Hawaii

Hawaii 2025 – Final Days

Posted on November 7, 2025 by JimG

Friday, November 7, 2025

We spent our last couple of days doing exactly what a vacation should include: hanging out by the beach and pool, driving around the island while searching out places to eat and stop. We tried to book a Nā Pali Coast tour, but ocean conditions weren’t great and the available options were limited. We decided to save that for a future visit.

On the way to the airport, I had the familiar feeling that once we arrived in Hawaii, the next thing we’d know it would be time to go home. Vacations always seem to work that way.

Even though I’ve been to Hawaii many times, I never once felt a sense of “been there, done that” on this trip. In Waikiki, we stayed at the Royal Hawaiian. It’s a very nice hotel, and the staff was top notch. I’d always wanted to stay there, and it didn’t disappoint.

Kauai felt pretty much the same as I remembered, but Waikiki has changed. I used to love Waikiki—back when I was in my twenties and happy going out until all hours of the night. Somewhere along the way, both Waikiki and I changed. As one of our Uber drivers put it, “Waikiki is nothing but a city with a beach. Kauai is still an island.” I have to agree.

As we boarded our flight back to Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that we couldn’t stay longer.

 

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Hawaii 2025 – A day at the Beach

Posted on November 5, 2025 by JimG

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

I did a few work related things in the morning and then drove to Lihue for saimin at Hamura Saimin. We’d eaten there on our last trip. It’s mostly a local spot, but there’s always a slow but steady trickle of tourists finding their way in.

After that we swung by Safeway. I wanted to grab some poke for the room, and honestly, I just like seeing what is available locally. I am always amazed at how expensive food is in Hawaii.

Once we got back to the hotel, I headed straight to the beach and rented a cabana. I’ll never get over how you can pay a resort fee and still have to pay extra just to sit on the beach at a beachfront resort. It’s ridiculous, but here we are.

The weather was partly cloudy — warm, tropical, and comfortable without being unbearably hot. I enjoy listening to the ocean while watching people frolic in the sand.  Every once in a while, I dipped into the ocean or pool. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Allerton Gardens – The Sunset Tour

Posted on November 4, 2025 by JimG

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

The plan was to spend the day at the beach, but a thick cloud cover killed that idea. We ended up driving to Koloa and stumbled onto Break + Fast. Solid choice — we liked it a lot. I had some work to finish up, so I knocked that out until the housekeeper showed up. We moved to the lobby, sat in the rocking chairs for about an hour, then headed back to the room. Both of us crashed for a nap before heading to the Allerton Gardens.

We’d toured Allerton once before — the Best of Both Worlds tour — and loved it. This time, I was curious about their Sunset Tour, you visit the Allerton House and have dinner.   Sure enough, we ended up with the same guide who is very funny with a contagious laugh and knows his botanicals.

Quick refresher: Robert Allerton was born in 1873 into an absurd amount of money. He wanted to be an artist, wandered Europe for a while, eventually gave up, and on a whim stopped in Kauai. Weeks later, he bought the 62 acres that are now the Allerton Gardens. He created these outdoor “rooms,” built structures, and threw extravagant parties. I could never find much info about those parties online, but our guide said former estate workers told him that when the parties started, the staff basically vanished from sight. That tells you enough. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Turtle Beach

Posted on November 3, 2025 by JimG

Monday, November 3, 2025 (Part 2)

After a quick break, we headed out to explore on foot. This was my first time staying in Poipu, and I’d heard there was a spot where sea turtles swim ashore to sleep at night. Sophon pulled it up on Google Maps — not right in front of our hotel, but close enough to walk.

As we got near, I was surprised to see a roped-off area with about twenty turtles resting on the sand. They were huge. A biologist was on-site answering questions, and I had plenty: Why this beach? Do they ever come up at the beach next to ours? Are these the same turtles every night?

She explained that this particular stretch of beach has a gentle slope and is naturally protected by rocks, making it a safe place for the turtles to sleep. They come ashore in the early evening and return to the water just before sunrise — they simply can’t rest as deeply in the ocean. It’s not the same group every night; this is one of only three places in the world where this behavior happens, and the mix of turtles changes daily, though they do see some individuals return a few times a week. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Driving around Kauai

Posted on November 3, 2025 by JimG

Monday, November 3, 2025

Early in my career, I spent six weeks traveling between Kauai and Maui. I couldn’t have asked for a better project — I fell in love with Kauai’s natural beauty and immediately understood why so many Hollywood productions were filmed here. Even now, simply driving around the island is one of my favorite things to do.

We drove from Poipu up to Kapaʻa, about 45 minutes. Passing through Wailua, I noticed the Coco Palms was still fenced off. It’s the iconic hotel where Elvis filmed the wedding scene in Blue Hawaii. Hurricane Iniki destroyed it in 1992, and ever since, there’s been endless talk of redeveloping it. Sadly, it still sits there today — fenced off, decayed, and frozen in time.

We had breakfast at Kountry Kitchen, one of my longtime favorites. Sophon went all in with the pork loco moco — shredded pork over rice, topped with an egg and smothered in gravy. I stuck with my usual Eggs Benedict. From there, we continued up to Hanalei Bay, stopping along the way to take in the views. When my parents retired, I used my miles to bring them to Kauai, and they absolutely loved it. I always think about how special that trip was. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Waikiki to Poipu

Posted on November 2, 2025 by JimG

Sunday, November 2, 2025

We had breakfast at the Surf Lanai, the hotel’s restaurant. I went with the eggs Benedict, and Sophon ordered the signature pink pancakes with a side of bacon. Both were great, and the view of Waikiki and Diamond Head never gets old.

After breakfast, we took a walk through Waikiki. Earlier in the week I’d spotted a hot sauce from a local Hawaii company that I really liked, and I was determined to find it again. The problem? Trying to remember which ABC Store we were in. I have no idea how many ABC Stores Waikiki has, but we checked at least six within a couple of blocks. Eventually, I gave up — they blend together after a while.

We headed back to the hotel to pack up for our flight but took one last walk around the Royal Hawaiian. I really enjoyed staying there — zero complaints.

The flight to Lihue was quick and painless, which is all you can ask for these days. We grabbed the rental car and drove to Poipu, where we were staying. As we pulled into the Sheraton Kauai Resort Villas, it hit me: years ago I worked on a project at Kiahuna Plantation right next door. Back then I stayed at the Islander on the Beach in Lihue, so this was my first time actually staying in Poipu. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Chilling in Waikiki

Posted on November 1, 2025 by JimG

At the Farmers Market

Saturday, November 1, 2025

We took the Waikiki Trolley to the Farmers Market near Diamond Head. My calves were still screaming from yesterday’s hike — every time I looked up at the crater, I kept thinking, Did I really climb that?

I’d heard great things about this market and was glad to finally see it. Plenty of food stalls. We started with a Portuguese sausage sandwich, then spotted a stand from The Pig and the Lady, a Vietnamese spot we’ve eaten at before. We grabbed a bowl of Bún Chả (pork and noodles), wandered a bit more, and then caught the trolley back to the hotel.

The rest of the afternoon was pool time. Finding a seat was ridiculous — at any moment, 80% of the chairs were empty but “reserved” with a single towel like we were back in grade school saving seats at an assembly.

What really stood out, though, was how many people spent the entire time staring into their phones. I made it a point to actually be there: the sound of the ocean, Hawaiian music drifting in the background, the Royal Hawaiian’s pink umbrellas, the breeze, the smell of flowers and sunscreen. Meanwhile, everyone else seemed mentally somewhere inside Facebook. Why come all the way to Hawaii just to fall into the same screen you stare at at home? Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 – Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2025 by JimG

Friday, October 31, 2025

Some holidays are for kids, but Halloween belongs to the adults just as much. All day we kept getting reminded what day it was. While riding the trolley, a pickup rolled up next to us blasting the Halloween theme, with a Michael Myers dummy riding shotgun. Subtle!

I’ve spent Halloween in Waikiki before — it’s one giant street party. We wandered around to take in the costumes, and people did not disappoint. Lots of cute ones, plenty of funny ones. One woman dressed as a cardboard toilet paper tube cracked me up, and a guy dressed as Aladdin had turned his skateboard into a flying carpet. Easily one of the most creative costumes of the night.   I even saw the Scooby-Doo Van.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of pictures, my phone was saying to many invalid login attempts.  I decided to enjoy the festivities and not worry about pictures.

 

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Hawaii 2025 – Diamond head and Honolulu

Posted on October 31, 2025 by JimG

Diamond Head

Friday, October 31, 2025

We grabbed the Waikiki Trolley in the morning and hopped off at Diamond Head. The plan was simple: look around, not hike it. When I looked up at the ridge, I said out loud, “Yeah, there’s no way I’m going all the way up there.” The driver claimed the hike was “about a half hour.” No chance — it’s longer, and I knew it.

We weren’t prepared for a hike at all — no water, no hats, no sunscreen. We figured we’d walk a little way up just to see how it felt. One step led to another, and with a few breaks along the way, suddenly we were much higher than expected. I kept thinking, If people older than me are doing this, I don’t have an excuse. At some point, we were committed.

We made it to the top, and the views were absolutely worth it. I was proud of myself. Going back down didn’t require as much cardio, but it was just as rough on the legs.

Along the way, I noticed couples hiking with babies strapped to their backs and even toddlers making the climb. It reminded me how different parenting looks these days — people don’t put adventures on pause just because they have kids. Continue reading →

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Hawaii 2025 -HFWF Charles Phan Tribute!

Posted on October 30, 2025 by JimG

October 30, 2025

I’ve eaten at Charles Phan’s The Slanted Door in San Francisco a few times — both the original location and the newer one on the waterfront. The food was incredible, and I remember thinking it was unlike anything I’d had before. Then I went to Vietnam and realized Vietnamese cuisine is essentially French technique blended with Southeast Asian flavors. It made me wonder: was The Slanted Door truly that groundbreaking, or was it simply the first time many of us experienced upscale Vietnamese food beyond pho?

Ironically, every time Charles Phan cooked at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, his dishes ended up near the bottom of my list. I hate saying that — I have huge respect for him, the restaurant was fantastic, and he has always been incredibly kind whenever I’ve spoken with him. But festivals are unpredictable. The chefs aren’t in their own kitchens, they’re working under pressure in tiny booths, and somehow we still expect perfection on every plate.

Still, I’m enough of a fan that I wasn’t going to miss a tribute event in his honor — and it delivered. A lineup of talented chefs served dishes inspired by his work, and the food was excellent. We also got to see Roy and his wife Denise, along with Aya. Even though Sophon and I traveled to Japan with Roy and Denise, I still feel a sense of awe knowing them. They are down-to-earth, genuinely good people. Continue reading →

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