Kailua, Waiamea and Rainbows

22 Thursday Sep 2016

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Kailua Beach, Pali Lookout, Waiamea Fals

Our first stop this morning was the Diamond Head Grill and Market. This is a hidden gem just outside the Waikiki strip on Monsarrat Street. They make cream cheese scones that are sinful – moist, flavorful and with a dollop of cream cheese in the center that you don’t find until you bite into it. D. had banana, I chose pineapple. They rotate three flavors each day of the week. In addition to the bakery, they have a take out window for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a little market with pre-made salads, sandwiches and fresh fruit. From there we wound through neighborhoods to get to the freeway.

Second stop was the Pali Lookout. The last time I was here was June 1973, a few days before we moved back to New England. My dad took me and my best friend to the Pali Lookout to see the sunrise. He probably just wanted an excuse to take more photos of a sunrise, and I likely wanted a special last day with my best friend. I remember drinking hot chocolate, and it being very cool (as in cold). Today was windy and a bit misty, but such stunning views!

We arrived in Kailua not too long after, and the only thing I remembered was the beach. Kailua town has grown and changed so much. We didn’t go by our old house as it is no longer there…at some point after we moved it was torn down and two houses were built on the lot. I will keep my memories of what it looked like from 1968 – 1973.

Kailua Beach has suffered extensive beach erosion, or they have dug up a significant amount of sand for the construction that was being done. The beach used to be so much larger than it is currently. But the sand remains powdery soft. I haven’t found a beach yet that can top this side of the island.

Feet back in the ocean at Kailua Beach after 43 years. It was good to be back!

It was misting and windy, so we opted to drive a few miles further south to Lanikai where we found a spot to park and walked to the beach. We pulled out the tatami mat, and sat in the sand for about an hour. I did get my legs wet, and managed to avoid the temptation of going all the way in. The last thing I wanted to do was ride to Waiamea in wet bathing suit, and the rental car did not need a wet seat, either. We watched a dog play fetch in the water, and lots of little kids learning to swim and playing in the surf.

It was getting a bit warm, and I could tell I had had enough sun for the day, so we loaded up and headed back to the car. As we neared the car, I noticed hikers on the top of the mountain ridge. Not sure I’d make that hike, but I know others who would love it.

An easy drive to Waiamea, and we recognized much of the area as we’ve spent a good deal of time on the north shore. We pulled into the park, and there were signs for “Base Camp parking” and what appeared to be movie set trailers. There were detours along the way to the falls, and at one point we heard “OK. Quiet on the set. We’re rolling. Action.” (Or something to that effect.) Not long after we heard some blood curdling screams. I’m glad we knew they were filming! We did find out on our way out they were filming Jumanji II at the park. Several movies have been filmed here over the years, including the Jurasic Park movies.

The walk to the falls is through the Waiamea Botanical Garden. It was fun to recall the different plants we had in our yard, and a special treat to see two poinsettia bushes in bloom!

We had to take cover just before we reached the falls as we had a bit of a downpour. It is a rainforest, so not altogether unexpected, but neither of us wanted to be drenched for the walk back, let alone the drive back to Waikiki.

Those long “lines” are the raindrops falling.

The falls were spectacular. Despite having our bathing suits on, neither of us wanted to go in for a swim. May have been the whole wet suit home thing, or the warning sign of potential bacterial infection! We listened and watched the brave souls who did venture in to swim up the falls.

An easy walk back down, and we were treated to a peacock sighting. There were signs posted that they are aggresive and should not be fed when we entered, so I cautiously followed him down a trail to get a photo.

We decided to do a quick stop at the coffee factory we visited earlier in the trip for an afternoon pick-me-up before hitting traffic into Waikiki. I had to take a picture of the tip jar sign. Clever way to get people to leave their change behind! And, no, I will not say which jar I chose. As we were leaving we were blessed with a rainbow. A wonderful reminder that the sun always comes out, no matter how long or hard the rain.

As we arrived in Honolulu we spotted our second rainbow of the day. Doubly blessed!

We stopped at the Ward Warehouse Shopping Center, just on the edge of Honolulu and Waikiki, near the Ala Moana Shopping Center as I was on the hunt for a Christmas present. I was successful in finding what I was after, and we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner at the Korean BBQ Express. It was quite good, and the portion size was sufficient without being overwhelming.

A shower to de-sand from the day, a bit of a rest, and we were off to explore a few items we’d seen in shop windows earlier. We wandered into Coco Cove, a store we’d not been in yet, probably because it looked a lot like the ABC Stores that are on every corner. Probably a good thing we’d not been in sooner, as we discovered a poke bar, and all sorts of goodies…including the Hawaiian reminder that it is fall and summer can’t last forever.

We stopped for Hawaiian shave ice, but they were out of ice cream. We decided that would wait until tomorrow, and we will have poke from Coco Cove and shave ice on our last night in Hawaii.

Tomorrow we plan to hit the historical sites – Iolani Palace, Queen Emma’s Summer Palace and The Bishop’s Museum.

It is going to be hard to leave on Friday…I miss my other half terribly, but I am an island girl at heart, especially if that island is Oahu.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Diamond Head, Diamond Head Grill and Market, Hawaii, Hawaii beaches, Kailua, Kailua Beach, Lanikai beach, North Shore, Oahu, Pacific Ocean, rainbows, Travel, Vacation2016, Waiamea, Waiamea Falls, Ward Warehouse

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Disney, Luau and Ha

17 Saturday Sep 2016

Today was registration pick-up, another reminder we are actually here for a business trip, and not just vacation. D. picked up her packet just after the registration desk opened at 7AM. We then headed out to Ko’Olina and the Aulani, the Disney resort on Oahu. We found the resort easily, and parking can be validated with purchases at the store. Otherwise, it’s a maximum of $37 for the entire day. Waikiki parking is fairly comparable. We wandered the two stores, one more geared toward the kids, the other more for the adults. We then went to explore the grounds and meander the “boardwalk” between the resorts in this part. As we walked outside, we spotted Mickey Mouse posing for photos following the character breakfast.

Lobby entrance at Aulani

OK, I’ll start it…M I C K E Y….

The main pool area is really geared for younger kids, but the “lazy river” tube ride going all around the pool area looked inviting. Unfortunately, the pool area is for guests of the resort only, and day passes cannot be purchased.

The water feature leading to the pool area

Caught a glimpse of Goofy at breakfast

A stroll through the pool area and you are in the lagoon. There are 4 lagoons along this stretch of beach which are open to the public. (All beaches in Hawaii are considered public, and residents/businesses cannot prevent locals from using the beach.) We strolled to the north to the Four Seasons, then further south to the Marriott resorts.

It was feeding time for the fish. You can actually snorkle in the tank with all the colorful fish.

The Disney lagoon. The concrete walkway before it is the “boardwalk” that connects all four resorts

The paved path ends at the Four Seasons, but there is a sand trail down to the beach for public access.

Four Seasons (left) and Aulani (right)

We met up with friends for a quick visit before we had to get ready for tonight’s work event, a luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I have to say I have very mixed feelings about tonight’s event. There are almost 2800 employees plus guests here from our company, and about one fourth of us were at dinner tonight. They will be hosting us 2 more times in the coming days. We were split up between different areas for our luau. Our emcee for the evening was horribly prepped beforehand, and he even opened the show by saying it was April 2016. (Our table decided we get to come back in another five months when it’s September in his world!) He ran through his regular “schtick” throughout the evening…asking if anyone was celebrating anything special like a birthday or anniversary. Fifty percent of every table was celebrating a huge accomplishment! He forgot our company name several times, and referred to those 5 or so couples brave enough to stand up when he asked a question then were called up on stage as agents. There may be an agent or two or three here, but we aren’t all agents.

The “hula” show during dinner was below average in my opinion. I’m not an expert, but having just watched one less than a week ago, and having had a few years of hula lessons (way back in the day, yes, but you do retain some knowledge), this felt very made up. I will say we were seated right at the edge of the stage, so we had a very close up view. Perhaps if you were further away from the stage it may have been better? One of the female dancers had a pained smile pasted on her face, like she’d rather have been anywhere else than there. I had to essentially stop watching because I didn’t want my commentary to prevent others from having fun and enjoying it.

Our view of the stage and backdrop for dinner

Conch shell blowing and lighting the torches

Our kalua pig after it had been unburied from its banana leaves

The “king” and “queen” and their messenger

Dinner was a buffet. The menu we were provided in our information packets was much longer and more varied than what we were served. The kalua pig was tasty, the shrimp lacked garlic and seasoning, and the fish at our buffet station was overcooked and bland. None of our group went up for seconds, or dessert. I did overhear good comments about the food, so it may have been our buffet station, but I’m not betting on that.

After dinner we met in the theater for the evening’s recognition and keynote address by one of our company executives, followed by the performance of the current show at the Cultural Center, “Ha.” This was more authentic, certainly, than the earlier performance, and included a haka (Samoa), Tahitian dancers, and fire dancers. It is a schmaltzy storyline, but the music, dancing and drumming were good. I did not take any photos during the show as they had signs posted requesting no photos or video during the performance. Not everyone around us saw the sign, apparently. If you are in Hawaii and decide to pay a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center, skip the food, skip the shopping, but go for the show.

A long bus ride back to the hotel, then the long line for the elevators, and we are safely back in our room for the night. Tomorrow is our second mandatory event in the mid-afternoon. We have opted to leave the car in the garage and have a lazy day at the hotel or in Waikiki. Tomorrow evening is the Honolulu Hoolaulea, and the street will be closed down. Getting back to Waikiki during the early afternoon today was heavily congested. I canonly imagine what tomorrow will be like.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under Aulani, beach, Disney, Disney Aulani, Fire dancers, Four Seasons, Haka, Hawaii, Hawaii beaches, Honolulu, Hula, Kalua pork, Luau, North Shore, Oahu, ocean, Pacific Ocean, Polynesian, Polynesian Cultural Center, Samoa, Tahitian dance, Vacation2016

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North Shore revisited

16 Friday Sep 2016

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Haliewa, Hawaii, North Shore, Oahu

Today was an explore on our own day. We left probably a bit later than D. had hoped (I was a bit slow getting going this morning, as we had awoken to flash flood warnings on our phones. I turned on the news to catch a weather report, and well, got a little distracted with local news, shall we say? My parents were news “junkies,” and it appears the apple may not have fallen far from that tree. The sun was shining in Waikiki, and it appeared whatever storm had blown through overnight had blown out to sea. It was another beautiful day in paradise!

We headed out to the North Shore by way of the USS Bowfin Museum store as we’d seen something there on Sunday which we’d not seen anywhere else. Time to stop looking and just run in and get it. The only item on today’s agenda was a visit with one of my daughter’s best friends (affectionately known in our family as Daughter #2, and yes, occasionally “favorite”daughter when mine was being a typical teenager) and her son whom I had not yet met.
First stop, Waialua Coffee Company (and tea) which was quite yummy. They had a very eclectic collection of coffee advertisements from around the world on the walls, and a small cafe area. A more local, hipper vibe than the chain coffee stores…locals in with their laptops, visiting with friends, and us tourists thrown into the mix. (We tourists likely brought the “hip” vibe down a notch, but we did purchase a bit more than the locals, so it seemed a good balance to me.)

A beautiful drive along the coast to Haliewa where we wandered around for a bit. I managed to find some Christmas gifts, got some ideas for craft projects, and took pictures of things that brought back memories while we waited for Daughter 2 to meet us.

This was the main “highway” around the island when I called Oahu home. One lane in each direction kind of highway!

Queen Liliuokalani Protestant Church, Haliewa, HI

Seriously, does it get much better than this?

I believe my father had this LP. (Mom will let me know if he didn’t!) If he didn’t, he should have because I have a memory of someone having it!

We definitely had a set of these…at least 6.

We had a wonderful lunch at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck (I believe garlic will be oozing out of my pores for the next few weeks. Apologies to anyone standing or sitting close to me!) combined with a visit with Daughter 2 and the cutest little surfer dude I’ve ever seen. I could tell he was a “local” as he arrived barefoot and was walking around the rocks as if it was nothing. Flashbacks to my brother at the same age many, many (ok, maybe only one many) years ago. We got some ideas of further places to explore, said our farewells (yes, for those who know me well, my eyes leaked), and we were on our way.

Our directions were head “that way, left at the stop sign and around,” or something like that…we were headed somewhere, and that was really all that mattered. When you’re on an island you really can’t get too lost!

As we are driving down this road, we pass a sign…Camp Mokule’ia. Seriously?! This was my first ever overnight camp. I think I was 7? Maybe 8? I still have the shirt with my name embroidered on it. This was such a trip down memory lane – especially as I had recently scanned my father’s slides from when they dropped me off and picked me up. I couldn’t have found this place if I’d tried. But I could yell “Stop! I need a picture!”

We kept driving and came upon another long stretch of beach. I opened the car window for a picture, and D. commented “Now this smells like the beach.” I couldn’t have agreed more. Outside of Waikiki with all its aromas mingling with the sea air, you really don’t smell the beach. On this stretch, you really smelled the salt air, the sand, the sky, the Beach. (Yes, at The Beach you can even smell the sky.)

Love the wind power in the background.

We came to the end of the road at Ka’ene Point in Molokai and headed back to see where else the road would lead. A few turns later and we stumbled onto The Old Sugar Mill in Wailua. It has been turned into shops, boutiques, and a coffee roastery. One of the wonderful things about Hawaii is how people take care of one another. Here in the middle of the old sugar factory, which likely employed most of the community at one time, was the Community Kitchen. Where anyone can come for a meal. How much better would the world be if we broke bread together and shared our abundance with our neighbors?

It was still relatively early, so we headed for Waiamea. On the way we crossed Rainbow Bridge. I immediately thought of my Auntie S. who tells the BEST stories about the heavenly Rainbow Bridge. I didn’t see any fish here, so this one was good to cross.

We were hoping for the lighthouse, but saw signs for the Waiamea Falls and turned in there. Unfortunately the falls were closed by the time we arrived, but they had a wonderful farmer’s market going on, and we had a great time exploring it. And we may be back next week to explore the falls and surrounding area further. Lots of Hollywood movies have been filmed here, and it definitely peaked our interest. I was able to get a few pictures from outside the entrance, though.

We started back to the hotel, but made a detour back to Haliewa Beach to watch the sun set. This is where we swam with the turtles on Monday, and it was fun to sit and watch for them to poke their heads up out of the surf. And yes, I am my father’s daughter, and if one sunset photo is good, more are better. Fortunately I will only share one…ok, two.

WWII Veterans Memorial at Haliewa Beach

Tomorrow the actual “work” part of this trip begins, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be out exploring. I believe there may be a mouse involved in tomorrow’s adventures.

Posted by andreapw | Filed under beach, Haliewa, Hawaii, Hawaii beaches, Honu, Molokai, North Shore, Oahu, Pacific Ocean, sea turtles, sunset, Travel, Waiamea

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Hidden Gems and Sea Turtles

13 Tuesday Sep 2016

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Hawaii, Hidden Gems, Oahu, sea turtles

Today was an early start as we had to meet the tour bus at 7:30 for the Hidden Gems Tour of Oahu. We were up in time to see the sunrise, but being on the west side of the island with a mountain range in between, it was a little hard to see. And the cloud cover wasn’t helping much, either. Once the van was full our driver, Mikos (the short version of his name. He is named for 7 generations of grandfathers, so his given name is very long!) pulled over and had us introduce ourselves. Quite an international group in our tour – Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Brazil, Egypt, Alaska, Slovakia, California, and of course, Arizona and Georgia. It made for very interesting conversation throughout the day, but I have to say the youngest two Californians did not make the best impression. They did provide us with plenty of “entertainment” throughout the day, though. Our driver was very patient and kind…I’m sure he has seen it all! The driver’s wife and 2 year old grandson were also along for the ride.

We drove around the south end of the island, past Hanauma Bay with our first official stop at Blow Hole and Eternity Beach. (So named because scenes in the movie From Here to Eternity were filmed here.) Unfortunately it was low tide, so we weren’t able to see it “blow.”

An ancient altar to a Hawaiian god on the way to Halona Blowhole.

From there we went to Makapu’u and Rabbit Island, Waimanalo Bay, through part of Kailua and on a small portion of the Pali Highway to He’eia Park where we could see Gilligan’s Island.

Gilligan’s Island was filmed on the small island on the left.

When the tide is high, the waves carry fish over the sea wall. Holes in the wall allow the smaller fish to return to the sea when the tide goes out. The medium and large fish are then caught by local fishermen.

A quick stop at the Macadamia Nut Outlet for samples of macadamia nuts and coffee, stretching our legs and picking up some gift items, and we were back underway to Kualoa , Ka’a’awa, Hau’ula, and on into Kahuku for lunch at Funi’s Kahuku Shrimp.

Hala, or pandanus trees.

Mokoli’i Island, otherwise known as Chinaman’s Hat

One of two houses built with coral. It is illegal to use coral as a building product now.

The “back” side of Crouching Lion in Ka’a’awa.

Hukilau Cafe – part of the movie 50 First Dates was filmed here.

Hawaii is seeking alternative forms of energy, including wind energy. We passed 2 areas of windmills today.

After lunch you need dessert, right? And why not a Hawaiian fried banana and fresh fruit? The fried bananas were scrumptious, and the fruit will be dessert after dinner tonight.

Fresh coconuts…juice, anyone?

After filling our bellies, we began the drive south with stops at Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay Beach, and on into Hale’iwa Beach to swim with the Honu – Hawaiian sea turtles.

I purchased a waterproof case for my phone on Sunday just for the turtle swim. With the weather today, the water was just a bit murky. Between the murky water and my mask continually fogging up, I really wasn’t sure what I was taking pictures of…but somehow managed to capture a photo of a turtle!

Murky water today due to cloud cover

I managed to get a photo of a honu underwater!

We were lucky to have a turtle come very close to shore (the waves kept washing it up, and he didn’t seem in much of a hurry to leave), so I was able to get some better pictures. Such an incredible experience!

After all the excitement of seeing the honus, we dried off and boarded the bus. A stop at the Dole Pineapple Factory for those who were still hungry and wanted a pineapple whip (we both passed but wandered around the gift shop), then it was on to the final bit of our journey, down the west coast and back to Waikiki. We dropped one couple off in downtown Honolulu just near the Aloha Tower, once the tallest structure in Honolulu.

Pineapple field

Hawaiian free range rooster

A short walk back to the hotel from our drop off spot, and in time to catch the final moments of tonight’s sunset. Tomorrow is a “down” day with nothing major planned. A welcome break after the long day today.