The Joys of Retirement Production Company

The kids all sent me this gorgeous tropical bouquet! It will really brighten our room! Thank you, Liz, Laura, Mark, and all the grand and great grand kids!

Huggo’s is closed Monday and Tuesday so we began celebrating a day early. Fritto misto, calamari and shrimp, I had a wonderful macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi, but devoured it before the picture. Birthday key line pie!

When high tide is early we have our coffee listening to these waves, with this spectacular view

We visited the local Salvation Army thrift store and purchased a full size coffee maker – $10! And all the snorkel gear for both of us, fins, goggles and snorkel plus a net bag to carry them, $36! Just need a couple pair of water shoes. We needed A couple plates and bowls for breakfast eating in the room! We did our fresh market shopping at the local farmers market for papaya and the small Apple bananas, as they are called and visited Walmart for water, Milk, yogurt, and some snacks. Our next, and most important stop, visited our friend, Emmerich Grolsch, for our 100% Kona coffee and macadamia nuts! Lastly, Huli Chicken for lunch! We are ready to camp out here, listening to waves!

We stopped at paradise Cafe for breakfast, and I’m in Paradise on earth. Portuguese sausage and locomoco! Picked up the cute Hawaiian guy, and we were joined by a native! He liked the jelly best

Our first resort,  the Royal Kona, is a hotel room,  not a condo,  but our room has a fabulous view.  This was the deal we couldn’t pass up,  75% off the points value,  so 9 days worth on Kauai equaled about 40 days in Kona!   We asked for a bay and ocean view  We are hoping to move to for that view,   but in the meantime this 1 does have a spectacular view with the waves crashing 5 stories below our lanais!  Plural!  We have them on both the Lagoon and ocean sides!   We are too tired to go out to eat, so snacking tonight and going to bed early!   The sunset welcomed us.   Feels wonderful to be here again!

We have run the gauntlet!   You REALLY have to want to come to Hawaii! And we won’t be island hopping!   But the deal was too good to miss!   We tested Monday for COVID,  NEGATIVE, YEA!  then made our account on the state of Hawaii Safe Travels website.  When the test results came in, we entered that info.  Within the 24 hours before your flight,  you have a health questionnaire to fill out…. we had 2, 1 for our first entry in Honolulu and 2nd for our final destination.  That gives you a QR code you have to have ready for each island…. don’t mix them up,  they won’t work for another island!  (Voice of experience)  of course,  there is another set of QR codes for your boarding passes too, but that part we were used to!  As you are entering,  you present the state QR code, with the same government ID you used to fill it out (oops … again… had to redo because I didn’t BRING that ID) …. and on the 2nd island present your test results (the entry online only goes to the first Island).  Then,  we had to go thru a special line on Kona, because when you come from the mainland,  you get another antigen test!  At least that 1 is free!   And if we don’t get a phone call tonight,  we can stay!   SHISH! Quite the gauntlet! It isn’t difficult really, just confusing. And you have to keep your records straight! But I’m so delighted to be here I’d even do it again!   no crowds anywhere! The planes were half full,  and  we found paying a little extra for our seats was the best idea!   You enter last,  as they load back to front,  and leave first!  And there are more empty seats in those sections!   At least that was a win!   It is a long time to wear a mask!  But the reward for all this has to be worth it!  we have 81 days to enjoy Kona! So worth it!  

My great granddaughter Zuriah was 4 last week and for her birthday, she got a trip to see snow! We gave her a little sled for her birthday. She loved the snow! And even made a snowman!

Today was our CCP VIRUS test and we both passed with a negative result! Our document’s uploaded to the Hawaii travel website and we are ready to do the last step on Wednesday, answering the health questionnaire. We are both 95% packed, and have a box ready to ship on Tuesday with our extras…. granola, pill bottles, misc bits and pieces we can’t carry that we will need for the timeshares! We learned the hard way, on a past trip, TSA can’t figure out what granola is, so they had to search Emmett’s bag for it! Hair cuts Wednesday, and transportation scheduled for early Thursday morning! We are almost there! Stay tuned for Kona!

As many times as I’ve driven this scenic highway in 45 years, today was the most lovely for 2 reasons! Not many cars! And the weather was spectacular! Driving north in the morning and home in the afternoon is the best direction because the sun is at your back! The views on both sides of the road are beautiful! Don’t forget a stop to see the few redwood stands along the way.

We arrived in Carmel about noon and had time for a quick visit to the Mission before finding a deli for sandwiches for our picnic lunch by the beach.