We figured out all the logistics of leaving the kids behind without us and made it to the airport and arrived in Honolulu to grey skies and drizzly rain....hmmmm not quite how I'd envisioned things:)
But we rented a car and drove on up to the North Shore....first things first....we had to find the world famed Matsumoto's Shave Ice Store.....of course we are shave ice geeks and know way too much about the whole shave ice experience, still it was fun to see how they do it.....
First impressions were a little surprising....yep this is it!!
but the shave ice was good (you know as good as ours anyway!).....the beans were awful (don't even bother).....and you'd think I took a photo of the thing?? I'm pretty sure Andrew has one on his phone I'll have to ask him for it!
On to the ocean....we drove along the North Shore towards Sunset Beach where we were staying.....and despite the rain, it was beautiful....
That night we drove around to see the Temple....so pretty at night:)
The next morning despite being rudely awakened at about 2am by the constant cock-a-doodling of a thousand cocks crowing.....(firstly, did nobody tell them that they're supposed to do that when the sun comes up and not in the middle of the night??? and secondly maybe just maybe there weren't a thousand of them...and thirdly as we soon discovered, they roam freely just about everywhere!!)
Once the sun actually came up it was all beautiful sunshine and blue skies....yay:)) We hung out at the beach for a couple of hours....where Andrew managed to burn his back....but we enjoyed being there and listening to that ocean and laying on the beautiful sand with a little people watching thrown in too....
Next up was a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).....it was awesome...So much more to do and see than we could possibly have fit into one day. Parades and dancing and canoe rides and entertainment and activities and food and the amazing show at night....just so much fun!!
(this guy is absolutely hilarious.....he has his act down to a fine art and he is amazing at what he does...)
A few more trips to the beach...including Turtle Bay where the turtles are so huge....and just enjoying the beautiful North Shore....and then it was time to head down to the Hilton Hawaiian village where Andrew had a huge work World Rally to attend....
More to come...:))
