1997 Photo Highlights

(Life After New Jersey)

On the East Coast, we often drove to another state and back in just one day. On the West Coast, we can drive all day and still be in California (horrors!), but life is not dull for us. Since moving to the West Coast, we have traveled numerous times to Southern California, and once each to Oregon, Colorado, and Hawaii.

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Home — February 14, 1997 marked our first Valentine's Day together. Scott made his specialty, homemade pasta. To make it, he put the flour on a board, made a well in the flour, put an egg in the well and mixed it with a fork. He then rolled the dough and cut it into fettucini. (This may not be interesting to you, but Jette didn't know how to make pasta.)

Portland, Oregon — We visited Jette's sister Lynn Wiltse in late February 1997. The city's streets had "wild animals" (okay, metal sculptures); click on the thumbnail photo to see a "deer" ridden by Jette's niece Sarah. We recommend seeing the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which is home to the U.S.S. Blueback, the Navy's last non-nuclear submarine that was the "stunt-double" in the movie "The Hunt for Red October."

San Francisco, California — Scott's grandmother, Peggy Briese, joined us in early March for a tour of the Bay Area. This photo was taken on Alcatraz Island, formerly a federal maximum-security prison until it was closed in 1963 (because it was too expensive to maintain). Famous "residents" included Al "Scarface" Capone (gangster), Alvin Karpis (Ma Barker's partner), George "Machine Gun" Kelly (bank robber and kidnapper), and Robert Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz").

Vail, Colorado — Scott's family had their annual ski trip in late March; this year, it was to Breckenridge and Vail. They're all good skiers, but it was Jette's first time on skis (she was raised in Hawaii). The beginning-level ski school was held by the entrance to the Breckenridge Emergency Medical Center, so her class got to watch a non-stop procession of injured skiers (mostly adults) bundled up on stretchers getting towed in by the Ski Patrol snowmobile. It motivated the class to pay attention to the details on safety. This photo's background shows Vail's Beaver Creek and Valley of Tears.

Matsumoto's Shaved Ice, Oahu, Hawaii — We were in Hawaii July 4-18 for our "real" honeymoon. Our first priority was visiting Jette's family. Pictured are Evie Fong (Jette's cousin), Jessie Young (grand-aunt), and Myrna Young (sister). Not shown: Tommy and Carrol (brother and sister-in-law), who knew that real Hawaiian shaved ice would be a perfect treat on a sunny day.

Hanauma Bay, Oahu — This is a popular snorkel spot; its inner reef is usually calm and is less than 10 feet deep. Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film, no flash); the fish crowded around him when he scattered fish food.
Travelers' tip: Fish food is sold at the Hanauma Bay concession stand. The birds also like eating it, so guard it well (the birds can smell fish food even if you cover it with a beach towel, and they are very aggressive at getting to the food).

Haleakala Crater, Maui — A breath-taking sunset, looking down at the clouds. We also took a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour over Haleakala and Hana. The company has a perfect safety record, and helped in the making of "Jurassic Park."
Travelers' tip: To get a possible discount on a tour, just go to the company's office at the Kahului Heliport and ask if they have any spaces available that day. We benefited from two last-minute cancellations and saved 35%.

near Molokini
Crater, Maui Travelers' tip: Trilogy Excursions! They have the best service of all the commercial tours to Molokini and Lanai, with a friendly, hard-working crew. Our cruise included fresh cinnamon rolls, barbecue lunch (they had a charcoal grill on the back of the boat), unlimited soft drinks, and snorkel gear (even prescription masks). Jette is a non-swimmer with a fear of deep water, so the crew put her on a surfboard and towed her so she could see everything. That's service!

Molokini Crater, Maui — This has incredibly clear water for snorkeling, and the island's "back wall" is popular with Maui scuba divers for its "Edge of the World" drop and "Flying Sea Cliffs". Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film and no flash) in early morning.
Travelers' tip: Put lots of sunscreen on your back and shoulders! We applied four thick coats of SPF40 but still got sunburned; we glowed bright red for days.

Turtletown, Maui — There is no way to adequately describe how "blue" the water is in Hawaii, although water is actually colorless. Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film and no flash) in very clear water near Molokini Atoll at around 10:30 a.m., but it's best to go earlier to avoid choppy water (we barely made it back to the boat!).

Hana, Maui — We started driving to Hana but never made it all the way there, because we kept stopping at spectacular sights such as this patch of bamboo at Ke'anae Arboretum. This plant doesn't look very big in the thumbnail photo, but you'll see it more accurately if you click on the thumbnail to see the bigger picture (which still shows only part of the plant). This is why the Hana area is considered to be a "rain forest." We suggest you get Craig Henderson's "Hana Cassette Guide" for a great narrated tape tour that you can play in your car.

Hana, Maui — Can't go to Hana without seeing greenery, bridges, and waterfalls. This waterfall is near the "mile 21" marker. Again, it doesn't look very big in the thumbnail photo, so click on the thumbnail to see the bigger picture — which shows you what the winding drive to Hana is like, all 30+ miles of it. So start your drive to Hana early in the morning.

Whittier, California — Scott's maternal grandfather, Leo Briese, has always told his family that they should go to Hawaii and bring him back a hula dancer. Well, we did it; we walked up and down Waikiki Beach to find the perfect doll (nice smile, semi-authentic costume, etc.). And Gran Briese isn't jealous of it, as you can see in the larger picture, taken at their home.
This doll was the only souvenir we brought back. We also brought lots of local food, but much of it was gone by the time we walked off the airplane.

Whittier, California — Every Christmas, Scott's grandparents decorate their home like every kid's dream, with candy canes in the yard, lights, banners, and . . . a beautiful winter wonderland under the tree. Grandpa Briese sets up the train set that runs around the miniature village, while Gran Briese is the "landscaper" who creates the pond for ice-skaters, the snow for skiers, and the mountains over Grandpa's train tunnel. Click on the thumbnail to see a bigger picture, showing Grandpa inspecting the project.

Whittier, California — On Christmas morning, Rose Drew (2-1/2 years old) became engineer of her very own electric train. Her dad, Tom Drew, quickly figured out how the train works, and is planning to obtain more tracks (maybe enough so Rose can commute to pre-school!). So how many train engineers wear hot pink "high-heels" to work?

Whittier, California — Nicholas Berk (almost six years old and fearless) rides his first scooter, with his dad Jeff Berk trailing behind.
Actually, the fun part was the night before, watching his engineer father, two uncles, and great-grandfather trying to assemble the monster on Christmas Eve. Nothing like a deadline to make things exciting . . .

1997 highlights
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Thumbnail (click to view larger image)	Photo description and comments
	Home — February 14, 1997 marked our first Valentine's Day together. Scott made his specialty, homemade pasta. To make it, he put the flour on a board, made a well in the flour, put an egg in the well and mixed it with a fork. He then rolled the dough and cut it into fettucini. (This may not be interesting to you, but Jette didn't know how to make pasta.)
	Portland, Oregon — We visited Jette's sister Lynn Wiltse in late February 1997. The city's streets had "wild animals" (okay, metal sculptures); click on the thumbnail photo to see a "deer" ridden by Jette's niece Sarah. We recommend seeing the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which is home to the U.S.S. Blueback, the Navy's last non-nuclear submarine that was the "stunt-double" in the movie "The Hunt for Red October."
	San Francisco, California — Scott's grandmother, Peggy Briese, joined us in early March for a tour of the Bay Area. This photo was taken on Alcatraz Island, formerly a federal maximum-security prison until it was closed in 1963 (because it was too expensive to maintain). Famous "residents" included Al "Scarface" Capone (gangster), Alvin Karpis (Ma Barker's partner), George "Machine Gun" Kelly (bank robber and kidnapper), and Robert Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz").
	Vail, Colorado — Scott's family had their annual ski trip in late March; this year, it was to Breckenridge and Vail. They're all good skiers, but it was Jette's first time on skis (she was raised in Hawaii). The beginning-level ski school was held by the entrance to the Breckenridge Emergency Medical Center, so her class got to watch a non-stop procession of injured skiers (mostly adults) bundled up on stretchers getting towed in by the Ski Patrol snowmobile. It motivated the class to pay attention to the details on safety. This photo's background shows Vail's Beaver Creek and Valley of Tears.
	Matsumoto's Shaved Ice, Oahu, Hawaii — We were in Hawaii July 4-18 for our "real" honeymoon. Our first priority was visiting Jette's family. Pictured are Evie Fong (Jette's cousin), Jessie Young (grand-aunt), and Myrna Young (sister). Not shown: Tommy and Carrol (brother and sister-in-law), who knew that real Hawaiian shaved ice would be a perfect treat on a sunny day.
	Hanauma Bay, Oahu — This is a popular snorkel spot; its inner reef is usually calm and is less than 10 feet deep. Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film, no flash); the fish crowded around him when he scattered fish food. Travelers' tip: Fish food is sold at the Hanauma Bay concession stand. The birds also like eating it, so guard it well (the birds can smell fish food even if you cover it with a beach towel, and they are very aggressive at getting to the food).
	Haleakala Crater, Maui — A breath-taking sunset, looking down at the clouds. We also took a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour over Haleakala and Hana. The company has a perfect safety record, and helped in the making of "Jurassic Park." Travelers' tip: To get a possible discount on a tour, just go to the company's office at the Kahului Heliport and ask if they have any spaces available that day. We benefited from two last-minute cancellations and saved 35%.
near Molokini Crater, Maui	Travelers' tip: Trilogy Excursions! They have the best service of all the commercial tours to Molokini and Lanai, with a friendly, hard-working crew. Our cruise included fresh cinnamon rolls, barbecue lunch (they had a charcoal grill on the back of the boat), unlimited soft drinks, and snorkel gear (even prescription masks). Jette is a non-swimmer with a fear of deep water, so the crew put her on a surfboard and towed her so she could see everything. That's service!
	Molokini Crater, Maui — This has incredibly clear water for snorkeling, and the island's "back wall" is popular with Maui scuba divers for its "Edge of the World" drop and "Flying Sea Cliffs". Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film and no flash) in early morning. Travelers' tip: Put lots of sunscreen on your back and shoulders! We applied four thick coats of SPF40 but still got sunburned; we glowed bright red for days.
	Turtletown, Maui — There is no way to adequately describe how "blue" the water is in Hawaii, although water is actually colorless. Scott shot this with a disposable underwater camera (ASA 800 film and no flash) in very clear water near Molokini Atoll at around 10:30 a.m., but it's best to go earlier to avoid choppy water (we barely made it back to the boat!).
	Hana, Maui — We started driving to Hana but never made it all the way there, because we kept stopping at spectacular sights such as this patch of bamboo at Ke'anae Arboretum. This plant doesn't look very big in the thumbnail photo, but you'll see it more accurately if you click on the thumbnail to see the bigger picture (which still shows only part of the plant). This is why the Hana area is considered to be a "rain forest." We suggest you get Craig Henderson's "Hana Cassette Guide" for a great narrated tape tour that you can play in your car.
	Hana, Maui — Can't go to Hana without seeing greenery, bridges, and waterfalls. This waterfall is near the "mile 21" marker. Again, it doesn't look very big in the thumbnail photo, so click on the thumbnail to see the bigger picture — which shows you what the winding drive to Hana is like, all 30+ miles of it. So start your drive to Hana early in the morning.
	Whittier, California — Scott's maternal grandfather, Leo Briese, has always told his family that they should go to Hawaii and bring him back a hula dancer. Well, we did it; we walked up and down Waikiki Beach to find the perfect doll (nice smile, semi-authentic costume, etc.). And Gran Briese isn't jealous of it, as you can see in the larger picture, taken at their home. This doll was the only souvenir we brought back. We also brought lots of local food, but much of it was gone by the time we walked off the airplane.
	Whittier, California — Every Christmas, Scott's grandparents decorate their home like every kid's dream, with candy canes in the yard, lights, banners, and . . . a beautiful winter wonderland under the tree. Grandpa Briese sets up the train set that runs around the miniature village, while Gran Briese is the "landscaper" who creates the pond for ice-skaters, the snow for skiers, and the mountains over Grandpa's train tunnel. Click on the thumbnail to see a bigger picture, showing Grandpa inspecting the project.
	Whittier, California — On Christmas morning, Rose Drew (2-1/2 years old) became engineer of her very own electric train. Her dad, Tom Drew, quickly figured out how the train works, and is planning to obtain more tracks (maybe enough so Rose can commute to pre-school!). So how many train engineers wear hot pink "high-heels" to work?
	Whittier, California — Nicholas Berk (almost six years old and fearless) rides his first scooter, with his dad Jeff Berk trailing behind. Actually, the fun part was the night before, watching his engineer father, two uncles, and great-grandfather trying to assemble the monster on Christmas Eve. Nothing like a deadline to make things exciting . . .