http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/
I am not sure about how important the Swap Meet really is. It is a traditional thing to go. I guess it depends on how much you want to get in the way of souvenirs.
People will especially tell you that you need to go for the T-shirts. I did purchase some, because my Italian family likes American T-shirts, so that seemed like a good investment. Also if you want things like magnets or key chains or things like that, you can find pretty good deals here. This was where Maria got souvenirs for her class.
Many of the souvenir vendors are practically identical, with similar merchandise and prices, so wandering around can feel pretty repetitive. It may be best to do one broad circle, and then decide what you want.
In addition to very inexpensive souvenirs, you can find handicrafts here too, which will be more expensive but still reasonable. There was also a good selection of Hawaiian shirts.
I guess my lack of enthusiasm is because I am not that into shopping. Most people feel that it is much better to shop here than in town, based on prices alone. Still, my sisters thought it was overrated too. I guess what I should say is that we were not impressed but many people will tell you that we are wrong, so don't listen to us.
If you do not want a lot of souvenirs, it is still worth considering in that it is really close to Pearl Harbor, so if you go to Pearl Harbor on a day when the Swap Meet is open (Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday), it just makes sense to stop by.
I do not remember an admission charge, but that might be because we walked there, as something else made it sound like a per vehicle charge. We took the bus to Pearl Harbor, walked to the Swap Meet, and then grabbed the bus back into town and it was fine.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Oahu - Pearl Harbor
https://www.pearlharboroahu.com/
We went to Pearl Harbor on the Sunday that we were there, and that was appropriate. It's not that it's exactly a religious experience, but I did feel a sense of reverence there.
There is the monument built over the ship, and that is the image that everyone has, but there is more there.
You take a launch to the monument, and before you board there is a short film that tells about the attack, and that we found really effective. It is a good preparation for going.
Even before that the exhibits that you see in the museum give you a feeling for the individuals who died there. The story I remember most was that of some men who were trying to escape via a porthole, and one wouldn't fit. The others did not want to leave him, but he dropped aside so that he would not hold them back.
History can feel like this inevitable abstract tide, but it is made up of humans too, and learning their stories helps make it real to us, and we feel our connection.
Pearl Harbor does this well.
We went to Pearl Harbor on the Sunday that we were there, and that was appropriate. It's not that it's exactly a religious experience, but I did feel a sense of reverence there.
There is the monument built over the ship, and that is the image that everyone has, but there is more there.
You take a launch to the monument, and before you board there is a short film that tells about the attack, and that we found really effective. It is a good preparation for going.
Even before that the exhibits that you see in the museum give you a feeling for the individuals who died there. The story I remember most was that of some men who were trying to escape via a porthole, and one wouldn't fit. The others did not want to leave him, but he dropped aside so that he would not hold them back.
History can feel like this inevitable abstract tide, but it is made up of humans too, and learning their stories helps make it real to us, and we feel our connection.
Pearl Harbor does this well.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Mistakes of Oahu
There is a lot to talk about with Hawaii, but there were several things we did wrong, and I think it makes more sense to treat them here, all at once, and then focus on the individual attractions.
While this was before I had gone digital with cameras, so there wouldn't have been a lot of great pictures regardless, a friend who loves Hawaii and was thrilled that we were going snorkeling gave us four disposable cameras for underwater use. That was way more than we needed for underwater pictures, but I was using disposable cameras then anyway, so I thought fine, they're still cameras.
What I did not know was that they are set up differently for the focus, and they do not do well out of the water. It makes sense, but I had never thought about it. In a nutshell, there will be even less good pictures for this than there were for the Toronto trip. That being said, I still think disposable cameras make sense for underwater photography, unless you do a lot of it.
The biggest mistake was not understanding the logistics of the island. If we didn't travel on the cheap, we would never travel at all, and it usually works out for us. We were going to do everything by bus and walking, and that worked pretty well around Honolulu and Waikiki, but we lost a lot of time for the other side of the island, which led to us missing some things.
We took the bus to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and then we were supposed to stop off for shave ice at Aoki's, which is the traditional place, and then hang around Waimea Falls before heading back into town for our dinner show.
The bus ride took much longer than originally planned, even though I had checked schedules. That has us running later, plus the other thing we did not realize is that the windward side of the island gets a lot more rain. We ended up not making either of those two stops, and in fact did not have shave ice at all, so we missed something iconic for the area. (We had chances for Spam and eggs that we just skipped.)
Transportation to and from the Polynesian Cultural Center was included with our package, but that did add several hours, and your ticket allows you to go back and see more of the villages, without the show, but it was logistically impossible for us to take advantage of that.
The other issue is that for Hanuama Bay, the first bus that goes there leaves around 9, but there are real advantages to getting there when it opens, around 7.
For all these reasons, it may be worthwhile to consider renting a car for the trip, at least for specific days. It could also make sense to switch hotels, starting by staying on the windward side for those attractions and then moving into town for the rest of the trip. It's at least something to think about. Because of too much time spent in getting around we missed out on Diamond Head and Punchbowl as well, and though we passed by the Iolani Palace, we did not have time to go in.
(The International Market was missed not because of time but because we ended up inside another market and did not immediately realize we were in the wrong place. There's actually a lot of shopping there.)
There was another big mistake that was manageable but it led to a small mistake that was pretty horrific, but even that was combined with another mistake that was pretty stupid.
One sister invited a friend along. Traveling together is kind of a risky proposition, and because we had such different goals for the trip, that ended up causing various frustrations. She learned her lesson.
It was this same sister who likes being tan and thinks getting sunburned is a good way of doing that because it will fade into a tan and last longer. She learned a lesson here too, I think, but not before she had picked up a really bad burn that caused her to be hobbling everywhere. Don't do that.
Anyway, the way these worked together is that we bought her some aloe vera, and the friend suggested putting it in the freezer first so it would be really cold. I don't know if I was out of the room or what, because that seems like the kind of thing I would have stopped, but putting chilled aloe vera onto the burning hot skin could have easily sent my sister into shock. As it was her teeth were chattering for the rest of the night. That's not to say that she wasn't uncomfortably warm before, but no, that was just stupid. Don't do that ever.
While this was before I had gone digital with cameras, so there wouldn't have been a lot of great pictures regardless, a friend who loves Hawaii and was thrilled that we were going snorkeling gave us four disposable cameras for underwater use. That was way more than we needed for underwater pictures, but I was using disposable cameras then anyway, so I thought fine, they're still cameras.
What I did not know was that they are set up differently for the focus, and they do not do well out of the water. It makes sense, but I had never thought about it. In a nutshell, there will be even less good pictures for this than there were for the Toronto trip. That being said, I still think disposable cameras make sense for underwater photography, unless you do a lot of it.
The biggest mistake was not understanding the logistics of the island. If we didn't travel on the cheap, we would never travel at all, and it usually works out for us. We were going to do everything by bus and walking, and that worked pretty well around Honolulu and Waikiki, but we lost a lot of time for the other side of the island, which led to us missing some things.
We took the bus to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and then we were supposed to stop off for shave ice at Aoki's, which is the traditional place, and then hang around Waimea Falls before heading back into town for our dinner show.
The bus ride took much longer than originally planned, even though I had checked schedules. That has us running later, plus the other thing we did not realize is that the windward side of the island gets a lot more rain. We ended up not making either of those two stops, and in fact did not have shave ice at all, so we missed something iconic for the area. (We had chances for Spam and eggs that we just skipped.)
Transportation to and from the Polynesian Cultural Center was included with our package, but that did add several hours, and your ticket allows you to go back and see more of the villages, without the show, but it was logistically impossible for us to take advantage of that.
The other issue is that for Hanuama Bay, the first bus that goes there leaves around 9, but there are real advantages to getting there when it opens, around 7.
For all these reasons, it may be worthwhile to consider renting a car for the trip, at least for specific days. It could also make sense to switch hotels, starting by staying on the windward side for those attractions and then moving into town for the rest of the trip. It's at least something to think about. Because of too much time spent in getting around we missed out on Diamond Head and Punchbowl as well, and though we passed by the Iolani Palace, we did not have time to go in.
(The International Market was missed not because of time but because we ended up inside another market and did not immediately realize we were in the wrong place. There's actually a lot of shopping there.)
There was another big mistake that was manageable but it led to a small mistake that was pretty horrific, but even that was combined with another mistake that was pretty stupid.
One sister invited a friend along. Traveling together is kind of a risky proposition, and because we had such different goals for the trip, that ended up causing various frustrations. She learned her lesson.
It was this same sister who likes being tan and thinks getting sunburned is a good way of doing that because it will fade into a tan and last longer. She learned a lesson here too, I think, but not before she had picked up a really bad burn that caused her to be hobbling everywhere. Don't do that.
Anyway, the way these worked together is that we bought her some aloe vera, and the friend suggested putting it in the freezer first so it would be really cold. I don't know if I was out of the room or what, because that seems like the kind of thing I would have stopped, but putting chilled aloe vera onto the burning hot skin could have easily sent my sister into shock. As it was her teeth were chattering for the rest of the night. That's not to say that she wasn't uncomfortably warm before, but no, that was just stupid. Don't do that ever.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
The Art of Dr. Seuss at the World Forestry Center
http://www.worldforestry.org/
Someday I think I will want to start going over Portland attractions. A big chunk of that would be the many things available at Washington Park, and of those I can say a lot of good things about the World Forestry Center. I'm not quite ready to launch that though.
However, I did want to write a little about the Dr. Seuss exhibit, which will be there through August 17th, and if you can make it through, you should.
They don't have particularly large exhibit spaces, so nothing takes too long to see, but they are still things worth spending some time on.
It was a pretty good retrospective. There was art from the books and inspired by the books, but there was also some of his early advertising work, magazine covers, WWII themed material, paintings, and Unorthodox Taxidermy.
I had never heard of it either, but in the 30s Seuss experimented with mixed media sculptures, and he incorporated real horns, beaks, and antlers that he got from his zoo superintendent father. (That casts a new light on If I Ran the Zoo, doesn't it.)
Putting works from different times together and setting a context helps you learn more about the artist, and the times, and art. It allows food for thought. This was a good one to see.
Someday I think I will want to start going over Portland attractions. A big chunk of that would be the many things available at Washington Park, and of those I can say a lot of good things about the World Forestry Center. I'm not quite ready to launch that though.
However, I did want to write a little about the Dr. Seuss exhibit, which will be there through August 17th, and if you can make it through, you should.
They don't have particularly large exhibit spaces, so nothing takes too long to see, but they are still things worth spending some time on.
It was a pretty good retrospective. There was art from the books and inspired by the books, but there was also some of his early advertising work, magazine covers, WWII themed material, paintings, and Unorthodox Taxidermy.
I had never heard of it either, but in the 30s Seuss experimented with mixed media sculptures, and he incorporated real horns, beaks, and antlers that he got from his zoo superintendent father. (That casts a new light on If I Ran the Zoo, doesn't it.)
Putting works from different times together and setting a context helps you learn more about the artist, and the times, and art. It allows food for thought. This was a good one to see.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Toronto - Wrapping up Toronto
I have gone back and forth a few times on whether I would travel to see a show again.
Initially I thought that was a bad idea, because I was a little disappointed with the production. It's not that they did a bad job, exactly, but this was where I started getting really jaded with the shift toward post-modernism. Everything was black and sterile, and the dragon was a bunch of acrobats in a pyramid formation. The only real color in all four shows was in the synthetic wigs of the Rhinemaidens when in their last ditch effort to recover the Rhinegold they dressed up as street walkers (as you do).
While I do understand that if you always kept opera traditional in costumes and manner that it would become this stuffy old stereotype, the move in the opposite direction has a tendency to over-intellectualize that often runs counter to the passion that makes opera memorable.
(I have written about this in the main blog, most recently in November: http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2013/11/salome-and-portland-opera.html)
Based on the opera itself, I was not sure if it was worth the trip. At the same time, I have still seen the Ring Cycle in its entirety, and not everyone can say that.
More to the point, there were a lot of cool things about Toronto, and it was ultimately the opera that got me there. It's not that I had specific objections to going, but I don't know what else would have made me plan the trip. For one thing, I don't normally vacation alone, and so when you are traveling with other people there are always other considerations. Having gone, I like the things that I did, and writing them up over these past few weeks has reminded me of that - I saw some really cool stuff.
(For what it is worth, the Four Seasons Centre itself, for which the Ring Cycle was the grand opening, is quite lovely.)
So under the right circumstances, I might travel for a show again. Granted, back when I did that I had more disposable income, so that is always a factor, but travel tends to agree with me. I might not travel for an opera again, but I could. If travel for other reasons led to a chance to see an opera somewhere else, like The Met or La Scala, I would probably go for that. The symphony at the Sydney Opera House was amazing. I remain open to new things.
However, I will never buy two tickets again in the hopes that I will be able to come up with a companion if I do not already have one lined up. That was just dumb. When I did it, traveling alone and going to shows alone both seemed more intimidating, but I know better now.
http://www.coc.ca/
Initially I thought that was a bad idea, because I was a little disappointed with the production. It's not that they did a bad job, exactly, but this was where I started getting really jaded with the shift toward post-modernism. Everything was black and sterile, and the dragon was a bunch of acrobats in a pyramid formation. The only real color in all four shows was in the synthetic wigs of the Rhinemaidens when in their last ditch effort to recover the Rhinegold they dressed up as street walkers (as you do).
While I do understand that if you always kept opera traditional in costumes and manner that it would become this stuffy old stereotype, the move in the opposite direction has a tendency to over-intellectualize that often runs counter to the passion that makes opera memorable.
(I have written about this in the main blog, most recently in November: http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2013/11/salome-and-portland-opera.html)
Based on the opera itself, I was not sure if it was worth the trip. At the same time, I have still seen the Ring Cycle in its entirety, and not everyone can say that.
More to the point, there were a lot of cool things about Toronto, and it was ultimately the opera that got me there. It's not that I had specific objections to going, but I don't know what else would have made me plan the trip. For one thing, I don't normally vacation alone, and so when you are traveling with other people there are always other considerations. Having gone, I like the things that I did, and writing them up over these past few weeks has reminded me of that - I saw some really cool stuff.
(For what it is worth, the Four Seasons Centre itself, for which the Ring Cycle was the grand opening, is quite lovely.)
So under the right circumstances, I might travel for a show again. Granted, back when I did that I had more disposable income, so that is always a factor, but travel tends to agree with me. I might not travel for an opera again, but I could. If travel for other reasons led to a chance to see an opera somewhere else, like The Met or La Scala, I would probably go for that. The symphony at the Sydney Opera House was amazing. I remain open to new things.
However, I will never buy two tickets again in the hopes that I will be able to come up with a companion if I do not already have one lined up. That was just dumb. When I did it, traveling alone and going to shows alone both seemed more intimidating, but I know better now.
http://www.coc.ca/
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Toronto - Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls was probably the highlight of the trip. They are so majestic and beautiful, and there was a boat ride! The Falls are the must-see attraction when you are in the area, and that is not intended to take away from any of the other attractions.
I don't necessarily know what to say about them beyond that, because it feels like something that you feel and admire more than you talk about. It is beautiful, but that is visual, and you also have the roar of the falls and you feel the spray and you sense the power, so there is more to the sensory experience. If you get a chance to go, just go.
There were a few things that surprised me, or that were new to me, so that's what I am going to focus on.
Technically there are three waterfalls total, though Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls seem to function more as one, while the Bridal Veil Falls are more separate. You pass by all of them on the Maid of the Mist tour.
That was something else that I had not understood, because I thought of the Maid of the Mist as one boat, which is how it started, but once there was a bridge and a ferry service between the US and Canadian sides was no longer needed, it became more of a tourism thing, and they added more boats. So you can take a boat from either side that will take you around and return you to your departure point, and whichever boat it is will be called the Maid of the Mist, but there will be a number.
One nice thing about being so close to the border was that my phone picked up my regular service, so I had a brief window where I could talk without roaming fees. That may be less of an issue now, at least for Canada.
Years before going, I remember reading a letter from someone who had visited both sides and was disappointed by the amount of litter on the US side, compared to how clean and beautiful the Canadians kept things. Because of that, I was surprised at how tawdry the Canadian side felt once you crossed the street. Without having ever been to Atlantic City, that's what it reminded me of. I have since read other similar comparisons. I guess it's the casinos.
Regardless, I did end up spending some time at the Oakes Garden Theatre, which was really beautiful and peaceful, and it was worth spending some time there.
http://stage.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attractions/oakes-garden-theatre.html
My greatest regret is that I did not take the Journey Behind the Falls tour. I like caves and tunnels and things like that, and I had seen the Falls from above and in front, so adding behind really would have made sense. I was worried about not making it back in time for the van's departure, which is the only reason I did not.
That tour appears to only be available from the Canadian side, but if you visit from the US side you are fairly close, and could probably cross the border pretty easily. I am not ruling that out for sometime in the future.
http://travel.usnews.com/Niagara_Falls_Canada/Things_To_Do/Tips/
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Toronto - En route to Niagara Falls
I have no idea which company I booked my trip to Niagara Falls with. There are multiple options.
I can tell you that it is worth going, but we will get more into that next week. Today I want to focus on the trip there.
Despite not remembering the group, I do remember some details. It was a van that did hotel pickups. I believe it was a ten-passenger van. I was with an older couple who were Canadian, but I think from Alberta, and a group of Dutch men.
We had three stops on the way to the Falls. One was a winery. That is a fairly common side trip among current booking options. There's really nothing in that for me.
We also stopped at Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is also pretty standard:
https://www.niagaraonthelake.com/
The lake is Lake Ontario, and this is where it meets the Niagara River, so there is some geographical significance, and there is some history there, as well as a George Bernard Shaw festival. However, if you are just stopping there on a tour, you are stopping there because it is "the loveliest town in Canada."
It is quite lovely, though the first word I tend to think of is charming. It just felt like all it did was stay there being lovely. You can walk up and down the main street, which doesn't take very long, or you could explore a little further, but mainly what you are going to find is a lot of shops with fairly expensive handicrafts, though there are also several bed and breakfasts.
Looking at some of their tourism material I believe you can have a more interesting stay there, but with a short stay it is mainly shopping. You quickly realize that the most sensible thing to do is get an ice cream cone, so that's what I did.
The best thing we did was the airfield. You could take a helicopter ride or a plane ride over the Falls. The Dutch men filled up the helicopter, and the husband in the couple took the plane ride. I had not been planning on doing it, because there was an extra fee, but it was such an opportunity! I took the plane ride and I don't regret it. The Falls are breathtaking from the front, but I am glad to have also seen them from the air.
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