51 Days Until Europe

So, we made it home safe and sound from Hawaii late Saturday night. Our last day on Oahu was uneventful. We had breakfast at IHOP and checked out of our hotel at 10 a.m. Our shuttle to the airport was scheduled for 11:15 a.m. but when it was 30 minutes late, we called the company. They told us (and I quote): “Sorry, the driver that was supposed to get you is retarded. We’re sending someone else.” Guess who they sent? Our driver Damon who originally picked us up from the airport! He saved the day and came to our rescue. We were sad to go home. It had been such a fun and relaxing week. Luckily, when we returned, my car was still parked where I left it and hadn’t been towed Free parking=the perfect vacation!

Anyway, I just wanted to announce that my blog will return in 51 days when my mom and my sister and I travel to Europe in celebration of my 30th birthday. The BIG 3-0! We’ll be spending 5 days in Paris, 5 days in London and 5 days in Dublin beginning December 3. Stay tuned for our adventures abroad…

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay

On the final day of our trip, we decided to book a snorkeling excursion to Hanauma Bay followed by lunch on a catamaran cruise. Our Go Oahu cards covered the equipment rental and the lunch cruise, but when we called to make reservations, they upgraded us into a package that included shuttle transportation.

For the first time all week, we set our alarm clocks to get up early and catch the shuttle at 7:15 a.m. The shuttle took us out towards Hanauma Bay and we stopped at the snorkeling rental equipment shop first.  Much to our surprise, they drove us from the shop to the bay via limo. How very VIP!

Riding to the beach in style

When you arrive at Hanauma Bay, every person must pay a $7.50 entrance fee. Then you have to watch a 9-minute educational and safety video before you are permitted to enter the park. It’s a steep walk down to the bay, but luckily, they do offer tram rides up and down the slope (for a small fee of course). We took the tram down and walked across the beach to the opposite side of the bay where nobody was. It’s a breathtaking view, both from above the bay and at ocean level.

Mom at Hanauma Bay

I totally forgot that my Pentax digital camera is waterproof. I’ve never taken it in the water in the 3 or 4 years that I’ve had it. I decided to test it out. I was very happy with the results. The photos turned out great and yes, my camera still works (phew!).

It took a few minutes to get used to snorkeling again, but before long, we were comfortable and started venturing out into deeper water. The water is so blue and so warm. Occasionally, you’ll feel cold currents; they get colder the further away from shore that you go. We saw all sorts of amazing fish and sea urchins. I’ll never remember the names of the fish we saw, but they were beautiful!

Ready to snorkel!

But, the most amazing thing was seeing the sea turtles. And, swimming next to them. It was incredible. You’re not allowed to touch them. In fact, they are protected under state and federal law. If you’re caught touching one, it’s a $10,000 fine. But, they are the most beautiful creatures up close and I managed to get a few great shots.

We swam around the bay and over the coral reef for about two hours. Near the end of our swim, as I was heading towards shore, a beautiful multi-colored fish swam right up within inches of my face. Then, he started pecking at my arm as if he wanted to see if I was food. It was very cool.

Sea turtle

After snorkeling, our limo met us at 11:45 a.m. to take us back to the rental shop to drop off our equipment. Everything ran like clockwork. The staff was waiting for us when the limo pulled up and they took our equipment and directed us to a different shuttle, which would take us to the marina near Ala Moana shopping center.

Swimming with the sea turtle

The shuttle was full of nothing but Japanese tourists. In fact, my mom and I were the only Americans on board. The driver, who was also Japanese, knew this and didn’t want us to feel left out so he regularly spoke to us over the loud speaker as the Japanese nodded off and paid no attention.

The fish that nibbled on my arm

We were the last people to be dropped off at the Fisherman’s Wharf where our catamaran waited in the marina. There were probably about 50 people on board. We set sail out over the Pacific with beautiful views of the Honolulu coastline behind us. It was a very calm day out on the ocean with very little breeze. We sat near the captain at first and watched as our depth approached 285 feet. We could hear chatter over the radio that there was a military submarine nearby. Sure enough, we could see the top of it faintly out on the horizon.

On the catamaran cruise

The lunch wasn’t that great. You could either get a hot dog or a ham and cheese croissant. The side dish was red potatoes. We were starving so it didn’t do much to fill us up, but it was a good snack. The lunch included two drink tickets each for the bar. But, we stuck to pineapple juice since the thought of alcohol still turned our stomachs.

The Makani Catamaran (with Diamond Head in the background)

Although the lunch wasn’t spectacular, the two-hour sail alone was worth it. We watched parasailers glide overhead and even saw a rare monk seal out in the open water.

After the sail, we caught a cab back to the hotel (the return shuttle wasn’t working, so the catamaran company paid for our taxi back). At the hotel, we got ready to go out for dinner. It was still early but we were starving after a full day in the sun. We were in the mood for seafood once again but didn’t know where to go. This time our concierge wasn’t very helpful, claiming that she was allergic to seafood so she didn’t have any recommendations. Huh. We just started walking. We took a brief tour inside the Royal Hawaiian and then walked through the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. We finally decided to go to the Top of Waikiki, a restaurant on the 20th floor of a building across the street, which rotates 360 degrees as you eat dinner. We have something like this in Las Vegas at the Stratosphere. It’s much higher, of course, but still has the same revolving restaurant concept.

View of the Royal Hawaiian from Top of Waikiki

The meal was pricey, but so delicious! It was happy hour so we had half-price wine for only $4 a glass. We ordered a unique california roll as an appetizer and then each ordered the mahi mahi with mashed potatoes and asparagus. For dessert, we shared the chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, pineapple bread and whipped cream. It was the perfect end to our week. We returned to our hotel early to start packing and get a good night’s sleep. We are very sad to leave tomorrow.

Hungover in Paradise

Beach time!

I like to say that if you don’t throw up at least once during your vacation, then it wasn’t a good vacation. Unfortunately, mom and I must be having a GREAT vacation because we spent the better part of the morning nursing our hangovers. We were both pretty miserable. How much did we have to drink? Let’s just say we had a lot of tequila. I think we lost count.

What’s the best cure for a hangover? Floating in the ocean. So, we took our floaties back to the beach and we let the sun replenish our vitamin D. We were pretty much catatonic until 3 p.m. when we decided that we really needed to eat something. We had managed to keep down a piece of toast earlier that morning, but that was all we had. The traditional Hawaiian lunch plate of chicken and rice was the only thing that sounded good. And, we really wanted to try the Hawaiian shaved ice that we had heard so much about.

International Marketplace

We asked our hotel concierge what she recommended and she suggested we try the food court at the International Marketplace. Perfect! We went to the International Marketplace and had lunch and then of course had to do some shopping. Before leaving, we tried the famous shaved ice. They put vanilla soft serve ice cream on the bottom of the dish and then top it with three different flavors of shaved ice. I had mango, passion fruit and pineapple. It was very refreshing (and great for hangovers!).

Mom and our Hawaiian shaved ice

We returned to our hotel and decided to stay in for the night. We have an early day planned tomorrow at Hanauma Bay. Plus, we’re still pretty tired and still not feeling well. Oh, and now we both have sunburns…another sign of a good vacation, I guess.

Adventure on the Blue Line

The Waikiki Trolley

We had absolutely no plans today. We flipped through the Go Oahu card booklet to see what we hadn’t done yet. That’s when we came across the Waikiki Trolley. Our card got us all day hop-on, hop-off admission along the trolley routes. So, we thought we would just ride it around and get a little city tour. The booklet gave us instructions to go to the Duty-Free Shops at Galleria to pick up our trolley passes. The good news was the Galleria was located just a block or two away. The bad news? We got lost in the mall. Seriously. The mall is designer name-brand heaven (or in this case hell) with stores like Prada, Dior and Gucci, but the only people shopping there were Japanese. And, the only people working there didn’t speak very good english. It’s also laid out in a strange way where if you go up an escalator, you have to walk through the entire mall the opposite way to find a down escalator. They make you walk through every store to get out. So confusing. The lesson here is don’t go up any escalators at the Galleria. We finally found the trolley desk and decided that we would travel down the blue line, which is a leisurely drive headed east along the coast. The trolley goes down Waikiki, to Diamond Head, to Hanauma Bay and all the way to Sea Life Park. About 2 hours and 45 minutes round trip.

Eastern coastline of Oahu

It was stunning. The fresh ocean-air breeze and the ocean view was absolutely incredible. And way more fun than the city bus. Our driver had such a warm and nurturing personality and she gave an excellent guided tour. She pointed out some interesting things including the location where President Obama spread his grandmother’s ashes into the ocean shortly before the election. We decided that since we came all this way and Sea Life park admission was part of our Go Oahu card, we would spend the rest of the day there. And, it was so worth it. Two things that will save you time and money: 1) The Waikiki Trolley is the best form of public transportation and is a much better deal than TheBus. There are different lines that go all over town. 2) If you have limited time, skip the Waikiki Aquarium and go to Sea Life Park instead. It’s worth the trip; trust me.

Dolphins perform at the Hawaii Ocean Theater Show

At Sea Life Park you can swim with the dolphins (for a price), see stingrays and sea turtles, watch live animal shows with penguins and sea lions. Very cool stuff. When we got there, we went straight to the cafe for lunch and enjoyed some teriyaki burgers and fries. Then, we went and saw dolphins jump, penguins waddle and sea lions “sing”. So cute, especially for an animal lover like myself.

A sea lion enjoying his swim

We caught the trolley back to Waikiki at 3:30. We returned to the hotel room around 5 and got ready for dinner. We decided to go to the Yard House directly across the street. We shared the lobster, crab and artichoke dip and the spicy thai chicken pizza. Mom got a mojito and I went with the silver caddy margarita. The first of many drinks. Yard House didn’t have a lot of action so we stopped in at Moose McGillycuddy’s for a few more drinks. That’s when we met John and Travis (didn’t I tell you guys that you’d be part of this blog? ). No, they’re not father and son. They’re co-workers; a pilot and a surveyor who are on a top-secret spy mission here in Hawaii. It sounded to me like they were really here on vacation, but…..?

Our new friends John and Travis

John and Travis were a lot of fun…and a lot of trouble. John is 40 and from North Carolina (we think but can’t remember, sorry) and Travis is 26, a former nurse from Alabama. Thanks for the margaritas and the shots of Patron. We owe our hangovers (and some ridiculous dance move photos) to you two!

Polynesian Cultural Center

Hawaii represented in the Canoe Pageant

Number two on our list of places we wanted to see while in Hawaii was the Polynesian Cultural Center, a 42-acre interactive exhibit of eight different polynesian cultures. Each culture has its own unique “land” much like the lands that make up Disneyland. There’s Tahiti, Tonga, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Hawaii, Fiji, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Samoa and Marquesas. The Go Oahu card gives you admission into the park, but not much else. And, since it’s located on the north shore of Oahu, if you take TheBus, it’s a two-hour trip one way. That’s a bit too long for us on public transportation. We called the reservation number and discovered that we could take an air-conditioned motorcoach round-trip for $22. While we were at it, we decided to upgrade to the Ambassador package, which includes a guide for the day, a luau dinner experience and premium seating at the evening show called “Ha: The Breath of Life.” It was so worth it, especially if you’re a first-time visitor to the attraction.

We departed our hotel at 10 a.m. It was only an hour by motorcoach (and way more comfortable). Plus, we had a very helpful tour guide on the motorcoach that pointed out where movies were filmed, and some historical and cultural facts about Hawaii. Once at the Center, we had a BBQ lunch and then met our small-group tour guide. There were about 12 of us in the group: a honeymooning couple from New York (who got married at Bellagio in Las Vegas on Sunday!), a couple celebrating 25 years of marriage from Boston, a honeymooning couple from San Diego, an 88-year-old grandmother celebrating her birthday with her granddaughter, and an oddball couple who could only be a lonely old man and his mail-order bride from Russia.

Canoe Pageant

Our guide’s name was Gombo and he was from Mongolia. Excellent guide and very funny! He took us on a canoe ride first. Then, we ate coconut bread from Tahiti, got warrior tattoos in Fiji, learned the hula and tasted poi in Hawaii and watched a hilarious drum performance in Tonga. We also watched a canoe pageant along the river, which showcased each unique culture.

Tahiti in the canoe pageant

Learning the hula

In Samoa, we watched as they made fire simply by rubbing two sticks together and climbed trees to reach coconuts. Then, they broke the coconuts open using only rocks, and created milk just by twisting the coconut pieces in the fibrous coconut wrapping. In New Zealand, we participated in the Haka war dance and watched their native welcoming ceremony.

Samoan climbing a coconut tree

At 5:30, our guide took us to the Ali’i Luau where we got lei’d (again), watched a great show of traditional music, dance and the ritual of removing a well-roasted pig from the fire pit. We feasted on all sorts of native delicacies; some of the best food I’ve had since we’ve been here. But, my favorite thing was the very cool pineapple drinks containing a delicious mango smoothie.

After dinner, we watched a fantastic performance of “HA: Breath of Life.” This combines the cultures of each of the eight polynesian islands into a story of the journey of the soul. From birth to childhood to adulthood to marriage and death. It’s a moving, and very well-choreographed show. It’s only been around for about three months and is so good that our guide told us that Disney tried to buy the show and the Center declined. The show ends with an amazing fire-twirling and fire walking spectacle.

The show ended at around 9 and the buses promptly left at 9:20 for the return trip back to Waikiki. We got back to our hotel by 10:30. It was a very full, but fun day.

Our delicious pineapple drinks at the luau

Beach Bums

Alicia in front of Waikiki Beach

We’d spent the first two days doing a lot of walking and sightseeing. Today, we decided that we needed some serious beach time. We got off to a rather late start. For some reason, we are sleeping SO good here. The best sleep I’ve had in a very long time. What’s more, we are always so relaxed. We keep looking at each other and we’re both always in this daze. Were we that stressed out to begin with? Apparently so. And the more relaxed we get, the lazier we get. We didn’t really plan our itinerary past Pearl Harbor. We decided we would wait and see how we feel each day. Some things that we want to do require reservations so we are trying to plan at least a day in advance. It seems to be working for us.

Alicia at Waikiki Aquarium

Today we decided that we would go to the Waikiki Aquarium near the zoo. We had planned to go there the first day, but our feet were too tired. After breakfast in our room, we set off walking down Kalakaua Ave. once again. The aquarium is at least a good mile from our hotel, but we didn’t mind the walk. It’s another beautiful morning. Already 80 degrees by 8 a.m. The Aquarium was not included on our Go Oahu card. Admission is $9 and includes yet another audio tour. We found Nemo. And Dori. And lots of bizarre species that I never even knew existed. It was fascinating. We were at the aquarium for about an hour. It’s not very large, but it is more than a hundred years old. It was about 12:30 by now and we decided that we should grab some lunch before we head to the beach. We stumbled upon Lulu’s Waikiki, a very cute, open-air restaurant located on the second floor of a shopping plaza.

At Lulu's for lunch

We were seated at a bar on the edge of the restaurant that overlooks the beach below. Absolutely perfect. We shared the coconut shrimp and a club sandwich with fries. Mom had a mango daquari and I had Lulu’s famous Mai Tai. Of course we had dessert too. A brownie a la mode paired with two sinfully delicious pina coladas. After lunch and a nice buzz, we went to the ABC Store directly below us and purchased two hot pink air mattress “floaties” for only $2.99 each. They even inflate them for you for only 60 cents.

Working on our tans

The view from our sunbathing spot on the beach

We took our floaties across the street and found the perfect spot on the beach. The floaties make excellent lounge chairs in the sand when covered with a towel. But, I preferred to float in the waves. The water was so warm. I could spend hours out there. At one point when we were both sunbathing on land, we were surprised when a huge seal swam up on the beach directly below where we were sitting. The tourists ran towards it with their cameras. I stood up just in time to see it before it returned to the water and swam the length of the shore. It was so incredible. The lady next to us was a local and said that they only see seals like that on land about once a year. So, it was a very rare happening. Wish I had a photo of it to share!

Alicia and her floatie

I guess this photo of me and my floatie will have to do. At least there’s a cool sailboat in the background.

We had dinner reservations at Duke’s at 6:30 so we left the beach around 4 to return to the hotel and get ready for dinner.

Duke’s lived up to it’s reputation. It’s a big restaurant (and very popular). Thanks to our Wyndham concierge, we were seated along the edge of the restaurant with a beautiful ocean view. Ah, another romantic dinner for mom and me!

At Duke's

We both ordered the famous Mai Tais (of course). The cool thing about Duke’s is that there is a huge salad bar included with your entree purchase. The salad bar includes fresh bread and muffins and things like macaroni salad and fruit. I ordered the Opah fish encrusted in macadamia nuts. It was seriously the best fish I’ve ever had. It was prepared perfectly…and soft like butter. Mom decided to stick with the salad bar. It was a complete meal by itself.

Serenaded during dinner at Duke's

During dinner, these lovely ladies serenaded us. There were three ladies who all played different instruments and sang in both English and Hawaiian.

After dinner, we ventured across the street to the International Marketplace. And, that’s when we got attacked by parrots. A tourist trap, naturally, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to hold the birds. The little red bird actually said “Hi” to me when it was in my hand. So cute!

Parrots at International Marketplace

We browsed the rows and rows of jewelry stands and purchased some fresh water pearls and glass-beaded jewelry from one of the particularly nice vendors. Then, we picked up some chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and champagne and returned to our hotel for a nightcap. Tomorrow we’re off to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Pearl Harbor

View of the USS Arizona Memorial from across Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor was at the top of our list of places we wanted to see while in Hawaii. After having breakfast in our room, we set off to purchase a 4-day bus pass at the ABC Store across the street. We had heard that TheBus, the city’s public transportation system, was an easy way to travel. Sure enough, we found the bus stop easily and didn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for the bus to arrive. But, it was really crowded. Standing room only for most of the trip. Luckily, my mom and I found seats right away; the trip to Pearl Harbor from our hotel was almost an hour and 15 minutes by bus. If you’re not in a hurry, then it’s not really a big deal. We were in “island” mode, so nothing seemed to bother us at all.

USS Arizona Memorial

We arrived around 10:30 a.m. It was a little confusing when we got off the bus because the whole place is under construction. They’re building a new Visitor Center and Museum, since the current facility has structural damage and is too small to accommodate the number of annual visitors they receive. It won’t be completed until Dec. 2010. We followed the signs around tarped-off areas to the ticket counter. I just happened to read a notice the day before that said all bags, purses, backpacks, camera cases…basically everything has to be stored due to heightened security measures. So, I came prepared with just a wristlet purse that passed the test with security. Tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial are free. But, if you want to do the Audio Tour (recommended) it’s $5. We purchased Go Oahu cards in advance which give you the audio tour for free. Tours of the USS Arizona Memorial are 75 minutes and consist of a very helpful historical film in the theater followed by a boat ride out to the memorial. You listen to the audio tour on the boat, at the memorial and on the return ride back. It was a very emotional experience.

The American flag flying over the USS Arizona Memorial

The USS Arizona is the battleship that sunk on Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and brought the US into World War II. The Memorial is the final resting place for many of the 1,177 men who lost their lives that day. You can clearly see oil floating on top of the water. Without the helpful audio tour, you wouldn’t know that the ship still continues to leak about 2 quarts of oil a day…and has for almost 70 years now. Once back on land, our Go Oahu passes got us free admission onto the USS Bowfin, a submarine that was put into service on the one year anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack – Dec. 7, 1942.

USS Bowfin

It was cool to tour the inside of the submarine and see that the crew slept directly above the torpedos they carried. It smelled like the 1940s. Sort of like old library books or your grandparents attic. I loved the smell. It was nostalgic. And, the audio tour on this one is free. Very worth it.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat – turkey “submarine” sandwiches, chips and soft-serve ice cream – before continuing on the tour.

Our final stop was the USS Missouri, which you can only reach via shuttle bus. The charter bus takes you across the harbor to Ford Island. Once again, free admission with the Go Oahu card.

Mom and Alicia in front of the USS Missouri

The USS Missouri is the site where Japanese forces surrendered to officially end World War II on Sept. 2, 1945. You can see the actual spot of the deck where the surrender happened, as well as the signed documents. This battleship is enormous. You can tour the barracks and the captains quarters and the galley. It goes on and on and on. This ship, too, is being refurbished and will soon go into dry dock for repairs. We were lucky to see it on this trip since we kept hearing rumors that it will go into dry dock within the next week.

Alicia and her machine gun on the USS Missouri - don't mess with me!

The Pearl Harbor experience is a full-day attraction. We could’ve also seen the Pacific Aviation Museum, a brand new interactive exhibit that opened in 2006. It was included in our Go Oahu pass too. But, it was already 4 p.m. and the shuttle driver told us you could spend hours there. Since the last shuttle departs at 5:05 p.m. we figured we would skip it this time around. So, we headed back to Pearl Harbor and found our way back to the bus stop to go back to Waikiki. The trip back was less crowded and seemed to be faster, although it still took us a good hour.

Hula Dancer on the Beach Walk

On the walk back to the hotel, we got a free, surprise performance. A school of hula dancers was putting on a show directly across from Wyndham. We stopped and watched them for about 20 minutes. It was beautiful and lots of fun to watch. We may have to take some lessons.

We returned to the hotel and changed for dinner. We had planned to go to Duke’s. But, when we stopped at the Concierge to ask about something else, she informed us that Duke’s required reservations and that the wait for walk-ins was an hour and 30 minutes….and even then you weren’t guaranteed a table. Instead, she made a reservation for us for tomorrow night. We were in the mood for seafood and so she recommended Ocean House at the Outrigger Reef Resort. It was only a 5 minute walk from our hotel. We got there and the host said it would be a 30-minute wait. We didn’t mind. We actually only waited for 10 minutes. The restaurant was an open-air restaurant that was two steps from the beach. It had gorgeous views of the ocean and was surrounded by tiki torches all ablaze. My mom and my sister and I all joke that we always end up going to these romantic places together by accident. We never have these experiences with boyfriends, but always with each other. LOL!

We had freshly baked bread and escargot (the best we’ve ever had with mushrooms, puff pastry and cheese). Mom ordered the grilled salmon; I had the crab-stuffed Mahi-Mahi with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Mom had mojitos and I had their signature margaritas. For dessert, we had the banana caitaifa which is like bananas foster only with Japanese crunchy noodles. Delicious! Our first official restaurant meal of the trip. Ha! The wait staff was extremely friendly. At one point, our waiter announced that David took care of our first round of drinks. I wondered why. My mom wondered “who’s David?” Who was this mystery man buying us drinks? Turned out it was the manager. For no apparent reason whatsoever. Maybe it was our shining personalities…or perhaps my low-cut dress. We can’t be sure.

At Ocean House at Outrigger Reef

Walking Waikiki

Arriving in Honolulu and getting lei'd

Aloha Hawaii! The flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu was 5 hours and 45 minutes and we spent as much of it as we could sleeping. The plane landed on time; it was still early – only 5:45 a.m. Hawaiian time.  My mom had arranged shuttle ground transportation through the AARP site of Expedia.com. The lady who came to meet us greeted us with fresh orchid lei’s. A true Hawaiian experience. Our driver, Damon, was friendly and funny, especially at 6 in the morning. Poor guy. We arrived at our hotel within about 15 minutes – Wyndham Resorts Waikiki Beach Walk, just a block away from the ocean. My mom is a timeshare owner through Disney, which partners with Wyndham on their timeshare exchange program. But, naturally, our room wasn’t ready that early. Instead, we stored our bags and set off on foot to find some breakfast. Being the true recessionistas we are, we had a delicious breakfast at Denny’s. Grand Slams, baby! Already, we noticed the friendliness of the people; what they say about island hospitality is no joke.

Mom in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach

After breakfast, we followed the signs to the beach, which took us to the start of Waikiki Beach. We took our sandals off and walked through the sand, past the very pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel. And found Duke’s, which everyone has told me serves the BEST Mai Tais around and has a fun atmosphere. We made a mental note to come back. We walked past surfboard rental shops and saw the surfers already in the ocean. We saw the Duke Kahahamoku statue on Waikiki Beach across from the Hyatt hotel and took a photo of it. The photo was kind of shadowy so I didn’t post it here, but a friend of mine later sent me a message on Facebook and told me to go back because there’s a live streaming web cam on the statue. So, don’t do anything naughty when you walk by!

Me and the statue of Gandhi

We walked along Kalakaua Ave, the main street that runs along Waikiki Beach and picked up some maps at the Visitor Center. That’s when we first noticed the super cool Banyan trees nearby. We called these the “Lost” trees since the characters from that TV show hide in them when they’re running from the “monster”.

Banyan Trees

The Honolulu Zoo was just about to open at 9 a.m. and so we thought we would spend a leisurely morning with the animals. I’m so glad we did because it was such a relaxing and fun experience. The zoo is much larger than I had anticipated and it took us about 4 hours to go through it. They have so many animals. Everything from tigers to elephants to giraffes and rhinos. (See photos of some of the animals below). It was very cute. We had a typical Hawaiian lunch of teriyaki chicken, rice and macaroni salad at the zoo’s marketplace, among wild peacocks roaming around. Exhaustion was starting to set in as we finished walking through the zoo. We had planned to check out the Honolulu Aquarium too, but couldn’t stand the thought of doing any more walking in our flip flops. We decided to start heading back to the hotel. We walked back along the main road and stopped at the ABC Store (on every corner) to pick up sunglasses (which I left at home) and some sunscreen. We walked past the International Marketplace and decided that we’d have to go back for some serious shopping during the week. We got back to the hotel and saw a gelato shop across the street. We took a detour and enjoyed some mango and pistachio treats before checking on the status of our room. Much to our disappointment, our room was still not ready. It was only 2 p.m. but felt much later since we were still three hours ahead on Las Vegas time. We decided to stop in at Coconut Willy’s and have a much needed drink. Our first “umbrella” drink – highly recommended by the bartender (who reminded us of a truck driver mom) – was the Tropical Itch. It had obscene amounts of alcohol including rum, whiskey and some 151 float. Yikes. But, it was the back-scratcher that came with the drink that finally sold us. The drink was perfect. We reclined on our individual sofas and caught the second half of the Oregon State vs. Arizona State game. Big Momma came back and told us that we HAD to have the hot dogs. Who knew that a place called Coconut Willy’s would be known for their hot dogs, but we ordered them anyway. They lived up to their reputation! The drink and hot dog put us over the edge and we got very sleepy. Luckily, our room was ready by then and we anxiously left the bar to go get our room keys.

The room is unbelievable! It sleeps 8. There are only two of us. We have a full kitchen, a dining room, living room, three balconies overlooking Lewers Street, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a jacuzzi whirlpool tub. I feel like we should invite some people to stay with us. It’s like renting a house. We got our luggage and then decided to go to the ABC Store across the street to buy breakfast items for the week. We bought our groceries, returned to the room and I crashed at 5:15 p.m. Yes, 5:15 p.m. I am such a loser. I slept for 12 hours and was dead to the world. It was the most wonderful sleep I’ve had in a long time.

Just had breakfast and finishing my blog. Today, we’re going to Pearl Harbor.

Alicia at the Honolulu Zoo

Rhino

Flamingos at the Zoo

My favorite goat at the petting zoo. He smiled for the camera.

Mom petting a blue-tongued lizard

Meerkat

"The Tropical Itch" - our first "umbrella drink" at Coconut Willy's

Our home away from home - Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk

We’re Off to Hawaii

A few months ago, my mom and I decided that we would take a trip to Oahu, Hawaii. She’s never been to Hawaii (which is strange since she’s traveled everywhere else in the world) and the last time I visited was almost 14 years ago. I tagged along on the trip that was my sister’s high school graduation gift. I was only 16, so I’ve never experienced Hawaii as an adult. It was a wonderful experience and I remember it fondly. We had gone to Oahu and Maui with our step-mom Linda. And, I fell in love with a 22-year-old guy in the military at Waimea Bay. But, that’s a different story altogether.

Usually, we travel in threes. It’s always my mom, my sister Tracey and me. But, this time, Tracey couldn’t get the time off work to join us. If you’re reading this, Tracey, we love you and it’s not the same without you! (No worries; what goes around comes around and I have a feeling that there will be a trip without me one of these days soon)

It’s 1 a.m. and we’re still in Las Vegas. Our flight doesn’t leave until 2:45 a.m. I’ve never heard of a red eye at 2:45 a.m. Only in Vegas, I guess. It’s already been an adventure. First, I got free show tickets to go and see Matt Goss perform in the Gossy Room at Palms. The concert didn’t start until 10:30 p.m. and got over around midnight so I figured this would be a great way to keep us awake before we had to go to the airport. Who is Matt Goss, you’re asking? I didn’t know either. He is sort of like the Michael Buble of London. But with a fedora. My review? He is an excellent singer. Truly, he has a fantastic voice. And, he sang a lot of familiar hits (just not his own songs). Just Google him and you’ll get it.

So, the concert ended and we were on the road to the airport. Hawaiian Airlines flies out of Terminal 2, which is the international terminal in Las Vegas. A mysterious place that I’ve never been. Turns out that the parking lot was under construction, but they were still allowing cars to park there. We looked around for any signage indicating if we were in the right area (short-term, long-term, tow-away zone) but saw nothing. So, we asked a porter. He happened to be on the phone, but maybe he was on hold because he turned to us and asked how he could help. “Can we park there long-term?” I asked. “Sure,” he said. “It’s under construction so it’s all free…….uh….hello! Is this Hooters??” He returned to his phone call and my mom and I just sort of walked away laughing. Another only in Vegas moment. So, free parking, huh? Sort of feels like “Meet the Fockers” where Pam and Gaylord are going to the airport and a guy gives them his cab, and all the lights turn green, and they get upgraded to first class and everything appears to be going smoothly. I think we were having one of those moments. I just hope my car is still here when we get back. Then came security….

I got to experience one of those full-body x-ray machines. I was kind of excited about this. But, then, the guy stared at my stomach and asked suspiciously if I had a belt on. Ummm…no. I’m wearing sweatpants. He looked again like he didn’t believe me. I guess the drawstring might’ve made me look a little lumpy there. Or maybe it’s just one too many trips to Taco Bell. He was a little creepy though. I got my x-ray. The guy told me to come on through and then yelled at me because I thought that meant “Ok, you’re good to go.” Suddenly, the security was yelling at me. “Ma’am! Get back on the yellow feet! You’re not cleared!” I took my place back on the yellow footprints on the carpet and felt like I was in kindergarten again. My x-ray image finally appeared and I guess that was the green light. I made it through!

So, we’re off to an interesting start. Now I’m looking forward to sleeping on the plane…

Final Day on the Spiritual Journey

So, I missed the hike this morning. I slept in. And, it was wonderful. I had breakfast, showered and packed for my departure.  I had every intention of driving straight home when something inside told me to go to Zion National Park. I had come all this way, and it was so close. It would be a shame to not see it. I checked out and asked for directions to Zion, which the front desk happily provided.

I made the 1 hour drive to Zion and listened to a Native American meditation CD on the way there. It was spiritual just driving to that CD and seeing the corresponding scenery. I got as far as Springdale when I started seeing signs saying that the parking at Zion was full. I parked on a side street and took a free shuttle into Zion. It was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend so I should’ve known that the park would be full of families with screaming children. The zen I had been seeking eluded me as I tried desperately to block out the humanity that interfered with my relaxation experience.

Zion National Park

Once inside the park, I got on the shuttle to the end of the line; the trail of Sinawava. This is the Riverside Trail that also goes to the entry to the Narrows. I hiked a mile there and a mile back. It was lovely seeing the squirrels and the hanging gardens in the rocks above. But, again, dealing with the humanity was like a crowded day at Disneyland. I took the shuttle to the Zion Lodge where I had an enjoyable cheeseburger lunch. Then, I had a soft serve ice cream cone on the grassy lawn in front of the lodge with a lovely view of the mountains. I would’ve loved to have spent more time there, but with the crowds and the long drive home ahead of me, I decided I had had enough. I stayed long enough to visit the gift shop and buy some souvenirs for my family. Then, armed with my spiritual Native American CDs, I made the three-hour voyage home. It was bittersweet. I had enjoyed the time alone, but there was nothing like the welcome home I received from my dogs and my sister that made me remember what’s truly important. I believe that things happen for a reason, and there was a reason I was not intended to go to Cabo at this point in time. I had no idea what awaited me instead, but it was an experience that I will value forever. And I can officially cross it off of my list of things to experience before I die. I know this will not be my last time there. It was truly a spiritual journey, which I would recommend to anybody.

View in front of Zion Lodge