A return to paradise…

While long vacations have eluded us this year, Jeff and I have been luck to tag a few vacation days on to two business trips to O’ahu. For the third time in a year, we found ourselves at the comfy and convenient Hilton Hawaiian Village on the white sandy beaches of Waikiki. On this visit, we were up high in the Hilton’s Rainbow tower, which made for a spectacular (and unique) vantage point for their Friday fireworks.

For me, a highlight of any trip is the food. Oh the food 🙂 One of our favorite indulgences has become the Tuesday/Thursday grill menu at the fabulous Halekulani’s House Without A Key. Start with a mai tai, indulge in a juicy surf and turf burger, and finish with a heavenly while coconut cake. And of course, you get to enjoy all of this while being entertained by calm, melodic Hawaiian music. Its pure escapism.

We also added something new to our list this trip…a visit to the famous Matsumoto’s shave ice in historic Haleiwa on the North Shore. We had passed the long lines before and always said “next time”. Well, this time we stood dutifully in line with the masses and enjoyed this sweet, chilly island tradition.

One of our drives around Honolulu took us on some of the winding roads that provide unexpected sweeping vistas. In this town, you’re never far from a view of Diamond Head, Waikiki, or Pearl Harbor…or all of the above.

At one point, we drove into the serene Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which is a hidden gem above the city.

The rest of the trip was filled with drives and vistas and swims around O’ahu. Its hard to point the camera without finding something pretty.