Since we spent Thanksgiving morning at the beach, and I spent the evening being the token American at a holiday potluck at our Canadian-filled timeshare, we didn’t go on an adventure yesterday. Instead, here are some random thoughts from the trip:

• People keep asking me if I’ve had any Spam since arriving in Hawaii, and I’m all like, “Don’t you realize I can get the freshest Spam at home just down the road in Austin, Minnesota?”
• We were watching the news yesterday and they interviewed a couple waiting for a mall in Oahu to open up at 6 PM. They mentioned that they were going to need new suitcases to take all their stuff home. In other words, they traveled to Hawaii to wait in line and shop for stuff they could get back at home. Hooray for the foot soldiers in the War for Christmas.

I certainly hope our intrepid shoppers don’t get their shopping gift wrapped and dispose of it on the Road to Hana.

• Despite my love of fancy cocktails and Tiki drinks, I’ve come to love the following beverage this week: Rum, POG Juice (Passion Fruit, Orange and Guava juice) and Sprite. Delicious.
• While the pronunciation is different, Pi’ikea Street certainly looks like an equation required to build a bookshelf.
• I try to pack the exact amount of clothes I need for vacation, but I always end up wearing the same three things. “Well, I went hiking in these socks yesterday, and we won’t shower until we get back from today’s hike, let’s see what new and interesting smells can come from my feet.”

We’re going on one hike this morning, and these clothes are ready to go on a different one.

• Maui: One of the Ten Most Remote Places in the World You Can Litter.
• I haven’t written about Maui’s fine casual dining because we have a kitchen in the timeshare. This means out of fifteen possible meals, we’ve only eaten out twice.       Although, I haven’t had beef since we left, so I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to reenter Minnesota on Tuesday.
• My Adidas Terrex Swift Solo Approach shoes are about as good a hiking tennis shoe as I’ve ever had. The rubber coating over the toes has prevented about three million foot injuries climbing over rocks and roots. (Not a sponsored comment, but if Adidas wanted to send a men’s 10.5 and women’s 8.5 our way, I wouldn’t complain. *wink*).
• Everything that isn’t described as a natural wonder in Maui seems to be covered in graffiti.
• When we were in the visitor’s center at the Haleakala Crater, someone called in to ask about the weather, which can change drastically from the time you call and the time you arrive. We were talking with the folks working there and they said that once the received a call from someone asking what the weather would be like in thirty days. Your own ten day forecast can change hourly (at least on weather.com) and we had several days in Minnesota where a zero percent chance of rain was forecast while it was raining, so I have no idea in the world how someone would make hiking plans 29 days and 23 hours in advance of driving to the park.
• I’m very much missing my annual Black Friday tradition of eating at Wally Waffles in Tallmadge, Ohio with my college pal Lisa. It’s funny how traditions like that just sort of happen, and how you really notice when the tradition is broken.
• I left Minnesota with three internet ready electronic devices, two credit cards and six bucks in my wallet. When I went to England in 1995, I had one Sony Discman and all of the travelers’ checks. In just two decades, the fundamental way we travel is completely different—although you are carry just as much value, just packaged in larger, lithium ion powered, packages.