Driving around the island - Day 2

Driving around in my automobile...my baby beside me...eating Maui Onion Chips. Okay, so I know that those aren't the words to the song...but that was our wonderful day! We drove around the island and I took Michael to several of the beaches that I used to frequent!

The day started off the way any Hawaiian day should...with spam and eggs for breakfast! Sadly, I forgot to buy rice yesterday when we were at the store, so it was sans rice! But rest assured...tomorrow there WILL be rice on the plate!

Michael also snarfed down some fresh mango with his breakfast. So I have to say...breakfast of champions!

We got ready this morning and headed to Walmart to buy some things while we waited for Macy's to open because I needed new board shorts. After we made our purchases at the respective stores we headed back to Hilton to get ready for our drive around the island. We had already decided to drive up the windward coast and make our way back down the center of the island, so I promised Michael lunch from the Shrimp Shack, and this had his mouth watering all morning!

On our drive the first place we stopped was beautiful Makapu'u. I remember when I moved here, the first day that I drove around the island, we came around the corner by Makapu'u and the colors of the water were so amazing. I'll never forget that as long as I live. The beauty that these islands hold will forever be burned into my memory. :) I have to warn you, this post will be rather picture heavy...but I do hope that you enjoy them!!!

Makapu'u

Makapu'u

Makapu'u

After we left Makapu'u, we made our way up the windward coast to our next stop. Now if you've ever asked me what is my favorite beach on Oahu...you know that I immediately say...LANIKAI BEACH! And there are many reasons that I love this beach. Most of the tourists go to Kailua Beach which is further up the road and the waves break right on the shore there. But at Lanikai...the waves roll in gently, the sand is fine and brilliantly white and you have the two islands to look at. My favorite by far. Michael even enjoyed this beach. The water was the perfect temperature. We waded right in...heavenly.

Lanikai Beach is just beyond this tree!

Beautiful Lanikai Beach

I'm squinting...but it's BRIGHT at Lanikai Beach

Lanikai Beach

A GREAT backdrop for the beach!

 After spending a little bit of time in the water, and about 20 minutes lying on the sand drying off...we made our way up the coast to Kualoa Beach Park. Across the street from this beach is where the Kualoa Ranch is...you might recognize parts of this ranch from Jurassic Park! :) But we didn't go to the ranch, we stopped at the beach park so Michael could see Chinaman's Hat. :)

Palm trees and Chinaman's Hat in the background

Me and Chinaman's Hat

I just loved this tree right at the water's edge

After some little photo opps...we made our way to our lunch destination! The SHRIMP SHACK! By this point, Michael had already consumed about 1/2 the bag of Maui Onion chips but could not wait to get some shrimp! :) So we parked and placed our orders! :)

This is on all the tables...Instructions on how to eat your shrimp!

Mmmmm! Shrimp! Just kidding. I ordered the steak plate! HA! :) These were Michael's Spicy Garlic Shrimp!

By this point it was almost 3 o'clock and I still wanted to get to Waimea Bay and onto the Dole Plantaion. So we decided to continue our drive. The windward coast is so beautiful! And Michael was quite surprised at how rural most of Oahu is. But he also loved how there are so many flowering plants and trees here! :)

Waimea Beach on the North Shore is another gorgeous beach here on Oahu! During the summers the water is like glass! And the beach drops off quite harshly, more so than a lot of the beaches on the island. But this is also one of the beaches that gets the 30+ foot waves during the winters. I'm happy to report that the largest wave was about a foot today :) That's about all I can handle! :)

 



Waimea Bay

The other side of Waimea Bay

 Michael and I floated in the water for a bit, then made our way back to the car. I saved the best for last, and Michael didn't even know what was coming! :) We made our last stop of the trek...The Dole Plantation. I'd been here once before with my friend Brian when I lived here so I knew what to expect. But we made our way into the plantation and walked around looking at everything, and then we purchased our tickets for the Pineapple Express! A 2 mile, 20 minute train ride through the plantation that gave tons of information(something Michael LOVES!!!) and took us by the pineapple fields and the reservoir. After that we stopped in for the best part of the whole experience...Dole Whip! It's like a yogurt/ice cream that is pineapple flavored. OMG! So good. I had a bit of it...but made Michael finish it while I drove us back to Honolulu. :)

Hello Dole Plantation! :)

The Pineapple Queen has returned!

Pineapple fields

The reservoir at the Dole Plantation

A PINK Pineapple! It's a different variety...I promise they didn't dye it! :)

 We made our way back to the Hilton and Michael made himself some coffee and joined me and my glass of Jinro on the lanai. What a fantastic day!

That's the end...right? NOPE! We still had dinner to tend to! So we headed to Zippy's again, but this time it was for...the LOCO MOCO! I'd told Michael of this amazing meal before...and he was anxious to try it. And I saw the joy on his face as he ate his! He did make mention of the fact that this would be a great meal at 3 AM after you've been out all night! I agreed...maybe from experience...I can neither confirm nor deny that! :) What is a Loco Moco? It's a grilled beef patty on top of rice with yummy brown gravy on top. And just when you think it couldn't get any better...they put two eggs, any style you want, on top of that! Okay...my mouth is watering again!

The LOCO MOCO! :)

After leaving Zippy's Michael said that it's a good thing we didn't live near a Zippy's because he'd more than likely be fat because he'd want a Loco Moco every day! :)

All in all, I have to say that it was an amazing day! It was a busy day, but we did it all on Island Time...meaning we took our time and enjoyed it! I'm excited for tomorrow...we are having lunch with some of my former coworkers and then having dinner with Grandma Lee and her family in Hawaii Kai! And I'm not sure what we'll do for the rest of the day...but that's the great thing about vacation...we can do or not do whatever we want!

Here's a sunset picture for you all...and until next time....Aloha 'oe!