A Wonderful Anniversary Dinner, January 29, 2022

We spent some time on the beach this afternoon.  Here is the beach scene and Carl getting ready to swim some laps. 

West

East

                                                                        Carl                                                        

Carl made sunset reservations for us at the Bali Restaurant here on the Hilton properties. 

 It was a wonderful and memorable dinner experience…food , but mostly our wonderful server, Kai, from Hong Kong.  Carl had the recommended Ahi tuna with a truffle risotto, with beurre blanc,  of course, mastering his chopsticks to the approval of Kai who had been very skeptical.  

I had a delicious poached lobster but what made the meal, was my favorite Russian River Chardonnay…

However, the lobster was a “local” lobster, farm raised here in Hawaii from an adopted baby lobster from the mainland (somewhere) .  It was delicious and was just what an anniversary called for.  

What really made the evening over the top was our remarkable server, Kai, who was so enjoyable I could just take him home with us!  He enjoyed making our evening special by giving us our desert gratis and even looked up the spelling of anniversary before serving it to us.

Here is the best server on Waikiki Beach…Kai, from Hong Kong who gave us tips for visiting his homeland.

A most wonderful evening!  Mahola!!!

O'ahu, January 28, 2022

 This morning I slept uncharacteristically late.  I had planned on an early morning walk along Waikīkī Beach.  Instead, I woke up barely in time to see the sun rising over Diamond Head.  One of our plans fell through today, (a 1940s era Luau at Ford Island) the Luau has been discontinued, I think through a combination of COVID slowing the traffic to the island and a general disinterest in World War II history.  Too bad, with Sandy's and my father participating in the Pacific Theatre both during and after the war it is likely that they both would have been able to relate to this luau, and we were looking forward to experiencing something like what they would have experienced on the R&Rs.  

Instead we simply relaxed around the resort, its beautiful pools and, at least for Waikīkī, relaxing beaches.  I took several dips into the pool and in the evening we strolled down the main strip of Waikīkī, high end retail and plenty of restaurants.  We ended up at the Royal Hawai'ian Hotel the first of the Luxury hotels along the beach.  She shows her age, but with a dignity that still places her at the head of luxury hotels along the strand.  

Royal Hawai'ian Hotel

Pools at the Hilton Hawai'ian Village

We finished the day again at a beachside restaurant with a Mai Tai and coconut shrimp.  I don't know how one could design a more relaxing day.  

O'ahu, January 27, 2022

 Up early, last minute packing, drive to Līhu'e, turn in the rental car, catch Hawai'ian Airlines Flight 204 to Honolulu.  All this including the flight is finished before lunch.  What a relaxing way to vacation.  Here on O'ahu we will not rent an automobile.  As we were pulling up the Uber app to call a ride, an Uber driver pulls up and offers to take us to our hotel.  Uber tag on the car, Uber program on his GPS/phone, we take the chance.  Bingo, Bango, Bongo we are at the hotel, this move was far faster and easier than expected.

In the evening we walked to where we will pick up our catamaran this coming Monday.  Then, we walked along the beach.  The sun was setting, there were beach volleyball tournaments, and Diamond head was looking magnificent.  This place is different from Kaua'i, louder, more intense, just an overall faster pace, but knowing that, we embrace it and enjoy the difference.  

We finished the evening at the Tropics Bar and Grill!

Waikīkī Beach at night from our balcony.

Sunset from Waikīkī Beach

Beach Volley Ball

Diamond Head

Mais Tais at the Tropics Bar and Grill

Leaving Kauai, January 27, 2022 on to Oahu

We left the beautiful island of Kauai this morning and we arrived in the bustling city of Honolulu. Quite a change, but we had to do it, so we could see Pearl Harbor.   We are staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Rainbow tower.  The tower is maybe 27 floors high and we are on the 20th.  Here is the view from our balcony…Diamond Head is in the distance, down the famous Waikiki Beach, full of sand volleyball players.

                                    Waikiki Beach looking at Diamond Head

                                        The Lagoon at our hotel

                                               Where’s Tom Cruise and his buddies when you need them?

Kaua'i, January 26, 2022

Tomorrow is moving day, from our lovely condo in Princeville to the Hilton Hawaiian Village on O'ahu.  So today was doing laundry, (it'll be two weeks before we'll have easy access to another washer and dryer) clean up the apartment a little, and pack.  Still we found time to watch another spirit-lifting sunrise.  We got some more glimpses of the Humpback Whales that continue to entertain themselves, and us, just off shore.  And, in the afternoon, we drove to Anahola Beach to take a quick dip and sit on a beach that we had mostly to ourselves, save a chicken, and a dog.  The tide was out and we could see the water and sand swirling around the rocky bottom.  Of course the ocean was a  display of dozens of different shades of blue.  It was a good place to sit and reminisce our nine days on Kaua'i and know that it was time well spent.  

                             

January 25, 2022 Kauai

 Na Aina Kai Botanical & Sculpture Garden

We arrived at our appointed time for our walking tour of this acreage of gardens.  Joyce and Ed Doty bought an old cattle ranch in the 1970s and fixed it up with beautiful plants, trees, fountains and sculptures. It’s unbelievable what they were able to accomplish.  They enjoyed it as their special homestead and eventually decided to open it up to the public.  The wife, Joyce, is still living on the property at the age of 93 but had buried her husband a few years ago.  She was married to Charles Schulz (the Peanuts cartoonist) from 1951 to 1972.  She then married a successful businessman/contractor and when they retired, they moved to Kauai where they purchased this old cattle ranch which was only bare, dry acreage.

Some photos of this beautiful place in Kauai…

                                                The Ranch as purchased in 1978

We spent a couple hours afterward talking with a couple whom we met our second day here and again at this botanical garden…Doug, a professor and his wife Alphie, an artist from South Africa.

                                                

Kaua'i, January 25, 2022

 While here in Hawai'i we plan on seeing three lū'aus.  They are each different enough (at least in their marketing) to make us believe that none will pale to the other.  Tonight's lū'au is at the Kilohana Plantation.  Called the "Lū'au Kalamakū it is intended to be a presentation of Kaua'ian culture through a theatrical performance.  The musicians, singers and dancers are intent on presenting a romanticized telling of the journey from Tahiti to Hawai'i.  It had all the expected "hula" and "fire" dancing but also wove a story line that made it very much like a stage produced musical.  All in all, I thought it was a very good way to spend a night on the island of Kaua'i.  The plantation itself is beautiful, and has its ties to the Wilcox's of Grove Farm.  Gaylord's, one of the finer dining establishments on the island is also a part of the plantation complex.  

Sandy's favorite dancer, she thinks he's handsome, I just don't see it

  

Sandy makes the purple lei work.

Following are pictures from around the plantation