emerald city diaries

{I know I promised photos last week, but I blinked & the week was gone. did that happen to anyone else?}

as I mentioned in weekend in pictures post two weekends ago {here} we spent our thanksgiving {& the week after} in hawaii, just the two of us. while we originally had ambitious plans to visit more than one island on our trip, we ended up sticking just oahu & splitting our time between town {honolulu & waikiki} & the north shore.

we didn’t have much on the agenda to be honest which was a great way to go into a vacation that you want to relax on {there are so many vacations – all of them – that we come home so exhausted that we need another vacation!} so we fit things we wanted to do into our days once we got there & spent the rest of the time being spontaneous! {I am telling you that I had to have been in vacation-mode in order to get thru so much spontaneity!}

here is a random sampling of our trip.  enjoy!

{at ho’omaluhia botanical garden in kailua // with our friends hannah & russell // start of hike up diamond head // enjoying shave ice after our hike // aaron with the huge banyan tree in waikiki}

{me with the duke kahanamoku statue – he is known as the father of surfing // out to dinner in waikiki // the climbing of the coconut tree for the shower of flowers at a luau // climbing diamond head // aaron throwing a spear // waikiki // thanksgiving dinner at duke’s in waikiki}

{at the luau // aaron learning the hulilau hula // the kalua pig coming out of the imu (oven) at the luau // more hula // hula // hukilau hula on the beach // hula // fire dancer at the luau}

{me throwing a spear // me at mokulua island // honolulu from the air // a kayaking break at lanikai beach // lanikai beach – spectacular! // pearl harbor memorial // inside the uss arizona memorial at pearl harbor}

{the first draft of roosevelt’s date that will live in infamy speech // kuhio beach park in waikiki // hawaiian-style spam // hawaiian suns – lived on those! // toes in the sand // the pink hotel – the royal hawaiian // waikiki beach from the top of diamond head}

{dukes for thanksgiving dinner // mai tai happy hour // a plant that looked a lot like a guy with a mohawk // mmm… cheeseburger in paradise // sunset on thanksgiving // aaron shaving after movember // sushi is the best in hawaii // the triple crown of surfing at sunset beach}

{signs at the luau // on the bus ride to paradise cove for the luau // triple crown at sunset beach // sunset beach // the whole island had a downpour of rain the day we went to the north shore // triple crown at sunset – surfing way off the point in the distance}

{triple crown at sunset beach // drinking lots of coffee to keep us warm while we watched surfing in the pouring rain // the finals of the second jewel of the triple crown at sunset beach // the best pineapple I’ve ever had // shave ice // matsumoto in haleiwa has the best shave ice in the world // the soap factory in wailua}

{walking on the beach in wailua // the beautiful flowers everywhere // tiny islands off the coast of oahu near kaneohe // driving by kualoa ranch – where jurassic park was filmed // rubber duck at the soap factory // aaron enjoying his first ever shave ice from matsumoto // the flag flying high at the uss arizona memorial at pearl harbor}

{kailua beach // landing on mokulua island via kayak – a sacred bird sanctuary // mokulua island // strong current at pipeline // pretty flat waves at pipeline // sunset in haleiwa}

{pineapple fields near the north shore // the uss arizona’s final resting place // oil leaking from the uss arizona // how the memorial sits over the uss arizona // crossroads of the pacific // iolani palace in honolulu // king kalakaua’s phone from the 1800s // the likelike highway – pronounced leaky-leaky // the court house in honolulu – also the hawaii five-0 headquarters}

{the original supreme court chairs // the beautiful carpet in iolani palace // the entry of the palace // my old apartment building in honolulu // aaron walking near the ala wai canal // shouldn’t every street in hawaii being named aloha street? // waikiki beach & diamond head // soaking up the vitamin D in waikiki // kuhio beach park // I will take that weather in december anytime}

have you been to oahu or another hawaiian island – what’s your favorite thing to do?

M