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Photo Thread

CigarStone said:
My grandson and I are at my son's camp in the ANF and wanted to show me how cool the camera is on his new i-phone 15 blah-blah-blah.

It was one of those gorgeous nights with not a cloud in the sky. We could see a lot of stars but were dumbfounded when the picture turned out like this. It's a long exposure so you can see some blur from moving the camera around a bit. I believe that's the Milky Way?

John @jfields this is better than the night of the rabid coon!

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I see steam coming off a perfectly smoked brisket 🤷🏾‍♂️
 
CigarStone said:
My grandson and I are at my son's camp in the ANF and wanted to show me how cool the camera is on his new i-phone 15 blah-blah-blah.

It was one of those gorgeous nights with not a cloud in the sky. We could see a lot of stars but were dumbfounded when the picture turned out like this. It's a long exposure so you can see some blur from moving the camera around a bit. I believe that's the Milky Way?

John @jfields this is better than the night of the rabid coon!

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Not true! We could see this without a camera that night.
 
Here are some pictures of the inevitable. Winter is coming! The mountain scenes are from Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The other ones are from Northern Minnesota. On the first image, the ice in the foreground is about three inches tall, the mountains are 2500 feet plus.

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We put up some trail cams on the property we just purchased on Tellico Lake. Hope it’s ok to share a couple of the first captures we got. Excited for the future. The doe was about 15 minutes after we left the property.

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My son and daughter-in-law wanted to give me a very special Christmas gift this year - so they spray painted horses silver, wrote a Blanton's letter on each and glued them onto a Menards yardstick. I will covet this as much as the real Blanton's bottle top collection... :cool:

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kann said:
Tell us more about the trip! Though not our first choice, there's a possibility we are moving back for a few years in the semi-near future. I have a love/hate relationship with the islands. It does make me happy when others have fantastic vacations there, though!
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We did the Norwegian Cruise Lines Pride of America 7 day sailing. Started at Oahu (Honolulu), on to Maui and the final stop was in Kauai. We missed Hilo and Kona due to high winds and rough seas (they diverted us to Kauai). All in all a great trip with mostly amazing weather. The photos of the Hawaiian actors were taken at the Polynesian Review show on our cruise ship and the Luau we attended at the Kilohana Plantation in Kauai. The night photo was taken at the harbor in Oahu (there's a Princess cruise ship docked near ours).

On Maui we did a tour of the Haleakala Crater (the photo I took above the clouds). A pretty incredible place. We did take an Uber to Paia and had some amazing Poke at Tobi's. We came across some rough looking characters that were sizing us up and following us (I think they were interested in my Nikon) so we headed back to the cruise port after a short walk in the downtown area (I'd heard before we left that Paia was a bit on the untamed side, but we decided to go despite the warnings...).

We rented a car on Kauai the one day while in port and drove to the Wiamea Canyon. Very nice day for a drive and the Wiamea canyon was spectacular (as expected). We also did a tour of the Koloa rum distillery - an absolutely amazing place with a great rum product (was pleased to find the rum here locally in the Chicago area). I am a fan for life! I followed some others advice and bought Hawaiian chocolate and Macadamia Nuts at the Costco in Kauai. Was amazed how much the pricing was so much cheaper than the tourist stores - and the general products they stocked seemed to be pretty comparable in price to our Costco here in Illinois.

We did really enjoy the NCL Pride of America cruise. This was the most expensive vacations we've ever taken, but we were suite guests so we had a ton of extra amenities (I highly recommend spending the extra money). It was worth it for us to have the extra room, the huge balcony and the extra perks that came with the suite (I fell in love with the Nespresso machine in our cabin!). All in all I would love to live there (the weather and scenery is spectacular), but it is definitely not cheap to be there!
 
ggiese said:
We did the Norwegian Cruise Lines Pride of America 7 day sailing. Started at Oahu (Honolulu), on to Maui and the final stop was in Kauai. We missed Hilo and Kona due to high winds and rough seas (they diverted us to Kauai). All in all a great trip with mostly amazing weather. The photos of the Hawaiian actors were taken at the Polynesian Review show on our cruise ship and the Luau we attended at the Kilohana Plantation in Kauai. The night photo was taken at the harbor in Oahu (there's a Princess cruise ship docked near ours).

On Maui we did a tour of the Haleakala Crater (the photo I took above the clouds). A pretty incredible place. We did take an Uber to Paia and had some amazing Poke at Tobi's. We came across some rough looking characters that were sizing us up and following us (I think they were interested in my Nikon) so we headed back to the cruise port after a short walk in the downtown area (I'd heard before we left that Paia was a bit on the untamed side, but we decided to go despite the warnings...).

We rented a car on Kauai the one day while in port and drove to the Wiamea Canyon. Very nice day for a drive and the Wiamea canyon was spectacular (as expected). We also did a tour of the Koloa rum distillery - an absolutely amazing place with a great rum product (was pleased to find the rum here locally in the Chicago area). I am a fan for life! I followed some others advice and bought Hawaiian chocolate and Macadamia Nuts at the Costco in Kauai. Was amazed how much the pricing was so much cheaper than the tourist stores - and the general products they stocked seemed to be pretty comparable in price to our Costco here in Illinois.

We did really enjoy the NCL Pride of America cruise. This was the most expensive vacations we've ever taken, but we were suite guests so we had a ton of extra amenities (I highly recommend spending the extra money). It was worth it for us to have the extra room, the huge balcony and the extra perks that came with the suite (I fell in love with the Nespresso machine in our cabin!). All in all I would love to live there (the weather and scenery is spectacular), but it is definitely not cheap to be there!
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I was going to ask when NCL started including Kauai in their itineraries (pretty sure it was just Oahu, Maui, and BI), but that makes sense since you couldn't make it to the Big Island. Honestly, since you've already seen Haleakala, you weren't missing much on BI (I'll admit I don't know much about the Kona area, but Hilo is nothing special. I haven't been to VNP since the last major eruption, so I'm not sure what it's like there now. I heard that the entire museum/visitor's center was wiped out. It's been a minute, though, so don't now what's better and what's not by now. I think you did just as well getting to see the Canyon on Kauai. Glad you made it back unaccosted on Maui. Are tourists entering Lahaina again yet? From everything I saw, it was totally leveled.

I worked with schools on all of the islands, so I know them pretty well. I'm very happy you enjoyed your vacation and feel you got your money's worth! Like anywhere, living someplace is different than just visiting as a tourist for a week or two at a time. As said, though, you can't beat the weather and views!
 
kann said:
I was going to ask when NCL started including Kauai in their itineraries (pretty sure it was just Oahu, Maui, and BI), but that makes sense since you couldn't make it to the Big Island. Honestly, since you've already seen Haleakala, you weren't missing much on BI (I'll admit I don't know much about the Kona area, but Hilo is nothing special. I haven't been to VNP since the last major eruption, so I'm not sure what it's like there now. I heard that the entire museum/visitor's center was wiped out. It's been a minute, though, so don't now what's better and what's not by now. I think you did just as well getting to see the Canyon on Kauai. Glad you made it back unaccosted on Maui. Are tourists entering Lahaina again yet? From everything I saw, it was totally leveled.

I worked with schools on all of the islands, so I know them pretty well. I'm very happy you enjoyed your vacation and feel you got your money's worth! Like anywhere, living someplace is different than just visiting as a tourist for a week or two at a time. As said, though, you can't beat the weather and views!
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NCL makes a regular weekly stop at Kauai on their itinerary. But because of weather we spent an extra day there. They used to sail past the Napali coast, but they no longer do that. We were told that environmentalists were concerned about the affect on the erosion of the coast because of the sail by, but I suspect it saves NCL money by cutting out a section of their trip...

In Maui I was rather surprised how mundane looking the port was. We had to walk 15 minutes to the nearest shopping through the port area with all sorts of junk cars and garbage. Unless you had a pre-arranged ride or were booked on an excursion it was your only option to take that walk. And the mall that was nearby was really nothing at all special - in fact about 1/3 of the shops were vacant. We did see some of the effects of the fire on our trip to the Haleakala crater. But Lahaina is still off limits for tourists. And they actually showed a required video talking about the devastation and the request for respect from visitors while they continue to recover. I'm sure from what I've seen on the news and in the video they showed us it will take a decade or more before things will be a new "normal".

We were very unimpressed with Oahu and Honolulu. It was definitely very touristy and busy. We stayed our first night at the Hilton Hawaiian Villages resort. I was impressed with some of the beauty (the beach was pretty amazing), but the commercialization and especially the large amount of people all over that area made it feel so much less intimate. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. And to make matters worse - we paid a pretty penny to stay in an "ocean view" room that actually had an "amazing" view of the roof of the convention center. Combined with the room that looked to me like a typical Motel 6 room - it as definitely not worth what we paid. It also turned me off to any thoughts I may have had about buying a Hilton Vacations Package (the room we stayed in was a Hilton Vacation package room I guess they used for a regular guest room because the resort was over booked...)

The other thing that we learned in talking with some of the residents was how difficult it was to find affordable housing. Several of our tour guides talked about moving several times in a 2-3 year period because of inflation in housing costs One shop owner talked about staying in a placed owned by a person who bought it as an investment property and needed a "house sitter" while they were away (they only visited the islands occasionally). I can't imagine it would be easy to find that kind of arrangement, but it sure seemed like it would be ideal to save a lot of money living there. And the cost of property is silly expensive - far more expensive than owning property in California. So I have to think that trying to buy property there would be out of the question unless you had a lot of resources going into it...

Many were saying that the tourist economy is coming back. According to many residents we talked with, between COVID and then the Lahaina fires it really hit the economy hard. They were all happy to see tourists coming back in numbers and hoped it continued. But they also confided that it's a double edged sword. They were kind in how they said it, but underneath it was clear that it can be painful dealing with the tourist mentality. I think they did appreciate my wife and I because we'd adopted the "Aloha" spirit. I one case, a native Hawaiian security guard had to confiscate some alcohol I'd purchased while shopping (they store it until the end of the cruise and returned it as we left). It was clear he was "shell shocked" from dealing with the tourists who had previously questioned the need for confiscation, but he really lit up when I sincerely told him "I appreciate you, cuz". I'm sure from his reaction (beaming from ear to ear and engaging in a friendly banter) he did not have that happen very often. And it even felt better when several other security guards came over and started chatting with us as well, knowing we were "ohana" (I actually found that most endearing about the Hawaiians wanting the "Ohana" connection - we unfortunately don't see that very often anywhere...).

The other thing that turned me off a bit was how silly it seemed the Hawaiians generally felt about such things as smoking cigars. I did not get the sense that they liked people "polluting" their environment, even with cigar smoke. There was a huge debate going on about what they were going to do with the ashes from Lahaina, to the point it seemed completely insane. I understood and appreciate their spiritual traditions related to their connection to the islands - but the conversations I heard and saw really made me wonder how they did not understand that bad things happen that sometimes require making unpleasant choices. I got the feeling that they would have preferred everyone leave the islands and let them go back to the way nature intended. A noble cause - but completely unrealistic! So out of respect for they culture I never lit up... But - momma and I did walk away with a VERY deep appreciation for SPAM. And I've bought the necessary ingredients and equipment to make SPAM musubi! We do miss that very Hawaiian "delicacy" and I'm still working on the right recipe to duplicate what would found in the 7-11's and ABC stores! (the best "fast food" we've ever had!)!

Momma is already talking about our next trip because we missed so much, but I am confident it is not a place we would move if given the choice. As you say - the views and weather are spectacular, but I have to think it would wear thin if we spent 24/7/365 there.
 
ggiese said:
NCL makes a regular weekly stop at Kauai on their itinerary. But because of weather we spent an extra day there. They used to sail past the Napali coast, but they no longer do that. We were told that environmentalists were concerned about the affect on the erosion of the coast because of the sail by, but I suspect it saves NCL money by cutting out a section of their trip...

In Maui I was rather surprised how mundane looking the port was. We had to walk 15 minutes to the nearest shopping through the port area with all sorts of junk cars and garbage. Unless you had a pre-arranged ride or were booked on an excursion it was your only option to take that walk. And the mall that was nearby was really nothing at all special - in fact about 1/3 of the shops were vacant. We did see some of the effects of the fire on our trip to the Haleakala crater. But Lahaina is still off limits for tourists. And they actually showed a required video talking about the devastation and the request for respect from visitors while they continue to recover. I'm sure from what I've seen on the news and in the video they showed us it will take a decade or more before things will be a new "normal".

We were very unimpressed with Oahu and Honolulu. It was definitely very touristy and busy. We stayed our first night at the Hilton Hawaiian Villages resort. I was impressed with some of the beauty (the beach was pretty amazing), but the commercialization and especially the large amount of people all over that area made it feel so much less intimate. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. And to make matters worse - we paid a pretty penny to stay in an "ocean view" room that actually had an "amazing" view of the roof of the convention center. Combined with the room that looked to me like a typical Motel 6 room - it as definitely not worth what we paid. It also turned me off to any thoughts I may have had about buying a Hilton Vacations Package (the room we stayed in was a Hilton Vacation package room I guess they used for a regular guest room because the resort was over booked...)

The other thing that we learned in talking with some of the residents was how difficult it was to find affordable housing. Several of our tour guides talked about moving several times in a 2-3 year period because of inflation in housing costs One shop owner talked about staying in a placed owned by a person who bought it as an investment property and needed a "house sitter" while they were away (they only visited the islands occasionally). I can't imagine it would be easy to find that kind of arrangement, but it sure seemed like it would be ideal to save a lot of money living there. And the cost of property is silly expensive - far more expensive than owning property in California. So I have to think that trying to buy property there would be out of the question unless you had a lot of resources going into it...

Many were saying that the tourist economy is coming back. According to many residents we talked with, between COVID and then the Lahaina fires it really hit the economy hard. They were all happy to see tourists coming back in numbers and hoped it continued. But they also confided that it's a double edged sword. They were kind in how they said it, but underneath it was clear that it can be painful dealing with the tourist mentality. I think they did appreciate my wife and I because we'd adopted the "Aloha" spirit. I one case, a native Hawaiian security guard had to confiscate some alcohol I'd purchased while shopping (they store it until the end of the cruise and returned it as we left). It was clear he was "shell shocked" from dealing with the tourists who had previously questioned the need for confiscation, but he really lit up when I sincerely told him "I appreciate you, cuz". I'm sure from his reaction (beaming from ear to ear and engaging in a friendly banter) he did not have that happen very often. And it even felt better when several other security guards came over and started chatting with us as well, knowing we were "ohana" (I actually found that most endearing about the Hawaiians wanting the "Ohana" connection - we unfortunately don't see that very often anywhere...).

The other thing that turned me off a bit was how silly it seemed the Hawaiians generally felt about such things as smoking cigars. I did not get the sense that they liked people "polluting" their environment, even with cigar smoke. There was a huge debate going on about what they were going to do with the ashes from Lahaina, to the point it seemed completely insane. I understood and appreciate their spiritual traditions related to their connection to the islands - but the conversations I heard and saw really made me wonder how they did not understand that bad things happen that sometimes require making unpleasant choices. I got the feeling that they would have preferred everyone leave the islands and let them go back to the way nature intended. A noble cause - but completely unrealistic! So out of respect for they culture I never lit up... But - momma and I did walk away with a VERY deep appreciation for SPAM. And I've bought the necessary ingredients and equipment to make SPAM musubi! We do miss that very Hawaiian "delicacy" and I'm still working on the right recipe to duplicate what would found in the 7-11's and ABC stores! (the best "fast food" we've ever had!)!

Momma is already talking about our next trip because we missed so much, but I am confident it is not a place we would move if given the choice. As you say - the views and weather are spectacular, but I have to think it would wear thin if we spent 24/7/365 there.
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I'll reply when I have some more time, but you are 100% correct in every one of your observations, IMHO.
 
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