Playing Tourist

So Mike wins a two night stay at a ResortQuest condo. We'll play tourist for the weekend. I saw the condo on the news when it opened after remodeling. Super nice, on the beach - this is going to be great.

Unfortunately, it was a sister property, up the street in a questionable neighborhood. This one has not been remodeled. Remember the hideous countertop in the family room in our Naniloa Loop house? Same!

Can't complain about the view from the lanai. We took this in the morning as the sun rose. Some day we'll read the owner's manual and figure out how to adjust our camera for background light.

We could watch the sun rise over Diamond Head, and set into the ocean toward Ewa Beach.

Next on the agenda was breakfast on the beach. We opted for the Royal Hawaiian, known affectionately as the Pink Palace.

It lives up to its name. Everything is pink - pink awnings, pink beach umbrellas, pink napkins, pink tablecloths. Check out the adorable pink salt and pepper shakers.

Our waitress was an aging Polynesian/Asian that called us "deary" and kept refreshing the coffee. After 3 new pots and no food, we knew the "deary" routine was a hoax since we don't drink coffee. There's nothing like a cold Hawaiian omelette, except maybe cold pancakes. The bill was $30. She got a $2 tip.

Here's Mike getting chummy with a dolphin on Waikiki. We went to the movies, ate Thai food, and after dark, enjoyed the entertainment along the beach and at the hotels.

The next morning the Easter Bunny came. He brought colored golf balls. What a guy!

We went the Manoa Ward that meets in the Tabernacle. It was fun to see friends and reminisce. I was in that ward 36 years ago. The DuPonts invited us to their home after church. Amanda made fresh quava nectar from fruit Bert had just picked and then talked about their eyewitness account of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the near-miss of the bombing of the Hawaii Temple that day.

A fun weekend to be together, playing tourist. But if you must know: Truthfully, as much as we tried, Mike and I couldn't muster a great fondness for Waikiki. It's the mass of humanity and noise of the city. Give us the North Shore any day.