Waikiki,

let's make a day of it….

It has ben chilly here in Hawaii!! I haven't been going out as much. I know, I know, 60's isn't that cold right? Where you live there is ice and snow right? You want to slap me for complaining about it getting into the 60's? Before you powder up that pimp hand, remember, we are acclimated to the heat and sun out here in the tropics. So yes, 65 degrees is a bit chilly. I have been bundled up, watching movies and eating soup the last few nights. It was pretty sunny today, so I decided to head out and play before it got chilly again. 

As you may have seen in my New Years Eve post. There is no place in the world quite like Waikiki. It is a very urban, busy city; right on the beach! How unique is that? I thought you might like to see it in the light of day. Pack your beach bag and lets go. Don't forget your sunscreen! Hawaii is closer to the equator than the mainland, the sun is closer and you can really tell the difference.

Waikiki is a shopping destination for many. Taxes are lower here than many other places, so people come here a lot to shop and save a bit. The shopping here is close to what you might find in New York or Paris. Places like Gucci, Prada, Coach, Armani Exchange & Louis Vuitton line the sidewalks here. I saw a purse today that cost 3 times as much as my car! I'm not much for shopping though, so let's just head to the beach. 

                                                                                               

As you can see, Waikiki beach is SUPER crowded. I came on a week day hoping it may be less, but nope! There are a few lesser known, less crowded beaches here in town, but we will save that for another day. It is still relaxing here, you can hear the ocean and Waikiki is a great place to go swimming. There are few rocks and even fewer waves. It's almost like swimming in a pool here. If you are leery of the ocean, not a strong swimmer, or you want to take keiki (your kid) in for a dip, this is the place for you! 

Remember the Pink Palace from the other night? Here it is in the light of day. It is also known as the Royal Hawaiian. It was one of the first hotels in Waikiki. It opened in 1927 and is a historic site. 

                                                                               

Check out that view of Diamond Head! It was called Le 'ahi by the ancient Hawaiians. Maybe because the shape of the ridge resembles the fin of a tuna. It was renamed Diamond Head in the 19th century by British explorers who mistook the calcite in the rock for diamonds. 

I sat and read for a while on the beach, then decided to take a stroll down the beach, see what I can see, and grab a drink. (I'm walking in the direction away from Diamond head.) There are all kinds of activities here for sale.

                                                    

You can rent flotillas, surf and boogie boards, and stand up boards. You can take surfing lessons, boat rides and canoe trips out to sea with the experts all over the beach. Don't be worried about not being able to find these types of activities, they really are all over the place and the staff is not shy about soliciting you.

And check this thing out!! Some sort of floating big wheel!! I want to rent one of those, but not today.

I stopped in for a drink at Happy's. It's a bar that is located on the beach, associated with a hotel only for military. It is the cheapest place on the beach to get a drink and some grub.

I am a bit hungry, but I will wait. We are meeting my husband for lunch later. I'll just have a beer and watch the water for a while.

 

Heading back, the direction of Diamond Head now…..

Here, we have the Koa Oasis. This is another place for cheap drinks (cheap for beach front Waikiki that is). They boast that they have the "best Mai Tai on the beach". Well, I don't know about that, but I bet it is the best priced Mai Tai on the beach. 

         Taking a picture of you taking a picture of me……

Now that we are back to the Diamond Head side of Waikiki Beach, let's see what we can see….

This is Duke Paoa Kahanamoku.  He was a full blodded Hawaiian, born in 1890 and raised in Honolulu and a surfer. He had an ox named Babe and…..oh wait….that's Paul Bunion, never mind.  But, true story, between 1912 and 1932, he won 3 gold metals, 2 silver and one bronze for swimming. He is known as the "Father of international surfing". This statue is always adorned with leis when I come. 

This plaque was at the base of his statue. Give it a read through, beautiful!! ALOHA to you!!!

We have reached the end of this particular stretch of beach. So beautiful, and what a good time!!

Let's walk down a little further and cross the street to see what's at the park!

This is a lovely little park and a great place to seek some quiet space after leaving the beach swarming with people. The first sight that I came across was the burial mound. This burial mound was built in 2002. It houses the skeletal remains of 200 kupuna (ancestors) that were unearthed during construction taking place in Waikiki. It was designed with plenty of room for more, should they need it. 

              And don't climb on it!! :)

I found this pretty cool statue of Gandhi
too! He spent plenty of time In Hawaii
and I can see why!!

Check out this amazing banyon tree!! These are all over the islands. They look like many trees, but it is just one. They can get huge and you can almost always wander around inside of them. 

This park also houses the entrance to the Honolulu Zoo. Zoos are not really my thing, so if you want to see it, you will just have to come here and check it out for yourself!

Time to walk my bike back down Kalakaua to the Hyatt Regency to meet my husband for lunch at Seafood Village.  I chose to walk my bike because it is a one way road and the cops here do love to write tickets to people riding the wrong way, or riding on the sidewalk in Waikiki, so DON'T DO IT!! 

It's a super fancy pants restaurant, so I changed into my fancy pants before I got there. There isn't a dress code, that's just how I roll. 

This place is super expensive. If you want a $100 plate, this is the place for it. Looking over the menu, I began to sweat, so I ordered the cheapest thing on it! They did have a good selection of vegan and vegetarian choices (which are usually less expensive at restaurants too). I got the veggie stir fry for $12. Not too bad for a meal at a nice restaurant in Waikiki!  

I ate all that and dim sum…….get it, dim sum, HAHA….oh never mind. But seriously, the spinach dim sum was amazing!! The spicy mustard here was really kicking too. 

I have had a long day and my belly is full. I am ready to head back home. I ride my bike along the Ala Wai Canal when coming home from Waikiki. There is a bike path all along there, and in Honolulu, you take bike paths when ever possible. We have the second worst traffic in the nation, only second to L.A. Plus, it's a pretty nice ride. 

Construction on the canal began in 1921. The purpose of the canal was to direct several small streams into the ocean that used to run into Waikiki making it wetlands. The canal is kinda icky, you wouldn't want to swim in it and one time I saw a jellyfish in it. That was pretty cool actually, I never see jellyfish like that. People do use the canal however for paddling practice. Paddling is a huge sport in Hawaii. I used to belong to a paddling team myself when I lived on Kauai. It was a great way to meet people and get some exercise. 

Speaking of paddlers……..

Wow! Look at them go!!

I'm stopping in at a local bakery, Bubby's. I have been wanting to try their mochi. They have about 20 flavors of it! Mochi is a Japanese rice cake. It is huge in Hawaii, you find cakes, cookies and ice cream filled treats in a variety of flavors all over the place out here. 

MMMMochi!!!

So friends, that was my day at Waikiki. I had fun, hope you did too!! Please leave me comments and follow my blog, ask others to follow too if you enjoy it. Much mahalo. 

I will be posting a very exciting (and slightly scary) adventure in the very near future!! I will leave you with another love song from an artist right here in Hawaii. Love you. 

http://youtu.be/8lKcyooIMkQ