Hawaii, Day Two

The morning of day two saw us back on the balcony, enjoying a breakfast that included fresh pineapple purchased at the local market the day before. The pineapple on this trip? Off the hook! I credit it (and the fresh papaya) with my ability to actually take a poop while on vacation, something that I generally find difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

But, you don't want to hear about that (except for my sister, who can totally relate to vacation constipation, and, whom I texted immediately to crow about my success; she wants to hear allll about it, I'm sure).

After breakfast, we jumped on the Pink Line trolley for a jaunt into downtown Waikiki, where I was super excited to relive our 1987 trip to The International Marketplace, which I still remembered as being a mecca for Hawaiian culture, with a dash of touristy shopping thrown in.

What a disappointment.

The old Marketplace featured an open-air concept with stall upon stall of local artisians, craftsmen's wares, and tacky kitsch. You were not only expected to haggle with the sellers, it was encouraged. The Marketplace, in 1987, was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

Now?

It's a high-end mall.

What?

There is no Hawaiian culture in Burberry or Saks, but, what used to look like this...

...now looks like this...

Mom and I were just sick.

So, rather than getting to purchase souvenirs from The Marketplace, we took a nice long walk down Waikiki Beach.

We also stopped for a shaved ice at a stand that the girls had visited when they were on the island last year; everyone got a different flavor and no one was disappointed (still looking at you International Marketplace).

We also poked our heads into several shops, hoping to find the perfect gifts to take to folks back home; in some cases we were successful.

Hawaiian Christmas ornaments for the win!

I also really wanted to take this home, but, the Man-Cub disagreed.

Like, vehemently disagreed.

Naturally, I wanted to take this giant tiki home, but, since overweight luggage cost an additional $75, Hugh vetoed that idea. Sigh.

After wandering Waikiki for a while longer, we again boarded the trolley and returned to the hotel to relax on the beach.

Later that evening, we discovered the most amazing pizza on the island (I mentioned that back in my Friday Favorites post), which, salvaged the day from the disappointment of The International Marketplace becoming a run-of-the-mill strip mall.

Tune in tomorrow for Day Three, when I tell you all about touring Hawaii Pacific University and why I'm no longer completely panicked about the Man-Cub eventually living there.

Hawaii, Day One

We arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday night at 11:30, Hawaii time, which, was 3:30 a.m., Colorado time.

We had traveled for two days, including Monday's five hour drive to Salt Lake City, where we over-nighted in the RV in a Walmart parking lot that, come to find out, didn't actually allow overnight parking.

Oops.

Luckily, we escaped getting a boot by mere minutes, pulling out of the parking lot just as the tow truck driver was finishing up with the installation of a boot on a semi truck parked not far from us.

Note to self: Never trust the Walmart parking app; it lies.

Also, could we be any more redneck?

Don't answer that.

Following our narrow escape, we flew out of Salt Lake and arrived in San Jose, where we switched planes for a quick flight to Seattle, where, we once again changed planes for the final leg of the journey. It was a lot of effort, but, (relatively) cheap tickets to Hawaii are not easy to come by, and, flying north just to turn back around and fly south saved us quite a bit.

Happily, once we touched down in Honolulu, it was a quick shuttle ride to the Hawaiian Hilton Village, where we were checked into our suite in record time, and, were able to grab some shut-eye before our first full day on the island.

Which, brings us to that first full day (I told you this was going to be a slow process three posts ago).

We woke up fairly early and enjoyed coffee on the balcony overlooking the center courtyard of the resort. Our suite, located in the vacation club owner's tower (Lagoon), consisted of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen. It was the perfect size to fit our needs, and, while not inexpensive, it did save us money on meals as we were able to buy groceries for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, many of which we enjoyed on that balcony.

After drinking our coffee, we decided to explore the resort before grabbing breakfast at an Ihop just off the property. Then, we picked up our groceries at a local market before grabbing margaritas and hitting the beach, where we would spend the majority of the day.

While the girls played in the ocean and Mom and I lazed on the sand, the Man-Cub took surfing lessons.

Hugh and I walked out on the reef that divides the ocean from the resort's lagoon so that I could take pictures of the Cub, and, while there, we saw a green sea turtle, which, in Hawaiian culture, signals good luck. It must be true; the Cub got up on his first try, and, was up for the majority of the time that he was surfing.

After spending the day at the beach, we were relaxed enough for the two days of traveling to finally catch up with us, and, after a dinner of lasagna, cooked in the suite, we all fell into bed, exhausted. It was a perfect first day on the island and a taste of what was to come.

Tune in tomorrow for Day Two: Downtown Waikiki and the only thing I had to complain about the entire trip.

Friday Favorites: Hawaii Edition

Oh, man! So many things to share, where do I begin? We made it home last night, or, actually, early this morning, after two flights and a five hour drive back from Salt Lake City. I'll be writing about the journey later in the week, but, for today, I'm going to share some of my favorite small finds on the island-things that we enjoyed along the way to the bigger adventures. I'm doing that because I don't want to forget a thing about the trip, it really was one for the memory books!

So, here we go!

These glass floats were available in shops all over the island. Historically, they were used to buoy fishing nets, now, they can sometimes be found floating in the ocean or washed up on shore. The glass floats contributed mightily to the amount of sea glass in the ocean, as well. The floats in the shops were largely reproduction, but, I did see several genuine antique floats in a small boutique in Waikiki.

Speaking of antiques, the collection of retro Hawaiian kitsch at Cheeseburger in Waikiki was impressive, to say the least; they even had a ginormous Big Boy, which, tickled my mom.

The cheeseburgers at Cheeseburger in Waikiki were also a favorite this trip; they were, true to the menu description,  fresh, juicy, five-napkin cheeseburgers.

On the topic of food, this margherita pizza, from Round Table Pizza at the resort, was possibly the best pizza that I have ever eaten in my life. We got a medium, along with two other varieties, and, I ate almost the entire margherita by myself. In one sitting. It was that good. Also, I may be a glutton. Hey! I was on vacation!

Of course, the fact that I was eating that pizza on the balcony of one of the nicest resorts on Oahu didn't hurt. Actually, I spent a lot of time on that balcony, in the morning, when drinking my coffee, in the afternoon, when I enjoyed a glass of wine and whatever fresh fruit we picked up in the market, and, at night, with the trade winds creating a gentle breeze and the muted sounds of the nightly luau held across the courtyard.

The resort, while expensive, was the perfect place for this vacation. It met our needs as a large party, and it allowed us each enough privacy to not feel crowded. It also afforded us the opportunity to rent equipment for whatever we wanted to do, like, surfing for the Man-Cub...

...and umbrellas and lounge chairs for mom and me (Hugh, the Cub, and the girls spent the vast majority of our beach time in the water, snorkeling the reef that encircles one side of the resort).

The resort was also the perfect place to get our glamour on, Mom being the most glamorous of any of us...

...that picture really required a black and white edit; it was just too retro to resist.

We were also able to pick up the richest, creamiest, largest ice cream cone that I have had in a while, just steps from our suite. Thank goodness we walked and swam and generally got so much exercise, otherwise I would have gained a ton while on vacation.

One last favorite before I go; while visiting the Dole Plantation, Mom, the girls, and I each purchased an oyster, hoping for a good pearl. We were not disappointed! The girls each got twin pearls in a creamy peach color, Mom got a large white one, and I got a rare (according to the pearl lady) black pearl. We had them set in rings as a reminder of our vacation.

And, that's about enough for today. Tomorrow, I'll start the day-by-day posts; consider yourself warned.

Ohana Means Family

Yep, still busy enjoying everything that Hawaii has to offer. I do fully intend to write loner, more in-depth posts about each day of our vacation, but, for now, I am enjoying our time and focusing on making memories.

Having the opportunity to spend this time in this beautiful place with my family has been a blessing, and, I am so very happy to have experienced it; who knows when we will have the chance to do something like this again?

Now, here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip so far.

More to come soon, because, as I said before, I will be writing some long-ass posts about this trip, complete with a photo presentation that will rival anything your Great Aunt Bertha came up with from her trip to the Grand Canyon that one time back in '77.

Prepare yourself accordingly.

Hawaii, So Far

Excuse the lack of recent posts, but, we have been enjoying our vacation and I've been too busy to write.

What have we been up to, exactly?

Sun,

Sand,

Surf,

Yes, that is the Man-Cub, up on his first try!

And, that was just the first day!

We have also toured the Man-Cub's school, shopped in downtown Waikiki, driven across the entire island, stopping at two different beaches and a food truck recommended on Guy  Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and at the Dole pineapple plantation, where we satisfied my curiosity about the famous Dole Whip.

It's been a busy few days, and, we aren't near done. Today, we have a snorkeling excursion planned, tomorrow it's off to Pearl Harbor, and, then we are planning two days of total nothingness, save for laying on the beach, soaking in the sun, and drinking a few more of these...

...ah, vacation! I think I love you!

Summer 2017 Bucket List

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am currently lounging on a beach in Oahu. At least, I hope I am; that was the plan. This post, along with yesterday's, was written in advance and scheduled to post; assuming all went well, you are reading it now and I am wearing a bikini. It's summertime, y'all!

So, what's on the list for the next three months?

1. Focus on nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being. I visited my new doctor before we left for vacation and she has given me three months to try losing weight without screwing around with my medications. I am determined to feel (and look) better, so, here we go. Again.

2. Spend as much quality time with the Cub as I can before we deliver him to HPU in August.

3. Throw my boys a going away luau early in August; they are all jetting (or driving) off to parts unknown for school and/or careers in the military. I have several excited yet heartbroken moms on my hands, and, it would be nice to have one final event at which we can all celebrate (and, commiserate).

4. Re-create the black and white photo that I took of the kids with Jana's crew back when they were younger.

5. Lake time. I would like to spend time on the boat with the kids (and, Jana's crew if possible) at least a few times this summer.

6. Enjoy my 30th high school reunion. I don't have a part in planning it this time, so, it should be easier to enjoy, right?

7. Do a deep cleaning of my house, including closets and the attics. Have a yard sale if I find enough crap to warrant one. Get better organized and streamlined.

8. Decide what the hell I am going to do as an empty-nester. New hobbies? New volunteer opportunities? Train for a body-building competition (No. HELL no)? Write a book? I have no idea, but, I would like to try to figure it out.

9. Porch Night, retro-style. I want to go back to my roots, so to speak, with small gatherings featuring a relaxed menu (a loaf of French bread, grapes, cheese, and wine) and the people who started it all. Jana, Queen B, Kaley, I'm looking at you.

10. Cherries. Homemade mint chip ice cream. Fresh vegetables from the farmer's market (I opted not to plant a garden this year since we were planning to be here, on a beach, during the critical early growing time and there would be no one to tend to it. Also, not ready to grow tomatoes without my Rowdie Dog to eat them. Maybe next year). I want to enjoy all of my summer favorites.

11. Spend some time with The Girls. I really need to find a way to make this happen. I think some quality friend time would go a long way in improving my mental and emotional well being.

And, that's about as ambitious as I plan to get this go-round. I would very much like to enjoy the summer. I would like to feel relaxed and stress-free. I would like to be able to look at the future with a genuine curiosity about what it holds and without dread or fear.

So, on to the summer.