For Memorial Day weekend (& a belated 1 yr. wedding anniversary celebration) Brad & I thought it would be fun to Get Lost in Hawai'i. Actually it was really MY idea, but after a few cocktails, I was able to convince Brad it was HIS idea. Once he was feeling "relaxed," all I had to do was casually put the credit card within reach & BAM, he didn't know what hit him...actually I didn't either, because we both passed out, only to wake up & not remember having bought the plane tickets in the first place, oops! But the damage was done & off we went... (in our cheesy, yes we're tourists in Hawai'i, convertible!)
If you want to follow in our footsteps & experience the truest essense of Getting Lost you must surrender your will & not plan your trip (which if you know ME, is a huge challenge). Nevertheless, we left for Hawai'i without hotel reservations or itinerary, our "plan" was just to figure it out when we landed. Here are some of our highlights...Snorkeling, Surfing, Seafood & No Salads?
If you want to snorkel Hanauma Bay is the spot. Truly breathtaking, plus its the perfect place to get up close & personal with the endangered species like the gigantic sea turtles that scared the bajesus out of me! It's a preserved park, so there's an entry fee of I think $7, & you are forced to watch an annoying video about wildlife protection, but it's totally worth it, trust me please.
Speaking of fish, not only are they beautiful to watch, but they are DELICIOUS to eat! I honestly had fish for every meal , soups, sandwiches, salad, tacos, you can get it in everything & I did!My hubby Brad is the surfer & I am the reading-on-the-beach-lying-out type of wife...& I think that's how he wants to keep it. But, how could I go to Hawai'i & not try it? When in Rome right?
On the beaufiful (always sunny) beaches of Waikiki, our good friend & surf instructor Mike Burns from Ty Gurney Surf School taught me how to surf. It was amazing, exhausting, slightly painful, but amazing! I've never given Brad enough credit for the insane amount of power & energy one needs to paddle out in the ocean, ride a 2 second wave & do it all over again. It kinda reminded me of skiing without the luxury of the ski lift, can you imagine? The next day I literally had bruises on my rib cage & hip bones, which quickly told to me & my nervous hubby that I would be returning to my reading-on-the-beach-lying-out ways. And yes, I do think I heard a HUGE sigh of relief in the distance...(brad.)
One thing I can say is that Hawaiians aren't exactly healthy eaters, one place we went to did not have a single salad on their menu, you know who you are Boots & Kimo's! One thing they did have was their infamous Mac Nut Pancakes, everyone says it's the best breakfast joint on the island, but Brad & I were not impressed. Yes the pancakes were fluffy, but the blob of macadamia nut marshmellowness on top was too sweet, almost like cotton-candy, no thank you.
Another overrated bfast joint, Eggs n' Things was also subpar, people raved about omelets, blah, the pancakes were good, but in our opinion this place was not worth the wait.
Yes, that's me (in the black hat) waiting...One thing that is worth the wait, or at least the drive is Pearl Harbor. Brad & I didn't really have any "plans" to go, but on a cloudy morning decided, why not. We did a self-guided, only look at what we wanted to look at tour & it was perfect. Um, what guy doesn't think huge battle ships & missles are cool?
Don't mess with me...
No trip to Oahu is complete with a drive to the North Shore. Yes, this is the Hawai'i we all imagine in our dreams, the uninhabited land, untouched waters & local angry surfers. If you go to Oahu you MUST eat at a shrimp truck. There are many to choose from, but our recommendation is certainly, Giovanni's, it's $11 for a dish (we did 1/2 spicy, 1/2 garlic) & it's soooooooo good!
To round out a nearly perfect trip (of eating & drinking), we decided to hit up the Orginal Roy's in Hawai'i Kai. I've seen Roy on the food network's Top Chef & I've always wanted to try his food, so what better than to visit the orginal. Not only was the food fresh & delectible, but the service was outstanding. They had complimentary champagne waiting for us, streamers with a card, a gift certificate to return again & a romantic & tasty dessert to celebrate.
Other great food joints we enjoyed include The Shack (it's where all the lowkey "locals" hang), Doraku Sushi in downtown Waikiki, we had no clue its rated the best/afforable sushi joint on the island, don't you love it when that happens? And last but not least, Dukes, where they serve Brad's ALL-TIME FAVORITE DRINK....the Lava Flow, it's super girlie & comes with an umbrella, but when you're in paradise, it's hard to care or at least that's what I'm guessing goes though Brad's mind, hehe!
We LOVED Hawai'i & can't wait to go back, maybe next time, Maui?
