Showing posts with label Travel Guides. Show all posts

New Orleans French Quarter for Families

I love New Orleans. We all know how much it caters to adults seeking great food, culture and entertainment but it is actually a great place to take children as well. There are few places in the U.S. where you can feel like you are visiting another culture, but New Orleans is one of them. From the European architecture, French speaking community and unique food, New Orleans really has it all.

FRENCH QUARTER    ____________________________________________________________

There are so many things to see, but of course the French Quarter gets top billing. Cobblestone streets, wrought iron balconies, tiny shops full of local crafts and treasures you never knew you needed. Every corner holds something worth seeing. You can explore by foot, child centered tours or even by carriage ride which makes it extra magical and easy on tired feet.


  • Jackson Square- Start here. With the European style war statue of Battle of New Orleans hero, Andrew Jackson facing the Mississippi River, soaring St. Louis Cathedral flanked by twin Louisiana State Museum buildings: the Presbytere and Cabildo (where the Mississippi Purchase was signed!) and where all the street artists from singers to painters sell their offerings.
  • Cafe Du Monde- Get here early for breakfast. World famous since its opening in 1862, this cafe is THE place to get beignets in New Orleans. Tuck in to a plate these square, french-style donuts sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar and wash it all down with their scrumptious hot chocolate. beignets and a hot chocolate in this world famous cafe since it opened in 1862. When you are done, head around back to see how they are made.

  • French Market- do a little window shopping while you let your beignets settle and support local artists in these beautiful shops.

  • Arcadian Bookstore- Piled high with books from every genre, my girls were so excited to pick out some books from their French Section. 

  • Antoine's Restaurant- If you are looking to experience history, this is the oldest restaurant in America. Same location, same owner since 1840! There are many historical pictures on the walls along with handwritten menus in the early 1900's. Tip- more suited for older children who can sit quietly through a slow-paced multi course meal. 
There are so many things to see and buy. TIP- Make sure you bring an extra suitcase! You might find yourself like m; with a new hat, work of art, heirloom children's clothes, books, pecan logs, alligator jerky, jewelry and all sorts of accessories from the talented local artists of New Orleans. I always love finding unique gifts and useful souvenirs and this is such a great place to find them.

PP
Family, Family Activities, Travel,
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Guide to Maui, Hawaii

Hawaii- A place that captures our imagination with images of ultimate relaxation and breathtaking tropical beauty. It is really the ideal vacation in so many ways: no passports necessary but still feels like an entirely new cultural experience. No foreign language skills needed. I love trying to learn new languages, probably more than most, but sometimes its nice not worrying about being able to communicate. Gorgeous, other worldly scenery. Perfect weather and hardly any bugs. 
Now that we've established it's a must go, which Hawaiian island is best? For me, Maui takes the cake. It is the island that has it all.  I like to think of it as having two sides. There's adventure and exploration on the 'wild' side in rain forests and volcanic craters. On the 'developed' side, you will find ultimate convenience with entertainment, delicious food and 30 miles of beaches for snorkeling and sunbathing on the days you just want to veg out. 
      LAHAINA vs WAILEA
STAY    __________________________________________________________________________

Use either Lahaina or Wailea as your main hub. The best resorts (Four Seasons, Grand Wailea and Kea Lani ) are in quiet Wailea. Wailea also usually has better weather and the best swimming and snorkeling beaches. If you are looking for a busy night-life, art galleries, shopping and hustle and bustle, then Lahaina is the one for you.
Frugal Tip-You don't have to stay at one of the first class resorts to enjoy the incredible, less crowded beaches in Wailea. We stayed at the Hotel Wailea which is a lot less expensive but shares the same property as the Grand Wailea. Or look for a condo on VRBO.

ENTERTAINMENT _______________________________________________________________
Warren and Annabelle's-I don't think I have ever laughed as hard or for as long as the night we went to Warren and Annabelle's magic show. It is a mix of sleight-of hand magic and the funniest comedy you will ever hear. It is a little pricey, but worth the 4 hours of fun. First, you start out in a parlor enjoying appetizers, cocktails and dessert, then the party moves into the theater for the show. We volunteered for one of his tricks and were a constant fixture in that night's show with many good-hearted jokes at our expense. I love when comedians can be funny without resorting to shocking and off-color jokes.
KAPALUA
ADVENTURE  ____________________________________________________________________

 Kapalua Golf Course- There aren't many golf courses played on the pro tour that normal people are able to get into and play. Kapalua is one of them and definitely worth taking advantage of the opportunity. Even for a non-golfer like myself, the course was amazing just to spend time at. The mix of....
Frugal Tip- afternoon tee times are discounted because the wind starts to kick up a little.

EAT ____________________________________________________________________________

 Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar-a few minutes down the road, near the Ritz, is the most amazing sushi bar. Everything was incredible and so fresh! Try the Ahi Sashimi Roll, the mango sauce is to die for. Seriously the best sushi we have ever had.
Frugal Tip- get there early, any order placed before 6pm Tuesday-Saturday is 25% off. 
HANA TOWN
ADVENTURE ____________________________________________________________________
The Road to Hana- Even if you don't actually stay overnight in Hana, (you should), the Road to Hana is a must do. The famous Hāna Highway is a 68-mile long stretch of highway which connects Kahului with the town of Hāna in east Maui. Although Hāna is only about 52 miles from Kahului, it took us over 4 hours to drive as the highway is very winding and narrow and passes over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one lane wide. It is virtually all through lush, tropical rain forest with stops all along the highway to see waterfalls or other points of interest. 
Tip- don't try to do every stop, choose a few highlights or you will get burned out halfway and miss a lot of the great stuff towards the end. Here is a great list of sights to choose from.

Seven Sacred Pools- a magical way to spend an afternoon. The Ohe'o Gulch or Seven Sacred Pools, are about 15 minutes past Hana town. There are actually dozens of pools and waterfalls which flow through the 'Ohe'o Gulch into the ocean nearby, but these ones are the biggest and most beautiful.

 Pipiwai Trail and Waimoku Falls-This is supposed to be one of the best hikes on Maui and I would have to say it was otherworldly. Pipiwai is 4 miles round trip with a gain in elevation of 650 feet and several great waterfalls along the route. After hiking past several great waterfalls, the trail turns into this beautiful boardwalk through a 40 ft high bamboo forest. It was so amazing listening to the wind would blow through the bamboo making the bamboo stalks hit against each other. At the end of the hike you are rewarded with Waimoku Falls  flowing down a 400-foot sheer lava rock wall. It is absolutely incredible.
Read about about all our Hana adventures here.
HALEAKALA CRATER
ADVENTURE    ___________________________________________________________________
Haleakala- is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of Maui. The other 25% to the west is formed by the West Maui Mountains. Inside the heart of Haleakala National Park is Pu'u 'Ula'ula (Red Hill). Here, on the tallest peak of Haleakala Crater, 10,023 feet above sea level you can have the most transformation experience watching the sun rise. As the sun begins to pierce through the fog and cracks in the crater a park ranger begins a quiet Hawaiian chant that gets louder and louder until it climaxes as the sun peaks over the mountain. There are no words to describe it but I thought it deserved its own blog post with more pictures which you can see here.
Tip-There is a really fun sunrise bike tour you can buy from several tour companies. They bus you to the top of the crater to watch the sunrise and bring up bikes that you can ride all the way down the mountain. P.S. It gets COLD on the top of a mountain covered in freezing cold mist. Pack accordingly.

Maui is one of those places where there is always more to discover. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

PP
7 Sacred Pools, Haleakala, Hawaii,
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Guide to Vicksburg, Mississippi

Our day trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi was so fun! I really wanted to go somewhere with some Civil War history while I was in Louisiana because we just don't have that history in Utah. Utah wasn't even a state in the union yet. The Mormon Pioneers first made it to Utah or Deseret as they called it in 1847 and were busy settling the territory while the tensions back east raged into civil war. Of all the places we could have visited, I was so happy that a city with such historical significance was nearby. 

Vicksburg was in a key strategic position high a top a 200ft cliff overlooking the Mississippi. President Lincoln said that they would never win the war unless Vicksburg was in their pocket. 
while Jefferson Davis knew it was the "nailhead that held the South's two halves together." Sever that, and the Confederacy would effectively be cut in half and the Union would control the entire length of the Mississippi which was a huge military advantage for keeping supply lines strong.

There were many unsuccessful attempts by the Union to take Vicksburg and led to Vicksburg being nicknamed "The Gibraltar of the West". Finally, General Grant gambled by taking his troops deep into enemy territory and attacking Vicksburg from the South. 70,000 Union troops lay siege to Vicksburg with a plan that is still studied today as a classic example of how to conduct siege warfare. 47 days later, on July 4th, Vicksburg surrendered. It took over a hundred years for the city to celebrate the 4th of July as a holiday again. 

Where to Eat

There were a few must-see items on our list for that day and we definitely made use of all the time we had while still enjoying ourselves. Originally, we were going to grab lunch and take it over to the Vicksburg National Military Park because along with a visitor and civil war era war ship, the tour is mostly a driving tour with optional stops to get out and look around. However, we also wanted to see an antebellum home. Most of these required appointments and we didn't have enough time to do the driving tour of the military park before our scheduled appointment at the Bazsinsky House so we decided to have a sit down lunch and hit the park later.

The Tomato Place
I never feel like I can really experience a culture or location unless I can try its food and there is no better way to do that than by finding a local 'hole in the wall' in the most obscure place. I really wanted to try The Tomato Place and it did not disappoint! 

It is really unassuming and could easily by missed. It isn't near any other commercial buildings and just looks like a fruit stand off to the side of a back road. 


Actually, it is a fruit stand off to the side of a back road. They sell the most delicious seasonal produce. I bought some grapefruit and some oranges to take home for the next morning and couldn't believe how good it tasted. Those oranges were soooo juicy. Oh, and they make their own orangeade and lemonade at the Tomato Place. It was to die for! 

Not only do they sell mouthwateringly good fruit, but they also have a large selection of pre-assembled smoothies that you can pick from in a wall of freezers and have them blend it up fresh for you when you pay. 


If you keep walking through the fruitstand part, there are two more rooms behind it. I would have never guessed looking from the road. In the back is the restaurant. Everything is fresh and local. With a name like theirs I just had to try their BLT. It's what they are famous for. I got the Fried Green Tomato BLT for a little southern twist. I also got their housemade baked beans and fried okra. Everything was great. In retrospect, I should've only gotten one fried thing (probably the okra) to switch up the flavors a bit, but I really wanted both. And the fried green tomato BLT was such a cool idea. So yummy! 

I love that they make so many things in-house. They had the most amazing condiments and sauces. There was one spicy/tangy sauce they named the Mississippi Fever that I am just kicking myself for not buying and bringing home with me. But, while writing this post I found out that they have an online store! Now I don't feel so bad. 


I felt so at home among the canned veggies and preserved fruits and jellies. They had so many interesting things to choose from. I wanted it all. I did manage to buy the Pecan Soppin' Syrup. Pecans are such a traditional ingredient in the south and thought my girls would love a little southern infused syrup for their pancakes. 


The Tomato Place might be the thing I liked most about Vicksburg. It had so much personality. I loved the laid back, eclectic vibe and decor. We spent way more time there than we were originally planning. Every time one of us would buy something, someone else would go back in to look around some more. Oh, the loaves of bread they sell are amazing too!


I was like a kid in a candy store and lost all track of time. We finally had to drag ourselves out of there 1 1/2 hrs later and were actually late for our appointment...oops. Luckily our host Andrew was very gracious about the whole thing.

What to See
Bazsinsky House
There are antebellum houses spread all over the south and Vicksburg had quite a few to choose from. I really wanted to see the Martha Vick Home (as in Vicksburg) or The McRaven House but they were closed for President's Day. We ended up going with the Bazsinsky House which is conveniently located across the street from our next stop, The Old Courthouse just up the street from the river. 

The Bazsinsky house has a very interesting family history and the architecture inside and out is beautiful. It is so interesting to think about what life and the town would have been like before, during and after the war. Everything changed so much.

The house itself didn't have any period furniture which was disappointing and not what I was expecting. I wish there had been more information available on the website. Some of the other houses function more as a museum and have artifacts from the era. The Bazsinsky house is available as a B&B which is a fun idea I would love to try if I had enough time. But it didn't offer quite the view I was hoping for into everyday life. It has been recently restored by the new owners and you can check out some interesting pictures of the restoration here. 

The Old Courthouse Museum
This museum boasts the largest collection of Civil War artifacts in America: confederate flags, including one that was never surrendered, the tie worn by Jefferson Davis at his inauguration as Confederate President, fine portraits, china and silver, exquisite antique furniture, the trophy antlers won by the steamboat Robert E Lee in an 1870 race, antebellum clothing, toys, Indian and pioneer implements.

It was fascinating and I would highly recommend making the stop to see it. I only wish we had had more time.  

Vicksburg National Military Park

 Vicksburg National Military Park is really interesting because it is not just a visitor center with exhibits. The Park is reconstructed on the actual battle site with 20 miles of historic trenches and earthworks to give a feel for what it was really like during the siege. It also includes 1,325 historic monuments and markers,  a 16-mile road tour, a 12.5-mile walking trail, two antebellum homes, 144 cannon, and the Grant's Canal site, where the Union Army attempted to build a canal to let their ships bypass Confederate artillery fire during one of their other unsuccessful attacks.


The first thing I like to do at any national park is to watch their orientation video which is usually about 20 minutes long. I feel like it helps give a very solid understanding of the background to everything else you will see later. They are really well done and so worth the time.

You need at least 1 1/2 hours here but really 3 hours would be best. There is just so much to see and do. We decided to buy the 1 hour audio tour they have available at the bookstore, there is a 2 hour one too but we didn't have time for it. Getting the tour was great, as we drove around the 16 mile tour road, the guide would point out the things we were seeing and give interesting facts about them.

USS CAIRO


Another very interesting housed in the military park is this war boat. The USS CAIRO was one of the first ironclad warships built at the beginning of the Civil War. This ship was the first to be sunk by a torpedo. It took 12 minutes and luckily no loss of life.


So many artifacts were recovered from the ship when it was raised over a hundred years later in 1964. The craftsmanship of everyday items seems so much better than now.


The last stop was the cemetary. Vicksburg National Cemetery is made up of 116 acres, and holds the remains of 17,000 Civil War Union soldiers, more than any other national cemetery. Almost 13,000 of them unknown. When the National Cemeteries were created, only Union soldiers were allowed to be interred there. Most of the Confederate dead were buried behind Southern lines in the "Soldiers' Rest area of Cedar Hill Cemetery.

It's a sobering sight to see all those white markers stretching as far as the eye could see. What a sad time in the history of our country. The ride back to Louisiana was a quite one where we were all lost in our individual thoughts. There are so many who have fought to make America what it is today. I am so grateful for all of their sacrifices and hope we as a country can make it worth the cost.

Well I hope you all liked this historical peak into the Civil War past. Where else are good locations to learn about the Civil War?
Civil War, Family Activities, Life with Kids,
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Guide to Northern Louisiana


Andrew and I just went to Louisiana to visit my sister. She lives just outside of Shreveport (near the top of the boot). It was so great to see her.  Can I also say it was so nice to only have 1 kid for a few days!

 This was Andrew's first flight and he was great. I took a late flight hoping it would help him get some rest but he didn't sleep a wink. Luckily he was more than happy to explore and eat. Just like his mom.


DAY ONE
I've been to Louisiana a couple times now and I am always surprised at how much there is to do there. I took my 2 oldest girls during Mardi Gras a few years ago and we had a blast. This time we came to meet my newest nephew and just explore locally a little more. 

EXPLORE  _______________________________________________________________
Moray Eel
Shreveport Aquarium - It was so fun! They had a lot of fish I hadn't seen before. My favorite was that they had an exhibit of just local/ native fish and amphibians. That is such a great STEM idea. The kids who visit will now know the different species if they come across them in the wild. I think that helps build a desire in the younger generation to help preserve and respect wildlife and the outdoors.


This aquarium had so many touch and feel pool areas. I love that! It really helps the kids have a 'hands on' experience. And realize these are real living things. The first area was star fish and it was definitely a hit with the kids. 


Don't you just love this lionfish? His fins are poisonous though so I wouldn't want to meet him in the wild.


 Next up was the quintessential ray pool. Andrew was fascinated watching them whiz by. He could never quite reach down and touch one fast enough. 

  Then came something that I've never seen at an aquarium touch pool before. Jellyfish!

At first I wouldn't let Andrew put his hands in the water because I was afraid he would get stung. The employee told us just to touch the top of the jellyfish but I was wondering how they thought all kids would obey that directive. You know there is always at least one who has to push the boundaries. I was afraid someone would get hurt. Well, turns out I didn't know as much as I thought about jellyfish. Some of them are quite harmless. Especially the ones that don't have long tentacles. Phew! 

Andrew loved the jellyfish. I had a hard time keeping him from crawling right into the tank with them!

I love STEM activities that also nurture a learning and love of nature and the environment. Playing outdoors is one of the best ways to make sure kids will be active and healthy. It also keeps them away from electronics. I have always tried to start introducing my kids to nature, animals and the outdoors from a young age so that they will feel comfortable and enjoy being outdoors as they grow.

If you are ever in the Shreveport area, I would definitely recommend stopping by the Aquarium.

EAT  _____________________________________________________________________

Frank's Louisiana Kitchen - Later that day my parents and little brother came into town as well as my aunt and her grandson. We left the kids at home with a babysitter and went out for some traditional Louisiana Cajun cuisine.

Love spending time with my beautiful sister
I love that Louisiana has been able to retain its rich, french culture. Louisiana was settled by Acadian French refugees from Canada who were expelled by the British during the French and Indian War. One thing I find so interesting is that Louisiana French is barely recognizable to the rest of present day, french speaking people. They were so far removed from France's influence that their language didn't keep up with the frequent updates from other french speaking colonies, and consequently still uses many 17th century words that have become obsolete in modern day french. The word Cajun comes from the french word Acadian. 

Well Frank's Louisiana Kitchen did not disappoint. We must've ordered half the menu and every. single. dish. was. absolutely. delicious! 

We started with:
*Baked Cajun Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Lump Crabmeat- this was voted the favorite
*Blackened Crab Cakes which had a delightful zing due to added jalapenos- these were my favorite
*Crawfish & Scallop Beignets- nothing is more Cajun than crawfish and beignets so it was fun to try them together in a savory beignet. 

Next came 
*Shrimp Remoulade Salad- lettuce was tossed with remoulade sauce which is a very traditional, creamy, red, New Orleans sauce that has quite a kick from tons of horseradish and cayenne pepper. It was absolutely divine. Everything should be served with a side of remoulade. 
*Creamy Acorn Squash and Leek Soup- delicious

Crawfish Étouffée
For my entree I just had to get CRAWFISH ÉTOUFFEÉ- this is a must-try dish if you really want to get a feeling for Cajun food. Étouffée is a dish of seafood (most popularly with crawfish) served with rice. I love that it reflects the Cajuns in the bayous and backwaters of Louisiana just making use of what they had nearby all while infusing it with their traditional french sauce techniques. The base of Étouffée is a roux. 

Me and my mom 
One of the things I loved most about Frank's is that every single side dish was incredible too. Some restaurants just rely on their main dishes and just offer basic sides. I loved that all these dishes were very traditional Louisiana ingredients. 

*Hazelnut Green Beans * Roasted Cauliflower with Basalmic Vinegar Glaze * Purple Hull Peas Cassoulet * Dauphinouse Potatoes and Asiago Stone Ground Grits. 

I wasn't kidding when I said we'd ordered half the menu. I could have had a meal of just sides they were that good. 

We were so full from our amazing dinner but couldn't leave without sampling a few desserts. 

I don't think my sister was too keen on me stealing her Lemon Spongecake. But she did share a bite. mmm mmm!
*Housemade Honeydew Sorbet- perfect for ending the meal on a light note
*Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie a la Mode- how could you go wrong with that?
*Lemon Spongecake with Berry Mousse and Lemon Curd- very southern
*Chef Van's Banana Pudding- with bananas foster sauce and whipped cream
I don't think my sister relished the thought of me having her Lemon

I don't think I have been to a restaurant where every single dish was so good. I can't wait to go back again!

Luckily the next day was a relaxing, family day. I definitely needed time to recover from my food comma. 

Stay tuned for our visit to Vicksburg, Mississippi.










Family Activities, Life with Kids, Louisiana,
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Why You Should Visit Arches National Park in Winter

Landscape Arch at Arches National Park
 I love Arches National Park. There is something so wonderful and grounding about being among the red rock of Moab. My husband grew up there so I have had an insider's guide to discovering all Moab has to offer. And, I'm going to share it with you! It is definitely where we like to go when we need to recharge.

Over the last few years it seems like everyone else has the same idea and Arches has begun to feel sooo crowded. Almost unenjoyable crowded, which is definitely not the point. I think most people think about visiting Arches in the spring, summer, and fall. But my favorite time really is winter.

Most of the town is shut down from the lack of tourists so you really get to live like a local. Arches is pretty deserted so you aren't waiting in traffic trying to get from place to place. Moab does get snow sometimes and it is only about 5 degrees warmer that Salt Lake City up north, but the red rocks just suck in the sun's warmth and makes it really comfortable to be out and about during the day.

It is such a different experience to be able to be alone with your thoughts or letting your kids run free up ahead then when you are having to wade through hoards of tourists and stressing about losing sight of one of your children.

If you have been considering visiting Arches, I would definitely consider going in the winter. Especially if you are from out-of-town, then you can hit two birds with one stone. Stay up in Salt Lake City or in Cedar City and enjoy our world class skiing for a few days, then head over to Moab for a few days to take in the other worldly landscape that Arches has to offer.

A word to the wise though. Since there are so few tourists in Moab a lot of the restaurants are shut down til tourist season. There are definitely some to choose from. But my favorite, The Love Muffin on Main Street, is not open which is a must try if you ever have the chance. The Turkey Chipotle Sandwich is to die for. They make all their bread and roast the turkey in-house. Mmm I might just have to share my copycat version of it with you. One easy way to save money on a vacation is to not eat out and Moab has 2 grocery stores right in town to shop at. We almost always cook at home when we visit. When I am already trying to plan around naps, the last thing I want to do is waste 45 minutes 3 times a day sitting in a restaurant. Why not pack some muffins and fruit and head out on a trail early? Ditto picnic lunch.

If you can't find a way to visit Moab in winter, stay tuned. I have a post in the works about how to get away from the crowds and still enjoy amazing hikes with breathtaking arches.
Family Activities, Guide to Utah, Life with Kids,
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2017 Total Solar Eclipse



I have always tried to nurture a love of science and especially space with my girls. They love to play on NASA Kids Club building rockets and driving the Mars Rover. When I heard that there was to be a total solar eclipse in North America this August, I just knew we needed to go. Luckily, the closest point of totality to us was only 3 1/2-4 hours away. Salt Lake City was going to experience 94 percent but I wanted to experience totality.

So this weekend we packed up the car and drove to Idaho. Unfortunately, everyone else in the western United States thought the same thing. My husband and I thought about renting a camper but there weren't any available in the western United States. Most of the hotels were booked. I found a 2 star for $750 a night! No thank you.

I knew quite a few people who were going up and camping out in their extended family's backyards and many farmers decided to open up some space for people to set up for the night, but usually with no utilities. That wouldn't work for us since we would have both our babies with us.


 Luckily, I found the Sun Shine Camp on Facebook. A woman decided to turn some of her dad's farm land into a camp ground and they had some vacancies. She had cleared the land and had port a potties dug and it was right in the path of totality. Not only that, but it was in the most idyllic spot.


It was gorgeous! Wide, open views of a property surrounded by the famous Snake River with lots of shade for trees. Fire pits stocked with wood and lots of peace and quiet. Which was amazing given that over 300,000 people traveled to the same area to view the eclipse. That's in addition to the people who already lived here!


The kids had an amazing time. There were horseback rides available.


I even risked an allergic reaction and joined in. The hour or 2 of itching after were totally worth it. Saddest day of my life when I realized I was allergic to horses. But that's a story for another time. 


 The girls got to float in the calmer part of the Snake River that wound through the property. A perfect way to cool off during the heat of the day. Wasn't my dad the sweetest to take them? Totally made their day.


Lots of shade to sit out and relax. Aaralyn brought along a book of course. She's a girl after my own heart.


This was the first time we had gone camping with both babies. Needless to say, we got very little sleep and a VERY early wake up call.

Now it was time to pack up the site and get ready to watch the eclipse over the next few hours.



 Unfortunately, the solar eclipse fell on the first day of school so we had to make it a quick trip back to Utah so the girls wouldn't miss any more days. Otherwise, I would have loved to combine this trip with a few days in Yellowstone.

My husband was hoping to hop in the car right after the eclipse to hopefully get a head start  on the aforementioned 300K other people but while packing the last few things in the car a few minutes before the eclipse he realized our car battery had died!

Luckily this Japanese family near us had a cordless car battery jumper. Have you seen these things? They are awesome. Tiny, and best of all if your car dies with no one around, you can now jump your car yourself. We totally bought one after this trip. What a life saver!

Next thing we knew, Bailey's beads appeared. Which is when all the mountains and valleys are backlit by the sun and it looks like little beads of sunlight shining on the edge of the moon.


Totality was awe inspiring. There really are no words to describe the feeling and visual. It got eerily silent and the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees immediately. It looked like there was a 360 degree sunset. It was beautiful. I am so glad we made the effort to go. I hope it will be something my children remember forever. 

It was so worth the 7 hour trip home. Oh, and there was the cutest old lady standing in the middle of one of the back roads we tried to take out of there. Do you want to know what she was doing? Handing out hundreds of homemade cookies that she had baked and frozen just to hand out to us travelers. She was so excited and said it was the best day of her life. What a selfless act of kindness to show to so many people she had never met in her life and would most likely never see again. I mean just think of the hours and hours of baking. What an example. I want to be like her when I grow up. She definitely made our long, crawling trip back to Utah more bearable.

Did you see the eclipse?
Eclipse, Free Family Activities, Guide to Utah,
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Travel Guide- Road to Hana



ROAD TO HANA    ________________________________________________________________


Today we're heading to Hana by way of the famous Hana  Highway.

The Hāna Highway is a 68-mile long stretch of highway which connects Kahului with the town of Hāna in east Maui. Although Hāna is only about 52 miles from Kahului, it took us over 4 hours to drive as the highway is very winding and narrow and passes over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one lane wide.

There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east of Kahului to Hāna, virtually all of it through lush, tropical rainforest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use.



Jon decided he needed to stop and buy some of that Spam sushi the couple from the Polynesian Cultural Center told us about on our way out of town.


It was suprisingly good. And served warm....


There are places all along the highway to stop and see. Lots of paths to waterfalls or hidden bays. We stopped at one stop and took this trail to go see the sight mentioned in our guide book. I was convinced the plants growing along the side of the trail were sugar cane but after trying like 5 different stalks, I finally had to admit that Jon was right and that I had been eating weeds! He thought I was crazy.


The road is crazy with all the one-laned bridges and sharp turns where you can't even see oncoming traffic.


But it was nothing like the drivers who would come barreling through the yield signs before checking to see if someone was already on the bridge. It didn't seem to worry Jon as much as me though.


Jon loved this road and got quite used to all the craziness after a while


I started getting car sick from all the twists and turns, so Jon switched me so I could drive.


Much better.


You could take all day to stop at every stop and see the sights.


We just chose a few but every single one was so pretty. Maui is definitely more beautiful than Oahu and once you get to the east side it gets truly wild.


We drove through Hana and out again before we even realized we'd made it. We turned around and got some food at a road side stand before heading out past Hana to get to our B&B about 20 min away.


We checked in and then left to go eat our dinner at a cliff we saw earlier, but it was so windy it was blowing the lettuce leaves out of the salad containers. We decided to wait on dinner and just enjoy the view.


It was so fun being on the exposed side of the island. The weather is a lot crazier by the open ocean vs the channels between islands.


We stayed till the sun was almost down then headed back.
Hana, Hana Highway, Hawaii,
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