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.

Kauai in July 7.19 – 7.26

7.19.21Our flight from Honolulu to Lihue was at 9:30 am. We were at the airport a little early and it was the first time we could take advantage of one of the free lounges that is a benefit on a credit card we had. There were free food and drinks and a relaxing place to sit with chargers for devices.

The flight was short. Slam your POG. Read 2 pages of a book. Land.

I liked how all the airport covid notices had a Hawaiian flare.

Makai and George came to pick us up at the airport. Just before they went to Burger King and split a sausage and pancake plate. I think Makai has only been to Burger King on Kauai!

At baggage claim:
Dallas: There they are.
Me (no glasses): Where?
Dallas: That tall boy with the red mask!

Makai ran to us and gave me a big hug! He swore he was only missing KC but in the backseat of the car on the ride to Waimea he kept moving my arm to put it around him. Every time I took it back he moved it back to hug him.

We took a walk down to grandpa and grandma’s house.

Grace found this egg!

Something died, we think?, by the door nearest the driveway. Dallas said it smelled really bad and wouldn’t let us go near. We had to go in this door by the kitchen.

There were sooooo many photos and things inside. All the koa furniture. Dallas’s grandpa meeting J. Edgar Hoover for an FBI course he took. George told us this shirt was from a Kauai Police shooting club that met in Kalaheo. He remembered going to parties they had.

This flag was given to Dallas’s grandpa. We ended up giving it to Quincy later on in the trip and he was very thankful. He said he wanted to frame it.

Dallas helped with some things around the house and yard. He trimmed the African tulip tree for his mom.

Makai and Grace have developed a complicated relationship. He is 7 and she is 6. They both want to be the boss. They will go off and play nicely but then they’ll wake up the whole valley with their arguing. Or wrestling in the grass. They bicker constantly. They are basically siblings.

For dinner we have kalua pig and rice, which Makai loved. He and Grace had been eating a diet of chicken nuggets and frozen waffles and not much else! Grace wanted to try Makai’s pork meat. She said it was soooo good that she wants it for breakfast and eats a whole plate of it!

At night Makai and Kathy have been sleeping on the beds in Dallas and Jordan’s room and Grace has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Makai begged me to sleep with me just one night (ended up being the whole week). Dallas slept in his bed with Kathy and Grace in the room too.


7.20.21
I woke up a few times in the night but ended up sleeping until 8:30am. I’m adjusting. Dallas is not. He woke up at 3am! When I got up I ran to Big Save and got a few groceries.

Dallas, Makai, Grace, George and Kathy all wanted to golf at Kukuiolono, the 9 hole golf course in Kalaheo. George and Kathy had been taking the kids there for weeks on off times to learn to golf. It’s only $5-$10 per person to play! They also met Mr. Ragasa (known to Makai and Grace as “Uncle Larry”).

Since we didn’t have a rental car, I dropped them off so I could go and do my own thing. I decided to visit Little Fish Cafe. It used to be located in Hanapepe and I’ve been several times. Now it’s in Poipu. They told me they also have a location in Lawai.

I basically spent the entire time that everyone else golfed driving to and standing in line at Little Fish. I got this breakfast bowl and it was amazing. I don’t know if it was worth the super long wait in a line of tourists, but I am happy to support a local business.

I went back to meet everyone at Kukuiolono and to eat lunch and Apple maps took me on this really strange back way to get there. Good thing I was in the pick up truck. I was going to go in and have a drink while everyone finished up with golf, but I lost my mask. Maybe it flew out the truck window? I literally only needed it to walk 5 feet from the restaurant door to the table. They didn’t have any to give me and wouldn’t let me in. I found Mr. Ragasa in the parking lot and he had a spare in his glove compartment!

This is a guava margarita with li hing mui powder on the rim.

I had literally just eaten Little Fish, so I was just going to get ceviche (listed as Mexican poke) on the menu, but they were all out.

Makai got a quesadilla with rice and beans. When the waitress came back over he asked for MORE rice and beans! We ended up taking some of them home.

At home we had some relaxation time. Later on Makai and Grace did water balloons and pulled each other around in the wagon.

For dinner, Dallas and George grilled steak and we saw a rainbow! Makai slept in my room again! We decided the other room is the insomniac / late night room, since Grace and Kathy stay up so late and Dallas can’t sleep at night.


7.21.21
Makai woke up and yelled “BEACH DAY!!!!” in my face.We ate breakfast and went to Salt Pond.

It was overcast and the tide was low which made the water in the protected area VERY shallow. There was no one at the beach for a long time!

Gracie ate Funyuns from a sand toy!

The kids played in the sand as much as the water and we also checked out the tide pools a lot!

It rained for just a few minutes. We ended up going home at around 11:30.

At 1pm I took Grace and Makai to meet Aunty Kathy at Port Allen Grill for lunch. The kids had “fried chicken” off the menu but it was actually wings! And the fries were wedges! Gracie hated it! I had a broiled ono sandwich and it was ONO! We also shared 2 ice creams for dessert.

Next to our table there was a Tahitian gardenia and Aunty Kathy told Grace and Makai to each pick one to smell. They were very fragrant! We put one in each of Grace’s barrettes in her hair. She loved it. Makai complained on the way home that the smell was making his head hurt.

While we were eating, Doris Hanson stopped by our table to say “hi” to Aunty Kathy. I found out later on that she was Dallas’s preschool teacher!

At home we relaxed in the afternoon. We wrote some postacards too.

For dinner we had ahi sashimi and grilled burgers.


7.22.21Kathy and George went to Lihue to look at a new washing machine because theirs is broken but the new machine was on backorder for 5 weeks. We got up and went to the laudromat and did 4 loads of laundry. Luckily the laundromat is just down the hill in Waimea.

While the clothes were washing, Makai and I walked around to do a few errands. We mailed our postcards. We also went to Big Save, where papayay was $1.99 for a half. At our breakfast at the Royal Hawaiian it was $13 for 3 slices!

When we came home we realized we were locked out! Dallas locked the wrong lock on the door. We were able to lift Grace into a window. She thought that she was able to do it because she practices gymnastics!

Dallas and I packed a lunch and took Grace and Makai to Kokee. Makai was so excited and kept calling it Chicken Mountain before we got there, but much to our shock, there weren’t really that many chickens running around! The last time Grace and Makai visited Kokee all they did was chase chickens the entire time.

Makai at the Kokee Museum. After a few hours we drove back down.

The car had low tire pressure so we were a bit worried about that. George checked it and it was not holding air. Dallas and I went to Ace in Kalaheo and got some repair kits to try. We had salmon for dinner.

Grace has the longest eyelashes of anyone I knew…. until I met her brother!


7.23.21Kathy asked me to stay at the house from 9am – 2pm to wait for the washing machine repair man. Dallas and George went golfing at Poipu Bay. Kathy took Grace to Lihue to go shopping and to take the tire to Costco to fix. Which, she found out it couldn’t be replaced and they would have to ORDER a new one – 6 weeks. 6 weeks for everything!

Makai wanted to watch the new Space Jam movie and I said only if we watch it outside where I could also see the ocean.

We waited all day and the repair man never showed up or called.

We didn’t have a car, but at 3pm we gave up and walked to Waimea. We had fresh coconut and pineapple from the fruit stand.

We did some shopping and we had shave ice from Jo Jo’s Shave Ice.

Me: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Makai: To get to the bushes!

Trying to watch the Olympics Parade of Nations.

Love this photo of Dallas, Caroline and Jordan.

Makai is still sleeping in my bed.


7.24 Salt Pond in the mornings has been our routine since Makai was a baby. The drive is 15 minutes or less, no one is there early in the morning, and the tide is low making the baby beach extra shallow.

We saw a lot of ghost crabs!

After a few hours, we dropped Dallas back home and had an adventure of our own.

We went to Hanapepe!

Grace and Makai loved the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge! They went back and forth on it 3 times!

We walked around a few shops but several of my favorites were closed because of the pandemic.

Makai remembered Talk Story bookstore and asked if we could go there. He remembered the kids section and showed Grace where it was! Makai asked the store owner about the shop cat. She was hiding, sleeping in a basket behind the counter. There was a sign that said “I am THE BOSS. All proceeds go to me.” Grace asked the shop owner if the cat put that sign up! The owner’s wife published a book and illustrated some stickers featuring the Talk Story cat!

We saw this giant pikachu in a car outside the bookstore! I told the kids we could get a treat at the bakery in Hanapepe, but they were sold out of everything except coffee! We ended up going to McDonald’s and getting McFlurrys! And the kids also disliked how I kept saying ELE ELE. ELE ELE. ELE ELE.

Makai and Grace and Grandpa and Grandma.

Getting ready for a party with friends. I was expecting his signature margarita, but George made me an aperol spritz!

Bob, George, Nancy, Linko, Dallas

Eleanor, Janice, Kathy, Mr. Regasa, Kathy

Janice, Kathy, Xavier, Dee

Dallas and his dad smoked pork and made blue cheese slaw for sandwiches. Dallas’s mom made a fruit salsa. Of course Aunty Nancy made Portuguese meat!

Beautiful full moon that night! The full moon tonight was soooo bright. Plus so nice to look at the stars without Chicago light pollution.


7.25.21In the morning we went to the laundromat again.

I took Makai to Poipu Shopping Center. We looked around the shops and then ate lunch at Keoki’s Paradise.

Makai had POG and I had a lava flow.

Makai had a cheeseburger and I had panko and macadamia nut crusted ono fish.

There was a local musician playing named JoJo Tram. He played popular and local music. He kept asking for requests and no one gave any so I went up and requested Manao Company and Kapena. I can’t think of a trip to Kauai when I haven’t gone to Keoki’s one or two times.

In March, Kauai got a statue of Kaua?i King Kaumuali?i, the last reigning king of Kauai. Makai and I stopped on the way home to check it out. Fun fact: Dallas and his dad both have the middle name Kaumu, after the king.

Makai noticed that across the field there’s a great view of the black sand at Waimea Beach. This is also basically looking at Captain Cook’s landing site.


7.26Today Dallas, Makai and I leave to go to Oahu. Makai and his first cousin Grace have been on Kauai for a month. They are the closest of the Crowell cousins and when they play nice it’s great. But they’ve become like siblings and what these photos don’t show is the frequent arguing and competitiveness and bossing around. They’re similarly aged and both first born, both very stubborn. This has been a great experience for Makai, to live with another kid and learn what that’s about. He doesn’t realize it now, but he will miss her a TON!

Cubs Beat the Pirates + Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse

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Herm had never been to that Wrangley Field, or whatever it’s called, so Kristin got a bunch of tickets and we all went on Sunday night. I met up with Herm, Allison, Kristin, Cousin, Trent and his brother Tim at The Piggery first. I hadn’t been there for a long time and they added a rooftop deck and bar, which was really nice and gave great views of Popeye’s and The Diner Grill!

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IMG_7351Allison excused herself to go to the bathroom and this great big pig mascot came out of nowhere, walked up to Herm and gave him a hug, before disappearing into nowhere. Minutes later Allison reappeared. Very suspicious.

We walked over to Wrigley Field and met up with Jen and Chad and Tarah and her family. Our seats were a little spread around, but the stadium wasn’t full and we eventually all made it into the same area, within a few rows of each other.

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The weather was great and it was such a nice night to be at the ballpark. When Makai and I were at the Farmers Market in the morning it was drizzly and I was afraid that it would be freezing at the night game, but it was not.

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I went to Wrigley Field last year for my dad’s first visit there, but this year there were some improvements in the stadium. They added two digital jumbotrons. One shows all the game stats and one shows which player is up to bat and replays and things like that. I found these to be really helpful as a passive watcher who would often wonder what was going on!

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The screen was also very helpful in seeing super blood moon lunar eclipse. Real life eclipse on at the top. Jumbotron eclipse below!

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Trent and his brother, Tim

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The Cubs beat the Pirates! After the game, some people headed to Guthrie’s but I headed home because I had an early work morning the next day.

Bonus: Cubs shirt selfies using Allison’s favorite app, Beauty Plus!

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