Miramar

Be warned, this is a very long, detailed report. I mostly type these up for my own reference as to what I did but post them online in case any nugget of information helps someone else, like I know it does for me.

This was my fourth trip to Hawaii; the fourth trip to Oahu and the first to the Big Island. Previous trips have also included Kauai and Maui. My interest in the state of Hawaii started back in 1978 when I was barely 3 years old and I saw an episode of Sesame Street in which they visited Hawaii. From that day forward it became my goal to get to Hawaii; I still remember seeing that episode and how much I wanted to go there. Then once again, in the early 1980s I was watching re-runs of the Brady Bunch and along came the episode where they travel to Hawaii, more specifically Oahu, and that only served to enhance my interest in Hawaii. I eventually made my first trip to to Oahu in 2005 and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. For this most recent trip, since I’d been to the other main islands, I decided it was time to spend some time on the Big Island. The problem with planning a trip to the Big Island is that it is so big, that it’s impossible to hit all of the highlights in a short period of time. For that reason, I decided that for this trip, I would just visit the Hilo side of the island and leave the Kona side for my next trip. Since both sides are so different, that will make my next trip feel entirely different—-almost like visiting a new island. One thing about the Big Island that has always especially interested me is the volcanic activity, so this visit was centered around Volcanos National Park.

I departed Boston on a Wednesday night on a Jetblue flight bound for Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to have enough JB points to “pay” for the flight. I’d never used points to book a flight before, as usually on other airlines I prefer to use my points to upgrade instead since I’d rather have a slightly more comfortable seat than a free flight, but the process was very easy on Jetblue. Unfortunately the seat back TV was not working on my seat, but there was another extra legroom seat available so I was able to switch (too bad it was right next to the engine so it was very loud). The seat back entertainment and reasonable cost of extra legroom seats is why I chose Jetblue rather than choosing another carrier, so it would have been unfortunate for me not to have access to the entertainment. I then spent the night at the Courtyard Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Blvd. The past couple trips to Hawaii I’ve decided that I prefer to leave the East coast the evening before I fly over to Hawaii, as starting my journey directly from the West coast in the morning allows me to land earlier in Hawaii often times than if I start flying from the East coast. Flying into Hilo there are fewer flight choices than if flying into Kona where you have a wider range of departure cities that offer nonstop service. There is one nonstop flight to Hilo out of LAX but that arrived later than I wanted to land, so I opted to connect through HNL. If you fly to Kona you can choose non stops from DEN, LAX, SFO, SEA and PHX.

The trip to the hotel took about 10 minutes using the hotel shuttle, although first it took about 30 min for the shuttle to come. The shuttle for the Courtyard is shared with the regular Marriott and it stops there first. The hotel is very close to LAX and I was assigned room 100 on the first floor. The room was a pretty standard Courtyard type room and perfect for a short overnight stay at the airport.

On Thursday I got up at 5am and got the 5:40am hotel shuttle to LAX for my American Airlines flight. Actually, there isn’t really a schedule for the shuttle, it runs continuously 24hrs/day. I wanted to be at the airport early though as I’ve seen legendary lines for security at LAX and didn’t want to get delayed in one. Again, I was lucky enough to have enough American gift cards saved up that I’ve received over the years that I wanted to get rid of that I could purchase the flights in first class for more comfort. One tip for LAX is that the premium check in area for AA is in the end of terminal 4 that is farthest away from the International Terminal. The flight left LAX at 8am and arrived HNL at 11am. I have always enjoyed the flight into Honolulu. I’m not sure how many different approaches they can make depending on winds etc, but the one I’ve always done is best seen from the right hand side of the plane. If you study your maps before you go, you can pick out lots of areas and landmarks such as Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach before the plane continues over near Ko’Olina and then turns inland so that the people on the left side can see inland to Pearl Harbor. Upon landing I then had to change terminals and had a 3.5 hr wait until my flight to Hilo on Hawaiian Air took off at 2:45pm. It was nice waiting though because HNL has open garden areas you can sit in to await your flight. On my next flight sitting on the left side of the plane, I once again got a great view of Oahu during takeoff and we were treated to a rainbow as well. Landing in Hilo, the people on the right side had a better view of the initial approach. We arrived at ITO on time and due to the small size of the airport (we were the only plane there) the baggage was already coming out when I arrived at the carousel. I then walked over to the Dollar rental car counter. The rental cars are located across the street at Hilo, so no shuttle bus is needed. I was assigned a blue Ford Focus and set off for my hotel, the Volcano House which is located within Volcanos National Park. Usually in Hawaii I rent a convertible, but given that I was staying in Volcano where I anticipated it might be cooler and that I’d also be spending time in Hilo as well, where it rains a fair bit, I decided to forgo a convertible this time. The drive took about 45 min. When planning this trip I debated for a while about whether to stay at the Volcano House, Kilauea Lodge or possibly the Volcano Village Lodge. I ultimately chose the Volcano House because I love the convenience of staying within National Park boundaries and have enjoyed staying in other National Park lodges in the past.

Upon arrival at the hotel I was assigned room 9, a crater view room. This room was on the first floor and had a nice view of the crater and steam pouring out. You could see the red glow of the crater from the room at night. The red wooden hotel building is not fancy but I thought the rooms and public areas were nicely decorated. The room was a mostly white color scheme with floral accents and the public rooms had beige wicker type furniture. As with most National Park lodges, the hotel maximizes its location and the restaurant, lounge and viewing area all looked out over the crater with picture windows.

I had a little bit of time to walk around the grounds and went down some of the trails. The one I chose was through some gorgeous, green, lush, dense vegetation and through a slit in some rocks. I had to turn back as I had to be back in time for my 6pm dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant, The Rim. I highly suggest a reservation, as they were turning those without them away. It must be a staffing issue though rather than a space issue, as there were quite a few empty tables. I got a nice table in the front row of picture windows overlooking the crater smoking away. I got a Volcano cocktail—strawberry daiquiri mixed with pina colada. I ordered the appetizer special—foccacia bread with a side of marinara sauce and for the main course I got the ribeye served with purple smashed potato and garlic vegetables. It was delicious; the steak was cooked perfectly and the seasoning was to my taste. For dessert I chose the macadamia nut tart which was garnished with a drizzle of lilikoi sauce. It was good, but macadamias are very mild in taste and I felt like the lilikoi dominated. After dinner I looked in the hotel gift shop which had some lovely handmade Hawaiian items before returning to my room for a much needed rest after all that traveling.

Miramar

Friday I woke up at 5am but refrained from going out until 7am to walk around and do more of the trails around the hotel. At 8am I went to the Kilauea Visitors Center to look around and then watched the intro movie that runs every hour. starting at 9am I then did the 9:30am ranger intro talk and then the 10:30am guided ranger walk. The walk took us up the earthquake trail and to an overlook to get a good view of the crater. The earthquake trail is the old Crater Rim Drive, which was damaged in an earthquake years ago, so rather than repair it, they built the current road but the old one is available for walking.

I then drove to the Jagger Museum and overlook, followed by the Steam Vents. Next I drove to Thurston Lava Tube and walked through that which I enjoyed. The entrance has vines and lush ferns over the top and you walk down to the tube through a rain forest. After that I hiked the Devastation Trail which ends up at Pu’u Pua’i and I think that overlooks Kilauea Iki. I would have liked to have done the Kilauea Iki Trail, but I didn’t have time. I continued on to Chain of Craters Road and stopped at various pull outs along the way. I stopped at the Pu’u Loa Petroglyph stop and hiked the .7 mile trail to see the petroglyphs. The hike out is over lava and the trail is marked by piles of stones which I think are called Ahu. It was the hottest part of the day when I did this and it was baking out there on the lava. Afterward I continued on to the end of the road where you will find the Holei Sea Arch and the part of Chain of Craters Road that was covered in lava years ago.

After that I drove out of the main park and up Mauna Loa Rd and saw the Tree Molds. These are where moist trees got encased in lava, the lava hardened and the trees eventually disintegrated leaving a hollow ring of lava where they once were.

I drove back to the hotel to sit for 30-45 min before heading out of the park to the Kilauea Lodge for a 6pm dinner reservation. I had a lilikoi daiquiri, coconut crusted baked brie wedge which was served with bread, brandied apples and a delightful hawaiian salsa. For the entree I got the Paupiettes of Beef which is thin beef rolled with herbs and cheese and then deep fried. This was served with mashed potatoes. For dessert I got the coconut macaroon torte garnished with fresh whipped cream. Everything I had there was excellent. The food was inventive without being weird and the restaurant had a tropical, relaxed vibe to it.

After dinner I drove to the Jagger Museum overlook to see the lava glow. Keep in mind that the lights at Jagger (and Volcano House) are purposely kept very dim to non-existent in order to preserve the ability to view the glow. You also get a wonderful view of the stars since there is very little light pollution. Anyway, my point in mentioning this is to walk carefully or bring a small flashlight if you need to see.

Saturday I left the hotel by 6am and drove through the rain to Hilo. I drove down Banyan Dr which was lovely with all the huge banyan trees and then went to Ken’s House of Pancakes. I got the Kokonut Pancakes which they serve with 3 tropical syrups: coconut, guava and lilikoi. The coconut had no flavor, the guava tasted fermented but the lilikoi was delicious. By now the rain had turned to pouring rain. However I continued on with my plan for the day; I guess with all the rain I just got the authentic Hilo experience. First I drove to Rainbow Falls and attempted to take photos without getting my good camera wet, so I used my secondary camera. I loved the setting of the falls; it is so jungly and green. My next stop was the Boiling Pots. After that I continued on and took the scenic route toward Onomea Bay; this road is gorgeous. It it so green, verdant and jungle like with vines cascading from trees and the tropical foliage is just incredible. This was one of the prettiest drives I can recall doing on any island of Hawaii and I’ve done many of the common favorites. My next stop was the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. I loved this stop as it was absolutely beautiful. The trails are so well maintained and they take you through so many different areas and the paths even go right down to the ocean front. It rained most of the time I was there but I really enjoyed my stop there anyway. They have really put a lot of effort into this garden; they have labeled even the smallest of plants growing on a host tree. If you are a tropical garden fan, you must put this place on your list.

I then drove on to Akaka Falls which is very nice as well. After Akaka, I went to Umauma Falls, which I would characterize as a tourist trap unfortunately. The falls themselves are fine, but the other scenic points they include with your admission price to the falls are a stretch. Not to mention, the signage as to where to drive and walk on the loop is very poor. I would skip this in favor of other sights. I then continued on up the coast to Waipio Valley Lookout. I was lucky a car was leaving just as I arrived so I was able to get a place to park in the very limited parking area. The view is really nice and I’m sure on a clear day it would be even better. Then I drove back to Hilo to get “lunch” at Hilo Homemade Ice Cream. I got a cup with chocolate mac nut coconut and lilikoi cheesecake ice creams (you may have figured out by now that I love all things lilikoi). The chocolate was very smooth and creamy while the lilikoi was bit icy. Both were tasty though. My final stop of the day was the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. I bought a small snack size of the chocolate covered mac nuts, tried some of the free samples and walked on the short self guided tour. Being a Saturday not much was going on in the actual factory. By now it had started raining again for the drive back to the hotel.

I arrived back at the hotel at 4:15 and it was raining there too and the crater was fogged in. So for this reason I was glad I had done my day at the park on a clear day.

I left for dinner at the Kilauea Lodge at 6pm for my 6:30 reservation. I was ready so figured I’d see if they could take me early. Tonight I had a Kona Bob’s Coffee Blast cocktail which has Kona Bob’s coffee, Baileys and Kahlua. It was huge and looked like Mauna Kea in wintertime with a cap of snow (whipped cream) on top. I had the NY Steak for the entree, salad with blue cheese dressing (all meals come with bread and choice of salad or soup) and the Macadamia Nut pie for dessert. Once again everything was delicious. I had planned on having the Mushroom Risotto for the main course, but it was not on the menu this evening. This restaurant changes up the menu selections each day, so the menu is never 100% the same.

Sunday morning, after being woken up by a thunder storm, I left the hotel at about 7:15am and went to the Punalu’u black sand beach. It was about a 40 minute drive and it rained much of the way but luckily there was no rain at the beach. It was nice seeing the different textures of black sand from fine to large lava pebbles.

I drove back to the hotel and it started raining again. I checked out of the hotel and left about 9:30am and drove to Short and Sweet bakery in Hilo for lunch. I got a BLT and a lilikoi bar. The sandwich was good—it was made on foccacia bread and served with a pickle spear. The lilikoi bar was tasty—a shortbread crust with a thin layer of lilikoi on top. I also got a slice of PB oreo pie to go (to eat later at the airport).

I arrived at the airport about 11am and returned the rental car. This was an easy process—-simply drive up, park, note the mileage and gas level and return to the car booth. Check in for my flight was very easy. I was pretty early form my 1:13pm flight, so there was nobody ahead of me to check baggage and the TSA rep had to come over to man the podium to check my ID, as nobody was ahead of me at security. After going through security, I entered the airport lobby. This was quite a pleasant surprise; the Hilo airport has a lovely lounge waiting area you can sit in before going upstairs to your plane gate. There are comfortable chairs and couches in a Hawaiian print fabric and carved wood coffee tables. My flight was delayed 20 min, due to late arrival of the aircraft. It was a fast turnaround though—the plane landed at 1:05 and we took off at 1:33pm. I sat on the left side of the plane this time and I could see the whole east coast of Hawaii as we flew.

Upon landing at Honolulu I claimed my bag and then called the number as directed when I made my reservation for Charley’s Taxi. The dispatcher told me where to wait and said they would send the car right around. I waited about 10 min when a Charley’s Taxi arrived but it turned out it was not for me. However, the person that driver was supposed to be picking up was still claiming luggage, and since my driver didn’t show, that driver took me and called dispatch to send another driver for his original customer. The advantage to arranging a pre-arranged ride as opposed to just joining the cab line is that many pre reserved rides are flat rate (mine was $29) so it is cheaper than a cab with a meter. However, you can see from my experience that it may have been faster to just get in the cab line. I’ve done prearranged before with no issues though, so oh well. I’ll still do a flat rate pre-arranged the next time, as my return metered cab (not flat rate) was significantly more expensive.

I got to my hotel, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach about 3 or 3:30pm (can’t remember). They’ve changed the elevators since my last visit, so prior to having your room key you must enter the hotel in the lower lobby and use the elevator on your left (behind the bell desk). Once you get your room key you will use the main elevator bank. The elevator system they have installed is the type where you first swipe your room key, then you punch in your floor number on the keypad and the screen directs you which elevator (A, B, C, D) to go to. There are no floor buttons inside the elevator cars. Now, in my old building at work we used to have this system and it worked well. However, I found the system in the hotel to be slow and the elevators got over-crowded. In order for this particular system to work efficiently, each person who intends to ride in the elevator should in theory swipe their card so that the computer system knows how many people are going to a certain floor. This way it can assign cars to different floors so that you don’t get too many people in one car. This works great in an office building where people tend to travel alone or in duos, but not so well in a hotel where people tend to travel in larger family packs and only one person swipes their card.

I was assigned room 1032, an ocean view room. The decor is the same as it was in 2012, when they were in the process of updating the rooms (so if you had an updated room back then, as I did, you will be familiar with the furniture). Green, maroon and medium tone woods are the colors used. This room is on the Royal Hawaiian side of the hotel; I’ve always had a room on that side and never been bothered by any fan noise from the Royal Hawaiian Mall. I unpacked and then went out to take some pictures and look around before dinner.

My dinner reservation tonight was an early 5pm at the Ocean House. Ocean House is located in the Outrigger Reef Hotel. I was seated at a table on the rail but it was the end table so sort of in the corner. I had the Maui Onion and tomato salad which is served with gorgonzola and wonton crisps with balsamic dressing. For a cocktail I got the Coco Cooler which is chocolate vodka, coconut syrup and milk blend together. The entree I selected was the Puleho cut prime rib served with onion mashed potato. The Puleho cut is rolled in herbs and garlic. It was quite large but I enjoyed the taste. For dessert I got Uncle Moki’s Lava Flow. This is a chocolate cake filled with a warm fudge filling and served with vanilla ice cream. Overall, I enjoyed the meal but it was not one of my favorite/better meals, but I’d probably return.

After dinner I stayed at the Reef to listen to their live music for a little bit before looking in the Beach Walk shops and some shops along Kalakaua.

Miramar

Monday I had my first of a series of surfing lessons at Ty Gurney Surf School. I had surfed with them the last time I was on Oahu too. I had a 2 hour private and had Joey as my instructor today. I surfed with him last time as well. I did well and we worked on being able to turn the board by making sure I look where I want to go and on moving my weight forward and backward on the board. The surf break they use is not the super crowded one down by the Westin Moana, Kuhio Beach area, but an area in front of the Sheraton and Halekulani Resorts which breaks farther out. Surfing is by far my favorite activity that I do when I travel to Hawaii. Anyone who has even the slightest interest in trying surfing, Do It! The beginner boards most places use are designed for you to succeed in standing up since they are large and extra floaty. Every time I come back from Hawaii I vow to continue my surfing back home in New England but I have to say our water temps are a turn off for me (I’m wimpy about freezing water—I think a wetsuit would be in order)! But if I ever want to reach my goal of being able to eventually ride a 6’6” short board I’ll have to find a way to keep doing it regularly. I already have my eye on a week long surf camp that caters to all levels in Costa Rica for next fall. . . . . I don’t know why I find it so fascinating; I could stay in the water for hours doing it or just watching other people. I think it’s the exhilarating feeling when you’ve caught the wave or when you drop down the face.

Next I picked up my Hertz rental car from the location in the Hyatt Hotel. I got a screaming yellow Camaro convertible. You really couldn’t miss me with that color. It was somewhat embarrassing as I’m not someone who likes to be the center of attention and I had people staring and yelling out how they liked my car. Anyway, my first stop was Teddy’s Bigger Burgers on Beretania Street. This location sees more locals than tourists but it was still pretty busy. They have a very small parking lot which was filled so I had to park around the corner on the street. I got a “big” regular with american cheese and grilled onions. I also got a Peanut Butter Chocolate shake. The shake was so thick I had to spoon it up! After enjoying lunch I then drove to Lyon Arboretum. Part of the main trail is under construction so they route you around on what used to be a secondary trail. It was fairly muddy as well. Some of the more secondary trails are pretty much bushwhacking, so if you don’t want to be having to hunt for the trail, stick to the main one.

After Lyon I drove Tantalus and Round Top Drive and stopped at Pu’u Ualaka’a State Park and did part of the Ualaka'a Trail.

Then I headed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner at House Without a Key. I love their drinks and entertainment. I think they are one of my favorites for drinks and Hawaiian entertainment which consists of Hawaiian music and a hula dancer. I got there about 5:20pm. You have to get there early if you want to get a good seat. I got a great seat right in the front row of the dining table section for the entertainment. There are 2 sections—the small tables directly in front of the stage are for cocktails only (I’m not sure if they also serve pu pus) and the larger tables behind are for dining. For a drink I got a Hale Passion, then got the burger for the main course. For dessert I got my usual Coconut Cake.

After dinner I walked up to the Hilton Hawaiian Village and then back down the beach before looking in some more shops. Of course no stop at the HHV would be complete for me without a stop at Lappert’s Ice Cream. I got a small cup of the Kauai Pie and called it a night.

Tuesday morning I left the hotel about 6:15am and drove to Kailua, where I had the Guava Chiffon Pancakes at Cinnamon’s. This was my first time at Cinnamon’s and it won’t be my last! I thought the pancakes were delicious and I enjoyed their coconut syrup (though I didn’t think it really went with the guava). Of all the coconut syrups I tried, theirs had the most authentic coconut flavor. My next stop was Heeia Sate Park for some photos of the Ko’olaus in the distance before heading on to Sunset Beach where I stayed for an hour or so practicing action shots of surfers with my camera. I then moved on to Waimea Valley, where I walked the trail to the waterfall and then onto Haleiwa. In the past I had always gone to Kua Aina in Haleiwa but decided I wanted something different this time, so I stopped at Waialua Bakery. While there I got a BLT on the parmesan garlic bread, a fresh lemonade and a wonder bar. I loved the BLT, as it was very flavorful. Unfortunately they were digging up the road or maybe sidewalk in front of Matsumoto’s so the street was down to one lane (one side would go, then they let the other side go) so it took forever to drive down the already busy street. Anyway, I drove back the way I came in and went to Surf N Sea, which is a shop that has a ton of merchandise. I was able to park off the road sort of in front of the water and since it was such a pain to drive down the road, I left the car there and walked back into town to go to some other shops and for a visit to Matsumoto’s . For my shave ice I choose a small with ice cream and mango, guava, lilikoi flavors. My last stop on the North shore was Ka’ena State Park. This was a destination I’d never been to before. I drove as far as I could until I got to the last parking lot where I left the car and started to walk down the long, dry, deserted road out to the point. I went about a mile before I turned around, as it looked like rain and I didn’t especially want to be caught in it . . . . .or a flash flood either as any rain raced down the slopes of the Waianae Mountains. About 5 minutes after I got back to the car and drove away it started raining and then eventually started pouring the rest of the way to the H2 highway.

After getting back to Waikiki I went for drinks at Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Hawaiian. I started with the Scratch Mai Tai and then also decided to try the Lava (banana, strawberry, coconut). Just as I paid my bill it started pouring again and I stayed at the Royal Hawaiian to wait out the rain sitting under their pink portico/colonnade relaxing in a rocking chair. Unfortunately this was one of the nights they do a free hula show on the Kuhio Beach hula mound and due to the heavy rain, it got rained out. So, now I had to find something else to do until my 7:45pm dinner reservation at Roy’s so I looked in some shops along Kalakaua. Upon arrival at Roy’s I was a little early so I had a short wait before my table was ready. By this time it had stopped raining so I opted to sit outside. The tables outside are under thatched umbrellas so unless we had another absolute downpour as we had earlier, I wasn’t too worried about any light rain. This was my first time dining here; first they bring a bowl of edamame to the table which is spiced (I’d never had edamame before so they had to explain how to eat it!). Since I’d already enjoyed 2 cocktails previously this evening, I decided to forgo a drink with dinner. For the meal I had the Waima-nalo greens salad with herb dressing, then the mustard braised short ribs and finally pineapple upside down cake. The salad wasn’t my favorite, but I loved the short ribs! The ribs were also served with a cheesy potato. Some of the desserts (including the pineapple upside down cake) take about 30 min to prepare, so make sure you get to check out the dessert menu before you end your meal, in case you want one of those items. The cake was quite good (not the best I’ve ever had—that honor goes to Pineapple Grill on Maui) but definitely good. It is a small individual upside-down cake served with a sort of caramel rum sauce and then it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream served in an edible tuile cup.

Miramar

On Wednesday I left the hotel at 7am and drove to Kailua for breakfast at Moke’s. I had planned on doing the Lanikai Pillbox hike prior to breakfast, but since it poured the day before (and I saw pictures on the evening news of flooding in Kailua) I decided it would likely be too muddy; I had read warnings online of people saying not to do it if rained recently since some areas are steep and could be slippery if muddy. Since I’m not familiar with the area and I would be alone I reluctantly decided to bag it this time. After a delicious breakfast of Lilikoi Pancakes at Moke’s (my favorite pancakes of the trip) I drove to Makapu’u Point Lighthouse trail and hiked that instead. The view was nice but it wasn’t quite the challenge I was looking for. While in the area, I also noticed the Kaiwi Coastal trail which maybe I’ll do another time. I drove back to Waikiki to return the rental car and finding the exact return location once in the tight garage was a challenge even though I’ve been there 3 times before. I think the problem was someone had temporarily blocked the return aisle so it made it really confusing.

For lunch I walked to the Hilton Hawaiian Village for Lappert’s ice cream. I got the “Can’t Decide” which is 5 half size scoops of what ever ice cream you choose served in a waffle bowl. I liked kona lava java, kauai pie and coconut mac nut fudge best. My next activity left from the Hilton dock. I booked a turtle canyon snorkel with Port Waikiki Cruises. The boat left at 1:30 and we got back by 3pm. We saw many turtles and a bunch of trigger fish though the water was quite choppy and visibility wasn’t great.

Back at the hotel I walked around Waikiki taking pictures. I stayed at the beach near the pier watching the local boogie boarders for a long time. I’d never seen anything like it before; these people were so good at it!

Dinner was a 6:30pm reservation at Duke’s. I requested and got a table on the rail. I had a Lava Flow to drink, salad bar (included with your meal) and Puleho style beef tenderloin served with garlic mashed potato before tackling the Hula Pie for dessert. I loved the spoon they give you for the hula pie; I wish more restaurants gave you that “spork” to use when serving mudpie. The spoon part scooped through the ice cream nicely while the tines on the end of the spoon cut smartly through the crust.

Finished the night by going to King’s Village shops and watching the guy that makes paintings from spray paint in time to music. His show lasts about 30-40 min. It’s really amazing what he can create. It starts out looking like nothing and ends up a beautiful picture.

Thursday morning I was picked up at 5:20am for my Oahu Photography Tour. I opted for the sunrise tour (they also do Full Island, Sunset, Friday Night lights, Blue Hawaii and Full Moon). Our first stop was Sandy Beach to catch the sunrise. We had Alex, the company owner as our guide and he was great about explaining what settings to use on your camera to get the best pictures. You are also provided with a tripod which makes things easy. He told us where he thought the best locations for photos were, but we were also encouraged to walk around and find our own ideas and angles. Next we went to Makapu’u Point lookout, a coastal lookout below Makapu’u and then to Waimanalo Bay. We then drove down a street with a view of of the Ko’olau Mountains before heading to breakfast in Kailua at Kalapawai Market. Our final stop was at a waterfall which is on private property so we were the only ones there. I enjoyed the tour a lot and while I had been to most of the locations on my own at one point or another (not the waterfall), I got a new perspective on all of them. We got back to Waikiki about 11:30 and my hotel stop was about 11:45am, so don’t schedule another activity to close to the tour, as he says he is rarely back “on time” since sometimes you have to wait for the right lighting etc at some locations.

I changed my clothes and ran next door to the Royal Hawaiian Mall for a quick lunch at Maui Tacos before heading down the beach to my next 2 hour surf lesson. Today the waves were bigger and I had Paul for my instructor. We worked on turning the board some more.

After my lesson I had some free time and I walked around Waikiki taking photos before my dinner at d.k Steakhouse which is located in the Marriott Hotel. d.k Steak and Sansei Sushi share an entrance and there was a line outside already when I arrived for my 5:30pm reservation. Most of the people were waiting for Sansei though. I asked to be seated out on the lanai so I could enjoy the sunset. It was pretty hot, so I was the only one crazy enough to want to sit out there until the sun dropped a little, but it was worth the wait. The view was really nice with Diamond Head to my left and the sunset to my right. I got a Mango-tini to drink and the Kiawe smoked thick cut bacon for the appetizer. The bacon was good and very flavorful and served with mushrooms and a pineapple chutney to cut the smokey taste. For the main course I chose the NY Strip with the au poivre sauce. The steak was a bit of a disappointment considering the price—it was half gristle/fat and for the price and quality of steak house they bill themselves as I would expect better. It tasted good, but I was not impressed with the quality. I then rounded out the night with the Chocolate Bomb which is a lava cake served with mint chocolate chip ice cream. I prefer Hy’s Steak House for the meal quality, unfortunately there are no views at Hy’s being located in a subterranean level, while d.k has a killer view.

After dinner I managed to catch the last half of the free hula show on the Kuhio Beach hula mound (this is the one that was rained out on Tues—it is offered on Tues, Thurs and Sat at 6:30pm most of the year and 6pm during some of the winter months), walked around to the various hotels listening to their entertainment and then walked through the shops in the Royal Hawaiian Mall.

Miramar

Friday morning I had another surfing lesson. I had Joey for my instructor again and after the first 80 min of the lesson I graduated to a new, slightly smaller surf board. So for the last half of the lesson I rode a 10’2” epoxy board and did well. It was a thrill to be off of the soft top and a new challenge to figure out where my weight needed to be on the new one. I kept wanting to be too far back and stalling the board. By the end I finally started to figure it out. Granted the 10’2” is still on the large end of “normal” but at least it is more maneuverable than the soft top so it made working on turns much easier.

I then had a quick lunch at Duke’s of Steak Wedge Salad before heading out to get The Bus #22 to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. The Bus costs $2.50 per ride. Upon arrival at the bay before heading down to the bay you have to watch a short movie about what to do and not do when snorkeling in the bay (if you sign the guest register after the movie, if you return to the bay within 365 days you won’t need to watch the movie again). I brought my own mask and snorkel but rented fins and a locker for my things. The snorkeling in the bay was quite good since the depth is fairly shallow, you could see a lot of fish. I saw the biggest parrotfish I’ve ever seen in my life; this thing was huge.

I got the 3:30pm bus back to Waikiki and sat on my balcony enjoying the view until my 6:30pm dinner reservation at the Hula Grill. Once again, for the second time in a row, the Hula Grill screwed up my reservation. My last trip they lost the reservation and this time they had me down as a party of 4 even though I clearly stated one person when I made the booking over the phone. However, it all worked out and I got my table on the rail that I requested. For a cocktail I got the Pau Hana POG, then I had the Maui Onion and Tomato Salad served with a garlic vinaigrette. For the entree I selected the Steak Kiana which come with mashed potato and lilikoi butter and for dessert I got the ice cream sandwich (vanilla ice cream sandwiched between 2 large brownies and garnished with raspberry coulis). I always enjoy my meal here, as the quality of food is good and the views are terrific. I wish they would be more careful taking reservations though, as I can’t believe I’m the only one they get screwed up.

As this was my last night in Waikiki, I “shopped till I dropped”, making all my last minute souvenir purchases having seen what was available all week long and making my final decisions as to what to get.

Saturday morning I dropped my luggage at the bell desk around 7am and checked out of the hotel. I had a pickup scheduled by Hawaii Nautical at 7:30am for a dolphin viewing and snorkel cruise. When I called to confirm the pick up time I was told 7:30am, but the person sounded unsure and said they might call me back later to amend the time. I got no call but had a “funny feeling” the time they gave me would not end up being right, so I went out to wait after dropping my bag at the bell desk. Sure enough—not 5 minutes later the Hawaii Nautical van pulls up. So in I get and off we go—-I think I’m starting to develop a 6th sense as to when things are likely to end up screwed up. There was not much traffic and we arrived at the Waianae Harbor early, so the driver kept driving up the coast and showed us Makua Cave which was cool. I’d never been to that side of the island so it was nice to finally get out there and see the different beaches including Makaha. The mountains are quite pretty (though not as pretty as the Ko’olaus in my opinion) but I think the windward side, Waikiki and North Shore are more to my taste; I just think the scenery is more attractive over there and there is just more “going on”.

Anyway we finally pulled in to the harbor to board the boat which is a large sailing catamaran. There were only about 20 of us this day while the boat can hold many more. We headed up the West side to the North in search of dolphins. The different boat operators talk to one another over the radio so the captain has an idea of where the dolphins are on any given day. He said they don’t always get to go as far northward as we did so it was our lucky day since that is where the best scenery is. We found a large pod of dolphins and cruised slowly observing their behavior. This company does not let you snorkel with the dolphins which is why I picked them, as it is better for the dolphins in the long run (though I admit it would be cool to be in the water with them). After the dolphins had moved on, we dropped anchor and went snorkeling. The visibility on this side of the island was really clear. You could see about 30 feet down. The reef itself was not in very shallow water though so you didn’t get as good a view of the fish as at Hanauma Bay.

It was a fun trip and I really enjoyed seeing the dolphins (and a turtle) but I wish we had been able to actually sail and not motor, though I realize it is condition dependent. They provide a light breakfast, cocktails and lunch of pasta salad, cold cuts, kalua pig chips and salsa.

On the way back to Waikiki some people who were staying in Ko’olina rode in our van so we pulled in there to drop them as well. This was another bonus since I’d never seen it. It is a manicured resort area and the while the resorts are very pretty, it is a bit too far in the middle of nowhere with not much around it for me. That is what I like about staying in Waikiki; I’m not stuck at a self contained resort with the only option to get anywhere but to drive. But if you like self contained resorts it does look very nice.

Upon arrival back in Waikiki I sat by the pool for a little bit before heading down the beach to my final surf lesson. I wanted to squeeze in one more lesson on the new size surf board. Today I finally started to figure out the weight balance on this board so it didn’t stall (or nosedive if I weighted too far forward!) so that was a fun lesson. I had instructor Tory (sp?) today and the waves were varied in size.

I was back at the hotel by 4:30pm and had to hurry to rinse off the salt water and change before dinner. I always end my stay on Oahu with dinner at Chuck’s Steakhouse in my hotel, since it has great views, you can enjoy the entertainment at Duke’s below, and it is never busy so no advance planning is needed. I got a great table with a nice view of Diamond Head. I got a Macadamia Nut Colada, Teriyaki Steak with fries and mud pie for dessert. Your meal also includes the salad bar. After taking lots of pictures and observing a fight on the beach and having the police show up, I headed downstairs to claim my luggage and organize it for the trip to the airport. I got a cab about 6:40pm and was at the airport about 7pm—the fare was $41 so you can see the flat rate companies are a bargain—-and this cab would’t take a credit card. Once again HNL was not busy at all; I’ve never been there when there has been a line for luggage drop or for security—-maybe I’m just lucky. I breezed through the “lines” and then purchased some lei for people at home before sitting outside and enjoying the final minutes of Hawaiian air prior to the flight. The flight boarded promptly and we left on time. I’ve always been impressed with the ability at HNL they have to get the flights out on time—-other airports could take a page from their book (again maybe I’ve just been lucky, but unlike mainland airports my flights are usually on time there). They served us a yogurt and fruit plate prior to landing and also offered the same nut mix they did on the way out.

We landed on time at LAX and I didn’t have to wait long for my next flight. While this flight took off on time, the fire in Chicago at the FAA was still having ripple effects and they had to re-route us over Canada so we had to add time to an already long flight.

Once again another fabulous trip to Hawaii is now complete. Oahu still remains my favorite island despite experiencing the great natural beauty of the Hilo/Volcano side of the Big Island. While I thought it was really neat staying in the volcano, it’s a little isolated for my taste for a long term vacation. I prefer to be in the middle of everything and not have to drive at night on narrow, unfamiliar, un-lit roads. I love Oahu (specifically Waikiki) for it’s convenience and diversity of activities. Everything is just minutes away and there is always something new to discover—-you can be in a rain forest within 20 min drive of Waikiki, you can visit the Bishop Museum and explore the history of the islands, go hiking in secluded spots or in busy spots, visit beautiful beaches, engage in water sports or shop to your hearts content. It is all there for you on Oahu, you just have to know where to find what you want. I also love being able to just step outside my hotel in the evening and walk to any number of restaurants or entertainment. Surfing remains my favorite activity to engage in when visiting Hawaii, which is another reason to love Oahu; there are surf breaks there for all levels unlike the Big Island where the surfing is for advanced surfers only. Anyway, I assume my next trip to Hawaii will probably include a a stop on the Kona side of the Big Island since I haven’t been over there yet, but I will always return to Oahu, my favorite island.

kamae

I got a cup of coffee and enjoyed spending the morning reading about your Hawaiian vacation. You sure packed a lot of activities and wonderful meals into your trip. Thanks for writing about it.

Miramar

Thanks, yeah I love an action packed vacation. My style of travel is not for everyone, but I like to try and fit in the maximum when I travel!

wekewoody

I really enjoyed reading about your trip. Aloha!

Patty

Mmm.... I want a piece of Halekulani coconut cake right now! We never miss a visit to HWAK when we're on Oahu.

tifa2276

This is wonderful! I love trip reports and yours makes me feel as if we were with you! I too love Oahu and Waikiki. There is something very nostalgic about it, even though the Waikiki today doesn't really resemble the Waikiki of old, but I have seen pictures of myself as a kid with my parents in Waikiki in the 70s and 80s and so to me, it will always be a welcome sight. I will definitely look to spend more time at Volcanoes Nat. Park on our next visit to the BI. Great trip report!

nelsonian

Loved your report. We did three islands in two weeks back in May. Your report of the Big Island and Oahu makes me want to go back again.

emalloy

Yummy, I want every meal you had on this trip. I love the Big Island, and hope you get to the Kona side to report back to us soon.

Thanks for the very interesting report.

ChiSue

OK, I have to admit that I 'skimmed' a bit, but thanks for taking us along on your travels. I'd wanted to see Hawaii ever since my uncle and his bride lived Kauai after WWII, so I can sympathize with you.

I'm curious why you wouldn't take a nonstop on a wide body aircraft right to HNL, then transit to 'your' island? I know there are fewer flights in and out of ITO and KOA than to our usual Maui, but I do a lot to avoid 757's. We also avoid spending time and money on any single overnights. Maybe this was the best plan due to using miles?

rjw_lgb_ca

Well, that's quite the detailed trip report! Sounds like you got to see and do quite a bit.

I'd also comment: Someone likes their beef a LOT...! Well, vacations are an opportunity to indulge, I suppose. But I actually overloaded on the fresh seafood (and pork lau lau, and pupus, and malassadas...!) when I was in O'ahu. You didn't have any fresh ono or opah while you were there...? Or even one plate lunch? That's stuff I crave when I think "Hawai'i". We're lucky around here-- there are several Hawaiian plate lunch specialists in the area (plus outposts of Roy's AND Duke's when you want upscale Hawaiian food) so I can always get a Loco Moco when I want one...!

Oh well-- chacun à son goût, n'est-ce pas? Glad you enjoyed your trip! Sounds great.

Miramar

ChiSue-narrow body vs wide doesn't factor in for me. I don't prefer one over the other. Coming from the east coast I prefer to leave the night before, stay over in CA and then get on the earliest flight that I can take. That way I arrive earlier than I would otherwise. I still got to ITO earlier than I would have if I got on the nonstop later in the day from LAX (I think there was one stop later in the day). For me it's all about getting there ASAP. Plus it's nice not to have a 12 hour flight all in one day for me; I actually enjoy arriving CA at night, getting to lay down in a hotel and starting out fresh early the next day.
Anyway, I don't think AA uses any wide body aircraft in the California to Hawaii market. I typically fly UAL to Hawaii and I have noticed that they do use wide body planes (at least they have in the past--not sure what they were doing this year).

Miramar

rjW_lgb_ca-----nope not a seafood eater at all! I've never liked it. I do love beef, but I have to admit by the end of trip I was getting pretty sick of it. Since I've been home, it's actually been a thrill to eat a salad.

wekewoody

I really like this quote from a poster on another travel forum I frequent: "There is no one-size-fits-all approach to traveling."

How true.

ChiSue

AA hasn't flown nonstop to Hawaii for years, but we can do two hours in a small plane, then have an very short wait at Dallas before boarding a 767 -- to either HNL or OGG. We use miles to upgrade, thus earning miles on the CC and on the miles flown.

HA flies a widebody out of Oakland. They still *feed* all their passengers AFAIK.

Miramar

Yeah, when I used the term California to Hawaii market I meant the state of Hawaii (not the actual island).
But in thinking back I think it was actually UAL (not AA) that had a nonstop from LAX to ITO but it got in at like 9pm----too late for my taste.

sayitwithballoons

Which taxi companies charge the flat rate? Do they charge extra for 4 passengers?