TP Thursday: Holiday Trees

As the holiday season wraps itself around our chilly Pacific Northwest, we start thinking about our holiday trees.

Not the holiday kind under which gifts are placed, but those trees that bring memories of holidays, or vacations, we’ve taken during the past year.  Instead of ornaments, our trees are decorated with wonderful memories of time spent together, adventures shared, new friends made and destinations discovered. 

There’s  Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach on Hawaii’s island of O’ahu.



And Hollywood, Florida. . .



And Marbella, Spain. . .



And Tenerife, Canary Islands. . .


We are hoping your tree is decorated with wonderful holiday memories as well!

It is Travel Photo Thursday!  Take a trip around the world by visiting Budget Traveler’s Sandbox, the blog where the project began.

Waikiki's Freebie Finds

Not long ago friends seemed surprised when we suggested they give Waikiki a try instead of flying to an outer island. They questioned cost and what they might find to do. . .hotel prices don't get much better than they are now and as for things to do, the place is abuzz with freebie finds. Friday nights there is a fireworks show out over the Waikiki waterfront that matches those we know as Fourth of July extravaganzas in Seattle. We watched from our room while others gathered along the beach.

Saturday night we caught the tail end of the free hula show that takes place four evenings a week on Prince Kuhio Beach (adjacent to Waikiki Beach)

Sunday we happened to be here during the 25th Annual Ala Wai Canal Canoe Races, sponsored by the Waikiki Community Association. Ala Wai, is two blocks back from Waikiki. At other times it is fun just to watch canoes out on the canal. That afternoon we happened upon a band concert at the Pavilion at Kapi'olani Park, only two blocks from Prince Kuhio Beach.

The local paper, The Honolulu Advertiser, is a great source for daily information on lectures, tours and activities going on about town