Maui sunsets and a few pictures of Alice

We had a fun week in Maui with Rosie, Jay and Alice.  We went beaching, snorkeling, and hiking in the rain.
Jay and Calvin rode bikes, Jay making the epic ride from sea level to the top of Haleakela, with Calvin joining him at 7,000 feet for the final climb to the top at 10,000+, but when I got home I discovered that all my pictures turned out to be of Alice. So if you weren't holding Alice or in very close proximity to her there is not really a photographic record.  So here is Maui mostly with Alice.

I always think Maui should somehow be exactly like this poster in the condo, and it always surprises me that it is mostly full of over tanned people deep into their downhill decades, which is not nearly as pretty a picture as the poster.

Our condo looked straight out on the ocean and we could watch whales spouting and splashing and beautiful sunsets right from the lanai.

And I saw other beautiful sites, mostly Rosie and Alice

But we did go snorkeling at a wonderful spot Rosie and Jay told us about where we saw turtles swimming everywhere. (Calvin took this picture so no Alice)

We had a beautiful to day to drive up Haleakela, sunny and clear.  Here are Calvin and Jay at the 8500 foot mark coming up the hard way.

And Calvin looking strong at the upper visitor's center getting ready for the descent.

It was a long day in the car for Alice and somehow her pacifier didn't make it into the car with her, so she improvised with her toe.

Alice is of an age where everything goes in her mouth. Here she is splashing in a tide pool and gumming a sea urchin spine and finding it not quite to her liking.

We made a day trip to Lahaina for the classic photo at the banyan tree. I was taking phone pictures while Calvin was taking pictures with the official camera. 

I love a week in Hawaii, but a week getting to play with Alice would be fun anywhere.

A quick trip to Paris.... Las Vegas

This weekend Calvin had business meetings in Las Vegas, and I tagged along for a weekend get away.  We stayed in the Paris Las Vegas hotel, because Jersey Boys was playing there and I wanted to see it.  This is what the Eiffel tower looks like through a dirty window with a flash highlighting the streaks.  But it was a room with a very Las Vegas view.  After the show Calvin and I took a walk along the strip which was bursting at the seams with unusual looking people. It is my impression that Las Vegas is even more Las Vegas than it was when we used to come every year for a swim meet.

Just by coincidence Peter and Roque were also in Las Vegas this weekend to run the Red Rocks half marathon.  We ALMOST got there in time to see them cross the finish line, but we did get to see happy smiles for a job well done.

And it was nice to get out of the downtown are a see a few red rocks.  I think there are petroglyphs somewhere, but I didn't take time to find them.

Nevada is a great place to live.