Kona Coffee

I was back in Kona mid-October and had an opportunity to taste a great Kona Coffee from a small grower, Hula Daddy.  If you are on the Big Island I would recommend stopping by their small shop off the Mamalahoa Hwy in Holualoa.  You can take a small tour, taste some great coffee, see some spectacular views of Kona, and of course buy some awesome coffee to bring home.

From the Honolulu Magazine:


We all know Kona coffee is the best, but choosing a bag from the hundreds of farms on the Big Island can be challenging. So we asked the experts at Web site Coffee Review, which rates coffees on a 100-point scale-similar to the one used for wine-which is tastiest. The editors recommended Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, giving 97 points to the Kona Sweet roast and 92 points to the Mele roast.

Hula Daddy started in 2002 on an 11-acre cow pasture and has since grown to more than 30 acres in Holualoa. Owner Lee Patterson also offers tours of the farm and the coffee-tasting room, even baking cookies for guests. “I grew up on a farm and I like creating something that makes people happy.”

Great Travel Deals

Here are a few current specials, time for some fun in the sun!  Contact me for details.

Photos from our last trip have been uploaded!

Scroll down and view the Flickr Photostream on the right side of the Blog.

Europe Trip 2010

I'm just back from a great trip to Europe, with stops in Barcelona, Rome, Tuscany and Venice.  Over the next week or so I'll be publishing a trip report with the highlights of the trip.

Trip Itinerary:

Sep 5 - Sunday	Day 1	Salem - Eugene - San Francisco - Frankfurt - Barcelona
Sep 6 - Monday	Day 2	Arrive in Barcelona
Sep 7 - Tuesday	Day 3	Barcelona
Sep 8 - Wednesday	Day 4	Barcelona
Sep 9 - Thursday	Day 5	Barcelona
Sep 10 - Friday	Day 6	Barcelona - Rome
Sep 11 - Saturday	Day 7	Rome
Sep 12 - Sunday	Day 8	Rome
Sep 13 - Monday	Day 9	Rome
Sep 14 - Tuesday	Day 10	Rome - Tuscany
Sep 15 - Wednesday	Day 11	Tuscany
Sep 16 - Thursday	Day 12	Tuscany
Sep 17 - Friday	Day 13	Tuscany
Sep 18 - Saturday	Day 14	Tuscany
Sep 19 - Sunday	Day 15	Tuscany - Venice
Sep 20 - Monday	Day 16	Venice - Frankfurt - San Francisco - Eugene - Salem

Europe Trip 2010 - Off to Spain

This is day one of our trip to Europe. Barcelona Spain, Rome Italy, Tuscany, and finally Venice. I'm excited to be back in Barcelona, it's one of my favorite cities. This will be our first trip to Rome and Venice, even if we only have a few hours to spend in Venice.

We are flying over on United, this is the first time we have flown a US carrier to Europe. I'm doing this so we can check out United's new lay flat business seats. They have been getting good reviews and I love a seat that reclines to a flat bed!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My ad for the upcoming Basic Rights Oregon annual dinner.

Basic Rights Oregon Dinner website

International Driving Permits

International Driving Permits

“Although many countries do not recognize U.S. driver’s licenses, most countries accept an International Driving Permit (IDP).  IDPs are honored in more than 150 countries outside the United States.  (See AAA’s application form for the list of countries).  An IDP functions as an official translation of a U.S. driver’s license into ten foreign languages.  These licenses are not intended to replace valid U.S. state licenses and should only be used as a supplement to a valid U.S. license.  IDPs are not valid in an individual’s country of residence.

Before departure, you can obtain an IDP from an automobile association authorized by the U.S. Department of State to issue IDPs.  Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic (1949) authorizes the U.S. Department of State to empower certain organizations to issue IDPs to those who hold valid U.S. driver’s licenses.  The Department designated the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (through the National Auto Club) as the only authorized distributors of IDPs.”        

(http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html)

In many countries it is now the law that you must have an International Driving Permit to drive and pick-up a rental car, fine for non-compliance can be quite steep.  Stop by your local AAA office and you can pick one up in about 30 minutes.

The countries shown in dark blue recognize the international driving permit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit