Tourist With A Blog

After 4 nights on Maui, we made the short flight to Oahu for 3 more nights. During COVID, it was the only island we could island hop into without additional restrictions. We again rented a car through Dollar Car rental.  Waikiki When you arrive on Oahu, you may be surprised at how big Waikiki is. There is a lot of upscale shopping and many restaurants. It's a big city on the beach! You'll definitely see Duke's .  It's a fun place to grab some drinks and grub. Nearby, you'll find the statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku .   We stayed at Hilton Waikiki Beach . It's within walking distance of everything in the area. Here's the view from our room. I like to make dinner reservations when we travel. If plans change, I just cancel or modify the reservation. I like having the security of a plan. That first night, we went to Tiki's for dinner. We ended up having a lot of fun and listened to an awesome musicia...

I think my favorite part of our Maui trip (besides just watching whales from the balcony) was the Road to Hana. It was amazing!  Now, it is a long drive. And if you're prone to get car sick, well, you'll probably get car sick. I'm not sure I'd take kids on this drive as you are in the car for quite awhile. The stops are worth it, but the kids might not think so. My SIL told me about an app to use, which is definitely a must. Pay the few bucks and download this app! It is worth the money! It is the GuideAlong , formerly known as the Gypsy Guide. It uses GPS to know where you are and tells you some stories and history as you pass spots, and lets you know of the must dos in the area. It warns you when you are approaching in case you want to pull over to see that spot. I had printed out some directions and stops myself, and the app covered everything. You do not need to plan anything yourself if you use this app.  The day we drove the Road happened to be very ra...

To celebrate my mom's 60th birthday, Chris and I and my parents went to Hawaii!  This trip was planned at the perfect time- just after COVID, but before the tourism got crazy. We happened to hit the sweet spot. This meant less crowds, and gave us a chance to thoroughly enjoy everything. Where We Stayed We flew into Maui and rented a car through Dollar Car Rental. We stayed at an Airbnb at Hololani condos in Lahaina. We rented a corner unit which had the best views. Since it was whale season (I'll never go during non-whale season if I can avoid it), we were able to just sit on the balcony and watch whales. It was amazing!     See the water spout above? That was from a whale. You could see the whales blowing water everywhere as we sat outside. We would also see them flap their fin or breach the surface.  Luau Luaus are kind of a must do when in Hawaii. We booked a luau at Old Lahaina Luau which we really enjoyed. Due to COVI...