Farther Afield and a Bonus Day in Paradise! Days 5 & 6

Happy Monday! That's how Steve and I felt last Monday in O'ahu! I think we were starting to get over the jet lag a little more than anticipated (or wanted, truth be told!), but we still rose just before the sun and got ourselves going. We ran together for a mile, and then I let Steve run like the wind for his final 4 miles, while I took my time heading back to the hotel. Soon enough, we were ready and rarin' to go! We only had the rental car until 5:00pm that day, so we knew we needed to get a move on if we wanted to see everything on our list!

First stop: valet. It took a while for the valet to get our car (where do they take your car at these places?), so I moseyed over to the concierge and got a beach bag and recommendation for breakfast on our way to the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail. They had maps all printed out and ready for us!

First stop, Moena Cafe. Wow! It was fantastic. Definitely more my thing than Steve's from an ambience standpoint, but I think we both enjoyed our meals. Steve got the fruity waffle and I got the cinnamon roll pancakes. Oh my stars!

No, I couldn't finish it. Steve even ate some, and we STILL took some with us! You can see the pineapple sausage in the middle of the table (amazing) and Steve's fruity waffle back behind. I wish we could go back again! 

Now that we're fueled up for the day, off we go to hike it off! We overshot the entrance to the trail, but there was a lookout point maybe a quarter mile beyond, so we stopped there, looked out, and headed back down the hill to the trail head. It's about a mile up, and they're doing some construction (I hope they're putting in a bathroom!), but it was a lovely trail, and the workmen were very courteous to the hikers. The view from the top was stunning! And the breeze up there was refreshing! 

We continued driving to various lookouts and beach parks. One beach park where we stopped and laid out on the sand for a while was the Kailua Beach Park, one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii! The sand was soft, there weren't so many other beach goers that it felt crowded, and the water was very clear! The only thing I wish we'd done was rent a kayak and paddle to the island not far from shore. But just lying there and relaxing was just fine, too! Some of you may remember from one of my Australia posts in 2013 that I discovered I'm afraid of the ocean, and more specifically, sea life. So, each time I'm at a beach and I wade into the ocean, it's a BIG deal for me, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment! I also have a fear of drowning. I stay close to shore. =) 

After a couple of hours of that, it was time to see a couple more sites and head back. We stopped at "The Blowhole," a natural phenomenon where a wave comes in, and the air inside a cliffside cave pushes it out with force, like water out of a whale's blowhole! 

So we returned the car and walked back to the hotel. When we got there (with sushi takeout for supper, of course!), we headed straight for the pool for one last poolside sunset! And Steve said he wanted a feet picture: 

You can hardly even see my scars unless you look for them! I love natural light. =) 

And now for Tuesday: Our Bonus Day in Paradise!

Why do we call this our Bonus Day? Because we took the red eye out that night, of course! Our flight didn't leave until 7:45pm, and we got a complementary late checkout from the hotel, so we were able to take our time and really relax on our last day! Steve and I both hit the gym, and Steve went for a run while I showered and made a different kind of run: a breakfast run! There was a place closely called Island Vintage Coffee, and I had been wanting us to try it out since our first day, so with no other options, I decided this was the day! I stopped to pick up a few souvenirs on the way there, and by the time I arrived at quarter to 9:00, the place was packed! I'm glad I just needed a to-go order! I got an amazing frozen coffee called the Banana Kona Coffee--yum! I got a papaya and peanut butter sandwich for me, and the Island Breakfast for Steve. I don't remember all of it, but I think it involved eggs, asparagus, salad, and Peruvian sausage. He liked it! We ate up in the sky view lounge. It's just so pretty up there! 

Next stop: The Duke! Not a royal duke. Not John Wayne. Duke Kahanamoku! 

Isn't my Love so handsome? The guy with the leis and the surfboard behind him is the Duke. He was from Honolulu and became very famous for his surfing, but also for being a five-time Olympic medalist between 1912-1924. He taught people how to surf right on Waikiki beach! 

And now... beach time for us! One last morning on the beach was just what we needed. We picked a spot on the beach near a rock-enclosed shoreline. I felt a bit safer and spent some time out there. I even saw a huge school of tiny little fish on the way in! The saltiness of the sea water always surprises me. I just can't imagine how it gets and stays so salty! 

After a couple of glorious, sunny, breezy, relaxing hours on the beach, we made our way over to Duke's for a late lunch--the restaurant this time, no the statue. My Uncle Greg recommended it. What views! Steve had been there once before, but I had only heard about it from others. The food was good. We both chose dishes that involved the fish of the day, swordfish! And though we didn't necessarily need dessert (we still had leftover cake in the room!), but when the waiter described the Hula Pie, we caved! 

Macadamia ice cream, Oreo crust, a layer of cooled note fudge, whipped cream, warm hot fudge, macadamia nut pieces, with a cherry on top. No, we didn't finish, but we got close!

And then it was time to shower and pack! The hotel called a taxi for us, and away we went to the airport. One thing we learned from both riding and driving on the island: there are very few ways to get anywhere quickly! They do what they can to help traffic on the island, but it was slow going just to get to the highway to the airport! But we left with plenty of time, and we made it there with lots of time to spare. Something we noticed about the airport, however, was how open it is! I realize we're in Hawaii, and everyone has their windows open, or like the church, entire walls are essentially open, but for an airport? Wow! That's island life, I guess!

And so ends our Hawaiian adventure--for now! Who knows when we'll be back or where we'll go next! Thank you for coming along with us! Until next time, my friends!

In case you missed it, or you'd like another look, CLICK HERE for our Hawaii Pictures! 

The Anniversary Post: Days 3 & 4!

Happy anniversary to us! Our first anniversary fell on Saturday, May 2. Our second first anniversary fell on Sunday, May 3. Yes, we had two weddings. It was complicated. But I got to marry my best friend twice in a row!

We woke up early again and enjoyed a slow-paced seaside morning. My first milestone goal after my second foot surgery was to run one mile by our anniversary. And on our anniversary, I ran two miles! Steve stayed with me the whole time, no matter how slow I had to go! Even when I ran before surgery, Steve and I seldom ran together. When we did, he would go with me the first mile, then I'd set him loose and he'd go as fast as usual. It was so fun having him with me the whole time! The scenery was a motivator as well. How could I not want to keep going with the sea breeze keeping me cool, my encouraging husband by my side, and one of the most famous ocean views stretching for miles? It was exhilarating!

We stopped for coffee and a quick breakfast at the Starbucks across from our hotel (I know, not my usual "no chain restaurants" travel strategy, but it was quick and convenient), showered, and started walking into downtown Honolulu! It's about a three-mile walk one way, but that's what we wanted to do! Steve told me just a few days after my first surgery in September that he wanted to know when we could take long walks again. Well, the answer was seven and a half months!

Our precise destination was the I'olani Palace! It is the only former royal residence that also served as a state capitol! We really learned a lot about Hawaiian history throughout the course of our trip. Polynesians are people from French Polynesia (Tahiti), Easter Island, Samoa, the Hawaiian Islands (previously also known as the Sandwich Islands), and various other island nations. King Kamehameha I, from the Big Island of Hawaii, is credited with unifying the Hawaiian Islands in 1795. He was pretty tough stuff! He attacked and conquered the main islands from the Big Island to O'ahu. When he reached O'ahu, he pushed the local fighters back to a cliff in the middle of the island, the Nu'uanu Pali ("Pali" means "cliff"), and some of them jumped off to avoid capture! The other two main islands made deals with Kamehameha instead of having to fight it out with him.

Anyway, the King Kamehamehas (I, II, III, IV, and V) were nice enough rulers, but syphilis was a popular sickness on the islands, so they never had kids. They named heirs in the nephews and cousins, etc., until King Kamehameha V, who didn't name an heir, so an election was held. Unfortunately the man who was elected only lived 13 more months, so the next king was elected. He built the I'olani Palace!

Now that we're all up to speed, let's explore the house. It's truly beautiful, inside and out. It's huge, and in the late 1800s, they had a view of the harbor. They didn't live there very long before there was an uprising, and eventually it became a U.S. territory. It all seemed a little bit confusing to Steve and me, but everyone seems to be happy enough that they're a U.S. state now!

Back to the palace, it was mostly your typical royal residence--bedrooms, a ball room, a throne room. One of the rooms acted as a sort of home prison for Hawaii's last queen, Queen Liliuokalani, after the uprising. The funniest thing about the tour was the fact that we had to wear special slippers so we didn't mess up their expensive hardwood floors or brand new, exact replica carpets!

Slippers

After our visit to the Palace, we decided to check out Chinatown. We figured (well, I figured), with such a high Asian population, surely Honolulu's Chinatown would be pretty authentic. Wrong. It was not at all... charming, so say the least. Some white guy cat called us from a store and said we looked like we just dropped a million dollars. Creepy. So yeah, we left and hit up a sushi restaurant for lunch on the way back to Waikiki! Steve made the observation that I really meant it when I said I could eat sushi every day. In fact, I could eat sushi at every meal! 

So what did we do the rest of the day? The pool, a walk along Waikiki, mass for Steve, and sushi for supper by the pool. =) And in an effort to fulfill a first anniversary tradition, I had ordered a replica of the top tier of our cake to be delivered and for us to eat on our anniversary. They got it wrong, but at least it tasted ok. I was disappointed, but I tried not to let it ruin our weekend! 

And now we move on to Sunday! This would be our second first anniversary. =) Steve went for a run, but I decided I shouldn't push it. I was still just excited to have gone two miles the day before! We got ready for church and headed out for breakfast and to pick up the rental car! This was our big day to see Pearl Harbor and head out to the North Shore. Breakfast was ok. We had surprisingly bad service, but I decided God was trying to teach me something, so Steve and I talked about that. We think maybe "pick your battles" seems to be the recurring theme. 

On to Enterprise! We picked up our car for the next two days, and the woman helping us out suggested a shrimp place for supper on the North Shore. (For geographical reference, Waikiki is on the South Shore.) We said we'd see where we ended up at supper time, but maybe. And off we went! 

First stop: Pearl Harbor Church of Christ! This was a big deal because they are in the process of purchasing the property their building is on for quite a large sum! They've been there for a long time, but whoever owns the property itself (I think the government?) wants to sell it, and not necessarily to them if they can't afford it. Anyway, my church family at Falls Church Church of Christ has been collecting money to help them out, so it was great to be able to go there! They are very close to their goal! And they were so kind. They gave us shell leis when we arrived, and people were very kind. I really liked the building. It was shape like a triangle, and the short walls on either side were shuttered windows. All open air, very Hawaiian! 

After church, we headed straight to Pearl Harbor to see the memorials. It's very well done, if you haven't been. It's totally free admission, and the boat that takes you to the USS Arizona Memorial is operated by the Navy. Before you go to the boat, you sit through a short film that's compiled almost entirely of footage from WWII and the attack. 

Steve is reading this over my shoulder as I type, and he said, "Tell them about the love seat!" He found a seat on the boat that was about the same size as a love seat, and we sat there, in love. =) 

Anyway, they don't allow cell phone usage while you're in the theater, on the boat, or at the memorial.  You can take pictures with your phone, but since I had chosen to unplug and go without my phone, I didn't have a problem with that! I did take pictures with my regular camera: 

There's a shot from the boat. 

Afterward, we were ready for lunch. Since Steve had been so good in allowing me to have sushi every night, I made sure we found a pizza place for him! It was really good and the people were very friendly! Since we were first timers, we even got free cheese balls--delicious balls of yeasty dough covered in cheese! Big Kahuna Pizza is recommended by us! 

Next stop: The Queen Emma Summer Palace! Again, it was an interesting tour! It's all interesting when you don't know anything! Definitely worth the trip. For a small home (well, as compared to the I'olani Palace), it was steeped in rich Hawaiian history and significance. Much of the home is original, and it's been very well taken care of over the years. Our guide was phenomenal. She couldn't walk or stand very long, so she had a chair prepared for her in each room, but her mind is sharp! She told us so much and showed us so many interesting things, and she didn't repeat anything at all. She even stayed with us answering questions past closing time! And she gave us directions for the scenic route to the Nu'uanu Pali, our next stop! 

That's the view from the cliff! Very beautiful, and also very chilly up there! That's where the Hawaiian Islands began, so they say! 

Now, onward to the North Shore and beyond! We stopped at some of the most beaches on the "most beautiful in the world" list, and we saw the mountains in a way we couldn't have from Waikiki. It was totally worth it to rent a car for a couple of days! We did indeed find Giovanni's Shrimp in our explorations, but the woman from the car place who recommended it forgot to mention... it's a shrimp TRUCK! So, I think food trucks are making their way around the country, but in case you don't know about them, they're actually pretty cool. They usually have a really limited menu--three or four food items and maybe two or three kid-friendly items if they get a lot of kids. This place had three variations on shrimp. Their most popular was the scampi style, which Steve and I both tried out. It was buttery, garlicky, and good! Each dish comes with a dozen unpeeled shrimp and two scoops of rice. I'm not a big garlic fan, but I thought it wasn't too bad. Until later... wow, that's a lot of garlic! But we both had it, so it was ok! 

Please join us for our final installment and the last two days of our fun-filled Hawaiian adventure! 

In case you missed it before, or you'd like another look, here's the link to our Hawaiian pictures: 

HAWAII!

Unplugging for love in the Aloha State! Days 1 & 2

Aloha, my faithful readers! After a 9-month long blogging break, I'm back and ready to bring you with me!

Steve and I chose the beautiful island of O'ahu as a celebratory destination for our first anniversary. Steve had been before, but I had not. I wanted to see Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, everything! And we got pretty close! I decided to do something very special for Steve and me, something I've never done before: I completely unplugged! That means no phone, no computer. I actually went and bought a waterproof camera so I wouldn't even use my phone to take pictures. And I must say, it was the best thing I could have done! It's true I felt a bit less efficient without my Trip Advisor app, notes, maps, etc., but I also got to spend more quality time with my husband, see more things since I wasn't looking down at my phone researching things to see, and I felt less stressed than I usually do when I travel! 

We left early Thursday morning--and by early, I mean the cab came to take us to the airport at 4:30am!. Our first flight took off at 5:45am, and off we went! It's was a three-ish hour flight to Houston, and an 8-ish hour flight to Honolulu. We arrived just before noon, which gave us plenty of time to explore and fight the 6 hour time difference! 

We checked into our hotel--thankfully our room was ready early!--and changed into running gear. Despite my recent bunion surgeries, I'm back to running! Slowly, of course, but surely! We set out for Diamond Head Crater and its trail. It was 2.5 miles from our hotel, so we didn't run the whole way (only half a mile, actually), but it was a lovely walk... especially with my Love holding my hand! The  walk there was nice--80 degrees and sunny is the kind of weather I thrive on! The hike up the trail was pretty intense. especially on my little feet after a long walk, but the view (and the breeze) from the top was entirely worth the stairs, gravel, stones, and winding paths! Steve was so helpful. Even with my slow pace, he stuck right by my side the whole time! 

The walk back was tiresome (mostly because I was afraid of overdoing it on my feet), but even with the long day, the long walk, and the long walk back, we enjoyed our time in the warmth of the sun and the breeze from the sea! 

When we got back to the hotel, I really wasn't sure I could make another walk to and from a restaurant, so Steve went out to pick up sushi for us and brought it back. But not before we watched the sunset from our room! We met back up at the sky view lounge on the sixth floor to eat our supper. It was beautiful! 

And now... Friday! Day two in paradise began early... around 4:00am. This is the good side of jet lag for us morning people! We got up and going at a leisurely pace. He brought me coffee, I gazed out the window at the sea, and we both hit the gym. And then it was time for breakfast! 

So apparently, Eggs 'n' Things is THE place to go for breakfast any time of the morning or afternoon! There was a bit of a wait when we got there, but once we got seated, we were served quickly! Steve got a huge omelette, and I got the Ahi and eggs (Hawaii's version of steak and eggs). Both came with pancakes. We finished it all. =) It lasted us almost the whole day! 

We spent the rest of the morning at Waikiki beach. It really is as beautiful as the pictures and movies portray. And maybe even more! The sand is pretty rough to walk on for your feet, so I got some water shoes to bring with me on the trip. I'm so glad I did! They're pink and orange! 

The hotel gave us a beach bag with fruit, water, and two towels. We brought sunscreen with us, though the concierge offered us some. The breeze was cool and refreshing, the water was warm(ish), and the sand was almost all white! It's a beautiful place, even with all the other tourists and beach-goers around! 

After a couple of hours, we had tired of the sand getting, well, everywhere, so we decided to spend the rest of the day at the hotel's infinity pool with a view of the ocean! Not a bad way to spend our first full day in paradise! When we decided we were sufficiently beached and pooled, we showered and changed and went out for... more sushi! And we ate it at the outdoor lounge with a view of the sunset. But there was an equally exciting surprise. Apparently, a nearby hotel shoots fireworks every Friday night at 7:45. And we could see them from the comfort of our room! 

Aloha! Join us in my next post for some Hawaiian history and a drive around the island! 

Here's a beach picture: 

Click HERE for our photos!