Good Morning! And hello Monday… My view last Monday was much different, but I missed my babies so much it feels so good to be home drinking coffee watching them play!
Our trip was amazing! We were there for 11 days and fit in all the relaxing you could think of! Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii so as soon as Jules had to take a trip to Oahu for work we added some vacation and made a trip out of it! This was the first time we have ever left our sweet babies, and there were so many mixed emotions about it! Of course I was going to miss them, and did miss them every single day, but it was dream eating a warm dinner without any interruptions ๐
We booked our flights early in the morning, like take off was 6:20 am… I was not a fan until after the fact! With the 4 hour time change I was able to have an entire day in Waikiki the first day. Because of some schedule changes, meetings, and delayed flights, I didn’t see Jules until Wednesday night! Three days of being entirely alone was weird, awesome, lonely, and so magical all at the same time haha! Once Jules arrived he had full days Thursday and Friday and then the real vacation began!
Where We Stayed:
For the first week we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Waikiki. The hotel was so nice and the staff was amazing! Actually everyone I got the pleasure to encounter in Hawaii was so nice!! We were on the 16th floor of the hotel so our view looked right over all the streets and building and straight to the Ocean! The pool was gorgeous and that’s where I spent the majority of my time, reading! I finished my entire book the first couple of days. The pool provided towels for you time at the pool as well as any trips you wanted to take to the beach! So convenient and that leaves room for more bikinis in your suitcase! Jules is a Hilton Diamond Member so we were able to enjoy free breakfast with the most delicious coffee every morning!
For our second week, we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It was beautiful! The resort sits on 22 acres with shops, restaurants, and miles of beaches! Our room looked over the gorgeous activity pool and a marina leading out to the ocean. The Hawaiian Village had everything you needed, and was an easy walking distance to any other shops or restaurants we wanted! The majority of our time spent at the resort was on the beach. The water was stunning and just the right temperature.
Sunsets were a dream and we had the perfect view right from our balcony! They resort normally does there fireworks show on Friday nights and they shoot them off from the beach on the ocean. Due to crazy weather and a ton of rain plus a high tide, the fireworks were postponed, and to our surprise they did them on Saturday night in the lagoon right out our room! It was the closest I have ever been to a fireworks show!!
Where we explored:
Once Jules got off of work on Friday the weather had turned to flash flood warnings and an insane amount of rain! We decided we wanted to chase the sun, and that is what we did! This was the last day having a car so we took off to the North side of the island. I am so glad we did! The views were breathtaking, and the beaches were completely empty! We got out at a couple of the beaches in Haleiwa and just watched the waves crash against the rocks and sand.
The rain caught up to us and we decided to drive around the East side of the island to get back to our hotel. The scenery was amazing! Ocean on one side and amazing mountains on the other side! We loved every second of the drive.
Saturday still had some rainy weather so we went to the beach for a couple hours, but then headed out to experience Spam Jam. That’s right I said Spam Jam. It was so much fun! I have had spam before but never like this. It was delicious!!! We had Spam Lo Mein from PF Changs, Span Katsu sandwiches, and a Spam Rueben. There thousands of people on Kalakaua Avenue lined a ton of restaurants making Spam! Good food, great people watching, and such a fun experience!
The rest of the time we hung out at the beach! Waikiki Beach was just out our door and the swimming was awesome! The views were beautiful and we loved not having an agenda.
Where We Ate:
Our goal for the entire trip was to try out all the places that the locals would go! We didn’t want to eat at any of the places that we could have anywhere else! Mostly we wanted all the sushi we could get!!
Doraku Sushi: This place was so yummy! The atmosphere was so fun and the Poke was one of the best we had. If you want to check this place out, hit up the Happy Hour and try the Ahi Poke!
Marukame Udon: While we were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn I walked past this place every single day. From the time it opened until the time it closed there was a line out the door. I knew we had to try it and I’m so glad we did! I loved this place because you could see the entire process of how they make the Udon. You pick your soup and then watch them make the noodles and add the broth and you also have a giant selection of all things tempura. Do yourself a favor and check this place out!!!
Wailana Coffee House: Passing by this place you would never think much of it. That is not the case! The first morning we went here we knew this was our breakfast spot for the rest of the week! It was about .3 miles from the Hilton Hawaiian Village and we never had to wait for a table. The coffee was like liquid gold, that’s all that really matters right ๐ I had the Macadamia Pancakes with Boysenberry and Coconut Cream syrup, to die for. The rest of the mornings I stuck to the Eggs Benedict because they were the best I have EVER had!
Chiba-ken: This was such a fun Sushi spot! The atmosphere was great! The perfect spot to dine with the locals! We got to sit outside on the patio and everything about it was perfect. From the Sapporo to the delicious Katsu, we gave this place 5 stars! I would suggest making a reservation if you are interested, as seating is limited! We lucked out and only had to wait about ten minutes. It was an easy walk from the resort, and perfect for lunch or dinner!
Tropics Bar & Grill: We didn’t eat much at the resort, but we did have some drinks! Once the rain rolled in we decided to wait it out with some drinks at the bar on the beach! The Mojitos were amazing! Like I could have drank them all night long! We also loved the Fish Tacos, and all of the Poke!!
Bali Steak & Seafood: By the last night we were craving some steak, after all the fish and sushi we had! We decided to get dressed up and go to the steak and seafood restaurant at our resort. It was AMAZING. We were not expecting this, but I would highly suggest this place! I ordered the Mahi Mahi with beets, delicious! Jules got a steak with the most amazing sauces, a ginger sauce and a gorgonzola sauce. All of the fish and veggies are fresh from the island making our sides just as good as our entrees! The location is right on the beach so we got to watch the sun set while we drank our wine and finished our dinner. Perfect.
ABC Stores: Okay so this isn’t a restaurant as much as its something that you should know about! So these stores are everywhere! They have food, drinks, alcohol (liquor, wine, and beer), and they have all the souvenirs you need! We didn’t discover this place until late in the second week, bummer. As soon as we discovered it we were going there everyday! Coffee was .99, and they had tons of sushi rolls and sandwiches that worked great after a long day at the beach! We loaded up on wine and beer, and we even made some yummy Malibu Rum drinks to enjoy while we watched the sun set! Check this place out if you are needing anything from snacks to Aloe for you sun burn ๐ Bonus: If you keep your receipts, they can add them all up at the end of your vacation and you get free gifts depending on how much you spend! We scored three adorable Hawaii coffee mugs!
Lappert’s Hawaii: Last, but definitely not least, Lappert’s Hawaii ice cream. This stuff was so delicious! My favorite was the Macadamia Nut, but I’m sure every flavor was just as yummy! This place was in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but I know there are other locations. This ice cream is made fresh in Hawaii, and I just found out I can ship their ice cream and coffee to the Mainland… Done!
Every little thing about this trip was amazing! Jules and I enjoyed all the time we got together! Everything was perfect! We can’t wait to go back and take the kids!! Mahalo Waikiki!!
XO,
Corrine Monique
Dian Streeby says
It looked wonderful!!!