Last weekend we took a trip down to  Byron Bay  , New South Wales, Australia.

We had heard much about its delightful beaches and its popularity as a holiday destination. The only disappointment we had was the weather, it was very windy with occassional rain showers. The weather only killed our swimming plans.
We ate out for all meals, and were very happy with the quality and variety of food available.

To keep ourselves busy as an alternative to swimming, we drove up to the nearby town of Bangalow. There we wandered up and down the main street before heading to the Bangalow Hotel for a fabulous lunch. We will be back there for some more at next opportunity.

Back in Byron Bay:- My Son and I had heard there was a local brewery in Byron bay – “The Byron Bay Brewery “. We managed to find it too! It is a little difficult to find but if you look out for signs near the Police Station round-a-bout, then head off toward “Skinners Shoot“. Around a few corners and you cannot miss the brewery. It is housed in an old piggery building.

Well, we tasted several of their beers and were very impressed with the quality of their product. Some beers dark, some hoppy, some very smooth. They also meals which some people were enjoying. It was another place at Byron that we will return to. Well worth the visit.

Accommodation:
Most of it is very over-priced, so be prepared. Where we stayed was a few decades old and in need of a general upgrade (cigarette burns on the carpets, bathrooms very tired). One thing we all agreed on was that the bedding was of good quality. Even so, we would probably stay elsewhere next time.

John

We have always hear that the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was amazing due to the large number of balloons participating. Their own site quotes numbers of between 500 and 700 balloons.

Here is some info taken direct from their 2013 FAQ web page    –

Our signature event remains Balloon Fiesta—which, with over 600 balloons, is the largest ballooning event on earth, the most photographed event on earth, and the largest annual international event held in the United States.

and this in another FAQ on their same page…

How long does it take for the balloons to launch?

All 500+ balloons should be launched in less than two hours.

So we organized a family group this year to attend the Fiesta in the hope of seeing the promised Hundreds of balloons.

Oh boy, we were very disappointed at the number of balloons in the “Mass Ascension” on the morning we attended. The most balloons I could see either in the air, or on the ground being readied for launch was just around 60.

What we saw was OK and very colorful. But we did not see the stated “Hundreds”.

In fact, a few years ago we attended the Hot Air Balloon parade in Longview, Texas. At that event there were close to 60 balloons.

We feel let down by Albuquerque and for sure will never go back for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. On a score of 1 to 10, I give it a 1.

False and misleading advertising comes to mind. I wonder if there is a Better Business Bureau in Albuquerque ?

In late December 2012 we had a few days at DisneyWorld, Orlando, Florida. Apart from the unusually cool weather, we had lots of fun.

Ella managed to hit the jackpot tossing some balls at buckets and got to select a prize from the TOP SHELF. Needless to say, it was a slight problem getting it home to Texas on the flight home. But there was no way she was going to leave it in Florida.

Well done Ella.

I recently drove up Interstate 44 on my way from Texas to Illinois and was intrigued by the fact that along I44 in Mo the mile markers were placed every two tenths of a mile. Seems crazy. Who need that level of accuracy when driving at 70 Mph. The signs flip by every couple of seconds. Well, that is how it seemed.

My guess is that they have a lot of sign writer inmates in their prisons and to keep them busy, they place the signs in such close proximity.

Hey, Mo. Politicians, you could sure save your taxpayers some money by ceasing this ridiculous practice. Oh, but I forgot, it is not your money you are spending. I wonder why the signs are not every one/tenth mile?

Oh, and if you ever get convinced that you should visit Branson, Mo, because friends told you about it, DON’T! They are not really friends if they recommend Branson. It’s a terrible tourist trap with second rate entertainers, second rate restaurants, second rate service and second rate accommodation.

JohnG

In August, Nan and PJ took Ella on a trip to Washington DC. It was her first visit there and she really enjoyed the City, Smithsonian and a side trip down to Williamsburg, VA.

Every day we came home to our hotel very tired and with sore feet, but were able to recover and head on out the next day for more exploration. Ella became quite proficient with finding the subway stations and getting to and from the correct platforms.

At the Wax Museum, Ella met with George W Bush,

and with Barrack and Michelle OBama.

I am sure they were equally pleased to meet her.

On our second day, we were able to do a self guided tour of the White House. This was a highlight and Ella was intrigued by the featured rooms we were able to visit. There was a lot of history in each room.

One evening we took a night tour on the bus of the city sights. Sadly, we chose the wrong night as we ended up soaking wet form a heavy rainstorm and stranded because the bus broke down. A replacement bus finally collected us from the Lincoln Memorial, and given our drenched state, the obliging bus driver willingly dropped us off at the front door of our hotel instead of back at Union Station, which was about a half mile walk from our hotel.

Then on to historic Williamsburg, VA. The drive down Interstate 95 was very slow. Traffic was just too much for the highway. Something needs to be done to prevent the congestion on that highway.

We visited the yard where they make the bricks at Williamsburg. Ella and PJ helped by treading some of the raw clay with our bare feet. It was awsome.

Can I show the video of this mud-walk?

[vimeo clip_id=”57263084″]

Well, we had a great vacation in Hawaii and had lots of adventures.

We stayed near [skhighlight color=”blue”] Kapaa [/skhighlight] on the East coast of Kauai for most of our three weeks in Hawaii. We rented a condo at the Waipouli Beach Resort and it was perfect. Lots of activities/sightseeing on the North shore and on the South shore. So, here you are about half way between the two. Plus all the sights up the East coast.

• Zip lining
• Quad bike riding
• Downhill cycle ride
• Rain forest hiking

We did all that, plus the relaxing in the pools at the resort.

There was a family group of 6.

[toggle state=”closed” title=”Would We Like to go back?”]Not surprisingly, we would all love to go back ASAP. [/toggle]

After the Kauai stay, we headed back to Waikiki Beach for three nights. That area of Honolulu is over-run by tourists, but is worth experiencing for a few days. 4 days/3 nights was plenty on Oahu.

Next we flew over to the “Big island”, Hawaii Island and had three nights there. The aim was to see the volcano erupting and the recent lava flows. The lava was not flowing the days we were there, but had been just a few days earlier. We took a Helicopter flight over the coastal lava flows and could see lots of steam/sulphur fumes emanating from the recent lava. Also there was lots of trees that had been singed by the heat and were dying.

At night we visited the volcano itself and witnessed the firey red glow coming from the crater. Lots of steam, ash and red glow from the molten lava in the volcano tube.

When done there, we headed West on the island to the Kona region. There we relaxed a few days and then headed back to Australia. Thanks again Qantas for some great flights. We managed to use a whole bunch of our Frequent Flyer points for the trip

John