Ambria's Adventures

  Sunday is typically reserved as a hiking day for my friend group and me. This past Sunday, we decided to try a trail none of us have ever done but was on our lists: Pali Puka. This trail is less than 1 mile (my GPS marked it as .85 to the hole in the rock and back,) rated moderate-difficult, has many steep areas where ropes are provided to help climb, can be windy and muddy, and will have you walking along some cliff edges. If you’re not great with heights, this may not be the one. However, one of the girls with us was very nervous at the cliffs and managed to make it with our support. Getting to the Pali Puka was pretty easy and there is a parking area for the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout Point (if you’re coming from Honolulu, just take highway 61 N about 5 miles and the signs are marked. If you reach the tunnels, you went too far). There are parking fees for non-residents that can be paid at the pay stand. It looked like there were several options to pay including the use of a credit...

Day 4 - Portland, Columbia River Gorge, Seattle (4h 35m, 270 miles) After a night of rest and relaxation in Portland, it was time to hit the road again. However, it was also the 4 th of July, and my friend and I thought it would be more fun in a city, so we decided to spend the night in Seattle, Washington. Looking back, this was not the best option for us. While we did find a nice hotel for cheap, it was so close to Portland that we definitely did not get enough mileage in. On top of that, most things in Seattle were closed anyway because of the pandemic. If I could do it again, I’d make a stop to get some coffee, check out the wharf, the gum wall, and probably be on my way. Anywho, before we left Oregon we wanted to check out some views outside of the city and made our way to the Columbia River Gorge. Crown Point offered spectacular scenes of the gorge and forest, even on a cloudy day.  From there, we jumped on the Historic Columbia River Hwy to do some waterfall chasing. Un...

My plan for the summer of 2020 was to be on the coast of Italy, meeting up with some travel friends for an all girl’s trip. We came up with the idea around November 2019, but as COVID-19 hit and became all the more powerful in its influence, it was clear that the trip was off.  I have to admit, I was quite lucky to be spending the pandemic in beautiful Hawaii. Once people were discouraged from coming to the islands, things got pretty loose. While social distancing and wearing masks were encouraged, we weren’t as restricted as other places on the mainland or other countries. I can see how I was a brat for complaining when in reality, I could still do many hikes, see friends (in groups of 10 or less), and visit the beaches I loved. Regardless, I had the summer off from work and I was hoping to go somewhere new.  Since international travel was not likely to happen, I figured I’d take the time to see friends and family on the mainland. I ended up talking to a girlfriend in Las Veg...

My second trip to Bangkok, Thailand occurred when some travel friends decided to plan our New Year's party there to bring in 2020 (before anyone knew what a disaster the year would be). We, as a group, love to celebrate the new year in different locations around the world. Sadly, this was the first time our group split up and went to different locations. My first trip to Bangkok was a few months earlier, so I was a little less excited about the location, but I looked forward to seeing my friends.   After 3 layovers and several hours, I landed at BKK airport close to 1am on December 30th. Luckily, 2 fellow traveling friends had stayed awake and the plan was for me to crash with them until I could check-in to my hotel room. Despite the long hours of traveling, I didn't go to sleep right away. Three of us sat and tried to catch up on the years that passed since we last saw each other in person, Istanbul for one friend, and the other was one I never met in real life up to that tim...