Exploring the North Shore of Oahu

Day 5:
On our last day on the Big Island, we did a little biking before our flight. But we didn't get so far on our bike ride. The beach trail was too rocky and the only other place to ride was on the highway, so we returned the bikes and hit the beach.

After landing back in Oahu, we went down the Waikiki beach strip to a beach bar overlooking huge crashing waves and surfers. That was awesome. Then we walked out on a bridge going out over the water where we got up close to the big breakers. Nothing like experiencing the big waves (without having to take surf lessons).

Day 6:
Finally, we ventured out to the North Shore of Oahu, which feels less like a shopping mall like Waikiki did, and more like a laidback beach town. We stopped in the town of Haleiwa for lunch, rented ourselves some snorkel gear, and headed for the beach. First we went to Waimea Bay:

Then, we went snorkeling in Sharks' Cove, which has no sharks, but PLENTY of colorful schools of tropical fish. Wish I had an underwater camera so that I could share it with you all. It was breathtaking. I was in the water for an hour gawking at the fish, and it felt like only five minutes had gone by.

Sandy as ever, we dried off and went back to the airport to catch a flight home.

This will be my last adventure for awhile, but I hope that you enjoyed the pictures!

Driving around the Big Island

Day 4:
This was one of my favorite days of our trip. We rented a convertible and drove around the entire island, seeing volcanoes, incredible ocean views, and lush green forests:

 

We stopped in Hilo, Hawaii's second largest town, to have a picnic at Leleiwa Beach:

On our way out of town, some big truck cut us off. A local noticed and shouted to us, "Welcome to Hilo!"

All of this led up to arriving at our destination, Volcanoes National Park, where we saw the still-active Kilaeua caldera:

 

Steam rising from the caldera

Even though it looks like a warm sunny day, it's actually quite windy around the volcanos. And the sulfur steam smells like burning matches. It comes out of the ground in steam vents that are all around the park:

Sulfur steam rising from vents in the Earth

We drove around the caldera, then we took a short hike on the Devastation trail. Reportedly this was formed by lava flowing through the forest. 

Devastation trail

On our drive back, we drove past the southernmost point of the US, SURPRISE, it is called "south point." It really feels like the edge of the world, with nothing but fog and black rock looking out over the endless ocean:

South Point

Landing on the Big Island

Day 3:
We hit the beach in Oahu in the morning to try some stand-up paddleboarding. Wow, that is harder than it looks. I fell over 3 times trying to balance on the board. But it was fun! I got the hang of it towards the end.

Then we headed to the airport for a quick flight over to the Big Island. Got an awesome view of the other Hawaiian islands. The airport in Kona, HI is now officially my favorite airport. It's all outside. The check-in counters and gates are in a series of open-air hut-type structures. As soon as we landed, we were enjoying the island air.

On our way from the airport, I noticed graffiti in the black volcanic rock. But it's not painted graffiti. It's messages that people have left with white rocks. Here's one of my favorites:

BACON!

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the lagoon, pool, and ocean around the hotel:

Return tomorrow for a recap of one of my favorite parts of our trip, a trip around the Big Island and to Volcanoes National Park.

Relaxing on the beach in Oahu

Day 1 -
10 hour plus layover flight from DC to Honolulu. We arrived mid-afternoon in time to enjoy some drinks by the beach and this sunset:

Sunset on Waikiki Beach

Day 2:

Jet lag hit me pretty hard. I fell asleep early and woke up at 3am, so I took these pictures of Honolulu at night and at sunrise:

Nighttime in Honolulu

Sunrise in Honolulu

Most of the day was spent enjoying the beach:

Sea canoes in Hawaii

Come back tomorrow to read about our trip to the Big Island.

Dirty in Jersey

This week on Lauralicious.... an episode of Jersey Shore with no Snooki!

Last weekend I went to Atlantic City with two of my favorite ladies, Whit and Lizz, who have been my friends since college. The weather was perfect, and we had a fabulous time! No, none of us really gamble, but there is plenty of other stuff to do there. Such as, you ask? We went out to some clubs, spent an afternoon at the beach, walked around the boardwalk, saw a guy ride a motorcycle in a cage, and swam at the hotel pool. Here we are before we totally had an "Incident" at a hotel buffet: 

And here's a picture of the beach:

 

 

We also were the recipients of some pretty lame pickup lines. I have heard some bad ones before, but never so many in one weekend. I will share some of these for your enjoyment: 

"Excuse me miss, you dropped something...My phone number!' 

"Did you have a good time this weekend? ...Couldn't have been that good, you weren't with me!" 

From Nassau to the PQ

I went to Nassau in the Bahamas for 4 1/2 days with the boyfriend. We spent all of our time at the beach, because that is all that there is to do there. The hotel beach, Cabbage Beach, Cable Beach, those beaches be crazy. The snorkeling is pretty amazing! You can swim up really close to the fish.

The first night we were there, we caused an altercation between two taxi drivers. Yes, I bring the ruckus wherever I go. We got in one taxi, but another taxi driver (who ostensibly had been waiting longer) blocked him from getting out of the parking lot by parking in front of the entrance. He wouldn't move until the other driver let him have the fare (us)!
They're not just ruthless - taxi drivers in Nassau entertain you. Ask them a few questions about the island, and you'll hear long yarns about where various celebrities live (they especially love to talk about Nicholas Cage, Oprah, and the Miami Dolphins). Is any of it true? Does it matter? There's even "tour guides" that tell jokes for tips on the water taxis:

About the Paradise Island hotel:
"The Atlantis Bridge Suite costs $25,000 a night. You cannot stay there just one night! You must stay there minimum of four nights! If you are interested in any real estate deals....Talk with ME!"

About celebrity homes:
"This is the house where Nicholas Cage lives. If any single ladies would like to talk to Nicholas Cage...Talk with ME!"

About the beach:
"There used to be a nude beach here. The government closed it. Why? Too many boating accidents!"

Unfortunately, the food/water there is a culinary disaster. It's expensive (since it's all imported) and frankly, not very good. It also can give you food poisoning, so the only drink you will be ordering will be a special pink one called "Dismal Bismal." I think half my stomach is still in Nassau somewhere. And Em, to answer your question: No, the water is not $8...just $4 :)

The plane ride home on Wednesday (before Thanksgiving) was totally uneventful. Not many crowds or long lines at the airport. That does remind me though, of what the security officer said to me on my outbound trip:

"Ma'am, this sunscreen bottle is too big. We'll have to throw it away. Or you can check it."

LOL! I can CHECK IT! I would have liked to check one bottle of sunscreen! (I'll show YOU, TSA!) Can you imagine that going around on the conveyor belt? Along with a little address tag? Hysterical!

Anyway, I made it home to visit my folks. I needed a vacation from my vacation, and it was time for some good home cookin'. With some turkey pot pie and grilled steak, I was soon enough cured from the ills of too many Dismal Bismal cocktails.

weekend adventures

Weekend adventure no. 1:

Friday happy hour at Mayorga. It's a coffee house in downtown Silver Spring (DTSS) that also happens to have a bar. You wouldn't even know it from the outside, but they do. And this is important because of the scarcity OF decent bars in the immediate vicinity. 

Weekend adventure no. 2:

I'm about 3 hours from Ocean City, MD, so it makes for a good day trip when you want to get away from the DC area. The drive out there is pretty nice, it's mostly on rural roads going through corn fields. Perfect beach day this time, the weather was warm, the waves were great, and the wind didn't steal my towel away.