by imperialists of the past...

One thing is completely missing from my travel diary: Europe!

And if I only had one place to pick in all of Europe, I'd say I want to see the beautiful Irish countryside that has inspired so many poems and other written works
Irish Countryside from Ireland Photography

plus a castle or two... because what little girl never dreamed of living in a castle?

Ashford Castle from Travel Pete's Journal

Waterfall Beauty

Ahh... if only I were still in Hawaii!

And my warm summer breezes had not given way to the chilly autumn gusts!

Picture of Rainbow Falls (in Hilo, Hawaii)

I love flowers!

Last week I mentioned a beautiful room at the Coconut Cottage B&B, but I failed to mention the gorgeous gardens surrounding the house. There was a stunning combination of tropical flowers mixed with plants you can find all over the continental U.S. that made it seem both unique vacation and familiar home. Here are a couple of close-ups to share with you:

A bit of Bali in Hawaii

In order to be able to get up and be on the road by 4AM for the Lava tour, my family stayed in a cute little bed and breakfast in the small town of Pahoa on the island of Hawaii - the Coconut Cottage. We made reservations at this B&B based on a phone recommendation from the gentleman with Lava Ocean Adventures, but had no idea where we were really staying.When my husband and I checked in, I couldn't believe we were holding the key to the Bali Spirit Suite. I have long been fascinated by all things Balinese. At the entrance to our room was a Bali Bed and here is a close up of the detail I like so much:At the head of our canopy bed was a traditional Balinese ceremonial umbrella. I wish I had a better picture, but it is the red fringe at the head of the bed. Now, unlike most versions I come across in the states, this is a real ceremonial umbrella - solid wood staff, not the plastic or hollow multi-piece pole that get passed off to tourists. Mom, yes, you would be very jealous... for those that don't know, about a year ago, she was trying to get a much larger Bali bed, the kind I think are like small rooms, into her South Florida home, but could not because the ceilings were too low.

Close-up view of Pele's wrath

So the last two weeks I was on the island of Hawaii and my husband, his parents and I decided to do a 2-day, 1-night trip over to Hilo in order to see Mt Kilauea's current lava flow (which you can currently only see well from the water). Happening upon Lava Ocean Adventures, we decided to do the Sunrise Lava Tour.The tour was well worth it and our pictures in no way do it justice. You are so close to the lava, the air is warm and the boat captain takes you through a ride in the mist. The only pictures that really came out were these two (probably the farthest away the boat was from the lava and after sunrise), but the pictures on Lava Ocean Adventures home page (on the right side, top two) are what it really looked like when we were there.
They get you so close to the lava flow, I almost felt like I could use a yardstick to touch it. Now my in-laws have seen just about all of the flows since 1981, so this might not have been quite as neat when they could walk up to the flow, drop a coin, and watch it melt, but it was still a great experience. If you are out in Hawaii anytime soon, I fully recommend looking this small boat crew up.

For more reading on Pele's story, there is a good abbreviated version here and the Volcanoes National Park has some very interesting and up-to-date information on both the Volcanoes and their legends.