Final Thoughts About Hawaii...

As the month of July comes to an end, so do my blogs about Hawaii (I know, it took my about 2 months to write about a 7 day trip).  Here are my final thoughts:

1) I want to go back some day, so Ryan, start collecting miles again, because you spoiled me by flying me First Class and I don't know if I can travel in coach again (just kidding, but flying to Hawaii in coach would not be fun- right Dad?)

2) Having to do all your sleeping on the flight back is not fun, even if your seat reclines most of the way.  I think I slept, at most 2 hours, and when we landed in Dallas it was 6 AM their time, but 1 AM in Hawaii, and sleeping was all done for the day.  Ryan and I were T-I-R-E-D for the rest of the day.

3) I discovered that no matter the body type, everyone can wear a bikini.  I was in the minority with my bathing suit, but honestly, I wouldn't have the courage to flaunt my stretch marks or my belly pooch on the beach for all to see.

4) We had planned to do our touristy shopping at the International Marketplace, but it was closed due to being renovated.  Fortunately, Duke's Alley was still open.  Duke's Alley is just what it sounds like- a narrow alley, full of vendors.  The best part of all, is if you are cheap (like we are), the moment you hesitate when they name a price, the vendor immediately drops to a lower price and usually follows up with "no tax".  We were able to get both kids nice Hawaiian outfits and some other trinkets for much less than what the stores were selling them for.

5) Take the time to walk and take it all in.  We walked the beach every morning and night.  We even found some trees from Lost, but no smoke monster or polar bear!

See, no smoke monster...

6) Make sure you try new things.  Ryan used Yelp several times to find some cheap, yet good eats.  One of those places was this pizza truck that literally made pizza in a parking lot, called Agostino's.  It was delicious, but if you weren't paying attention, you would have walked right by it.  

Literally in the middle of a parking lot

7) Some other good eats we found: Tucker &  Bevvy's Picnic Food.  They have gourmet food that they pack picnic style for you to eat on the beach.  Very filling and very delicious.  One of the afternoons, Ryan had to do his class, so I wandered around for a bit and wandered into the Coconut Cafe.  I ordered a most delicious Diamond Head smoothie.  I got the small size and it was HUGE!  I couldn't even finish it and brought it back to the hotel room for Ryan to finish.  Sean the Marine, recommended we try Teddy's Bigger Burgers, and they were delicious as well.  Not as good as Portillo's, but they were well worth the money spent.  One night we ate at the Steak Shack, which was right on the beach, and not only did we have a beautiful view of the sunset, but we had an excellent dinner.

Overall, this was an excellent celebration for our 15 year anniversary.  The weather was amazing, the people were friendly and helpful, the scenery was beautiful, and the time spent with my husband was wonderful.