Our Silver Anniversary

This photo was taken 25 years ago today at the Cocoa Palms hotel in Kauai. W0w - 25 years.....time really does fly when you are having fun.

We lived in Chugiak Alaska at the time, then moved to the Native village of Aniak for a couple years, then Kodiak for 11 years. In 2001 we moved to Florida where we now reside. We went from working for retailers in Alaska to both becoming government workers (with a couple jobs in between). We still have furry critters in our house, some things never change, and still have on-going house projects.

We are planning a vacation to New Orleans next month - couldn't rely on Jerry's schedule this time of year because there was a good chance he would have an inventory in the middle of our anniversary vacation. So, we coiencided our trip with Mardi Gras, sorta. Should be memorable both both of us - Jerry's first time in NOLA and for me a homecoming after 40+ years.

After posting my vacation photos of lighthouses in Florida, Gerogia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, I was motivated to dig out some old photos and find the photo we took of a lighthouse in Hawaii in 1987. This lighthouse is located on the island of Kauai where we were married.

Notice the binoculars on my arm and the bird book in my hand. I was there to see the red-footed boobie. The lighthouse just happened to be there, lol. (I stashed away this photo because, at the time, I thought I looked fat:)

This photo is borrowed from a wehsite here. The site has lots more information on the lighthouse, which is adjacent a Wildlife Refuge, and about Kauai.

Coco Palms

Tomorrow we are having an employee appreciation day at work. The theme of the party is "Luau". I'm making sweet and sour meatballs tonight, and bought a pineapple and mangos for slicing. I bought dozens of leis at the Dollar Tree and fished out my old Hawaiian music CD & a boombox. Tomorrow should be fun but today all the preparation has me nostalgic and a bit blue.

While Greggory Abbott was belting out his #1 hit "Shake You Down" in 1987, I was on the garden island of Kauai at the Coco Palms Hotel - a Polynesian styled resor - saying "I Do". The photo above is the chapel where Jerr & I were married (vintage photo from the web). We didn't have Greggory Abbott singing for us but we did have an acoustic guitar player struming traiditonal Hawaiian music, which was beautiful, and two stranger off the beach as witnesses (the strangers were on their honeymoon too). The hotel was also the site of a convention of forensic pathologists while we were there so we heard some interesting talk in the Jacuzzi.

Sadly, Hurricane Iniki struck in September of 1992 and caused so much damage to the picturesque grounds (coconut groves and beautifu lagoons) that it was never reopened and basically lays in ruin now. And to think this is the place where Elvis filmed the final scenes of "Blue Hawaii"! Sometimes, when I have trouble sleeping, I fantasize and let my imagination run free about some place or project. One of these is restoring this place to it's pre-hurricane status. It wasn't a slick, modern, boutique hotel; instead, it was kinda old school with large clam shell sinks. Some people thought it was out of date - I thought it had ambiance like an old, dark steakhouse.

I searched the web and found these photos of the grounds. When I could locate them, I also included "after" shots.

The before and after of the entry way. I remember driving up there, getting out of the car to register, and the visiting the shops across the driveway to check on the flowers for our ceremony and Jerry buying me a pair of pearl earrings as a wedding gift to wear on our wedding day.

Before and after of cabins along the lagoons. At sunset, performers would come up the lagoon in outrigger boats, usually with torches, and land on the beach for their show.

This is where we had our after wedding lunch. I remember I had a shrimp salad on croissant with papaya. It was heavenly but I was just too hyped up to really reklax and enjoy the meal or the atmosphere. The before photo really doens't do it justice because you can't see the mural and it makes the restaurant look crowded - which it was not.

The only thing recognizable to me in these before and afters is the metal stair railing (the shots are from two different angles). There was also a Jacuzzi surrounded by a rockwall, like a grotto.

Below is the main hotel building, post Iniki, which is where we stayed. There were also cottages available along the lagoon.

So, if any investors out there are looking for a project, think Coco Palms! I'll be your first guest when you reopen ;)