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October 5, 2005. Well, Marnie signed-us-up as volunteers for the GREAT RACE called the Ironman! I’d read and watched videos about this great race, but until you’ve driven the route these great athletes are facing, you have NO idea. First of all, they will be jumping into the water in Kona for the first leg of the race. It’s just the very START of their day (2.4 Miles, 3.86 Kilometers.) Then, they’ll be faced with a bike race that is a WHOPPING 112 miles (180.2 KM) up the NW side of the Big Island (Hawaii Island) that will go past our turn-off to Waikoloa Village. This is just by the Blue Helicopter launch pads, and past the Queen and Kings, Mauna Lani, and Puako. Then, on their way back, they’ll be faced with a final 26.2 mile (42.2 KM) RUN that finishes-off in Kona, where the entire even began!
Can you believe it? Well, to give you an idea of what these gals and guys are up against, we think seriously prior to taking any of these rides. “Going to Kona” from Waikoloa Village is about a 45 minute car ride (one way,) which is only a fraction of their bike ride. And going from the airport into Kona is about a 15 minute drive (one way,)which, again, is only a fraction of their run. And the 2.4 mile swim? I wouldn’t even know how to explain it, other than WALKING from one end of Ali’i drive and back is enough to make me fall asleep quickly at night, and I’m sure that’s only a 1/2 or 1 mile at the most.
Driving to and from Kona gives me inspiration as I watch these serious athletes in training. They’re biking and running through Lave Fields and scorching sunlight. If they’re lucky, they’ll have a breeze, if not? Drink lots of water! Here’s the actual course info from Ironman’s website: Ironman Course
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OK, we’re “PROUD PARENTS!” Our first and second issues of “The Sign Post” were published in September and October promoting our new Vinyl Banners and Signs Company here on the Big Island! Sorry for the self-marketing stuff, but we’ve been through quite a bit. But I do have to say, just when you think the economy is going to hell, I can prove you otherwise! We started Lets Go Banners in March of this year, with our first big push in June and July, and we’ve been busy all the way through. (not just in Hawaii.) We’ve been shipping banners, trade show displays, and athletic and spirit flags to the mainland also!
SO I think it’s pretty cool that the American Dream still has some teeth. We moved here January 1 (on the Big Island, from Indiana, with a brief stint on Maui for 2 weeks.) And we’ve managed to start a business, get it ranked internationally on Google, Yahoo, Msn, and Live in the first few pages for about 300 terms, and have built a great local client base for our signs, vinyl banners, and marketing services. So, although this site is all about Hawaii, Moving to Hawaii, and facts about Hawaii and our challenges with moving or temporarily moving your household across the world, I REALLY hope this gives you hope that you CAN DO IT!
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We’re starting a new video series called “In The Trenches” geared towards small business folk who would enjoy “real-life” stories, motivational ideas, marketing ideas, accounting ideas, etc.! We’ll be posting “In the Trenches” on Youtube, Rever, and of course at www.LetsGoBanners.com So stay tuned for some really fun and informational videos and blog posts. We can’t wait to get started. Our first filming takes place Friday, October 3, 2008!
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Earth Wind & Fire Takes Waikoloa by STORM
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August 30th, we were treated to an unbelievable event at the Queens’ Gardens- The MOST incredible concert that I can remember: Earth Wind & Fire! I got a call from Timo Driedger (Tiare Massage) during the week: “Hey Chief, how would you like to catch the concert? I have two tickets, you’ve been working hard, and take that lady (Marnie) out on the town?” To which I had to think about 1 second, “OH KAY!” Timo and Jenn are two spectacular people who have been very nice to us during our move (they were the very first people we met when we landed on the Beautiful Island of Hawaii in January 2008, and have been so very kind to us.) We gladly
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accepted the tickets and made plans to eat at Ruths’ Chris Steakhouse at the Mauna Lani with some friends (Timo was coming back from Maui and met us with Jenn at the concert,) and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I had not eaten at Ruths’ since leaving Indy (we dined with our wonderful partner Chad Wolfe and his wife Laine at the Indy Keystone Ruths’ Chris in December 2007,) and we had a blast. So much so that we actually were late for the concert! Anyway, we made the 5 mile dive in no time and found a parking spot and hurried into the venue to watch EW&F performing all their hits! It was a blast. Not only was the show awesome, but we were very proud observing all the signs, banners, and flags displayed that our new Hawaiian company, Lets Go Banners, had made for the Queens’ MarketPlaces’ Grand Opening! The food and beverage garden was laid out perfectly, and we had a great time. Perfect weather, and after the show, we met Timo and Jenn to meet up with the band! We got a picture with Verdine White,
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one of the original members of the band from early on. He’s very nice, and the band was treated to Tiare Massage’s services during the day and “meet and greet.” The Queens’ MarketPlace was packed and bustling, no hint of a slowing economy. Well, after the “meet and greet,” Marnie and I had to track back up to Waikoloa Village to relieve our baby-sitter, but not before hanging out with a nice crowd at Merriman’s at the King’s Shoppes. Nice people! After that, we made it back to Waikoloa inside 15 minutes to tend to the “chillins,” and to revisit the night. Thank you again Timo and Jenn, and please visit www.LetsGoBanners.com for the newsletter with more information about the show, and for September’s newsletter! From Chris and Marn.
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Happy Birthday To MARNIE!
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Marnie turned a very special corner (I won’t say which one...) and her family sent her a simply gorgeous floral present (below.) WOW. We wake up every day to the smell of this fantastic arrangement. I wish I knew the names of these flowers, maybe someone can help identify the flowers. Thanks to her family! Very nice! We had dinner in Kona and there was a major storm, which made it very unique. I dropped Marnie and the girls off at the entrance to the restaurant, and then parked and attempted to traverse about 6 inches of water! (I know, this is nothing compared to what my fellow Hoosiers are going through.) Our heartfelt prayers go out to Indiana and the mid west. We hope everything gets better. The ONLY positive I can think of is that maybe the droughts will go away, and everyone will have sufficient clean water supplies...
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Aloha from the Big Island! This week was really special (isn’t that special...:) It was Marnie’s and my 15 year wedding anniversary! To celebrate, we took the kids...:< (just kidding) to Kirin at the Hilton Waikoloa! Now, I may have mentioned somewhere in this trip report that 3 or 4 years ago, the last time Marnie and I visited the Big Island (prior to our move here,) we stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa, and we ate at Kirin’s 3 or 4 nights in a row! It is the BEST Chine se food in the world (or at least this part of the world..!) Well, last night (Thursday, April 24,) we ventured over to the Hilton and walked our way down to Kirin’s. Although we ate here about 12 weeks ago right after we moved here, the Hilton Waikoloa is so big that we couldn’t quite remember exactly where the restaurant is. So we started walking to the right of the grand entrance, and we thought we’d gone too far, but nope, we had a little way’s to go. But the cool thing is that I got some great picts on the way, and the artwork is simply astonishing.
Here’s a picture of the entrance to a set of rooms further down the walk (I forget the name of this area, I think it’s the King’s Suites or something like that, but it is simply breathtaking.) Looking exactly opposite is a picture overlooking the ocean (sorry, my camera doesn’t do it justice!) As we progressed down the hall, admiring the art, we passed many happy vacationers who we slightly envied for their experience, although we quickly realized we were having the same experience!  I remember staying here several years ago. This place is soooo big and beautiful, that part of my “work out” each day heading to the spa and work out facility was simply jogging there! It was at the exact opposite end of the complex, so just getting there was a work out (unless, of course, you take the tram or the boat ride, that you can pick up about every 5 to 10 minutes. Well, we finally made our way to Kirin’s, and were seated promptly and we placed our drink orders. I ordered an authentic Chinese Tea, and the girls quickly drank all of it! For dinner, Eve ordered Orange Chicken which is awesome, and I had the General’s Spicy Chicken. I can’t remember what Marnie ordered, but it was good also, and Rose just shared ours. She’d had the flu lately and really preferred her soup! (Oh- I also ordered the seafood egg drop soup which was unreal!) After dinner, we walked down to the end of the walk and waited to catch a boat ride back to the grand lobby. While waiting we met a nice artist (Trey?) who paints awesome pictures of the tourists (caricatures) and we really enjoyed talking with him. Since we’re starting a sign company (www.letsgobanners) we thought we may be able to do some networking! We wondered over to the boat loading area and waited a few minutes and then caught a boat ride back. It was really relaxing listening to the tourists talk about their day! There was a guy from California talking about all the stuff he’d done this week as well as a brief history about Disneyland in California. The other couple were having a ball and were slightly sun burnt (don’t forget to apply it everywhere!) The one gentlemen mentioned he’d forgot to cover one of his cheeks and was showing bright red (not out of embarrassment). What’s weird about living here is that you don’t really (after a while) worry much about the sun, unless, of course, you’re going to the beach all day. I stay consistently tan, and onl y get burnt when going to the beach or a pool. So if you’re visiting, BE CAREFUL!
Well, we finished our boat ride and arrived at the lobby. Walking through, we were approached by four young ladies asking if we could take there picture in front of the huge dolphin statue in the lobby. They then asked if we would “hug” for a picture, since we found out they were on a scavenger hunt and needed a picture of a couple hugging. How appropriate, since it was our 15 year wedding anniversary?
Back to the car, and on our way home! The stars weren’t as bright, as the volcano is a bit busy- no problem!
We’ve been very busy with Lets Go Banners, and here’s a banner we printed today. It was from a stock photo and we are very happy with the quality from our first Mutoh printer, which arrived last week. We’ve been in the printing industry for 15 years, and I just wish we’d gotten into the sign and banner business 15 years ago!
Tomorrow we’re heading to Kona to purchase some sign supplies at Lowes and Home Depot, and are looking forward to eating at the Hard Rock, which is closing in a couple months. I just hope they re-open at the Queen Shoppes or King Shoppes. This Island is growing so fast, I can’t imagine not having a Hard Rock (their salads are unreal!)
If you haven’t added to our forum or picture upload, please do! It’s in the nav bar above!
Until next time,
Chris and Family,
Aloha!
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If you’re planning a trip to one or many of the beautiful islands of Hawaii, we invite you to visit and learn from our members’ experiences of Hawaii. My family, after visiting Hawaii for 15 years, finally decided to make the move and make Hawaii our home! We hope to make this site informative to all who wish to visit and share Hawaii. It’s a slice of paradise.
And we invite you to post to our forum to share your experiences with others to help make their trips the best!
Aloha, Chris Anderson and Family!
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Bubbles The Crab joins our group for the day...
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We visited the gorgeous Mauna Lani Resort (not sure the exact name of this beach....) with some of our friends on Saturday. Well, we were visited and befriended by Bubbles The Crab for most of the day. We’d seen the crab a few weeks ago, and I think he (or she) is taking a liking to us. One of his friends joined us later in the day too!
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Would you like to write about your FAVORITE Hawaiian experience? Help us out by writing to our Community Forum, and upload some pictures! Share your Hawaii Trip experience with everyone! It’s not cheap to travel to paradise, so help others! Start now!
Here’s a video of our exciting delivery of our Matson 45 foot container! We were so tired of sleeping on air mattresses!
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Are you nuts about Hawaii? Have you vacationed here before? Are you just getting ready to take your first trip to pa
radise?
As everyone knows, vacationing to Hawaii is (although a labor of love,) very time-consuming and expensive to do the “right way.” My family has vacationed here many times (until we actually moved here this year,) and every time we learned new things that helped make our trip even better every time.
Although the internet provides a ton of resources, we found that it can become overwhelming. So we decided to do something about it and create this site to enable you to learn how to make the most of your vacation, while at the same time giving you the opportunity to share stories (good or bad!) about your trip to Paradise.
This site will morph over time, but we now have a Community  Forum that will help us post anything and everything. We wish to keep it a family-styled forum, so please keep it clean. We also have a “Picture Upload” area that is kind of like a personal picture gallery. Here you can share your snapshots of Hawaii and look at pictures taken by others.
I hope you enjoy this site. And we hope that people share their stories so that we can help others make the most of their trip to Hawaii.
And please send me an email if you have any ideas or suggestions! I haven’t set up email accounts for this site yet, so you can reach me at:
chris@letsgobanners.com
Enjoy!
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