I will be carrying 2 five gallon containers of water with me, along with some smaller containers.
The best beach on the Big Island we went to is Makalawena. **Edited - Advertisements are not allowed. ** It even has a cool fresh water pool to rinse off in after playing in the salt water!
It is a bit of a rough road to get to the trail for this, but we did it in a regular rental car by just driving real slow. The hike is short (about a mile) across a lava field.
**EDITED - Advertisements are not allowed.** My boy and I owned that beach for the day!
There are lots of great places to snorkel on the big island. **Edited - Advertisements are not allowed. ** Kahaluu close to Kailua-Kona has lots of everything. The place we stayed was right across the street from that bay. Another fabulous spot was at 2 step right before Honaunau Place of Refuge. The kayak trip to Captain Cook Monument also had great snorkeling and we saw spinner dolphins.
You will see the Sea Turtles many times. Get yourself some shaved ice in downtown Kailua-Kona and sit and watch the turtles feeding on the algae along the sea wall - it is great. **Edited - Advertisements are not allowed.**
If you can get "Big Island Revealed", it is the best visitors guide. I checked mine out from the library. A lot of residents of Hawaii dont like this book because it gives away too many secret spots (like Makalawena).
If you dont mind increasing your cholesterol level - try eating a Loco Moco.
All this talk has me seriously considering taking D to Utah this summer if we can work it out w/ custody. If not, then I'm going to look at doing it next summer.
Friday was nice weather and I hit the batting cages again after work by myself. I am going to be doing this often as it is a lot of fun. I think it is too late in life for me to become a Seattle Mariner, but I can dream.
Saturday was incredible weather. W called the day before and said that she had a class come up she had to attend and if it would be ok if I could take care of the kids, but if not she would let OM take care of them. I said, yes I would love to do something with the kids.
I had some free coupons for putt putt and the driving range so I took the kids there. They have their own putters now and are doing pretty good. I have D5 doing everything right handed even though she is a left - she seems to be doing ok. I do put the pressure on them when they rush their shots. They did better on the driving range. S7 likes to practice with an iron and D5 likes to tee off with a driver.
Afterwards, we went to the zoo. As I approached the exit, it was all backed up so I parked off to the side of the exit ramp and walked the rest of the way. Turns out that it was Packy's birthday (46 year old Asian elephant) and the place was a zoo of people. We still had a good time and the kids got to pet the goats. After we got home, W came by and picked the kids up.
I ended up getting in a late workout and went to a Mexican restaurant I had not tried. Turned out the special was goat, so I ordered it and liked it - it tastes a little bit like sheep. I thought it was funny that the kids were petting goats earlier and I ended up eating one for dinner.
Today (Sunday), I put some shelves up in the garage, watched "American Gangster", picked and sprayed the huge amount of weeds in my yard, took a short nap, went for a workout and followed up with grocery shopping/laundry.
Next weekend, I have the kids for 5 straight days. I will try to take them fishing and would also like to take them to a baseball game and teach them the rules of baseball.
You are a good dad. Sounds like a good day. It was beautiful up here, but I still have a couple of feet of snow in the yard so I can avoid weeding for a few more weeks.
As always I am impressed with how "together" you are. I hope that as H and I "exchange" the kids, I am able to do as fine a job as you do.......
The ONLY positive I see from this is having some "me time". I like that you are spending time on things you enjoy (batting cages, movies, dining out). I would like to do the same.
Since you are from the bread basket of the country and your H is in the livestock business, have you ever eaten goat meat? I was pleasantly surprised on how good it tastes, but then again, I have eaten bugs (deep fried grasshoppers, bamboo worms and beetles) in Bangkok and liked them too (I passed on the deep fried scorpions).
He is big on steak, particularly strip steaks, also, ribeyes, and filets. But strip is his favorite I believe. Prime if you can get it. Aged is always better. The term CAB or Wagyu/Kobe is wasted in ground beef, hot dogs, anything processed. It is only worth it for an intact steak.......
We also eat pork butt steaks, pork chops, pork cutlets. Ribs on occasion. H will very very very rarely eat chicken.
But we do not eat any kind of "game" meats (deer, quail, rabbit, etc), he will also not eat fish, and we have never eaten duck, goat, lamb, veal, etc.
Mostly steak and potatoes around our place. When I make salmon he claims I am "ruining" his grill
So we are "classy beef eaters" but not too adventurous......
Actually the first year of our marriage we only ate beef (steak, ground beef-based foods), or pork chops, period. Limits the menu...............
There are many other good parts of the beef critter besides just the steaks - sweet breads, liver, tongue, rocky mountain oysters, tripe. Same with the pig which also has the yummy snout, ears and hocks. I cant eat organs anymore because they cause me to get gout in my foot.
How about Bison meat? It is better for you because it is more lean.
Lately, I have been eating more sweet potatoes than the regular bland Russets. Sorry Woog. To make up to Idaho for not eating regular potatoes, I am eating more Idaho farm raised Talapia.
but not too adventurous......