Christmas in Hawaii - December 2011

We flew to Hawaii this year for Christmas.  The flight out there was long, but uneventful.  We had layovers in Houston and San Franscisco.  Here I am waiting in the United Red Carpet Club in San Francisco Airport:

Mae in the United Red Carpet Club In San Francisco, CA

Although the flight to Honolulu was smooth, the bumps began once we landed and quickly found out that Continental/United Airlines "misplaced" both of our bags. The guy at the baggage office said that the bags were still in San Francisco and would be sent via a later flight and that they would call us the next day to advise when the bags arrived.  However, no matter how annoyed we were about our bags, we were treated to the most beautiful, blue Hawaiian sunrise the next morning!  Here is a picture of the sunrise right outside our room at the Navy Lodge on Ford Island:

Blue Hawaiian Sunrise

What a gorgeous sight!  After the sun came up, we got some coffee and bagels and sat at the table and chairs right outside of our room to enjoy the view.  We stayed in Room 1126, which has doors that open out to a porch with a spectacular view of Pearl Harbor.  The Navy Lodge is very nice and we always enjoy staying there.  Here are a few pictures of our room:

Two Double Beds

Kitchenette with Microwave, Fridge, Pots, Pans, Dishes and Eating Utensils

The rooms at the Navy Lodge all have a stocked kitchenette with two burners and a microwave. Guests enjoy complimentary bagels, cream cheese, granola bars and coffee every morning for breakfast.  As such, one can get by without having to buy expensive meals three times a day.

The best part of the room was the large porch outside and the incredible view that it offers!  Here are a few pictures of the view from the porch:

A Large Monkey Pod Tree and a Plumeria Bush

Table and Chairs, Palm Trees and Pine Trees

More Trees

Our Porch from a Distance

Mae Standing on the Porch in Front of Room 1126

After we enjoyed our bagels and coffee and the view from the porch, we decided to go to the gym.  Let me tell you, the gym on Ford Island is fantastic! We worked out every day that were were there and it felt so good!  Here are a few pictures of the gym:



View as You Walk into the Gym



The Ellipticals (My Favorite Cardio)



Weight Machines



Thanksgiving in Sedona - November 2011

We have a time share in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and we traded it this year to go to Sedona, Arizona, land of the enchanted vortexes, spiritual guides and beautiful red rock formations.  We stayed at a beautiful place called the Wyndham Sedona on Kestral Avenue, which is a side street off of the main town of Sedona. 

This was Adeline's first time in an airport and on a plane and she did very well!  Here she is sitting in her seat in the plane:

Adeline and "Fluffy" on Their First Plane Ride

We arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport around 8:00 PM on Friday, November 18th.  After we collected our bags and rental car, we drove the 110 miles from the airport to Sedona.  It was not an easy ride because it was dark and we were really tired from traveling all day.  Once we got there and got checked in at the Visitor Center, we drove to our building.  I got out and scouted out where our unit was located so that we wouldn't have to schlep around a bunch of bags and a sleeping kid.

When I opened the door to Unit 1222, here is the first glimpse that I got of where we would be staying for the week:

Entrance Hall to Unit 1222 at the Wyndham Sedona

I was thrilled with what I saw!  The doors on the left side of the picture above opened to a utility closet with a washer and dryer, vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies in it.  The door on the right opened into a smaller one bedroom unit that could be rented to accomodate larger parties. Our unit was what they call a "One Bedroom Deluxe". After I finished taking a peek, I went back downstairs to get everybody else and our bags.  We were very tired, so we got settled in and then went to sleep.

We awoke the next morning to a beautiful sunny day.  I wanted to take pictures of the unit so that we could remember how it looked.  Here are the pictures of the rest of the unit:



Living Room with Pull-Out Sofa

Adeline, the three year old, slept on the pull out sofa in the Living Room.  She also camped out there and watched her cartoons when we weren't out doing something.  This was also a prime spot for those in our party who like to watch football games!  Both the Living Room and Bedroom had 52" screen TVs.

Kitchen


The kitchen was fully stocked with dishes, eating and cooking utensils, pots and pans, and even wine glasses, which we certainly used often!  It had a dishwasher, microwave and an oven with a cooking range. We ate most of our meals at the bar on the right side.

Dining Table

This was a really comfortable dining booth/table.  When we were in the unit, I spent alot of time on my laptop sitting right here.  They have complimentary AT&T Wifi access and it was really good for me!

Bedroom

The bedroom was a nice size with a very comfortable bed, plenty of pillows and a down comforter.  It had a closet in it with an in-room safe, which I used to lock up my laptop every time that we went out.

Bathroom with Shower

The bathroom had a nice size shower with a tub and a sink.  They provided plentry of towels and washcloths for everybody and a "Clean and Tidy" service halfway through our stay to replace our bed linens and towels and to vacuum, wipe down the counters and take out the trash.

Vanity Sink and Jacuzzi

This was a seperate room off of the bedroom with a jacuzzi.  It was very nice to have as you could wash your face and brush your teeth here while somebody else could be showering or using the bathroom.


But the very best part of our unit was the view from the balcony:



View Looking Left off of the Balcony

This is what we saw when we looked to the left out on the Balcony. It was a long span of beautiful red rock mountains.

View at 10 O'Clock Position from Balcony


This was the view when you gazed off at a 10 O'Clock angle from the Balcony, which was blue sky and beautiful red mountains!

View Straight Ahead from Balcony

This is what we saw when we looked straight ahead from the Balcony.  There were other units across the parking lot with red mountains behind them.

View Looking Right off of the Balcony


This was the view looking right off of the Balcony, which was other units and rolling hills.



View from the Front Door of Unit 1222


And this is what we saw when we stepped out the front door of the unit.  It was actually quite breathtaking as it was a beautiful Autumn day in Sedona and the trees had such beautiful colors!

Adeline and I in the Picnic Area Downstairs from our Unit

There was a really nice picnic area outside of our front door and down the stairs.  It had a grill and a beautiful view!  Folks in the downstairs units like to sit out there and grill, talk and drink coffee and adult beverages.

RED ROCK HELICOPTER TOURS

We really wanted to see Sedona from the air, and what better way to do it than from a helicopter!  We visited the Concierge at the Visitor Center and he set us up for our ride.  Since we attended one of the resort's "Vacation Owner Update" sessions where they try to sell you even more timeshares (we didn't buy), we only had to pay $30 for two of us and then another $80 for Adeline, for a total of $110 for three people, which wasn't bad.

Here is Adeline and I waiting for the helicopter at the Sedona Airport:

Waiting for the Helicopter

The three of us, plus a nice lady from Joplin, MO. were taking the helicopter ride.  The pilot's name was Dave and he is a Navy Veteran who flew helicopters over in Desert Storm.  Here is a picture of our friend from Joplin, MO boarding the helicopter right before us.

Our Friend from Joplin MO Boarding the Helicopter

Adeline and I got on last and we fastened her in and then took off. She wouldn't put her headphones on and was pretty displeased with the noise.  This picture really depicts how she felt about her first helicopter ride!

Not Too Thrilled!

Hernan and I really enjoyed the ride though!  Here is Hernan with his headphones on enjoying the beautiful scenery:

Hernan Taking Videos of the Beautiful Scenery Above Sedona

Here are some pictures I took from the air:

I will mess around with the video camera sometime soon and try to add some footage that we took during the ride.

Here is a picture of us posing by the helicopter right after we landed.  Dave the pilot was giving us a "thumbs up" in the picture!

Mae, Adeline and Hernan Posing by the Helicopter

There is a Scenic View area right at the airport entrance/exit where you can park your car and get out and take pictures of a spectacular view of red mountain ranges.  This is a "don't miss" when you visit Sedona, and the best part of it is that it is free!  On our way out of the airport after our helicopter ride, we stopped there and took some of these pictures:

Adeline and "Fluffy" Posing by the Binoculars

Adeline, "Fluffy" and Hernan

Adeline, "Fluffy" and Mae

Hernan, Adeline, "Fluffy" and Mae

THE PINK JEEP TOUR

Another great way to see the red rocks is to drive up into the mountains and climb on them.  We did just this when we took a Pink Jeep Tour out of downtown Sedona.  This is another "don't miss" activity when visiting Sedona. Tomas, our driver was quite skilled at four wheeling it in the rocks!  We road with two Asian couples and they were a hoot!  One of the ladies didn't speak much English, but we knew exactly what she meant after she shouted out a word when Tomas was driving us down a big boulder at an almost 90 degree angle! 

Here are some pictures from our Pink Jeep ride:

Mae and Hernan at the First Pink Jeep Stop Up in the Rocks

Tomas drove us all the way up into the red rock mountains.  Here are Hernan and I right after we got out of the Jeep. Tomas took the picture.  It was so cold that day,  I had to wrap myself up in one of the serapes that Tomas had in the Jeep!

 

Hernan and Mae Standing in the Red Rock Formations

Hernan and Mae Standing Below a Huge Red Mountain

The Sun Peeking Out from Behind the Mountain

DOWNTOWN SEDONA

Downtown Sedona is very beautiful with its Western shops and restaurants all surrounded by red mountains.  Here are some pictures that we shot while there:

Hernan in the Parking Lot Downtown

The View Walking into Town

Shops, Mountains and Blue Skies

View Going Down to the Public Restrooms

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE

We went on a road trip to Jerome, AZ, which is about 25 miles from Sedona. There is an old mining town in Jerome where Billy the Kid robbed stage coaches with his Indian posse and Wyatt Earp visited with the local madam.  The town is said to be haunted and we were looking forward to seeing it.  Unfortunately, we drove all the way there and found out that the town, which is a National Park, is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!  We were very disappointed, but will go back next time that we visit Sedona.

Since the haunted mining town in Jerome was closed, we ended up visiting this cool National Park in Camp Verde, AZ called Montezuma's Castle.  The "Castle" is a well preserved cliff-dwelling that was built and used by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people around 700 AD.  It has been said to look like a prehistoric high rise apartment complex. 

Here are some pictures that we took at Montezuma's Castle:

Montezuma's Castle

Hernan Holding Adeline in a Beautiful Birch Tree

Adeline and Hernan on the Walking Trail

Autumn Trees and the River that the Sinagua Thrived On

Hernan, Adeline and Mae Standing Near the Cliff

Another Cave Dwelling in the Cliff

A Beautiful Autumn View in the Park

Mae Holding Adeline in a Big Birch Tree