Bashfull's Oahu Trip Report - kinda long
Nov 16th, 2007, 02:21 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bashfull's Oahu Trip Report - kinda long
I arrived the afternoon of Thurs 11/08 on a Continental flight from LAX - just over $292.00 round trip - was worth the drive from Las Vegas! I used a shuttle service from my mom’s to the airport - $23 bucks one way was worth it so my mom didn’t have to deal with the morning rush hour traffic dropping me off, although she did offer to. Honolulu was bright and beautiful when I arrived and my favorite part - that very first breath of Hawaiian air - did not disappoint me! There’s nothing like filling the lungs up with that fresh, gorgeous air.
Since my BF was tied up with a family thing when I arrived, I took the Roberts shuttle for $9 to the Island Colony where my condo was reserved. I called the owner from the airport and he met me there shortly after I arrived on the shuttle. I had stayed in this same condo for two weeks this past June/July and loved it so much that I booked it again for this trip. It’s a studio, on the 43rd floor with a HUGE lanai (116 sq ft) and a view that goes on forever. It also has a small kitchenette - perfect for me to whip up dinner for my BF - gotta impress him, right?!
As soon as I got my stuff put away (which I did REALLY fast) I took off for my first venture into Waikiki this trip. I walked down to the beach - via the “beach access” path by the Cheesecake Factory - and then over to the Moana. I had intended to begin my trip with a drink at the Moana’s Banyon Bar on the beach, but since I was really hungry too, nothing on their menu sounded good (and was very pricey) so I headed back over to Duke’s. I hopped on a bar stool looking out at the beach and ordered a panini (a yummy banana/rum drink that used to be featured on their drink menu) and some nachos. I got to watch the sunset there while finishing another panini and the nachos while having a lively conversation with a vacationing Aussie gentleman. I splurged on the way back to the condo and bought me a tacky, touristy dress and puka shells to go with it!
The next day I had Duke’s breakfast buffet - complete with a POG mimosa, got lucky to have a table right on the railing overlooking the beach. Then I was off to Ala Moana for shopping and had a nice morning. Ended up in WalMart and then Don Quixote (for groceries), then back on The Bus (with my 4 day pass from ABC). After putting it all away, I was off to the beach. It was gorgeous! Friday night my BF and I went to see some friends who were performing at the “Elegant Dive” - the pool bar on the 3rd floor of the Hyatt Regency. We had a fun time.
Saturday morning I discovered my drivers license, debit card and several $20 dollar bills were missing from my purse. That started a crisis! I called everywhere I’d been the day before to no avail. After an in-person visit to the Hyatt (where I believe I lost it), I crossed the street and made a police report so I’d be able to board the plane when it was time to go home. I had some money wired to me via Western Union so all turned out okay after all, but it was not a fun way to start the day. I ended up having breakfast at Denny’s on Kuhio - several hours later than usual, followed by more shopping, of course! That night my BF was performing (he’s a local singer & musician) at the Elk’s Club in Waikiki. I planted myself at the bar with some other friends of ours to watch the Warriors football game. Great game, except for when Brennan got hurt. A friend from work here in Las Vegas met me at the Elks and we had a couple of drinks and some “pupus” together while listening to the music. When my BF was finished, we joined one of his friends and went over to the Charthouse by the marina to listen to another of their friends (Tito) play music. Good fun!
Sunday morning I had breakfast in the Hula Grill in the Outrigger - good food and again I lucked out with a table on the rail overlooking the beach. Then more shopping, if you can believe that! And then a quick trip to the beach; the rest of the afternoon BF and I relaxed and hung around the condo - sitting on the lanai is one of my favorite pastimes.
BF got a little restless, so he took me down to Ala Moana Beach park and we chilled out down there until sunset - which was fabulous, as usual.
Monday we headed out for the North Shore. Stopped off at the “turtle beach” to watch the Honu turtles. Got lucky - there were four of them sunning themselves on the beach and two swimming around trying to get up on the beach. So much fun to see them! I talked to one of the volunteer “Honu guardians” and decided that when I get rich (hahaha) and we buy our house out there on the North Shore beachfront (LOL!!), I want to “grow up” and be a Honu guardian.
We went back to the condo at the end of the day and I cooked dinner in the little kitchenette. We also tried some of the Maui Splash passion fruit wine I’d found during one of my shopping adventures - it wasn’t bad, a little sweet but that’s okay with me. We took an evening walk over to Waikiki Beachwalk which is always nice. Stopped in at the Holokai Grill for a lava flow - in the take-home coconut cup. They had a really cool big screen with LOTS of surfing videos playing - I could almost feel the ocean splashing on us while we watched.
Tuesday was my last day in paradise this time around. Finished shopping for the kids at home, made my last visit to Waikiki beach, with a stop at the Hyatt at the Beach snack bar for a loco moco. Got wiped out by a wave so decided to bid farewell to Waikiki for this trip. Went back and packed up my stuff and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just chilling with my BF until it was time to go to the airport. My flight was at 9:50 pm. I must admit I did shed some tears as we drove down Kuhio to Kapahulu and again after I kissed BF goodbye and proceeded thru security toward the gate - I truly love this place and I HATE leaving - both the island AND the BF! He made a quick detour to his favorite lei shop and bought me a beautiful lei to wear home.
The flight home was fine - with the exception of the several crying babies, but after a while I dozed off and didn’t hear a thing. Another trip is over and the saddest part is that I have no idea when I’ll be able to get back over there anytime soon due to some family issues here at home. Usually I spend most of the return flight planning the next trip, which takes the edge of off leaving. Oh well, aloha oe - until we meet again.
Since my BF was tied up with a family thing when I arrived, I took the Roberts shuttle for $9 to the Island Colony where my condo was reserved. I called the owner from the airport and he met me there shortly after I arrived on the shuttle. I had stayed in this same condo for two weeks this past June/July and loved it so much that I booked it again for this trip. It’s a studio, on the 43rd floor with a HUGE lanai (116 sq ft) and a view that goes on forever. It also has a small kitchenette - perfect for me to whip up dinner for my BF - gotta impress him, right?!
As soon as I got my stuff put away (which I did REALLY fast) I took off for my first venture into Waikiki this trip. I walked down to the beach - via the “beach access” path by the Cheesecake Factory - and then over to the Moana. I had intended to begin my trip with a drink at the Moana’s Banyon Bar on the beach, but since I was really hungry too, nothing on their menu sounded good (and was very pricey) so I headed back over to Duke’s. I hopped on a bar stool looking out at the beach and ordered a panini (a yummy banana/rum drink that used to be featured on their drink menu) and some nachos. I got to watch the sunset there while finishing another panini and the nachos while having a lively conversation with a vacationing Aussie gentleman. I splurged on the way back to the condo and bought me a tacky, touristy dress and puka shells to go with it!
The next day I had Duke’s breakfast buffet - complete with a POG mimosa, got lucky to have a table right on the railing overlooking the beach. Then I was off to Ala Moana for shopping and had a nice morning. Ended up in WalMart and then Don Quixote (for groceries), then back on The Bus (with my 4 day pass from ABC). After putting it all away, I was off to the beach. It was gorgeous! Friday night my BF and I went to see some friends who were performing at the “Elegant Dive” - the pool bar on the 3rd floor of the Hyatt Regency. We had a fun time.
Saturday morning I discovered my drivers license, debit card and several $20 dollar bills were missing from my purse. That started a crisis! I called everywhere I’d been the day before to no avail. After an in-person visit to the Hyatt (where I believe I lost it), I crossed the street and made a police report so I’d be able to board the plane when it was time to go home. I had some money wired to me via Western Union so all turned out okay after all, but it was not a fun way to start the day. I ended up having breakfast at Denny’s on Kuhio - several hours later than usual, followed by more shopping, of course! That night my BF was performing (he’s a local singer & musician) at the Elk’s Club in Waikiki. I planted myself at the bar with some other friends of ours to watch the Warriors football game. Great game, except for when Brennan got hurt. A friend from work here in Las Vegas met me at the Elks and we had a couple of drinks and some “pupus” together while listening to the music. When my BF was finished, we joined one of his friends and went over to the Charthouse by the marina to listen to another of their friends (Tito) play music. Good fun!
Sunday morning I had breakfast in the Hula Grill in the Outrigger - good food and again I lucked out with a table on the rail overlooking the beach. Then more shopping, if you can believe that! And then a quick trip to the beach; the rest of the afternoon BF and I relaxed and hung around the condo - sitting on the lanai is one of my favorite pastimes.
BF got a little restless, so he took me down to Ala Moana Beach park and we chilled out down there until sunset - which was fabulous, as usual.
Monday we headed out for the North Shore. Stopped off at the “turtle beach” to watch the Honu turtles. Got lucky - there were four of them sunning themselves on the beach and two swimming around trying to get up on the beach. So much fun to see them! I talked to one of the volunteer “Honu guardians” and decided that when I get rich (hahaha) and we buy our house out there on the North Shore beachfront (LOL!!), I want to “grow up” and be a Honu guardian.
We went back to the condo at the end of the day and I cooked dinner in the little kitchenette. We also tried some of the Maui Splash passion fruit wine I’d found during one of my shopping adventures - it wasn’t bad, a little sweet but that’s okay with me. We took an evening walk over to Waikiki Beachwalk which is always nice. Stopped in at the Holokai Grill for a lava flow - in the take-home coconut cup. They had a really cool big screen with LOTS of surfing videos playing - I could almost feel the ocean splashing on us while we watched.
Tuesday was my last day in paradise this time around. Finished shopping for the kids at home, made my last visit to Waikiki beach, with a stop at the Hyatt at the Beach snack bar for a loco moco. Got wiped out by a wave so decided to bid farewell to Waikiki for this trip. Went back and packed up my stuff and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just chilling with my BF until it was time to go to the airport. My flight was at 9:50 pm. I must admit I did shed some tears as we drove down Kuhio to Kapahulu and again after I kissed BF goodbye and proceeded thru security toward the gate - I truly love this place and I HATE leaving - both the island AND the BF! He made a quick detour to his favorite lei shop and bought me a beautiful lei to wear home.
The flight home was fine - with the exception of the several crying babies, but after a while I dozed off and didn’t hear a thing. Another trip is over and the saddest part is that I have no idea when I’ll be able to get back over there anytime soon due to some family issues here at home. Usually I spend most of the return flight planning the next trip, which takes the edge of off leaving. Oh well, aloha oe - until we meet again.
Nov 19th, 2007, 03:58 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 670
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Faina - long time no hear from you - yes, my ID was lost - but not stolen, I actually got it back in an envelope mailed to my house! Imagine that? I had my police report and my work ID (from a police dept, no less) and Continental Airlines was fine with that - I had called them when it all happened and they made notes in the computer and all went well. BUT - Security was another story. They made me endure the "secondary" inspection - patted me down and searched through ALL of my carry-on stuff (LOTS to go through!) so that was a drag. But oh well. Too bad they didn't tell me too bad, gotta stay in Hawaii ...
elsiemoo -
My condo/studio is VERY reasonably priced, especially since the view is to die for. It is #108633 on vrbo.com - the pictures there (of the view) don't do it justice, but you'll get the idea. The prices fluctuate slightly depending on when you want it. This time (Nov) it was $90 per night, plus $10 per day for parking (well worth every cent), $75 cleaning fee and tax. He held a $150 deposit on my credit card which he should be refunding this week. The location, the lanai/view, the kitchenette all make it very worth it. It even has a bathtub! If you look it up on vrbo.com you'll see what the rate breakdowns for the various seasons are. If you decide to inquire or book it - tell Bob that I sent you - maybe he'll give me an added discount next time around!
elsiemoo -
My condo/studio is VERY reasonably priced, especially since the view is to die for. It is #108633 on vrbo.com - the pictures there (of the view) don't do it justice, but you'll get the idea. The prices fluctuate slightly depending on when you want it. This time (Nov) it was $90 per night, plus $10 per day for parking (well worth every cent), $75 cleaning fee and tax. He held a $150 deposit on my credit card which he should be refunding this week. The location, the lanai/view, the kitchenette all make it very worth it. It even has a bathtub! If you look it up on vrbo.com you'll see what the rate breakdowns for the various seasons are. If you decide to inquire or book it - tell Bob that I sent you - maybe he'll give me an added discount next time around!
