50

Sitting here on the balcony of my hotel in Honolulu awaiting the sunset; its 5:30pm HT, but 6 hours later at home.  This time difference is tough and I have spent most of the day today feeling exhausted.   I think the travel, time difference, and all of the sight-seeing over the last few days has finally caught up to me.  So today, I was happy to get settled into my hotel where I will be spending the rest of my week here.  It was a much needed day of rest.

As many of you know, yesterday was a big day for me.  October 5th was Imke's birthday and yesterday was the first one in 15 years without her.  I did not want the day to go by without finding a way to celebrate her life, and so I made plans months ago that it would be the day that I would reach my goal of visiting all 50 State Capitols. 

Lots of planning went into this day because I wanted everything to work out perfectly.  I made my Imke on a stick, I safely packed away some of her ashes in my suitcase, and I made a plea on Social Media hoping to find at least one GSP lover in Hawaii who would be willing to join me at the Capitol, so that I could complete my journey the way I started it...with dogs.

Early yesterday I left the North Shore to meander my way toward Honolulu.  I got drenched at the Waimea Valley to see the Waimea Falls.  I was the first visitor of the day to get there!

In addition to the falls, there was a beautiful botanical garden and I really enjoyed all of the flowers.

The rain continued as I got back to my car to head into central Oahu for a visit to the Dole Plantation. As I reached the plantation, the rain stopped and I as able to get out and enjoy it and start to dry off a bit!

While the plantation is mainly just a big tourist trap with tons of vendors selling all sorts of pineapple-themed items, it was interesting to wander around the garden and see how pineapple grow and learn about how they are harvested.

At the end of my walk around, I had to stop for a Dole Whip.  Basically it's just pineapple flavored soft serve.  I got mine with fresh pineapple.   It was pretty tasty, and as I sat there eating it, all I could think was how much Imke would have enjoyed it too.  She was always a fan of ice cream and loved pineapple...and I would have had plenty to share with all of the girls!  It seemed an appropriate treat for her Birthday. 

I left the plantation and continued my journey toward Honolulu.   I had to be at the Capitol by 1pm to meet Karyn, who had graciously agreed to join me with her dogs on the Capitol grounds.  I wanted to be sure to arrive early so that I could walk around like I had on all my other Capitol visits, and I wanted some time alone there with my girl.

As I pulled off the highway and drove toward the building, the tears began to flow because we had made it...and after all of my planning and thinking about the day, it was actually here.

I found a parking spot and with Imke's ashes in hand, I began to walk around.  I saw all of the places I would have had the girls pose...in front of the King Kamehameha Statue, in front of the Royal Palace, under some really cool trees...and then I arrived at the building.  I walked around checking out the war memorials and snapping a few pictures of the Capitol, and I will admit it seemed strange to be there and not attached to a dog on a leash!

I had reached the front of the building and at this point I paused, pulled the ashes out of my purse and had a moment with my girl as I spread some ashes there in front of those palm trees.  We had finished, we made it.

After pulling myself together and wiping away the tears, I walked across the street to get one picture of the whole building, like I had done 49 times before, but this time there is no adorable little silhouette of a dog waiting patiently for me to get that picture, but I know she's there in spirit.

Soon Karyn arrived with Lacy and Tonka and I was so excited to pet their velvety ears and kiss those soft heads and soak up all of the love those little brown spotty dogs would give me.  It was amazing.   

We were also joined by Em, who recently lost her GSP, but wanted to support me on what she knew would be a difficult day.  So after chatting a bit, it was time for the final picture...me, Lacy, Tonka, my Imke and Maddie on a stick, and most important of all, Imke's ashes.  And with that, I had finished...I reached my goal of travelling to all 50 states with a GSP, with Imke, by the age of 50. 

After my pictures alone, Karyn and Em joined me for a couple of pictures too. 

We sat awhile talking and getting to know each other better and I have an invite to join Karyn and her dogs for a hike, at the dog park, or at the beach while I am here this week.  I may need to take her up on one or more of those because I'm missing my girls terribly! 

As we walked away, my journey complete,  it hit me...there is no State Capitol I haven't visited!  Holy cow...what will I do now?!?  Karyn and Em's suggestion,  get a puppy and start again...but bring the puppy to Hawaii with me.  Not sure I could do this again, but I do know I have two silly girls at home ready to follow me wherever I choose to go.  And we've got 95 Michigan State Parks to visit still! Oh, and I've got a book to finish...

I will be forever grateful to Karyn for allowing me to share Lacy and Tonka for the day.  It was the perfect way to end my journey and I know Imke was with us too. 

We did it!  

The North Shore

After a very long day of travel on Thursday, I was in bed early and slept for nearly 9 hours!  I awoke on Friday morning shortly after sunrise feeling refreshed  and ready for the day ahead.  My first full day here, I wanted to hit the ground running and see as much as I could during my time on the North Shore.

I had planned the day with several beach stops and a couple of hikes.  I tried not to over-plan though so that I could take some time to really relax and enjoy my time here. I was excited to jump in my rental and head out for the day...stop one the beach!

Despite the forecast showing 0% chance of rain, as soon as I got out of the Jeep, the rain began.  I hurried down toward the beach and stood under a coconut tree to stay dry. 

  
As I stood there gazing out over the ocean with the rain falling steadily around me,  I just kept thinking about how far away I was from home, my girls, and everything I know and how fortunate I have been to travel to all of the places I have been.  No matter what the weather did, I would make the most of this day!

After a quick stop, I was off, headed down the road for a quick breakfast treat at Penny's Malasadas. I had read this was a must-do while on the North Shore and arrived early enough to to be the first customer of the day.  They come in a basket of three and the flavors of the day were Acai, Coconut, and Key Lime, so I got one of each .  These tiny treats are served freshly made and are warm and delicious!

A light rain continued as I drove to my next stop at Pounders Beach, but I could see the weather was starting to clear up.   I arrived at the beach and got out of the car to enjoy my malasadas and the beautiful view. 

Of all of the places I visited today, I think Pounders beach was one of my favorite.   I sat there on the beach watching the surfers and the waves as they crashed into the rocky shoreline.  I also decided this was the beach where I would spread some if Imke's ashes.  

The skies continued to clear and I had more to see so I left Pounders beach for several other beach stops along the way to the Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park.

I arrived at the State Park and found the trailhead for the short hike I had planned to take and was ready to explore away from the beach for a bit.  Everything I had read warned me that the trail would be muddy, but I had no idea what to expect.  Not only was it muddy, but it was overgrown and not well marked, but off I went.

It was an interesting hike and I learned a lot about myself while hiking that trail.  First, I am not as adventurous without dogs.  I actually felt a little lost hiking without them.  And second, I don't think I'm a fan of tropical rainforest type terrains.  It was humid and everything was damp and while it was lush and green, I just didn't like the dampness of it all.  

After a short hike...mainly because I couldn't find the trail anymore, I turned and headed back to the Jeep to continue exploring for the day.  I drove a bit farther South along the shore, but it was time for lunch and I knew exactly where I was going, so I turned and headed North.

For lunch I would be checking out Mike's Huli Huli chicken, which had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  

The atmosphere was interesting  but the food wasn't as good as I expected.  After a quick stop, I continued on along the shore. As I continued North, I found the touristy area of the North Shore and was happy that I hadn't experienced this first.  I had experienced so many peaceful beaches, and these were packed with people...so I kept driving.

As I continued along the North Shore,  I stopped at the Sunrise Shack for a Smoothie bowl.  A friend had told me about this place, and I'm glad I made the stop because I met a fellow Midwesterner.  The kid who took my order was originally from Toledo and we had a good chat.

My journey continued along the shore and I had one more place I had to visit.   I'm drawn to the North, to places where the road ends, to places that aren't as well traveled, where many people never go, to rocky shorelines where lava once flowed...and I had to make it to the end of the road here in Hawaii too.  And I wasn't disappointed. 

I had had a full day of road tripping around the North Shore and it was time to head back toward Laie.  

After a quick stop at my Airbnb, I headed out to check out the Laie State Wayside.  It was about an hour before sunset and the fog and clouds were moving in again.  But what a beautiful place.

I then made my way back to Pounders beach to end the day there.  It was peaceful and a beautiful way to end the day.  I also met a lovely older couple from Boise and when asked about my trip, I was happy to share the story of Imke and Maddie and our travel to 49 States together.  

As the sun set, I picked up a small dinner and made my way back home with one quick stop to capture a picture of the Laie Temple.  

It was a great day in Oahu.  I saw a lot of beauty, met some interesting people, learned a little more about myself, and even got to pet some dogs.  

I am really missing my girls, but today is the day I have been waiting for and planning for.  Today I will complete my journey...the whole reason for this trip.  I can't believe it's here... It is going to be an emotional day, but I'm excited and ready.  

The longest day

Wow, what a long day I have had, but I don't want the day to end without sharing my day with you. 

I was awake before the sun to catch a 7am ET flight out of Grand Rapids on what was the first of three legs of travel.  After a short flight and brief layover in Minneapolis, I boarded the plane to Seattle, anxious to get in the air.  Just moments before we were scheduled to leave the gate,  the captain announced that we would be delayed due to a minor mechanical issue. 

As we sat in the plane waiting I was worrying about making my connecting flight, when the captain announced that the plane I was on would be the plane continuing the journey from Seattle to Honolulu.  No way I was missing my connection.  Boy was I relieved. 

Finally. About 50 minutes later than planned,  we made our departure from Minneapolis. 

We arrived in Seattle with a plane full of people, many worried about making a connecting flight.  While I knew I didn't have that worry, I did want to make sure I had time to grab something to eat before we left Seattle for the 6 hour flight to Hawaii.  I saw a quick-service Chinese restaurant and decided that's where I'd eat...boy did I regret that decision!  It was some of the worst Chinese I'd ever had. 

Soon I was boarding the plane again for the final leg of my journey, unfortunately just minutes before take off, we were informed of another mechanical issue which would cause yet another delay.  We sat on the steaming hot plane with no working air conditioning for about 30 minutes before they made the decision to have us deplane until the issue was fixed or we got another plane.  So off the plane we went with all of out belongings.

After about 10 minutes back at the gate, we were told the issue had been repaired and we would then reload the plane.  Thankfully things moved quickly, and we finally departed Seattle for Honolulu 2 hours later than our original schedule.  But we were on our way!

The flight over the ocean was smooth and uneventful, and didn't feel as long as I expected.   We arrived in Honolulu at about 4:40 HT...about 90 minutes late.  But we made it!

I made my way to baggage claim to pick up my luggage and then headed over to pick up my rental car.  And finally, I left the airport about 50 minutes later, just in time for 5 o'clock traffic.

Luckily,  the slow down wasn't too bad and I made my way to my home for the next couple of days on the North Shore in Laie.

It's  a slow drive to the North Shore and the 34 mile trip took me just over an hour.  I arrived at my room in Laie at dusk, at 6:30PM HT/12:30AM ET.

I settled into my room, quickly ran out to grab a small bite to eat, and came back to relax and get some sleep.  I'm looking forward to doing some exploring in the North Shore over the next day and a half before heading back to Waikiki for the rest of my time here.

Today I made it to my 50th State....a goal that 15 years ago I wouldn't even have thought was possible. Tucked away in my luggage making this journey with me was a small portion of Imke's ashes...it took me nearly 11 months to open them, but she's been there since the beginning and needed to be here now...so we could complete the journey together.