My Mental Vacation

Got three months off?

My brother Chuck, who sells vacation travel through his company, OntheWayTravel.net, has a special offer right now that sounds really intriguing.

He's got this world cruise package with one of the Cunard "queen" ships. Basically, you sail around the world, docking in exotic ports all over the globe. The itinerary is just amazing, and the price is better than you can currently find on the web. (That's his special deal.)

 ...if only I had three months off!

No carrying bags, unpacking, and packing up again... no airports or connecting flights... no changing hotels and tipping porters... No paying for every meal and getting the exorbitant credit card bills later...

Sound like fun? Call him. My seat is available.

Chickens at Bali Hai

We spent a few days relaxing on the island of Kauai over the Thanksgiving break. It is by far the prettiest of the four Hawaiian islands that I have visited. Kauai is the site seen in many movies, including Bali Hai, Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones. My favorite spot was Ha'ena Beach, where I had a lovely nap while listening to the 25' waves crashing onto the shore.

I think I have learned the meaning of "free range" chicken. On Kauai, the chickens seem to run wild, and they were everywhere! We stopped at a beach one day, and accidentally spilled some granola on the ground. Wow... there must have been 20 chickens begging Tony for food.

Our hotel room had a little lanai area outside our bedroom, and we slept with the door open. In the morning, "our" rooster would climb up on the patio furniture and crow until we woke up. In real life, that would drive me nuts, but a vacation suspends reality, so we enjoyed it.

At the north shore, there were very few tourists... no waiting in lines, no waiting for a table to eat, no sky-high prices. There are direct flights from SFO, so it was an easy trip to make, too.