Thu 31 Oct 2024: Lihue Food Tour - Day 24

Thu 31/10/2024 - Lihue Food tour, Aloha Ginger Beer, Kauai Boba & BBQ, Kauai Sushi Station

Last full day. Need to eat all the food.

Breakfast: Fried egg, toast, eggo waffle with strawberry jam, cucumber, lettuce, ham, pineapple, papaya.

Pack bags to see if we have extra room. Haha, I don’t think so.

Return jigsaw puzzle 

12:30pm Stop at Island Craves for malasadas - Plain $2.25 and Guava $2.95.

12:50pm Stop at Coconut Market Place. The Farmers market closes at 1:00pm. I get given a free pumpkin croissant.

KY buys flavoured nuts

Go into the Island Marketplace. JT buys dog playing ukulele key chains. 2 for $28.

KY buys mochi malasadas - ube and mango. 2 for $3.

1:30pm Aloha Ginger Beer. Free tasting. KC and KY buy Lilikoi drinks. $6 a cup. Play free arcade games.

1:40pm Kauai Boba & BBQ

2 Garlic Shrimp healthy plates - 1 scoop of brown rice and salad. $14.95

Macaroni salad $2 small tub

Sit and eat. 

Have the malasadas for desert

3:00pm Harbor Mall to use rest rooms.

I buy 3 rings, 1 for KC $25 each plus tax

3:20pm drive to lighthouse but no access - very small.

Drive to another lighthouse but dirt road, lots of pot holes.

4:32 back to Target at Kukui Grove Center. KC and KY buys Starbucks cups.

4:50pm Kauai Sushi Station opposite Costco

Buy Spicy Tuna Roll $12

Soft Shell Crab Roll $15

Fire Dragon Roll $20

Golden Tiger Roll $18

King Ocean Roll $20

Pink Salmon Roll $20

Unagi nigiri $9

Sake nigiri $8

Hamachi nigiri $9

$131 plus tax $6.17 = $137.17

Go to Costco gas station to fill up car but have issues with JTs Costco card - card error msg

So go to Texaco station and fill up

6:00pm Kauai Village Shopping Center for shave ice and Dole whip, but shave ice shop is closed. KC and KY get Dole Whip in a cup. Eat half a banana. JT eats other half.

6:30pm back at resort 

JT cooking up veggies 

Dinner is sushi with pizza bagel bites, potato waffle chips. Okra, wing beans, bok choy and siqua.

Followed by fruit. Pineapple and watermelon, guava and papaya.

Wed 30 Oct 2024: Wailua Falls, Waimea Canyon, Kauai - Day 23

Wed 30/10/2024 - Wailua Falls, Waimea Canyon

Weather looks good 

10:13am breakfast: Fried egg, toast, ham, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, carrots. Papaya, watermelon, pineapple.

12:16pm Wailua Falls

1:00pm Hanapepe scenic overlook 

1:12pm Aloha Sweet Delights for malasadas. Unfortunately none, so we buy 

Ensamada $2.69

Coconut bread 

Ham & cheese roll $3.79

Half moon apple pie $3.99

Half moon coconut pie $3.99

1:30pm stop at Paulaula Hawaiian fort and Residence of Kauai King Kaumuali’i. Historic site.

1: 59pm Waimea stop at most of the lookouts 

Waimea Canyon and Koke’s State Parks

$10 per vehicle and $5 per person 

Pay $30 for permit which can be used at any of the places in the Koke State Park.

2:30pm Waimea Canyon Lookout

Clouds are rolling in

No picnic spot.

3:00pm Pu’uka Pepe Picnic Area

Have our buns

3:50pm Ni’ihau viewpoint and Canyon viewpoint.

3:55pm Pu’u Hinahina lookout

4:19pm Kalalau Lookout

7:54pm check out the pumpkins entered by staff.

JT makes thai fish curry with rice and veggies 

10:30pm Dole whip ice cream with fruits

Tue 29 Oct 2024: Mountain Tubing, Coconut Market Place, Kapa'a, Poipu Beach, Lihue - Day 22

Tues 29/10/2024 -Tubing, Coconut Market Place Farmers Market, Kapa'a, Poipu Beach turtles

Weather looks good 

9:40am Breakfast: boiled egg, toast, ham, cucumber, carrots. Taro, pineapple, watermelon.

11:50am drop KY and KC at mountain tubing and go to Coconut Marketplace 

12:00noon Farmers market

12:10pm buy sugar cane juice with lemon $8.00

Walk shops but nothing much. They are all pretty much the same. Clothes, jewellery 

Go back to resort for lunch

Salmon pasta salad 

2:00pm walk shops of Kapa’a town 

3:15pm pick up KC and KY

4:00pm buy poke at Konohiki Seafoods.

Drive to Poipu Beach Park to see turtles 

4:47pm Poipu Beach

Turtles are resting on the beach 

5:05pm have poke with Maui chips free from tubing 

7:00pm back at resort 

Dinner: rice with poke, 1/2 boiled egg, wing beans. Siqua.

Mon 28 Oct 2024: Kukui Center Shopping, Lihue - Day 21

Mon 28/10/2024 - Kukui Center Shopping

Weather doesn't look good

10:00am breakfast- 3 min noodles. Pineapple. Eggo waffle with jam.

Rainy day

Kukui Center, Lihue

KC buys Starbucks refreshers

Lunch at Ho's Chinese Kitchen

Coconut Shrimp $14.95

Spicy Garlic shrimp $14.95

$31.33

Stir fried noodles with chicken 

Lemon chicken - fried chicken with lemon sauce

Eat in food court

Shop at Claires. Buy hair accessories, Hello Kitty and bracelets for Ally and Poppy.

Shop at Ross. Others buy. I buy a small "shave ice/boba drinks" lunch cooler bag.

Shop at Target. Buy food, snacks, candy, medication.

Farmers Market in parking lot.

JT buys vegies. KC buys lumpia.

Drive to Costco - just next door. Eat lumpia at tables outside.

Shop in Costco - buy food and King Crab.

Dinner: have King Crab with clam chowder sauce (was supposed to be soup) with vegies.

Sun 27 Oct 2024: Princeville, Hanalei Pier, Kapa'a, Lihue - Day 20

Sun 27/10/2024 - Princeville, Hanalei, Pier, Ka’apa

8:00 am wake up

Weather looks good

10:00am breakfast- fried egg, toast, cucumber, ham. Pineapple. Eggo waffle with jam.

Drive to Princeville and Hanalei

12 noon Lunch at Wake Up Delicious: Coconut Shrimp with scoop of rice, macaroni salad $19:50 

Garlic Shrimp with scoop of rice, seaweed salad $21:00 (salty)

Pineapple Mango Orange juice 12oz $5

Dragon fruit lemonade 12oz $5 - JT

Pineapple Passion Ginger black tea 12oz $5 each - KC and KY

Walk shops at Hanalei Center

Drive to Hanalei Bay

Take photos 

Drive back to resort 

Walk shops of Kapaa town

5pm Shave ice $8 

7pm Dinner - 3 min noodles with lettuce/choy

Sat 26 Oct 2024: Waipouli Town Center, Lihue - Day 19

Sat 26/10/2024 - Waipouli Town Center, Shopping 

8am wake up - others still sleeping 

Sun is out but rain is coming 

10am breakfast- fried egg, toast, lettuce, cucumber, ham

Walk to explore resort 

Rain clouds looming

1000 piece Puzzle from pool/recreation 

Shopping at Ross dress for less

Fun factory

Dress shop - but Aloha sweater, t-shirt and pendant necklace 

Dole whip

ABC store

Safeway - groceries 

Back to resort 

Poke with tortilla chips

5pm laundry 

6:15 dryer

7:00 collect laundry 

7:30 dinner- rice with steamed fish, lettuce/greens, tomato egg. Grapes 

Shower

Puzzling 

Fri 25 Oct 2024: New York via HNL to Lihue, Kauai - Day 18

Fri 25/10/2024 NY to HNL to Lihue

5:00am wake up

6:00am Hotel transport to airport- JT pays $120 $5 tip to porter

7:00am JFK airport- check in at Hawaiian counter $40 per bag $120 - KC paid credit card

Line up to go through immigration and security- long lines

Need to take off jackets but shoes on.

9:15am boarding 

10hr flight from NY to HNL

Snooze

Watch Hitman

Served drinks pineapple orange and snack - pretzels 

Snooze

Served dinner- fried rice with fruit (watermelon and honey dew)

Watch Furiosa Mad Max

Served sandwiches (egg and cucumber) choc macadamia and pretzels.

2:00pm land in HNL

4:00pm Sit and wait at Gate A15

Changed to A16

Meet up with KY

Hawaiian Air to Lihue 

Baggage 

6:00pm shuttle to Avis

Pick up car - Kia

Boot space is big

Drive to Pono Kai Resort,  4-1250 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746, U.S.A

Check in. Room J207 on 2nd floor. There is a lift.

Drive to Big Save Market for grocery shopping.

JT makes vegie pasta soup for dinner 

Thu 24 Oct 2024: DUMBO, Chinatown, New York - Day 17

Thu 24/10/2024 - Dumbo, Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, The Edge

Wake up at 8am but others still sleeping so go back to bed

12noon out the door

M&M shop - KC personalise candy for Jenny.

Drop off back to room before taking subway to DUMBO

Out of subway it’s a walk to the insta spot.

Take photos.

Walk to Pebble Beach - more photos

Then to other side of Brooklyn bridge for Statue of Liberty 

Then walk to stairs and up onto the bridge 

Walk across the bridge 

On other side see sign for Chinatown so head down stairs and past NYPD to get to Chinatown 

Looks like they are filming something 

Buy roasted char siu bau $2 from Nice One bakery and eat it straight away.

Then go to another bakery- JT and KC go in the buy spring rolls, steamed bau and cheong fun. Go to HSBC but ATM not working 

Head back to hotel

Drop stuff off and head out again to Hudson Yards

The Edge booked for 6:00 pm

It is in the building with shops. Entry on level 4.

Line up to go in. Security isn’t bad. Straight through 

Line up for lifts to go up to 100 level.

Then down stairs to observation deck

Too many people 

Sun has set

Take photos 

Wed 23 Oct 2024: MOMA, Central Park, New York - Day 16

Wed 23/10/2024 - Moma, Central Park, Carmine’s 

8:00am alarm

Water is back on

KC can have her shower

JT has vertigo - vomiting 🤮 

12noon out the door

KC wants lunch - Jollibee. Gets 2 piece and spaghetti with extra piece fried chicken 

JT and I have a chicken each.

Subway to MOMA

Start on 5th floor 

Vincent Van Gogh - Starry Night - a bit like the Mona Lisa

Work our way through the exhibitions on the 5th floor - covering impressionism, cubism, surrealism

On 4th floor is pop art - Andy Warhol

Buy pins in store 

Take subway to Central Park 

Trees are changing colours 

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain 

Strawberry Fields- Imagine 

Bow Bridge 

Then subway back to 42nd St

6:30pm Dinner at Carmine’s 

Stuffed mushrooms 

Shrimp spaghetti 

Go to red steps at Times Square 

Go to Hershey store

Go to M & M store

Back at hotel

9:00pm shower wash hair

Krispy kreme donut

Tue 22 Oct 2024: NY Pub Library, Empire State Building, New York - Day 15

Tues 22/10/2021 - Library, Empire State, Roosevelt Tram, Book of Mormon 

10:00am NY Public Library 

Polonsky Exhibition was closed 😣

Got a souvenir library card

Subway to 34 St-Penn Station 

11:00am Empire State Building 

1:30pm finish tour

Walk towards Chrysler Building 

1:50pm Zucker’s Bagels 🥯 

KC has Smoked Salmon with cream cheese on garlic bagel

JT has Pepperoni pizza bagel

I have The Cheese steak on plain bagel

Take subway at Grand Central station to catch the Roosevelt Island Tram

3:10pm Tram is packed - cannot take photos 

3:30pm Roosevelt Island - walk up street to foodtown

Take RIOC back to the tram station 

4:13pm take tram back- packed but at least we have window view

4:37pm back to Times Square 

5:30pm Disney shop - buy pooh jacket

5:35pm Hershey shop - free hershey

6:45pm Book of Mormon line up - bag check

7:00pm show

9:30pm back at hotel

Have leftover bagel and cucumber 

10:00pm shower

JT showers and water cuts out

Mon 21 Oct 2024: Oculus, 9/11 Memorial New York - Day 14

 Mon 21/10/2024 - Oculus, 9/11 memorial, Financial district- charging bull, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry for Statue of Liberty 

10:00am out the door.

Go to Sephora to exchange KC’s perfume. Tried 2 stores before she found the perfume at the WTC shopping area.

Subway from Times Square to WTC

Exit via The Oculus

11:30 too early so we walk around the South memorial fountain taking photos, then the north fountain memorial 

12:00 9/11 Memorial 

Lots of exhibits, reading, short videos 

4:00pm exit

Photo of the animal statues.

KC wants bagels, walk past Chick-fil-A - JT hungry- buy a meal sit upstairs and eat

Next we get pizza from Joe’s Pizza - Slice of Cheese $4 and Supreme $6. KC pays. 

Walk to Financial district and charging bull - long lines of people wanting to have their photos with it

Then head to Battery Park looking for Statue of Liberty viewpoint but lots of construction. Take pictures through the fence.

Head to the Staten Island Ferry 

Manage to get on the 5:45pm before the the gates close.

Lots of other tourists on the ferry- all wanting to take photos of the Statue of Liberty.

Get to Staten Island and have to exit the ferry and re enter to get the next ferry 6:15pm back to Manhattan.

Not as packed on lower deck.

Nice sunset glow.

7:00pm Subway back to Times Square 

Go to Whole Foods

Then to Starbucks - Venti Pineapple passion lemonade refresher- KC pays

Then to Maccas

Then hotel

9:00pm Dinner: McChicken burger with small fries. 3x Sushi. Lettuce and cucumber. 

Grapes.

10:00pm shower - waste a lot of water waiting for it to turn hot. 

Sun 20 Oct 2024: Lion King, Rockerfeller Ctr, New York - Day 13

 Sun 20/10/2024 - Lion King, Rockerfeller Center, shopping

8:00am wake up but go back to sleep 

10:00am wake up

Breakfast- crunchy nut bar.

Go to Target. JT buys apple, blueberries etc and KC buys baguette, etc.

Lunch: 1/3 baguette with prosciutto ham and salad. Wheat thins

12:30pm head to Lion King Minskoff Theatre 

1:00pm Lion King show

2:30pm back to room

Head out to Rockerfeller Center. 

Buy Starbucks refresher 

Pineapple passion lemonade refresher.

Walk through Rockerfeller building 

The ice rink is underwhelming- thought it would be bigger.

Walk to Grand Central Station.

Catch subway back to Times Square 

Go to Whole Foods Market to buy stuff for dinner.

8:45pm Dinner: sushi rolls, croissant with egg salad, lettuce and bacon bits.

Shower.

Sat 19 Oct 2024: High Line, New York - Day 12

 Sat 19/10/2024 Times Square, Hudson Yards, High Line, Pier 57

Breakfast- biscoff biscuits 

Times Square- red steps

Lunch - MacDonalds - chicken meal $5 - chicken burger, sml fries, nuggets (4) and sml coke. Eat upstairs.

Find Subway 

Buy 7 day tickets for $35, $1 for the card 7 day unlimited rides

Take Subway to Hudson Yards

Photos 

Then look for High Line

Walk high line and back track for more. 

Photo of Dinosaur- big pigeon 

More walking of high line all the way to meat packing district 

Photo of Elephants

Walk to Little Island- in and out. Just gardens 

Walk to Pier 57

Go up to Roof Park 

5:30pm wait for sunset at 6:09pm

 Walk back to 14th St subway via Chelsea Market

Catch it to 50th St

Out at 8th Ave and walk back to CVS

Go in to buy medication etc

Coughing has started

Head to Olive Garden but there is a queue.

Go to Chick-fil-A

I get original deluxe meal

Chicken burger with cheese, tomato, lettuce, Waffle fries, coke. 

9pm Go back to room

Eat dinner in room 

JT ask for water

Fri 18 Oct 2024: Orlando to New York - Day 11

 Fri 18/10/2024 - Orlando to NYC

8:00am get up 

Breakfast: crunchy nut bar

10:00am out the door. House keeping already waiting outside as Oliver does a final sweep of their cupboards.

Drive to reception but they said to just drop keys in box on way out. JT gives them the keys.

Drive to Factory Outlets

Get there at 11:30am shop until 12:30

Have lunch in food court 

KC buys poke bowl to share.

JT buys Japanese bento box - dumplings, teriyaki shrimp with rice, California rolls and coleslaw- JC eats rolls.

1:00pm head to airport 

Fill up on way - surprising that it’s less that $50 to fill up

Get to airport and I miss exit for rental returns - have to do extra loop

2:00pm return car

Walk down escalators under tunnel then up lift to level 3 ticketing. 

Self check in and baggage drop

20-30min through security is like standing in queue for ride.

Check ID and take photo

Queue for xray security gates. Shoes off.

Through to gates

And they are already boarding 

Seats 23DEF

Watch end of movie: If. Then watch Moana

Serve drinks and snack : cup of apple juice and trail mix

After 1st attempt we Land in JFK but have to sit on tarmac waiting for other planes

Finally get out and its a long walk from gate 53/4?? to baggage claim.

Get bags. Exit. KC says uber cost more than taxi

Get in line for yellow cab 🚕 

When we finally get one, the driver says he got lost - due to roadworks.

Takes at least 45min to get to hotel - lots of traffic.

Enter via back entrance but turns out to be main entrance. Go up lift to lobby and JT checks in

Room 2620. On 26 floor.

2 kings and bathroom 

My nose has been running and I have been sneezing. Have come down with a head cold.

Unpack and have shower but hot water doesn’t seem to be coming out. Try and try. Finally KC manages to get it working. 

Shower

Wash undies and socks

Sleep 

Thu 17 Oct 2024: Universal Studios, Orlando, FL - Day 10

 Thu 17/10/2024 - Universal Studios

8:30am Breakfast- crunchy nut bar

10:30am out the door

11:30am parking $32

Security with xray machines like airport 

12:00noon entry to park

Others do Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster 🎢 

We do Villain-Con Minion Blast

Followed by Revenge of the Mummy 

We watch Blues Brothers followed by Dancers

1:30 Then find a spot for lunch- wrap with ham, tuna, cucumber and lettuce 

2:00 Parade of Universal Super Heroes and Villains

After parade they go on Transformer ride. JT and I wait.

Next we walk through Simpsons to Men in Black and wait for them there.

Check out Harry Potter. Kids and RC go on Gringots ride.

Park is closing 

Make our way to other side.

??Go on Dr Seuss Train ride, supposedly 10min but took longer.

Check out Hogsmead. Kids go on ride.

Kids and Richard do Jurassic Water Ride.

Then to Comic Land and Marvel land to The Hulk. No thank you.

Kids go on Water ride twice

Park is closing

Wed 16 Oct 2024: Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL - Day 9

 Wed 16/10/2024 - Magic Kingdom

6:00am wake up

Breakfast: fruit chew yogurt bar

7:00am out the door 

7:30am parking in Magic Kingdom car park. Walk to security. Pulled aside again even though I carried my glasses case and camera

8:00am monorail to Magic Kingdom 

Take photos out front.

RC, JC and OC go do rides

8:15am check in for our Keys to the Kingdom backstage tour. Given name tag, listening device and given menu to decide what to have for lunch. Order Lobster roll with coke.

8:30am Rebekah starts our tour. Brief history then walk around to Main Street.

Names on windows are significant people who have been instrumental in the park being what it is today.

Bit about the castle and how the bricks are bigger on the bottom and get smaller to give illusion that castle is large. Walt built it to a certain height so that it didn’t need a beacon on it. What is the wire? Cinderellas clothes line.

Then into Adventure land.

Into the Enchanted Tiki Room

Then continue around to Frontier Land

Just before Tianas ride we go backstage to see parade vehicles.

Walk around and come back out at Haunted Mansion queue line.

Liberty tree history 

At the steamer landing she gives us some background to Haunted Mansion

Next, we go on Haunted Mansion ride. Skip 70 min wait time.

After Haunted Mansion we have lunch upstairs of ? Restaurant.

Lobster roll with fries and coke. KC has same. JT and JC have shrimp with salad (spicy - has jalapeños)

After lunch we go into Fantasy Land and Philharmonic store into cast member door to backstage 

Down several flights of stairs 

Under Disney is a labyrinth of tunnels connecting each land.

We walk from Fantasy Land back to the start of Main Street. Along the route she stops to describe photos of the history of how Walt Disney World was created.

Tour ends just 30min before the parade is about to start.

We walk back to Frontier Land to look for the others. Along the way KC gets Dole Whip float x 2 and Dole whip cup.

People have already lined the streets. Need to weave our way through. Find them. 

My feet are killing me.

Watch parade