Beach Trip 2009!

Every year a group of my girl friends all get together and take a beach vacation. This year, our 4th year of traveling together, the girls came out to Hawaii to visit me, and take advantage of all of the beaches here!

Mai, Teal and Beth arrived last week, and were here for an action-packed week-full-of fun! Here is a run down of what we did each day (thanks to Beth, who writes in her travel journal!):

July 22

Arrival

Went to Kailua Beach park - with other USS Louisville Families

Dinner - Pauoa Chop Suey - finally got to try the little restaurant at the bottom of our mountain!

Amuse Wine Bar - where the girls were trying sooo hard to stay awake!

July 23

Hiked Diamond Head - sooo stinking hot!

Lunch @ Kona Brewery Company in Hawaii Kai

Drove around Pearl Harbor & Hickam Air Force Base

July 24

Pearl Harbor - USS Bowfin & USS Arizona Memorial

Lunch @ Dixie Grill

Bellows Beach @ Bellows Air Force Station, Waimanalo, HI

Dinner @ Duke's, where we had some Mai Tais and amazing fish!

July 25

Dole Plantation - felt like kids again :)

North Shore - Ehukai Beach (where the pipeline is, but during the winter)

Sea Turtles @ "Turtle" Beach

Matsumoto Shaved Ice - waited in a looong line to try the historic shaved ice!

Dinner @ Formaggio in Kailua - mmmm.

July 26

Early morning flight to Kaua'i - with the awesome Hawaiian Airlines juice!

Breakfast @ Oki Diner - sketchy Hawaiian diner? yes.

Wailua Falls

Lava Rocks near Po'ipu - south shore Kauai

Waimea Canyon

Lunch @ The Grove Cafe (I think is what the Waimea Brewery Company is called now)

Lithified Cliffs at Maha'ulepu to Shipwreck Beach - south shore

Dinner @ Trees Lounge

July 27

(Still on Kauai)

Breakfast @ Eggbert's

Kilauea Lighthouse

Hanalei Lookout

Kalalau Trail/Hike - along the Na Pali coast!

Hanalei Bay

Lunch @ Bubba's Burgers

Flight back to O'ahu - more yummy Hawaiian Airlines juice!

Dinner @ Wahoo's! Mmmm fish (shrimp) tacos!

July 28

Saw Chinaman's Hat (island) on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center

Polynesian Cultural Center - visited the villages throughout the afternoon, and did their luau and new show that night! :)

July 29

Swap Meet @ Aloha Stadium

Lunch @ Boardrider's in Kailua

Lanikai Beach with our blow up Honu, which we named Harry

Dinner @ Kau 'Aina

Fro Yo @ Menchie's

Flight back to the mainland

We had such an amazing (and exhausting) week of sight seeing fun! I look forward to our girls' beach tips EVERY year, and I missed the ladies that didn't come this year! But, we will start planning for NEXT year's trip.

We took over 1500 pictures (seriously), so slowly, I am uploading them all HERE, so click to enjoy all of them! :)

Here's to great friends,

RAWE