Sick, gross, and sick!
This does not make me happy!! Old Man Winter is moving in. 🙁
In a matter of a 15 mile drive to work this morning, I started out driving in the rain, which quickly turned to SNOW by the end!
Last year the first snowfall was on November 1, and this is actually kind of late for Alaska!
Winter has—and will always be—my least favorite season!!
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Luckily it was only just raining this morning during my run.
I covered 6 miles this morning in the rain.
It was an okay run. . . nothing great, but then again nothing to complain about. I just haven’t been feeling it lately.
My splits are as follows:
9:29
9:00
8:53
8:59
8:55
8:51
Total time: 54:10
I’m always a little slow at first. I guess it takes a while for my legs to wake up!
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Another sign that season which-shall-not-be-named is embarking on us: decreasing daylight. 🙁
I have definitely noticed that the sun is lower on the horizon these days and the days are getting shorter and shorter.
It is now pitch dark when I drive to school between 8:00/8:30 a.m. (The picture below was not taken this morning.)
Right now, this is our current sunrise/sunset times:
Sunrise – 9:10 a.m.
Sunset – 6:17 p.m.
For comparison, here are the sunrise/sunset times where my parents live in Minnesota:
Sunrise – 7:42 a.m.
Sunset – 6:12 p.m.
And my sister who lives in Raleigh, NC:
Sunrise – 7:31 a.m.
Sunset – 6:26 p.m.
I find it really interesting how close the sunset times are but not the sunrise times.
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With the start of winter hovering oh-so-close in the near future, it is time to start thinking about a winter escape.
Oh, yeah baby!! Craig and I are planning to take a trip to Hawaii this winter. . . but we need advice!
What island should we go to?
Is it necessary to rent a car?
Where should we stay: hotel vs. condo?
What activities should we do?
How much money should we plan on spending?
Any advice is appreciated!!
That’s great you are going to Hawaii! I hope my husband and I go within the next couple years.
I went to Maui and Oahu last spring break. Maui was amazing! I have also heard great things about Kauai. We stayed in an (older) but lovely condo. Since it was my birthday on the trip we splurged and stayed one night in the swanky Maui Marriott 🙂 I honestly preferred the condo. It was so nice to have a kitchen to cook breakfasts and pack our own healthy snacks for day trips. We also saved some money by not eating out for every meal.
That’s what I was thinking: stay in a condo and cook a lot of our own food.
Ugh, I know how you feel. We got our first big snow of 6ish inches here in Denver today. I am not ready for it!!
Yay, Hawaii! We go to Maui every summer (my parents have a time share on Kaanapali) and we rent a car (although you can get by without one, it’s fun to explore beaches other than the one you are staying on). I like staying in a condo or vacation rental because you’ll have a kitchen and we don’t like eating out for EVERY meal. We like to drive up Haleakala and then hike in, go snorkeling, visit the aquarium (Maui’s Ocean Center is really fun), and hike to the Nakalele Blowhole (Brian’s favorite!). I’ve also gone parasailing, done a sunset cocktail cruise, and spent the greater part of an afternoon on a boat dolphin-watching. And, of course, just laying out by the pool and running on the beach in the morning!
That’s right! I forgot about that!
Can you honestly get by without a car? I’ve heard both ways.
Thanks for all the ideas for adventures. I might be e-mailing you later for more specifics!!
yay Hawaii! i’ve always wanted to go!
Hey Michelle! I used to live there. Which island you go to really depends on what you want to do. I’ve been to four of the islands and here’s what I’d say about each:
Maui – really relaxing, cool dormant volcano (Haleakala)
Hawaii (The Big Island) – tons of different things to do, only island with active volcanoes and a national park
Oahu – the island I lived on, lots of history/military history things, most touristy of the islands
Kauai – in my opinion the prettiest. Waimea Canyon is one of the prettiest places I’ve been along with the Napali coast (we took a raft ride there).
Here’s my advice: Do Oahu and another island. It’s almost always cheapest to fly into and out of Oahu. Laura and I spent some time on Oahu, flew to Kauai, and then from Kauai to Oahu back to the mainland. You don’t need to rent a car on Oahu–the bus will get you everywhere, but any other island you really need to rent a car. Feel free to e-mail me any questions!
That’s right!! I (temporarily) forgot you used to live there!!
I leaning towards Maui because I want to do things that I can’t do in Alaska–read: lay on the beach!! 🙂
I might have to contact you later for more advice!! Thanks!!
I would LOVE to go to Hawaii. My mom went with two of my sisters and they stayed at Turtle Bay (featured in Forgetting Sarah Marshall), but I think it’s pretty expensive. I can’t really offer any better advice! Just know I am mad jealous. 🙂
I’ll probably check it out just for kicks and giggles.
isnt it interesting how everyone is different? i lived in raleigh,nc for years (nc state alum… go pack!) and now in south carolina and ive always had an issue transitioning to the long days. i much prefer fall back to daylight savings time! different strokes for different folks. :o)
Wait!? Are you saying the longer days in SC have been hard for you to adjust to–compared to living in NC?
noooo i am saying that the extra hours of sunlight during our daylight saving time is harder for me to transition to than the shorter days during fall back. i referenced NC and SC as we obviously dont have as drastic of changes in daylight/lack of daylight as alaska… but i think that when i am living in alaska… it will be MUCH more difficult to adjust to the longer daylight hours in the summer than the shorter daylight hours in the winter. NC/SC are the exact same in the amount of daylight/lack of daylight all year. no difference. 🙂
sorry for being confusing! 🙂
I get it now. I have a hard time adjusting to the long days of summer *and* the short days of winter. Neither one has been easy.
Plus, the amount of daylight is constantly changing so you never really get used to anything.
I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii—so you guys should totally GO!!! Looks/sounds wonderful!
We had our first snow in SD last night too. Boo! although…running in the summer heat this year was a disaster. Super weird heat and humidity this year. Blah! Can’t it just always be Fall?
It is pretty much like spring/fall for 6 months out of the year here, but I miss my HOT summers!
You will love Hawai’i. I lived there many years ago, so I am sure many things have changed. However, I did read the previous comments and agree that you should spend a few days on Oahu and then a few on another island. A few things I liked…on Oahu- hike Diamond Head, eat at the Chart House in Kaneohe, go to Kualoa Ranch for horse back riding in the mountains and along the beach. On Maui shopping at little boutiques and laying on the beach was great. Also we “stumbled” on to a beach for the best snorkeling (not sure where). We didn’t have time but have heard that biking on Haleakala is great. Hope you have a great time.
Thanks for all the advice!