In all my beach walking, I’ve seen some pretty creative castles, some well-formed sand turtles, and even a mermaid, but on Jim’s birthday we were sitting on Hapuna Beach next to the first “Sand Ball” artist I’ve ever met. I’ve never seen anyone create perfectly round balls of sand and then place them on top if each other with such precision. Check it out:
Sand Balls on a Beach
March 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tsunami Warning in Hawaii
February 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Ok, so tsunami warnings don’t exactly make life a little bit more fun, but they did make our Saturday morning quite a bit more exciting as we tried to figure out if we were outside of the evacuation zone. Turns out that we were out of the evacuation zone according to the phone book, but just barely, which made us wonder how generous the zone is and what if it was a “little” off? Should we be worried? We did what we could and prepared extra water and food in case we were out of power for a few days. And then we sat around and waited with the rest of the islands, for what turned out to be a much smaller event than they anticipated. [Read more...]
Hale Kai at the Fairmont Orchid
February 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tonight we toasted to new beginnings for our business at the Hale Kai Restaurant, located at the Fairmont Orchid Resort on the Kohala Coast. The Hale Kai, or House by the Ocean, has a primo location right next to the beach and the pool. The “floor” of the restaurant is actually sand (although they still have a “footwear required” rule posted on their Web site) and the overall atmosphere is casual.
Our family on the mainland can’t imagine any reason for buying a $16 hamburger, but they haven’t been to the Hale Kai, or the Ocean Grill Restaurant at the Mauna Lani (which is our usual favorite spot for a burger along the coast). It’s all about the atmosphere. The resorts provide such gorgeous surroundings, and having dinner while the sun sets over the ocean with palm trees swaying all around you makes you feel like royalty, and this makes life a little bit more fun.
That leads us to the food. We shared two different meals because we both wanted a little bit of each. First up was the Longboard Ale Battered Snapper which came with Preserved Papaya and Lemon Tartar Sauce, Green Papaya Coleslaw and French Fries. The second meal we shared was the Hale Kai Da Kine Surfer Burger which was “Grilled Ground Sirloin Topped with Cheddar Cheese, Sundried Tomato Aioli, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion on an Onion Parmesan Kaiser” and was also served with Papaya Coleslaw and French Fries.
Did I mention that it was really windy? That comes into play a bit here as it cooled down the fish considerably before I could fully enjoy it. It was tasty, but I would have preferred a little more crispness to the batter, as it all seemed a little soggy by the time I ate it. The coleslaw (very unique) and french fries however were excellent. And the burger was fantastic; cooked perfectly, really tasty bun, and the sundried tomato aioli—yummy! We were really pleased with the service, although there was quite a waiting list by 6:30pm, so get there early if you want to eat during the sunset.
If you are a Hawaii resident, don’t forget to show your license for 10% off your bill. The reason they even offered for us was because Jim pronounced the “Hale Kai Da Kine” so well! If you are not staying in the resort you’ll also want to get your parking validated by the valet (keep your receipt) to avoid the $17 parking fee that they recently instituted.
A Fun Coach on a Mission
January 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I think everyone needs a “Fun Coach” — someone who can help you insert a little bit more fun into your life. We had the opportunity to live for a few months with someone who became our “fun coach” naturally because of her undying enthusiasm, optimism, and zest for life! Our friend Trisha introduced us to the joy of swimming by giving us a few simple lessons on how to improve our technique and this led to us swimming in the ocean every morning which changed our lives completely, as you can tell if you read our earlier posts.
She didn’t stop there. Trisha took us to swim with the dolphins in Kealakekua Bay, to explore caves at Hapuna Beach, to jump off cliffs along the coastline in front of our home, and she gave me surfing lessons. She made “fun” a permanent and essential part of our day, and we certainly have her to thank for reminding us of all the simple things you can do to make life a little bit more fun.
Pardon the sand, but Trisha was encouraging me to so somersaults on the beach!
Trisha has left the islands on an adventure and I wanted to give her mission a plug. She is spending this year traveling the globe with an intention of volunteerism, fundraising for charitable causes, and spreading love and joy. Her travels will take her to Guam, India, the Middle East, Spain and Western Europe, and the United States.
Check out her blog, follow her travels, and join her band of 25,000 optimists—I just did—by donating one dollar at http://trishapatton.com/. Long live optimism, volunteerism, and fun!
Greenwell Farms Coffee Tour
October 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As part of our anniversary getaway to the south of Kona, we decided to tour a coffee farm. It was time to fuel my coffee addiction a little more by gaining a true appreciation of how that little bean gets into my cup every morning. We chose Greenwell Farms, because our trusty travel bible The Big Island Revealed said good things about them and we were so pleased that we did.
We were essentially the only visitors when we arrived, so we go a private tour of the farm— tours are free by the way, although we would recommend giving a nice donation. Our guide was well informed, passionate about the process of growing coffee, and very enthusiastic about having us touch every stage of the coffee “cherry” or “bean”. I learned so much about coffee! (And being well-informed about the things you love can make life a little bit more fun.)
I wish I had taken a few notes, but my basic understanding is that Greenwell Farms has been doing this for a LONG time (mid 1800′s) and that they were one of the first (if not the first) farm to begin exporting coffee to Europe and the Americas. It was founded by Henry Nicholas Greenwell and his wife Elizabeth Caroline. The farm is located on the Hawaii Belt Highway (State Highway 11) between mile marker 112 and 111 (oceanside). For more info, you might want to visit their web site at http://www.greenwellfarms.com/
Honolulu Coffee Company
September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Years before we moved to Hawaii we heard about the Honolulu Coffee Company from our friend Rick. “They serve your coffee in a real mug!” he would always tell us. And they certainly do. Look at this beauty of a presentation for my breve latte.
I don’t know what it is about their coffee, but it far surpasses any other coffee that we’ve had across the islands. Perhaps it is the heart-shaped foam. Perhaps it is because we are always on vacation when we have it, since we have to fly to Oahu to partake. Perhaps it is because the farmers they buy the coffee from hand deliver it to them in the mornings. I don’t know if that’s a fact across the board, but on one of the mornings that we were there, Jim was nearly run over by one of the coffee farmers bringing in his delivery. The tub that he was carrying the coffee in, caught Jim’s arm and cut it open. It was an accident of course, but if we hadn’t already been so well caffeinated we might have pressed for a free coffee.
On the occasion when this photo was taken (isn’t it a cool photo?) we were at the Waikiki location next to the Moana Surfrider Resort. This is simply our favorite Honolulu Coffee Company location. Get your coffee in a ceramic mug, take a seat by the window, and watch the morning scene in Honolulu—it’s fascinating. I am a relatively new convert to drinking coffee—I used to chastise my husband for doing so—but I must say that coffee definitely makes life a little bit more fun, and so does the Honolulu Coffee Company.
What fun awaits us now?
September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Now that our 30 Day Challenge is over, we are recognizing that doing new things isn’t the only way to insert a little bit more fun into our lives. So we are considering expanding the challenge to anything that you deem “a little bit more fun” for you. It could be an old tradition—something you loved to do when you were younger. Or a favorite thing or activity that maybe you just don’t allow yourself enough time for anymore. Maybe it’s something “normal” which you add a slight twist to.
For now until we decide where to go next, we’re going to keep posting about any people, places or things that make our lives a little bit more fun.
30 Day Challenge Completed
September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We’d have to say that our 30 Day Challenge to have a little bit more fun was successful. We tried over 75 new things in 30 days! Where to go from here? Think I’ll put my feet up, watch the sunset, and give it a little thought…
A True Hawaiian Lu’au Pizza at Kona Brewery
September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We didn’t try a new restaurant tonight, but tried four different things that we’d never ordered before from one of our favorite pizza places on the island, the Kona Brewery.
We were stoked to learn that you can mix two specialty pizzas on the same pie. Half and half, no extra cost. So we tried Kaloko Alfredo and Hawaiian Lu’au, two completely non-traditional pizzas.
The Kaloko Alfredo had a homemade alfredo sauce (slightly spicy), fresh spinach, mozzarella, herb chicken, roasted garlic and tomatoes. It was divine. When they say garlic, they mean garlic. One piece had 6 cloves on it, full cloves!
Our server suggested a couple substitutes to the Hawaiian Lu’au. Traditionally it has Canadian Bacon and Tomato sauce, but we added Imu Pork, smoked mozzarella, and a BBQ sauce base, plus the usual ricotta, fresh pineapple, and roasted onions. It was truly hard to determine a winner. The first night the Hawaiian Lu’au pizza won out, but reheated the next day, the Alfredo was better.
The Kona Brew is just as flexible with their beers as their pizza, as they have the sampler, so since we couldn’t decide between our favorites, The Wailua Wheat (a passion-fruit flavored light ale), and the Pipeline Porter (with 100% Kona coffee), and the two new limited releases, a Coconut Brown Ale, and a Ginger-based light ale, we had the opportunity to have a sample of all of them (4- 6 oz glasses). We circled through the various flavors from coffee, to lilikoi (passion fruit), to ginger to coconut. I still think the Wailua Wheat is my favorite, but I really liked the coconut beer as well.
Don’t Tape Over Your Stamp
August 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Have you seen the new Simpsons' stamps?
The lesson for today is that no matter what, your stamp must be on the very outside of any package you send, or it will be null and void. What? Are you serious?
That’s what I asked the postal guy today as he rejected my pre-paid $4.80 priority mail stamp. I needed to add the extra 15 cents to it as it was old, and he said “Sorry, but we can’t cancel out your stamp and issue a new one if it’s taped over.” Can I just add 15 cents on the outside? Nope, the stamp is completely null and void. But you can buy a new one for $4.95.
Why was it taped over in the first place? I was trying to protect the book inside so had used packing tape around the priority mail envelope to make it stronger because sometimes the packages get abused in the mail system and I just wanted to ensure the book made it there in one piece. That was one expensive free copy of Where’s the Map!