Julia's Visit - Day 5

When you come to Oahu, it's almost required that you visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. So that's exactly what we did on Wednesday morning. We've visited Pearl Harbor several times and we always do it on Wednesday because the Aloha Bowl swap meet takes place on Wednesday and it's very close to Pearl Harbor.

So the girls and I loaded up and got into line about 7:30am. The wait wasn't long and the weather was nice - a bit cool and not rainy. I have lots of pictures, but Julia said she felt strange taking smiley pictures at such a somber location. The tour was very well done and everyone was moved by the audio tour, exhibits and artifacts. Two hours later, we were done and drove the short drive over to the swap meet.

The Aloha Swap meet takes place at the Aloha Stadium (hence the name). It is a mecca for touristy souvenirs at fairly decent prices with lots of choice. Of course, it is also mostly filled with cheap stuff made in China or the Phillippines. After being there many times, we've learned to spot the few gems that are different, so the girls and I started our first walk around the shops while I pointed out some bargains.

But about halfway through, the girls were done - having seen their share of kitchy tourist stuff at various stores in Waikiki. On the way back to the car, the girls talked more about the beach than they did shopping, so we determined to head home and hit the beach!

Now this is what being in Hawaii is all about! A sunny day, waves and sand and a couple of boogie boards! It was fun watching the girls splash around and get the feel of wave riding. Everyone tried out the boogie boards and a little body surfing as well! We all had a lot of fun, but Julia and I had another agenda, so we left DeAnna and Julia's friends at the beach to get ready for our Sunset Cruise!



For Julia's birthday back in March, I gave Julia a choice of three "activity packages" to do while in Hawaii. She chose the Waikiki package which included surfing lessons, a sunset cruise and dinner on Waikiki beach. Tonight was our night for the sunset cruise and dinner on the beach! So we dressed lightly and drove over to the Waikiki Outrigger Hotel to catch our catamaran sailboat!

The sailboat leaves about 30 minutes before sundown and motors out about a mile off Waikiki. Once out in the deep water, they hoist a sail and silently sail back and forth while the sun sets. We loaded up with about 20 other people and enjoyed the views of the shoreline!



The cruise was very informal and there were some obvious party goers. One guy needed to use the bathroom which is located inside one of the catamaran pontoons. It was so cramped, he didn't even close the hatch! I was pretty convinced that he'd had too much to drink. Still, it was really fun and relaxing to be out on the water! I enjoyed being outside without my hat for a change!

Of course, the main reason for going was to see the sunset off Waikiki beach, so here is the money shot! Once the sun set, the boat quickly headed back to shore. Fortunately, Julia and I had made reservations at the Shorebird for dinner and we were seated with great seats overlooking the sand and waves!

If you've read this blog, you know that one of our favourite places is the Shorebird. This is the place with the great salad bar and where you grill your own steak. Julia even ate octopus (see the little suckers on the plate?)

Of course, the main course is steak and Julia is great at the grill!

After dinner, we enjoyed a casual walk in downtown Waikiki and then headed for home. It was a wonderful Father-Daughter event and I really enjoyed getting to know Julia better. She is a sensitive, funny, beautiful woman who has interesting aspirations of life. Dare I say she's a chip off the old block?