Randy

A Boat and a Plane

~ randyaa ~ Leave a comment
Sailors Lost

Today we had a real early start. We left the hotel at 6:45 and dropped our bags at the airport. From there we headed to The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We learned a lot of interesting things and saw even more. There was a museum at the memorial which had several interesting displays. The most moving of which was a display containing the items corresponding to one of the sailors lost on the USS Arizona. It contained his diploma, his purple heart, the telegram sent to his mother notifying her of his death and several other times of importance pertaining to his life.

Flying High

The memorial itself is very somber but an empowering part of American history. You felt a sort of pride stepping onto the deck of the memorial with the American Flag flying high above. It was inspiring to learn that even the survivors of the USS Arizona still to this day request to be buried at sea with their shipmates. When requested, they are cremated and Navy divers are commissioned to place them amongst the wreckage.

After visiting the memorial we caught a quick taxi ride back to the airport and it was on to the Big Island. Once arriving on this rainy paradise, we grabbed our rental and went out for a joyride. We took the ‘scenic route’ (which was labeled as such) and happened across an amazing overlook and trail head to the shoreline below. Since we didn’t have anything else planned we took the trek and we’re glad we did. The tide was coming and the waves were furious. Check out the photo album for some amazing shots from our mini-hike.

By the time we made it to the end of the ‘scenic route’ it was time for dinner. We found out how different Hilo is from Waikiki as it took us almost an hour to find a restaurant (we weren’t being picky, we couldn’t find ANY). However; once we found one, Hilo Bay Cafe, we determined the food was worth the search.

Another great ending to another great day.

Aloha,
Rachel and Randy

Welcome to Oahu

~ randyaa ~ Leave a comment
Diamond Head

A little advise for your next vacation, Ask for the upgrade! we started out with a ocean view room…meaning as long as you can see a sliver of the water…ocean view. We were upgraded to an ocean front room meaning all you can see is water. we can walk out on to the lanai or balcony and almost touch the top of the palm trees and we can listen to the waves of the ocean while we sleep. The first night was amazing but the first morning/day was incredible when we got to actually see the view!

We started off the day with a complimentary breakfast (which included pineapple, and so has every meal since. apparently they’re grown around here or something) and a quick 2 hour introduction to the islands. Here we listened to a native tour guide tell us about all sorts of wonderful things to do that we either already knew about or already had scheduled. We did however get some good recommendations and decided to take advantage.

Us

Once we decided on a few things to do we determined that today would be a good day to climb/hike Diamond Head. Rachel was a little uneasy with the thought of hiking in a dress but we were assured that the hike was not that demanding so we trekked on. We’re certainly glad that we did. The views from the way up were awesome and the views from the top were astounding. It provides a perfect vantage point to view Waikiki Beach.

After the hike we grabbed some lunch and took it easy for the rest of the day. We took a walk on the beach and did a little bit of shopping.

At sunset we had reservations at d.k Steakhouse. If you ever have the chance at dining at one of the d.k Restaurants I highly recommend it. Our steaks were easily the best I’ve ever had. I had the Sensei Filet Mignon and Rachel had the Filet Mignon and Oscar.

After dinner we had a quick stroll along the beach back to our Ocean Front hotel room, and then crashed (which is why we’re not posting until now).

with Love,
Randy and Rachel

RaR day 1

~ randyaa ~ 1 Comment

First of all we just want to say thanks to everyone who brought down the house last night. We had some mighty fine dancers out there (you know who you are 😉 ). As our first act as husband and wife we would like to announce the MVP award. And the winner is… (the choice was obvious…) Uncle Jerry for his outstanding dance numbers. Thanks Uncle Jerry for making our first decision together as husband and wife so easy. We haven’t had that much fun… ever. To see all of our friends and family celebrating our love with such enthusiasm touched our hearts in a way we’ll never forget.

Check out some of the first available candid shots from yesterday here.

Thanks to everyone, we love you,
Mr and Mrs Aldrich

I can resist everything except temptation

~ randyaa ~ Leave a comment

Snowmobile Club Ride

Sunday Rachel and I participated in a club ride with Canaltown Snowmobilers Inc and a total of 33 sleds. We hit snow in Williamson which made the trails good but the visibility poor. It eventually stopped once We reached the Steger Haus Restaurant. The Steger Haus was our final destination in Sodus for some rest and some drinks. We then proceeded back to the Hosbach’s house in Marion for some Hot dogs and Hamburgers where we met Haley. She’s a very playful and energetic 5 year old retriever. At the end of the day Rachel and I had rode about 60 miles which isn’t bad for riding around home.

Been Busy

~ randyaa ~ Leave a comment

Rachel and I are definitely winter people. That being said with the recent onset of winter in Rochester, you’ll understand why we haven’t been posting. We’ve been snowmobiling quite a bit, we tried out snowshoeing a few days ago (and loved it). We’ll also be skiing / snowboarding next weekend.

On top of that, the wedding plans and the remodeling effort… lots of fun but no time.