Joeann's View

When you are in the mood for something special, Tohono Chul Desert Bistro will fit the bill. Tucked within 49 acres of gardens and pathways it is surrounded by desert plants teeming with flowers for the butterflies and birds. This oasis is located, surprisingly, just a step away from of one of the busiest commercial and residential areas of Northwest…

My brand new Tommy Bahama mug broke as it fell to the concrete as we loaded bags into the car at the airport coming home from Hawaii. Luckily, it was purchased with a credit card that covered purchases damaged or stolen within the first 120 days. Bub didn’t believe that Citi would actually reimburse us, but after filling out a…

My day usually begins with a singles set of tennis with my husband, Bub. So, I was delighted to learn it is going to lengthen our lives by 9.7 years, according to a study done over 25 years with 8600 participants! The interesting research attributes this not only to the sport but to the socializing that takes place. Hopefully, we…

Who knew some of the best food on the Big Island was a food truck in Naalehu? The fellow sitting in front of us on our flight from Phoenix to Kona over was telling his seatmates about this place. We had 5 hours to kill after checking out of the hotel and waiting for our plane, so an excursion south…

The Big Island is home to large herds of cattle, brought to Hawaii over 160 years ago. The Parker Ranch is the center of this historic legacy, providing beef to local eateries. Across the Big Island, scrumptious burgers are made from this locally sourced, grass-fed, organic beef. With that as a foundation, the quest to sample and rate the very best…

The view today… Many years ago, the kids, 16 and 18 at the time, and Bub and I did a week-long Christmas trip to Kauai and Maui. I’d never been to either of the islands and was excited to see everything. I remember clearly one day when the kids and I decided to drive the road to Hana from the…

The view from Hawaii’s Big Island… It was pitch black outside as I rolled out of bed at 4 AM, victim of the 3 hour time difference from home. A canopy of twinkling stars filled the night sky and a quiet, peacefulness surrounded me as I brewed some Hawaiian coffee. We are staying at The Bay Club which is part…

Over the 30 years we’ve been visiting The Big Island, we’ve seen most of the well-known landmarks and then some. This trip we’re dropping in on places we love but not jumping in the car for daylong treks. It is feeling like a taste of what living here could be like. Interestingly, the perfect home just went on the market in…

Today’s view…… Includes swaying palm trees, towering volcanos in the distance and lots of smiles and aloha! Tucson to Kona on American Airlines started bright and early. Phoenix Sky Harbor’s morning rush hour airplane traffic caused delays and our scheduled 25-minute puddle jumper flight ended up being a two-hour first leg. Don’t you love how they can board and push back,…

On the road again….. The view today is from a road trip to the Chiricahuas for an afternoon lunch and wine tasting at the Keeling-Schaefer Vineyards Bub and I hit the road in my new cruising car and chose Townes Van Zandt’s Pandora station. From Fossland’s Paradise in Catalina, Arizona, we drove east for about 2 hours on I-10 to…