Good morning from sopping wet Ocala, Florida!
Rain bands from Tropical Storm Isaac are streaming across Ocala today and it is wet and dreary. To my southeastern friends out there, I hope you’re staying safe!
A Big Week
You better believe I am monitoring Isaac like it’s my job because I have some exciting travel planned in the upcoming two weeks. I am leaving on Friday for my friend Leah’s bachelorette party in New Orleans which will put our little gang right in the area that Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to hit. Yikes.
Assuming it’s safe and that Tropical Storm Isaac doesn’t do too much damage, our weekend in Louisiana is ON!
I cannot wait to be reunited with these girls!
Since we’re spread out all over the country (Chicago, NYC, Boston, Washington, D.C., Orlando) we haven’t had a chance to get everyone together since 2010. We’re way overdue and I cannot wait to party it up!
As if that trip isn’t enough to get excited about, Ryan and I have an incredible vacation planned immediately after my trip to New Orleans.
We’re heading to Hawaii!!!
Sadie will be staying with my sister. She is stoked… even though she is blissfully unaware of our impending separation at the moment. She loves Leslie and likes forcing her cuddle face-to-face.
Back to Hawaii…
I was invited to Oahu on a press trip in January and couldn’t go, but I stayed in touch with the Oahu Visitor’s Bureau and jumped at the chance to attend another press trip next week. I receive a bunch of press releases every day, but this was – by far – the coolest opportunity that has come my way through the blog. I was blown away and am incredibly grateful and excited.
Ryan and I have never flown anywhere on a just-the-two-of-us special vacation. All of our trips together have been within driving distance (Atlanta, Jekyll Island) and lasted about three days. We planned to go to St. Lucia for our honeymoon, but that was canceled at the last minute due to a hurricane so we had 48 hours to plan a honeymoon and ended up going on a “Tour of Florida.” (We had a blast, by the way!)
Anyway, when I was invited to Oahu, I freaked out and pitched the idea to Ryan, saying it would be the perfect opportunity for us to enjoy our first long vacation together since my airfare and hotel costs would be covered and we’d simply have to pay for Ryan’s plane ticket, food and certain activities outside of the press trip. Ryan didn’t need much convincing and we will be spending next week on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii!
This trip is all I’ve been thinking about for a couple of weeks now and the two of us are beyond excited! If any of you have been to Oahu and Waikiki Beach and have any restaurant or activity recommendations, please, please share! We are going to be there three days before the press trip officially begins and want to make sure we hit the hot spots.
Workout
I suppose I should cover today’s workout and breakfast now, huh?
I hit the gym for week two of phase three of Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp. The workout was essentially the same as last Monday’s workout and targeted the whole body with strength exercises with some active recovery cardio and core exercises thrown in the mix. A great workout!
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning was a delicious batch of peanut butter pancakes!
I used whole wheat flour in place of the regular flour in my original recipe and they turned out great.
Anytime you combine peanut butter and pancakes, I’m a happy girl!
Questions of the Morning
- Have you ever gone on a long vacation with your significant other? Where did you go?
- Have you ever been to Hawaii? If yes, please share any recommendations!
P.S. The Fashion page was updated this morning.
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Hawaii sounds awesome! What a fun way to wrap up the summer 🙂 Would you believe that I have never even seen the ocean… or been in a plane?
Yep… I’ve kind of lived in an Illinois-shaped bubble for my whole 23 years.
I’m thinking it might be time to get out there and take a vacations with my guy. Thanks for giving me a little extra motivation (in the form of major jealousy)! haha
Hi Julie! I lived on Oahu for a few years and I could go on for days..it’s my favorite place on earth! Definitely do the tourist things like Pearl Harbor, Dole Plantation and Hanauma Bay but go off the beaten track for real Hawaii! Koko head is a must hike and great morning workout-various military groups train there from time to time 🙂 If you want to try surfing-Girls who Surf is a great local company that teaches beginners and they take you out of the crowded Waikiki waters (which can be dangerous with all those inexperienced surfers). If you will be there for the first Friday of the month-head to Chinatown-all the art galleries and boutiques are open late and it’s a fun way to see Chinatown (Indigo and Epic are favorite spots for Happy hour or dinner).Lanikai is my favorite beach as well as the neighboring Kailua-you can rent a kayak here for a great work out as well as some great beach lounging. The North Shore is a MUST see- My husband and I want to retire there! Great beaches (you can totally swim in the summer-the waves are small), Haleiwa is a must stop-the best shrimp truck is here as well as Morimoto’s for shave ice (they are the best in my book-worth the line). Bonzai sushi is here as well-one of my favorites-very local joint-you sit on the floor on giant pillows! For a romantic dinner Michel’s in the Surf Colony-my husband and I go every year for our anniversary! Uncle Bo’s is also a stop every time (sometimes twice) when we go to Oahu. I hope you have an amazing trip!! (and get ready for the most awesome ahi of your life!)
Sorry-Matsumoto’s for shave ice (too much food network)
we want to go to michel’s!!! my father-in-law’s gf is from hawaii and HIGHLY recommended that restaurant! thanks so much for this thoughtful comment. love all of your suggestions!
Hey, I live in New Orleans right now. We get ready for the storm. I can let you know how it looks here on Thursday 😉
Okay this is AMAZING!!! YAY! What an exciting opp for your guys, AND a getaway. Rock on!
My recommendation would be to Apartment Three. It is a super-swanky date-nightish hangout. They have awesome handmade cocktails and very fun appetizers. Apparently, Johnny Depp likes to hang out there 🙂
My husband and I went while on our honeymoon last summer, and had a GREAT time.
http://apartmentthree.com/
Hi Julie – First let me say I love your blog! I have never commented before but wanted to make sure I told you one of my favorite places in Oahu. It is called Hanauma Bay. It is basically a bay created from a volcanic crater. It is AMAZING. And if you like snorkling this is the place to do it. There are more fish and sea turtles than I ever seen anywhere. You have some great suggestions on here. You won’t go wrong!
Enjoy!
I LOVED Hawaii!!! It truly lives up to the hype. I also vote for Pearl Harbor and hiking Diamond Head – it’s a fairly easy trip with fabulous views. My biggest regret was not renting a car to drive up to the North Shore to see the magnificent waves. I hope you have a great trip!
Congrats on your Hawaii! I’ve never been to Oahu but I’ve heard good things. Can’t wait to experience it through your photos/posts.
I’m pretty lucky, my husband and I love to travel and make it a priority. We live in Oregon and have taken 1-2 week trips to Tahiti, Mexico a multiple times, Maui, New York, Boston, Texas, California and just booked another Maui trip. Mexico is always my fave place to go.
I feel ya on Isaac! He’s currently hovering over my Miami home as I sulk that the gym is closed 🙁 Booooo
So fun! We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and loved it. We stayed on Oahu and rented a beach house in Kailua and spent most of our time on Lanikai Beach (rated the #1 beach in North America). I high suggest going if you can. Also, Paradise Cove does a great Lua.
OHMYGOODNESS that sounds like a blast. I was planning on going to Maui next summer with my family, but it looks like Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is winning now.
A must do anywhere in Hawaii is a luau! You can’t go to Hawaii without at least pretending that you spend your days in a grass skirt, eating pineapples, and drinking coconut milk out of the coconut 😉
hi julie-
my husband and i vacationed in hawaii twice and loved it so much we moved here. we have been on oahu for over a year now.
there is so much to do here. we still have not done or seen it all.
some of the best: polynesian cultural center and the HA show, pearl harbor, kualoa ranch, north shore beaches and matsumoto for shave ice, lanikai beach and kalapawai market for sandwiches/wraps, hanauma bay, manoa falls, yokohama beach park and keana point hike, longboards at marriott beach club in koolina for sunset dinner
please email me if you have specific questions or for phone number if u need help while u r here
have fun,
kate
thanks so much!!
I am born and raised and currently live in Oahu, Hawaii. Since I know you and Ryan enjoy hiking, try hiking up Diamond Head. It’s near Waikiki, a short 3 mile hike with a steller view at the top. As for food, a hot Lenerd’s malasada is a must in Hawaii (kind of like a donut, but it’s airy in the middle, and rolled in sugar), and a coco puff from Liliha Bakery (like a cream puff but with chocolate in the middle and killer chantilli frosting on top). There’s a little hole in the wall place called W&M in Waikiki. It’s a very small and old burger place that makes really good food for cheap.
I went to Honolulu/Maui at the beginning of this month.
For eating I recommend
-Lulu’s Waikiki
-the malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery.
-the Honolulu Cookie Company just to try a whole bunch free samples. I was cheap like that. 😉
-I heard a place called “Ono” was really good, but never had the chance to go. :/
Activities:
-I would recommend going to the Polynesian Cultural Center. I don’t remember which package it was, but we had a tour guide and a luau buffet dinner.
-Hiking Diamond Head -the views up top are amazing
-Kualoa Ranch
-North Shore is a must.
-Pearl Harbor
-And a Dinner Cruise.
You are going to have an AMAZING time in Hawaii! My boyfriend and I just went in May, and it was a dream come true. We were in Kauai and Kona, so I don’t have specific recommendations as far as Oahu goes…
BUT
Something that we did, that was really fun and silly (and might help with Ryan’s flight fear…) is that when we were a couple of hours outside of hawaii, on the flight, we booted up my boyfriend’s laptop and watched this old Elvis film called “Blue Hawaii” – it is super fun and cheesy – just a classic old Elvis movie/musical – with tons of amazing shots of Hawaii and beaches, and luaus… it got us totally in the mood and psyched to be landing in hawaii!
Another bonus – a young Angela Lansbury is in the movie, and she’s constantly drinking Mai-tais…so the second we got out of the airport, we headed to the closest bar and had mai-tais on the beach! Perfection!
Highly recommended 🙂
You are going to love Hawaii! We went there last year on our honeymoon. When we were in Waikiki we were told to eat at Roy’s. This is a must! The food was incredible. We were also told to ask for Diva – the manager. She was so sweet, and gave us free dessert since we were on our honeymoon. If you get a chance, definitely check it out. You might have to make a reservation, though. 🙂 Enjoy every second of your trip! You might not want to come back. 🙂
Koko Head Trail is an AMAZING hike! I live in So. California, but my BFF got married in Hawaii last summer, and this hike was one of the highlights! You actually hike up “stairs” which is actually an old railroad that used to run up and over the mountain. It’s strenuous, but so fun, and the views at the top are breathtaking.
How exciting!! Hawaii is #1 on my travel bucket list 🙂
omg i live on oahu!!!
definitely go to north shore. go to dole and get a dole whip, go get shave ice…all the tourist go to matsumotos (and there’s a huge line) but i like aokis better..it’s only a little down the road from matsumotos.
waiola shave ice is good too! 🙂 (in town)
i love roy’s waikiki—get a appetizer canoe and the chocolate molten cake (my FAVE!)
hike diamond head…or if you’re more daring (and i totally think you and ryan would kill it–hike kokohead)
get an acai bowl from either blue hawaii or diamond head cove health bar.
go to lanikai beach!
I’m actually going back to Oahu in a week (we’ll be there 9/4-9/11). My husband goes all the time for work, and sometimes I tag along (this will be my second trip this year). We also have some friends who live there, so we tend to do less of the “touristy” things these days.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Waikiki. The first time I stayed on Oahu a few years ago we stayed right on Waikiki Beach, and I wasn’t really impressed…There are nice shops and restaurants, but it’s kinda like any city anywhere, just with a beach nearby. I prefer the North Shore and the East side of Oahu (Kailua area), so if you have a chance to rent a car, definitely take it, and explore!
I didn’t read all the comments, but the shirmp trucks up near North Shore are a great recommendation, and you have to get Shave Ice at Matsumoto while you’re up there.
If you can get to Kailua on the east side of the island, I’d recommend having brunch at Cinnamon’s. They have the most amazing Red Velvet pancakes, and I hear their eggs benedict is awesome too. Since this is not the healthiest option, we did this on our way to hike to the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail. It’s a pretty easy, paved trail, but about 2/3 of the way up there’s a place where you can climb down the lava cliff face to the water and see the Dragon’s Nostril blowhole. Highly recommend that!
Diamon Head is a good hike, but very busy all the time. Although it is a very “standard” activity that everyone should do at least once – and so is Pearl Harbor. If you don’t want to spend all day at Pearl Harbor, you should at the very least see the Arizona memorial.
Last time I went to Oahu I bought an Oahu hiking trails book, and did a lot of the hikes in that, so I’d recomend at least going to a bookstore or library and flipping through one of those – some hikes I did by myself, some with my friends, and some with my husband. If you are interested in a good hike to a waterfall, and don’t feel like driving all the way to North Shore, one of my favorite hikes was out to Manauwili Falls. This is on the east side of Oahu near Kailua as well – just be prepared to cross a river (no bridge) about 4 times on the way there, and again on the way back. It’s not as busy as the Waimea Falls trail on the north side, and more challenging. I haven’t done the Koko Head trail yet, but that’s on my list for next week, and I’ve heard good things!
If you’re eating in Waikiki, I recommend The Yard House. They have a ton of beers on tap, and a fun atmosphere. My favorite “date night” restaurant is Roy’s, which is also a bit more pricey, but delicious. Nico’s Pier 38 is also really good – either for lunch or dinner. It’s not right in Waikiki, but it’s not far (literally at the pier).
Hope you get a chance to try some of these things – they are some of my favorites! :o)
red velvet pancakes!?!?!? YUM!
and the hike to manauwili falls sounds amazing!
DEFINITELY check out the red velvet pancakes and if you have time hike Koko Head (YOU will love it and it’ll give you a good work out while on vacay!) There are a ton of great hikes in Oahu, if you and Ryan want a really easy but BEAUTIFUL hike – head up to Lanikai Pillboxes at sunrise. Everyone raves about it and it’s absolutely GORGEOUS for photos! It’s safe too 🙂 No bears comin’ at ya.
I lived on Oahu for a year in 2010. You HAVE to go to Lankai beach (the most beautiful beach ever…seriously…google it). It’s next to Kailua which is also pretty (a little windy though) and near Boots and Kimo’s (which I saw another reader recommend for pancakes) They have the BEST pancakes with macadamia nut sauce but go early (or just not on a weekend) if you can help it. Doraku is right in Waikiki and has great sushi. The Top of Waikiki is a rotating restaurant on top of a hotel or high rise and has a good happy hour (and view) Rumfire (at the Sheraton) in Waikiki also has a good happy hour (and sunset!) and you have to get a drink and/or check ou the sunset from Duke’s in Waikiki too. The North Shore is always beautiful but the weather can be hit or miss. Def get garlic shrimp from a shrimp truck (I recommend Giovanni’s) So good! I can’t wait to see where you go! Hawaii is my favorite place in the world 🙂
These Weddingbee Oahu honeymoon recap links could be helpful:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/11/10/the-sparkler-guide-to-hawaii-oahu-we-made-it/
http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/12/01/the-sparkler-guide-to-hawaii-our-oahu-favorites/
http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/12/09/the-sparkler-guide-to-hawaii-our-oahu-favorites-continued/
Oh also, get an acai bowl. It’s basically a smoothie bowl with fresh fruit, granola, and honey. You’ll love it!
I used to live on Oahu and one of my favorite things to do was Hanauma Bay! It’s a nature preserve where you snorkel and the water is crystal clear so you can see the hundreds of thousands of colorful fish below! It’s seriously one the coolest things I’ve ever done; I highly recommend it!
You probably have plans to do this, but the Polynesian Cultural Center has really awesome luaus so if you’re interested in seeing one, the PCC is the way to go!
Have fun on your trip!
If you are doing Oahu, go snorkeling at hanauma bay…its amazing. I’m getting married next year on Kauai…Hawaii is a magical place! You’ll never want to leave!
I’ve been to Waikiki beach! It is gorgeous but I can’t give you any recommendations because I was pretty young when I went and I didn’t pay attention to anything but the beaches 🙂 I hope you enjoy the trip!! Mmm I might try those pb pancakes soon.
Wow; that sounds like an amazing trip! Hawaii is somewhere I’d definitely like to visit some day!
How exciting! Can’t wait to read about all your Hawaiian adventures!
I have been reading your blog for a long time now and have never commented, however, Hawaii is a place I have spent tons of time and must make a few recommendations! On the North Shore of Oahu make sure to visit Ted’s Bakery – it is a must. It is a local and surfer fav and they have the most amazing macadamia nut cream pie you will ever eat! All of the baked goods are amazing. If you can get there in the morning the breakfast sandwiches are awesome, too. Make sure to visit Turtle Bay. We spent Christmas 2011 there and it was unreal! It is the hotel were may of the scenes in Soul Surfer and Forgetting Sarah Marshall were filmed. It is where we stay and the views are amazing. Poolside cocktails are a must. Hanauma Bay is incredible so don’t miss it! Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions. My husband lived on the North Shore for three years and knows it like the back of his hand.
Have a fabulous time and tell Ryan to have a sleeping pill and a cocktail and the next thing he knows he will wake up in paradise!
I was born & raised on Oahu and there is certainly a lot to do. Something that’s new since I’ve moved to California are walking tours of Chinatown that including tasting fabulous chinese food! Here’s a link for you http://www.zerve.com/FoodToursHI/Chinatwn You’ll get a chance to taste all kinds of great treats! I grew up eating chinese food at our favorite place in Kane’ohe on the NE side of the island – I will tell you that chinese food sure does taste different on the “mainland”. Have a great vacation!
How exciting! I actually live on Oahu. Will you be doing a public event for the visitors bureau?
My husband and I are avid hikers here. Since I know you guys hike at home and hiking is an excellent way to see the beauty of Oahu, you should check out my husband’s hiking blog and see if anything looks up your alley to do! http://easyhikerhawaii.blogspot.com
Look forward to seeing familiar-to-me places on your blog during your vacation. 🙂
thanks so much for sharing your husband’s blog!! so cool!
Hawaii is heaven! I was VERY fortunate to have a vacation home on Kauai growing up so it’s really a 2nd home to me. You MUST get shaved ice (basically a sno-cone, but better)! And you have to get it “Hawaiian style”, which means it has ice cream on the bottom.
My fiance and I are headed on our first big trip together in November for our honeymoon! Cook Islands, here we come. Can’t wait!
How have I never seen these pancakes before?! I will be making these ASAP 🙂
So excited for you getting to go to Hawaii!!
Yes Must go to Dukes!! Seriously yummy drinks and you Must try the macadamian nut ice cream pie/cake dessert!! Amazing! Be prepared for the beaches to be a little on the crowded side. We went 2 years ago over labor day and it was pretty packed but beautiful nonetheless. Enjoy!
How exciting to go on vacation:) However, I must say that this blog is definitely turning into a commercial or how magazines are so much now a days ~ more advertisements less substance.
Check out the local farmers market! It was one of my favorite stops we made! You should try and go really early because it gets packed. They have everything from fresh fish, to pineapples, vegetables and local vendors selling delicious meals. My favorite was the huge variety of Honey! They give you a small painters palette with over 10 different variations of honey! I wish I would have bought more honey than I did because it did not last long once home!
Love that ‘What!?!?’ from Sadie. Thanks for the great laugh. And have a great trip!
Hello Julie!
I have been following your blog for about a month now and I first want to start of by saying I LOVE YOUR BLOG!! You have given me so much hope and inspiration, along with amazing, delicious recipes!!
Anyways, you wanted to know a little about Hawaii! I am in the Navy and was stationed in K-Bay for 3.5 years!
1) North Shore! It is BEAUTIFUL! There will be a few shrimp trucks on the way up..DELICIOUS! You will LOVE it!
2) Top of Waikiki. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but my husband and I went there for one of our anniversary dinners and it is extremely romantic! (Google it!)
3) Dukes and/or Tiki’s Grill and Bar (Dukes is on the beach level and Tiki’s is above it). Amazing drinks, amazing apps, amazing atmosphere!
4) A luau! There are so many different ones! My favorite was Paradise Cove!
My most important piece of advice would be to just get out and explore. A lot of people go to Hawaii and get sucked into the tourist traps where people are forking out huge amounts of money and not getting the tours they deserve! After reading your blog, I can tell you two are definitely explorers!! Enjoy! Have a blast! And most importantly RELAX!!! (You’re always go, go, go!!) If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email me and I’ll give my best advice!!
-Amy
I am so happy for you and Ryan! You two are going to have such an amazing trip, and I can’t imagine how beautiful Hawaii is going to be. I’ve never been, but my boyfriend’s old roommate’s girlfriend went to college in Hawaii, and she always had the most amazing pictures with breathtaking scenery. I hope you guys get to dance in those grass skirts;)
My boyfriend and I are actually on a 6 night vacation right now in Las Vegas. We loooove to travel and plan trips as frequently as possible! I’m hoping our next destination will be Santa Monica, California or Nashville, TN!!
OMG Julie I am SO excited for you! I spent three summers in Oahu, one of them interning for a marketing agency and they were the best summers of my life! If you have any questions or anything just email me at eringoneveggie@gmail.com
Off the top of my head some of the things I really recommend:
-Boots and Kimos for their mac nut pancakes. Omg omg omg heaven on a plate. Be prepared to wait though, there is always a line out the door.
-The Polynesian Cultural Center is AMAZING. You learn so much about the different cultures that make up Hawaii and can easily spend days in there. There’s shows, demonstrations, you can learn how to hula, make bread, it’s crazy cool.
-Germaine’s luau, its the PARTY luau! You take a party bus from downtown waikiki (learning dirty hawaiian songs along the way) to get there and then have so much fun. You get drink tickets with your meal (spend the $10 to buy their tall glass and instead of three free little plastic cup drinks it’s like you get 9) and by the end of it want to dance along with the dancers. ;p
-Snorkling on hanauma bay is so freaking gorgeous. It’s also only like $9 because its a nationally protected coral reef. Just make sure not to bring valuables to the beach there and leave it out because it’s one of the islands biggest pick pocket sites.
-Iolani palace is amazing. It’s crazy to think Hawaii had royals and we stole their island from them. You learn so much about the history of Hawaii.
-Pearl harbor is a must see. To think of America’s history and see the oil still rising from the ship onto the ocean is really moving.
-At the Hilton Hawaiian village you can take a submarine to the bottom of the sea. It is so crazy to be 100 feet under water and to lose color perception, its so cool.
-China town is incredible. It’s so fun to try all the fruits you can’t find many places in the US, including lychee, its soo good.
-One day just get a plate lunch from one of the trucks, grab a Hawaiian sun and spend an afternoon at the beach. There’s nothing like it.
-All of the museums are phenomenal. I can’t pick a favorite.
-If you want to go on a seriously incredible hike Waimea Falls is incredible. It’s a State Park that makes you feel like you’re hiking through paradise. At the end of the trails there’s a waterfall that you can swim in. It’s amazing.
I hope this was helpful! I can’t wait to hear all about your trip! What an incredible opportunity!
this comment just made me SO excited!! thank you!
Oh oh oh and leonards chantilly lace cream puffs are heaven on earth! And shave ice, wherever you get it from, is crazy good. Also watching sea turtles on the north shore is super fun!
Omg sorry haha I’m remembering all these things. For souvenirs do not go to boutiques, go to the swap meet around aloha stadium! It’s on the weekends and every wednesday I think and it’s all the same stuff you find in the pricey boutiques for 1/10 of the price!!
Oh and the dole plantation for pineapple ice cream, it’s amazing. And the bakery with the chantilly lace cream is liliha, not leonards, although leonards cream puffs are amazing too. ;p But I’m really going to stop commenting now, I’m sorry, I’m just so excited for you! I miss Hawaii so much!
Omg I’m sorry, I said I was done but Honolulu Cookie Company stores are every block in Waikiki. They make fabulous local cookies in all types of flavors. The best part is they have huge buckets of free samples in every store and they encourage you to try them all! Whenever I was in Waikiki I always made sure to swing by a few for some free snacks. ;p
Also, if you need to get water when you’re in Waikiki go to an ABC store (They’re everywhere too), it’s 99cents for a huge jug whereas it can be like $4 for a tiny bottle at other places.
So you’ve just got rain? Here in NOLA we’re hangin out with some wine bottles and Taboo…pray for us!!
I live in Hawaii now and there are definitely a few places you have to see! I recommend getting a rental car so you can travel up to the North Shore, try Matumoto’s shave ice and go to Waimea bay. If you are able the most beautiful drive to get there is along the coast, so scenic! You need to go to Kailua and Lanikai beach. Kailua has so many cute boutiques, shops and food places that you can walk around too with the beach like less than a mile away! If you go t here you HAVE to go to Cinnamon’s Restaurant and try their Gauva Chiffon pancakes and or Crabcake Eggs benedict! So delicious! We take all our guests there. Dukes on Sunday at like 4-6pm on Waikiki beach is awesome. They have a band outside on the beach and you can get drinks and everyone is dancing and having a good time. It’s sister restaurant Hula Grill is right upstairs and has excellent food/view and nicer than Dukes. If you want to buy good gifts for sure go to the swap meet and Aloha Stadium. It’s like $1 to get in and they have amazing fresh fruit and all the gifts you could want. It’s on Wed, Sat and Sunday. They open at like 7 am and Pearl Harbor is right next door! If you want to go snorkeling Hanauama bay is great, just go early and there is a fun hike with an awesome view called Koko Head that looks over the bay!! Seriously e-mail me if you have any questions! Just make sure you get out of Waikiki, Hawaii offers so much more than that place!!
Matsumoto is a MUST! It is delicious and they have a lot of neat pictures with celebrities on the walls. It was a while back that I went but when I was there it was a small hole-in-the-wall type place, definitely don’t miss it!
Hi Julie!
I stumbled upon your blog on pininteredt over the past few weeks and Love your blog!
Although I’m not afraid of flying I do get anxious and can totally relate to Ryans fear of flying as I’m from Australia which means most flights are considered long haul- it does get easier the more you fly- the perfect reason to travel!!
I was in Hawaii this time last year- you will have an absolute blast! You must do the Diamond Head hike- just make sure it’s not in the middle of day- def a big mistake! But the views were more than worth it… 🙂
I’m delurking just to comment on this post! : ) Hawaii is amazing! My husband and I just got back from our second trip to Hawaii together last week (We spent just two days in Honolulu last year, but we looove Kauai).
Go to Sansei in Waikiki for sushi! They have a happy hour starting at 10p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (1/2 off Sushi)…which is wonderful since everything on the islands is sooo expensive! They have karaoke at the same time…so fun to eat sushi and listen to karaoke late at night. : )
Pearl Harbor is a must do…and though we didn’t have time to do it, I wish that we could have hiked Diamond Head.
My BF moved to Hawaii for gradschool last year! He is in Hilo. Smaller island. I want to visit SO bad! Can’t wait to hear your recap 🙂