Finally Made it to the Big Island

 

We’ve been to Hawaii five times before. I don’t remember the exact flight details, but I guarantee it did not take as long as it took us to get there this time around. Our original flight to LA got cancelled so, Delta sent us on a super early flight from San Diego to Seattle which was basically a waste of about 6 hours because we had a two- hour flight to Seattle that didn’t take any time off our air- time to Hawaii, then a four-hour layover in Seattle. After all of that we still had a five- hour flight to Kona. All together it took us about 11 hours to get to Kona, but it was all worth it when I stepped off the plane and felt the warm balmy air of The Big Island. 

New Orleans: Bourbon Street After Dark and Alligators in The Bayou

When we booked our trip to New Orleans in August I was worried about the weather. If I had my pick I definitely wouldn't travel there during this time, but by the time we got around to planning our trips for the year our options were limited. June to September is considered the off season for New Orleans due to the heat and because that’s when you can expect the most rain. Hurricane season is June 1 to November 30. August is considered one of the worst months to travel there, but that's when we could go so we went for it. Our flight would leave for New Orleans on the day Hurricane Katrina hit 16 years ago, and we had a swamp tour scheduled for the day Hurricane Ida hit last year. Who plans a trip to New Orleans during hurricane season? We did! And while I was hopeful that we wouldn't have to cancel our trip or be stuck in a storm I knew without a doubt that the humidity would be bad. 

Closet Makeover Before and After

When we moved into our house we were hit hard by all the expenses that come along with moving into new construction. Window covers for obvious reasons and landscaping for HOA reasons had to be prioritized, so some things had to wait. Like our master closet.

The Fair and Other Summer Things

 

It's mid August. It's still hot as ever outside, but Summer is basically over! Where does the time go? Thanks to very little actual vacation plans I had so much vacation time to use that I took two Fridays off per month for the entire summer and that's the thing that made summer feel like an actual summer. An extra day off with no plans in particular, is glorious indeed. 

Back to HOT Las Vegas: We Can't Get Enough

I've been to Las Vegas a lot. Too many times to count at this point. Due to close proximity to San Diego it was always a popular getaway spot. And then my parents moved there. Last year I went three times!!  Over the years I've stayed at Flamingo, Tropicana, The Orleans, Monte Carlo (which is now Park MGM), Polo Towers, Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, Excalibur, Hilton Grand Vacation Resort, The Venetian, Treasure Island, Palazzo, Caesar's Palace, and this time we added Mandalay Bay to the list. 

How To Get To Catalina Island and Why You Should Go

I don't usually plan anything for my birthday except maybe a dinner date with my husband, but this year I decided that since we really haven't gone anywhere in awhile, Catalina Island sounded like a good idea.

You can get to Catalina Island by ferry from four different locations. The Catalina Express will take you there out of Dana Point, Long Beach, or San Pedro. You can get there on the Catalina Flyer out of Newport Beach. We chose Catalina Express because they offer more departure times. Dana Point was closest to our house, but had the least options available so we ended up going out of Long Beach. The ferry ride over was lovely. I upgraded us to Commodore section so that we could avoid the wait and I'm glad that I did. The line was much shorter, and we got let onto the boat first so we didn't have to wait long and it comes with a drink and snack. First class all the way!! It was more expensive but it was worth it.  You could be even more first class and take a Helicopter, but that will cost you a lot more. The weather is usually a bit iffy this time of year so I was preparing myself for gloom, and that's exactly what I got the day we left.