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.

Makapuu Beach

Me Surfing!!!

Hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout

Hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout

Makapuu Point Lighthouse

Overlooking Makapuu Beach

Hawaii: Day Two

Day two in Hawaii gave us the opportunity to see the beauty of Oahu. We did not have any set plans so it was time to explore and my what wonderful things we found!

First we went and sat on the beach in front of our hotel and did a little reading. But Rob and I are not big on beach sitting for too long so we stayed for about an hour and was ready to do something active. So we decided on checking out the old volcano that sat behind our hotel called Diamond Head.

The Diamond Head Hike is Oahu's most popular hike and one of the world's most recognized volcanic crater. Its not a long hike but it has beautiful views of Oahu and eventually leads to an old World War II bunker. From the top you can see Waikiki and up the eastern coastline of Oahu, I also spotted some mega houses and a lighthouse. After returning to the parking lot I enjoyed some Hawaiian Shaved Ice which was so yummy.

After the hike, we decided to jump in our red jeep we rented, blast some music and head up the eastern coast of Oahu to explore. We stopped by the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve to see the spot where we would be snorkeling a few days later, made quick stops on the side of the road to overlook the jagged coastline and eventually ended up at the Kailua Beach Park.

Kailua Beach Park is about 30 minutes away from Honolulu but you feel like you are worlds away in this small beach town. Once thing I noticed is everyone is very active, you will always pass runners, walkers and bikers as you weave through small streets to reach the coastline. Once we arrived at the beach park we were in awe of the turquoise water and long sandy white beach. Rob and I walked a good 2 miles out and back. You could tell this park was a local favorite, many people were walking their dogs or chatting with people who passed by. There were also many wind surfers, it was amazing watching them glide across the water and do flips in the air. Rob and I would point out the houses we liked and imagined what it would be like to live in such a beautiful place.

After our long walk we went to a local haunt called the Pinkys Pupu Bar & Grill. The food was not all that glamorous nor anything to go into detail about but it satisfied our appetite. Afterwards we swung by the Cheesecake Factory and picked up some yummy goodness to eat back at the hotel. Then I passed out for the night! I think the time change had finally caught up to me and the adrenaline from first arriving had worn off because I had one of the best nights sleep in my life or maybe I just settled into island time. :)

Beach in front of our Hotel

Diamond Head Volcanic Crater

Rob hiking up the stairs to the WWII bunker

One view from the top of Diamond Head

Shaved Ice treat after hiking

View from the side of the road

Kailua Beach Park

Windsurfers at Beach Park

Awesome Tree!

Hawaii: Day One

Aloha! I am fresh off my trip to Hawaii and I cannot wait to tell you about it! What a relaxing and refreshing vacation. For the blog I am breaking my action packed trip down day by day because of the many stories and pictures I have to share. On with day number one...

My best friend of thirteen years Rob blessed me with the opportunity to go to Hawaii. This was a dream come true for me! I have always had a desire to visit the Aloha state. So on leap day we hopped on Hawaiian Airlines and traveled to Honolulu the capital of Hawaii on the island of Oahu.

When we landed we were greeted by our college friend Barrett who just so happened to be in Hawaii for business. It was great that our trips overlapped for a day because he is a good friend and the three of us always have a lot of fun together.

Once he picked us up we headed to the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, our residence for the trip. We had a good laugh at the rooms Golden Girls motif but it was clean and the bed was comfy so we were satisfied.

Unfortunately it was raining, so we ate lunch and by the time we were finished the sun was shining so we decided to go paddle boarding on Waikiki Beach. Paddle boarding was new to all of us but it was fairly easy to learn, or at least learn how to paddle on our knees. We paddled out pretty far occasionally trying to stand on the board. At one point Rob made a joke we will have to call the coast guard to come get us but it was worth it because around the same time we saw a large sea turtle swimming near us. It was amazing. It was so peaceful being in the clear blue waters of the Hawaiian coast. I loved it! But it was very challenging paddling back in, turns out we were indeed really far out and it seemed like forever before reaching the shore. My arms were so tired.

Afterwards we cleaned ourselves up and headed to a restaurant named Indigo for dinner. The taxi driver said the restaurant was a local favorite which we were happy to hear. The taxi driver also said that Barrett reminded him of Brad Pitt, Rob reminded him of Elvis and I reminded him of Jennifer Aniston, which we all had a good laugh at. But hey, cant blame him for trying to compliment his way into a good tip.

Indigo was excellent, I had Salmon Roulade with Ginger Pineapple Beurre Blanc and Sweet Corn Relish stuffed with Goat Cheese Mousseline and served with Cilantro Creme Fraiche, Tobiko Cavier and Chopped Chives. Also, the martinis were really tasty, we were all very impressed with our drink choices.

After dinner we went to a club but not many people were out being a Wednesday night but we stayed, chatted together, and mostly relaxed, which is what Hawaii is all about. We snapped a couple of pictures at the beach, said farewell to Barrett and retired for the evening, satisfied with our first day in Oahu and anticipating the next few days in the Aloha State.

Even the airport bathroom signs have the Hawaiian spirit!

At first we tried to take a self portrait which is hard when you dealing with two, over 6 foot guys and little ol' me.

Fun Friends!