Adventures in Wandaland: 2014

Saturday, November 1, 2014

A Little Road Trip

Last week we drove to my brother's home in Orange County to visit. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures while I was at their house. On the way home, we stopped in Santa Barbara to visit our most excellent friends, Jim & Karen. We have known them since our college days and had the good fortune of living in the same city as them for several years. They were our movie-going buddies and gelato-eating buddies. Fabulous, mellow people who have 10 kids. Their house was and continues to be a constant party.

Mission Santa Barbara

They drove us around Santa Barbara, showing us the sights. We ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach, saw a movie, ate gelato, laughed and reminisced. Santa Barbara has an old town area that is quaint and charming.

The next morning, Jim cooked us a fantastic breakfast before church which included some fancy eggs (I can't remember what it was called!) and crepes.

Jim, Karen, Wanda, Mark

After church, we headed to Solvang. I know I was there when I was a kid, but don't remember it, so it was fun to walk around the town and buy a pastry to munch on. Solvang was founded in 1911 by a group of Danes seeking to establish a community and escape the harsh winters of the midwest. My grandmother came to this country from Denmark, so it was fun to see what her town might have looked like.

Mission Santa Ines is in Solvang as well.

We've driven up and down 101 dozens of times and never took the time to stop in this area and we are glad that we did!

Monday, October 13, 2014

The Blue Angels

Last Saturday, Mark and I drove to San Francisco to watch the air show that included the Blue Angels in conjunction with Fleet Week. Jeff and Jess had graciously invited us to view the proceedings from the roof of their apartment building which has a spectacular view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Jeff told (warned?) us that the Blue Angels usually passed right over their building.

I was excited to try out the big camera lens I got for Christmas. It is a heavy lens, so I don't use it a lot, but this was a perfect opportunity. It did not disappoint. The weather was beautiful and hundreds of ships, sailboats, and other smaller boats dotted the bay. The preliminary "acts" in the air show included some tricky flying by a red bi-plane doing loop-de-loops and stalling high in the air and then spiraling downwards toward the water. There was also the Patriots Jet Team with red, white, and blue contrails that flew in tight formation.

They flew quite close to the water, lower than the apartment building near us.

The fog had started to come in as the Patriots Jet Team were flying.

But clearly, the Blue Angels would be the star attraction. They were scheduled to fly at 3:00 and Jeff was nervously watching the fog begin to come in through the Golden Gate. He was worried that if there was too much fog, the Blue Angels would cancel, something that had happened before.

Just before 3:00, there was a deafening roar and suddenly, there they were, streaking across the sky. Wow! is all I can say.

The building next to Jeff's. There were lots of people on top of lots of buildings.

Such tight formation was amazing!

There would be a lull in the action, with no planes visible, and then suddenly we would hear a roar and they would be directly overhead!

This photo was not cropped! They were that close! And right above us. (With 200 mm lens)

One plane upside down and one right side up as they pass over Alcatraz.

Two planes upside down, two right side up over the fog.

Small specks in the sky over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Peeling off of formation over Alcatraz.

Zooming past the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog.

After the Blue Angels, a marine plane that was quite a bit larger passed over us a few times and did some amazing maneuvers for such a large plane.

I didn't know if this was a troop transport plane, but definitely the Marines were taking part in the show!

Sometimes it looked like the plane would go right into the building.

We had such a great time, I kept thinking that my 2-year old grandson would have loved it! Actually, all the grandkids would have loved it!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

The 40th Wedding Anniversary Bash

This summer Mark and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to Kauai with our whole family. We had a glorious time and some of the kids instagrammed (#pappilyeverafter) the heck out of it. But here is MY version!

Most of us arrived on Friday, July 25, except Allison's family who were traveling from the east coast. She thought it best to arrive on Thursday and try to give them a chance to 1) recuperate from the ridiculously long journey with multiple flights, and 2) get a head start on jet lag. All of us were texting each other to keep tabs on everyone's progress through various airports. Besides the NC crew coming in on Thursday, we had people coming from Denver, Salt Lake City, New York City, San Francisco and San Jose (us). It was exciting as each new group arrived. The resort was beautiful, as always:

By dinner-time everyone was there (19 of us!) and on the beach enjoying the water. Mark and I went to the grocery store and Taco Bell and brought back 40 tacos, half dozen quesadillas, water, apples and carrots.

The gang!

David

Gemma

Jess, Laura, Rebecca, and Austin

On Saturday, part of the group went tubing in underground caves at a plantation. I got to spend quality time with the two youngest grandchildren who were too small for the tubes, feeding them lunch, reading stories, and putting them down for naps. The afternoon and evening were spent on the beach. After a run to Costco for hot dogs and bratz and other picnic foods, we made use of the barbecue facilities at the resort and cooked up a meal. We were able to snag one of the gazebos that overlooks the pool area to enjoy our food. Sarah had arranged in advance with a local bakery to make some pies for our anniversary and they were delicious!

From beach to dinner. Sorry, just a phone picture!

Upper left to right: Chocolate Chip Macadamia nut, Passion Fruit Cheesecake, Island Lime

Lower left to right: Blueberry Ginger, Belgian Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts

Allison, David K (Laura's boyfriend), Laura, David, Rebecca

Austin (cut off! Sorry!), Mark, Sarah, Annie, Allison. Joel, Dave W standing

The rest of the week there was plenty of time for beach activities, experimenting with a stand-up paddle board and boogie boarding....

David

Sarah and Becca boogie boarding as Dono, Gemma & Joel look on.

David & Dono

Rebecca

David boogie boarding, Ainsleigh, Dono, Joel, Sarah, Gemma & Jess in the water

Joel

There was also plenty of time spent at the pool:

Cousin love

Patrick

Ainsleigh, Gemma, Annie, Donovan, Emaline

One evening we went to a luau since we've never done that before. Everyone had a great time and the kids really enjoyed the show.

Ainsleigh, Gemma, Donovan, Annie, Emaline with hunky Hawaiians

Table for 19 please?

Mark, Jeff, Austin, and Dave golfed one morning and another morning we hiked on the Kalalau trail on the NaPali coast starting at Ke'e Beach. It was a tough hike made tougher for Allison since she carried 2 year old Patrick on her back! After the hike, many snorkeled and then we hit Chicken in a Barrel and the shave ice stand in Hanalei.

David likes to find the high places

Patrick, Allison, Dave W

After 2 1/4 miles we arrived at Hanakapai'ai Beach. The trail goes another 9 miles.

Hanakapai'ai Beach. We stopped here and then went back to Ke'e Beach.

Looking back to where we were on the beach

Ke'e Beach from the trail. We started down there.

Sarah & Dave W instruct Emaline on snorkeling. Or maybe just how hot the sand is going to be when she takes those fins off.

David K, Laura, Rebecca, Austin, David

Mmmmm.... shave ice!

We also stopped briefly to snap a picture of the lighthouse.

While Mark & Jeff golfed a second time, some of us drove to Poipu through the gorgeous tunnel of trees. At least that is what I call it!

At Poipu we snorkeled and saw a monk seal on the beach and a turtle in the water. The monk seal was sleeping on the beach with caution tape all around and an older couple sitting nearby in beach chairs. I chatted with them for a while about the seal. They were "babysitting" him until he returned to the water, making sure he wasn't disturbed. They volunteer all over the south side of the island and get a call when there is a seal on the beach to go and watch over it.

Annie & Dave W

Patrick

After spending time in Poipu, we drove up Waimea Canyon with those that hadn't seen it before.

Sarah & Joel with Ainsleigh, Donovan & Gemma

Allison with Annie & Emaline (Patrick was sleeping in the car with Dave W watching over him!)

Gemma, Annie, Ainsleigh, Emaline & Donovan

David K & Laura

One must do activity for Mark was to take Patrick on a train. Patrick loves trains and Allison had done some research and found a plantation train ride for them and us to go on. Patrick was so excited and as the train started to move, his face was priceless.