Days 1&2, Waikiki, Oahu

Moana Surfrider

This was my first trip to Hawaii, to any of the islands. I was excited, except that two days before our plane was to leave a tsunami was predicted to hit Hawaii, so we didn’t know until later that day that the trip was still on (the tsuanami, luckily for all involved, was a dud, though people who were in Hawaii that day told us they were quite panicked). I was traveling with my daughter, Britt, who was flying on United on airmiles. There were two flights available for her––one leaving in the afternoon, arriving in Honolulu about 9 p.m., or another leaving in the morning, via San Francisco, that would get us there about 5:30 p.m. We booked the earlier flight and, of course, San Francisco was fogged in and we missed our connection to Honolulu and had to rebook on a later flight, which got us to Honolulu very close to the time that the direct LA to Honolulu flight would have––”The best laid plans….” Anyway, we made it to our hotel, the beautiful Moana Surfrider. (Photo taken the next day.)

Moana Surfrider

The Moana Surfrider was the first hotel built on Waikiki Beach––it opened in 1901. They have added a new hotel tower but our rooms were in the old section of the hotel––small, somewhat old–fashioned but comfty rooms, overlooking Kalakaua Avenue. Everytime we went through the hotel’s lobby, there was a new wedding party there––the brides and grooms were a very nice sight. On the hotel’s Kalakaua Ave. side, there is a veranda with rocking chairs, allowing you to sit and watch all the tourists strolling on Kalakaua Ave. (the main street in Waikiki).

Moana Surfrider

One very nice thing about the Moana Surfrider is that you can walk in to its lobby directly from Kalakaua Ave., walk through the lobby into its Banyan Court, and then through the Banyan Court straight to the beach. I didn’t see any other hotels on the beach where you had such easy access. At Waikiki, there are numerous hotels on the beach side of Kalakaua Ave. and then many more that you have to cross the avenue to reach the beach. All beaches are public in Waikiki, so you can lay your beach towel at any beach in front of any hotel that you want. You just can’t use that hotel’s pool or lounge chairs. Photo: The Banyan Court. There is also a bar and eating area here. In other words, this was a very nice and relaxing hotel to stay at.

Moana Surfrider

Another view of The Banyan Court, named after a gigantic banyan tree in the court. You should be able to make out where the beach is in the photo. That’s also my daughter, Britt, in the photo.

Moana Surfrider

A closer–up photo.

Moana Surfrider

Kalakaua Avenue

This morning, Britt went off to take a surfing lesson and I went on a walk along Kalakaua Avenue, not only did I want to see what was on it, I was looking for a heavy–weight sweat jacket as it was much colder at night and in the early morning than I had anticipated. Kalakaua Avenue is a wide, modern street with many designer stores, chain and other restaurants, ABC markets on every corner––tourist stuff, etc., other tourist stores, entrances to hotels, an International Market, and many tourists walking on it––from our hotel window, we saw many people walking as early as 6:30 a.m. Tourists here range in age from babies to the very old––whatever age you are, you will feel that you are welcome and in the right place. I put the photos of my walk along Kalakaua Avenue on a slide show on this website: Go to Slide Shows, United States, Hawaii, “Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki.”

Kalakaua Avenue

I continued my walk on Kalakaua Avenue. Both during the day, but more at night, there are street performers on this avenue.

Kalakaua Avenue

More of the street performer.

Kalakaua Avenue

And one more.

Kalakaua Avenue

Waikiki Beach

There are no hotels in front of this beach. You just walk to it from the street. The statue is of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, called Duke or The Duke. He is considered to be the “Father of Modern Surfing.” He also had won Olympic gold and silver swimming medals.

Waikiki Beach

On the beach.

Waikiki Beach

On the beach.

Waikiki Beach

This catamaran hangs out at this beach. It waits until it has enough passengers before it takes off.

Waikiki Beach

I walked back to my hotel along the beach. The pink hotel is the Royal Hawaiian.

Waikiki Beach

I’m now in front of my hotel. The catamaran in the photo has a set schedule––I think it leaves about every 2 1/2 hours. Britt and I went on it a couple of days later.

Waikiki Beach

Looking backward. That is Diamond Head in the photo.

Waikiki Beach

Surfers in the water.

Waikiki Beach

Closer–up.

Waikiki Beach

People kayaking. I ate lunch at the Banyan Court (breakfast was coffee, orange juice, and Danish at a coffee shop attached to the hotel). I kept trying to call my daughter to tell her I was back. She also was trying to reach me. Neither of us were successful––I finally figured out that I had my prepaid Global phone on the wrong setting. My instructions were to put it one way if I was in the United States and another way elsewhere. I had it set for the U.S. but my service didn’t recognize Hawaii as being part of our country. We finally hooked up and we both went to the beach. I took my first swim in Hawaiian waters––the water was much colder than I thought it would be. I have been told that it is much warmer in the summer months.

Waikiki Beach

Paradise Cove Luau

Everyone who goes to Hawaii for the first time should go to a luau, so we left in the late afternoon to go to one at Paradise Cove. A bus picked us up and we were told that we would reach the luau location on Hawaiian time: that is, the time when we get there. We took the freeway, which was jammed with rush–hour traffic––a daily event. It took us about 45 minutes to reach Paradise Cove.