Kailua
We're coming into the home stretch of our Hawaii vacation and will be heading back to Portland in less than 2 days. Since my last report, we've spent quite a bit more time in Honolulu, which continues to irritate me with incredibly bad traffic... and on a trip around Oahu's North Shore, which has course sandy beaches, wind and rough waves exactly as reported by many sources.
All of that "looking around" only makes me appreciate my choice of Kailua for our home base here in Hawaii. As I may have pointed out earlier, the beach is really excellent, with gentle waves, fine sand, and no crowds as you find at the fine beaches in Waikiki. The town is big enough to have ample shopping and services and is only about 20 minutes drive from downtown Honolulu. If you're considering a stay on Oahu, I'd recommend checking it out.
The first picture above is from this morning's visit to Kailua Beach. Lauren found some other children to play with and managed to only get into one parent-child argument. I spend most of my time during our daily trips to the beach with my beach chair just feet from the surf so that the waves can occasionally come up to swirl around my chair and my feet. Nice.
The second picture is of Lauren and Wally Amos, a "famous" resident of Kailua. Wally these days (in addition to promoting his 13 books, his muffin company, speaking engagements, and more) spends a lot of time in his "Chip and Cookie" store in Kailua, which sells his most excellent cookies and which promotes literacy and parent-child reading. This Saturday, as every Saturday, Wally read a number of books and shared cookies with a crowd of children. He's really a wonderful reader, as well as a good self-promoter. It was really a joy to meet him.
I should tell more about our visits to the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the Waikiki Aquarium, and other touristy spots around Oahu, but all the sightseeing, and my little bit of computer time, barely gives me the necessary time for lying around. 
Lots of love from Hawaii!
Now, that your back to blogging and alive after all the missing MIA blogger postings we've put out on you, Michael, its good to hear the voice of a local blog once again! Your vacations were just right on the mark for a middle of the night glass of mile and a view Oreo cookies, but I would've prefered Wally's famous cookies tho and I hear his muffins are good too!
News for you - I finally got that Cochlear Implant I was telling you about, before everyone went seperate ways. Hearing the world will happening next week, more to come on either my Chase 508's Den blog or one of my other two blogs, I now maintain.
Cheers
Comment by Jeff Newton — 02/16/2007 2:24 AM
Michael, I still don't understand why you didn't surprise Anne and Lauren with a visit to us in Perth! It is unique as the loneliest Capital in the world, has good beaches on the Indian Ocean and Swan River. It is summer here and the weather is warm. I suspect Perth isn't as romantic? Also it probably takes three times as long to get here and costs three times ss much and the UV exposure is fierce. You don't need a passport or visa for Hawaii, so guess Hawaii was the better choice and the surprise pleased everyone so score one for you! See you sometime in the Spring when we are back in the States. Cheers, Carol
Comment by CAROL — 02/18/2007 3:09 PM