Update on
refrigerator: It was simply a matter of
turning on the gas. Fridge and freezer are working fine.
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Woke up to evidence of rain. I didn’t hear it through the night but the
puddles and the wet bikes bear witness that it happened. Also woke up to the constant chatter of
birds. I think the bushes surrounding
our lot are a gathering area for the birds to get their bearing in the morning before
they go about their day. Kind of like
Judy’s Restaurant used to be the morning gathering place in Charlevoix.
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Went for a walk today, got caught in a gentle rain but I didn't turn back. The rain turned out to be
Lots of puddles and small ponds out in the desert
fields down Picacho Highway; the grass, shrubbery, weeds, etc. are green,
plentiful and, in some instances, tall. Evidence
that there’s been some continuing rain…last night’s rain wasn’t enough to do
all that.
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The temperature was in the 50s, climbing to
the 60s in the afternoon but the dampness from the rain made it a bit cool. Shorts and a light fleece felt fine outside
but there was a chill inside the camper. Nothing that the little heater couldn’t
fix. And about 5 o’clock the wind
started…not to a camper shaking level but it definitely wanted to be noticed.
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The
basics of camp are set-up but there are some touches we’re waiting on because tomorrow
we fly to the island of Hawaii. Doesn’t make sense to leave Freddie and Flossie
outside to fend for themselves or leave open the possibility that the garbage
can or yard rug will blow away.
But today wasn’t just a do nothing, waiting
day…we did have errands to do, repairs to make and then we had to pack for our
flight. Not taking much because we won’t
be gone long…all told about 4 days. We
leave tomorrow and fly back Sunday, arriving in Phoenix early Monday due to a
layover in Los Angeles. This trip has a
specific purpose: ride motorcycles so we
can put another checkmark on our Bucket List of Riding.
We’ve ridden our own bikes in 49 states…the
lower 48 plus Alaska. The idea of
renting a bike to ride in Hawaii to make it all 50 states has been nixed due to
the cost of airfare from Michigan BUT when I realized how much cheaper it is to
fly from Phoenix, it was game on! Cost being a factor, I considered three
different islands, kept an eye on the cost of airfare to each one, contacted
the various Harley dealerships to see what it cost to rent a bike along with what
they had available and finally the cost of lodging on each island had to be
considered. Getting a great flight cost
meant nothing if we were going to pay an outrageous price for a hotel. Then there was the matter of hotel proximity
to the dealership and the airport…would we have to rent a car or could we walk
or take a taxi? So, after months of
research, it was time to sit down and decide.
We chose the Big Island because neither of
us have been there (Kim has been to Maui and I have been to Kauai and Oahu) and
currently there’s an active volcano which interests both of us. We booked a
non-stop flight over and had to accept a 6-hour layover in LAX on the return
trip as it was the only flight offered.
We reserved a room that boasts a partially open but private bathroom
(what the hell is that?) and a convertible for transportation.
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Last week I received a phone call from the
Kona Hawaii Guesthouse which is where we’re staying. I was told that there was a scheduling issue
and then was asked if we minded getting an upgrade to their best room for the
first night. All I could think as the
man was apologizing for the inconvenience was “Huh! I guess that means whatever
room I booked wasn’t their best. Good to know.” 😏
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Our flight doesn’t leave until 11:55 a.m. BUT
the Phoenix airport is an hour away, it’s recommended to be at the airport 2
hours prior to take-off and we’ll be dealing with rush hour traffic. Considering that we’ve already checked in and
just need to go right to security I’m skeptical about the 2 hours prior thing
but we’re not taking any chances so we’ll play their game. Early to bed, early to rise is going to be
how we’ll start this adventure.
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