2012 Maui Trip -- Air Miles

Monday, November 26
Pensacola to Atlanta 271
Atlanta to Los Angeles 1944
total for the day 2215

Tuesday, November 27
Los Angeles to Honolulu 2556
Honolulu to Kahalui, Maui 101
total for the day 2657
cumulative 4872

Wednesday, December 5
Kahalui, Maui to Honolulu 101
total for the day 101
cumulative 4973

Thursday, December 6
Honolulu to Los Angeles 2556
total for the day 2556
cumulative 7529

Friday, December 7
Los Angeles to Dallas/Fort Worth 1234
Dallas/Fort Worth to Pensacola 604
total for the day 1838

GRAND TOTAL 9367 MILES

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 12 -- Home

Early to bed (HA); early to rise (YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN).

Of course we got to the gate on time in Los Angeles. Both flights and the connection in Dallas were fine. We were home late afternoon after picking us the cats at the pet hotel and stopping by the supermarket for some food.

Hawaii was fun but getting there and back were very tiring. And we are going to sleep until next week.

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 11

It turns out today's flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles is even later than we thought. Takeoff is delayed from 1:30 to 2:15 PM. We found out it was because of crew scheduling problems.

A month or so ago American Airlines sent me two free passes to any of their Admirals Clubs, those are their private lounges -- "An Oasis Away From The Airport Hustle." In Honolulu they share Japan Air Line's private lounge. There are comfy places to sit and snooze, lots of magazines, computer hookups, free drinks and snacks. And great places to kill time waiting for a flight. Before I retired I was a member for many years.

The lounge at Honolulu International also has an officious man from JAL who came up to us and said he didn't want to seem rude... (And let me pause here a second, whenever anybody says to me that she or he doesn't mean to be rude, the next thing out of his or her mouth is usually something rude.) He went on to accuse us of smoking in the no-smoking lounge area. He said someone had reported us. He did not speak with anybody else in the lounge although there were several people who matched our general descriptions. When we told him emphatically we had not been smoking he walked away without another word to us. Of course why should he say he was sorry for insulting us when he so clearly was not.

A few minutes later the woman representing American Airlines customers in the lounge came over to us and brought the subject up again and in a very sarcastic way. It seemed obvious they wanted us to leave the Admirals Club and we did at once. So much for Aloha Spirit.

In the future, if there are smokers on the premises, perhaps they should make an announcement "reminding" guests not to smoke.

The flight itself was uneventful and the seats were the real first class kind with lots of control buttons. The seats could lie completely flat.

Once we landed in Los Angeles there was no gate for us and we had to wait for one. Then it took forever to get the shuttle to the Hilton but when we got there the room was lavish. Too bad we were just there for a nap. We got to the room around 11:00 PM and needed to be at the airport by 6:00 AM at the latest.

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 10

Checked out of the hotel mid-morning and headed for Kahalui. Dropped the car off and got the 2:00 PM flight to Honolulu. Checked in at the HNL Ohana Hotel -- surprisingly quiet place. Except for their restaurant. Lots of children running around there.

We will have no rush in the morning. Tomorrow's flight is at 1:30 and we are next door to the airport.

2012 Maui Trip -- Photos From Our Drives

To view photos we took while driving around Maui, CLICK HERE

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 8

Tonight Jack took us for a wonderful meal at Roy's -- on the golf course in the heart of Ka'anapali.

We had four courses: Ahi tuna (nearly raw), grilled Ono fish, braised short ribs of beef and a molten chocolate dessert. Absolutely perfect. Beautiful handmade food. And the best short ribs I have ever had.

2012 Maui Trip -- Photos of the Hotel Grounds

Good Morning from the KBH. The lawns are all groomed and ready for a new day.

To see a Flickr slideshow of photos we took on the grounds of the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel just CLICK HERE.

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 3

No airplanes today, no schedule today -- total vacation. The weather is partly sunny, partly cloudy, not too hot but very warm.

We didn't like the location of the first room we got last night (second floor, long walk to the elevator, longer walk to breakfast). So we asked what they could do for us. The second room was on the ground level with a lanai that opened right on the lawn and was just a few steps from the beach.

The view from our room.

And the view from the other direction -- the West Maui Mountains.

We have stayed here several times before but not in the past 12 or 15 years. It's an older property and we didn't really know what to expect. It is still very Hawaiian and well maintained. The rooms are in great condition and the grounds are as lovely as ever.

We got a package with the room, car and breakfast included. The extra charge for the breakfast was just $4.00 per person per day. It's buffet style and they offer to make fresh omlettes, pancakes, French toast, etc. Lots of fresh island fruit -- pineapple, papaya, melons and a fabulous bread pudding. After breakfast it was time to go back to the room and read, or nap, on the patio.

The ocean was rough and most of the time there were yellow flags or red flags on the beach, meaning use caution or don't get in the water at all. We had both experienced the serious rip currents here in the past so we heeded the warnings.

In the evening there was Hawaiian music in the air and a gigantic Maui full moon lighting the Pacific.

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 2

There was no great rush to get out of the hotel and over to the airport. Takeoff was at 10:30 AM. First class isn't what it used to be. But the lunch was good. A Chinese spiced grilled salmon by the Big Island's Sam Choy. Very good.

The flight was uneventful and we were at the gate in the Honolulu Airport before 3:00 PM. Our flight to Maui was at 5:00. But we had to claim our luggage, go to another terminal and check in again.

HNL -- Honolulu International Airport

It turned out the flight to Maui was not out of the Interisland Terminal, but from the Commuter Terminal next door to it. The Commuter Terminal looked a lot to us like the old Interisland Terminal. Also, adding to the confusion in our travel addled brains, the clerk at the Mokulele Airlines counter told us our flight would be on GO! Airlines instead. It was at the same counter but a different person signed us in and charged us for our luggage.

We landed in Kahalui, Maui a little after 5:30. By the time we got our bags, found the Budget Rental Car site and started the drive to Ka'anapali it was totally dark out. As soon as we got out of town the only lights were from car headlights and they were somewhat blinding. I was a bit dazed driving the winding roads after sitting on planes so long today. At least I couldn't see the cliffs and the ocean way below us.

It was just after 7:00 when we got to Lahaina and we decided to get something to eat before checking in at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. We then made a great discovery, CJ's Deli & Diner. Just a mile from the hotel and we knew about it from their website. Good food, casual setting and free WI-FI access. At about 8:00 we checked in to our hotel and soon were fast asleep. Hotel details to follow. Tommorrow.

2012 Maui Trip -- Day 1

Sunset at LAX looking from the Crowne Plaza toward Hawaii

Up at 3:45 AM all packed and ready for a cup of coffee before heading for the airport. At 4:30 we were watching for the taxi. At 4:35 I called J.J. who sounded very sleepy. He said something came up and he would be over to pick us up in twenty minutes. I asked him where he was coming from. And could he be here in ten minutes?

He couldn't tell me where he was so I cancelled the taxi, unbolted the garage door and we drove to the airport. And parked in the expensive parking garage there. A tiny bit of much needed good luck: there was a parking space right next to the elevator and near the main lobby entrance.

My knee replacement sometimes causes a lot of delay getting through security so I get nervous when it appears we are late getting to the airport. As it happened we were fine and, with the kind help of the AirTran agent, got set up with wheelchairs for ATL and LAX.

We left Pensacola on time and were off the plane in ATL about 8:30 (AM!). With lots of help from the friendly staff at the airport we got to our gate for the flight to LAX with time to spare. The airport is huge and to get from one terminal to another involves elevators and train rides.

We even had time for a sit-down restaurant breakfast by our gate. As for the Atlanta-style southern cooking, it was the worst breakfast this side of the free breakfasts they give you at Hilton's Hampton Inns -- scrambled eggs cooked till they bounce and icy-cold sausages.

Our flight to LAX was on time at both ends, taking off a little after 10:00 AM and getting to LAX before 1:00 PM. Wheelchairs from the gate to baggage claim. All our bags arrived OK, then we were off to the hotel van pickup area. It took forever. Neither of us had been to LAX for nearly ten years. Very little has changed. Total chaos at the curbside. The only change in all this time is, it's gotten worse.

The Crowne Plaza LAX was ready for our early check-in and the room was nice as were the naps we immediately took.

2012 Maui Trip, Getting Ready To Go

Toward the end of last June the future of American Airlines looked bleak indeed. And we still held a lot of their AAdvantage Club frequent flyer miles. We could use them for upgrades or even free first class tickets.

We worried that a reorganized American Airlines, taken over by US Airways, could make the frequent flyer miles difficult to use or they might cancel the program completely.

As much as we both wanted to go to London, getting around London wasn't going to be easy. The last trip nearly did me in. So we decided on a late fall trip to Hawaii.

The design of the Hawaii State Flag was commissioned by King Kamehameha in 1816. It originally represented the Kingdom of Hawaii. Later it came to represent the Republic of Hawaii, then the Territory of Hawaii and now the State of Hawaii.

It's a lot easier to fly to Hawaii if you live in Los Angeles, as we used to. From Pensacola you need to fly to a "hub" airport and connect -- and connect. Lots of flights; lots of changes of planes.

After many phone calls and hours on the Internet we got an itinerary and used up nearly all of our frequent flyer miles. The only bad connection was outbound. We came in to LAX late in the evening and had to be at the airport very early the next morning. But that was to change. Flights got rescheduled and one got cancelled. What had been the late arriving -- mid-afternoon takeoff -- flight was now leaving Pensacola at 6:00 AM.

At one point, because of the early morning flight we planned to spend Sunday evening at an airport hotel by the Pensacola airport. Instead of that we made an appointment with Pensacola Taxi. J.J. will pick us up at 4:30 AM exactly.

Cirque des Voix

Saturday afternoon we attended and loved the second annual edition of Cirque des Voix. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune calls it, "a uniquely Sarasota blockbuster." It combines the talents of Key Corale, Sarasota Young Voices, Circus Sarasota, and some guest performers from Sarasota's youth circus, the Sailor Circus.

Click here for a review of this year's show.

After the concert we had dinner at a favorite place, Primo Ristorante.

Later in the evening we went to the Showfolks Club of Sarasota and talked with lots of people. And we finally met Laray. Great evening.

Circus Party at Longboat Key

From Gainesville to Sarasota was an easy trip and we had lots of time to get cleaned up for the evening's event.

Bill Hall and his wife Carol host a party a day or two before the Circus Ring of Fame ceremony many years. This year it was at the Longboat Key Hilton, as it often is. Great food and drink and a glittering group of about 50 circus stars and legends. It was wonderful to be invited and, just like the last time we attended, two years ago, it was an evening to remember.

Off we go to Sarasota

Took the cats to the pet hotel and we were on our way east on Interstate 10 by 10:30 A.M. The weather was cool and sunny and the drive was uneventful.

Lunch in Chipley at Skins-N-Bubba's. We have eaten there before. The food is generally ok. This time it seemed saltier than usual. But hey, this is the South, and country, too. And salt is cheap.


Not much for scenery along I-10 but we always enjoy the musical highway sign.

Late afternoon we got to Gainesville and the Holiday Inn Express by the highway. Dinner at a nearby Chili's.

In Sarasota Visiting the Ringling Museum

Main Entrance to the Ringling Museum

At the Ringling through January 29, 2012, there's a stunning poster show organized by the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Ringling Museum. All the posters were printed by the Strobridge Lithographic Company. Posters shown were mostly from the 1880's to the 1920s. You can learn more at the Ringling Museum's website.

Tomorrow we return to see Ringling's new Tibbal's Learning Center with Howard Tibbals grand miniature circus.

Nachez, Mississippi Visitor Information

Natchez is just 350 miles west of Pensacola -- an easy drive and a nice place to spend a few days. Check back soon for updates. No definite travel plans yet -- just listing some Natchez web sites.

GETTING THERE FROM PENSACOLA
(According to Google Maps)
--- Via Hattiesburg, Collins and Brookhaven
      306 miles, 5 hours and 5 minutes
--- Via Hammond and McComb
      336 miles, 5 hours and 15 minutes
----Via Baton Rouge
      348 miles, 5 hours and 26 minutes

VISITOR INFO
Natchez Visitors' Guide
Natchez Wiki
Friends of Our Riverfront, Natchez

ATTRACTIONS
Connelly's Tavern
Dunleith
Longwood
Natchez Trace Parkway
Rosalie Mansion
Stanton Hall
Things to do in Natchez
Trinity Episcopal Church's Stained Glass Windows

RESTAURANTS, TAVERNS, SALOONS IN NATCHEZ
Big Momma's BBQ
Bowie's Tavern
The Carriage House
Cotton Alley Café
The Castle Restaurant & Pub
Fat Mama's Tamales
Magnolia Grill
Mammy's Cupboard
Monmouth Plantation's 1818 Restaurant (when you get to the site, scroll down for 1818 Restaurant information)
The Pig Out Inn Barbeque
Slick Rick's
Roux 61 Seafood and Grill
Under The Hill Saloon
Uptown Grocery

RESTAURANTS OUT OF NATCHEZ
The Caboose, McComb, Mississippi
The Dinner Bell, McComb, Mississippi
Dixie Springs Cafe & Lounge
Justin's On The Lake and Turtle Island, Summit, Mississippi
Nikki's Country Buffet, Vidalia, Louisiana
Old Country Store, Lorman, Mississippi, 34 miles north via the Natchez Trace

HOTELS & CASINOS
Eola Hotel
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, Natchez
Hampton Inn Natchez
Magnolia Bluffs Casino
Natchez Grand Hotel

NEWS
Natchez Democrat


Natchez Trolley, Under the Hill, Late 19th Century

World's Largest Refrigerator Magnet?

This is one of the magnetic signs that was on each side of Jack's car in Peru, Indiana's Circus City Festival Parade on July 23, 2011. Earlier this week it was briefly the World's Largest Refrigerator Magnet.

Ken's Trip To Maine -- August 2011

Just Married: Katie & Chris

Thursday, August 4
I flew out of Pensacola at 11:00 A.M., changed planes in Atlanta and got to Portland at 5:45 P.M. I was in Augusta by 7:30 and visited with my parents until 9:00 when I went over to the Civic Center Inn to check in.

Friday, August 5
A quiet day resting up from all the traveling.

Saturday, August 6
Early in the afternoon we drove to Freeport to meet Carol at the Freeport Inn. On the way we went down Freeport's Main Street. It was jammed with tourists and shoppers. The town really looks nice these days.

We got to the wedding venue 4:30. The weather was perfect, the site was beautiful. The wedding began at 5:00; over at 5:10. Loved that.


The lawn decorated for the wedding at Glisland Farm Audubon Center

Click here for more photos.


Sunday, August 7
It was very rainy in the morning. After we chatted for a while at the hotel with all the family we set out for Augusta. We had breakfast at the Fairground Cafe in Topsham. It's a few miles north of Brunswick and Freeport. Wonderful pancakes.

Monday, August 8
For lunch we had takeout from The Red Barn restaurant on Riverside Drive in Augusta. Great shrimps, fries, fried fish and onion rings.

Early afternoon I headed to Portland to spend the night because I had an early flight in the morning. In Brunswick I got off the Interstate and took little coastal roads through tiny villages.

I originally intended to go to one of Portland's harborside restaurants and have a Maine lobster. After listening to Portland radio traffic reports I was less interested in driving into the downtown area. And back out to the airport during rush hour. There was a lot f traffic congestion in Portland, apparently more than usual.

When I got back to Route 1 just south of Freeport I decided to find a lobster somewhere out of downtown Portland, then drop the car and go directly to my hotel. As I passed the Freeport Inn, where we stayed on Saturday night, I saw the Muddy Rudder seafood restaurant. Perfect. Lobster and corn both cooked just right. And I had an easy drive from there to drop off the car.

Tuesday, August 9
Got up very early to catch the hotel van to the airport for my 7:00 A.M. flight. Huge, slow crowds at airport security, at 5:45 A.M.! Happy to report the flights were all on time and I got to Pensacola at 10:30.

The Road To Peru, Day 8 -- Final Day

On Sunday morning we headed south. We were in no hurry to cover the 800+ miles to Pensacola. If three nights on the road suited us better than two we would get home on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

Shortly after we left Peru we stopped for breakfast at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Kokomo. This fueled our 305 mile Sunday drive, getting us to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Next to the hotel was a Bob Evans Restaurant where we had our dinner. Two Bob Evans' in one day! It is always a favorite when we are on the road. There is none near Pensacola.

Monday, Day 7, we drove to Birmingham, Alabama. It was an easy 275 miles. All along the way on this trip we listened to audio books. On the way north it was Patti LuPone's A Memoir read by Ms. LuPone herself with great flair and a good deal of attitude. Coming south we listened to Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre. And when we got tired of the talking books we had XM Radio -- all Broadway, all the time, channel 72. Tired and hot when we arrived in Birmingham, we ate at the Outback Steakhouse in the hotel's parking lot.

Tuesday was Day 8 and we were only 260 miles from home. Lunch was at the Bates House of Turkey in Greenville, Alabama. Yes, all they offer is turkey, but many, many different ways. After picking up the cats we were home by 3:00 P.M.

The total mileage for the trip, including side trips and getting lost looking for local restaurants, was 1,690 miles.

The Road To Peru, Day 5

Yesterday, Friday, we got to Peru around noon. It was just 90 miles from Greenwood so it was a short drive. We had lunch at the Circus City Grill and then checked into our hotel -- the Circus City Inn.

Every July the City of Peru, The Circus Capital of the World, hosts the Circus City Festival in honor of its circus heritage. There is a circus at the Circus Hall of Fame, the youth circus in town, a huge parade with antique circus wagons and the Hall of Fame's induction dinner for new honorees.

Mid-afternoon we were picked up by Wayne Scheiner who took us over to the Circus Hall of Fame Museum and gave us a guided tour. What a treat to see all those old wagons and other historic memorabilia. There's a slideshow coming up at the end of this post that has photos of the museum and much more.

Back to the Circus City Inn for a rest and cleanup before going to the Peru Amateur Circus. What a fine show and what talent and practice. The "Children of All Ages" were not only in the audience but in the show itself! What a wonderful showing of civic pride.

Saturday started hot and got hotter. Because of Jack's honor this day we rode in the parade. First in a Mercedes convertable -- later in a golf cart when the battery in the former gave out. We made the journey and did not falter.

Back at the hotel after the parade it was time to cool down -- lunch at the Circus City Grill, a shower and a nap before getting ready for the evening's events.

In the evening we went to the Circus Hall of Fame dinner at the Siding Restaurant and Jack gave a speech after. It went over very well. And he got this beautiful plaque.

Here's a link to some photos of what went on in Peru and at the Circus Hall of Fame Friday and Saturday.