I Left My Heart in Honolulu

Looking at Diamond Head from Fort DeRussy Beach, around 8am, Friday, 7/8/11 (photo by the author).

My wife Aimee and I were in first wedding anniversary mode for much of July.  July 2, 2011 was when we got married and the period from July 6 to the 16th was the time of our honeymoon.  And what a honeymoon it was!  10 solid days in Hawaii!

We started the trip by knocking around Oahu for a few days. We were set to board NCL's Pride of America on the 9th, but until then our itinerary was nigh on empty.  We knew we would need to get our rental car, find our hotel, and most importantly, procure food (and beer!), but things were hazy beyond that.  I'm very proud that we met our objectives with military-style efficiency:  requisition rental car from Enterprise-check; find our hotel (the Coconut Waikiki)-check; grab food (at Moose McGillycuddy’s)-check!

One final objective was to stay up as long as possible in order to stave off jet lag.  Our attempts to keep sleep at bay involved strolling up Lewers Street, looking at the various shops and attractions along the way.  Among the newer shops was a Malibu T-Shirt store. . .I was lured in by the vintage-looking Pan Am and Inter-Island Airways shirts they carried.  

Whilst browsing, we got to talking to one of the clerks.  He asked us where we were from and what we were planning on doing during our stay.  We replied that our plans were scant at best. With that, he gave us some recommendations on places to visit.  As it turned out, we were very happy with the clerk's suggestions.

Eventually, we had to succumb to the urge to sleep.  We strolled back to the hotel and settled in for a long summer's nap, while visions of pineapples danced in our heads.

Armed with the advice we had gotten the previous evening, Aimee and I set out in the morning for the Pali Highway.  Stop #1 was the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout (where my hotel key card got blown away) and its views of Oahu's windward side.  Later, we rolled on down to Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach.  I have only one regret about Lanikai: we didn't get any pictures!  Lanikai is truly heaven on earth and I am so glad that the t-shirt clerk clued us in to its existence.

After a bite to eat at Buzz's Steakhouse (in which an older gentleman was pontificating about Cleveland sports heroes), Aimee and I ventured off to Makapu'u Point.  My Fodor's guide indicated that a lovely paved hiking trail existed at Makapu'u and that said trail lead to an awesome overhead view of the Makapu'u lighthouse.  

What I failed to notice was that the trail went 2 miles up hill into a desert climate (cacti in Hawaii?!).  After the four mile round trip (the view was worth the heat exhaustion), I was just a bit dehydrated.  I should point out that ol' Matt failed to bring his CamelBak with him to Hawaii; a CamelBak capable of carrying 100 ounces of water; 100 ounces is pretty much the equivalent of 5 standard water bottles.  Thank God that Kona Brewing wasn't too far away! My appetite was sub-par (again, dehydration), but the Koko Brown was a lifesaver.

Our adventures on Oahu would continue on, from the Dole Plantation, to Haleiwa (Cholos!), to Fort DeRussy.  And then, on the third day, we boarded the Pride of America.  

Not ever having been on a cruise ship before, I wasn't quite sure how things would go; the Pride of America exceeded all expectations.  The food was great, the entertainment was top-notch, and the crew was outstanding.

Off the ship, our excursions were a blast.  A waterfall hike on Maui; lunch at the Four Seasons on the same island (okay, it was a snack hut along the Wailea Beach trail, but it was on the Four Seasons' property); mountain biking around Kilauea, snorkeling off of Kona; a trip to the Waimea Canyon on Kauai; kayaking past where Indiana Jones caught his plane in Raiders; and of course, a luau.

The grand finale to it all was a visit to Peal Harbor and the USS Missouri.  I've written about that experience already, but I can't overestimate how moving it was.

After Pearl, our bus driver took us on a leisurely drive around Honolulu, going by city hall, the state capitol, and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  We also got to see Dog the Bounty Hunter's HQ, shooting sites for Hawaii 5-0 (new and old), and the (in)famous Hotel Street.

Eventually, however, we were dropped off at the airport.  We had a red-eye flight to Denver, so we had several hours to burn.  This may have been tedious at any other airport, but Honolulu is a bit different.  Also, Kona Brewing has a location inside, so having one last beer made things even more pleasant.

But, sooner than desired, the call came to board our flight.  We trudged down the jetway and soon we were in the air heading east.  After a short layover in Denver, we were again aloft; destination Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

Seeing my brother and my niece upon our arrival in Cleveland certainly helped us avoid feeling post honeymoon letdown; after all, it had been over a week since we had last seen family and friends.  But still, we needed a period of readjustment.  If nothing else, we had to get used to raging humidity again.  I never would have imagined wanting to move to Hawaii because it was cooler than Cleveland in July!

Even though I acclimated to being back home, part of me didn't leave the islands.  And in truth, I never expected Hawaii to get under my skin like it did.  To be sure, I had looked forward to visiting the islands my whole life.  Stories from people who had been there coupled with images from pop culture (Magnum P.I., Hawaii 5-0, From Here To Eternity, et al.) had left me very eager to get across the Pacific.  Still, I was not prepared to feel such a connection with the place.

In the months that followed, I did lots of research about Hawaii.  Every so often, I would check and see what kinds of jobs were available on the islands at places like UH Manoa, the Bishop Museum, and the Missouri.  I even looked into how one relocates to the islands from the mainland (Just call Matson to move the car! Contact PODS to move stuff!).  I sort of felt like Jack on Lost when he's telling Kate that they have to go back to The Island (. . .and where was Lost shot?).

Naturally, the whole notion of moving to Hawaii is rather silly.  For one, it would be very difficult to be so far away from our family.  Also, the logistics involved plus the costs of moving and then living in paradise are steep to say the least.  Finally, living in Hawaii would change the nature of the place for us.  It would no longer be a get-away locale; instead, it would be home with all of the issues that come with full-time residency.  Would it still be special after six months?

I’m hoping that we can return to Hawaii every five years or so (our daughter will be the cutest little hula dancer).  I figure that’s enough of a break to keep things fresh, but not too long of a span between visits.

Of course, one never knows.  Maybe we’ll just let the trade winds carry us away.