On Monday we went to Pearl Harbor, and saw the Arizona Memorial. The Memorial was very touching, and the Museum was very interesting, but the whole facility was rather run down and a bit cramped. I'm glad to know that the whole facility is undergoing a major refurbishing as we speak.
In the afternoon, we went back to the beach. The husband tried boogie boarding, and some "water level" photography. I sat on the beach, read about America's race to the moon, and avoided a sunburn. It was very pleasant. In the evening, we took a taxi out to a Kona Pub; a pilgrimage of beer for the husband. He did manage to take some nice photos in the sweet sunset light at the dock near the brewpub. The husband tends to blog more than usual when we are on vacation, as he takes a lot of photos.
On Tuesday we flew to Kauai in the morning - 2 hours at the airports for a 30 minute flight. We picked up our rental car, and enjoyed the local delicacies - siamin and proper shave ice. We then checked into our awesome and kitchen-equipped condo unit, and did some grocery shopping for the week. There's nothing like the cost of flown-in dairy products to make a person sensitive to the local food lifestyle. In the evening, I read on the beach at our condo, and the husband took more photos.
Sunday in Oahu was our own day, mostly because neither the PCC nor Pearl Harbor are open on Sundays. After breakfast and sunblock, we headed to the beach (right across the street). It was irresistible - the husband pulled off his sandals and jumped right in and I shortly followed. The water was clear and warm. For most of the day, We strolled up and down Waikiki beach at our own relaxed pace.
After an afternoon nap, we headed to the core of Waikiki for dinner. Eventually, we ended up at Cheeseburger in Paradise - not related to the nearby Jimmy Buffet's or his Margaritavilles. Here I am enjoying a tropical drink. You can also see the start of a "sunblock distribution fail" sunburn on my left arm; but it wasn't very bad. After dinner, we spent a few minutes on a beach pier looking at the tropical stars through a cloudless night. Hello, new stars!
After a six hour flight to Oahu, we got some lunch and unpacked in our hotel the Aston Waikiki Beach. It was pretty nice - close to the beach with a reasonable free breakfast.
After lunch, we hopped on our tour bus to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Midway through the drive, our driver pulled off at this view point and asked if anyone would like to get out and take pictures. Yes indeed - a dangerous question. This is Mokolii Rock, also known as Chinaman's Hat on Oahu.
At the Polynesian Cultural Center, we did the touristy luau and dance show, including fire stick dancing. It was entertaining, and good introduction to Hawaii.