Aloha:-)

wishful thinking

somehow,  this glass of wine tasted way better when I was sipping it on that lanai...

We just returned from Hawaii..wish we were still there.  Grandma came into town to watch the kids while we jetted off to Oahu for some much needed R & R.  Mike actually had a good excuse to be there-the annual Neurology conference.  I had no good reason other than to tag along and enjoy a third trip to Hawaii.  I will start by saying that Oahu is very underrated.  Most people complain that Honolulu is too crowded and Americanized (?)  Last time I checked it was part of America..but anyway.  Not being ones to sit at a hotel we ventured around the island and off the beaten path.  It's an amazing island...from the North shore to the windy eastern side.  I am much more of a "let's stop right here at this secluded beach so i can jump in the water" than Mike so many of our pictures were of me swimming.  At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I don't mix well with tourists.  My annoyance level skyrockets so Mike knows it's best to keep me away and enjoy the beautiful parts of the island without tons of people marring the visuals.

our hotel grounds

 waiting to enjoy our first drink of vacation

 this picture highlights our difference in size/height beautifully

 I hadn't had Uni in years and I'm happy to say it still has that "ocean fresh" flavor to put it delicately

 Holly swimming at the North shore...interestingly enough there were few surfers..but lots of spear fishing?

 Mike on the phone at the North shore...

 I had forgotten just how much Hawaii loves Spam..the answer is to an absurd degree

driving past the many acres of the Dole pineapple plantation

 Our lanai at the hotel..we have no idea what I'm looking at. It might be the nightly turn down service person.  The mountains behind rose far above the sea and had a striking "Gorillas in the Mist" quality about them.  OK, it was cloudy for half of the time...

 I'm not sure what we were talking about here but I know we had several drinks before it was taken

 I look kind of sad here but was trying to get a glimpse of our hotel room which was beautiful and super luxurious

 On Waikiki at the Royal Hawaiian, a very pink hotel. Also had the best Mai Tais

 Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background

 Blurry, but it was really pretty at twilight

Our hotel was a few miles from Waikiki which was really nice.  No crowds....