Finding Victoria, BC

Aloha!
Today was another wonderful day in Victoria. As you can see, we found Chinatown. And yesterday was a trip up the lower east coast to Sydney, stopping at lots of thrift stores finding sparkly things.
We will spend an extra night in Victoria. The only ferries to the US that take cars goes to Port Angeles, and tomorrows is booked up already. So we will have an extra day for more fun right here.



Some Sparklies:

Oh! Canada!

Aloha from Victoria, British Columbia! Yesterday was leaving the USA for foreign soil via a wonderful ferry ride from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC. Just over an hour and showing my sparkling new Passport for the first time (gotta get a visa stamp!). We met up with our next door neighbor from back home on Maui yesterday evening, as he is here with his wife for a few months.
Today, a trip to the fabulous Butchart Gardens. We picked up some soup and a sandwich, and just as you drive in, there are picnic tables to eat your lunch. This is a great way to save a little money! And it was delicious.
The gardens sparkled with flamboyant color as the sun shone bright, then hid behind the clouds, only to come back out again! Only about 10 drops of rain in this place that is notorious for cloudy skies. Oh! right at the beginning there are umbrellas to use as you visit the park.

Aloha From Port Angeles, Washington!
After all days of blue skies and beautiful warm weather, we are now up at the peak of the state of Washington listening to the foghorns of the big ships as they pull out of the harbor. We will get on a ferry today and head off to Victoria, BC. Just a few photos for you to see today...Photos show Hood Canal, Port Angeles Harbor and Mount Shasta.

Travel up I-5 Day 1

Aloha! We spent an extra day with Susan (my sister) down in Orange County yesterday. She was having a scrapbooking party with a few friends. A couple of folks did work on their scrapbooks, one worked on a quilt, and I got out a needlepoint to work on. What fun! My friend Linda was there, and she helped me separate all of the colors of thread. Then Susan joined in to help figure out what color was what! It took us a couple of hours just to do that, and it was so much fun. I did get the piece started, it is about 16x16 of a fabulous orchid.
We hit the road about 9am today, and made it up to Lodi, California. This has to have been one of the most beautiful days I have seen here. Clear blue skies all the way here, with gray clouds on our left, but only got about 4 drops of rain. No smog even coming up through downtown LA. The mountains were just spectactular. Here are a couple of photos coming to the end of the hills and into the central valley:

Last minute packing. Loading up the ipod with podcasts recommended by great folks over on Etsy.com! And they taught me how to do this blog. Mahalo to all the kind friends there.
In the meantime, while my etsy and ebay shops are closed you can see some of my handcrafted jewelry and beadwork on my website:
Hawaii Beads

Hawaii Beads ~ My World

Welcome to My World! I live on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Life is an exciting transition from birth to well, you know...And I plan on enjoying all that I can. A little about me right up front. I lived in 9 places before I was 8 years old (Navy Brat). California, Hawaii and Tennessee. And now, back in Hawaii. I lived on a 28' Trimaran for a few years here on Maui. I lived 'off the grid' on a friends 12 acres in a 295sf cabin with a big screen porch and a bathroom down the path. And I share my life with Ken, who lets me get away with a lot!