Part 3

June 9-18

The last portion of our travels.

Preamble

Part 1, May 26-31

Part 2, June 1 - 8

Part 3, June 9-18

After - Postscript

 

 

 

Looking for Something...

Can't find what you are looking for, email us and if we don't have it, I'm sure we can point you in the right direction.

Part 3, June 9-18


John and Howard's Epic Post Covid Bike Trip 2021!

Part 3, June 9-18, 2021

And today....

June 9, Day 14 of 22
119,158 ending miles for a total of 362 miles today.

Great day riding, morning started with coffee at camp, no rain or snow as expected.  Leaving camp is a bit chilli, and by the time we hit the main road, it is the coldest yet.  So cold I have to pull over to put on my gloves as it is really cold.  We get to Stanley Idaho and find a great breakfast place.  Hot coffee, food, and the internet.  Our fellow travelers from the day before arrival as we get ready to leave (remember the insane Harley riders, but are super cool retired people).  I'm able to charge the laptop, drop pics and update the blog.  I'm not as careful with the wording, as the road is a calling.  Breakfast pau, we roll across the street for gas and then hit the road.  I take a wrong turn, not realizing the blue line says turnaround, but all roads lead to Rome, or in our case Idaho central.  And yes, we end up smack in the middle of Boise freaking city, that wasn't part of the plan for sure.  Unlike me, Howard is pretty cool with six lanes of traffic but we survive the big city.  Before getting there we stop for fuel yet again and I'm able to call Janet at home and talk story.  We try to make plans for our anniversary coming up.  Sounds like a nice dinner for two at the Ponds in Hilo.  Is it 33 years for us already, wow time flies for sure.  Continuing on, we get to yet another gas station after Boise and I'm lucky enough to be accosted by a couple and their little dog about going to California as they make people wear masks and how they will never get vaccinated (the people with the dog).  I try to ignore them and focus on putting fuel in the bike not on it, while they keep trying to get my attention and explain how smart they are and will never be vaccinated, meanwhile I say I'm busy and am trying to fill my gas tank.  I figure, maybe the covid virus will take them out, and I hope it is before I finish gassing up.  Alas, it is not, and they continue to tell me about children born with defects due to covid, see such and such web page.  I ask if they have ever been vaccinated for anything, like Polio, they both say no and I figure they are early 70's and yes they have Polio, MMR, probably tetanus shots, shingles, and looking at the two, they are probably alive thanks to blood pressure meds, cholesterol, and arthritis medicines.  Again, I ask about things like Polio and get a no.  But finally, the man relents and "yes, but I took it orally".  Howard catches a little of this leaving the gas station store and smartly takes a 90' turn.  They continue with their daughter who is a doctor and the lady has three degrees.  I keep wondering how these trumpzillas can be so interested in converting me to being an anti covid person? They have a better chance of getting me into a church of snakes.  I want to ask if they helped storm the capital, but decide, if I keep busy and not talk they will go away.    He finally asks if I'm good with computers, hmmm, how to answer...  He suggests I go to some website about it.  I feel like suggesting he go to an insane asylum.  Then I realize, I must be close to the eastern edge of Oregon.  We wrap things up and head on to our camp, just off Highway 395, Idlewild.  Camp is great, I may have skipped this part on my last trip as I was low on fuel while waiting for an hour with a more than happy black lab.  I had given up and took a left, barely making it to the gas station.  It is windy tonight, we light a fire and quickly extinguish it due to high winds and very brown grass in the area.  Tomorrow we are off to Lakeview or further down, but that is tomorrow.  The plan is Lee Vinning, the backside of Yosemite and then into the park, maybe 3 nights if we can.  I don't think we will have much luck as today is Wed, it will take a couple of days to get there and that makes it the weekend.  I suspect half of California will be trying to get in.
Warm wishes!

Thursday, June 10, 15 of 22 days, on the downward slide...
163 miles today, easy-sneezy.  Ended at 119321 in Lake View, Oregon.  Nice place, not much of a lake yet, but a pretty mellow day as we arrived early. I had stayed here five years earlier on a previous bike trip.  Lots of road construction slowing us down, but not so bad.  It is now after 8 pm and I've eaten way too much.  I will sleep well if the temp doesn't drop to low.  I plan to wear my heated jacket to bed tonight.  A fellow here for handgun training showed us pics of snow on the mountains just next to us, and mentioned it rained really hard just a day before.  It has been a cold day, seems colder than any other part of the trip thus far.  Snow falling as we left Idlewild was pretty cool, not much, or enough to make a chipmunk-sized snow cone, but kinda nifty nonetheless.  Not much to report, other than don't follow two double-decker cattle trucks, that isn't bilge water coming out of it in gallons, just saying...  Off to Lee Vinning tomorrow the back door to Yosemite, and search for camping.  Cross your fingers...

Friday, June 11, 16 of 22, Bikes get loaded by 4 pm on the 17th..
443 miles today down highway 395, a priceless piece of America, going thru small forgotten towns, valleys, past ranches.  Deer out on the road, so we can slow down and watch them.  We left Lakeview Oregon at 6:30, and stopped for fuel, and clean the bugs off our windscreens.  Seems the farther southwest we go, the more bugs.  Drive is spectacular, even a little off route via google gods, which took us to very crazy road construction (both side lanes taken out by contractors).  The public relations person gives us some good ideas, head back, turn at beaver, blah blah (at this point my brain is full).  We head back and make the turns, google maps is having a shit fit, but we do find Bieber road.  Maybe helmets on our heads, road machinery and I suffer from CHS (can't hear s#$T).  We get to a gas station for gas and the bathroom break, Howard grabs coffee and something that he says is chicken (I suspect it is the wing of a penguin) but I say nothing.  I look over and I think a car has caught fire, but it is the local rendition of Huli-Huli chicken getting started.  With advice from two ladies that suspect (rightly so) that we are lost, they tell us to head back the way we thought we arrived as it will be faster.  And in this case, even google maps agree.  I look at the map and think I'm looking at a map warp, as it doesn't make sense.  So, we head back the way we came and realize, we didn't come this way, as we both shake our heads and laugh over our comm systems. Speaking of coms, I found some new features to adjust sounds and such, which makes a difference.  Hard to do while driving, as I'm often holding on for dear life, looking for deer trying to jump in front of me to end my life, or cars, trucks, etc.  With that, it has been pretty good.  Continuing past Susanville, Susan car sales, Susan road, Susan river... you get the Susan picture.   Note to self, need to look up who this Susan person was.  We continue into Reno and it is as I remember, at first highway 395 is a couple of lanes, then slowly there are more lanes, and more trucks, cars, etc.  Until there are many lanes and roads and trucks and cars.  Winds have picked up, so tight traffic, doing 80-90 with gusts and vehicles ages me yet again.  Howard meanwhile is in cruise mode, nothing seems to shake him.  We find a chevron in the midst of Reno (they seem to have a homeless problem) and we leave through the city.  Again, another hot day, hitting every red light, our bikes’ temp gauges rise...Finally, we are back on the freeway, again going mach 10, or plaid speed.  We cruise for a while, with a perceptive blue shift in front of us, and slow when I find the old highway 395, we now find ourselves doing 55-65, and with us going near light speed, we have not aged much...  The road is nice, and we get to stop for lunch at Walker burgers, a chocolate malt and burger make me very happy.  Back on the bike for a final 30 minutes to Lee Vining, we turn up to check out Yosemite, and 11 miles later...  Can't get past the gate, unless we drive-thru. We turn around and find a great campsite, at about 9600 ft, a place called Junction campground off Tioga pass.  Nice, some snow but mosquitos are amazing, giant, and copious.  I should have noticed when we drove up, a girl had a big hat swarming with bugs, the camp leader dude, nothing (probably takes a bath in DET).  Campsite is nice. Howard is taken back as the camp dude refers to it as the honeymoon spot.  I set my tent up asap and hid inside to spend time killing bugs trapped in with me.  The floor seems covered with little black dead bugs, hopefully dead.  Tomorrow is another day, so we get out to stretch our legs and hike to a short ridge to get some ideas.  Howard's wife Jill has put us in for a lottery, but we need the internet to see if we won tomorrow.  We decided to head back to Lee Vining for breakfast and the internet, then if no joy, we will continue around Sonora and maybe back via bear valley.  Time will tell.  It is still early, but I must brave the wild zombie bugs to get my jacket heater battery, wish me luck.  Neighbors reported the temp in the ‘20s on wed.  So I'll either freeze to death or be sucked dry by mosquitos from hell. The sunsets in the west, casting a long shadow rising on the amazing snow-covered granite hills to the east.  Slowly as the day ends, the sunsets, and the shadows rise into the night.  Nighty-night!



June 12, 17 of 22...  At Meadow campground off hwy 108 past Strawberry
My ending mileage 119872, covering ironically, only 108 miles.

But a wonderful 108 miles they are.  We started late and ended early, not a bad gig for winding down the trip.  108 was the best route yet in my opinion for a motorcycle today from being on the road at 730am, and at camp by 1pm.  Route 108 is epic, I would suggest everyone go out and buy a motorcycle and ride 108 twice.  I could do that all day long.  Setting up our tents at the meadow campground is nice and looking forward to a fire, and maybe grilling something manly, you know like s'mores or meat smores... LOL.  It is 1pm and I think we will hang for a bit before we venture out to explore the place.  Speaking of hanging out, my gypsy camp has clothes still damp from a few days ago at Lakeview washer and no drying hanging all over the place.  I thought they would dry faster on the bike, but alas, not the case.  So, things are spread out, and I have a clothesline between two trees and skivvies on the table.  I think of Leon and his story of why they iron clothes in parts of Africa, to keep eggs from hatching and burrowing into the skin.  I'm not sure if I am more worried about the camp master or the crows going after my drying items.  Should be done soon, as not a cloud in the sky.  We may have a change of plans to return to San Diego.  Per my sister and the weather gods, the valley is looking at temps of 108 on Thursday.  “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat”, but hmm. Lady suggests we take 395 south after going through Yosemite.  I think that might work and we could get a campsite at elevation and be closer to our drop-off point.  As soon as I have the internet I'll look at windy.com, shake the magic coffee grounds for a reading and figure something out.   Hoping we can get into Yosemite for camping tomorrow night, but if not, we will find camping and do a run through on the 14th.  Warm wishes and lots of fishes!

June 13, 18 of 22. 144 miles with an ending odometer of 120,0046 on the bike.  Good bike!  I think I'll need new tires on my return to Hilo. Front tires are cupping a bit. We are now at a great little campground just above fish camp, very close to the entrance to Yosemite, like a 5-minute ride and we will be at the park.  This is also a close entrance to drive up to the overlook over half dome, Glacier point.  I was told next year it will be closed due to accidents at the hairpin turns.  Our family drove up to this spot in 2006, and a photo taken of us at the spot is one of my all-time favorites.  But let’s back it up a little, as we had a short ride, it took a while to get here as it is now after 6 pm.  The morning was easy and we left camp after 7 am, a cup of coffee and leftover pizza, the perfect breakfast food.  We found Mia's Pizza place on the way back from looking for some meat to grill.  I found a bag of chips and beef franks.  A giant 18" in a box pizza replaced the dogs.  Driving back to camp, Howard with a giant cardboard box of firewood strapped into his back seat, and me with a giant pizza box on the seat was a fun drive.  We ended up giving the hot dogs to Chirs the UPS driver and his family (all names started with a C), as we couldn't keep them in our Maytag refrigerator on our bikes (no we don't have refrigerators).  We continue on and end up at the Coulter Cafe for breakfast, coffee, and the internet.  Cute place and seems to be full of unique people.  We take our time as I want to download pics, but the internet is slow.  We leave Coulterville and continue on Golden Chain Highway laden with pizza, coffee, guava jam french toast and more coffee.  The road is cool, the Golden Chain hwy, long and windy, yet another perfect motorcycle road.  Up and down, the valley and very hot we drive for several hours, onward to fish camp we go.  Arriving at Summerdale campground, we are a bit early as no spots are available.  Cheryl, the camp mom, suggests we go for a hike and come back at 5pm as she might have some openings.  We head up the street and just at the Yosemite entrance, is a snow play area and I head up to check it out, while Howard keeps watching at the road.  Many campers are there and it looks good, so I go back down to gather Howard, and we return to the place.  Super nice and had just hosted a mondo 25k race.  Maybe 4-6 other campers in the area, but we decided to go back to Cheryl’s camp site at 4:30.  She has a spot for us!  Great news, and Howard gets some firewood as well.  It is a cool little campsite, and Howard finds a small stream to jump in and rinse off.  Epic, and we have probably polluted the downstream fish population.  Coldwater, and refreshing for sure.  Back at camp, Howard has a fire going and we are looking at the end of our camping food.  Tonight’s dinner is brought to you by Mountain house, a special blend of hand-selected items for a pasta primavera, and Howards is Heather’s choice, smoked sockeye and salmon chowder.  Howards must be good or he is starving as he is making happy eating sounds.  Tomorrow we hit Yosemite with a vengeance. The plan is for an early departure at 530 and have breakfast at Glacier point.  Sounds like a plan, stay tuned for more exciting adventures of Howard and John!  Ps, I dropped my bike and I wasn't even on it.  Loading a cord of firewood, I turned and it fell over.  Embarrassingly, only my pride is hurt and we get the bike back up and I reload the firewood with one leg against the bike in case of another attack of gravity.  Sleep well!


Only 73 miles today, a new record!
Day 19 of 22... tick tick tick... June 14th and we are in Yosemite!
120119 ending odometer.  Up early from our campsite, eager to fight the uphill lines of cars getting into the park from Fish Camp.  I get up at 5:20 and look to see Howard already packed on his bike.  I jump into my riding clothes, pack the tent and we are off to the park!  Entrance is only a few miles away at most, and excitedly (as one can be at 5:30 in the morning) we arrive at the pearly gates of Yosemite!  You can hear the trumpets excitedly with park passes in hand, ID's ready to go, and our QLR codes...  We find the guard shack empty with a note.  "Fill out paper, place it in the left window".  We look at each other as cars zoom by heading uphill in the exit lane as we are blocking the only entrance, obviously workers late for work.  We quickly stuff the papers in our pockets with the promise to fill them out and be ready later.  A false turn to Glacier Point was easily corrected and we headed up the hill to the beautiful blue day and cool morning.  Once again, a ride made for motorcycles, well except for the lack of guard rails as you try to navigate the turns while trying to look.  Uphill we go and it starts to get cold.  My thermometer shows -5 and my gloveless hands are not happy even with heated grips.  Note to self, I think the port side heater is off a bit.  Worried about slick roads, we slow it down finally arriving at the Glacier Point overlook.  Well worth it!  A couple is there doing a morning wedding shoot, and the sun is rising over the granite hills.  Spectacular!  We walk about taking photos and head to the bikes for our breakfast gear.  Sitting at the granite amphitheater we boil water for coffee, hot cereal and I down a smores poptart, ono liscious for sure.   More hiking and photos and just enjoying the scenery, reflecting on our trip.  Looking back at the great weather (knock on wood), the great roads and our bikes doing great.  Life is great!  After some time, we head to the main area of Yosemite.   I am now sitting at the lower pine campground, Howard has used his magic and found us a place just as we were about to head out of the valley, with a stop by the river for a nap before heading to "dry creek", that one ensuites lush green visions, not.  Today was fun and Yosemite valley does not disappoint.  I think Howard and I can both agree that each place is special and different.  Often not as our expectations anticipate, but usually better.  Lower pine campground, we went for a short swim in the cold but refreshing river, while watching people tube past at a leisurely pace.  Not bad for a Monday.  It is time to deliberate on dinner, get some food at the local pub or BBQ some meat from the store.  Choices, hopefully not both.  Sitting in our camp chairs and typing away super stocked we have a campsite in the valley.  Tomorrow is a long, maybe hot day as we try to beat the heat thru Fresno to highway one.  Wish us luck.  Update, we found a bar for chicken wings and beers at full tourista prices and then headed outside for pizza and more beer.  We walked back to camp on an awesome evening.  A blue sky shows the granite walls of Yosemite, you look, and a few minutes later it all changes.  Enjoy life and be happy with what you have in front of you.  Tomorrow is the race across the valley to San Luis Obispo, camp or continue south.  Then camp one other place before dropping our bikes.  I may need to find a bike wash along the way so they will let me ship it.


June 15, 20 of 22
120418 ending miles today with 299 miles driven.  Hard to leave Yosemite, starry night and absolutely beautiful morning, mist in the meadows, a deer walking through our campsite as we drink our coffees and prep for the ride.  Warm enough I slept in my cotton sleeping bag insert.  Leaving at Deer O' thirty (6am), we head out expecting crazy temperatures as we head for San Luis Obispo Montana de  Oro State Park for camping.  Leaving the valley I've selected "avoid highways" with google maps, so we tootle north of Fresno on California Golden out of El Portal from Yosemite.  Down 41 to 145, and then back on 41 with meandering roads and stiff winds mostly at our backs.  We stop for gas and want to get rid of the morning coffee, no joy, panhandled, the gas machine I'm at is broken, and no bathrooms.  Gassed and going we drive on amongst the prisons, grapes, olives, and almonds.  Still, no places to stop and stretch and not a tree in sight. We finally spotted Morro Bay and Morro Rock, great news, we didn't die from heat prostration.  Central Yosemite Valley  Hwy, is a great ride, and not that hot, a nice ride we both agree.  Most totally happy dude, we've made it to San Luis Obispo, breakfast has worn off, we stop for a burger at Sylvester, and it’s $2 Tuesdays for a pint, how can you say no to a local IPA.  Burger, Beer, and soda, we make our short way to the campsite.  Only.. to find, the campsite is closed, buggers, I say!  We contemplate and stretch a little before deciding to head for Pismo beach for a campsite.  Arriving first at North Beach, waiting in line for 20 minutes in what has become really hot air.  No joy, they recommend another spot, where we drive around a pretty empty campground and finally I find the camp master.  I find a guy picking up little rocks like a happy kid and ask for the camp master person.  He says it is him and 20 minutes later, I'm trying unsuccessfully to disengage and leave.  Howard is wondering if I've been kidnapped.  I put the helmet on, he tells me a story, I thank him and say I have to go, but another story, it is really hot the dude is a couple of light bulbs short of a dim view or paddles in a boat, etc, or a something, but I suspect he is lost in his own head, but very happy.  Howard now leads us to another campground, pretty much across the street and wolla, we have a spot for 50night.  Right next to Pismo and it is starting to cool down.  Tomorrow promises more heat, and just the little from San Luis Obispo to Pismo is super toasty, even for me.  It is now after 7 pm, I walked the beach of cars and trucks, put my toes in the water and took a shower.  Howard and I walk back to the beach and get a couple of pastrami sandwiches as we struggle with where to camp tomorrow.  I suspect he isn't big on getting some newspapers and finding a bench to sleep on. The weather is a perfect California cool sea air temp.  Dinner is setting in and tomorrow promises to be a crazy day. The adventure continues, but sadly our last night on the road is uncertain.  Where to camp near Long Beach with a zillion people trying to escape the heat.  Suggestions?



June 16

Found a Starbucks in Santa Barbara. Posting previous days.




June 16, 21 of 22, one last day! 
The ending odometer is 120694, or 276 miles driven over 11 hours on the road.
What a drive it was!    From Pismo Beach to Santa Claira on highway one, mostly that is.  A great ride, except for the 11 hours of driving that should have taken maybe 6.  When we got to Santa Monica, long beach Huntington Beach, Newport, and Laguna Beach, my GPS showed 4 hours to go 16 miles.  I thought it was on crack, apparently, it was slow going. I followed a guy in a white convertible with his date for about 3 hours or 16 miles. Red light to red light we pushed on, stopping the bike at red lights to cool, and walking in the saddle to keep our cool to move a few feet.  Ran into a Harley guy who had pulled over, as we where at a red light for 10 minutes, we had time to talk.  He said just slow going and was stripping down to remove layers of clothes for the heat..  Frigging hot at times for sure.  We stop at several campsites and no joy camping, "Try the next spot down the road", bastards lie..  Finally, at a large campsite near camp pendleton, I give in, no camping, and I find a comfort inn hotel about 3 miles away.  I feel like I paid for the taj mahal, but there is a pool, jacuzzi, shower, clean beds, ac, and a Mexican restaurant with beers a short walking distance.  We are now only 96 miles to our bike drop off and that is along the coast.  Our plan, leave at 9am, get to the bike drop off by 11:30 or so.  Clean the bikes, pack up, and uber to our hotel by the airport.  Maybe some time to check out the city of San diego?  Overall a great trip.  Our return to San Diego had limited options due to the valley projected temp of 108.  Across the valley to the coast, back to highway 395 or Bakersfield.   395 would have lead us between death and the Sierra Nevadas, then a pop across the desert thru amazing heat.  I'm glad we did the Pacific Coastal highway.  Great to see the ocean and a nice drive.  It felt great at a nice pace of 55-70 along with the farmlands and coast.  We stop along the coast and enjoy the ocean.  It is now after 9 pm.  Like building a house, the last 10% takes 90% of the time and effort so to speak.  Tomorrow ends our journey 96 miles away.  Get out, explore, do something out of your comfort zone while you can.  We meet so many people, most were great a few make me worry about our country


 


June 17, 22 of 22.

5221 miles driven, 22 days, Good morning, says a flat tire… My rear tire has picked up a nail. 

We are now sitting at the Sheraton San Diego Marina, after checking in, a hot tub, swim, and walk around the marina. The place is nice and we are now in no rush. The morning started like any other morning, well, the air conditioning, soft bed, no noise, it is pretty nice. No being in a rush, our bike drop-off is slated for 3:30 pm and only an hour away. We prep and head to the bikes and I see my rear tire is pretty low, also known in the motorcycle circles as flat. We decide to make it to a gas station, and after several credit cards worth of air, it looks like my valve steam is leaking at the base. In no certain terms, "oh shit"! I start making calls at the sound "hissss", one tire guy "no", next guy "no", but recommends a bike shop next to the tattoo parlor another mile down the road. At this point, what’s another mile on a soft rim. We get to the shop and Meet Kurt, the retired Orange County firefighter living in Mexico, but up to check on his house, drives a killer 4x4 sprint, super cool and dropping tires that looked like 90% new for new tires. Apparently, he races in Mexico. We chat, and Brian shows up, owner of San Clemente Motorcycle Company at just before 10 am. Super cool, I'm thinking of a tiny shop. Brian rolls up his door to Motorcycle heaven. About twenty killer bikes and his workers start to show up moving them outside. I take my tire off and hand it to him. This requires significant remodeling, as I need to loos the left Painer and middle brace. That means emptying the bike and Brian lends me a scissor jack to keep the bike up once the tire is off. He is quick to change the valve stem and doesn't have a spare tire in stock. I will wait till I return. I suspect I have a shiny metal object in my tire, so on pickup in Hilo on July 7th, I'l be sure to bring a tire inflator. The issue with the front tire cupping is a problem, but I suspect it is a tire balance issue, not a fork loading issue, as I just rebuilt the forks after my last trip. The last trip they sucked a bunch of road grim/tar and messed things up, but both forks were rebuilt. Hmm, I'm going with a tire balance issue. Back on the road, we skip the PCH (pacific coast highway) and turn into Sand Diego headed for our drop-off point. Not a bad drive, but I remember why I don't like the city, 5 lanes going 90mph and people driving like shitheads, but we survive. Even with stop and go on the highway? Arriving at Road one for the drop-off at 11:50, they are breaking for lunch but let us know they are super busy and double booked. Hmm, what to do, so we go to eat at poco loco, a chicken Mexican place. Leaving our phone number, we eat and return and start emptying our bikes. A cool dude shows up and starts to process our bikes, eureka! We finish packing and call an uber. I'm able to leave my helmet, riding pants, and jacket on the bike for the ride home and long with my boots and stinky socks. Uber arrives and we are off to where I started my simple diatribe at with Howard and I are now sitting at happy hour, drinking a few beers and talking about life in volcano. I'll follow up with notes on our trip, so stay tuned for that. Maybe on the plane or something.




June 18, we fly home!

Good morning, no additional miles to report today. Up at 4, shuttle by 4:45, the airport just up the street, we arrive at check in before they are open and finally get our bags checked. There is like one coffee place open and standing in line produces a coffee and a roll. Pre digestive for our airplane food for sure. But that is after TSA and before covid pre-check. The TSA and Covid checks are a joke, people are tired and haven't hit that first cup off coffee yet. We end up early, I'm able to get my tickets at a kiosk, but no baggage tags, so we are stuck till 6:30 waiting for Hawaiian Air to open. No worries, better early than late. Finally, with our bags checked, we head to TSA and end up in a pre-check TSA line. After getting to the front, we are told to go back against the flow of other pre-check TSA people in line (walk the line of shame) and go back into yet another line where we are sniffed by a dog. We survive the dog test, the eyeball scrutiny, no rubber gloves are brought for further inspection and we are now back to where I started, in line for coffee. We find a quiet place to sit and enjoy our coffee, happy to be on the Hawaii side of the airport. We then hear an announcement of a pre covid test at a different gate. We go from one line to the next and after getting to the front of the line, neither of our Hawaii covid test results are accepted. They can't find us in the system. I pull up the app and show my test results are loaded and accepted, I show three different QLR codes no joy. Lady and I laugh, what a mess this is, obviously the low bidder on this contract and made millions. Howard and I are last to be seen as our plane is now boarding. So no pink bracelet for us. I tell Howard, not like they are going to kick us off the islands.


We are now boarded and sitting, I've had a delightful hot pocket of food and a short nap. A bit hard to type as the person in front is in reclining mode and I can't go back anymore. Hnl is 1270 miles, with San Diego 1349 miles behind us. I'll post more in the post notes.


 

Animal Checklist

  • Nothing yet...


Stay tuned for more fun!


 

About John Coney

Born on the Island of Oahu, I started out with a keen interested in computers and electronics. A native of Hawaii, I focus on the islands, but have a background in underwater photography.

Places in Hawaii to Visit

Volcano National Park
www.nps.gov/havo

Kilauea Lodge
www.kilauealodge.com

Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo
tsunami.org

Kona Diving Company

www.konadivingcompany.com

Links to Places

Explore our site and let us know if we can help you in any way. Warmest Aloha from Hawaii!

Get in Touch