Home

The day was as long as we thought it would be.  John was up at 6:00AM for his last run in Hawaii.  We had breakfast at the Wailana Coffee House and picked up the shuttle to the airport by 10:00AM.  Check-in was pretty easy, but the airport was crowded.  There were lines everywhere.  They checked our luggage for fruit and vegetables and we waved goodbye to our suitcases.  Would we ever see them again?  Things unraveled a bit once we got to the gate.  Our plane arrived on time, but they were apparently having trouble with the maintenance of the plane.  Normally, no problem.  However, we had a connection to make in Los Angeles so things started tightening up a bit.  We ended up leaving Hawaii about 20 minutes late, which they made up no problem once in the air.  It's always sad watching Hawaii get smaller and smaller in the airplane window, and today was no exception.  LAX was a nightmare.  They're remodelling the terminal, and it was chaos.  There were people sitting and standing everywhere.  It was so crowded you couldn't tell which way to go.  Fortunately, our flight to Detroit left from the gate right nearby.  We managed time to grab something to eat for the plane, and settled in for the last leg of our journey.  It was almost impossible to sleep.  There were crying kids and uncomfortable seats.  Jennifer watched TV the whole way.  We landed at Metro just as the sun was rising.  Like a miracle, our luggage was waiting for us when we arrived.  So was our ride home.  The boys bounced out of bed when we got home.  It was great to see them and we gave them both long hugs.  So ends a great second honeymoon.  We needed it!

Last Day in Paradise

Another early start, and our last full day in Hawaii.  We rode the city bus to Diamondhead Crater.  Once we got there it was a 45 minute walk to the top of the crater.  The views along the path were amazing...and of course the view from the top was breathtaking.  It was HOT early this morning, and we both probably sweat off 10 pounds hiking.  We drank a lot of water and the breeze was strong all day...so that helped.  Also, a slight mist on the way down turned to a downpour just as we reached the bottom.  We got soaked but it felt great.  It was surprisingly crowded, so it took a little longer than the last time we hiked the crater in 2008.  After our hike we rode the bus back into town and stopped for lunch at Duke's Grill.  We enjoyed this place on the ocean last week when we ate here, so we tried it again.  The view this time wasn't as good, but the food was better.  Yummy waffle fries.  Bought a t-shirt.  Jennifer's headache from yesterday came back to life, so we hung around the nice cool hotel room in the afternoon.  Spent the evening packing, watching the fireworks, and watching Family Guy...but not necessarily in that order.  Sad to be leaving paradise tomorrow, but we're looking forward to seeing the boys.  We both miss them.

Top of Diamondhead

 

Snorkle Buddies

We spent most of the morning out on the water.  Right after breakfast we boarded The Spirit of Aloha catamaran.  We sailed a mile or so out to a place called Turtle Canyon.  They passed out snorkle gear and we were off.  We spotted several huge sea turtles right away.  They were everywhere.  We took a waterproof camera and snapped a bunch of shots.  Hopefully they came out good.  The turtles were only 6 or 8 feet away at their closest.  We spotted no sharks...but saw one lone stingray swimmimg along the bottom.  Back onboard, we had a nice lunch.  Sandwiches and drinks.  We sailed out past Diamondhead seeing a few dolphins along the way, then we headed back.  We had a great time.  We relaxed around the hotel most of the afternoon trying to decide where to have dinner.  We ended up at a place called Giovanni Pastrami's.  Their specialty is so-so Italian food and bad service.  Sadly, Jennifer ended up with a bad headache after dinner, so we spent the evening in the room chilling out.  Only one more day before we have to head home...

The Return of the Sun

Our Wednesday started cloudy with some occasional misty rain, but by 9:00AM the sun was shining again.  We spent most of the day at the pool.  Yesterday's walking took it's toll on Jennifer's toes so we stayed around the hotel for the most part.  It was HOT all day long.  We slathered on the sunblock but both still got pink faces.  We walked back to the Mall for dinner and watched the sunset on the beach afterwards.  Very relaxing.  Tomorrow we get out on the water.

Rainy Tuesday

It rained for most of the day, which was fine since we didn't have anything planned.  After breakfast at Denny's, we did a little shopping at the International Marketplace in downtown Waikiki.  Junk.  Nothing but junk.  We saw a lot...and bought nothing.  Oh well.  Later in the morning, we took ukulele lessons.  John missed out on this last time, so we signed up early in the week to avoid disappointment.  Highlights of the intense hour-long lesson included "Happy Birthday," "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and 15 choruses of "Tiny Bubbles."  Jennifer even got in on the action.  In the afternoon we went in search of souvenirs.  Not much luck.  We hit a bunch of stores, but only found a couple things worth buying.  We'll try again tomorrow.  During the long walk back to the hotel, stopping only for dinner and ice cream, Jennifer ended up with a couple nice blisters on her toes.  As a result it was an early night back at the hotel.  No plans for tomorrow.  Hope the sun is shining!

Island Tour

We rented a car this morning and hit the road.  Sadly, we forgot the map in the hotel room.  So, armed only with a suspect tour book from National car rental, we set forth in search of the North Shore.  Everywhere we went the scenery was spectacular.  We pulled the car over several times for exploring and photos.  We saw a huge Monk seal lounging on the beach near where surfers were doing their thing.  We were able to walk within a few feet of the seal, which was cool.  There were plenty of signs warning us not to get too close.  On the Windward side of the island, we stopped a couple more places for photos.  We saw mist-covered valleys and jagged rock formations along the shore.  It was a challenge at times to compose a shot with the camera that didn't include other idiot tourists in it.  We passed a bunch of great-looking swimming spots, but pressed on towards the North Shore.  We managed to find a 7-eleven for a couple nice Slurpees...and a cool 7-eleven Hawaii t-shirt.  By mid-day, we arrived at Hale'iwa Town.  This is a small surfing town that we found on our last trip to Hawaii back on 2006.  Everyone loved the beach and the giant sea turtles, so the two of us wanted to go back again this time.  First stop in Hale'iwa was the world-famous shrimp trucks.  There are hundreds of these trucks around Oahu that sell hot meals on the side of the road.  Jennifer loves garlic shrimp, so she ordered some for lunch.  After lunch we spent some quality time at the beach.  It was very hot and the sand was unbearable at times.  Ouch.  We found a nice spot close to the water and watched for sea turtles most of the afternoon.  Saw a lot of turtle heads popping out of the water, but the beach was crowded so they pretty much stayed away.  Darn.  On our way back to the hotel we took a couple unintended detours, over the hills and through a rainforest.  Traffic was bad but we managed to return the rental car with an hour to spare.  Dinner was late.  Outback Steakhouse.  They changed their menu and all their yummy recipes.  That's all I'm going to say about that.

North Shore Shrimp Truck

Windward side



Long Day

We did a lot today.  John was up at 6:00AM for his daily run.  Today he ran 7.5 miles from out hotel all the way around Diamondhead.  We had planned to attend the Catholic mass that was supposed to take place on the beach next to our hotel, but it turns out it was on Saturday.  So instead, we walked to a very nice church in central Waikiki.  It was interesting how they incorporated a bit of Hawaiian culture into the mass.  After church, we had lunch at Duke's Grill.  Very scenic and good food as well. John had a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich (hold the avocado) and Jennifer had a Turkey sandwich.  Very tasty waffle fries for both.  They were apparently having some sort of longboard surfing contest today, but it didn't seem like much was going on while we were in the area, so we split.  We spent the afternoon roasting on the beach.  Another hot day...but always a great breeze.  Today was a jellyfish day, so we stayed out of the ocean for the most part.  We did hit the pool for a bit before heading back to the room with a pizza.  Tomorrow we're planning to explore the island more...

Sunday at the Beach

Lunch at Duke's Grill

Sunny Saturday

We had a great day at the pool today.  John was up at 5:30 AM for a 5 mile jog while Jennifer slept in a bit.  Breakfast was at the Wailana Coffee House once again.  Very crowded this morning!  From there it was off to the pool.  It was a hot day, close to 90, but the ocean breeze helped quite a bit.  By 1:00 PM we had had enough sun for the day and headed back to the room.  Lunch was at Subway, a 20-minute walk from the hotel.  Jennifer said it was too far.  We stopped at Walmart.  Very scary.  Even in Hawaii, Walmart shoppers are a sight to see.  For Dinner we ate at a nice restaurant called House Without a Key.  The food was good, the entertainment was OK...but the view of the ocean was spectacular!  We stayed thru Sunset.  Dancing the Hula was a former Miss Hawaii who apparently was also Miss Universe at one time.  I believe she beat out Miss Mars and Miss Saturn for the title.  Anyway, she wore a series of disappointing full length Mumu's.  No grass skirts here, fellas.  Must have been traditional Hawaiian garb or something.  After Dinner it was another yummy ice cream at Lappert's.  Was it good?  So good we bought a t-shirt.  It was that good.  Tomorrow we hit the beach to dodge the jellyfish.

Sunset Dinner at House Without a Key

Pool time

 

Jet Lag Friday!

Our first full day in Hawaii was rather relaxed. We were up by 5:30AM for a nice 3 mile walk on Waikiki Beach. There were a surprising amount of people out early. They must have jet lag, too. After our walk we stopped at the Wailana Coffee House, our favorite breakfast restaurant. After an hour at the Al'ii pool, it was time to head to our room in the Tapa Tower. We're spending the next 8 nights here, courtesy of the Hilton Honors Reward Program. Thanks, guys! Our new room is further from the beach, but still nice. From the balcony you can see a little bit of ocean. For lunch we walked to the Ala Moana Mall for some Macaroni Grill. We've been here as well. Good stuff. After ice cream at Lappert's, we shopped for snacks for tomorrow's day at the beach. We checked out the Friday fireworks, grabbed some postcards, and headed to our room for the night.

Ok, now we're in Room 943

Don't ask.

Macaroni Grill for lunch

Gilligan, little buddy...

We're here!

They're not open yet. We'll wait.

The Duke

Double rainbow!

They have penguins here

We're in Room 1201

In case anyone wants to stop by.

The view from our room

Headed to the hotel

Somewhere over the South Pacific...

Oh my goodness...

Looky at all the leg room!

Salt Lake City

75 and sunny. Woo hoo!

The Rockies Below

The Friendly Skies!

We're on our way to Hawaii!