Hawaii Part 1......In the beginning

So, as I sit here on a noisy Wednesday night in my RV on the circus lot in downtown Memphis I reflect back on those 2 weeks in the middle of the pacific. Those 2 weeks or adventure and expensive rental cars, well, ok, I didn't have to take the upgrade to the Jeep, but the 4X drive was fun....and it did keep me from getting stuck a few times. OK, ok, I digress...let me start, as the title of this entry suggests...."In the beginning" (you have to imagine that phrase in your head as said by a booming voice-of-God announcer person. ahem,

So, upon finding out that our unusual (and unpaid :-( ) 3 week break was confirmed, my mind went racing. Time off from work, WOW, and enough to travel even, travel internationally. I thought seriously about taking the bike somewhere on the continent, but at my 12k mile service a month and a half earlier they said I had a rattle in the engine that needed to be looked at the next time I had 2 weeks where I didn't need the bike. So, I decided to shop the bike for a few weeks (the result of which has turned into a fiasco that has left me wanting to have nothing to do with a Ducati or their dealerships for the rest of my life, but that's for another blog entry) So I then got my world map out (I'm not the only one who has a world map handy for moments notice planning, right?) and set to finding a destination that would be affordable and would have something of personal interest. Well, being the espresso afficianado that I am, Italy of course was the first to pop in my mind. Ah, Italy with all its gelato, wine, museums, espresso, and Ducati motorcycles who wouldn't dream of visiting such a place. But, upon checking the airline prices, well the whole idea didn't seem so dolce (that's sweet for you non- italaians out there). And well, knowing the euro-dollar trade these days, 2 weeks in Italy would most assuredly leave me broke in less than 1. So, the next best place came to mind (no, no, not North Dakota) but Hawaii. The circus was supposed to tenetively play in Hawaii this summer, but that all fell through. So, now I had the chance to visit Kona, the beaches, taste the food, experience the culture, and add another state towards my goal of 50. Thus, finding that Hawaiian airline tickets were about half the price of Italy, I was sold. And the more I planned, the more this seemed like the right thing. As I started my search for coffee I came across the coffee association of Hawaii AND more importantly that they were hosting a cupping workshop by Willem Boot in the middle of Kona country. So, of course I signed up the next day. Not only would I get to see and taste Kona country first hand, but my first cupping experience would be in Kona under the tutelage of one of the top coffee palates in the world! Needless to say, I was excited.

So, we finished up the split week in Lubbock, TX and headed down to Beaumont, TX which was to be our home of the break. I scheduled it pretty tight: I left the circus lot on the motorcycle around 7:30AM to make it to the dealership in Houston at 9am where I checked in the bike and hopped in the waiting taxi that I had scheduled the night before. One I got in the taxi, I took a deep breath; so far, so good. Now I just had to make it through the security line at the airport to make my 10:55AM flight to Atlanta. Sure enough, the taxi made good time to the airport, I had checked in online the night before, so I walked straight to security (no checked baggage you see, I could only bring what would fit easily on the motorcycle, so it was only a backpack and my trumpet) and the only thing they confiscated was my hair gel...it was over the ridiculous 3 oz cutoff. Who sells travel sizes of hair gel?!?! no one. (I really think the hair gel corporations are in cahoots with the TSA, yeah there has to be a hair product mafia, I'm sure of it) Anyhow, I made it in plenty of time for the flight, enough time get a bite to eat and buy a mocha latte from the Coffee Beanery (one of the worst mochas I ever put my lips to, but that's for another blog) You know, the whole coffee/airport experience really made me feel for those pilots that fly the planes. I mean, most of us have at least a few decent options in any given direction on the compass rose. But those poor pilots have to drink whatever low quality branded caffeinated slop is served in that particular airport in the country.......hmmm, maybe the airports in Europe are better....that warrants a trip in the name of research....anyhow, in the back of my mind I set into motion a future plan to better all pilot's coffee experience; if you spent a majority of your workday in a pressurized cubicle hurtling through the air at 500+mph with 100s of lives in your hands, doesn't that deserve at least a decent cup of coffee? OK, back on topic, I boarded the plane to Atlanta, made good time, enjoyed my salty pretzels, and looked forward to turning on my portable electronic devices once we were back on the ground. The Atlanta airport was fine, crowded with mediocre to sub-par coffee at every turn. So, I got a quick bite to eat, checked my email, recorded a bit for the podcast, and bought some snacks for the 10 hour plane ride ahead. Once I boarded and got my book and iPod situated, we taxied, went through the preflight check and then.....nose up, engines roaring, ears popping we left the earth towards the blue yonder.

next stop......paradise.