So We Went to Hawaii Again...

...Rob got Chris a buddy pass and off we went in three separate groups. John and Chris flew to LA on Thursday and on to Honolulu Friday, where they rented a car and visited the North Shore. They climbed Temple Hill, ate at the Seasider, walked out to Goat Island, visited John's old office. Our old house from 18 years ago is torn down! John took photos of everything, and I'll try to get copies up on the blog.

Nicolle, the kids and I tried for the direct flight to Honolulu Friday morning but ended up traveling via LA, and were about 4 hours later getting there than we'd planned. Rob got off work early and came 2 hours after us. We rode the bus to Waikiki from the airport and went straight to bed. Above is the view from our hotel lanai. The next morning, John, Chris, and Rob climbed Diamond Head while Nicolle, the kids, and I went to the beach. Nicolle was working on a paper for her class so I had the babies and didn't take photos.

Colette was very impressed with her mom's beautiful beach dress and wore it Saturday while we rested back at the hotel.

We totally skipped lunch but had an early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Chris practices his suave look:

John, Chris and I took the kids to the beach so Rob and Nicolle could go off on their own. It was brightly lit and beautiful. The water was warm. Sort of warm--by the end they were freezing of course.



Sand fight! This can only end badly.

John found a green inner tube abandoned on the beach. And an orange one. And two beach mats. And then we had to carry them back to the hotel along with the sandy, shivering children.

Mermaid Colette:

The next morning while Nicolle worked on her paper at the hotel, the rest of us went back to the beach.

Chris worked on his tan.

Everybody else used sunscreen.

Little clam Colette:



After showers and lunch we checked out and rode the bus around the island to Sea Life Park.


The coral tank was the most interesting and beautiful part of the park. We watched the rays and other fish.

We watched them feed the turtles.

We saw the dolphins and sea lions.




We saw a few birds as well.


Colette found a hibiscus blossom.

We rode the bus to the Ala Moana Mall for dinner, and some of us shopped while the rest waited.

The flight was not bad coming back--there were enough empty seats to stretch out and get some sleep. Even so, Chris and I were pretty useless the next day. However, John went straight back to school and Rob to work, dedicated souls that they are. I tried that last time and was grateful this time for a day to recover.

Below, feeding the rays at Sea Life Park:

36 Hours on the Beach

Not really 36 hours right on the beach, but a quick trip to Waikiki with Rob and the kids. I'm so glad I went, despite 6 hours on an airplane each way. Above, Rob and babies at the Honolulu airport. I really am a convert to watching airplane movies--even bad ones--as they make the time pass quickly. I've never been able to read much or work on a plane.

We hopped on the Waikiki bus from the airport and got off about 1/3 of a block from our cute little hotel suite. Rob got it for $50 on Priceline.

I slept in the room below all by myself, while Rob and the kids took the foldout bed. I volunteered to have a child with me, but they both wanted their dad. They are very attached to him, and although they'd hold my hand or sit on my lap as second best, they really preferred being with him.

Our rooms were about three short blocks from the beach. Below is proof that I was actually there (picture takers often disappear from the photographic record). Diamond Head is in the background.

Johnathan makes a sand castle...

...and the ocean takes it back.

Rob enjoys the water. It was warm--warmer than the air once the sun set--and very clean.


The sunset only got more beautiful after this. All along the shore toward Diamond Head, (amateur) photographers' flashes were twinkling. I've never understood the point of a flash at long distance out of doors.

Moonrise over Diamond Head:

The next morning we cooked breakfast in our little kitchen and spent quite a lot of time opening and shutting the sliding glass doors to the balcony and running around and through the balcony and rooms and hiding in the closets. At least some of us did.

Back at the beach in a slightly different spot. Rob tried valiantly to keep the kids hatted and sunscreened.

Colette and Johnathan brought me many rocks and other treasures from the ocean, which we regretfully left on the sand.

Later in the afternoon, a lady came up to me and said, "Would you like these? I'm going back to Japan now and can't take them with me," and gave us a pink inner tube and a mat for the sand. We had a lot of fun with that.





More proof that I was there too (below).

Note that I'm wearing the same thing both days. I did change before I got on the airplane for home. I couldn't make up my mind whether or not to swim, as I still haven't been released to do so by my doctor. Instead, of course, I ended up getting wet with all my clothes on.

Eventually, tired and sunburned myself, I decided unilaterally that it was time to find some shade and have a nap. The beach park behind us was lovely too:

Colette fell asleep immediately, and Rob took Johnathan out for a walk.


He was asleep by the time they came back.

We caught the bus back to the airport where we ate dinner and took the night flight for Salt Lake City. I still can't sleep on a plane, but I did get my fill of mediocre movies. Yesterday, with patient appointments, I was not so happy about the whole trip, but today, after a 10-hour sleep, I'm much more enthusiastic about it. I had my first diet Coke in two years yesterday, and it worked (mostly) to keep me awake. No headache yet (if it follows the usual pattern, I'll have my rebound headache tomorrow morning--John says, "Just because you don't get a headache, don't start drinking diet Coke again").

Rob figures that he and I spent less than $100 each, total, on this trip. I spent considerably less--just food and bus rides. It would have been great to have one more day there. Especially if I'd been able to get out and swim. But the evening and the next day were beautiful and it was great watching Rob and the kids and having fun in the waves.