Hawaii Day NINE...

I actually don't have any photos from this day.  We woke up early to take Sara and Cory to the airport.  We then had a few hours before our flight, so we headed back to the hotel.  We went to the pool -only it was a little chilly and cloudy/sprinkling - so we didn't stay long.  Checked out and we decided to head back over the the Swap Meet because 2 times just wasn't enough.  =)  Then it was time to drop off the rental car and head to the airport for our two day trip home.  We had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back!

Hawaii Day EIGHT...

We woke up early to pack up the house. Took some final pictures and headed down to Honolulu. We spent the rest of the day in Honolulu just doing some shopping. Headed over to the Aloha Bowl Swap Meet again and the International Marketplace in Honolulu (basically a more expensive version of the swap meet).

We were so glad that we hadn't spent our vacation time in Honolulu. It was soooo tourist-y, busy, and horrible traffic. We checked into the Hotel Prince Waikiki. Really nice hotel, with gorgeous views of the marina. We had gotten a Groupon to a really nice Italian restaurant called Sarento's at the top of the Ilikai hotel. We actually had to make RESERVATIONS. I can't remember the last time I ate at a restaurant that required reservations. It was only a couple of buildings over from our hotel, but he had a little bit of a hard time figuring out which building it was exactly. While on an elevator in the wrong building, we ran into a local who helped us find the right place. In fact, he walked us right over to the entrance to the elevator that takes you up to the restaurant. Yes, the restaurant has it's own dedicated elevator. We ended up walking through the hotel's pool area that was being set up for some fancy shmancy party to promote some product. If we weren't with that local guy, I'm sure we would have been thrown out from that area - but he just waved all the people off and we walked through. He said that we needed to come back the next day because they were throwing a big preview party for the series Hawaii Five-O there with Iron Chef Morimoto. Too bad we were flying out the next day. At least the Morimoto part.

Dinner was soooo yummy. We had some really really good food while we were in Hawaii. I especially liked the restaurant in Hilo and Sarento's the best. Sara would say Papa Ole's was where it's at. I personally loved to eat at Surfin' Tacos practically across the street from our rental. Basically it was Cafe Rio. Then there were the yummy treats at Ted's bakery. I was surprised that I actually liked the chocolate haupia pie (it has coconut milk in it). All very yum! Next up - our very last day. *sniff*

Hawaii Day SEVEN (yup still posting about it)....

Friday was the last day we spent in our rental house on the beach.  We got up early that morning and headed to Laie beach.  There is a little island off the beach there called Goat Island.  Sara, Cory, and John ventured out to the island.  They could almost walk the entire way.  I stayed back on the beach to keep an eye on our stuff.  It started to make me nervous as time went on because the waves were really kicking up on the back side of the island.  I was worried that someone would venture off the beach on that side and get in trouble - but of course, everyone was smart and made it back safe.

I found a little "friend" on the beach that kept me entertained.  The beach was covered with "sea stuff" and yes, that is the technical term.  All of this sea stuff made for some great food for our friends the Ghost Crabs.  Ghost Crabs are pretty much clear in color, and up to this point, I think I had only seen a few on the beaches around Hawaii.  Laie beach was full of them!  It freaks you out the first time you see one, because you can't see them until they move.  And usually they are quite tiny.  My "friend" was a pretty big one that kept peeking up out of his hole... then would run and grab something and run back.  I would have to stay very still to keep from scaring him away.  Sara and John made it back before Cory did, so they sat and played with the crab with me.  It was amazing how the crab could sense movement so well.  I was sitting about 10 feet away, and it could tell if I moved.  We thought it would be funny by throwing stuff at it to see if it would run away.  It was sitting on the edge of it's hole, and I picked up a sea shell and threw it at it... and you know what? It ran out and CAUGHT the shell.  No joke.  We spent probably a half hour throwing things at it.  Too funny.

After Laie beach - I believe we went back to Turtle Cove and snorkeled some more.  Ate some lunch and headed into Haliewa to shop.  We stopped at a place called Turtle Beach where a lot of turtles tend to congregate and actually come up on the beach.  There are special volunteers called Honu Guardians that keep watch over the turtles to make sure that people leave them alone.  I couldn't believe how many turtles were swimming around out there.  Three were beached while we were there.  

This is Isabel and Punahele - and the Honu Guardian told us that they were not "together" together.  Haha, how do they even know that?   It's cute.

Do you see that in the wave?  Yup, that's a turtle surfing!

We shopped at some little shops in Haliewa and ate some dinner and more Matsumoto's Shave Ice.  Then headed home.  I don't have a lot of photos from this day - so I think that my recollection is right, but I could be wrong.  I reserve the right to amend this day's post!