Day 4 - Waimea Bay to Waikiki Beach

Hello Again Vicarious Vacationers!

Day 4 saw Terry and I putting in some serious driving time. We headed up to Craig's personal favorite part of the Island so far (the North Shore) to beautiful Waimea Bay. It is one of the prettier beaches and has the added advantage of free parking right next to the beach.

While there, Craig finally took the advice given to him by so many of you over the years (Go Fly A Kite!) and the winds were perfect for it -- a steady 15 to 20 miles per hour.

As Craig was flying his kite (with Terry as launch assistant) the lifeguard announced that a pod of dolphins had entered the Bay and that swimmers were required by federal law to maintain a hundred yard distance from them. The dolphins were easily visible jumping, twisting in mid-air, and being extremely playful.

After leaving Waimea Bay, we wound are way along the King Kamehaha Highway with brief stops at the the Kualoa Sugar Mill, and a Macadamia Nut Farm. Both of which offered an insight into the past and present agricultural activities on the island.

After returning back home for a brief rest and to escape the mid-afternoon sun, we headed to scenic but active Waikiki Beach for a sunset stroll. The sunset was reasonable (we're returning to the North wast shore for the more spectacular version later in the week) but it is very romantic and views are amazing from a walk that extends out past the sea wall. Terry and I also got the mandatory photo of us taken with the statue of true Hawaiian Surfing Legend, Duke
Kohanamoku considered many to be the Guru who made surfing such a part of the modern era and set surfing records that last to this day.

Apologies for no photos at this point-the blogger software is being "itchy" so we will be adding photos on the 'morrow.


Maholo Nui Loa!

Craig

Day 3-ALOHA! (Stadium Swap Meet Extravaganza)

Hello All!

Well we all encounter it, the big vacation dilemma -- we want to purchase tourist kitsch to commemorate our trip to exotic locations (particularly Hawaii) and give to relatives, friends, etc. but the stuff is very expensive and we'd rather spend the lion's share of our hard earned coin on the trip's necessities (umbrella drinks, loud shirts, tanning lotion, and sunglasses behind which we can leer at bikini clad people). What to do? What to do?

Well the warm and friendly people of Hawaii have an answer -- the thrice weekly Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and Tag Sale. Billed as one of the largest anywhere, there are two to three thousand (yes I said thousand booths with people selling all manner of goods most of them the touristy kitsch you know and love (Clothing, shell jewelry, live plants, you name it) at wholesale or fell out the back of a truck prices. The admission is $1.00/person and includes parking (a premium in Hawaii) and you ca stay as long as your legs and wallet hold out.














The only downside? Refreshments are extremely limited one or two vendors of actual food at most.
Craig, wisely obtaining native refreshment/hydration -- a chilled, juice-filled Coconut cracked by a very polite Island native -- set out to conquer the the task of obtaining vacation mementos and genuine Hawaiian shirts. Terry similarly equipped made several well chosen purchases herself.

The entire process was completed by just before mid-day when temperatures topped 100 degrees.

We finished up the day with a delightful drive along the North shore, scouting beach locations for return visits later in the week. More on those later in the blog.
Mahalo!
Craig

Day 2-Life on the Dole (Plantation that is!)

Hello again Happy Followers of our Hawaiian escapades!

Day 2 Terry and I decided to head Northwest from Honolulu to pay a visit to another of the "must see" Hawaiian locations, the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

As with most things in Hawaii, it's not hard to reach. We took the H-1 to the King Kamehameha Highway and headed north through the famed "Red Dirt" section of the Island of Oahu -- the soil is so rich in iron that it actually takes on a dark red (rust) hue -- and there is a thriving trade producing a line of "Red Dirt" shirts (shirts dyed using the native soil. It is also one of the premier farming areas with an endless procession of coffee and pineapple farms.

As you ride along at a steady 35 miles per hour (posted speed limits occasionally enforced). The scenery unfolds from the sharply rising mountains on your left to the plantations on your right and the Ocean out in front of you in the distance.

We arrived at the Dole Plantation about mid-morning and the sun was definitely doing its job. The temperature was warmer than normal for the region (about 94 degrees) and even with a steady breeze there was no escaping the heat. No escaping it that is...until you enter the extremely air-conditioned comfort of the Dole Plantation Visitor Center/ Retail Emporium/Cafeteria. Capitalizing on all things pineapple, Hawaiian, and potentially appealing to their target demographic (confused Japanese tourists desperately seeking to be separated from their money) they do a thriving business. Craig, never one to let rampant American Consumerism lag behind the Japanese, took the opportunity to Pearl Diving at the
"Pick-A-Pearl we planted in an Oyster shell in hopes of convincing you to buy a jewelry setting for it" booth. The pirate, after successfully obtaining his booty (a beautiful pink pearl), laid waste to the retail scalawags hopes by taking the loot and making his getaway with the exclamation "Thanks lady but I just wanted the pretty stone".


Being fair, there are several reasonably priced items in the gift shop and there are a number of things to do-a 20 minute "Train" ride through the Plantation, and the World's Largest Outdoor Pineapple Maze.

After taking a quick break to re-hydrate and feed scone crumbs to the birds, Terry and I took a walking tour of the Pineapple Garden -- an informative collection of the different types of pineapple grown on the plantation, obtained from locations all over the Pacific Rim.

Craig, never one to resist a wooden cut-out with a hole to stick your head through (what else is new?) convinced Terry to do the same and thus providing Day 2's photos of choice.

Day One-Part 2- The Tale of Retail

Hello Again!

As part of our ongoing saga of Day One of Craig Waltz's Very Delayed Hawaiian Honeymoon, we join our young heroes as they prepare for their journeys about the Island by laying in necessary supplies and sampling the local cuisine.

Craig and Terry amde several local stops to lay in some necessary items. A trip to that Hawaiian classic, Wal-Mart-truly beautiful people effectively decimating small local businesses by providing genuine Hawaiian products (mostly made in China) at affordable prices (quasi-shameless plug # 3).

Thoroughly armed with snorkelling gear, reef-walkers, an outrageous straw hat, and a flaming ukelele (more on that later), Craig and Terry went on a whirlwind tour of Waikiki and the Ala Moana Mall (and its food court-offering genuine Hawaiian Luau cuisine with out the flaming dancers and the drunken tourists). It is a mostly open air mall that caters to high end (translation-Japanese tourists with lots of money) visitors. It is on the list of must visit locations according to the Hawaiian tour books so-we went and malled several establishments, coming away with a really cool kite to fly on the beach. Craig tried the Hawaiian Luau food-Kalua Pork, Chicken/wLong rice, Lomi Salmon, and Haupia for (a type of Coconut gelatin)-it was all good except for the Chicken with Long Rice-feel free to give that a pass the next time you dine on the island.

Finally, leaving highly developed civilization behind, we took a long and thrilling ride along the eastern coast of the island. The numerous Banyan trees, beaches, flowering trees and sharply rising mountains were easily enjoyed as the top speed on most Island roads is 35 miles an hour.

Day One-Pali Look-Out Here We Come!

After arriving safely at Honlulu International Airport (courtesy of our friends at Delta Airlines-a shameless plug in the hopes they'll spot it and provide free tickets to exciting destinations in the future) and securing the rental car from the ever helpful folks at Alamo Rental Car (shameless plug # 2) - a 2007 Chrysler Sebring Convertible w/all the options (Sweeeeeeet!) we settled into our residence in the Faculty housing for the University of Hawaii.

After a restful night's sleep (there was no resisting the power of jet-lag), we started our first full day in Hawaii with a trip up to one of the more spectacular views on the Island, Pali Look-Out.

The views are both beautiful and awe-inspiring. In addition to the view, there is a constant and powerful wind blowing in off the ocean. How powerful? Just check out the effect of the wind on Terry's hair!

Welcome!

Welcome one and all to Craig Waltz's Very Delayed Hawaiian Honeymoon Blog!
For those of you who followed our previous exploits on the Craig's Big Fat Girlie Wedding Blog -- Thanks for your continued support! To all the new people -- Well you'll never know what you missed.

Thanks to the enterprising and long-suffering Terry (Wife of the Pirate) securing a multi-week gig teaching Chinese interpretation at the University of Hawaii (all expenses paid/plus salary) their very delayed Hawaiian honeymoon was a Go! You will be following Craig (and Terry too!) on their Island adventure.
Enjoy! Mahalo!