Random vacation stuff

[minimetoo26]

You can't get a taxi with a family of 6. You need two cabs.

The Arizona Grand Hotel in Phoenix is great for kids and has the best staff anywhere, including Disney. They have this restaurant on the property that has a slide you can use instead of the stairs, and Mini-me can assemble a posse in no time flat, so he just slid to his heart's content with a couple of groups before and after dinner. And the guy who picked up our luggage just took us to the airport himself so we didn't have to call for two taxis.

In Hawaii, you can keep your kids occupied for a whole three minutes playing the Find the Out-of-State Plate Game before they realize they're on an island. But damned if we didn't almost get our rear end torn off by a Durango with Texas plates that was speeding through a parking area! So we played the Spot the Tourist in the Rental Car Game (hint: look for the Mustang convertible. Most likely red. Occasionally, they switch it up with a Sebring convertible.)

The maze at the Dole plantation is so much fun, it ought to be illegal.

Sometimes, it's better to just close your eyes and take a deep breath than just panic, like when you see your son on an outcropping of rock with a sheer 100-ft drop on one side and realize he doesn't know how he got up there or how he was going to get back down. But he did, somehow. Three days later, he was brave/crazy enough to find the REAL trail, which took you where you wanted to go in about three minutes and had ropes to help you. D'oh!

If you go to a tacky tourist luau and there are a hundred women and three male dancers, when they come to pluck victims out of the audience, you only have a three percent chance of being chosen. Dammit. I must be That Guy everywhere but WWTBAM auditions.

Teenagers love first-class upgrades as much as their dads do.

There's no place like home.

[littlebeast13]

If you go to a tacky tourist luau and there are a hundred women and three male dancers, when they come to pluck victims out of the audience, you only have a three percent chance of being chosen. Dammit. I must be That Guy everywhere but WWTBAM auditions.

Ahem! Pictures?

lb13

[ulysses5019]

So we played the Spot the Tourist in the Rental Car Game (hint: look for the Mustang convertible. Most likely red. Occasionally, they switch it up with a Sebring convertible.)

I thought KT was in Las Vegas?

[NellyLunatic1980]

If you go to a tacky tourist luau and there are a hundred women and three male dancers, when they come to pluck victims out of the audience, you only have a three percent chance of being chosen. Dammit. I must be That Guy everywhere but WWTBAM auditions.

Ahem! Pictures?

Thanks for reminding me. I haven't posted my ATL pictures here yet. I'll do that later today.

[minimetoo26]

If you go to a tacky tourist luau and there are a hundred women and three male dancers, when they come to pluck victims out of the audience, you only have a three percent chance of being chosen. Dammit. I must be That Guy everywhere but WWTBAM auditions.

Ahem! Pictures?

lb13

In other ways, I am the luckiest stiff ever--my husband grabs the video camera, films as I get dragged onstage, and the tape runs out. By the time he finds a new one, unwraps it and inserts it, it's over. So unless he conscripted the oldest to take pictures, I'm off the hook, and he may just switch to a digital video camera, finally. I'll check the digital still camera for evidence when I put new batteries in it...

[littlebeast13]

If you go to a tacky tourist luau and there are a hundred women and three male dancers, when they come to pluck victims out of the audience, you only have a three percent chance of being chosen. Dammit. I must be That Guy everywhere but WWTBAM auditions.

Ahem! Pictures?

lb13

In other ways, I am the luckiest stiff ever--my husband grabs the video camera, films as I get dragged onstage, and the tape runs out. By the time he finds a new one, unwraps it and inserts it, it's over. So unless he conscripted the oldest to take pictures, I'm off the hook, and he may just switch to a digital video camera, finally. I'll check the digital still camera for evidence when I put new batteries in it...

I guess I'll have to keep an eye on YouTube....

lb13

[MarleysGh0st]

Teenagers love first-class upgrades as much as their dads do.

Gosh. And the teens can't even get the free liquor!

[ulysses5019]

Teenagers love first-class upgrades as much as their dads do.

Gosh. And the teens can't even get the free liquor!

WHo says they didn't?

[minimetoo26]

Teenagers love first-class upgrades as much as their dads do.

Gosh. And the teens can't even get the free liquor!

Well, I wasn't about to snag the other seat and leave the kids to fend for themselves in coach! But the youngest two slept most of the way, and Rain Man was fascinated by the Entertainment Weekly with those Top 100 New Classics lists, so all I needed to do is give him some crackers and M&M's, and I had a peaceful flight. Most ticket agents mistake Stephen for way older than 14 and I could easily sneak him into an exit row, but first class gave him good legroom...

[tanstaafl2]

In Hawaii, you can keep your kids occupied for a whole three minutes playing the Find the Out-of-State Plate Game before they realize they're on an island. But damned if we didn't almost get our rear end torn off by a Durango with Texas plates that was speeding through a parking area! So we played the Spot the Tourist in the Rental Car Game (hint: look for the Mustang convertible. Most likely red. Occasionally, they switch it up with a Sebring convertible.)

On Oahu you can typically see quite a variety of car tags thanks to the military presence. I have seen many different states including Alaska!

On the other islands, not so much.

[ulysses5019]

In Hawaii, you can keep your kids occupied for a whole three minutes playing the Find the Out-of-State Plate Game before they realize they're on an island. But damned if we didn't almost get our rear end torn off by a Durango with Texas plates that was speeding through a parking area! So we played the Spot the Tourist in the Rental Car Game (hint: look for the Mustang convertible. Most likely red. Occasionally, they switch it up with a Sebring convertible.)

On Oahu you can typically see quite a variety of car tags thanks to the military presence. I have seen many different states including Alaska!

On the other islands, not so much.

Of course you did. they took the TransPac Bridge from Los Angeles.

[christie1111]

In Hawaii, you can keep your kids occupied for a whole three minutes playing the Find the Out-of-State Plate Game before they realize they're on an island. But damned if we didn't almost get our rear end torn off by a Durango with Texas plates that was speeding through a parking area! So we played the Spot the Tourist in the Rental Car Game (hint: look for the Mustang convertible. Most likely red. Occasionally, they switch it up with a Sebring convertible.)

On Oahu you can typically see quite a variety of car tags thanks to the military presence. I have seen many different states including Alaska!

On the other islands, not so much.

Of course you did. they took the TransPac Bridge from Los Angeles.

Surprisingly there have been many people who have made comments that implied that they thought Hawaii was close enough to have a bridge from California. I guess it isn't as surprising how many people are sure that there are bridges between the islands.

Ummmm, no.

[ulysses5019]

On Oahu you can typically see quite a variety of car tags thanks to the military presence. I have seen many different states including Alaska!

On the other islands, not so much.

Of course you did. they took the TransPac Bridge from Los Angeles.

Surprisingly there have been many people who have made comments that implied that they thought Hawaii was close enough to have a bridge from California. I guess it isn't as surprising how many people are sure that there are bridges between the islands.

Ummmm, no.

I can almost see it from the beach if it weren't so dang foggy.