We Are So Relaxed

Posted on May 20, 2014 by kcbernick

Monday, May 19

We headed to the Blue Lagoon, which was formed accidently during operation of a nearby power plant. People bathing there noticed that the water had great effects on the skin, so public bathing facilities were opened there in 1987. The temperature averages between 98 and 102 degrees. The naturally occurring silica mud in the lagoon can be used as an exfoliant, leaving the skin feeling smooth and soft. However, it leaves one’s hair feeling a bit like boiled wool. I used quite a bit of conditioner simply to be able to comb through my hair.

In addition to the baths, there are restaurants, steam rooms, a waterfall and spa services. I opted for a 60 minute massage which took place in a special section of the lagoon. I started out lying on a float on top of a table. After some initial scrubbing and beating, the masseuse slid the float into the water. I was partially submerged in the warm water while the massage continued. It was over way too soon. Floating on the water makes you feel weightless which is relaxing in itself.

Once you pay admission, you can stay for the entire day. We spent about five hours there. It’s not uncommon for visitors to spend a few hours before flying back home. Sounds good to me!

This evening, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant called The Roadhouse – offering ribs, burgers, malts, etc. It was designed to feel like a 50’s and 60’s American malt shop. The ribs were good. We walked back to the hotel and fell into bed.

 

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Up North – Way up North!

Posted on May 20, 2014 by kcbernick

Saturday, May 17

We’d been home for almost a month, and it’s still cold in Minnesota, so we decided to go where it’s colder still. We are traveling with two other couples, Jason and Jennifer, and Sally and Jeff.  We flew out of Minneapolis at about 8:30 pm, and settled in, hoping to sleep a little while on the plane. According to my UP Band, I slept for one hour, 26 minutes.

Sunday, May 18

After an uneventful trip, and well rested of course, we landed in Reykjavik, Iceland about 8:00 am, and found our ride to our hotel. The Centerhotel Arnarhvoll, located near the water but close to their downtown. By the way, we have learned that the spelling of a word actually gives very little hint as to its pronunciation. For instance, our hotel Arnarhvoll sounds kind of like “Averkokie” or something like that.

We weren’t able to check in until afternoon, so we wandered downtown and found a place to eat breakfast. Some of us decided to go to 11:00 am services at Hallgrimskirkja, named for Hallgrimur Petursson, an Icelandic clergyman and poet. Designed by Guojon Samuelsson to resemble the basalt lava field of Iceland, it is the tallest structure in Iceland. It looks modern and Gothic at the same time. There is a huge organ, which has 5,275 pipes.

This is a lutheran church, and the service was in Icelandic, so we had to watch the Lcongregants to know when to stand or sit. While we couldn’t understand the homily, it didn’t sound like fire and brimstone. The choir was very good, and the organ was almost overwhelming.

We wandered around downtown a bit more, noting which shops we want to return to in a few days, and finding a place where we could drop the boys off. We had a light dinner downtown, and returned to ur hotel fairly early. In bed by about 8:00 pm.

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Pleasant Time at the Lake

Posted on April 1, 2014 by kcbernick

Wednesday, March 26

Lake Pleasant is a reservoir created by the Waddell Dam in 1927. The original dam was the largest agricultural dam in the world at its time. The current dam was completed in 1994, tripling the surface area of the lake to 7,500 acres. The average depth of the lake is 70 feet. The Aqua Fria River feeds the lake, but most of its water comes from the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct which diverts water from the Colorado River. The lake currently stores about five years worth of water, and it’s very, very clear.

The lake is a major water sports recreation center, with fishing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, scuba and more. It is part of the Lake Pleasant Regional Park in Yavapai and Maricopa Counties. The park is a popular area for hiking, mountain biking and camping. We did a little hiking ourselves, and then visited the marina for refreshments.

We head back to chilly Minnesota bright and early on Friday, going from 80 degrees to 30 degrees.

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Dusty Trails

Posted on April 1, 2014 by kcbernick

Tuesday, March 25

Time for some adventure. We boarded a UTV (utility terrain vehicle) and went trail riding in the desert north of Scottsdale. We donned safety helmets and gloves, wore goggles and a gauze dust mask (kind of like a ski mask, with a hole to see through). We really needed these because it was very dusty out there.


We spent about two hours scaling hills, crossing streams, eating dust, getting our bones shaken. It was definitely fun. At one point, we stopped at some old Hohokam ruins, a fortress they built to defend themselves from enemy attack. We had to climb by foot to this site, through some narrow openings in the rock. There were some great views from that location.

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Glass in the Garden

Posted on April 1, 2014 by kcbernick

Monday, March 23

We arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona last Friday for a business meeting. It’s good to be warm again for a few days.

Today was a definite highlight. We visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. We were here in December at night when the garden was lit with luminaries – beautiful! Now we got to see it in the daytime – still beautiful.

Currently the garden is running an exhibit of Dale Chihuly Glass work. I’ve long been a fan of his work, and wish I could afford to own some (smallest pieces for sale in the gift shop were $6,000!) The exhibit runs through May, so if you’re in the area, I recommend it highly. Pieces of his art are strategically placed throughout the gardens, including spheres, reed shapes, swirls and much more. Wish we could have spent more time here.

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Kudos

Posted on February 22, 2014 by kcbernick

We arrived home early on the morning of Wednesday, February 20.

This was a very good trip, and I want to acknowledge some of the organizations/people who helped make it go so well.

First, Crystal Symphony Crew and Staff: This was billed as a luxury cruise, all-inclusive trip, and it definitely was. The service was outstanding. Our meals were always good, and there were always activities to participate in if you wanted to. The most outstanding thing that happened was getting reimbursed for two days because I was sick and confined to my room. I had contracted some kind of intestinal virus, and had to be quarantined. Luckily for me, these were sea days, so I didn’t miss out on any of our shore excursions. They tried to find an empty room for Mark, so that he wouldn’t have to quarantined as well, but nothing was available. Because we couldn’t leave our rooms, although we continued to use room service and internet, Crystal refunded us for those days. We did not ask for or even expect them to do that.

Second, the staffs of both Heritage Hotels in Auckland and Queenstown worked to return us some cash we had left in our safe in Auckland. After trying, without success, to find a courier service to bring us the cash, they put the money in their account, then transferred it to the Queenstown Hotel, where it was waiting for us when we checked in. All of this at no charge to us – fantastic!

Third, GoWay Travel Tours which organized all of our transportation, lodging and tours while in New Zealand and Australia. They work with multiple vendors to provide a vacation based on what you want to see and do. I was concerned that there would be glitches, but without fail, everyone was where they should be when they should be. The tours were all they were billed to be.

Last, but not least, Jill Ward at Bursch Travel who researched and made the arrangements for this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

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Oahu

Posted on February 19, 2014 by kcbernick

Sunday, February 16

We weren’t terribly ambitious today – didn’t wake up until 11 am (of course, that’s 6 am Cairns time.) My first goal was to do some laundry. We are staying in a condo through Hilton Grand Vacations, and I love having a kitchen, living room and laundry. We are right in the middle of Waikiki, with a saltwater lagoon and easy access to the ocean. To my delight, there is also easy access to lots of shopping.

Saltwater lagoon

Saltwater lagoon

Diamondhead

Diamondhead

Downtown Waikiki from our room

Downtown Waikiki from our room

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach

We visited friends of ours, Marlin and Patty Boeckmann and their daughter, Annie, who live on the other side of the island. They purchased a home here about three years ago, and have been busy ever since with renovation projects. They have a beautiful view, overlooking the ocean.

Monday, February 17

We walked a few miles along the beach to the Waikiki Aquarium. Along the way, we passed the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, who is considered the father of modern surfing. He also won medals for swimming in three different Olympics. He was the first person to be inducted into both the Surfing Hall of Fame and the Swimming Hall of Fame.

The aquarium wasn’t very large, but had some good displays of marine life that are native to Hawaii. Also, they are working on creating coral reefs to help supplement our existing reef systems.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish

Longnose butterfly fish, and starfish which is less than one inch in size

Longnose butterfly fish, and starfish which is less than one inch in size

Giant clam, about 5 feet long

Giant clam, about 5 feet long

Banyan tree

Banyan tree

Had dinner tonight with the Boeckmanns at La Mariana Sailing Club, the only remaining tiki bar in Hawaii. It sits on the ocean front, and is a pretty popular place. The food was good, the drinks were strong. We loved the atmosphere.

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Tuesday, February 18

We did some exploring today, starting with the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. It’s located in the crater of an extinct volcano, known locally as “The Punchbowl,” because of the crater’s shape. Almost 30,000 missing military are commemorated here, from WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam. The grounds are truly beautiful and the views from there are as well.

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We did some driving along the coast, and were fortunate enough to see some whales breaching in the distance.

Next stop was the US Army Museum of Hawaii, which details the military history of Hawaii from ancient times to the Vietnam War.

This is rainy season in Hawaii, and it’s rained every day, but not all day, and it’s a warm rain, so we don’t mind. We’ve enjoyed our time in Waikiki, but tomorrow morning, we leave for home. It’ll be good to be home after a month of traveling.

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44 Hour Day

Posted on February 16, 2014 by kcbernick

Saturday, February 15

We left Cairns at about 9 am, arriving in Sydney for our connection to Hawaii. After a six hour layover in Sydney, we boarded the plane to Oahu at about 10 pm. Our flight lasted about nine hours, and we arrived in Oahu at 11 am, also on Saturday. We arrived in Hawaii twelve hours earlier than we left Sydney, and only two hours later than we left Cairns. Crossing the International Date Line was “like deja vu all over again.”

This reminds me of a short story I read in grade school by Edgar Allen Poe: “Three Sundays in a Week.” A young man wanted to marry a certain girl, but his uncle and guardian, would not give permission. Finally, after some badgering, he agreed to let them marry when three Sundays occurred in one week. By bringing together some sailing acquaintances, the young man was able to convince his uncle that indeed, yesterday, today and tomorrow were all Sunday, after which the uncle gave his permission.

We are pretty tired, and have no activities planned while we are here, but anything can happen. The weather is lovely, warm and mostly clear. Our hotel is located near Waikiki Beach, which is a beautiful and popular beach. We hope to connect with some friends while we’re here.

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Happy Valentines Day!

Posted on February 15, 2014 by kcbernick

Friday, February 14

It was another full day. We boarded the Kuranda Scenic Railway at Freshwater Station, and took a 24 mile ride through very beautiful country to the village of Kuranda. The narrow gauge railway was built between 1886-1891 after gold was discovered in the hills in 1873. The railway was built entirely with hand tools, and includes 15 tunnels, 55 bridges and 98 curves. After about one hour and 40 minutes, it reaches an elevation of close to 1000 feet.

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Kuranda is an old mining village that caters to the tourist trade, with plenty of opportunities to spend money, which we were happy to do.

We headed to Rainforest Station for lunch and a ride on an Army Duck vehicle. This tour took us through some of the rainforest while the tour guide talked to us about some of the flora and fauna there. Of course, we had to go into the water as well.

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Then we were treated to some aboriginal dancing. Mark was invited to the stage to perform. He was taught the “shake a leg” dance, and I think he did quite well. We were shown how to throw a boomerang, and each of us attempted to do so, without success. Also, saw demonstrations of spear throwing and playing the didgeridoo.

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There was also a small wildlife park, which was interesting, but not nearly as extensive as the zoo in Sydney. At the end of the tour, we took the Sky Rail on a 5 mile ride over the top of the rainforest back to Cairns. This was simply breathtaking. We came as close as 10 feet above the tree line and as far as 200 feet above. It was an experience of unremitting beauty.

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After returning to town, we tried to find a place to eat dinner, but it was a Friday night, and Valentine’s Day to boot. No reservation – no table. However, we found a nice frozen yogurt stand, so just went straight to dessert.

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Looking for Nemo

Posted on February 15, 2014 by kcbernick

Wednesday, February 12

Arrived in Cairns around noon. Our hotel is located on the Esplanade, a boardwalk along the water. We decided to walk along the Esplanade to explore, but it soon started to rain. However, the rain was gentle and warm, so “no worries.”

There is a sea water pool near the hotel which is quite popular. It’s risky to swim in the ocean because of stingers and the occasional shark. When we were in New Zealand, one of our tour guides said NZ was better than Australia because it didn’t have lots of things waiting to “bite you, sting you, eat you!”

Cairns is full of fruit bats, much to the chagrin of many of the residents. At dawn and dusk, they fill the sky.

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Thursday, February 13

Took a bus to Port Douglas this morning, and then boarded a catamaran to their private platform near the Great Barrier Reef. Here, people can swim, snorkel, scuba or use a semi-submersible vessel to view the reef and the fish about six feet below the surface. The reef, a World Heritage Site, extends about 1,400 miles, and consists of about 2,900 individual reefs.

Mark and I chose to snorkel, and went out for about an hour. I did see one sea turtle, but Mark missed it. However, he was able to locate an area that was less crowded with other swimmers, plus the coral was closer to the surface. This made great viewing, and he was able to get some very good shots. We even saw some soft coral, moving with the waves. We also tried the semi-submersible, and that was interesting as well, but not as good as being up close in the water.

We were pretty tired at the end of this day, but truly enjoyed ourselves.

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Soft coral, moving with the waves

Soft coral, moving with the waves

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