Who Knew? I'm a Photographer...of sorts!

Sunrise  - Sailing into Honolulu! 

Hawaii is making me look like a professional photographer. When you have an incredible subject, every photo is stunning. Yesterday's sunrise photo was one of those “in the right spot at the right moment” moments. I woke early to shower, dress and have breakfast before our excursion. I set my phone alarm clock for 6:00 am. When it buzzed me awake, I groaned, but resisted tapping the snooze button. I was ready to greet the day in record time and then...and then...I noticed the sun hadn't made an appearance yet. I looked at the clock and the realization was painful...my phone was still on California time and I was ready for breakfast at 5:00 am! 

I peered out the window catching twinkling lights that hinted that we were close to land. Time passed, and then suddenly the sky lightened and in a split second I was rewarded with a breathtaking early morning photo of the sunrise as we sailed into Honolulu. I have never seen a sky so beautiful. I thought that those kinds of moments and photos were reserved for talented photographers, yet, my iPhone partnered with me to actually capture what I was seeing.

The rest of the day was just as magical. Every photo was as good as the last. Truth be told, Oahu is so stunning, it teases the camera with its vistas and makes all us look like pros.

We drove hither and yon around the island yesterday, so today, we eschewed the scheduled excursion for a closer look at some of the things we drove past 24 hours ago. Regent's shuttle bus dropped us off at the enormous Ala Moana Shopping Center. 

Now, you already know that our closet is as full as it can possibly be, so based on the fact that there is no room for anything else, we decided to go to Waikiki Beach. What looked like a straight line from the shuttle bus window turned into a fun adventure.

Across the street from the mall was a city bus stop. Bus # 8 flashed “Waikiki Beach.” We each paid a $1.00 for the ride, but the bus driver did not tell us our stop. I followed our progress on my Google map and when it looked close, we “jumped” off. 

All beaches in Hawaii are public, so we found lots of sandy spots before finally landing at Waikiki Beach. It was a delightful walk past five Honolulu Cookie Company stores (we only sampled once) and as many ABC stores. We managed to find our grandsons favorite shave ice kiosk and together with their pal, our travel companion, “Slippery”, we finally tasted this island treat. Yes, it is refreshingly delicious. The snowy sweetness gave us the energy we needed for the final push to “the Beach.” We were only blocks away and a park bench never looked so inviting. It is a gorgeous spot surrounded by tempting shops and delicious delights, especially those yummy shortbread cookies. Maybe we'll pick some up in Maui. 

Grateful that my phone was fully charged, I summoned Uber for an easy ride back to the pier.

A delicious dinner with friends at the Grill on Deck 11 last night was followed by an exquisite show with island dancers, most of them young children. They were story tellers and their “words” were Hawaiian dance. Their grace and love for their home mesmerized all of us. 

This is an enchanting, beautiful place and I am so grateful to have experienced this visit to Honolulu. Aloha!

Sunrise Day 2 in Honolulu

Wouldn't all these lights look beautiful in our suite?

Live plant facade on store front! Gorgeous1 

Slippery and Shave Ice - With love to Jake and Henry!