Get your airboat on!

Accompanied the 'rents to a shindig put on for an association end of year thang. Am feeling quite stoopid that I never knew you could take an airboat ride in these here parts to traipse around the St. John's River. Yes, you can, at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp.

Here's the ride heading north from SR-520:



Many gators sighted, we stopped to spy one up close and personal.



Last bit of the half hour ride was South of 520 to Lake Poinsett.



Post-ride eats at the fish camp included fried cat fish, baked tilapia, slaw & beans, and yummilicious hush puppies. Seafood *always* comes with hush puppies. Northern climes often uck this up.

News to me in Southern styles is a Bloody Mary served, not with a stalk of celery, but with - ew! - a pickle. Cheek swoonage ensued, and not in a good way.

Head still spinning from the pickle ick factor, upon departure we spied the requisite Southern entreaty to return. Grrr ... Kernan the Grammarian's bile rose. Move that apostrophe, I do dee-clayuh!

From one tropical location to the next

Took a red eye from Honolulu to Orlando by way of Atlanta, and managed to not sleep a wink. Might have had something to do with sitting in the exit row and freezing my ucking *ss off. My feet were warm, tho.

Tip: even tho' you're visiting a tropical clime in summer, remember to bring socks to don on the plane. Feet properly stockinged, stick 'em inside the plastic bags from the blankets that you're still lucky enough to get on overnight flights. Wrap a blanket around your plasticated feet, and you're set!

Was a tad surreal to arrive at FloridaDad's and bask in the warmth and beauty of his home with his fine bride SWEJudy. A nap soon ensued.

All relaxed 'n' stuff from these pretty Islands in the Sun (Weezer YouTube vid).

This Could Be Trouble

Apparently, I'm behind the times. All over, self-serve wine bars are popping up. Did a corporate thang in Honolulu at the Honolulu Design Center, and its Amuse wine bar lets folks pick their grape, slip in a credit card to transact, and drink away. Sheena, I could *so* see a Wine Warped Tour of the country, hiring a Lance to escort us in a high falutin', fancified RV hither, thither and yon to quaff at leisure. You in?



I was agog at the way cool lighting next door in the Stage Restaurant. Me likey!

North Shore Mosey

The fastest way from Kahuku on the North Shore to Waikiki is through the center of Oahu. Screw that. I may not be kamaaina, but I didn't want to miss drinking in all that coastline. As the speed limit on Kamehameha Highway is 35 MPH, there wasn't too much peril in ogling the gorgeousness that is the north and windward Oahu coast line, stopping for last snaps along the way.

Shark's Cove

Had grand aspirations to get up early and drive east for the day to Hanauma Bay, but a craptastic headache thwarted me. If not for that, would have been f*cktacularly vexed by the closure of the Kamehemeha Highway for eight hours in both directions. So it's just as well that my slack ass didn't get outta bed 'til after noon.

King Kamehameha, you may know, united the Hawaiian islands and was quite the badass. Or perhaps you know him more popularly from the shout out Cartman gives him in "Kyle's Mom is a B*tch in D Minor". But I digress. As is my wont to do.

My cousin's husband is from these here parts - Mililani - and when asked for good snorkel spots listed Shark's Cove as a fave. A quick stop at Foodland for provisions and snorkel gear (resort rental options were stanky) across the street from the park, and I was set.


Kokopelli was gettin' his snorkel on too.




Sun was gettin' its set on, so I moseyed a bit further west to Haleiwa for eats and a table by the sunset at Haleiwa Joe's. Had the baked swordfish and a mai tai in a signature cup. A non-sucky day.

Update: Darby Conley must have known I went snorking!

From Darby Conley's Get Fuzzy

Sunset

From my lanai.

Soothed and Balmed

When was the last time you slept to the sound of the ocean? An unsuck listen and a favorite thing.

Is Chicago

October has been a month of endless Cheek travel. This week found me in Chicago, and while my sinuses tried to thwart city enjoyment, the early part of my visit couldn't be dimmed.

Stayed at the Hyatt on Wacker, where my room's view was:


Managed to talk work peeps into experiencing one of Cheek's favorite things: a stroll down Michigan Avenue for a drink at the top o' the 'cock - the Hancock Tower, that is. The trip up the elevator to the 96th floor's Signature Lounge seriously wounded Cheek's ears - the left one hasn't cleared since the descent into Atlanta on the way back from Vegas 2 weeks ago. Ouch.


A clear night afforded a fantastic view for the 'cock virgins in the group and distracted from ear pain. Yummy pupus shared and wine quaffed. A quick stop in the loo on the way out was pre-empted by the chicks and dude exiting. Apparently the men's doesn't have the floor to ceiling windows, and he HAD to see what all the fuss was about. His companions peed with the door open so as not to miss the view of the Navy pier:


The mosey back found us stopping at the Intercontinental's Eno, a wine / cheese / chocolate foodgasm. A dark chocolate knosh and a Malbec slosh was the thing. Returning to the hotel room, I spied what I'd seen aloft from the Hancock tower - the Wrigley building lit up for Breast Cancer Awareness month (so was the Hancock and the Sears Tower):


Sorry, Soul Coughing, but eez DEFINITELY Chicago.

Soul Coughing's Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago