Honolulu 7.26 – 7.29

7.26.21
On Kauai we couldn’t rent a car at all. We saw people driving around Uhaul trucks because rental cars weren’t available! On Oahu, we could get a car, but it was going to cost us over $1,000 per week! We didn’t really have a choice, so we reserved it. But then we found out that Ging and Damian were going to be out of town in Seattle for most of the week, so Billy offered to let us use her van. And then BJ and Nalani asked if we needed a car and so did Monte. It’s nice to have such giving friends there!
Makai thought these guys were dabbing in this photo in the Honolulu airport.

Billy picked us up at the airport in Ging’s van. He drove us to his office and then we drove over to our Air BNB. We were renting a place to stay at the Waikiki Banyan in Honolulu for a few nights. Staying in Honolulu was a central location to see a few people we wanted to meet up with.

We stayed at the Waikiki Banyan, condo #2311.

Our unit was really nice. It had been recently remodeled. The lobby of the Banyan was really nice too. It was just the elevators and hallways that were very dated and run down.

We liked this unit because there were two beds in the bedroom and you could close the door if you wanted.

We had a cute little lanai with a view of the city and mountains. If one building wasn’t there we’d have been able to see Diamond Head.

When we looked down from the lanai, we could see the pool deck with two saunas. For some reason the playground was closed.

We were staying in the Makai tower. The other tower, of course, was the Mauka tower.

We quickly realized we were in a pinch again for dinner. I tried to call Tokkuri Tei izakaya but there was no answer. We called Sidestreet again and then walked over. Tokkuri Tei was across the street so I stopped in there while Makai and Dallas kept walking. TT was a madhouse. No walk ins. Lines even with reservations. I told them I tried to call and there was no answer and they were just like “yes, we’re busy.”

When I caught up with Dallas and Makai at Sidestreet, there was an hour wait. We decided to wait because we didn’t know what else our options were. Luckily it was only about a 20 minute wait. Makai had popcorn chicken and fries.

Dallas and I split the Signature Garlic Chicken and Yakisoba.

Makai was excited that we also got dessert!

On the way back to our condo we walked along the Ala Wai canal, which was really beautiful. Makai and I went to ABC Store to get waters and somethings for the room. Note here that my heel was starting to hurt.


7.27.21Makai saw some crazy roots on a tree the day before, so we made sure to walk to one of the bayans in Waikiki and show him just how crazy those roots can be!

We were walking to the Queen Kapiolani Hotel to meet Quincy and Kiki for breakfast at Deck. The restaurant was located on the pool deck and had a great view of Diamond Head. Carly, Quincy’s girlfriend who is a nurse, also joined us. Uncle Bob and Aunty Helen were golfing and Kala was working and couldn’t get away. We gave Quincy the flag from his grandpa and grandma’s house.

I had the acai bowl.

What the deck is really known for are their Tokyo-style souffle pancakes.

The waitress took our photo in front of Diamond Head. Quincy, Carly, Kiki, me, Makai, Dallas

We were thinking of going to the Honolulu Zoo because it was across the street from the hotel, but Makai said he just wanted to go swimming. Good thing because when we came out of the hotel the line for the zo was sooooooooooooooo long. On the walk back to our condo we passed a gift shop called Makai.

We swam in the pool for 2 hours and we were the only ones there, aside from this older man who was just sunbathing!

Swimming makes Makai thirsty!

When in Waikiki, you have to visit Duke!

We wanted to visit the large Quiksilver store in Waikiki and checked the map to make sure it was still there. And when we walked to the spot. It was not there.. even though it was on the map! So we figured out the new location (smaller!) and went there. At Honolua Surf Makai got a new cap. Dallas actually was kind of looking at it, but Makai claimed it in red!

Makai was soo tired from swimming so hard that Dallas walked him back to the hotel and I continued shopping around. Dallas did let him stop once at Dylan’s Candy Bar. I got coffee and a sandwich at Kai Coffee and headed back to the condo. I heated up leftovers for Makai for lunch. And we all rested a bit.

We drove to Kaka’ako for dinner and we came out into all this art and murals everywhere. It was so cool!

We went to Highway Inn to meet cousin Vivian for dinner. Her family had colds so they did not join us.

They specialize i Hawaiian cuisine. I had laul lau, salad with lilikoi dressing, purple sweet potatoes, rice and haupia.

Dallas had kalua pig, chicken long rice, lau lau, squid luau, lomi salmon, purple sweet potato and rice.

Me, Vivian, Dallas, Makai

Walking around Kaka’ako at night. We thought it was strange that there wasn’t a desserts or ice cream shop around that area where there were a bunch of restaurants. We were tired so we just went home and went to bed!


7.28.21
Makai and I got up early to go to Kai Coffee, the best coffee in Waikiki, but the line was already SOOOO long. Like 30 people already. So we got Starbucks and ate at the beach.

After breakfast we went to the beach for an hour and then to the pool for an hour.

We had lunch reservations at Hula Grill. Since Monty works at the Royal Hawaiian, not too far away, we invited him to join us for lunch. I didn’t get a photo of us! Only of my mai tai! After lunch Makai and Dallas went back to our room to rest. My foot was really hurting bad so I looked around to see if there was any place to buy shoes. I could only find the crocs store, so I bought some new cushy shoes there.

In the afternoon we had reservations to go to the Bishop Museum. It’s important that Makai keep learning about Hawaiian culture and history. The game changer now is that he can read about it himself!

One of the exhibits shows the phases of the moon and one phase is Mahealani!

The special exhibit was so cool! POWWOW! The First Decade: From Hawai?i to the World showcased some of the most notable Hawai’i-based artists, international street artists, and sculptors.

We also explored a science building that none of us had ever been in.

My foot was really really hurting by now from all the walking around. I sat down outside the science building for a break. Makai wanted to see the special exhibit again and took off running to see it, so off we went. The funny thing is that he didn’t notice earlier that each art piece had the name of the artist displayed and he wanted to go back and read them!

For dinner we had a reservation at Scratch Kitchen in Ward Center. It was SO good. We loved everything we had. Towards the end of dinner Makai was getting so tired from the beach and swimming and the museum, he asked to go home. We asked him to wait. When the waiter came back to our table Makai went ahead and asked him if we could get the check!

Oh also, there was a tsunami watch, but nothing came of it.

Hawaii 2019 Day 10: Bishop Museum

 Billy surprised us with malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery for breakfast! SO good.

Ging also has a family pass for Bishop Museum, so I took Makai and Damien there. I’d been one time, but it was years ago! And Ging let me know they were having a lego exhibit. Damien LOVED it. Like, he didn’t want to go to any other part of the museum!

After lunch, Damien wanted to either go home or go back to the legos, but then when he realized he could be the expert, he got into it. He was pretty much our personal tour guide and he told Makai all about Hawaiian culture and history! We also saw a show about moons in the Planetarium.

Here are things that Makai and Damien had heated discussions about:

  1. Duplos. Are they the bad guys in the Lego Movie?
  2. What is a pali (cliff)? Makai swears he’s right and Damien finally says “Hey! I LIVE here!”
  3. The keiki menu. Makai ordered from it the day before and Damien teased and said he never would. Then Makai had to point it out the next day when Damien got a keiki meal for lunch.

We planned to meet Ging in Honolulu after she picked up Hoku from school. We got there a little early, so we wandered around the Dole Cannery. Damien REALLY wanted to go to this place called Armchair Adventurer. We played a game while waiting for Ging. He wanted to get a game so bad, he asked me to take this photo of him and Makai.

We met Ging and Hoku at Wild Tiki Fun Zone arcade where the boys all played laser tag. It was Makai’s first time and I wasn’t sure he’d like it but he LOVED it! And every time they came running out, the cashier let them go back in! We had to cut them off because we had to get going!

On the way home, I took Damien, Makai and Hoku with me while Ging went to Costco to get some things for dinner.

Dallas and Billy took all of the kids to the beach quick. They only stayed for a short time before it started raining again. At home Damien, Hoku, Ka’eo and Makai all jumped into the hot tub! For dinner we grilled steak and ate outside.

Hawaii Day 12: Kamehameha Schools Alumni Luau

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Dallas’s parents went out to breakfast and to buy even MORE baby formula. Makai stayed home with us and got another sink bath. Dallas had this leftover “local” sushi for breakfast. It’s made with egg and canned tuna.

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After breakfast, me and Makai and Kathy went on a walk around Waikiki. SO many people stopped us to say how cute Makai is or to talk about his big cheeks! We took a photo by the Duke Kahanamoku, the famous swimmer and surfer, and by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who set up Kamehameha Schools. Her husband also set up the Bishop Museum in her memory. (We visited in 2005.

After our walk we went back to the condo to get ready. Dallas’s parents left quite a while before us to go to Kamehameha Schools because Dallas’s dad had to get his class photo earlier. Each class has a time they have to be there to get the class photo taken. It was Dallas’s dad’s 50 year reunion and Dallas’s 20th.

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Since we had extra time, we went to visit Aunty Mary. She is actually Dallas’s great aunt, his grandma’s sister. Dallas’s grandma passed away a couple years ago and Aunty Mary is the only sibling left. I was impressed with her independence, health and sharp wit! I hope we can all stay this healthy as we get older! Makai was sleeping when we arrived at her house and stayed sleeping after we were there a while. When he woke up he snuggled up to Aunty in her lap for quite a while. So cute!

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The view from Aunty Mary’s house in Manoa Valley. Aunty Mary lives on her own mostly. He husband passed away recently and her granddaughter lives in an apartment downstairs, but she is very self sufficient.

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Next we headed to Kamehameha Schools for the alumni luau. We heard there were 1500 people there and that for every one person in attendance there were three more people who couldn’t get tickets! The youngest alumni there graduated five years ago. The oldest was a 98-year-old woman who was from the class of 30-something.

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Dallas dropped us off and went to park the car and then get his class photo taken. Makai and I browsed around this area where they had some people selling things. I bought a really nice necklace and earrings made from sea glass and sea shells. I tried to rock Makai to sleep during the opening band’s performance but people kept coming up to us to see Makai and talk to him!

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There were so many pupus like pickled Maui onion, limu salad, boiled peanuts, poke, edamame, and my favorite, smoked meat. I really like the onions too and ended up buying some at the supermarket later on! For our actual meal, we had kalua pig, chicken long rice, squid luau, lomi salmon, poke, poi, and rice. I didn’t want my poi, so Makai ate it all. And a few other people saved theirs so that he could eat it for the next few days!

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For entertainment there were a lot of bands and comedians. Each class was called out and they had to do a dance at their tables. Class of ’94 won, I think! (I’m not allowed to post any photos or video of that, but just know they do exist!). Ekolu is a pretty famous Hawaiian band that played. And Touch of Gold played a lot of crowd favorites and oldies. Dallas’s mom took Makai to the dance floor to dance with him, but the swaying made him want to fall asleep. Even though there was a live band a few feet away!

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At around 8 p.m., Dallas’s parents took Makai back to the condo to eat and go to bed. We stuck around and the party continued until 9:30, way past when it was supposed to. No one could remember an alumni luau where so many people were dancing! And they wouldn’t stop! Dallas’s classmate was doing the sound and lighting and kept playing all the Class of ’94 favorite songs. While others were trying to break down tables and clean up, Class of ’94 just kept dancing!

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Oh, and before I forget, we also got these photos taken in the “photo booth.”

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After the party we went back to the dorms again. Someone had a couple of ukuleles and a guitar and there was a lot of playing and singing. So many of Dallas’s classmates are in Hawaiian bands that have been nominated for Na Hoku awards like Kekoa in Holunape and Kalehua in Hi’ikua. We stayed out late, dropped Hoku off in Diamond Head, made a late-night run to Jack in the Box, and got home around 2:30 a.m. What a fun day/night!

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Bishop Museum, Ala Moana, Family Dinner


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Kamehameha


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Oahu


SNAKE!


L&L Drive Inn


Aunty Lauren & Seth


Handmade wash clothes from Aunty Myrtle


Puppy!


Puppy!


Seth


Rachel & Carissa


Channon, Rachel, Danny, Carissa, Danae :: Aina Haina, Oahu


Puppy!


Seth

Last week Friday Dallas and I went to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last decendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The museum houses extensive collections of Hawaiian and Pacific Island artifacts, documents and photographs. Bishop Museum is the largest museum in Hawaii. My favorite exhibit was the one where they showed how so many different cultures came together in Hawaii. From other Pacific Islanders in the beginning, to Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Portuegese, Phillippino, Korean, etc.

After the museum we went to Ala Moana Shopping Center, this huge-ass mall that has like 300 stores. I did a little shopping. Dallas was hungry for chicken katsu so we went to L&L Drive-Inn for lunch.

That night we went to Kathy’s Aunty Kitty’s house in Aina Haina for dinner. All of Kathy’s good friends and family in Oahu were there. Many of them hadn’t gotten together for quite a while so it was a family reunion of sorts. Someone must have felt Dallas’ earlier craving for chicken katsu because there was a TON of it for dinner.. along with many other traditional Korean and Hawaiian dishes.