The Baker Blog

Chad and Jenn at Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii wasn’t a planned destination for 2008, but when Jenn was accepted into the 6th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, we decided to make a trip out of it. With the conference in Honolulu, we stayed three blocks in from Waikiki beach, at a hotel that had no available parking, but great access to everything else.

While on Oahu, we hiked up Diamondhead and through the rainforest to Manoa Falls, kayaked through 3ft seas, cruised on a catamaran to see whales and dolphins, and snorkeled in the murky waters of Hanauma Bay.

Oh, and spent a very lazy afternoon on the beach.

Not wanting to miss out on Hawaii’s greatest feature, we hopped over to the big island for some time at Volcanoes National Park. Having arrived mid-day, we made it to the park near nightfall and only reached our accomodations thanks to GPS navigation.

Situated within the rainforest and built upon an active volcano, rooms at the Hawaii Inn use large windows and exterior lighting to make for a Jurassic Park-like experience at night. If you ever visit the area, this type of room is the only way to go.

Our time at the park was equally fascinating. Geologic features of all sorts, temperatures ranging from 45 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and neverending views of lava flows from years past. The only thing we didn’t get to see was actual lava. That required a helicopter ride at night.

There’s an endless amount to see in Hawaii.

As Mark Twain puts in in “Roughing It” (start at “While we were …”, “There was not much to see” is obviously a facetious remark.):

Jenn at Versailles

We wrapped up our trip with four days in Paris, enjoying the wonderful history, culture, cuisine and overall beauty that can be found in “The City of Light”. Of the major landmarks, we climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, and Sacre Coeur, leaving the Eiffel Tower for a future visit. We floated down the Seine by boat (Tip: Do this at nighttime), cruised through the streets in a 2CV and traveled by train to Versailles for a day on the grounds of the great palace (pictured above, kind of).

Other highlights included a walking tour through Montmarte, chocolates from Angelina, the Berthillon of Ile Saint Louis, and most of all, a quiet evening under the stars beneath the Eiffel Tower. There’s so much to see, yet so little needed to have a good time. Paris is truly a place for a leisurely walk and a bottle of wine with dinner. Move too fast and you’ll miss the true essence of the city, especially as a visitor.

Note: I like the nickname, “The City of Light” more than “The City of Lights”, as the latter can be taken too literally.

Jenn and I shared a pint at the Blue Anchor in Helston

Our vacation continued with a short flight from London to Newquay (pronounced New-key, for the non-English speakers), a town on the Atlantic coast in the southwestern county of Cornwall. From Newquay, we drove (with a left-handed stick on the left-hand side of the road) through Seworgan, Gweek, Helston, Wendren, Penzance and Land’s End over the course of two days. Jenn’s genealogy research provided the impetus for planning this trip, and these small towns held potential answers to the many questions that come with hundreds of years of history.

In Helston, we stopped for a couple hours and found a 15th century inn & pub where Jenn’s relatives used to collect their paychecks for working in the mines. Having time for a quick pint, we ordered one of their homemade brews (pictured above). In Wendren, we found the tombstone of Jenn’s great-great-great-grandfather and in Seworgan, we stayed the night in an old church (now a bed and breakfast) that her ancestors may have called their own.

For more pictures of this trip, visit our Picasa photo gallery.

Chad and Jenn at Hampton Court

In early May, Jenn and I traveled across the pond for an adventure to London, Cornwall and Paris. Our time in London was limited, but we enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime tour through Buckingham Palace, an amazing dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, a day-trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, and a long afternoon at Hampton Court (pictured above).

One tip for any future visits to London (or Paris) is to check out London Walks (Paris Walks). In London, we opted for the nighttime “Jack the Ripper” tour. Lasting nearly two hours, this tour through the East End streets followed the footsteps of the world’s most famous serial killer.