When I was writing about my trip to South Africa and being a solo tourist, I was trying to think back to trips I had taken alone. And the more I thought about it, I realised how lucky I have been to nearly always have a travel companion to keep me company and share in the experience.

The only other time I could remember sight seeing on my own was another work related trip (trust me, they aren't always this glamorous!) to Honolulu. I had meetings on Monday & Tuesday, and while I wasn't smart enough to take a vacation day, or take my husband with me, I was at least smart enough to schedule my flight out on Saturday. This left me one full day of sightseeing, plus whatever I could squeeze in after work.

So, with only one day, I decided the best way to see it all was by helicopter tour of the island. Perk of being a solo traveler? I got the best seat in the house next to the captain! The downside of the flight was that there was quite a bit of VOG (volcanic smog) in the area at the time, so the views weren't as breathtaking as they would usually be.

We flew over everything - Pearl Harbour, Dole Plantation, North Shore, and my favourite, Kualoa Ranch. This ranch is famous for being the film location of Jurassic Park and Lost. Despite these, it would still be at the top of my list of things to see in Oahu because of the breathtaking scenery.  The island isn't all that large, so after about an hour, our tour was over.

North Shore

Kualoa Ranch

This left me with the perfect afternoon on the beach, soaking up some much needed winter sun, before heading back to meet up with my co-worker for dinner.

On Tuesday, after my meetings, I had a few hours to kill (and a car), so on the way to the airport, we stopped at one of the most iconic monuments in Oahu - Pearl Harbour. To start of the trip, you get the opportunity to watch a video talking about the day of the bombing and giving more information on the war overall. While I of course had known about the events of the day, it seemed to have a different perspective when you're there, hearing all about it.

The memorial is in the middle of the water, where the USS Arizona sank, so you have to take a boat to get out there. The memorial is built just over the water, so you can see the remains of the ship lying beneath you. It is eery to see parts sticking up everywhere, and oil sitting on top of the water. It almost makes it seem as if it had just happened yesterday.


They also have a huge memorial to those who died, taking up an entire wall of the memorial. While I don't have any personal ties to this, I can imagine this being an important part of a pilgrimmage to honour a fallen family member or friend.


The whole thing was a bit surreal - you're on a gorgeous island, surrounded my beautiful water and the sun shining, yet I guess that's the point of a memorial. Life goes on, but because of this place, we can never quite forget what happened so many years ago.

And with that, I was on my way to the airport and back to Dallas. While Paul and I haven't made it there together yet, I know it will be top of our bucket list once we are back in the US.

It's hard to explain Texas to my British friends. How to tell them about our pride in our state, from the size to our history to our weird traditions like mums, high school football and the State Fair?

I told you before about our Euro-trip for Paul's graduation. Three weeks jaunting around on vacation.

Then came my graduation - a slightly less grand scale, due to the fact that Paul was working and low on vacation, plus I had to start beginning of June. Therefore, 4 days in California.

For some reason, California has always held a certain appeal for me - perhaps it's the film industry (as a film major, although perhaps not aficionado), the climate, although I think after my lessons in Istanbul, it's probably the water.  Regardless of why, I was excited for my first time in California.

We stayed in Union Square, in the middle of it all. Perhaps Paul's nightmare with all the shops surrounding it, including a Tiffany's. This was a great place to stay in the city, and gave us easy access to get around to all the sites.

We checked out Fisherman's Wharf to see the famous seals and have some true San Fran fare - clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl (or chicken noodle soup in my case). The wharf is a fantastic place to walk around and people watch as well.  We walked around to the Ghiradelli shop as well, happy to sample some chocolates and buy some to take back.


We also took the ferry over to Alcatraz and get a tour of the famous prison. You can get an audio guide to tour you around the inside of the building and point out the most famous parts, including the recreation of the prison break-out.  Outside of the prison, it is weird to see the beauty of it now, with some parts in disarray, but having been taken over by flowers or local plants. You also get some great views looking back towards the city.



To break-up the sightseeing, we spent the next day on a trip up to Napa. There are plenty of options for day trips out there (the wine buses), but luckily we knew someone in the area, so we had a ride up there. We checked out several wineries, including Pine Ridge (which is where I found my favourite white wine), Silverado, Cliff Lede (great champagne) and St. Supery, where we got a tour of the wine making process. I wouldn't have called myself a wine fan at the time, although my tastes have since evolved, but even if you aren't a fan of drinking, the views in the area are fantastic.



For our last day in San Fran, we saved the best for last. We had found a tour that took you around to the famous sites from movies throughout the city. Everything from Mrs. Robinson & Full House, to the famous car chase of Bullitt, to Lucas Studios in Presidio. For a  movie major and fan, it was fantastic to get a glimpse of the real life sets.


We spent the rest of the afternoon on bikes, wandering around the city and biking (halfway) across the Golden Gate Bridge. We got a last glimpse of the water and city skyline before heading back to the airport.  There's something about that city that captured my imagination and heart.