Monthly Archives: August 2013

Talk about a wow factor…

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Those of us with kids realize how very literal they are.  Sometimes, though, we take it for granted that they understand how some words can have more than one meaning.  Today, we were reminded of this as we got ready to head out of the door to start our day.  Ethel was busy unwrapping a disposable camera.  I asked her where her other one was since it still had a few shots left on it.  She calmly told me that she had thrown it away-it was disposable…Once we picked ourselves up off of the floor, we explained to her how disposable cameras work.  We couldn’t help but laugh, she took it literal and did what the camera told her to do.

This morning we avoided the restaurant scene by having breakfast at the condo.  We’re staying at the Wyndham Bali Hai Villas and it is a nice place.  I’ll give a more thorough review later of the accommodations.  Anyway, we left and headed towards the western side of Kauai to the Waimea Canyon.  This was one of the things that was on my list to do while here, so that was great.  We decided to stop at Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company for a snack before heading up to the canyon.  This was without a doubt the biggest bummer of the day.  I had done some checking and found that the place had gluten-free bread and a few gluten-free muffins.  I was stoked to get a BLT until I ordered and was told that they were out of bread.  I settled, very begrudgingly, for a muffin, ordered from a very dour employee.

Up the road we went to the Waimea Canyon.  The landscape on the south and west side of the island is so vastly different than the north.  The north is so green and lush and the southwest side is arid.  It wasn’t at all what one would expect on a tropical island.  The road to the end was about 20 miles long and to reach the end at the Na Pali Coast took around 2 hours, mostly because of the stops.  Each one offered a view that was different from the last.  By the time we reached the end we had basically traveled the width of the island.  Those of you who have been to the Grand Canyon know that no photo will ever do it justice.  The same is true for this ride.  I’ll put up a photo or two, but it will be a sad representation.

Down we came into the town of Waimea for lunch.  The Shrimp Station was on the agenda and the Spicy Thai Basil shrimp were great.  The staff was knowledgeable about gluten-free issues and when I asked what I could have from a relatively extensive menu, they immediately named two dishes.  Lucy and Ethel split some shrimp tacos that received rave reviews.  When in Waimea, this is a definite stop for those with gluten allergies.  From there we went to Jo Jo’s Shave Ice, which, according to their walls, has been rated the best shave ice on Kauai.  It was good.  I don’t know that I’d wait an hour again to get some of it, but it was good.  I suppose more than anything else, you go for the experience.  We also managed to get the boss her chilled coconut.

By now, it was closing in on 5, so we turned the minivan north towards Hanalei to go to the bay to go swim and use the equipment we got at Snorkel Bob‘s in Kapaa this morning.  The beach was devoid of tourists and seemed to be mostly local families having a good time at Back Pot Beach.  We played and enjoyed the cool water for around an hour or so and then headed back for baths and dinner, but not before one last stop for a sunset photo over Hanalei Bay.

So long Oahu…

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There is something quite comforting about going to a restaurant a second time.  The first time you go, there is always that sense of uncertainty.  How do I order?  Where do I wait?  Do I get my drink first?  This is just a partial list of all the complications that come from going to a new place.  Not today, my friends.  Returning to our successful breakfast stop from yesterday we again visited Ted’s.  This time, I went with the Denver omelet and had great success.  Lucy and Ethel split a 3 egg and rice combo with a side of bacon.  The main difference this time, is that we ate on the way to Pearl Harbor.

Ever since I knew about this trip to Hawaii, I decided that visiting Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial was at the top of any Oahu to-do list.  I started checking on getting reservations for the Arizona back in February.  While I had to wait a bit longer, it definitely paid off.  You can reserve the tickets for a nominal fee at the Park Service web site and I highly recommend this.  The stand-by line was crazy long at 8:30 in the morning.  I also splurged for the audio tour which was worth it, I think.  The only drawback to the audio tour was I don’t really believe that they give you enough time on the Arizona to hear all of the parts of the audio tour.  Also, we were only permitted about 15 minutes on the Arizona herself and I believe that I could have spent more time.  Being in a place of such immense importance and solemnity was powerful.  Lucy and Ethel had good questions and if they only remember a small portion of the visit, then it was time well spent.  When in Oahu, you must visit Pearl and the USS Arizona.

After leaving Pearl, we headed towards Iolani Palace, home of the Hawaiian monarchs.  When we arrived near the palace, we saw some filming going on for the current reboot of Hawaii Five-O.  Even though we didn’t see any of the primary players, it was still interesting and Lucy and Ethel got to see just how many folks it takes to make a single scene of television.  Another benefit of visiting the palace was seeing the King Kamehameha statue.  I’ve seen the one in the US Capitol and while that was cool, seeing the original in its intended setting was even better.  I do believe that if you come to Hawaii, it is important to brush up a bit on the history so the importance of the person on the pedestal is clear.

Once we had our fill of Iolani and the King (not Elvis), we ventured over to the Aloha Tower.  Once the tallest building in Hawaii, it now seems to be lost in time.  There were lots of vacant shops in the area and the whole of the Marketplace seems to have fallen on harder times.  I will say, though, that a visit to the tower itself is worth the trip.  The ride to the top is free and even though it is not all that high, the vistas are great and it might be the only thing you can do for free in Honolulu.  It is also a great way to pass an hour or so until you return to the airport for your flight to…Kauai!!!

The approach to the Garden Isle is spectacular.  On our arrival the mountains were on the left and although we were on the other side of the plane, it was awesome.  The ride form Lihue to Princeville was beautiful and I can’t wait until tomorrow to get out and explore some of this island.  For dinner the family visited Frederico’s, a Mexican restaurant.  Most of the items were not gluten friendly and I thought I had hit on a salad until I saw them warming flour tortillas on the griddle with the grilled chicken.  I let the family eat and I headed to the grocery store for some food I could eat.  I knew Kauai was going to be pricey, but wow.  On the bright side, I know that I can get up in the morning and have a solid breakfast as we set out for Waimea Canyon.  I can’t wait.

 

Aloha!

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I believe that I have had quite enough of the traffic in Honolulu to last several lifetimes, and if you spend your entire time in the islands in the state capital, then you will have missed some great parts of Oahu.  But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.  I feel that I first need to apologize for taking 3 days to make my first post of our trip.  To be honest, the drive to Charlotte and the stay at the La Quinta near the airport was not much to write home about.  Even in the most ordinary of hotels, though, interesting things can happen.  For the purpose of this trip, I’ll be referring to my girls as Lucy (my oldest) and Ethel (my youngest).  I do think that it’s time that we use an ice bucket in a hotel for the purpose for which it was intended.  Ethel was asked where I had gone at one point and she explained that I had gone to fill the “wine bucket”.  Apparently, our pre-trip bottle has become ordinary to her.  Since we had to get up at 4, we all turned in early.  Sure enough, at 3am, so I thought, an alarm sounded in the hotel for roughly 40 seconds.  Having had the stuffing scared out of me, I fell out of bed and attempted to silence the “alarm”.  It stopped on its own and I found myself on the floor, heart beating out of my chest.  I said “so I thought” because the hotel clock said that it was 3.  And since I was clearly awake after the alarm, I laid there waiting for the alarm on my phone that never sounded.  When I checked, the time was an hour early.  Thanks, La Quinta.

So we woke, we left, and we went to the airport.  There is something exciting about doing mundane tasks with someone doing it for the first time.  It was Lucy and Ethel’s first flight and they made it a joy for us all.  Such as when Lucy complained of “jet leg” and proceeded to work her leg out (clearly she meant jet lag).  I appreciated the fact that the flight attendants provide some “extra aloha” for my coke at no charge.  At 2pm we arrived in Honolulu at an airport that reminded me of Disney’s Polynesian Resort.  An rental car shuttle ride later, we were at Dollar Rent-a-Car driving off in our mini-van.  We headed north to our condo home for 2 nights and since we were all exhausted, we had some shrimp from Romy’s which, though not identified as gluten-free, left me feeling good.  I stuck with the garlic and butter shrimp and the spicy ones and had no problems at all.  So finally, we make it to today.

This morning we were all up fairly early, prior to 7, so we headed to a bakery on the advice of a friend who grew up on Oahu.  We ate at Ted’s Bakery in Sunset Beach.  Clearly, there is absolutely nothing gluten-free about a bakery but my family was so excited, I couldn’t deny them.  Lucy had a chocolate croissant that could’ve choked a horse and Ethel had a guava danish.  The boss had an omelet that looked really good, and I went with 3 eggs served with rice.  Again, no problems and the entire family left with full bellies and happy faces.  After eating, we started our circle tour of Oahu by heading east on Kamehameha Highway.  We happened upon our best view at our very first stop and after that, everything else was anti-climatic.  I will say that each stop was unique, offered a different perspective, and was pleasant.  In Kaneohe, we stopped for lunch at Mike’s Huli Huli Chicken.  Again, even though not labeled as gluten-free, the chicken left me feeling no pain and it was delicious.  I would highly recommend a stop.  After several hours we were back in Honolulu fighting traffic.  And people.  And traffic.  Our goal was the International Market and the Duke Kahanamoku statue.  We made it to both and even got a little walk in on Waikiki.  The beach was ok.  Way too crowded and it felt forced and like any other beach in the world.  So, I suppose you have to see it, but I wouldn’t dawdle.  My suggestion-go to Oahu, stay on the North Shore, and pay a brief visit to this metropolis-by-the-sea.  Our final two goals for the evening we to go to Haleiwa for shave ice and swim at Waimea Bay.  We batted .500.  Power was out in Haleiwa, so no shave ice was to be had, but we did manage to get in a chilly Pacific Ocean at Waimea Bay.

All in all, it was a good day.  Lots of time in the car which wasn’t bad and I did enjoy seeing the different parts of Oahu, not just Honolulu.  Now, how about a few photos…