Week 5 - The Island of Oahu

 

August 5 - We move to Oahu

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Ah, another travel day. Travel days are long . . . very, very, long. You have to get up really early, finish packing all the stuff you need at the very last minute, say your goodbyes to friends and then travel an hour or so to the airport. Once there, you have to endure the security people who are mostly unfriendly and robot-like. You have to check your bags, stand in line, get your boarding passes, stand in line, remove all metal objects & shoes, stand in line, collect all your metal objects & put on your shoes, and finally move to your assigned gate and wait for the plane. If your lucky you may get a bite to eat although to do so may cost you your first born and some change. Finally you get your boarding call, wait in line, drag all your carry-on stuff down a really narrow aisle, stuff it into the luggage compartment and under the seat, stuff yourself into your really small seat, strap yourself in and wait for the inevitable . . . . my wife's favorite part of the flight . . . the one, the only, invisible bumps in the sky! Well, surprise, surprise, there weren't any bumps on this flight. Well, one. Had to travel through clouds on our approach to Honolulu. I thought I was going to loose my hand. No, wait, my knee, let go of my knee! God, that was painful! Thank God quick landings . . .

Well, all of that took nearly 5 hours. The one redeeming thing about this trip was that we were meeting our two sons and their wives. We haven't seen our family for nearly 5 weeks and it was good to see them again. Because we had so much luggage, we have been splitting up and while Dot stays at the airport with the bags, I have been going and getting the rental car. This time I met our boys at the car rental place. They had already gotten their cars and were waiting for us which of course only I showed up. So, in the interest of time I sent them to Waikiki and to the International Marketplace so they could at least start their vacation without waiting for us. After almost an hour, I got the car, got lost, found myself, got lost at the airport, found myself again, found my wife, got the bags loaded, drove to Waikiki, and promptly got lost again.

Waikiki has grown a little in the 20 years since I had been here last. Nothing looked the same. We probably spent 30 minutes driving around central Waikiki looking for a place to park. There are no signs, no directions, no nothing. Just lots and lots of people surrounded by lots and lots of really tall buildings. The twin sister of San Francisco except the weather is more humid and warmer. Thank God for cell phones. I don't think I would have ever found the boys if it had not been for the cell phone. If you ever come to Honolulu, make sure you know where you are going before you climb into the car and drive.

We had lunch at the International Marketplace in their version of the food court. There were probably 10 Chinese & Japanese food places and 2 American food places. Good Choices, all. We sat down to eat and I promptly got pooped on by the birds I didn't see sitting above me in the tree branches. Best to move under a roof somewhere if you eat there. Once done we make arrangements for the day. Garrett our youngest (36) and Vanessa stayed in Waikiki to meet some friends that live on Oahu. They would make their way back to the home we rented later in the evening. Derek our oldest (40) and Jenny would follow us back to the house.

The home we rented is on the far west end of Oahu in an area known as Makaha, about 45 minutes from Honolulu. It in an older well established neighborhood that has several vacation homes surrounding it. Most of the homes are between 10 and 40 years old. Ours was one row of houses and a street from the ocean which we could see from our large balcony. It is a two story structure with one bedroom & bath downstairs and 2 bedrooms and a bath upstairs. It has a large living area, a dining area but no table, and a fairly modern kitchen with updated appliances and a granite countertop. It is painted barn red on the outside and is rustic wood planking on the inside. Interesting place. Hey, it is home for a week and it was affordable. Besides we have our own beach just a block away. For a virtual tour of the place you can go to http://www.vrbo.com/47240 for look.

Tomorrow we are all going in different directions. Garrett & Vanessa are visiting the east side and stopping for a BBQ at their friend’s father's house. Derek & Jenny going to find a place to hike somewhere along the north side and scout out a good place to snorkel for our planned family trip north on Tuesday. Dot and I are heading into Waikiki for a parasailing experience and a tour of Ko'Olina.  Stay tuned for all the exciting details . . . tomorrow!

 

August 06 - Saved by a crater

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Today Dot and I headed into Waikiki to attempt to do something we have never done before. We get to parasail!  We stopped at the harbor at a company called Hawaiian Parasail. They are advertised as one of the top parasail companies in Oahu with the best safety record. That alone was enough to book with them. The top company Xtreme Parasail . . . well, we heard they have set several guests to the hospital over the last few years. Tough competition.

Well, we boarded the boat and headed out to sea only to find that the winds had picked up and were at a speed that Hawaiian felt was unsafe. So, we had to cancel our parasail and re-schedule for another day. So, Thursday, at 9:30 we are going parasailing . . . or at least going to attempt it again.

So, what does one do when you can't parasail? Well, I used to have a t-shirt that said "Go climb a volcano" referring to Mt. Lassen in Northern California of course but that slogan could well apply here. We went and climbed the most famous landmark in all Hawaii . . . Diamond Head Crater!

Diamond Head, called Le'ahi (long e) in Hawaiian, is believed to have been created about 300,000 years ago during a single, brief eruption. The broad, saucer-shaped crater covers 350 acres with its width being greater than its height. The southwestern rim is highest because winds were blowing ash in this direction during the eruption. Since the eruption, the slopes of the crater have been eroded and weathered by rain, wind, and the pounding of the sea. A coral reef now protects the seaward slopes of the crater.

Today Diamond Head is designated as a National Natural Landmark (1968) and is an excellent example of a tuff cone. A tuff cone is created when eruptions occur near the ocean where the magma is broken down into ash and fine particles by the water and steam. Blown into the air, these particles were cemented together into a rock called tuff which created Diamond Head.

The early history of the crater states that Hi'iaka, sister of the fire goddess Pele, gave Le'ahi its name because the summit resembles the forehead (lae) of the 'Ahi fish. Another translation is fire headland and refers to the navigational fires that were lit at the summit to assist canoes traveling along the shoreline. The heiau (temple) built on the summit was dedicated to the god of wind as protection against strong updrafts that could put out these navigational fires. Today, the Diamond Head Lighthouse, built in 1917 provides a visual aid for navigation.

In the late 1700's Western explorers and traders visited Le'ahi and mistook the calcite crystals in the rocks on the slope of the crater for diamonds. Thus, the name Diamond Head came into common usage.

In 1904 the Federal Government purchased Diamond Head and designated it for military use as an ideal site for the coastal defense of O'ahu. Fortification began in 1908 with the construction of gun emplacements and an entry tunnel through the north wall of the crater from Fort Ruger known as the Kapahulu Tunnel.  Five batteries were built to house the coastal artillery at Diamond Head. Harlow (1910) on the northern exterior, Dodge and Hulings (1913) which tunnel through the eastern crater wall, Birkhimer (1916) which is largely below ground inside the crater, and Battery 407 (1943) which tunnels through the southern wall.

Fire Control Station Diamond Head was built at the summit between 1908-1910 and housed instruments and plotting rooms to direct artillery fire from several batteries. From this observation station observers could triangulate targets and aim the mortar fire from Batteries Randolph and Dudley at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki and Battery Harlow at Ford Ruger on the outer slopes of the crater. Consisting of 4 levels, the exterior of the Fire Control Station was camouflaged with rubble embedded in concrete. Slits on each level provided seaward viewing for potential sea and air attacks. The 4 levels and the summit were accessed by a spiral staircase and ladders. So Diamond Head was prepared to defend O'ahu from attack but no artillery was ever fired during a war.

You access Diamond Head by driving up to the park, through the tunnel and into the center of the crater where you can park your car at the trailhead. The trail to the summit will cover 0.8 miles and climb 560 feet from the crater floor. A portion of the trail was concreted to reduce trail erosion. The dirt portion of the trail follows an uneven and rocky terrain and conforms to the 1908 trail alignment which consists of numerous switchbacks up a steep interior slope. There are two steep stairways connected by a 225 foot narrow tunnel. The first has 74 steps, the second 99. You then enter a second tunnel and climb the spiral staircase to the third level where you can climb out through a slit in the side of the bunker and then it is a short trail and climb to the observation deck.

Once there . . oh, what a view! A 360 degree panorama of the southern side of O'ahu with the mountains, Honolulu and Waikiki laid out before you . . . and the most beautiful variegated shades of turquoise blue ocean you will ever see! A site not to be missed if you come this way.

Tomorrow we are golfing again at a course on the west side . . . Kapolei Golf Course. Stay tuned for all the details of the vacationing duffer . . .

 

August 7 - Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away . . .

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OK, so I know the words to a Beatles song. At least it got your attention. It's not that I had any troubles, or that they moved closer to me. Actually Monday, was a really good day. Dot, the boys and their wives decided to visit Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling.

Hanauma Bay is a large curved bay that was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in 1967. It is supposedly THE BEST protected cove if you are new to scuba diving or snorkeling with a diverse population of marine life and a large, rich coral reef. Advanced snorkelers and divers can also enjoy the beauty of this bay as the reef extends throughout the cove into deeper water. The bay floor is actually the crater of an ancient volcano that flooded when the exterior wall collapsed and the ocean rushed in.

There is a large sandy beach perfect for sunbathing, relaxing and picnicking. Several hiking trails extend along coastline and along the ridge overlooking the bay providing breathtaking lookouts. The curvature of the bay usually provides protection from large ocean waves and allows swimmers a terrific opportunity to view the marine and reef life in a safer, protected environment. However, just a couple of weeks ago a flotilla of small jellyfish found their way into the bay and they had to close it for a couple of days after several people got stung by the creatures.

They say you should arrive early and that is an understatement. By the time the gang got there the parking lot was full and they had to park a good distance away and walk in. This day the bay was somewhat murky having been stirred up by all the swimmers and snorkelers and so it was hard to see the fish. After about an hour of this, Garrett & Vanessa decided to head over to Waikiki beach and take Dot with them while Derek & Jenny stayed.

One thinks of Hawai’i and their thoughts will usually include an image of Waikiki Beach. This is basically a two mile stretch of coast fronted by hotels and tourism related facilities and the very beautiful Kapiolani Park. Waikiki Beach is usually crowded but is a very nice area where one can swim, canoe, surf and snorkel. The areas towards Diamond Head are near to the expansive picnic and recreational facilities, including those of Kapiolani Park.

Overall the kids enjoyed their day at the beach. A couple of mild sunburns came back with them but nothing serious. If you didn't know it already, the sun here in Hawaii is a lot more intense than back in CA. You can burn in about half the time it takes back home. Sunscreen here is not a choice, it is a lifestyle.

So, what did I do? Played golf of course. It is my sport of choice. I would much rather be walking the course hitting the little white ball all over the place and getting burned than to just lie in the sun and get burned. Makes sense doesn't it? At least I am doing something.

I golfed at the Kapolei Golf Club this day. It is situated about 24 miles west of Waikiki and was host of the LPGA's Hawaiian Ladies Open Tournament from 1996 - 2001. It is rated as one of the best courses on Oahu. It is a Ted Robinson designed course with 5 strategically placed lakes, 80 bunkers, undulated fairways, and elevated greens which provided me with a challenging but enjoyable round of golf for the day.

The course was shorter than what I had played last week in Kauai so that helped lower my score a little bit. It also helped that the fairways were wider and more forgiving. I definitely played much better golf which was helped by the fact that my ankle was feeling much better and I could almost finish my follow-through without any pain. I had good drives all day and about 90 percent of my chips were right on target. In all a great day golfing for someone who had only played maybe 10 rounds of golf in the last 3 months after a 5 year lay off. The lessons have really helped also. My score: 98! Woohoo I broke a hundred! AND didn't loose a single ball!

Could life get any better?

Tuesday we are going to visit Pearl Harbor and take a drive up to the north end for some more snorkeling opportunities. Should be another awesome day so check back tomorrow.

 

August 8 - A time of reflection, and to enjoy our Creators handiwork

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Tuesday our family got together to tour Pearl Harbor. Most everyone knows what happened on December 7, 1941 but unless you have visited this solemn site the reality of the event would not have the same effect.

Today the battle-scarred, submerged remains of the battleship USS Arizona rest on the silt of Pearl Harbor, just as they settled on December 7, 1941. The ship was one of many casualties from the deadly attack by the Japanese on a quiet Sunday that President Franklin Roosevelt called "a date which will live in infamy." The Arizona's burning bridge and listing mast and superstructure were photographed in the aftermath of the Japanese attack, and news of her sinking was emblazoned on the front page of newspapers across the land. The photograph symbolized the destruction of the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and the start of a war that was to take many thousands of American lives. Indelibly impressed into the national memory, the image could be recalled by most Americans when they heard the battle cry, "Remember Pearl Harbor." More than a million people visit the USS Arizona Memorial each year. They file quietly through the building and toss flower wreaths and leis into the water. They watch the iridescent slick of oil that still leaks, a drop at a time, from ruptured bunkers after more than 50 years at the bottom of the sea, and they read the names of the dead carved in marble on the Memorial's walls.

There are actually 3 areas of Pearl Harbor that one can visit during their time there. The USS Missouri battleship, the USS Bowfin submarine, and the USS Arizona Memorial. The first two have an admission charge to cover the cost of maintenance, but the USS Arizona Memorial is free. Tours to the Memorial happen every 15 minutes beginning at 8:00 AM and ending at 3:30 PM using a ticket system so if you visit it is best to plan to come early, especially on weekends. We arrived at around 10:30 and were handed tickets for a 1:15 visit to the Memorial. To visit all three areas is a really full day depending on how long you spend at the first two. The Memorial takes approximately 75 minutes from beginning to end and includes a movie, and the ferry to and from the Memorial.

Tours to the USS Missouri was taking about 2 and one half hours and consisted of a tram to the battleship. We opted to visit the USS Bowfin complex which was on site near the memorial. There are several items of interest placed around the complex, and there is a Submarine Museum that shouldn't be missed. It was amazing how involved our submarine fleet was during WWII. Finally you make a visit to the USS Bowfin, climbing down into the submarine and taking a tour of the entire ship. It was awesome.

After our visit we headed north to Waimea Falls and the Audubon Societies’ arboretum, a nearly 1.5 mile roundtrip walk through some amazing plants and floral groupings culminating with a view of the falls and a pool that you can actually take a dip. See pictures for more.

 

August 9 - Golf . . . Luau . . . Is there a pattern forming here?

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Wednesday, another day, another round of golf. Yes, I love to play. It doesn't love me. One day you have a great round, the next day you stink. But I guess it is that way for all sports. You have you ups, and your downs.

I played the Hawaii Prince Golf Club this day. The course is somewhat open but has a lot of stragically placed bunkers and lakes making it a very challenging course. I think the course could be maintained better as the fairways were dry and it was hard to get your club under the ball. I basically lost my stroke for about half the round. Couldn't hit a thing. It happens. Ended up shooting twice my age and was glad that round was over. I will do better on Friday. Promise.

The rest of the afternoon Dot and I spent packing. Yes, it is too early. After all it is only Wednesday but we were preparing to wind down this lengthy vacation by sending some of the stuff we no longer needed back home with our kids. Garrett & Vanessa were only able to spend 5 days in Hawaii because they two small children at home and were leaving Thursday morning. So we sorted our clothes and packed one of our two large suitcases with all our dive gear and clothing we didn't want. That really lightened our load. Saturday, we are sending a smaller suitcase and my golf clubs home with Derek & Jenny, further lightening our load. That way we only have one large suitcase and 4 carry-ons to take with us on the cruise.

We will be able to combine all our toiletries into one carry-on further reducing our load and to also prepare for the trip home. Of course you are aware of the changes at the airport due to a bunch of crazy people with no regard for life, good or bad. Well we had to completely re-think our luggage issue when the news hit on Wednesday and so all our liquid items will be in one bag which we will check when we get to the airport a week from Saturday. Timing is everything in travel as my kids would have lost a lot of stuff had this happened to them on Thursday.

The McHenry clan got together for dinner that evening and went to Germaine's Luau. It is situated about 18 miles from Honolulu on the coast just east of Ko'Olina. It was different than the last three luaus we have visited. The menu though seeming endless on the internet listing was not near as big as the previous ones. We ate at concrete picnic tables set on a beach setting so that we had to walk in sand throughout the entire luau and the show was shorter than most but just as colorful.

And speaking of sand . . . I hate sand. It gets everywhere. You remember the American Express ad that says it's "everywhere you want it to be"? Well, sand is everywhere you don't want it to be, and I mean everywhere. I should know, I have had to deal with it for nearly 5 weeks now. My wife loves the beach which translates that I have had to spend time in the sand nearly every single day of this trip. It sticks to everything, it is in the car, and if you walk with it in your shoes, it will take off a layer of skin. Not to mention your bathing suit. Go ahead spend some time in the ocean near the beach and see what happens . . . Folks, it is not pretty! I will be glad for at least one thing when I get home . . . NO SAND!

Enough said about sand. Tomorrow we will take a drive around the entire island of Oahu. Stay Tuned.

 

August 10 - It's a bird . . . It's a plane . . . It's the Extreme Grandparents!?

Ok, just to get everything straight, I have been a bit lazy lately and haven't been keeping up my blog. Some people think that is like the most grievous sin. Thanks Sherrie, for reminding me that I am behind. I love you anyway. . .

Back to my post. . . This is Thursday. Dot and I were to be in Waikiki by 9:00 AM to make up the parasail adventure that got cancelled on Sunday due to weather. Well we awoke to a beautiful day and were really excited that we would actually get to fly today.

Hawaiian Parasail is a really laid back bunch of people. They aren't into the extreme stuff and value their safety record which is why I picked them. I mention this because as the guys began to unravel the chute we were going to use, they found a large tear in it. Undaunted, they just put that one away and pulled out second chute. Guess what? There was a tear in that one also. No matter, they had third one. Pulled that out, and would you believe it? Another tear. Even the staff was upset by this time and were on the radio complaining to their base about the fact that someone had left these chutes on the boat and not taken them in for repair. No matter they had a forth chute. They pulled it out, got it untangled, began to unfurl it. The trade winds caught it and it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger . . .

I'll bet your thinking that we had to cancel again, aren't you? Well . . . you are soooooo wrong! We got to actually go . . . and it was awesome! I mean really awesome! Did I mention it was awesome? Oh, man was it awesome! What was that line from the first Superman trailer . . . "You'll believe that a man can fly!" I did! We did! WOW!

So there it was. A most beautiful sight. A large rainbow colored 36 ft parachute (sail) floating above the back of the boat. There were only 4 of us on this trip and Dot didn't want to go first, being a little nervous (ok, a lot nervous) about taking this flight, so we let the other couple go first to kind of show us how it was done. The entire process lasts only about 15 minutes start to finish. It was fun watching the other couple do it. Quite another when it's your turn.

We put on our life jackets and the staff put us into our harness. The harness consists of some heavy strapping material and is designed to go around your waist and your legs. You sit in the harness and it supports you at mid-thigh kind of like the swings on a swing set at the park. Two straps go up and connect to the sail. To launch, you sit on the back deck of the boat under the sail. Dot was hooked up in front with me right behind her. On the count of three, the staff person lurched the boat forward and we were lifted right off the deck and into the air just a few feet from the boat and the Pacific Ocean. What a feeling that was. We were hanging on for dear life when the second staff person, who was taking our pictures, encouraged us to let go and hold our hands out as if we were flying. OK, who's idea was that? Well, we did it and all of a sudden we were fearing for our lives anymore. You'd look down and suddenly we were 100 ft above the water and a long ways from the boat and climbing ever higher. WOW! What a view. Before us was the entire Waikiki beach and city. By the time they had let out the entire cable, we were higher than most of the skyscrapers.

We floated there, suspended in space, for what seemed forever, just gliding back and forth, back and forth just taking in the view. Then we noticed we were dropping, and not slowly. It seemed the ocean was coming up quite fast beneath us. This is where it gets interesting. We had seen the previous riders do this so we knew what was coming. The boat operator was going to dip us in the ocean as we flew. Neat Trick! Down we came, closer and closer. Just as we were going to touch the ocean we were jerked back up. Missed! That's OK he would just try again. Down, down, down, we went, one more time. This time he dipped us a little too far. We were only supposed to get our feet wet. We got dunked nearly up to our waists and then we were jerked upward again. We got to the full height of the cable and then slowly we could feel us being tugged back toward the boat. Closer, and closer until we landed, standing upright, on the rear deck, our ride over. Wow, what a ride. Definitely and "E" ticket event, and one I highly recommend to all.

Dot and I spent the rest of the day driving the coast highway of Oahu. All the way up the east side, up and over the north side, and down the middle of the island. (the road doesn't go around the west, too mountainous). Along the way we saw some fantastic sights, awesome blue ocean, several small islands. Check our pictures.

We ate at a place called Zippy's for lunch. Zippy's is like a very large McDonalds, but with a menu that far surpasses anything they could cook up. I mean, they offered salmon, sushi, and everything in between. Quite the place. And to top it off it has a full bakery with some really tantalizing stuff in it. Highly recommended.

We got to the north end of the island, passed up the Polynesian Cultural Center as we had been there before and stopped at a roadside stand that sold fresh cooked prawns & shrimp. Grown right there in a pond behind the stand. We had the butter and garlic prawns on a bed of rice and it was absolutely delicious. We also had some of that famous Hawaiian pineapple but with a twist. They put a reddish powder call Li Hing that is a plum extract and it really gives the pineapple a different flavor. Again, highly recommended.

We ended our drive stopping at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We strolled around the grounds looking at all the different plants and trees that had been planted and took a 2 mile ride on their small passenger train (like the old Nut Tree Railroad which is coming back in September), through the fields of pineapple. Finally we spent time in the gift shop and bought even more stuff we would have to haul home next week. Will it ever end?

T-shirts, hats, and perfume, oh my!

 

August 11 - Oahu, I am glad I knew ya . . .

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Technically, this is our last full day on the islands. Tomorrow we board NCL's Pride of America for a week of cruising through the Hawaiian chain, stopping to re-visit the islands of Hawaii, Maui & Kauai and hopefully spending some time on our sixth island, Lanai on a scheduled catamaran tour on Monday. More about that tomorrow.

I played my last round of golf in Hawaii (for now) on Friday. I played at the Makaha Resort Golf Club which is very near where we were staying. The course is one of two in the area, the other being the Makaha Valley Golf Course. Though they sit side by side, they are two very different courses. The Resort course is the more challenging of the two. Great, with the way my game has been this week, I had to pick the tougher course.

The fairways are wide open on most of the course but the greens are small giving less room for error on your approach shot. I hit my drives fairly well, but today my iron shots to the green were all going left. I only lost 3 balls today, and hit my share of sand traps but did okay on the rest. Still my score was high due in large part to the lighting fast greens. Like putting on concrete. The slightest touch and the ball would just roll and roll, and if you didn't hit the hole, would just keep on rolling several feet past. I am sure I would have scored under 100 had it not been for the greens . . . ;-{)>

I got back to the rental a little earlier than usual and so Dot and I set out packing our things and getting ready for our next adventure. As you aware, things have changed as far as what you can or cannot bring onto the airplane in your carry-on luggage. So, our goal was to pack as if we were boarding a plane the next day just to see how it would all fit together. Dot spent time getting rid of stuff we absolutely did not need or that would be empty soon (like Noah, we had two of everything) and we were able to lighten our load considerably. The biggest change was that we combined all our toiletries into one bag and placed all the souvenirs into the bag I had used for my things. Essentially we had all the "liquid stuff" now not allowed on the plane in a bag we would now check into the "belly" of the plane for our final flight home. With Derek& Jenny taking one suitcase and my golf clubs home with them, that now meant we only had five bags to deal with (two check on and 3 carry-ons) when we board the plane next Saturday. A lighter load indeed considering all the souvenirs we have bought.

We left the rental mid afternoon and headed for Waikiki where we were to meet Derek & Jenny for dinner to celebrate our last night together. On the way, Dot and I stopped at the Ko'Olina Resort area to look around. Ko'Olina is a large master-planned community with full size resort condos and timeshares surrounding four man-made lagoons along the western shores of Oahu on the side opposite Pearl Harbor from Honolulu. It currently consists of 2 Marriott timeshare high rise buildings with two more in the process of being built. There are two more high rise buildings in process that will house full size condos for another company. There is a yacht club with slips for around 200 boats up to 50 ft. long and one golf course with plans for another. An oasis nestled between an industrial park and the mountains but a very beautiful one I have to say. Full size condominiums start at 1.3 million and go as high as 3 million each. The timeshares go anywhere from 32K to as high as 60K for one week of time. Pretty much it was a place that Dot & I would love but we knew we could never afford. Besides, we already own a timeshare so we can just trade into this place for a mere $150 a week. Wahoo!

We finished our day meeting Derek & Jenny at the Hula Grill for dinner. It is a restaurant situated in the back of the Outrigger Waikiki with a view of the beach in both directions. Quite the place. We even were able to get a seat on the rail for the best view. The food was awesome! Derek had the Mac nut encrusted Ono, I had the Grilled Ahi, Jenny had the lemon chicken and Dot had the steak filet. All of it was divine and we all shared each others plate for the best of dinner so far on the islands. We sat through a sunset, watched as the stars came out and the tiki torches were lit, and even endured a brief but steady rain to cap things off.

After dinner, we all took a walk on Waikiki beach for nearly a mile all the way to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. While most of the beach is accessible, many of the hotels have created a resort atmosphere by extending their property all the way to the ocean and so to get as much usable property as possible they built a sea wall with a walkway on top along a portion of Waikiki. You may not know that Waikiki is a manmade beach with all of the sand you see having been brought in and put there. To this day they continually replace and add sand to keep the beach looking as it does. However, that is very expensive and so the Hotels have resorted to the "sea wall" approach to avoid having to replace the sand. Sad times for the beach but that is the mentality of the day. Fortunately, the sea wall only encompasses about 10% of the beach so far so there is still a lot of beach to enjoy but for how long, no one knows.

Tomorrow we board the cruise ship for one last look at the islands we have called home from a different perspective, out at sea. So click on the "Week 6 - Island Cruise" map at the top of the page to see the Hawaiian Islands from a totally different perspective!