The Parents come to visit.

Less than 48 hours after Laurie left us, Tim and Patti flew down for a long weekend. Unfortunately Tim had to work the entire time, but we were able to take in a few local sights. Pacific Beach was hosting a large car show!

Here we are with "General Lee."

 They also had the "Green Hornet," the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am and "The Mystery Machine" from Scooby Doo. The big celebrity guest and car enthusiast was Christopher Knight from The Brady Bunch. We didn't feel like paying for his autograph.

And since Tim could join us, here are the photos we took for him...

 An impala even larger than his and a 60's Chevy (his favorite).

The next day was a shopping and beach day. I didn't take any pictures, because we were having too much fun in the waves! 

After Tim's parents left, it was my parents' turn to visit for a long weekend. After picking them up from the airport, we headed north to Temecula to visit the wineries. It was beautiful and HOT and I didn't take any pictures. Fail. 

Tim was able to join us on Sunday for the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge.

 The sculptures were amazing! This is the backside of a piece:

And it was fun to talk to the artists about their work.

Fun Fact: Because of the sand they used for these sculptures, these could last 10+ years! They were demolished the next evening.

This sculpture was hollow on the other side and each of those little sheets had a name on it:

And this was our favorite of the day (and everyone else's too!) It won 1st place and the People's Choice award.

The rest of our trip involved more shopping than I think I've ever done with my parents...ever. I'm still in a bit of shock. :-) But my Mom has a wonderful new wardrobe for the school year! And I got my birthday present - new shoes! (They know me so well.)

That's it for visitors for the next month or so...

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August Visitors! Part 2

Sunday night, I found a Groupon deal for a 2-hour GoCar rental around San Diego. Laurie and I thought it sounded like fun, so we bought one and planned our Monday around it. The rental place was in Little Italy, so the Trolley was the best transportation option. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the Little Italy stop is under construction, so we had to backtrack a bit from the "next" stop on the line. Whoops!

After grabbing lunch - we found an amazing deli that offered your choice of four salads - we headed to the rental place for paperwork and our orientation.

 Here our view of the street from the car. We were very close to the ground and much smaller than everyone else, but all of our spectators seemed to love our little car. We got several honks, waves, and giggles from passersby.

Our route - we were headed to Point Loma with help from our GPS, who we named Pamela. Pamela  didn't always give early warning for turns.

 Along the route, we drove through Shelter Island, where they have a bell gifted from San Diego's sister city - Yokohama, Japan! We've been there! :-)

Our route took us all the way to the south-western most point of the continental US - Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma. Point Loma is actually mostly owned by the military and there are several cemeteries...

and some experimental labs. This is a sonar-type lab. The actual lab is suspended above the water, so that the water isn't disturbed...or so the GPS tour guide told us...we think it's more likely that this is where they keep the mermaids! ;-)

 Finally we made it to the Cabrillo National Monument...

and the Point Loma lighthouse.

We spent about 30 minutes walking around and learning about the lighthouse and the San Diego Bay. It was really interesting and the view was amazing! Since we only had the GoCar for a few hours, it was back on the road to continue our tour. Here's Laurie driving (you can see how small it is compared to the other cars)...

 And here I am putting the car in reverse - a.k.a. pushing it backwards.

The end of our tour took us through Ocean Beach and along the Sunset Cliffs. It took quite a bit of willpower to not park the car and head to the beach - the day was perfect for swimming/body boarding!

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Auto Show: Part 2

Due to Tim's never-ending work schedule, you'll have to do with my "pretty car..." explanation of the Seattle Auto Show.  Sorry!

Sitting outside the Events Center, was this Tesla Roadster.  In case you don't know, Tesla cars are completely electric.  The two on display at the show were both privately owned vehicles.

 Once we got into the show, we had a hard time deciding what direction to look in first.  Luckily, the Mercedes-Benz section was right in the center calling our names.  I have no idea what this beauty is, but when Tim saw it he very quickly exclaimed "Take a Picture!" I like the doors.

 Here I am sitting in a Lexus RX Hybrid SUV.  It was pretty nice, but I found a few other cars I'd rather own.  I thought it was funny that the dealers took all of the "removable accessories" out of the cars before displaying them, including the shifter knobs.

 Here are a few more cars Tim needed to have pictures of...

 A Corvette 

 And a Ferrari Italia (Don't hold me to that...)

 This isn't a car, but Tim wanted a picture of this Ferrari engine.  

 The grill of a Maserati

A Dodge Charger, in what Tim told me was an original color.

 Then we headed upstairs to see some more of the luxury cars, but I took a picture of the main Events Center floor.

 Now, I think I've been doing really well explaining these cars so far.  This one, though, I have no idea.  Tim was super excited about looking at this car (from behind a rope) and even wanted a close-up of the interior.  Enjoy!

 We really did have a great time looking at and sitting in all of the newest cars.  I have decided that I'm saving my pennies for a Volvo.  I think Tim is saving his for a Camaro.  Or maybe a Lamborghini.  Or maybe [insert any other car here].

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Auto Show: Part 1

Why is this titled "part 1?"  Because I have no idea what any of the cars are called and I know Tim will be a little annoyed if I title them all "pretty car #1," "pretty car #2," etc, etc.  :-)

So here's the one car I know I can identify for sure:

THE FLYING FORD ANGLIA FROM HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS! 

WOOT!

5 more days until I get to see the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in IMAX!!!!!! AND visit the H.P. Exhibition!!!!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! 

Is it too obvious??

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A Family of Four*

Contrary to popular belief, Tim and I do have "children."  

Our cars.

A few weeks ago, Tim and I purchased a new, used car...a beautiful 2007 Honda Civic Si! 

We really lucked out...it had only been on the lot for a day and half, it's exactly what Tim wanted, it only had 13,000 miles, and it matches the Rogue!  As an added bonus, it's the same color as Tim's Impala.  

It must have been Fate.  

*Since I mentioned the Impala, I guess we are actually a family of 5, wait, 6.  Tim also has a 1940's Jeep Willy...what have I gotten myself into?!

**You can also see why when we do look into buying a house, we're going to need a garage.  Seriously.

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A Movie Under the Stars

One of my favorite summertime activities is the Drive-In!  So, with a few prayers for continued good weather, Tim & I headed to our local drive-in for the Toy Story 3/Prince of Persia double-feature!

We decided to try something new and make a comfy blanket and pillow oasis in our trunk/backseat area...

It worked REALLY well!  

Tim cooked up some popcorn for us at home and then proceeded to eat most of it before the movie even started...

 I took this picture at 8:30pm...we still had around an hour before the first movie even started, but what a good place to sit! :-)

 Of course, once the show got started, the harvest moon was in our line of sight the entire time, and boy, was it bright! (My camera didn't take the best picture, but see that bright spot just right of the screen...)

And finally, we had to get ice cream between the shows...at midnight! 

Now a little plea...

The drive-in where Tim and I used to go on dates in S. Everett was recently purchased and torn down to make room for a new hospital.  While I think hospitals are great, another piece of American nostalgia no longer exists.  Did you know that there are only 7 remaining drive-ins in the state of Washington?  Did you know there used to be over 45 of these theaters in the Puget Sound area? If you've never gone, please do.  If you have gone and you enjoyed it, go again!  Visit www.driveins.com for a list of theaters, links to the drive-in websites and movie listings .  And if you're interested, read this article from the Seattle Times about the theaters left in the state.  

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Land of a Thousand S-Curves

Tim got to experience the one of the ultimate driving experiences today...The Road to Hana!  Yesterday, he quickly volunteered to be the driver, and although he didn't get to drive a manual, he did have a blast navigating the some 600 curves and 56 one-lane bridges! 

Starting out on our Journey

Our first stop on the Road was at the Twin Falls, just past mile marker 2.  The guidebook described the hike as "gentle," where you could "easily get into the water."  Maybe in Hawaii they have a different definition of those two phrases?!  There were many slippery rocks (we saw a lady who had fallen down), bridges wide enough for only one person and steep mud hills!

Waterfall #1, the more difficult one to get to...kind of...

Waterfall #2, the easier one to walk to...until you get to the part where you tread through water...we didn't go that far, but it was still beautiful from a distance!

After hiking back to the car, we continued on Highway 360 towards the Garden of Eden.  This small botanical garden had a few lookouts, several birds (including peacocks), and some beautiful native plants.

 

Some of the MANY peacocks roaming the gardens...

Tim & Patti enjoying the view, it looks down on the Keopuka Rock, which was featured in the opening sequence of "Jurassic Park."

Puohokamoa Falls

From the gardens, we continued heading Southwest-ish.  We got REALLY close to a few vehicles...

The next stop was Pua'a Ka'a State Park, where we got to see another waterfall, this time a bit more up close and personal...

As soon as Tim & I got to the water's edge, a brave guy full-on belly-flopped into the swimming hole! That was enough to deter me from trying cliff diving, even if he was trying to do it on purpose!

Finally, we made it to the place I had been looking forward to visiting all day...Waianapanapa State Park! (Kudos to the first person who can tell/show me how this is pronounced and then say it 10X fast!) This park is best known for its sea arches, blow hole and BLACK SAND BEACH! 

The view from the parking lot. 

 We spent about 5-10 minutes standing here watching a pod of Humpback whales breaching!  It was an amazing sight!  After that, we trekked down to the beach, where Tim and I proceeded to fall off a small lava rock and gash ourselves open.  (Don't worry Mom, we're fine!)  It was decided that the best way to heal would be a good dose of wave jumping, and while I'm not completely healed, it was an excellent distraction!

Patti and me jumping waves in the vast ocean

After our beach time, we took a hike over to the rocks in the background of the picture, which is where the blow hole is located.  Unfortunately, it was not blowing today that we could see.

Eventually we made it all the way to Hana, where we drove through the tiny town and checked out the local market and a very nice resort, before we decided to head back.  We ended up being directed around a small rock slide and almost got run over by a large truck, but Tim was still having a great time! 

To finish off the day, we headed back to Lahaina and ONO Gelato! There is really nothing better than ending a day with gelato.  Yummy!

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