Sunday, December 18, 2011

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The morning starts off with more scattered showers so we decide to have breakfast at a restaurant conveniently located downstairs; right next to Ohana.

Keoni by Keo’s
2375 Kuhio Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815

Keoni serves up Thai and American type cuisine in an open air dining area. After reviewing the menu, the #1 seemed like a great value to me; only $4.25 for a scrambled egg, 2 pancakes and 2 slices of bacon. Michael went with the All American; eggs, hash browns, bacon & toast. Arick decided on eggs with Portuguese sausage with pancakes. Bryan and Jericho ordered French toast with eggs & bacon.

The portions are larger than expected and the overall quality was quite good. Arick didn’t like the Portuguese sausage; it lacked flavor and was too sweet. With that said, the staff was friendly and very accommodating. You get bang for your buck here-I’d come back for breakfast again!

With full tummies, we’re ready to begin our day with an activity for all the guys-snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. For me it’s another day on the beach.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
7455 Kalanianaole Highway
Honolulu, Hi 96825

Hanauma Bay is located east of Waikiki and is very accessible by car and or bus. Parking cost $1.00 per vehicle. Admission is free for Hawaii residents and for others, it’s $7.50 per person. Kids 12 & under are also free.

Before being allowed access to the beach area, everyone is required to watch a short video about the history of the Bay and respecting the fragile Marine life at all times.

There is a food concession located near the entrance to the Preserve but nothing else is available near the beach area. So you either bring your own food/snacks or buy it at the food stand before taking the hike down to the beach. You can also take the tram-75 cents for a ride down to the beach and $1.00 for a ride back up. You’ll see why it cost more on the return. It can be a bit steep for some folks.

Masks, fins and snorkels are available for rent at the snorkfin concession at the beach. The boys are ready for some underwater action-I’m just glad they’re all excellent swimmers.

Michael takes a few shots of the different colored fishes underwater. The waterproof Nikon camera is working pretty well.

Getting out and playing around in the sand helps the boys warm up a bit-the ocean water is COLD. Me-I’m still lying on the beach as intermittent light rains come and go with the passing of the clouds. What do I do? I’m prepared-I have an extra-large towel to cover myself, once the sun is back, the towel comes off. Life’s a beach!

Before I know it, the guys are back in the water. Arick comes running to me for the use of the camera. They’ve come across a couple of Green Sea Turtles-cool! Arick gets quite a few shots of the Sea Turtles; they’re beautiful and amazing to look at. The boys are loving it!

The day is winding down and it’s time to pack up and go. We all make the short hike back up to the parking lot. The views of the Bay are spectacular!

Vacationing sure does make you hungry- we’ve set sight on getting a Hawaiian Style Hot Dog as a snack before dinner. Puka Dog is located right around the corner from the hotel.

Puka Dog Waikiki
2301 Kuhio Ave #2
Honolulu, HI 96815

There’s a method to ordering a Puka Dog:

The dog is prepared by inserting a whole bun into a contraption that creates a hole in the center; the exact size for the sausage of your choice. All the fillings are then squirted within the hole along with the sausage. The secret garlic sauce is a Garlic Ailoi, the tropical relishes are not relish as we know it but a jellied sauce with no chunks or bits of fruit. You also have the option of choosing the “traditional” fixings.

I ordered a Polish dog with Original sauce and the Papaya relish with Hawaiian Mustard. The concept is interesting, it’s easy to eat and the single hole bun keeps all the sauces inside. The Polish dog lacked flavor, the garlic sauce, tropical relish and mustard are all too sweet for my taste.

Dinner time rolls around after some lounging back at the hotel. We all agree to walk around the corner and try out a Japanese Udon place.

Marukame Udon
2310 Kuhio Ave
Honolulu, Hi 96815

This is a “CASH ONLY” cafeteria style udon noodle place. The lines are always out the door but it moves fairly quickly. Occupy your time by deciding ahead of time what type of Udon you want. Once in the door, they take your order and hand you a bowl of fresh made udon noodles of your choice, you move along the line and get to choose your sides. The variety of tempuras and misubis are endless.

We ordered Curry Udon, 2 Kake Udon in hot broth, Niku Udon in hot broth with beef and a Bukkake Udon in sauce. The sides we chose included shrimp and vegetable tempura, salmon and spam musubi. The prices are very reasonable and the fresh made udon is delicious! We would all come back here again!

Today was a fantastic and eventful day for all of us. Swimming with Sea Turtles-WOW! My tan is coming along nicely too!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I know up on the top you are seeing great sights, but down at the bottom we, too, should have rights.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Dr. Seuss