Month: January 2018

ON THE ROAD: A drive to Ko Olima

 

Yesterday morning was one of frustration:  some online documents my sister was trying to get weren’t available without a two-hour call to the tech department -ever had to do that? She then found out that the washer repairman wouldn’t come after all..another glitch ! The next repair date from Sears wouldn’t be until the end of the month, so perhaps she will look elsewhere for someone else who deals in appliance repairs..

At least we had a free afternoon!

We decided to take a drive to Ko Olima, a development on the west end of the island. There’s a golf course there along with several resort hotels and some gated communities.  It’s only sixteen miles from downtown Honolulu, but feels like a world away. We were in between commute hours and thought it would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

It was!

We were going to eat lunch at the golf course but we were too late, so we ended up at the Four Seasons Hotel instead.  Many years ago, it was built as a Hyatt Hotel amd my sister and brother-in-law stayed there at a special discount given to the locals, called the “kama’aina special,” before the hotel actually opened  as a test run.  It’s lovely.

And did I mention we had lunch there? One of my readers said mentioning food was overkill, so to speak, whereas another reader enjoyed my foodie sections..so Vicki, this is for you!

We mixed and matched again. I ordered Caesar salad with lobster and my sister ordered steak frites..and we shared. Ed had apple tart dessert. Ed was also happy because he had a good view of the ladies in their bikinis in the pool. There was something for everyone!  The food was DELICIOUS!

After lunch, we admired the flowers and fed the koi carp.  They were hungry..

We had a quiet evening at home – no dinner for me – and are up and ready for a new day.  Our activity for today? Visit heiress Doris Duke’s mansion, Shangri La, now a center for Islamic art and culture and a part of the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Yes, we’ll have lunch at the museum.😎

ON THE ROAD: living like a local

 

When I’m traveling I’m definitely a tourist, but when I’m visiting friends or family, I become a temporary resident and integrate myself into their lives . We may go to the movies, shop at the grocery store, wait for the repairman, or walk in the neighborhood.  Since they seldom go to the tourist sites, it is a treat for them as well to “play tourist” when I’m here.

Yesterday we went to the Kahala mall to see “The Greatest Showman,” a musical with Hugh Jackman, then strolled the mall.  This is a people’s mall, without the Prada, Tesla and Louis Vuitton stores; it has, among other stores,  Macy’s, Long’s Drugs, and See’s candies.  Some of the smaller stores were closed because it was New Year’s Day..

Ed, the former aviator,  was wearing his classic aviator glasses as he posed next to the sign. At this indoor mall, many of the families used the chairs to rest in between shopping excursions. This is a family place. We stopped at Whole Foods for take out food for dinner, supplemented by a lovely green salad.

We decided to take the scenic route home when  I realized that I hadn’t seen the water yet.  Since we were in the Kahala neighborhood, we drove by some of the fancy gated mansions and to a lookout point to see the ocean.

We headed down to the main part of Waikiki beach, past some charming historical homes that looked like they belonged in the East Coast instead of the middle of the Pacific Ocean..

We drove down Kuhio, then back down to Kalakawa, the main drags of Waikiki, to see the glasss and concrete. Every time I visit,  the area has become more “modernized”, with more stores and less charm. The original open air International Marketplace is gone and has been replaced by white buildings.  I was only able to glance out the window of the car, but it didn’t look very appealing.  We drove by the zoo and listened to the bird sounds, and  I was able to see the white sands and palm trees of world-famous Waikiki beach.

We will return for a stroll sometime in the next four days..but today we need to wait for the washing machine repairman. There will be time..

 

 

 

 

ON THE ROAD: the last day of 2017

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s a new day -and a new year – as I write this post.

Yesterday my sister and I explored the biggest outdoor mall in the WORLD, also known as Ala Moana mall.  It’s been there forever, or at least from my first trip to Hawaii in the mid 70s, but it has grown and expanded over the years.  It has become more “upscale” in certain sections, with designers like Prada and Louis Vuitton entering the market, as Sears has left.  Asian tourists often visit Hawaii on their honeymoons and they like to shop too..but it’s not so much a place where locals shop any more. It is still a sight to see: a lush, beautiful space, gorgeously landscaped,  catering to the consumer, but also a good place to land a few photo ops as well.

We checked out the Panama hats at Truffaux, sat in a Tesla and admired the fish and flora along the way to our final destination.

We were meeting friend Margy for lunch at the Mariposa, the restaurant inside the Nieman-Marcus store. I couldn’t decide between the crab salad or the lobster club sandwich, so my sister and I shared each and split the order  The view from the lanai is lovely and, of course, we had to take the required group photo in front of the Christmas tree, before it was taken down.

 

We wandered through a few stores in the way back to the car and discovered that there were a few bargains to be had – someone managed to find three pairs of shoes!

Back home, we watched the sky change as we waited for nightfall and the end of the day and the year. I never tire of the ever-changing views from their lanai.

The fireworks came out sporadically all evening but reached a crescendo pitch at midnight, as we watched the mini explosions from the lanai reverberating across the land. it was the perfect weather – a bit of wind but no rain or clouds -perfect viewing from our perch on the 26th floor, as we toasted in the New Year..

It’s quiet here now, as I make my coffee and eat my yogurt;  the family is still recovering from the events of last evening.  So what’s in store for today, you might ask.  I never know for sure. You’ll find out tomorrow morning.

Enjoy your first day of the new year.