Another Day in Paradise, Kauai Style

Yes, we took another trip to Hawaii. This time we decided to go to an island we had never visited before -- Kauai. Here are some of the highlights!

Talk Story Bookstore - The Western-most Independent Bookstore in the United States! It was our first stop on the island and yes, we bought books even though we had brought plenty with us.

If you have never had shave ice with ice cream in the bottom, find some. Even better if it is macadamia nut ice cream under guava and passion-orange shave ice (with a condensed milk "cream topping"!). Mmm.

Z was totally relaxed.

I practiced my palm tree photography.

I read some fantastic books.

We saw places that were definitely our idea of paradise, like Hanalei Bay. We even checked the price on the property for sale across the street!

We climbed on lava rocks and explored little tide pools filled with fish.

I grabbed a few photos of one of my favorite flowers.

Hibiscus are possibly the most photogenic flower.

And we spent some time just appreciating the gorgeous landscaping at the Grand Hyatt.

Kauai is an amazing island.

Because, in Hawaii, after every storm ...

... there's always a rainbow.

Dreaming of an island life,
K

New Release: Eighty Days

Though the name is something of a misnomer as one of the "racers" didn't even know she had a competitor until halfway through the journey, Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman is still an exciting adventure that highlights the unique adventures of two brave twenty-somethings in 1889.

Nellie Bly was looking to make her name in journalism, to break free of the limits put on women at the time who were only allowed to write society columns and local interest pieces. Once she finally got into a position where she was being given real, hard-hitting investigative assignments, she got the idea to attempt to beat Phileas Fogg's fictional record for traveling around the world in eighty days. She was rejected the first time she put forth the suggestion but eventually her paper, looking for an attention grabber, took her up on the idea and sent her east to travel around the world. Not to be outdone after they heard of Bly's departure, Elizabeth Bisland's paper asked her, a literary critic, to head off on a similar journey but departing to the west. Thus began a "race" between two women who were trailblazers in the fight for women's equality despite their different directions.

Though the scope of this book might have been just a tad too broad, it was nevertheless a fascinating read. I truly felt I got to know these two women as they each traveled alone around the world. My opinions of each of them changed throughout the journey. With one woman quiet and reserved and the other brash and attention-seeking, it was interesting to see how each one dealt with the challenges that came their way. They also had different views of the cultures and lands that they encountered along the journeys, some more noble and accepting than others. And, as both women were American, it was interesting to see how their nationality affected their views on the world. I'm also very glad that I read Jules Verne's classic tale before reading this book as they paired well together.

Feeling inspired and motivated,
K

"Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7 Savile Row ..."

In preparation for a non-fiction read (that I'll be featuring tomorrow), I finally picked up Jules Verne's classic Around the World in Eighty Days. It was much shorter that I expected and much less boring than my last Verne read. Good news all around (bad pun intended)!

The title of this book pretty much explains the plot -- Phileas Fogg, a remarkably stable gentleman of unknown means, overhears a discussion about global circumnavigation and the conversation ends in a wager that Phileas cannot complete the trip in eighty days. He, however, is absolutely certain he will be successful. In fact, he prepares to set out that same day with his new manservant, Passepartout. Heading east, he sets out on a race against time and the suspicion that he is actually a bank robber on the run.

While there are obviously going to be uncomfortable racial characterizations in any Victorian stories that involve world cultures, I found those in Eighty Days to be relatively mild, not enough to distract from a fun story. I can see why this tale captured the imaginations of so many, even inspiring an around the world race (which I will tell you about tomorrow). This has even made me excited to read more Verne, something I haven't felt in a long time. Don't be surprised if you see Journey to the Center of the Earth here within the next few months.

Feeling an itching in my soles,
K

New Release: Cooper's Guide Seattle

If you are planning a trip to Seattle (or London, New York City, Amsterdam or Alaska) and you have kids, you are going to want a Cooper's Guide to prepare for the trip and to take along with you!

Cooper is a puppy with tennis shoes and a red backpack and he's beginning to travel around the world.  His latest adventure was to Seattle (he's from the very local Bainbridge Island) and the Seattle guide that he's put together with friends Kyle & Groot is wonderful.  It's mostly a picture book with lots of stunning photographs and a travelogue format retelling how Elliott the sea otter showed Cooper around his city.  There are a couple of general maps on the inside cover flaps but this is mainly a book to give a child a bit of familiarity with the place you are traveling to and to whet their appetite for the sights of the area.

Z fell in love with this book immediately and spent two whole days looking through it and reading it.  Because Seattle is our hometown, there were many things that we were already familiar with but also plenty of new facts and surprises.  He loved seeing the pictures of the ferry (which we take a couple of times a year to various local islands), the Pike Place Market and all of its beautiful local produce and seafood and the EMP/SFM (Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum) that we just recently visited with him for the first time.  He also loved seeing a picture of the "Wall of Gum" which his dad likes to complain about (because it's disgusting!).  And Z is insisting that we take our car to the car wash with the pink elephant sign sometime soon.

You really need to visit the Cooper's Pack website to see all that they have to offer (note: some parts of the site are still being built, like the store).  They have animal guides matched with each city and plenty more locations on the way, including Athens, Cape Town and Tokyo.  Their Seattle guide is also available as an iPad app with London and New York versions coming soon.  I'm completely sold on these books and will definitely pick up any of them that coincide with where we are traveling.

Loving family travel made easier,
K and Z


Buy the Cooper's Pack Travel Guide to Seattle on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We received a review copy from the publisher.