Joe Boyer

Tourism Videos Online

2009-11-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

This blog has been an enjoyable one. It was fun to go online and search for different kinds of videos that help to improve tourism spending. This has been an interesting couple of years in the tourism industry with the economy but plenty of websites are continuing to improve their sites with more additions of video tours. I looked around and found 15 different websites that had videos. I have listed those websites below.
The fifteen websites all had some pretty good videos to help illustrate what is being presented and how it can catch an interesting tourists' eye. Out of those 15, I have selected 5 that had some real videos. Those 5 come from the 1) Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, O'ahu, Hawaii, 2) Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, 3) Carnival Cruise Lines, 4) The Four Seasons Resort in Bali, and 5) Tahiti Tourisme, the official tourism website of Tahiti. Of those listed websites that I took a look at, the best one had to easily be the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is such an awesome place to visit. It takes many of the cultures from the South Pacific Islands and mixes them together for visitors from all over the world to enjoy and learn more about the different Polynesian lifestyles. There are 7 islands, lifestyles presented at the Polynesian Cultural Center and those are broken up into respective villages. The visitors are able to participate in the activities and learn more about the Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Fijian, Tahitian, New Zealand, and Rapa Nui islands and the people that live there. The workers at the center are so friendly and really incorporate the visitors in the activities. It really is an amazing place and anybody that goes over to Hawaii should plan a day to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center to visit the villages.
After the visitors take the day visiting the villages, they are then scheduled to eat at different areas. There is a Luau with a buffet and dancing for entertainment, some people pay a little more to eat at the Ambassador Luau with crab legs and other meats that melt in your mouth, and then some people choose to skip that and eat at the snack shops. After the eating, the visitors are brought to the main theater to view the night show. This is when the workers at the center do dances and perform the rituals of each island. The dancing is symbolic of war, love, peace, and friendship. The haka is performed as well as the fire dancers and the awesome fire knife dance. It really is an unforgettable experience.
The videos on the website really show much of what to expect at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It shows various movies that range from the night show to the canoe show and even the villages. Take some time to go and see the videos. It will definitely spark an interest inside to want to visit Hawaii and take a trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

1)Turtle Bay Resort http://www.turtlebayresort.com/
2)Polynesian Cultural Center http://polynesia.com/
3)Disneyland http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage
4)Schlitterbahn Water Park http://www.schlitterbahn.com/
5)MGM Grand Resort and Casino http://www.mgmgrand.com/
6)Carnival Cruise Lines http://www.carnival.com/
7)Denver CVB http://www.denver.org/
8)Dallas Cowboys Stadium http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/
9)U.S. Airways Center http://www.usairwayscenter.com/start/
10)Southwest Airlines http://www.southwest.com/
11)Sydney, Australia Opera House http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/
12)Tahiti Tourisme http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/
13)Four Seasons in Bali at Sayan http://www.fourseasons.com/sayan/
14)Eurail: Italy http://www.eurail.com/eurail-countries-italy
15)Whistler Blackcomb http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm

Get nose to nose with a shark without the worry of an attack

2009-10-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Haleiwa, O'ahu, Hawaii- Have you ever wanted to swim with wild sharks? How about if you could swim with wild sharks without any worry of being attacked or even touching one?
In Haleiwa, Hawaii, there is a company called Hawaii Shark Encounters Inc. This small company of about 5 guys take tourists out on boats about a mile off shore to swim with sharks in a shark cage. The cage is hooked on to the back of the boat and when the destination is reached, they drop it in. But before you reach the destination, make sure to keep your eyes open just in case you are fortunate enough to see dolphins flipping out of the water, doing barrel rolls in the air. After the possibility and excitement of the dolphins, they then begin to teach a little lesson about the sharks including things not to do, one of them being sticking limbs out of the cage. They also show how to attract the sharks in what any fan of Shark Week knows, chumming. They have a bucket full of fish and the fishes blood. They then begin to soil the water with the chum and before you know it, you'll see a shark. After the initial excitement of seeing the first shark, others then begin to arrive almost immediately. Next thing you know, the water is full of 8-10 foot sharks circling about on all sides of the boat. It is nerve racking for anybody deathly afraid of sharks as was a lady on board with us. The lessons have now been taught with safety instructions and now it's time to enter the water.
Said a fellow that goes by the name of Chanceram, "This is truly an experience like no other! And it's not expensive! To see the spectacular cobalt blue color of the water 3 miles out -- it seemed as if I was watching a movie that enhanced the colors to give it an unreal effect. And when you see the sharks swimming towards the boat and swarming, it starts to get even more exciting."
Swimming with the sharks has easily been one of the most exciting tourist experiences I have done in my life. The people running the company do a great job of interacting with the guests and provide the necessary information for safety and for and enjoyable time. They are well versed with the sharks and have plenty of personal experience with not only the sharks but also with boats and the ocean. They handled receiving payment properly and marketed a personalized video of the experience. It was really a remarkable experience.

1. Chanceram. (2008, May 23). Hawaii Shark Encounters: Traveler Reviews.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60647-d291424-r16342171-Hawaii_Shark_Encounters-Haleiwa_Oahu_Hawaii.html.

2. Hawaii Shark Encounters. (2009). Shark Diving. Retreived from Hawaii Shark Encounters website: http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/.

The secret for any business to be successful

2009-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Lou Herbert was the president of Zagrum Company when it first opened for business. Lou was a hard nosed character that had to have things done his way or it didn't get done. He had a very powerful and intimidating presence among his coworkers. Even those high executives in the company feared him. The business had the talent and potential from the leaders it contained but the problem was they weren't able to use those talents. Lou wouldn't allow it. And in doing things his way and by his direction, many of these talented individuals went on to succeed at other companies. Lou was in the box.
Leadership and Self-Deception is a powerful book that illustrates the importance of seeing things how they really are and how visualizing things with a closed perspective is really dangerous to any kind of growth. The book is based on actual experiences that took place in a work environment with fictitious names. It details how people in everyday life are stuck in their own box and making life more difficult for not only themselves, but also those that surround that person.
Tom Callum is a new manager hired on at Zagrum. As a new manager, he is given a lot of responsibility over those under his command. Bud Jefferson, the executive vice president, is very careful about the leadership traits of his managers and thus meets with his new managers after a month or so with the company. Kate Stenarude is the president of the company and possesses the same training enthusiasm as Bud does. Bud and Kate, with later the help of Lou, teach Tom the importance of getting out of the box and succeeded in not only his business career, but also in life.
The message of the book emphasizes a few important ideas in order for people to see people as people. The idea of being in the box begins when people see other people as objects. The premise of the book starts with Tom being hired as a manager in a well respected company. He learns that Bud and Kate want to change his management style. As the lessons go on, Tom realizes that self-deception is a problem with every person that he can think of, including himself. Self-deception is the ability to see that one has a problem but that person resists the suggestion that he/she has a problem. This self-deception then turns into self-betrayal which causes a person to enter in the box. There are some interesting principles about self-betrayal. They are listed here: 1) An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called "self-betrayal.", 2) When I betray myself, I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal, 3) When I see a self-justifying world, my view of reality becomes distorted, 4) So-when I betray myself, I enter the box, 5) Over time, certain boxes become characteristics of me, and I carry them with me, 6) By being in the box, I provoke others to be in the box, 7) In the box, we invite mutual mistreatment and obtain mutual justification. We collude in giving each other reason to stay in the box. These all cause selfish feelings that prohibit growth between individuals.
Tom later learns that trying to get out of the box isn't as easy as it may appear. While in the box, things that seem like they would don't actually lead a person to where he/she might want to go. These things are 1) trying to change others, 2) doing my best to "cope" with others, 3) leaving, 4) communicating, 5) implementing new skills or techniques, and 6) changing my behavior. This may seem strange that they don't work. The only way that does work is to cease resisting other people and treating people as people, not objects.
I have read some good books on leadership and books to enhance managerial skills, but this is the best one that I have read so far. It is easy to read and teaches some deep principles for anybody wanting to be a true leader.
Michael Stapley, President and CEO, DMBA said, " The leadership principles in this book have had a greater impact on the quality of leadership in our company than anything we have ever implemented. They have been extraordinarily important in helping make our company a great place to work while at the same time helping us focus on results and increase productivity as never before."

The Arbinger Institute. (2002). Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box. San Francisco, CA:Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

SWOT analysis for 5 websites

2009-09-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

For my class this fall I have been asked to do a SWOT analysis for 5 different tourism companies. I chose Knott's Berry Farm, Sandals Resort in the Bahamas, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Hawaii's Tourism Site, and the San Diego Zoo. This is what I came up with.

1) Knott's Berry Farm
Strengths

Breaks down web options
Shows attractions
Shows restaurants
Good categorization
Great history of the park
Informs viewer of the things just outside the park

Weaknesses

Doesn't show all the attractions
Limited ride information
Not as much of an amusement park power anymore
Doesn't talk about the connecting stores to the park

Opportunities

Describe why they can compete
Videos of roller coasters
Include history of rides
Give show times online

Threats

Other amusement parks growing, leaving Knott's Berry Farm behind
Limited physical space to expand
Potential guests using money elsewhere due to a lack of attraction

2) Sandals Resort in the Bahamas
Strengths

Good company brand
Located in a great spot in the world
Allows viewing to other Sandals locations
Information of entertainment

Weaknesses

Not a real informative website
Doesn't really catch the viewers attention
Limited information on the respective property

Opportunities

Give more information on specific location
Let people embrace the culture online as best as possible
Try to share more facts with the viewer

Threats

Other resorts have better websites
Cruises may be a better option
Difficult economy won't draw people to take a risk on somewhere they can't really research
Very weak website

3) Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Strengths

Very good overall website
Great descriptions throughout the website
Informs the viewer of what to expect before arriving
Easy to navigate
Stays updated

Weaknesses

No menu prices
Doesn't say when specific locations opened
More history on all locations

Opportunities

Keep the website updated constantly
Learn what the competition is doing and keep a step ahead
Make individual visits personalized

Threats

Other restaurants of same caliber may take ideas
Don't get complaisant
Not growing locations quicker

4) Hawaii's Official Tourism Website
Strengths

Awesome website
Plenty of tourism information to all the main attractions
Great history information of Hawaii
Makes mention of all parts of the islands
Easy to navigate
Helps the inexperienced traveler

Weaknesses

Has the same setup for every island
Limited small business advertising
Talks mostly about major cities

Opportunities

Talk more about the local parts of the islands more
Personalize the experience for the viewer a little more
Illustrate the romantic aspects of Hawaii more
Explain more about the culture to be expected

Threats

Locals that make it tough for tourists in certain places
Not making more mention of the local businesses
Allowing too much competition between the islands

5) San Diego Zoo
Strengths

Very descriptive
Tons of photos and videos
Easy to navigate the website
Great information of exhibits
Conveys a warm, inviting welcome

Weaknesses

Redundant photos
Small introductory page
No stories shared from previous visitors

Opportunities

Let guests know ahead of time what things they can participate in
Let people know the time it takes to explore the whole park
Emphasize that it is the biggest zoo in the country
Let guests post comments on the website

Threats

Set standard for other zoos to emulate
Allow for guests to more easily find their desired events
Other attractions in San Diego
Problems from Mexico at the current time

The best overall website out of these five had to be Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I was didn't think that it would be at the beginning to be honest because it is only a restaurant but it made a strong case for being a really good website that gets the point across. It was actually pretty difficult for me to say something negative or constructive about it. Maybe because I tend to try to find the good in whatever I look at. But this one was a difficult because any question that I would have, I would be able to get it answered on the website. Some other websites that I look at, I end up having to either call or email to get the information that could have just as easily been on the website. But this one definitely makes it clear that all the information can be found online. As for the website that would most likely improve tourism spending would have to be the Hawaii Tourism Site however. The Hawaii Tourism site can help anybody interested in a vacation to Hawaii find what they are looking for. It is easy to navigate and explains what can be expected. I think that anybody wanting to know more about Hawaii will not have any issues with its official tourism website.

Sources:
http://www.knotts.com/
http://www.sandals.com/main/bahamian/ba-home.cfm
http://www.ruthschris.com/
http://www.gohawaii.com/
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Other Tourism sites visited:
Phoenix Zoo
Elements at the Sanctuary Resort
Jet Blue Airlines
Denver Children's Museum
Chase Field
Four Seasons Resorts
Sheraton Hotels

Random April 1, 09

2009-04-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't written on here in a while and thought that I should do it more often. I love where I work and meet such interesting people from so many different places. I work at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa as an intern right now and shortly will work there as a full-time employee. I feel very fortunate to have that opportunity seeing that the economy is very bad right now. Anyways, I don't have a ton of things to say right now because I'm pretty beat from the day and want to go to bed.

Thoughts to William Cronon

2008-11-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Cronon says, "Although wilderness may seem today to be just one environmental concern among many, it in fact serves as a foundation for a long list of other such concerns that on their face seem quite remote from it. That is why its influence is so pervasive and, potentially, so insidious."
I have to disagree with Cronon. It is true that wilderness should be taken into some concern but that it is evasive and possibly insidious is not something that I would agree with. Wilderness is needed for a chance to find oneself. Sure the trees and foliage we have in our own neighborhoods offer relaxation as a "breath of fresh air." But wilderness in its true setting are necessary for one to cleanse him or herself and dig deep to find what the individual soul is trying to say and teach. How can one be lost in deep thought and meditation when cars fly by on a close busy street? How can the soul inspire when a family member or roommate has music playing at a decibel level enough to cause distraction? How can the soul grow without an opportunity to strengthen itself against temptation and fear. Those are where the victories are won. It is when one pushes him or herself to their capacity that strengthening occurs. And I think that solitude in the wilderness is a necessary means to those self sustaining victories. It's difficult to find oneself constantly surrounded by others.

Civil Disobedience

2008-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

With regards to civil disobedience, I can't think of one thing that I, personally, would do like what those other people from Earth First! were doing. I believe there are other ways to get the point across. Most of the time I've learned, when you fight like that against something, the other side fights just as much. So it's essentially a lose-lose situation when you really look at it. So the people that enjoy doing that, my hat's off to them but you ain't gonna catch me living in a tree or sabotaging businesses just to prove a point. Things can be dealt with in a better way I feel. So with the question of if I would do something like that for what I believe in, my answer is no. Like I said a sentence ago, there are other ways to come to an agreement with people. And ruining their things doesn't make the situation any better and perhaps can extend the time of the feud. I gave 2 years of my life for what I believe in most in my life. I served a mission for the LDS "Mormon" Church. Sure we quarreled with people about points of doctrine and beliefs, but the reality is that people are going to do what they want to do and what they believe in. And you have to respect that. And if not, then you better learn to because it'll just end up ruining your day. I never wanted to force things on anybody. If they wanted to believe, that was great. If not, they have things to do as did I. No hard feelings and we went our ways. I just think that if you deal with people in the proper way, with respect and a genuine concern, an agreement will eventually be made. And these sorts of acts are probably not the best way to handle such stuations.

Conservation/Preservation

2008-10-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

We look at the difference between conservation and preservation and see that they can mean almost the same thing but in reality, they don't. John Muir was the "founder" of the idea of preservation when he opposed the idea of building into national parks or preservation areas. He thinks that they should be left alone and not touched at all...except by a few to appreciate what nature has to offer but to keep it clean. Gifford Pinchot on the other hand thought similarly but not exactly the same. He believed in conservation which means to allow the use of nature resources but not overuse them. Use what is needed and conserve the rest to produce more. To describe a little history between the two, they were once friends fighting for the same cause until the case of Hetch Hetchy. It was up north in California and Pinchot was supporting the idea to build a dam to allow water for the residents in the Bay Area. Muir thought the opposite and desired for the land to stay as it was, untouched. Since that point, the two became enemies so to say and went their different ways. Pinchot went on to work with the government because of his connections and by so doing gained more power and authority. Muir fought until his ultimate death to preserve hetch hetchy but the dam was built and Muir passed away.
So I found an article from the Greenpeace website that has been talking about timber in Alaska and the illegal use of it. Companies that are being subsidized by the U.S. government are lying on their reports to exceed the allotted use of the timber in the northwest. And as a result, animals are becoming extinct and it messing up the ecosystem up there. Not only that, but we, the taxpayers, are covering the costs for these companies to make money. But the issue is the topic of conservation. It's pretty hard to support the idea of preservation as a whole because I believe that we have been given natural resources to use for our survival. So I tend to lean more on conservation when it is used properly. In this case, the companies are using way more than what is necessary. This is causing many problems that the companies are not seeing and creating more animals on the endangered species list. When the animals have no place to go in the forests, they find other places to go like local neighborhoods, etc. That in turn causes problems with humans and so forth. The courts are now starting to take action which can be a good thing if these companies are proven to be doing what they are accused of. So we'll wait to see the outcome.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/greenpeace-sues-to-protect-rar
My opinion is that it needs to be controlled. I don't like to pay for stuff like this while others are getting rich and breaking laws. It is causing tremendous problems for the natives as well as the before mentioned ecosystem that needs to exist. Conservation is necessary to remember for what it really means...use only what is necessary and leave the rest alone. I hope that justice will be found.

Impressions from John Muir

2008-10-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!
John Muir

I take this quote more as transcendental and spiritual more than the other concepts we have thus far discussed. When I think of the sun, I think of God, warmth, energy, new life, rejuvenation, a new beginning. I think he really solidifies his depth and respect of nature with this quote. It is a profound statement that links majestic objects together. For some, they perhaps haven't been able to experience a sunrise in a mountainous area. And that is unfortunate and hopefully someday they may have that opportunity to do so. It's amazing to see the sun rise and catch the tip of the tallest peak and slowly work its way down to the base and into the valley. I grew up in Utah in a very mountainous region. My house faced Mount Timpanogos. It is one of the tallest peaks in all of Utah. Snow stays on for almost the whole year with the back of the mountain containing glaciers. It was a comforting feeling waking to gaze at the mountain at times when the sun would shoot through the Provo Canyon and capture the face of the mountain.
I fell in love with mountains growing up because of experiences like that. Friends and I would frequently find ourselves camping in various spots of the mountains in the heat of the summer or the freezing cold winters with snow that sometimes went up to my chest. We would sometimes go up the canyons to friends cabins and enjoy the snow on ATV's and/or snowmobiles. So many great memories and pictures that I'll enjoy my whole life. I noticed my love for them when I was in North Carolina for two years serving an LDS mission. NO MOUNTAINS!!! There were plenty of trees but no mountains. So I convinced myself that on the other side of the trees, there were mountains. It really helped me to feel comfortable. And then the beautiful peaks and straight up surfaces of the Hawaii mountains were nothing short of amazing. I hiked some great places out there with many waterfalls and all sorts of beautiful trees and bushes. No where else do I know of that within an hour can one be in the ocean and then start a hike that shoots up a couple thousand feet. There were some amazing sunrises in Hawaii as well!!

Nature, Art and Culture

2008-09-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

I remember times when I was growing up watching movies of the old west. I remember watching Quigley Down Under, Maverick, John Wayne movies, etc. My father was a huge fan of westerns and his father was as well because I remember seeing paintings of old cowboys sitting on a stool looking to their left or having a beer. I also remember my grandfather having little statues of cowboys too. So I guess it was only a matter of time that I would pick it up. I didn't totally get into the cowboys but I found that I have a love for the desert and the old west setting. I loved watching movies like Young Guns and Tombstone and Desperado and even the new Mask of Zorro. And who could forget about the 3 amigos? So anything that had to do with the desert I fell in love with. It's something about the cactus and rattlesnakes and other desert life that fascinates me!! So growing up when I think of nature most of the time the desert is what comes to mind. When I got into junior high and high school, I still had a love for the desert but found myself loving the ocean scene more and more. Something about the deep blue catches my attention and makes me want to be a part of it. And now I just see myself enjoying all of it because each part of nature has a different importance and I like adventures and new explorations so I end up out in nature more often than I give myself credit for. But as a youth, I would say that I was more partial to the desert setting.
I believe that art and culture can truly change a perspective if a person is able to catch it. Some things are so humbling and they seem to catch you almost off-guard. It's like that oceanic feeling that Freud talks about. You realize that creations on earth are so massive sometimes that it really puts a deeper perspective on life. As for art, I think it can if the respective person allows it to. Some people fight it but as we grow older and understand more about life, I think most people end up enjoying art in its different forms. Not necessarily pictures, but music and paintings and other art forms that connect with that individual. Culture also plays a role of how nature can be viewed by how different people treat the land and their perspectives on it.

Thoughts on Nature

2008-09-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

I enjoy nature and I have loved it for as long as I can remember. The way that it can take a person put of everyday life and cleanse that person speaks wonders of its power to give life. It is so easy to get caught up in everyday metropolitan life and forget who we are individuals most of the time. We find ourselves questioning things often because we don't have the opportunity to think things out. There's always something to do or somewhere to be. And that can take its toll after awhile because I feel that I sometimes don't know what I want or what I'm doing. People have different ways of letting off stress. My way has always been to get away and be around nobody. I take the privilege of what God has created for what I think is pure relaxation. And that would be nature.
When life gets hard and confusing, I take time to go out and see what's outside of the city. Or I'll grab a book and sit next to the lake or river and ponder about life. In Arizona my favorite place to do this is Saguaro Lake. So don't even think about taking my spot! I enjoy going up there because at night time, nobody is really ever out there. I can listen to the water, see the moon reflecting off of it, and gather my thoughts to think them out wisely. It gives me a chance to communicate with God as well in an uninterrupted setting. And like it says in our book by Nash, many men from the biblical times, even Christ himself, would go to wilderness to commune with God. I'm not saying I'm like them but I can understand more why they went and did that. So all in all, it's my way out of life when I really need to find myself.
I grew up in Utah. It is a very beautiful state. If you aren't an outdoors person, then I wouldn't recommend going up there...unless you happen to be a Mormon. It offers so many different ways to enjoy nature. It has beautiful lakes and rivers and mountains all over the place. I have many childhood and adolescent stories of fishing, camping, hiking,hunting, and being out of the house. We often, my high school friends and I, went camping on the weekends to go and enjoy ourselves away from everybody else. We would bring our guns and fishing poles and have a great time. So many memories from those days. But when I really learned to love nature was in my youth with my father. He wasn't really an outdoors kinda guy but he would every now and then take me out fishing and on hikes. I remember hiking to Sundance Falls as a family when I was probably around 12 years old. After we reached the falls and relaxed for a little bit, we packed our stuff and started the hike back. We were maybe about a mile into the hike when right in the middle of the trail there stood a huge moose. It just stared at us as my father told us to get behind him. Luckily for us it wasn't aggressive and didn't feel threatened by us because behind the moose stood its baby. It was a awesome! I'll never forget that one. But after a minute or so it and its baby took off down the side of the hill and we continued on. So my father was the one that really planted a seed of appreciation of nature in me and I have allowed it flourish ever since.
Another great thing about nature is that it's never constant. I mean that there re so many variations no matter where I go. I have done numerous hikes, even some of the same ones, and found that, even the same ones, they change. Whether the water falls are smaller or bigger, or the trail has eroded, or whatever it may be, nothing is ever the same twice. And I really love that. I enjoy adventure and consider myself an adventure seeker. If there's a possibility I could get hurt, I'll do it. That's how I have always been. I have my limits of course but there aren't very many of them. So I always keep an ear open for new hikes or places to see.
I love animals and wildlife as well. I'm not one of those PEDA dudes or anything but I really love to see animals in their natural setting. Sometimes I'll mess around with them, actually pretty much every time I'll mess around with them but like I said, I still have some limits. You wouldn't catch me messing around with that moose and her baby...but other things I definitely will be checking out. A good friend of mine and I love to go out to Fountain Hills. There is so much wildlife out there it's unreal. We've caught things like rattlesnakes, scorpions, javelina, rec racer snakes, Texas blind snakes, tarantulas, etc... We really have a great time going out and looking for stuff like that. I guess it may be childish but I love it nonetheless. We even go around chasing Bobcats. I know, we're retarded. But I love it the same. And over the summer I went out to Hawaii as tradition. When I went out this time I wanted to swing with the sharks. Unfortunately a friend with a commercial fishing boat wasn't able to take us out so we had to go to a tourist one on the North Shore. As we were going out to the spot, the captain turned off the boat and told us to look to the left side of the boat. We looked and there was dolphins out there doing flips and spins and stuff. It was pretty cool to see and I did get it on video but I'm not sure if I can upload it...I'll try to. But when we finally got to our spot they turned off the boat and chummed for sharks. About 5 minutes in there was probably 30 to 40 Galapagos White Tip sharks swimming around. They were awesome. They weren't too big maybe 10 to 11 feet most of them but it was cool to see them that close. When our turn came to get in the cage I pretty much jumped in! They told us not to stick our hands out of the cage and touch the sharks but there was no way I was gonna be that close and not touch them. It as a great time. And those suckers feel like rubber. Pretty cool if you've ever touched one.
I really love to get out and enjoy God's creations. I love nature and often find myself out there more than I give myself credit for.