Summer Vacation 2006 - Oahu, Hawaii!
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We departed for our summer vacation on August 31st out of Richmond, Virginia - connected through Dallas/Forth Worth, and arrived at Honolulu International Airport at about 3pm. Although it was a long day of traveling, we had no delays and we were lucky enough to switch our seats so Alexander could have some room on the flights. We also had a portable DVD player so Blues Clues (his favorite show) could be played if he got fussy. We wondered how people traveled twenty years ago with toddlers... (Benadryl?)
Our former neighbor and hostess Kristen (along with her daughters Alicia & Meghan) picked us up in a borrowed mini-van and we made our way back to their house located on Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay. Mike had to work so we didn't catch up with him until later. This being Laurel's first time to the island of Oahu, she "oohed" and "ahhed" at the lush tropical scenery.
Our first night was spent eating dinner at their place - something quiet to assist with the tired and weary travelers.
On Friday, we puttered about a bit and walked around the base towards a little beach nearby. These photos were the first ones we took and they're just about taken from their backyard:
The "leash" is actually a monkey backpack Laurel picked up for $20 at Wal-Mart. In addition to keeping our son close (so he doesn't get scooped up by the waves!) is also has a space for little toys in the pouch.
Saturday was spent driving up to the North Shore ... We stopped at a Macadamia nut outlet and purchased some bags of nuts and a couple of bags of coffee. We also stopped at Jameson's By the Sea Restaurant, where we got to enjoy a nice lunch with some tropical drinks.
On the way back from the restaurant, we stopped at Shark's Cove (don't worry - there were no sharks there) to do a little snorkeling. The water is nice and clear and the fish were colorful and easy to see. It was the first time Laurel had ever snorkeled!
On Sunday, we went to the Officer's Club for champagne brunch. The club is located on a hilltop with gorgeous views of the golf course and bay.
That afternoon was pretty much occupied by taking Alexander to the clinic to get looked at for a possible ear infection or a cold. Mike took Jeff and the girls on a roundabout tour of the base and the flight line at the airfield, while Laurel and Kristen went to the clinic, and then to Tripler Hospital. Bad timing as it was a Sunday afternoon over a long weekend... Yet Alexander seemed to be okay and got a clean "bill of health" from the doctors.
With the day pretty much consumed by brunch and the adventures at the clinic, we decided to head out to Kailua Beach to enjoy some evening waves. Even though Alexander doesn't have a life jacket on in the photos, an adult was never more than a foot or two away, and the waves were quite calm... Overall, it was a nice way to end the day - a beautiful evening enjoying the breeze and the waves. We think the pictures speak for themselves:
On Monday, we went out on Mike & Kristen's boat to the "sand bar". It's a real sand bar located out in the bay and it's a gathering place for families on the weekends. With all the sun and the fun, Alexander got a pretty solid 2 hour nap on the boat. We kept our eye on him, though - and it was nice to get some "adult time" with the folks nearby.
In the afternoon, we went back to Mike & Kristen's place to shower up and get ready for dinner. We drove down to Waikiki and ate at one of the "must-do" restaurants on the beach: Duke's. We did not get to take too many photos of dinner for a couple of reasons: 1) Alexander decided it would be fun to chase him around, and 2) we were too busy eating!
Tuesday was spent at the Dole Plantation. It was nice - we got to eat some (what else?) pineapple ice cream and drink some (what else?) pineapple juice, and learned about the history of the Dole family on Hawaii. We also got to take a little train ride of the plantation and got to see where the pineapples grow. Although it was kind of "touristy", we still had a fun time. Roll your mouse pointer over the picture below if you want to see a short little video taken on the railroad ride:
On Wednesday, Jeff "had" to get a haircut (It's a "Marine" thing) while Laurel "had" to go to the base exchange to pick up some groceries and souvenirs (It's a "habitual shopper" thing). We also picked up some tickets for a dinner cruise on the Navatek Cruise Line. Since it was our official last night on the island, our friends offered to watch Alexander so we could go out on a romantic dinner cruise.
We got to the pier located on Waikiki Beach (near the Aloha Tower Marketplace) around 4:45pm and it launched at about 5:30pm. Dinner consisted of five courses which included lobster and steak, and we got to drink several "cool and fruity" tropical drinks! Along with dinner, there was live entertainment: music and dancers. Although we initially thought it would be quite "touristy" (and it was) we really enjoyed it and were very happy that Mike gave us the idea. We got to see a beautiful sunset and returned to the pier about 7:30pm. It was a wonderful event!
Obligatory "Titanic - I'm the king (queen?) of the world!" photo
On Thursday, we finished out trip the same way we started it it - at the Beach. We again went to Kailua Beach. The waves were a bit stronger this time around so we kept an extra keen eye out for Alexander.
We returned home on September 8th after flying a red-eye out of Honolulu the previous night. Again, we got to exchange our seats so we could have more room and Alexander did a wonderful job traveling... He slept the whole way from Hawaii to Dallas/Fort Worth and also slept the next flight to Richmond as well.
We'd like to thank the Kalmbach and Sherrill families for watching our dogs while we were away and we would especially like to thank Mike, Kristen and the girls for allowing us to stay in their home and use their vehicle while we enjoyed a most wonderful vacation in "paradise".
We miss it all so much.
-Jeff, Laurel & Alexander