A Hawaii trip?... at a time like this?
A work trip to Hawaii is going to happen while everything else around is unwinding. You'll see why right now I'm still doing my travel work and where I'm hitting a wall with understanding America
I don’t know if I’m at the point of just laughing crazy yet, but each day I’m a little closer. So how are you and how are you processing the downward spiral of America? I’m in a current state of being unsure what I can do at this moment in life and kind of waiting for somebody to tell me what to do. Like, I’m doing what i can with the tools and know-how that I have, but it feels like it’s not much. So that’s what i’m sharing today.
I’m really thankful that I have a good friend that I walk with in the mornings because we are able to talk through the crazy and sort out a little bit at a time. And this also helps me gain a little focus back on the life I need to live at home. This week has been a welcome work load as I really pour into my upcoming work trip to Hawaii. Yes, I’m fully digging into trip planning and making our Hawaii website the best it can be. It’s my slice of joy right now. And the cats. The cats bring joy.
Latest on the Blogs -My Joy Makers
So, here’s what’s new of the blogs this week (and then I’ll share my serious thoughts for the week):
4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary – it’s one of my favorite places on earth and I love to write about Yellowstone, but I had never actually put together an easy plan for it.This itinerary gets you all the geyser, the wildlife and the waterfalls. It’s basically the same trip we do each time and I love it.
Key West Activities - I’ve been really enjoying writing about Key West for the last few weeks. This week I focused on tours in Key West, so new on TheKeysExplored.com we’ve got all the info on parasailing, sunset BYOB sailing and what i think is the best beginner snorkeling experience in KW.
Big Island Farm Tours - having worked for Starbucks for years, I used to be really into coffee education so love trying different coffees and learning about their processes… so Kona Coffee was a fun topic for me to write about for MyAlohaTrip.com Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation and Ka’u Coffee Mill are both fresh on the blog. And if you’re not into coffee, there’s also a new article up if you’re interested in visiting the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut farm.
Thank you for tuning in with all of these fun projects. It’s been really encouraging seeing each of our destination websites doing so well. :)
Hawaii Adventure - Big Island and Maui this week
Yes, I am so very excited to get to head to Hawaii with my bestie/assistant this week, but for all the fun we’ll have and beautiful sights we’re going to see, we are going to be exhausted at the end of this trip. When we started MyAlohaTrip.com the goal was to create a resource that supports locally owned tourism operations that highlights the unique experiences in the communities our friends and family live and work in. That’s 100% what we’ve got going on with this trip.
We’re working with local operators and Native Hawaiian owned companies and will be sharing all kinds of adventures you can enjoy on the Big Island and Maui. One of our partners is Body Glove Hawaii out of Kailua-Kona. They have a great statement about honoring special places in Hawaiian culture and preserving places that have been “commodified” which has been a huge issue over the years in Hawaii. We’ll be doing several activities with them, including a Hawaiian history dinner cruise. I’m excited to write about their approach to tourism on the Kona Coast.
Another part of our itinerary that is going to be great to write about are the luaus we’re doing. Island Breeze Productions is the local creator of several of the luaus on the Big Island and their aim is to create luau shows that celebrate Native Hawaiian Culture in a respectful, accessible way. We’ll be attending the Island Breeze Luau in Kailua-Kona and the Hawai’iloa Luau in Waimea during this trip. Stay tuned because I’m going to have a lot to write about these shows. I’m excited!
One more local company we’re working with is Hawaii Forest & Trail. We’ve been out with them on a guided hike up the Hualalai Volcano, which was awesome, and this time we’re heading up to the north end of the Kona Coast to explore the Kohala Waterfalls area. It’s going to be beautiful and I know we’ll learn a ton about this lesser visited part of the Big Island of Hawaii
When we get to Maui, it’s going to be a very different experience. Wee’ll pick up our rented camping gear and start our Maui adventure. We’ll be visiting several farms, doing some hikes and camping in Haleakala National Park. After a really intense 8 days on Hawaii our time on Maui is going to feel like a vacation from it all. And then there’s all the writing and production that comes when we get home…
Fairbanks Alaska for Spring Break
With just a few weeks home from Hawaii, the whole family is heading to Fairbanks, Alaska for spring break. It’s going to be cold and beautiful. We’re hoping for some great Northern Lights moments and who knows what species of Alaska wildlife we’ll see. After our week of Fairbanks adventures we’ll be flying back home out of Anchorage, but not until we’ve taken the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Anchorage on the Aurora Winter route. This will be the family’s first time on the Alaska Railroad. It’ll be a beautiful cap on the end of our trip.
Florida Keys in April
Creating TheKeysExplored.com has been a really fun project and it’s a great way to get to expand our local knowledge and network of Florida friends. South Florida is so very different from North Florida in that it’s much more liberal, and Key West is such a hub of LGBTQ inclusivity, especially while the rest of Florida struggles to stand up to our governor. Going back to the Keys is always a breath of fresh air so having a big work project down there is great.
We’ve got a few great groups we’re working with as we complete our Florida Keys itinerary, including the Casa Morada in Islamorada, the Key West Attractions Association and others. It’s always tricky to find tourism partners that offer something different or that align with what we think is important in travel and tourism, so having some solid partners to support our work and stories is exciting for us.
Current State of America: Seriously?
Now that we’re deep into the FAFO state of things I really hope that people are starting to wake up and smell the fascism. Clearly things are taking new and scary turns daily, with the most recent one to make my jaw drop one that’s pretty scary. FOTUS wants to establish an official office to monitor and address anti-Christian bias. That’s right, an office of religion enforcement in the US government. If this doesn’t scare you, it should, even if you are aligned with the preferred religion.
As somebody who doesn’t conform to what the mainstream version of Christianity says is okay, and as the parent of kids who speak up for empathy and doing the right thing for EVERYONE, this is scary for me. We’ve been clear in teaching the kids about the Pledge of Allegiance and why they’re not to say it at school unless they fully grasp it… including the “under God” part. Things like a government oversight group to seek out anti-Christian bias is very much NOT free speech oriented or freedom of religion focused. Are you hearing this?
There’s more, including some more talk about asking the SCOTUS to reconsider gay marriage and other things, but the whole religious peace keeps coming back to my mind. Oh, and the SAVE act that they’re trying again to pass. If you’re not familiar, read about it and why it’s dangerous for democracy. Talk to your friends about it. We need to keep each other informed.
And does anyone have any ideas how we can take action while we’re between voting cycles? How do we even organize to take to the streets? How do we stand up to our state and federal governments when things are moving so far away from “by the people, for the people” right now? So much to be aware of and watchful of right now. Stay vigilant and grab your peace and joy where and when you can.
That’s it for this week. I hope we all find those things that bring us little happinesses here and there. And if you have suggestions for us all to work together to make a difference, please leave a comment so we can all discuss. Talking together is where we’ll find our strength.
I won’t have a newsletter next week or the week after because I’ll be traveling and it’s going to be crazy busy, but I’ll be sure to share our Hawaii adventures on Instagram and Facebook as they unfold. Stay tuned!