An Epic Hawaiian Vacation

After an exhausting week and a not-so-productive weekend, I think I have finally recovered from what was an EPIC 11-day trip to Hawaii.  The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and sunny (until the last day), the trip was adventure-packed, and the scenery was beautiful.  And in the end, I think I would fit in quite well there...

Thursday, April 12

4 AM wake-up call for a 5 AM pickup by my favorite driver, Younus.  He drives for Dulles Flyer and has his own Town Car but runs the meter, so it's luxury travel for cab price.  AND he has mints in the center console. He gave me his card once and now I never use anyone else.  AND he texts.  It's the little things...

Dulles has futuristic trains

8:18 AM 5-hour flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX). I sat at the window next to a college student, but she was less-than-amused at me trying to have a conversation with her while she was studying.  Hour layover in LA, so I had a quick bite and a drink to try and knock myself out for the next plane.  FAIL.

12:45 PM 5-hour flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL). Sat next to an older woman sitting next to a big guy.  They were not excited to get up every 30 minutes due to that drink I had earlier.  She was friendly, though, and I found out she was there to visit her very first grandchild.  Congrats! (.... sorry, can I get up again?)  No sleep on this plane, but oh well, I got a lot of reading done.

3:36 PM arrival in Honolulu.  (wait, did I just go back in time?!)  Met up with Nathan in the baggage claim and we made our way to the Hale Koa in Honolulu.  The place is gorgeous, though a little confusing (why would they have a revolving door in a place with no walls??), went out for appetizer-sized meals and drinks at Rum Fire at Waikiki Beach.  The fish tacos were good, but they were the first ones of the trip (more later).

Friday, April 13

Hale Koa Breakfast

Up early for breakfast at the Koko Cafe in the Hale Koa, which has super deals for military.  Ate our fill of the buffet breakfast and made our way out to enjoy a bit of beach time.

Lasted about 20 minutes before we decided to find some lunch, so we meandered through the shops (aka "stuff") and ended up having fish tacos (#2) at Duke's Waikiki (best fish tacos of the trip).

After lunch, rented some surfboards and hit the waves for a bit before getting beat up and exhausted.  Back to the hotel to clean up, and then a fancy dinner at the Koa Lanai of the Outrigger Canoe Club, where we watched the sunset and enjoyed a huge dinner.  It was still early, so Nathan called up some friends and we met up with them at the Modern.  After lots of laughs and a random back flip (did he actually make it?!), we meandered back to get some much-needed sleep.

Saturday, April 14

The hike up Koko Crater

Another early morning with buffet breakfast at the Koko Cafe in the Hale Koa.  Afterwards, we put on our sneakers and headed out to hike up the Koko Crater Summit (Puu Mai), which is a huge summit of more than 1100 "steps"!  Apparently the "trail" we were on was actually an old abandoned trestle that used to transport military personnel and supplies to a lookout post up there.  The cart doesn't run anymore, so people now hike up there for fun.  

The top of Koko Crater

Took us about 30 minutes, and the entire time we would pass people running down backwards (crazies...).  My fear of heights did not help me when we got to the part of the trail where the ground is no longer under the railroad ties, and you have to balance from one tie to the other.  Thankfully Nathan and I are friends!  The view from the top was AMAZING.  This guy sums up the hike pretty well: Dan's Hiking Pages: Koko Head Crater




Finished the hike around noon and stopped at Wahoo's for some fish burritos.  These things are massive.  Delicious, but massive.  You can not even imagine how gigantic they are.  Nathan ate his AND the remaining fish out of mine.  What a beast :)  Rolled (literally, rolled) out of Wahoo's and headed over to the Honolulu Zoo, where we cracked up at the random awkward animals and I got to enjoy a particularly strange encounter between Nathan and a lucky goat.  Unfortunately, they didn't set the zoo up very well for the public being able to see the shady parts (it's Hawaii.. you think the animals are supposed to stand in the sun?!), and it was hard to see a lot of the animals, but we still had a good time.

Done with the zoo and time to get ready for a sunset cruise on the catamaran, NaHoku II.  It is a half rowdy, half relaxed crew with some strange backgrounds, but also an all-around good time with friends while getting to see Honolulu from the ocean.  The views of the shore are amazing, especially when the sun goes down, and the breeze is refreshing.  Back to shore and on to dinner at the Yardhouse, where we finished up the night with good food and some even better people. 

Sunday, April 15

Wolfhounds Ball

Up at 6 for the buffet breakfast at the Koko Cafe and a few minutes of beach.  Before long, we've rented paddle boards and are goofily (is that a word!?) paddling around the ocean.  Luckily the surf was pretty calm, so it was nice to just float around for a bit.  Of course it started raining and it was cold rain, so we stepped back on land and headed to lunch at Shokudo Sushi, which turned out to be the best sushi we had all week.

Back to the Hale Koa to get ready for the Wolfhounds Re-Deployment Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki.  All the guys look so handsome and their dates all dressed up nice.  They fed us well (chicken and steak... or chicken and chicken for me) and we got pictures taken before heading out to Rum Fire for a post-ball hangout with some of the guys.  Exhausted by 9:30 (this was consistent for the trip), so we said goodbye (even got a "hurrah for Nate and his beautiful girlfriend!" as we passed) and headed in.

Monday, April 16

Up early for the buffet at the Koko Cafe (this is getting repetitive...) and a few minutes on the beach.  Decided to pack up and check out so we could spend the day downtown, so after stopping by the craft market in the hotel lobby (more stuff!!) we jumped in the truck and headed toward "the city."  After convincing Nathan he NEEDED it (yea, TONS of convincing...) we got massages at a spa in the city and then grabbed some tacos at a small place in the square.  I had been DYING to see The Hunger Games, so he agreed to take me and we made our way to the Ward Stadium and walked around a bit before the movie.  Enjoyed the movie and jumped in the car to head to the North Shore, which was about an hour drive along the most beautiful scenery you can imagine.  At this point it felt like a dream!

Nathan's room in Waialua

Arrived to the North Shore and grabbed dinner in Hale'iwa at Pizza Bob's (guess what we ate..), stopped for a few groceries at the store near there, and ended at Nathan's house in Waialua.  The guy pretty much lives in paradise, because his house is huge, all the guys have their own space, and it sits right on the edge of the shore.  You can literally walk out the back door and be standing on the beach within 2 minutes.  And they never need a/c, because there is a nonstop breeze from the ocean.  Every day is 81 degrees with or without a light shower at some point during the day, and every day is shorts and t-shirt weather.  What a life :)

Tuesday, April 17

Getting ready to jump!

Nathan had to go to work in the morning, so I took a run to Haleiwa, got lost on the way back, then spent some time reading on the beach.  He got home around 11, so we headed to Banzai Sushi with a Groupon, and had a huge lunch.  After stuffing our faces with raw fish, it was back in the car to Skydive Hawaii, where we tandem jumped with instructors from 12,000 feet (mmm fish...).  Surprisingly I wasn't nervous at all until we were literally stepping out of the plane, at which point it was too late anyway.  So, I jumped (literally and figuratively in this case).  AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!  There is no feeling like it in the world.  One minute you're having a mini heart attack as you realize your worst nightmare is actually happening, and the next you are giving the thumbs up to the camera guy who is also hurtling towards the ground with you, and the next you are flying a parachute while the guy strapped behind you is adjusting your life straps, and the next you are being landed on by the same guy as you hit the ground (oh, that's not supposed to happen?!).  It is such a RUSH.

Back to the house in the afternoon to cook out chicken and vegetables with Nathan's roommate out back.  The night is perfect and the food great, and all I can think about is falling out of the sky. Naturally, asleep by 10pm.

Wednesday, April 18

Again with the work thing. Nathan was taking a hike with his guys for PT and I had quite a bit of work to do myself, so spent most of the morning answering emails, sending invoices, etc.  He got home around 10:30 and made breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, NATURALLY shaped like smiley faces.

Turtle at Laniakea Beach

After breakfast grabbed the short board and headed for Laniakea Beach (aka Turtle Beach, aka "Lani's") so Nathan could catch a few waves while I caught up on my tan.  On the beach I saw a HUGE turtle, which had crawled out to lay some eggs.  AND, I saw the only crab of the entire trip as it burrowed in to the sand to catch the next wave.  Of course, as I was taking a picture that next wave DID come, which sent me frantic in the other direction so as not to interfere with the crab's master plan.  A fin came loose on the board, so we headed back to the truck to meander along the North Shore beaches, and ended up at Waimea Beach, where the goal was to jump off this giant 30-foot rock.  The rock was ridiculously packed of people and the water murky, so we played in the waves like the ridiculous kids we are and went back to the house.

Dinner was at Luibueno's, but the fish tacos still weren't as good as Duke's.

 After dinner, Nathan, his roommate and I started a fire in the pit behind the house, and through some crazy stories and silly jokes, we just generally enjoyed the night.

Thursday, April 19

Nathan had PT again, I slept in until around 8:30.  Woke up, did a little work, started to make some breakfast and he got home, so we grabbed some Thai food at Haleiwa Thai and then rented snorkeling gear at Shark's Cove.  With the fear of burning to a crisp from forgetting suntan lotion, we threw on our gear and floated around the cove for a good hour.  The water was chilly but the fish were beautiful, and with Nathan's GoPro we were able to take a few.. interesting... videos!

A stop at Surf N' Sea for some Haleiwa tshirts and "stuff," and back to the house to change for dinner.  Dinner was great at the Shack in Mililani with a bunch of the guys and their wives.  Of course Nathan always runs in to friends at these restaurants, so we stopped to say hello and I was able to re-live my "falling out of the sky" moment with guys who were going for the first time the next day.  Back to the house to pack, and bed at 10.

Friday, April 20

Waimea Canyon, Kauai

Woke up EARLY to beat the traffic and catch a flight out of Honolulu to the island of Kauai.  Had breakfast at a diner near the airport, and caught our 30-minute flight around 9am.  Landed in Kauai, rented a car, and drove the windy road to Waimea Canyon, which is absolutely gorgeous.  They call it the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," and I believe it (though I've never seen the REAL Grand Canyon).  So we took a bunch of pictures, roped in some other tourists to take a bunch of pictures of us, and jumped back in the car to head to our condo in Princeville, which is the North Shore of Kauai.  Stopped at a burrito place for fuel, and made our way up to Sealodge G9, which is this gorgeous condo overlooking the ocean and the shore of Kauai, with the Kilauea Lighthouse in the distance.

Dinner in the condo

lizard in a coffee pot!

Took in the views of the condo and headed out to explore the town, look at "stuff" and find some dinner, which we grabbed at the grocery store and took back to the condo for a bit of a relaxing break.  A lizard in the coffee pot, a small bean explosion, and Nathan finally taking over the cooking, and we were loving life.  Dinner was delicious and sitting out on the lanai was beautiful.  AND, the condo had a telescope, so we could look out at the boats in the water or see the stars.  It was very peaceful.  Asleep by 9:30.

Saturday, April 21

Hiking the Kalalu Trail

Up around 8:30 and high-fiving each other for buying cereal and eggs for a cheap and easy breakfast.  Plan out our trip, pack up some things, and drive over to hike the Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi'ai Falls.  The trail is crazy, and I'm surprised seeing some little ones climbing over some of the boulders and narrow trails.  Nathan saved some lady's life (he carried her over a stream so her feet wouldn't get wet!) and we reached the Falls after about 2 hours.

Hanakapa'ai Falls

 
After eating our packed sandwiches, we attempted to jump in to swim around the falls, but the water was FREEZING.  Nathan jumped in (naturally) and swam around under the water fall while I took pictures of the scenery and gripped my phone for Nathan-throwing-me-in security.  Left the falls and hiked back, then spent some time at Kee Beach (where I had no phone for safety) and drenched, found our way back to the car.



Stopped at Bouchon's for lunch, and realized how nice it was to just sit for a bit, then looked at "stuff" for a while, and finally headed back to the condo to recover.  Dinner was done at home again (another high-five) and consisted of guacamole with chips and pizza, which we devoured.  Started storming outside, so we watched some "Shark Tank" on tv and passed out around 9:30 listening to the rain.

Sunday, April 22

Queen's Bath, Kauai

Woke up around 9 and made ourselves breakfast, then wandered down a trail behind the Sealodge condos to a private, reef-protected beach to snorkel.  The fish were sub-par compared to Shark's Cove, so we packed it up and drove to Queen's Bath, which is this ridiculously scary area of lava shelf where people sometimes swim.  When I reference the scary part, I mean, when you get to the bottom, there is a board with a warning that is carved with tally marks for the deaths that have been caused there.  Awesome.

Nathan at Queen's Bath

You can tell it's dangerous by watching the ocean pound against the shelf, sending sea spray shooting up and over the rocks.  Nature at its finest.  Took lots of pictures but didn't swim, though some people were in a small, calmer-looking pool of water.  It was too cold.

The Nene, State Bird of Hawaii

Kilauea Lighthouse

Left Queen's Bath and drove to lunch at the Lighthouse Bistro, appropriately named for its location.  Wasn't the best food but it did the trick, so we continued on our journey to the Kilauea Lighthouse, which is the northernmost tip of the main Hawaiian Islands.  You have to pay $5 to go through the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, which is a small area of land they've designated for the birds there (it was a little odd) to get to the lighthouse, and I got a few good pictures from it.

Got to be about time to leave, so we started toward the airport, stopping at Starbucks to refuel and grab some "stuff" next door.  Dropped off the rental, had an easy 30 minute flight back to Honolulu, and drove back to Waialua so I could pack up the rest of my things for my flight back to the mainland.  Once packed we wanted crabs, so we picked a place semi near the airport (Sam Choy's BLC) for a final dinner together.
Of course my flight back to San Francisco was delayed 2 hours until 1 AM, so we napped in the truck and headed to get me checked in about 12:15.  The airline was nothing but nice about everything, and even gave Nathan a gate pass so he could go back with me.  My bag was over 50 pounds, and they let me go with a normal bag fee, so I can't complain there.  But, the farewell was no fun, and since we were both up wayyy past our bed times, we were exhausted.

Monday, April 23

Made it to San Francisco around 9 AM but had missed my connecting flight, so had to stand in line for a reschedule.  The reschedule got delayed 2 hours, so I ended up hanging out in the airport for about 4 hours. Had to call the kennel to add an extra day to Keana's board since I wasn't going to make it to closing time, which was a bummer. Came time to board the final flight and no one was around, so I checked the screen and it had been moved, so I ran to the gate and was boarded right before the doors locked.  Almost missed it!  Slept most of the flight and arrived at Dulles around 10 PM.

Grabbed a taxi ($60 later) to my parents' house, walked inside, and the house was EMPTY.  My parents were on vacation and the floors were being redone, so there was no furniture, the kitchen was all taped up, the heat was off, and all the doors upstairs locked.  So I dragged my suitcase upstairs and used a paper clip to get in the bedroom so I could just sit and mope for a bit. (Funny side note: My parents had a camera set and it recorded my entire time in the house, which included about 20 different times of me trying to set the thermostat, and one hilarious video when I found the camera.. whoops!).


All-in-all it was a fantastic trip, and I'm excited to try and make it back there soon!  We had a great time, and if anyone is interested in some suggestions I would be happy to help.  Nathan will be back on the mainland next month, so I'm going to have to start coming up with some fun things to do in DC!


Aloha and Mahalo,

Brittanie


 
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