Small Town Girl. Big City World.: Hawaii: Day Three

Rob and I hit our stride on Day Three because it stands out as the best day of our vacation! Despite not planning too much ahead of time, the day just seemed to roll out perfectly with many highs.

We started out at Bogarts Cafe for breakfast, thanks to yelp. The small restaurant seemed like a local favorite for college students and young professionals. Rob had blueberry pancakes and I had an omlette. All the ingredients were local and very fresh and my vanilla latte was so yummy, a welcome change to the starbucks I had been drinking all week.

The only low to the day was when we drove up the coast to Sandy Beach Park. We were looking to catch some rays but the only thing we caught was a bunch of rain pouring in our convertible jeep. After dealing with a bunch of rain storms the previous two days, we were feeling defeated and sat there like sad puppies allowing the rain to soak us before putting the top on the jeep. Eventually we had a good laugh about our bad luck and decided to drive north because we realized the rain clouds were moving south.

After driving north a few more miles the sun started to shine again and we realized the rain was a blessing after laying our eyes on Makapuu Beach. This place was beautiful, lined with jagged cliffs and lush green vegetation, this "hidden gem" was the perfect place to relax and watch the body boarders take on the crashing waves. Makapuu Beach was our favorite beach because it was not crowded and it was very picturesque.

But after a couple of hours of beach sitting, we needed to fuel up for the only planned activity of the day... Surfing Lessons! So we grabbed a quick bite at Teddy's Bigger Burgers (which quickly became a favorite of Robs) and headed off to Hawaiian Surf Adventure.

A few months ago, I started stalking Groupon to see what type of deals I could score for the trip. One day, surfing lessons for two, came up and I quickly took part in the deal, so this was an activity Rob and I have been anticipating for a while. Hawaiian Surf Adventure is a family owned and run business which started out of the couples love for surfing. The business has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, everyone was welcoming and excited to go out on the boat to catch some waves.

After a lesson on land, the 4 of us "surfers in training", took a boat out past the reef where the long gentle waves were breaking. We all took turns as the instructor would push us into the wave at the perfect time. See, the hardest part of surfing is actually "catching" the wave, its all about timing. So with the instructors help it was easy to catch a wave, in fact all of us did very well. Rob and I rode out all of our waves, around 6 each. The feeling was incredible, what a rush!! Hawaiian Surf Adventure even took pictures of us in action. Thinking back on it, 2 weeks later, still makes me smile. It was an incredible experience, unmatched by any other on our trip.

After surfing, Rob and I were up for a little bit more adventure and decided to hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout. This hike had a gradual incline which eventually led to overlook the beach we visited earlier that morning. Another lighthouse was also situated on the cliff. It was nice to overlook the Hawaiian coast and reflect on our perfect day.

To round out the day we ate at the Hula Grill Waikiki. which proved to be out best meal of our vacation. Infused with Hawaiian flavors, Rob and I both had the special with Mahi Mahi and Swordfish along with mashed sweet potatoes. Out table was overlooking Waikiki Beach and the meal was superb. The perfect ending for a perfect day.