Two Tickets to Paradise.. Ko'Lina Oahu ...Mr & Mrs. Momddtravel

Roaches - we have those here in the south - but at least I know what to do about them to keep them out of the house....but the car??
I've visited each of the four main islands - a week on each & had rental cars on each one - but never saw ONE roach in the rooms or the cars. Heck, I don't remember even seeing one outside at all. Yuck. I'll be interested to hear what you do about them.
...and then, get to the good stuff!

OSB - I asked the guy at the rental place if it was an ongoing issue and he sort of stammered and said that it is very humid and a problem. Okay.

I just kept banging the door really hard! Ha!

Monday...
Full moon - I woke up around 4:30 am - no surprise since I went to bed at 7:00 am. Dh followed suit shortly afterwards. We had our coffee and sat out on the balcony and it was amazing. The moon was full over the ocean. Stunning.
Had breakfast at the Kolohe's Beach Bar & Grill - it was pricey but outside and nice. Afterwards we walked along the lagoons - past the JW Marriott on the beach - it is a stunning walk.

Grabbed our cabana for the day and planted ourselves underneath it. The rate is 30.00 for a full day and due to my recent skin cancer I am very careful about avoiding any sunburn. It was very over cast anyway and sort of raining on and off. I loved it - we relaxed, read, and swam in the lagoon. Had lunch later again at the resort - and had our 1:00 pm timeshare presentation. No intention of buying another week - and but trust me - they got dh pretty close. He LOVES Kauai and I am pretty sure if they would have had a week in the two bedroom that he may have done it. Thankfully they did not and he came to his senses and we departed for him to watch the world series. Now I realize this sounds like a very boring day but I assure it was just what the dr. ordered - we relaxed, had wine, good food and enjoyed each other.

Dh stayed down at the outdoor bar to watch the game and I headed up to clean up. After the game we took the shuttle to Roys for dinner. It is a short shuttle ride. Roys was VERY good. I had the butter fish which might be one of the best pieces of fish I have ever had. Dh enjoyed a sushi roll plate and we shared the warm chocolate souffle... wonderful.
Dinner was about 60.00 prior to tip. They do a great thing imo in that they let you order a smaller portion of the entrees and that was less expensive as well as just the right size for me.

It was a GREAT day.

Day three... Fodor GTG including dh, broken down car rental and dancin' with the hula girls... oh my.

I'm relaxing along with you - waiting to hear more!

Great report! I'm sitting here, waiting for more too

what a great trip!..... SO and I stayed there about 3-4 years ago. I thought their pillows were THE best ever! I even called them after my return to see about buying them but they were too expensive. I can't remember how much they were but they must have been about $200 per pillow for me to back away from it. It was from a British company.

we had a magical moment on the balcony one morning before dawn when ALL the birds erupted in song!

can't remember the name of the place but we also had the best pina colada I've ever had on the north shore of oahu.

looking forward to the rest....

Day three - Tuesday

The Marriott timeshare has a weekly group exercise schedule - I was a little annoyed that it was extra money but they had yoga on the beach and I was excited at that idea. We both signed up at the 27.00 a person (ouch imo) and headed down for the 8 am class. I would say this was extremely annoying and I was a grump afterwards. It was not yoga - it was an attempt to sell DVDs and there was a total of about 25 minutes of "exercise" that an unfit person would have not had any issue doing. On the other hand - dh actually enjoyed it. Go figure.

We opted to grab a light breakfast from the marketplace at the Marriott instead of doing the full sit-down breakfast again. There is a decent selection - I had an instant oatmeal and dh got a yogurt with fruit. I think the total for the two items was around 9.00.

We had a gtg planned for 12 noon that day - we were meeting Lcuy, Mari & Melissa @ Wally Ho's Garage & Grill in Aiea. I was not sure what to expect with dh. He was supposed to play golf but decided he did not want to spend the $$ since he has not been playing lately. I was happy he was going to join us - he was such a good sport. We pulled up at the same time as everyone else and Lcuy greeted me with a lovely lei - and a warmer smile. Mari & Melissa were so kind and honestly the three of them were among the most interesting and well traveled women that we have encountered. Dh was very impressed and enjoyed our time together. One should know that dh is pretty conservative in his politics and truth be known I was a little nervous - it came up a little at the end and I joked that dh was really - we all got a good laugh. We were there for a few hours.

We said our good byes and everyone headed out - dh and I climbed into the rental car - and ut-oh - the transmission is not working - it is locked. Great. It is now raining and I am getting cranky... dh called and Thrifty said it would be about 2 hours??? H-E-L-L-O - we are about 10 minutes from where the Thrifty place is!?! I called back and after back and forth and about an hour they showed up. Off we went...

We arrived back at the Marriott just in time to get in line for the Fia Fia Luau which is located right on the lawn at the Marriott time share. It is 75.00 a person I think; we opted for this as our 'gift" for the timeshare presentation. We had two lovely couples at our table - one from Alabama and one from Australia. Dh is so friendly and really great at making conversation with folks and the night was really a fun way to end the day. Dh danced with the hula girls and I got some funny shots of it. The "chief" then called up everyone celebrating an anniversary so dh and danced on stage and everyone got lovely flowers.

One of the many things that has happened over the last months since the cancer diagnosis is I am wanting to feel everything and cherish all of my time. It is rather intense to be honest, and dancing under the stars, with a little rain drops falling on us, with the ocean in the background almost made me teary. So thankful for my life and everything we have. It was a great day...even with the rental car issue. No biggie in the long run of course (and they gave us 50.00 off!).

It was another wonderful day...

Tomorrow... Bouts & Kemos for the best pancakes ever... and Kailua kayaking, Hanauma Bay snorkeling, and Alan Wongs! What a day!

Ncounty -the birds!! I forgot about them... they all broke out in song at sunrise and again at sunset. I love birds so much and dh always teases me - so he was saying "oh listen to them singing for you!"

Your trip sounds wonderful too.

I am enjoying this for a few reasons - we stayed there in 2006 and loved it; you write so well; but mostly because no one -- NO ONE -deserved this trip more than you and your DH!

More, please!

Deb

Hey! I bet my banana macademia nut pancakes on Maui could give your Oahu pancakes a run for their money!

Very much enjoying your report, my friend, but mostly your enthusiasm and love of life!

{{{{{Deb}}}}}} It was truly a wonderful week - we *needed this more then we ever have.

{{{Irego}}}} Right back at you! I want your trip report soon.

I am not sure about the pancakes on Maui. Melissa told me about this place and I was not sure what to expect but I think that pancake might be one of the best things I have ever eaten in my LIFE - not kidding.

Oh and It has come to my attention (cough cough Deb) that it is Ko' Olina... two O's.. I am such a goof.

Day four, Wednesday...it is going too fast!

Up bright and early again - we have a big day planned. We headed out to Kailua to go kayaking. The posted SF had recommended Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks and we had to be there by 9:15 am to check in. I *really wanted good pancakes and when I had asked Melissa the best place to get pancakes on the island she mentioned Boots & Kimo's Homestyle Kitchen in Kailua so it was perfect.

I have to rave about Boots & Kimo's - it was full of locals - the owners daughter waited on us and was a riot - and honestly it was the BEST pancakes I have EVER eaten in my life. It had some kind of special sauce on it... c-r-a-z-y good. You must go there if you are in the area - you will not be sorry you did!

Okay... I am going to call it a night and will finish up Wed tomorrow - it was a FULL day and I want to be sure to remember it all.
Aloha

Please note the correct spelling of Boots & Kimos

This is just lovely!

Lee Ann

Dawn! Your trip sounds fab! Minus the roaches, eww! But i'm so sorry that i had no idea what else was going on with you lately. As you know, i've been MIA for awhile with other life issues Check your mail! XOXO

Oh lcuy you are so sweet - I would have called you but I remembered that Mari had an appointment.

Ellen - looking forward to your email

Lee Ann thanks for coming along

Tapping my foot.... waiting to hear about your dinner at Alan Wongs......[a bit of a private joke to Dawn]

Yeah... well did you ever finish that report

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Wonderful trip report, MomDD! Thank you for sharing. I keep hearing that the Lagoons at the resort there are PERFECT for people who don't swim/are not strong swimmers so it sounds very appealing to me. Was the swimming pool nice as well? I'm so happy for you and your DH that you enjoyed your trip so much. I've thought of you, and have been sending good wishes your way!

Elsiemoo- the Timeshare resort has several nice pools - much nicer then the JW Marriott up the "lagoon". One pool is a "quiet" relaxation pool - indicating no children really. There is another pool with a great beach entry for little ones and fun "stuff" set up - basketball in the pool/volley ball. The Lagoons are VERY calm and wonderful to swim in with no issues at all. The resort is very child friendly and I am sure that in the school breaks is very busy. Due to the time of year we went this was not an issue at all.

Thanks for the info, MomDD. I have to figure out where to stay within the resorts there (we aren't involved with timeshares.) You know, the closest thing to just renting a room in a hotel ... I'm thinking we may stay there for about 4 nights next May, then spend the rest of the time in Waikiki.

Now, I can't wait to hear about Alan Wong's ...

Wed, Day 4 continued...

Okay I should mentioned that while the resort Ko'Olina is noted as being "out there" we felt like we could get any place fairly easily/quickly. It took us about 40 minutes or so to get to Kailua and that was about the longest it took to get any where - the drive is nice once you get off the H1 (I kept thinking of H1N1 !).

We left Boots VERY satisfied with breakfast and dh had a good laugh over me eating all my pancakes - so that he had to order his own! (He had an egg dish).

We checked into Kailua kayaking http://www.kailuasailboards.com/ and were the first ones there - it turned out there were 6 people total in our 2 hour tour. They offer a 4 hour and a 2 hour - I opted for the 2 hour as I was not sure what to expect. We have both decided when we go back we will actually do the 4 hour we enjoyed it so much.

Got our gear all together and headed down to the beach - you actually pull your kayak on a little dolley and launch from the beach. Breath taking is the only word that comes to mind at the site of the beach. *This is Hawaii.

We kayaked over to an island called "Flat Island" http://gohawaii.about.com/od/oahuphotos/ig/southeast_oahu_photos/se_oahu_055.htm
It was a neat little place full of birds that had nested and our guide Jaime told us cool stories about the island and birds. Very beautiful morning.

We kayaked back - it was about 2 hours - the day was really nice - I had plenty of sun screen and hat, and spf clothing so managed to not get sun burned at all. I was very happy with that.

Lunch was included and it was at a local place in the strip center next to the kayaking store - very good local style food.

The rain started as we headed off about noon or so to Hanauma bay. We had tried to go here on our last visit with the children but it was closed due to jelly fish. We spent a nice afternoon here - snorkeled and relaxed on the beach. The cost is 1.00 for parking and I believe it was about 7.50 to enter?
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/hanauma_bay_beach.html

We had dinner reservations at 7:30 pm that night - and the World Series continued.... so off we headed back to the resort. We listened to the game in the car and when we got back I headed up stairs to relax in the soaking tub and dh back to the outdoor bar to join in the fun and watch the game.

It was really raining by the time we left for Alan Wongs. I was VERY excited about this meal. While I am not a foodie at all, I do enjoy a good dining experience and it was our special "anniversary" dinner. The resort had given us excellent directions to Alan Wong's so we found it no problem. It is a rather unassuming building. We arrived and they greeted at the bottom and shared that the elevator was not working - so we climbed up the 5 stairs and our evening began....
http://www.alanwongs.com/

I am off to yoga ....and just want to leave Deb hangin' hahahhahahah

elsiemoo - I have to be honest, if I was renting a hotel room I do not think I would stay there. jmo of course - I was VERY happy with timeshare and would exchange back into there in a second - me? I would stay on the North Shore...which is a slice of heaven... or in Kailua which I loved... not sure what the lodging options are there but it is a great little town and the beaches are AMAZING.

MomDD, we stayed a week within walking distance of Kailua Beach Park last year (September.) Rented a fabulous apt. in a house that had been divided into three units. Yes, Kailua Beach is drop-dead gorgeous, but it was not quite as calm as I'd hoped, AND there were jellyfish (got stung!), AND a shark sighting nearby when we were there. The guards told me the jellyfish were there often, and so, that, combined with the water being rowdier than I'd expected, left me feeling that I would not stay at Kailua again. It is a wonderful little town, though, and we loved many things about it.

I really like the North Shore, but we also like staying in the center of Waikiki, within walking distance of so much (we're retired and like the convenience; don't always like to drive everywhere.) We have a hard time planning our trips because we like a bit of everything! Thanks for your replies!

So glad you had a wonderful time, Dawn! We're still hoping to get to Oahu in May 2010.

Did you think kayaking was hard to do? I've wanted to do it, but am not sure.

Also, did you see a particular place on the North Shore that you would consider renting? We can't really find anything so far where I would want to stay.

Thanks!

YES, I did finish my San Diego trip report -- apparently you never read the final segments. Harumph!!!



Deb

Elismo - oh my on the sharks... yikes. I admit to being afraid of them and it is one reason I will not just stop on the road and go snorkeling - as sometimes locals know where the sharks hang... based on the more information - I changed my mind. You might really like the Ko'Olina area. As I said, I would stay there again in a heartbeat with our timeshare. I would book a room at the Ko'Olina Marriott Beach club instead of the JW - you can do a hotel room there - it is what the "second" bedroom is when you have the full two bedroom unit. Try to get a high floor and on the pool side - the other side looks out over a pretty ugly harbor.

Samsaf - been thinking of you - I so hope you get there in May. It really was what the Dr. ordered for me.. While a different journey it has been a heck of a two years for dh & I.
When we stayed at the N shore we rented a 3 bedroom house - so it would not be what you wanted. A great house though.

As far as the kayaking - I was worried, as I have issues with some pain still from the wide excision done on my shoulder area and you are using your arms a lot - the deal is though - the person in the back is doing most of the work - so you want to put the stronger person in the back - it is also one of the reasons I booked the 2 hour tour instead of the 4. It was harder going out - moving against the current - coming back was an ease...and it was truly a lovely experience. I loved every minute of it!

Deb...ahhahahahah I have to go and look...

Wed Day 4 continued - Alan Wong's -

I was so excited - almost child-like as we took our seats. The dining room is smaller - and the tables are a little crowded - similar to what you might have experienced in Europe - not quite as close perhaps. We looked over the menu and decided to do the five course tasting menu with the wine. The service was excellent as were the wine pairings. I took photos of all our courses but can not remember every one. The best was without a doubt the fish with a ginger sauce of sorts. (sorry I am not very good at describing all the different foods etc) and the desert.
I would have to say over all it was slightly disappointing. I know.. It was GOOD - the wine was GREAT and the service was EXCELLENT as was the presentation... but the food was just "good". I know... I know...
It was very expensive - the tasting menu with wine was I believe 105.00 per person so this was a big deal for us... the experience was fabulous and dh and I had a great time.

Thursday day 5... day of relaxation

I finally managed to sleep past 6:30 am We had a great lazy morning - dh had some homework to do so I headed into the next town to do a little shopping and check things out. I was going to take a yoga class there but had slept past the 8:00 am class time.

I grabbed us lunch at Costco and headed back to the resort. Dh was still working on his class work so I found a lounge chair by the pool and enjoyed my book. It was VERY relaxing. Dh joined me and decided to get a massage in the cabanas they had over by the pool. He returned glowing and said I MUST go and get a massage by Jackie. Okay - twist my arm

This little tiny gal gave me without a doubt the best massage I have ever had! So if you are there and in the market for a massage - head over and book with Jackie from Boston. I was like rubber when she was done. What a great day.

By now it was around 5:00 pm or so and we headed up to the room to clean up... we were not sure what to do about dinner but decided to head over to the town and ate at Hapa Grill at the suggestion of the valet - http://hapagrill.net/index.php

Excellent choice - very reasonable after the expense of Alan Wong's that is what we were looking for. We were going to see a movie in town but decided to rent one instead and head back to the room.

It was another great day.

We ate at Hapa Grill the first night we were there! Just a "coffee shop", but much better than average -- I had some kind of stir-fry with shrimp.

I'm so glad you loved the kayaking. Samsaf, I wouldn't say the kayaking is easy (it's definitely a workout for your upper body), but it was GOOD hard work. The area where you kayak is just gorgeous, the beaches (Kailua and Lanikai) are spectacular, even the homes you see from the water (and which you wouldn't be able to see otherwise) are lovely. We, too, loved everything about our day there (and we ate at a local Thai restaurant in Haleiwa that night, night at Alan Wong's )

I am so sorry that Alan Wong's didn't live up to my hype. We absolutely loved the food, the wine, the service. To be honest, the food is different that anything we had ever eaten before. It was a fusion of Hawaiian, asian and quite nouveau and that may be where it fell apart from you.

Sorry....



Deb

Sf - we will return to the kayaking and I agree - it is really well worth any type of "work". I like to exercise and we had kayaked in Big Bear in Sept but that was on a glass lake - I knew I could do it but was slightly worried.

We thought Hapa Grill was great. I had the chicken and rice and it was really good. Lots of locals dining there (always a good sign!)

Deb... I love different food- and am really open. I do not think that was it - the ahi app was over cooked for example. .

What is interesting is that I think we ate at a different one then you no? I heard the chef at that one is actually better either from Mari or Melissa... I think And in NO way am I sorry we went or spent the $$$ I LOVED the experience. I even got a baseball cap

Day Six - Turtles please?

After the wine tasting at Alan Wongs I had no issue sleeping in on Friday morning. I was a little sad as it was our last full day and the thoughts of leaving tomorrow lingered heavily on my heart...

We decided to return to Hapa Grill for breakfast as they have a 4.95 pancake, egg & meat special - that works! It was good - no Boots & Kimos but good. We headed out on the road to the North Shore.

The drive is easy and rather fast - It brought back the memories of our trip with the children several years ago and made me long a bit for days gone by. Anyway - we stopped off in Haleiwa as I wanted to do some t-shirt shopping - our youngest had requested a shirt so off I hunted for the perfect one for her. Ever tried to buy a t-shirt for a 12 year old girl? Not an easy task.

After finding a few - I lured dh into a shaved ice. NICE. We actually had Matsumoto last time so upon the suggestion of a few locals at the hotels we opted for the one right next door...started with an A I will have to remember the name of it. Very good.

Off we went to Laniakea aka Turtle Beach.. I was VERY excited about seeing turtles and alas - none to be seen. We hung out on the beach for a while and then decided to head over to Shark's cove to snorkel. We had a great time - one thing I have to say is how much FUN dh & I had and how much we enjoyed each other and the lazy time together. We snorkeled for a good amount of time.

We decided to eat at the Shark's Cove Lunch truck across the way - we had eaten there when we were here last time and it was good.

We headed back to Turtle Beach in hopes of catching turtles on the way home - but alas no turtles showed themselves all day.

We got back to the resort after 5:00 and relaxed for a while before deciding to head down to Chuck's to have our last meal. Neither of us was in the mood to drive any place.

It turned out to be a very good meal - my ahi was excellent and sitting outside next to all the koi was very pretty. The macademia nut cheese cake was to die for!

We walked down to the beach after wards and reflected upon our wonderful week together both sad to be headed back to reality. There is simply something magical about Hawaii...

For the record, the shave ice place is Aoki's, and it's great!

Thank you! I knew someone would come through before I figured it out

Day 7 - last day - homeward bound

Nothing much to add I am afraid - we had an uneventful morning and dropped the rental car off no issues & checked in as well with nothing but ease. The Crowne Room at the HNL airport is currently being redone and is rather small and smelled moldy - dh watched some college football game and I wandered about till check in. Very full flight - we were in the front of the plane again when dh proclaimed he will never go on vacation again without flying first class. Ut-oh - guess we are not going any place again

It was a fabulous week and I am so glad I did not change our plans at the last minute to go some place else. It was perfect in all ways. We *did buy a 5 night "encore" package when we went on our timeshare presentation so we have 5 nights to use in the next 2 years. I will be looking forward to our time away at somepoint in the next two years.

Thanks again one and all for all the great tips & encouragement. Have I mentioned I love this board?



The Aloha spirit is amazing...

Excellent trip report, was a pleasure to read! You have encouraged me to work on mine.. We crossed paths in Hawaii, I was on Oahu until Nov. 3. Also congrads on your recovery, I had a malignant melanoma removed 2 yrs ago from my arm and I can understand the fear of the sun! Suncreen, floppy hats, and coverups were my best friends though and it was so worth it. Aloha!

Dawn, we went to the same Alan Wong's; it is a non descript building on the 5th floor, kind of in a semi commercial/residential area. The other one on Oahu is the Pineapple Room and is in or near the big shopping center I think.

In all fairness, we were there 3 years ago. I hate to think that it has changed and not for the better, perhaps it was just an off night. Everyone has those, but hopefully at a place like this, they are few and far between.

Deb

Deb I think it was just an off night - no way does it get the reviews (like yours) and serve the food we had..which in all fairness was GOOD - but it was not excellent. Does that make sense? The presentation and service was 100% excellent. Among the best we have had. Mari did mention it got a scathing review recently (not mine and I would not have rated it poor ... just "good" food)

Jess - here is to NED - No Evidence of Disease! So glad you enjoyed paradise as well.

Wow Dawn,

What a trip--and so much more than a trip! When my mom had a terminal recurrence, we traveled whenever she cd recover enough from chemo/alternative/radiation/treatment of the moment to stand and walk a little. Emotions and reactions do become magnified, the tiniest things fill u w/ gratitude, and ppl who understand and do things to help are angels.

I'm really glad u and Frank had such a trip, and that u made time to come hang out w/ us. Fun noshing w/ both of u--come back and see us soon!

Emotions and reactions do become magnified, the tiniest things fill u w/ gratitude, and ppl who understand and do things to help are angels.
******
Yes Mari... while I would never ever wish cancer on any person ever - I am thankful in a strange way for the shift in my own paradigm.

So you were right about Alan Wongs It was wonderful to meet you - you are a delightful human that has given so much back in this journey already. It exudes you.

Oppsss forgot Waimea Falls Park!

On Friday when we left the turtle beach for the second time we stopped at Waimea Falls Park - we were not sure what exactly it was but decided to proceed in - the cost is a little high imo - at 10.00 per person (could add up for a family) but the walk is lovely and we ended up at the water falls. We could not swim as there had been too much rain and the water was not safe to go in but the park is beautiful and the walk is fairly easy so if you have mobility issues it should be okay (there is one steep hill)

How funny...my trip report was edited... they pulled the name of the poster that I said we joked dh was... sorry did not know that was a 'no-no"

Thanks so much for a wonderful trip report. We're going to be going to Ko Olina and then Maui in December. Your report made me look forward to it even more!

Wow, nice report!! I had a great time with you & Mr. MomDDTravel. I'm serious when I say you guys need to meet MonicaPileggi & her husband.

Sorry Alan Wong's didn't meet up to the hype. (My pet peeve is actually Hoku's in the Kahala Resort.)

wow, I didn't think the editors read every post, Dawn! they're on the ball.

they must like me - Blushin'

MomDD - WONDERFUL trip report - thank you for sharing!!

MomDD, thanks for your report and best wishes for health and happiness in the future.

Dawn,

I was looking forward to your report and you didn't dissapoint! I am so happy that this trip turned out to be just what you both needed.

I have been tempted to try the Ko' Olina resort and I think you have convinced me to give it a try. We stay at a lot of Marriotts and we have always been impressed with the service and the the beauty of the Hawaii properties. If you get a chance I think you would like the Marriott Waiohai in Kauai.

It is good to hear that the sun issue didn't cause any problems for you. It would be a shame to have it take away from the whole Hawaiian experience.

Sorry you had roaches in your car! It happened to us once and I am deathly afraid of them. I wanted to get rid of the car asap but after waiting for over an hour for Hertz to get the car to us DH told me to be a big girl and if one ran up my leg not to scream and cause him to drive off the road! Our next trip we had a gecko in the car which didn't bother me because I figured he was keeping the roaches away!

Mahalo, Mary

<<<We stay at a lot of Marriotts and we have always been impressed with the service and the the beauty of the Hawaii properties. If you get a chance I think you would like the Marriott Waiohai in Kauai. >>>

I've stayed at both (and loved both), so if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer!

sf7307,

Have you stayed there recently? It has been several years and I hope they are keeping the property in good shape. We stayed once when they were first open and the place was only partially completed and got a ridiculous deal on a two bedroom. We stayed a second time a few years ago and it was just as nice then.

We were at the Waiohai in July 2007, and at the Ko'Olina in May 2009. We also got a crazy good deal at the Waiohai (had to attend a VERY low-key timeshare presentation), and got the Ko'Olina by exchanging our Palm Desert timeshare.

I stayed at a Marriott in Kauai but do not think it was the one at Waiohai...
Thanks everyone for reading the the feedback - it was a fabulous week!

MomDD: I must have jinxed myself with my reaction to your car having roaches. I was after dark returning home last night & drove up to the mailbox to get the mail. You will recall, it was a wet day, due to hurricane Ida ( a tropical storm for us)& DH wasn't home.
Well, I throw the damp mail & magazines in my lap & start to drive into the garage, when in the shadows, I see a ROACH emerge on top of the pile in my lap! I swatted, but in the dark, & think he 'got away'. Yuck!

Great report, and I'm so glad to hear you have had a good report.

Re roaches in Hawaii, my daughter was born at Tripler in the 50s, and at that time we were not allowed to have a box of candy as a gift in the room because of the danger of roaches! And this was on the 7th floor of a hospital. At our apartment, I sprayed the edges of the kitchen floor nightly with Real Kill. Those things were gigantic.

. . . a good medical report, of course.

Dawn, I am very happy reading your trip report. I'm glad you mt DD had a nice vacation. I am drooling over the pancakes. I WANT SOME!!!!!!! I am going to be in Waikiki in a 15th floor corner view condo on the Marina Christmas week. I don't know if I will be able to get over to Kailua for the pancakes. I may try though. I wonder when the Delta Crown Room will be complete, sounds yucky the way it was when you were there, I hope its done by the time I am there.

Welcome home.

LOL, mt DD is supposed to be Mr Mom DD

hpea- I knew that - I really hope you can get to Kailua to Boots & Kimos - Melissa was on the money - best pancakes I have ever had in my LIFE - it is the sauce of course.

Carolyn - thank you! Yikes on the roaches - I just kept banging the car door hard

OSB - Oh yikes - I hope you got them - they are just so gross.

Well I've never been to Boots & Kimo's, being a non-breakfasting townie, but today I had lunch two doors down. What a line! TIP: By 1pm the line was gone, and they close at 2. So a late pancake lunch might be more convenient.

My first time to that block of Kailua, and I was stunned to find 3 breakfast restaurants in a row in the same building: B&K, Honuz and Crepes No Ka Oi. If anyone's put off the by the line at B&K, I hear the lilikoi brulee French toast at Honuz is awesome, and the simple Hawaiian sugar crepe at Crepes was outstanding. Other crepes have breakfast or lunch fare w/ good quality ingredients, and sweet crepe fillings include guava jelly and Reese's peanut butter cups.