Hello Hawaii
by CINDEE BOLTON
The last time Alan and I were in Hawaii was on our honeymoon fifteen years ago. Back then, in the throws of our new romance, we had this crazy notion to spend some time in paradise camping. It wasn��t a terrible idea mind you, and we certainly got to see some of the Islands�� most spectacular attractions from the ground up. We didn��t entirely slum it though; we still had enough sense to rent a car, although I do recall some hairy moments in the car rental place when they asked for the address of our hotel. It took some serious negotiations and a flood of tears for the 2,000-star hotel in Weimea Canyon to pass muster.
Now we were descending from a flawless blue sky with our kids Adam, Erica and Alfie excitedly catching their first glimpse of what would be our tropical sanctuary for the next week. Having little problem with our address this time, it didn��t take long before we were heading for our hotel in Waikiki in our supremely comfortable rented Chevy Tahoe LTZ with leis around our necks and the hooky Lau in our hearts. Of course, it didn��t hurt that the hotel was conveniently located at the intersection of seventh heaven and cloud nine.
This was actually our first time in Honolulu, having opted for the smaller islands of Kauai and Maui on our previous visit. We threw on our bathing suits before you could say Papahanaumokuakea, and next thing Alan and I were sipping mai tais on Waikiki Beach while our hyperactive brood ran their batteries down in the impossibly turquoise ocean. Nothing wrong with this picture let me say without fear of contradiction. Especially considering that it was mid December and we were unlikely to have any urgent need for ice picks, snow tires or balaclavas.
By the time the glorious warm evening showed up, we had taken the concept of leisure to new levels and single-handedly redefined the meaning of relaxation. With the kids comatose from their repeated attempts to imitate the relentless get-up-and-go of the energizer bunny, we were left to our own devices and found ourselves getting reacquainted with the ghosts of honeymoons past.
The next morning after a breakfast fit for Hawaiian royalty, we jumped in the Tahoe. With the mesmerizing sounds of the Kelele Brothers and their lulling ukuleles drifting over the sublime Bose? premium audio system, we headed up the coast on a sacred mission to pay homage to Hawaii��s surf gods on the North Shore. I will admit that the latter characterization is entirely mine. Not being true believers yet, my two older kids were more impressed to find out that their favorite TV show, LOST is filmed on the North Shore, while little Alfie was pleased as punch to discover that this area was the inspiration for the fictionalized beach in the animated classic, Surf��s Up.
While we did do a fair amount of exploration in our perfect week, including a trip to spectacular Diamond Head, a shopping expedition in Honolulu, and a visit to Pearl Harbor, for the most part it was simply a case of eat, sleep, swim, relax �C repeat at will. By the time we handed in the keys of our loyal Chevrolet Tahoe and boarded the plane for our winter paradise in St. Paul, we were faithful devotees of the Hawaiian lifestyle, and truly appreciative to have spent a week in one of the world��s most unique destinations.
Author Bio: Cindee Bolton is a prolific travel writer who contributes to various magazines and Internet travel sites. Interestingly, she displays no fear of exotic destinations, loves her husband dearly, and denies any passing interest, however brief, to hunky men in wet suits. For more information on the Chevy Tahoe visit HawaiiDrivesChevy.com.
