I just got a tweet from my buddy the Travelocity Roaming Gnome who said “@AprilMWilliams: Let’s have a peek at the photos! I can only imagine I look stunningly handsome.”
Well of course the Roaming Gnome is handsome and dashing. And I have photos to prove it.
While I posted the photos on my Twitter feed and often use this photo in my presentations as an excellent example of building relationships with customers, I did not post the photo to my blog. So I am fixing this today.
On a recent trip to Hawaii Nathan Kam @NathanKam let us in on a inside scoop. We took advantage of this photo op during the gnome’s busy and adventure packed visit to Hawaii. We snapped this shot at Duke’s Waikiki Restaurant & Barefoot Bar at the Outrigger Hotel Waikiki. He has a bit of a tan from all the surfing he did the day before. Fortunately, he was slathered in maximum sun screen protection.
Here’s the Roaming Gnome and I enjoying breakfast overlooking Waikiki Beach. Aloha!
Travelocity Roaming Gnome and April M. Williams at Duke’s in Waikiki Honolulu Hawaii
I recently attended a networking event in Chicago’s north suburban Glencoe. The event was held in a mansion at 458 Lakeside in Glencoe, Illinois. This 10,000 square foot home built by Adel Tarakdjian of Tara Designer Homes is available for private events like the one I attended. The couple hundred people at the session comfortably roamed all three level plus the lower level of the home, patios and gardens. Our host for the evening, master networker Dan Felix.
What a great way to market a home in this economy. By renting out the facility, a few hundred people a night visit the showcase home. Rental fees generate income and during our session, Adel gave a short commercial on his company and background on the home.
You can see professional photos at the website but to get a real feel for the property, you have to see it to believe. Even the mini kitchen and wine storage on the third level were spectacular.
In the Midwest, the foliage can offer up a bouquet of colors in Autumn as deciduous trees prepare for the long cold winter. This year the weather turned cold and damp early fall and leaves on the tree did not get a chance to show dramatic shades of color. Many leaves fell while still green.
We take advantage of the last few days of summer-like weather around here. It is time to bring in any hoses, lawn ornaments and furniture. It’s also time to bring the snow shovels out because we will be needing them soon.
As I enjoyed our Indian Summer this week, I had to capture the sound as I walked through the leaves. Listen in:
We travel to Hawaii often and likely know more about Hawaiian history than the casual tourist to the islands. Our visits include stops at cultural and history sights important to making Hawaii the diverse location that it is. Then we met Richard Wong, tour guide for Ohana Tours. When our friends at Ohana Tours heard about our love of history and Honolulu they invited us to check out the weekend walking tour of the downtown area. We took our ohana (family) to meet Richard on a recent Sunday morning.
Our adventure began in downtown Honolulu in front of the golden Kamehameha Statue in the heart of the city. You can see this statue on the Hawaii state quarters released as part of the state series. For the next two hours Richard shared history of Hawaiian culture, religion, politics and people. As history buffs ourselves, we were overwhelmed by the detailed stories our guide shared with us. Richard is a gifted story teller. His vivid words and smooth delivery made the tales come alive for us. Drawing on a long career as a Honolulu police officer, he personalized his tales with accounts from his time on the force.
We found another link between us and our guide. To bring the islands to us when we are in the Midwest, we started watching the Hawaii 5-0 television series starting at the pilot. I get chills every time I hear the Hawaii Five-0 theme song playing. The show ran for 12 years from 1968 to 1080 and was filmed in Hawaii. The second floor of the Iolani Palace was the fictional state police headquarters. Many scenes were filmed at the iconic Ilikai Hotel in Waikiki overlooking Duke Kahanamoku’s Lagoon and the Honolulu Marina. Richard worked security during many of these shoots and shared stories of the cast and crew. He even had a few on screen parts.
You can read more about our tour on the www.808talk.com article. Listen to how Richard started out our tour below. If you are staying in Honolulu over a weekend, check out Ohana Tours for information or reservations.
This weekend we made a journey into the city to see the Burnham Plan exhibit at Millennium Parkon the lakefront. It was a trip we contemplated for a while but were discouraged by the time commitment. As we traveled into town, we reminded ourselves why we don’t do this trip very often.
Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM we started out by car and 100 minutes later had crawled our way as far as Wrigleyville. We stopped there to park our car at reasonable rates. A 10 minute walk to the el, then a 20 minute ride before another 10 minute walk. Over 2 hours of commute time one way.
Now some of you may suggest we opt for public transportation. The train is 20 minute drive from home, runs once an hour and takes 90 minutes then a 20 minute walk to the park. No time or money saved there. The closest el stop is almost an hour drive from home. And buses? Never see them out here.
So now we are at beautiful Millennium Park on a warm late summer evening with my Dad. We took video at the Crown Fountain where children and adults are delighted by the smiling faces and surprise awaiting them.
Millennium Park Chicago Lakefront
Our journey was inspired by the Burnham Plan exhibit with lighting by artist Tracey Dear. After our walk we happened upon Hot Woks, Cool Sushi and had dinner under wall art commissioned by the restaurant. The artwork changes colors like the pavilion across the street. We talked to David, one of the owner of this new restaurant to get the scoop. If you like sushi and art – this is the place to be. The service was slow during our visit. The waitress did not get to our table for over 10 minutes when we arrived. Our appetizers arrived before our drinks. Just open since June, they may still be ironing out a few kinks.
Our diners enjoyed the sushi served and gave it hit marks for freshness and presentation. I recommend the sweet potato and asparagus maki rolls. The tempura was served hot with a batter fried light and crisp. Vegetarian items on the menu were clearly marked.
For the art lover, take a stroll along the long narrow room where each area displays a different artists work. You can read up on the artists in their bios within the menu.
All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. Just wish the commute time was shorter. If the 2016 Olympics land here, perhaps the infrastructure will improve and travel times will drop.
Looking for a great way to spend an afternoon in Honolulu? Stop by the Honolulu Zoo just a block away from world famous Waikiki Beach. This jewel in the Waikiki neighborhood is just the right size for a few hours of leisurely strolling.
Elephant at Honolulu Zoo Hawaii
When you walk into the park, the first exhibit you’ll see is the scarlet flamingos. Did you know they are pink because of the seafood they eat?
This is one of the few places you’ll be sure to see the native Nene birds. Other favorite exhibits I make sure not to miss include the Galapagos tortoise, monkeys, orangutan and African elephants.
Fourteen years ago John Baur and Mark Summers concocted the Talk Like a Pirate idea. When playing racquetball, they began cursing each other in a pirate like language. They promoted this event annually with mild success. Once Dave Barry and Long John Silver’s restaurants got behind the idea, things went viral.
It served them well. T-shirts, books, and speaking engagements followed. John parlayed this into a move deep into pirate territory with his current home base now St. Croix.
Here’s primer to get you started on talking like a pirate.
At least it is not another Hallmark holiday. To find out more check out the Official Talk Like a Pirate Day website.
To read more about how this annual event got started, read the CNN article.
Tiki’s Grill and Bar has one of the best locations in Waikiki. With a vast view of Waikiki Beach and the Pacific Ocean, this a favorite spot for locals to meet for cocktails and dinner while catching a beautiful sunset.
Tiki’s Waikiki Tweep up Alexis Williams, Kyle E. Williams, Vernon Brown, Aloha Bruce, Carson P. Williams
Just a few weeks ago we were hanging out with friends at Tiki‘s in Waikiki. There was a Twitter organized meet up with Chris Pirillo tech writer for CNN, the night after we got into town. For us, it was a great way to visit with many of our new and old friends at one time. We ended up leaving the party early as we were still on Chicago time. I barely stayed awake till 8:30 there which is 5 hours later on Chicago time. I’m not often awake at 1:30AM.
You can watch video and read moreon this Tiki’s event and other interesting friends.
I ran across one of the photos today of a few of our favorite tweeple. Check out these dudes having a fun time!
We founded a new monthly networking session at Port Edward in Algonquin. Buffet breakfast and lively, thought provoking conversation for just 10$. Best deal in town. All are welcome. First Wednesday of the month from 8:30AM – 10AM. For more info visit our website.
This morning I facilitated our discussion on sparking latent energy. Sparks of ideas were ignited!
April M. Williams @aprilmwilliams leads this morning's Posi+ineCharge
