I Love You, California!

Since we moved into our new apartment we've been slowly gathering pictures and decorations for our beach themed home. Today we put our gallery wall together! There are still a couple of pictures we'd like to get to add to the bottom, so it's not complete yet, but it's a good start! I also got a couple of pictures to go in our bathroom. I got them at the Made in Hawai`i festival. They're pictures of our state flower, the hibiscus, and taken by a local photographer! It's starting to feel more homey around here a little bit at a time.

Last night we went out for Mexican in Waikiki and the spicy taco contest. Afterward we went for a beach walk and to get a drink and listen to some music while we enjoyed the ocean view. We stopped in at a little shop and chatted with the guy working there. He told us about a pool party in Waikiki that was happening the next day and a "secret code" of how to get in without paying the cover! Will and I figured, why not? Monday was labor day so we could get our chores done then, and be able to play on Sunday. Also, the pools along Waikiki are almost always exclusively for guests, so we had to take the opportunity to get into a fancy pool! So we got up and got ready. This was a fancy pool party after all, more like a day club than just lounging at the beach. We packed our pool bag and headed to the Modern Hotel. We got there toward the beginning of the party so we got a great little spot next to the pool. There was sand around the pool so you totally felt like you were at the b...

We thought today might be the day that Will has been waiting for. A Mexican restaurant in Waikiki celebrates Cinco de Mayo every fifth of the month! They have drink specials, music, special decorations, and a spicy taco eating contest. Will was the first to sign up. The tacos are supposed to be very spicy, but Will said they weren't very spicy at all (by Will's standards that is!). Will did a great job, coming in a close second place, but it ended up being more of a speed eating contest than a contest of how much spicy a person can handle. And it was free, so what was there to lose?! Being a good sport! Planning his strategy. So close! Yeah!

Will's been working loooong hours lately, even on the weekends, and he recently got a couple of big deadlines met, so it was time to do a little relaxing. We took the day to play around on the North Shore. After breakfast at home we headed toward Haleiwa. We wanted to shop around for a few decorations for our new home and have some lunch. We found a couple of great pictures for our living room and had lunch at Bonzai Sushi. Will had been there before, but it was a first for me. After lunch we made our way up to Waimea Bay, a very popular beach and winter surf spot that we had never been to before. It's been a crazy hot summer so it was great to get out to the beach. Off to the west side of the beach there is a big rock that people jump from. Will went over to partake in that. While Will was rock jumping, I enjoyed a beach beer . . . that was made it Monroe, Wisconsin! Will made his way back to me, phew! We enjoyed the people watching and watching this guy kit...

Will and his colleagues have been working very hard out in the field these days. They're up to 25 acres and counting! Isn't it beautiful?

Some people you talk to will say that there is nothing to do on Moloka`i. We beg to differ! Even on day 4 we had a list of things to do and still didn't get them all crossed off. Guess we'll just have to go back! We started the day full on vacation style with drinks by the pool. I must give you some background about Moloka`i. The community is very much about stopping most development dead in its tracks. However, back in the 1970s several resorts and ranches (with deer, pheasants, turkeys, for hunting) managed to get built. In the 1980s one of the resorts was sold to a Japanese Real Estate group. They had big plans to expand the resort area by building homes, more golf courses, and more hotels. There was big push back from the community and after a struggle to find new buyers, the whole area shut down. There are about 150 condominiums that are privately owned and have continued to operate, while all of the resort areas like hotel rooms, golf courses and club houses, and res...

Today we explored the island of Moloka`i from the West side to the East side! We started the day relaxing, reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. After a while it was time to get going or our day was going to slip away. I packed some sandwiches for us and the beach bag and off we went. The first stop was Popohaku Beach, also known as Three Mile Beach. It runs along the West side of the island and was just a few minutes South of where we were staying. I read on a travel website that on Moloka`i a person can find salt within rock formations, scoop it out, dry it, and then have their very own Moloka`i salt. One of the places mentioned to find it was Popohaku Beach, so in addition to it being a beautiful beach, we were hoping to find some salt! When we arrived at the beach we took a look around and decided to head South along the beach, toward a large rocky area. We were looking forward to some beach walking. This beach has a reputation for being completely empty, and a person can b...