Another week in paradise...

Aloha everyone!

Jim and I will pack up and move from the penthouse in Waikiki to our beach house in the small town of Kailua, about 30 minutes from Honolulu, said to be the "windward" side of the island.  I will attach photos of the beach house once we are settled this weekend.

Kailua town and beach will be quite a change from the activity in Waikiki/Honolulu area. We are gonna miss this place: the sunset views on the lania and our panoramic turqouise water and sky views on top of the world. We are grateful for the pleasure of this place albiet a short visit. It is all good!

Last week I took a bus tour to Pearl Harbor which included a brief tour of popular Honolulu sites: Iolani Palace, the only palace in the USA, St Andrew's Church, Punchbowl and the State House. We drove through Chinatown where the driver warned us not to "blink" or we would miss it :o)!

Jim and I visited Hawai'i's State Art Museum and had lunch in the cafe called "Downtown." The museum is dedicated to presenting a collection of work by Hawai'i artists and opened in November 2002. It is located across from the Iolani Palace and is the site of the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel built in 1872 during the reign of Lot Kamehameha V. The "new-old" pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel stands out in the crowd, even though dwarfed by age, on Waikiki Beach surrounded by linear concrete highrises.

I enjoy a beach walk early each morning when there is a cool, soft breeze. By afternoon you can only spend a short time on the beach or outside because it gets very hot here! Last weekend Jim and I hiked Kanealole-Maunalaha Trail before touring around the upper side of the island, called the Northshore. Some wild roaring seas up that way along with a funky, eclectic town called Haleiwa, once a popular Hawaiian royalty hangout and also the location of  TV's "Babe-Watch!" This is also the area where surfers come from all over the world to compete in tournaments and competitions. In the winter months the surf can reach 30 feet...something we hope to see while we are here, in December! There are also lots of art galleries in town supporting local artists, which I like to frequent.

Let the adventure continue! Loving my new home away from home! Miss you guys but not the weather! Jim loves his shorts and sandals "garb" here in Hawaii!!!

See pictures below.

Me Ke Aloha,
Robin and Jim

One week in Honolulu....

Aloha!

We arrived Honolulu a week ago Sunday from San Francisco where we spent a few days with Jim's relatives: his 90 year old aunt and uncle in Carmichael and his cousin and wife in Oakland. Aunt Marie took us to the newly renovated State House in Sacramento...quite an undertaking we were told and it shows. The place is gorgeous. It reminded us of the state house in DC. Arrrrnold had just left for China so we were unable to meet for lunch! We spent some restful and quality time with Aunt Marie and Uncle Howard. They took good care of us during our stay with them!

Before our arrival to Jim's cousin's place in Oakland we went to a Red Sox-Oakland game on Friday night. We had great seats on the third base line, 10 rows back. Unfortunately the RS lost but great to get to another field to see them play. NOTHING like the Fenway, tho!

While we were waiting to enter baseball field, in VIP parking lot, a gentleman approached us, asked Jim if his name was "Jim!" It was Phil McGarrigle, an old neighborhood and family friend from Manchester, they lived just down the street from one another, on Appleton and Ray when they were kids. How cool is that? Phil now lives with his family in CA, near Oakland.

Jim's cousin, John and his wife Ellie have a beautiful home nestled into the mountainside overlooking San Francisco. Stone pathways welcome and invite you to linger for a time and we did! John and Ellie were great hosts. They gave Jim and I a tour of San Francisco; one highlight of many, the Golden Gate Bridge! Taking the break in California was the perfect way to transition on to Hawai'i!

I love Honolulu! I wanna live here...lol!!! I cannot believe how quickly I have acclimated to our "home away from home!" The penthouse views are breathtaking...two walls with floor to ceiling windows of turquoise waters as far as the eye can see! One view: the ocean with no highrise hotels in your way and the other view: sunset side with a few highrise hotels...still unbelievalbe sights this high up, 40th floor!

We are moving from the penthouse in Honolulu to beach house in Kailua (20 minutes away) next Thursday to spend October on the beach...neither of us want to leave this place but we also know the adventure continues and for that we are grateful!

During the day, while Jim is working, I have been exploring the area on foot: Waikik beach walks, in and out of the hotels, AlaMoana Center (mall), Bead Gallery (bead shop 30 min walk away), main street Waikik with all the fancy, expensive stores, poolside and hottub...whatever I want to do! I have nothin' to do and all day to do it...lol...what better place to be, than Hawai'i! I have not touched one project I brought from home...no time!

On Saturday, Jim and I hiked/walked Diamond Head with spectacular views from the top. A busy "trail" with too many people but still worth the effort. There are some 200 steps to climb, a tunnel to walk through, paths with railings..something you gotta do if you are here. We also toured around part of the island and walked the beach in Kailua and found our beach house from the ocean side.

O'ahu has a bit of everything: hustle bustle of a big city, small towns surrounding, beaches of all kinds: busy, quiet, remote and hidden gems. Love the Whole Food store nearby and the fact that we are in the USA but with the great island feel. Again, I ask, what's not to like? We are in paradise! We are not gonna want to go home! Hawai'i is lightyears away from ittybitty Hooksett although we do miss you all!

Our friends, Karen and Dick Horan will be visiting us mid to end of October so we are looking forward to seeing them and spending time with them here in Hawai'i. We expect a couple other guests during our stay so that will bring a little bit of home to us here. Brendan and Adam will join us mid December and be with us through the holidays.

Me Ke Aloha (with love),

Robin and Jim

One week away...

Jim arrived home from Honolulu on Saturday, August 28 and has spent the week working in Concord NH & Vermont wrapping up the jobs up there. We will have the weekend to spend time with the boys and pack...then off we go...let the adventure begin!!!

In less than a week, we fly out to San Fransisco to spend four days with Jim's aunt, uncle and cousin's family before continuing on to Hawaii on Sunday September 12. I hope to acclimate myself in the penthouse for the first week or so and then enjoy "city life" in the "concrete jungle" as Honolulu has been described, til the end of September!!!

Our good friends, the Horan's, will arrive mid October and spend 10 days with us at our beach house abode in Kailua, a lovely beachy community just 30 minutes east of Honolulu, on the windward side of the island. Jim will commute back and forth. It is said to be a beautiful drive over the mountains!!!

Pictures are coming, I promise! Hoping to post pictures of Kailua Beach House shortly. I miss my IT guy already!!!

Do check the blog from time to time to catch up on where we are and what we are doing! Let us know what you are up to, too! We look forward to hearing from our friends and family while we are away.

IT'S ALL GOOD!!! :O)

Me Ke Aloha,

Robin and Jim