I travelled to California to compete in a volleyball tournament in Anaheim, CA before staying in Los Angeles. This is the itinerary I had for my post tournament trip. I travelled mainly with 6 people with additions up to 15 along the way. This is my LA itinerary. The goal for this trip personally, was to arrange it so I could meet up with my LA friends but as always plans change.
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6 Tue
-Check out of Comfort Inn
-Anaheim Packing District – 440 S Anaheim Blvd – 9AM-10PM – giant food court
-45 min drive from Comfort Inn – Citadel outlets – 900, 100 Citadel Dr, Los Angeles, CA – 10AM-9PM
-30 min from Citadel – Brunch – Faith & Flower – 705 W. 9th Street – DTLA – 1130AM-230PM
-Target – 5600 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022, United States (10 min drive from Citadel)
OR if we can’t make brunch – Little Tokyo – Daikokuya – 327 E 1St (11AM-12AM)& Mikawaya (1030AM-7PM) (25 minutes)
-Check in – 4PM -ish
-Venice Beach – Skatepark, boardwalk, rent bikes
-Abbot Kinney Blvd – unique strip of restaurants and stores
-Revolving Doors everywhere – keeps the wind out and keeps heat / AC in.
-Free WIFI almost at every corner
-Servers always check ID for alcohol
-Chicago is a very walkable city – grid like pattern similar to NYC but more compacted. Similar to San Francisco
-Biking is also a great way to get around
-In the spring/summer – you can rent a kayak and kayak through the canals / rivers of the city
-CTA pass is very useful – but if you want to purchase anything more than a 1 day pass – you must purchase a Ventra Card and the machines take exact change or you won’t get change back.
-The trains are very easy to use and one of the fastest and easiest ways to get into the city from the airport.
-Trains run above ground on tracks, underground and bus service is frequent.
-The Loop & River North are actually quite quiet and empty at night
-Dunkin Donuts and Starbuck are everywhere – WIFI included!
-It is indeed the windy city and with the grid pattern, the wind does funnel
-Wear layers as the wind does cause a flux in warmth
-Rain comes down for a short burst of time then stops
-The golden light is beautiful but can only be caught on certain streets at certain times of the day as the buildings are all very tall.
-The John Hancock Building gives great views and isn’t as Skydeck. Plus it is 360 view!
Morning workout to start off the day. We walked over to Michigan Ave to walk and shop the Magnificent Mile. It was a windy day so the weather felt drastically changing when there was no wind and when it was at a standstill. After walking the streets we ended up at Water Tower Place then to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I ordered the Kobe Burger that was so juicy and flavourful as well as splitting a Mango Lime Coconut Cheesecake ($20USD). The interiors of the restaurant were designed to look like Atlantis with a mixture of elements of Chicago including music notes.
We hopped on the bus and went down to Target. We continued onward and found ourselves walking the River Esplanade. The sun was shining and the wind came in spurts. I wish we had the chance to take the architecture boat tour but I guess that will be for the next time. If we came in the spring / summer I would definitely love to rent a kayak and kayak the canals.
We continued to explore the city and continued south towards Millennium Park where the sun was shining so we walked through the park which we didn’t do the previous day. We walked around the Harris Theater and made our way onto the beautiful pedestrian bridge. Walked over to Dearborn and hopped onto the bus using our Ventra card to head back to the hotel.
For dinner, we decided to stay somewhat close to home since all the walking and working out from the past 2 days started to weigh on us plus we needed to pack. We decided to spend a little more and went to Roy’s for dinner. Roy’s (720 N State St) serves up Hawaiian, Pacific Rim, American food. I ordered the Roy’s Trio which features Hibachi Grilled Salmon – Misoyaki “Butterfish”(black cod) and Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi. The salmon was the best of the 3 with pickled greens. The Misoyaki was tasty but a little salty and the black cod was a little too vinegary. I also ordered a 1988 – Finlandia Grapefruit – SOHO Lychee – Patron Citronge. The service was a little slow but the food definitely made up for it.
Since we wanted to stay close in proximity to our hotel but wanted to see some live blues / jazz, we found ourselves going to Blue Chicago (536 N Clark St) ($10USD cover) and grabbed a 312 beer ($6USD) and enjoyed the live music.
Kobe Burger
Mango Lime Coconut Cheesecake
Ventra Card
1988
Roy’s Trio
Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle
Blue Chicago
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We skipped the final day workout and took our time to finish up packing and getting ready. We walked over to Yolk (747 N Wells St) for breakfast before heading out. I ordered the YOLK ALL-STAR COMBO Two eggs any style, two sausage links two slices of hickory smoked bacon & your choice of 2 pancakes, 2 crepes, 2 slices of french toast, or a half waffle ($10.50USD). Went back to the hotel to grab our bags and checked out. Hopped onto the subway at Grand and N. State (Red line) to the Blue line to O’Hare Airport – took about 45 minutes. One last thing to do before leaving Chicago – grabbing Garrett Popcorn. NOTE: Garrett Popcorn is only located in Terminal 1 & 3. A medium Garrett Mix ($6USD) and a small Almond Caramel Crisp ($4USD). Finally bean to Chicago and now I feel in the loop
Yolk
Enroute to O’Hare
Chicago its bean fun. Now I don’t feel so out of the loop
It was a very cloudy morning. We started it off by doing a quick workout in the hotel’s fitness facility. Our first full day in Chicago and my itinerary was jammpacked. First stop was to Bowtruss (406 Wells St) to grab some coffee beans. When I travel, I like to pick up a bag of beans for my father from places that have unique approaches in either roasting their own beans to sourcing directly from smaller partners where the purchase of beans gives back to the farmers and whatnot. I picked up a bag of Canopy ($14USD), Foundation ($14USD) & Huehuetenango ($19USD) which also gave got me a free large chai which was very delicious.
Dunkin’ Donuts for breakfast. I ordered the Cheddar Bacon Turkey Flatbread ($3.39USD) but stayed for the free WIFI.
Chicago has this nice gritty city setting that was the perfect place to film the Dark Knight as the city of Gotham. We walked to Randolph & Wells St – Standard Parking – a location that was used in the film Dark Knight. We went up to the top of the parking structure for that nice spiral but security was quick to come to us and kick us out.
We hopped on the brown line 1 stop and made our way to the Skydeck. Prior to arriving, I booked the Skydeck & Art Institute combo ($135USD+tax). We got to the Skydeck at Jackson but were told at that time if we were to go up, the visibility is 0% due to the clouds. We decided to come back another time as our ticket combo can be used up to 7 days of the intended date purchased. You can also split it up on different days. We started to head towards the Art Institute with some stops along the way. I tried to take us on our own architecture tour but alas I failed. We passed by the Rookery (under construction) and missed the Chicago Board of Trade & Federal Plaza. Next time I will actually go on an architecture tour so someone else can lead us through the buildings no problem.
Bowtruss
Klarice enjoying the Chai
Crystle
Dark Knight location
Federal Plaza
We finally arrived at the Art Institute and walked through the main building (Blue building) which housed the Asian, Indian & African art as well as miniatures, paper weights and photography. My favourite section was the Japanese and Southeast Asian art. We felt our stomachs rumbling so we left and walked over to the Chicago Athletic Association Building which now holds a few restaurants including Shake Shack on the main floor – 12 S. Michigan Avenue. It is such a beautiful building with gold and marble detailing but I wish we joined the tour to learn more about the building and the ability to explore the building which otherwise had security guards. Back to Shake Shack – I got the Shackburger and my ultimate GO-TO Peanut Butter Shake ($5.29USD + $529USD).
After our late lunch, we returned to the Art Institute and finished off the blue wing and moved towards the Green wing which houses the modern art. I have to say I don’t understand art or at least I can’t appreciate it as well as others. I know some of the notable artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock and whatnot but there were some pieces of art that I can’t comprehend how it actually made it into the collection. Let’s just say it was a interesting day taking in art but the ancient artifacts were more appealing to me. The Art Institute is very large and we didn’t make it far into the other 2 wings as well as the added exhibit of Van Gogh’s Bedrooms (extra $5USD).
Art Institute
Miniatures
Chicago Athletic Association Building
Shackburger with a Peanut Butter shake
We ventured over to Millennium Park like every other tourist to see Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate also known as The Bean. It reflections the city’s skyline but my favourite part of it was of course walking under it into the middle. The mirrored sculpture is distorted on its underbelly making for beautiful photos. By this time, we saw the skies had cleared and decided to make our way back to the Skydeck.
We weren’t the only ones to think of visiting the Skydeck as there was a good amount of tourists there as well – go figure. The Skydeck still referred to as the Willis Tower – Sears Tower features 3 glass box ledges that let you overhang from the top of the skyscraper 108 storeys above ground. It allows the visitors to experience the views Chicago has to offer. In my experience, the CN Tower has more appeal as well of the Top of the Rock – Rockerfellar in New York.
We lined up in a line to take our photo in one of the boxes and stayed up there to watch the sunset. It doesn’t get really hot up there with direct sunlight just so you know.
We made our way to Bottlefork (441 N. Clark Street) for dinner. We ordered Korean BBQ wings ($10USD), Brussel Sprouts with chorizo ($10USD), Octopus ($21USD) and Curry Lemongrass Mussels ($12USD). The mussels were overall my favourite. The Korean BBQ wings had a nice zing to it but a little too saucy for me. The Brusselsprouts with chorizo was flavourful but also very vinegary and the octopus was a little too salty. Nonetheless, all the food was tasty. The ambiance in the restaurant was also nice especially for a place to go to grab a drink and tapas styled food after work.
After dinner, we wanted to make our way to Suite Lounge however the weather did not agree with us as we saw long and distinct lines of lightning in the skies so we headed back to the hotel with a bottle of wine to end the night.
We booked a pretty decent deal with Expedia.ca that included flight and accommodation for $555CAD/person. I travelled with my friends Klarice & Crystle during March break for a 4 day, 3 night short trip to Chicago. Main goals of this trip: eat and shop.
We flew with Air Canada – Rouge Express and got there in about an hour and half. Chicago is an hour behind of Toronto but seeing as the Sunday prior was the start of daylight savings; it didn’t feel any different.
Once we got through the airport, we went straight for the CTA train terminal and purchased the Ventra Card ($5USD) and loaded up a 3 day CTA day pass ($20USD). Be warned that the machines don’t give you any change! So bring exact change. You need to purchase the Ventra Card if you want to purchase anything more than a 1 Day CTA pass.
We hopped on the Blue line to Washington and then got off and walked through a mall and hopped onto the red line to Chicago / Grand. We stayed at the Godfrey Hotel (127 W Huron St, Chicago). The hotel is in the heart of North River and features its own restaurant Dolce and a lounge with a balcony on the 5th floor. We made ample use of the fitness centre although it is very limited with its equipment. The main lobby is beautifully decorated and smells like cinnamon. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. We got a double bed room and it was very spacious and clean including 2 sinks in the washroom and 1 at the “mini bar” area.
Once we checked in and dropped off our things, we walked around to find some food. We had an early dinner at Pizzeria Due (619 N Wabash Ave). Our waitress Janae was very delightful and attentive. You can’t come to Chicago and not have deep dish pizza. We of course ordered ourselves the Numero Uno – cheese, fresh sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. Between 2 people, a small is more than enough! (small – $18.49USD) and a individual Spinach ($8.49USD) and washed it down with a bottle of Beringer White Zinfandel ($17.97USD) with a shrimp and crab dip to start ($11.99USD). Be warned that the deep dish pizzas take about 45 minutes to cook! The crust is nice and crispy whereas the interior is the perfect consistency and delicious.
After dinner, we walked across the street to Trader Joes – where I purchased my go-to item: Unsulfurated & Unsweetened dried mangoes; to my disappointment there were no dark chocolate edamame beans. The night was still young and we had enough time to walk the Magnificent Mile of Michigan Ave to find ourselves at Uniqlo. It is open until 9PM and we sure made sure to use up our time there. Needless to say, Uniqlo is one of my main stores that I shop at especially since it is not available in Canada yet. I ended up purchasing 8 items but all items that will be used beyond the price I purchased them at. The Easy Pants will change your life if you haven’t tried yet ladies!
We returned back to the Godfrey Hotel to rest momentarily before heading out to Beercade HQ North River (213 W Institute Pl,) to end our night. All the games (minus 3) are free play as long as you purchase a minimum of 1 drink. We ordered the fries as well as a mango beer, Steigl Radler and Delirium. They have classic arcade games including Ms Pac-Man, 2 rows of pinball machines, NBA Jam, Time Crisis, Frogger, Tron, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter just to name a few. If that doesn’t bring back nostaligia for you (80’s and older) they also play older movies such as Ferris Bueller, Karate Kid, & Back to the Future on the TV screens there as a DJ spins live.
What was strange about our first day was that as the day went on, it was actually warmer at night than it was during the day.
My first time actually travelling to Chicago that wasn’t just a connection. I travelled with my friends Crystle & Klarice. We did a 4 day, 3 night short trip after booking a flight and accommodation deal with Expedia.ca. This itinerary is what we intended to do but alas nothing goes according to plan and things changed. I would love to go back some other time to complete what was missed and then some.
03/14
FLY Toronto –> Chicago – 220PM – YYZ -> 307PM – ORD
Hotel – Godfrey Hotel – 127 Huron at LaSalle
-4-430PM – arrival – check-in at Hotel – CTA train to hotel – 55 minutes
-Suite Lounge – 90 hip hop – underground lounge – 1446 North Wells Street – 15 minutes – Dearborn & Huron – bus 22 towards Howard; off at Clark & Burton / OR / The Wit – Roof – 4PM-2AM – reservations are highly recommended – 6PM Roof Live (every Tuesday) – $5 corona all night – live acoustic guitar / OR / Three Dots & a Dash – Hawaiian luau style with cool drinks – 435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654 – http://threedotschicago.com/
03/16
-morning workout
-Target- 401 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60611
-Continue shopping from first day if didn’t complete – Magnificent Mile
-Chinatown – Chicago Riverwalk – to chinatown square – 22 minutes – 100 E Upper Wacker Dr – Lake Subway – red line towards 95th; off at Cermak-Chinatown
-lunch in Chinatown
-walk around chinatown
-West Loop / Wicker Park area
-Glazed and Infused – Donuts (18 W Fulton Market)
-The Publican
-Girl and the Goat for dinner – might not get without reservation – http://girlandthegoat.com/menu/ / Parachute / Longman & Eagle / The Publican / Vera / Avec
-The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge- live – 9PM-1AM – http://greenmilljazz.com/location/ – 4802 North Broadway Street – from Glazed & Infused
03/17
FLY – Chicago -> Toronto – 1250PM – ORD – 318PM – YYZ
-morning workout
-Portillo’s – early lunch before airport / OR / Lou Malnatti’s pizzeria – deep dish
-Check out & head to airport – 930AM – 45-50 minutes to O’Hare by CTA train.
Clark & Erie towards Harrison; off at Clarke & Lake; Clark/Lake towards O’Hare – 10AM
I woke up early and went to B. Patisserie and grabbed the Kouign Amann & a hot chocolate. We hopped onto public transit to the California Academy of Natural Sciences which is in the same vicinity as the De Young Museum which were both options included in our Citypass but it was either De Young or Natural Science and we chose Natural Science. My favourite exhibit was the earthquake simulator that simulated the huge earthquake of 1906 & 1989 with a magnitude of 7.9. You are told to hold on to something as it recreates a simulated generic townhouse interior that we stood in.
We decided to go into the auditorium to watch the universe film in imax but I guess we were all tired and fell asleep which I am sure many others did too. The butterfly ecosphere takes over a large section as well but is a very nice walk through.
We lined up for the Powell & Hyde street cable car. We waited for one that we could take over the front and I claimed that spot hard right at the front. The streets slope to very steep angles but it was so cool to go up and down the streets on the cable car. We ended up jumping off at the windiest street – Lombard St. Beautiful homes built on this street. And somehow by the end of it, we ended up walking back to Fisherman’s Wharf. We grabbed a clam chowder bread bowl. We also returned to Union Square for some shopping. Union Square had a huge crowd growing and the marching band. It was actually the USC marching band – Prep rally. They were taking a long time warming up and practicing so we left and headed for the shops. Courtney and myself went to Macy’s while the boys went off to Topshop or somewhere. By the time we came out, the commotion was done and they all disbanded.
Our last night here so we decided to sort of meet up with Crystal and her friends. She was eating in Japantown so we got there a little bit after. We ate at Tanpopo where I got the Ramen. It was actually very chilly in the night time but we were determined to find bubble tea / boba or dessert after dinner. Places close relatively early or at least in the area we were situated. We walked a bit following helplessly to yelp directions and our end destination was a Artisanal organic yogurt place called Fraiche. I wanted the acai bowl but they didn’t have any so I settled with the Almond Joy.
California Academy of Natural Sciences
Michael Y
Michael H, Courtney & Michael Y looking at skulls of animals
On the Streetcar!
Lombard St from the top
Jumping Lombard St
Fisherman’s Wharf
Clam Chowder Bowl!
USC Marching Band
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The Michael’s and Courtney’s flight were at an earlier time than mine so Cassie & Victor had agreed to drop me off at the airport. But before they did, we had one more stop before I left the Bay area and it was to a Mexican place called Taqueria El Forolito (2779 Mission). The burritos are literally brick sized. I got the super shrimp and I inhaled it. I never leave food behind and washed it down with a Jarritos grapefruit. A great way to end off a trip by seeing old friends while discovering new cities and places.
We went back to Fisherman’s Wharf for breakfast at Boudin. Fresh bread – what else can you ask for. We got the normal bacon, eggs, potato wedges with toast. After breakfast, we met up with our friends Crystal, Michelle and Joanna to rent bikes just down the street.
We grabbed the bikes and road the coast line towards the Golden Gate bridge. The ride was testing in certain areas. There was one big hill in the beginning by the beach that you need to get up then it’s a nice park you ride through until you hit the main street. Continue biking down the street then onto the boardwalk which leads you to a pier where locals fish. We stopped for a moment then up another hill that I ended up getting off my bike and walking it up the second portion. Taking a breather, we stopped for another split second to take photos by the bridge. On the bridge itself, there is a dedicated lane for bikes and a dedicated lane for pedestrians. The rental place told us that we should make a shortcut at one point so we don’t end up biking on the side of the road after the bridge but apparently I didn’t see it and I was leading but not leading so we ended up going down the side of the road which was really steep and just flew by. Michelle had stopped by a car park because the view was so nice but it was on a turn on the steep hill so I had to backtrack a bit. Since we rode over the bridge, we rode to the town of Sausalito which is a cute little place. We ate at Napa Valley Burger Company where I had the Baker Beach BBQ Turkey Burger in a lettuce Wrap and it was delicious. We then had to make sure we caught the ferry with our bikes that brought us back over to the mainland.
When we returned to the main pier, Crystal, Joanna & Michelle parted ways with us and we decided to head to the Exploratorium and it was so much fun. Unfortunately timing wise we only had maybe an hour to go through the whole place and we went reverse way. It’s similar to the Toronto Science Centre and I love going through these types of places. They also do late night at the Exploritorium similar to Toronto’s late night at the ROM where it’s adults only but we skipped it. We had enough time to head to Union Square and goto Uniqlo. Right across the street was a restaurant I was told I need to goto called King of Thai Noodle (184 Farrell St) and man it was so delicious. I got the pad see ew and it was heaven on a plate.
I travelled with 3 friends (Michael H, Michael Y & Courtney) to San Francisco for 5 days and also met up with a few friends (Michael T, Cassie (who now resides in SF), Victor, Crystal, Michelle & Joanna). There was no real itinerary made for this trip however we did purchase the CityPass which is a great solution for first timers who want to see what attractions the city has to offer on a short period of time including unlimited access to buses and streetcars.
NOTE: If you want to goto Alcatraz – BOOK IN ADVANCED!
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We flew from Las Vegas to San Francisco after a volleyball tournament. We grabbed a SUV taxi and headed for Japantown. The trio booked a really cool little hotel on Sutter St called Hotel Tomo (1800 Sutter St). Originally when Courtney booked this incredible flight and hotel deal for her and Michael H, it was for a single bed so I had messaged Cassie who had just recently moved there for work and coincidently she lives not even a full block away which made my decision to goto SF finalized because she said I could stay with her.
After settling in and me leaving my stuff in their hotel room, we decided to walk from our location through to Chinatown and find some dinner. We first stopped by a place that sold $1 bubbletea. I had asked Cassie for a recommendation and she mentioned Great Eastern Restaurant (649 Jackson St). The food was good but I think we ordered items off the menu that the restaurant wasn’t known for looking at surrounding tables. We walked back from Chinatown to Japantown which was a decent 30-40 minute walk each way. Good thing the Bay area is a 4×4 grid where everything is relatively close. When we returned to the hotel, I grabbed my things and walked over to Cassie’s. The trio (Cassie, Victor & Michael T) had spent the day doing touristy things when I finally met up with them. We all jumped in and headed out for late night bubble tea at Little Sweet Café (3836 Geary Blvd) and I must say bubble tea aka boba is so cheap in SF! I got the Tie Kuan Yin milk tea which was a little too sweet but it was under $5USD.
Chinatown
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Michael T and myself woke up early so we went for a stroll while the couple slept. I was also giving my group ample time to get ready. Cassie recommended Sweet Maple (2101 Sutter St) for breakfast. They have millionaire bacon which is a cured bacon that is featured on “United States of Bacon” of Discovery Network. Thick, free range bacon, baked with brown sugar, cayenne, red and black pepper. I got the Eggs Benedict with maple bacon. We grabbed a taxi right outside the door and off we went to Pier 38. At the pier we also grabbed our Citypass which gave us unlimited bus, free entrance into museums and attractions etc. The Alcatraz audio walking tour was really good as it leads you all the way around with informative stories of the history behind this prison and the life of inmates. Remember to book early if you want to do this tour as it fills up quickly. Alcatraz at night tours fill up months in advance.
We came back to shore and took the old school streetcar to Fisherman’s Wharf and grabbed In-N-Out for lunch. A double double with animal style fries yes please! The aquarium was our next calling. It actually wasn’t the warmest day in San Fran and very windy especially near the pier. We also went the tourist route and went to Pier 39 to see the sea lions. We walked around killing time at the pier as we were meeting Courtney’s uncle and his friend for dinner. We settled on Scoma’s for fresh seafood. Too bad we ate a late lunch at In-N-Out that we weren’t hungry enough to order full meals.
After dinner we parted ways from Courtney’s uncle and friends and followed the light; the lights of the Ghiradelli sign that is. It is pronounced gear-ar-delly. We got ice cream and hot chocolate with sea salt in it at the main store and it was delicious plus chocolate to go!
I travelled to Oahu, Hawaii for 13 days for my friend’s (Melissa & Juan) wedding celebration. I did not plan any second of it and just went with the flow of things.
Our main group for the trip was large (15 people – many more joined afterwards). But we managed to stay in Waikiki for a week and then North on the island in Kaʻaʻawa.
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We flew with United Airlines to Oahu, Hawaii with a detour in Chicago. The plane ride felt like it was never-ending. The first leg to Chicago was decent but then you get corralled into groups to board the next plane. We took a Boeing 77 so it holds more people. What sucks is that even with this large amount of people and the flight alone being 8-9 hours, no food is provided unless purchased. There was also no outlet or television however they had this United wifi setup so you can view the movies and shows on your electronic devices.
We finally arrived in Honolulu and hopped on the Reliable Shuttle to bring us to our hotel for the week – Aqua Bamboo – It’s a cozy hotel a block away from the beach which lowers costs. After we settled into the rooms, we went straight for the beach and for food. We went to this corner restaurant called Shore Fyre (2446 Koa Ave) and I got a steak and garlic shrimp platter ($14.95USD) which came with salad and brown rice – delicious.
Walked over to the beach and we just took to the water. Palm trees everywhere, bodies everywhere, the salt water was so warm and waves coming in. This is one of the more touristy areas but man this is the life. I could definitely get use to waking up and heading to the beach all golden everyday.
We stayed at the beach on the rocks watching the sun set (which came early and went down quickly) then back to the hotel to rinse off and go for food. There is literally an ABC store on every corner. It has everything you would need but apparently Ala Moana Mall has the items cheaper or head to Walmart (especially if you want the macadamia nuts). We walked to Food Pantry (2370 Kuhio Ave) which is their grocery store but also has a little food court. Right by the main entrance is one steak place called HiSteaks and you can get a steak plate (rice and egg) for $9.99USD. Melissa had noticed they had ice cream mochi but not any ordinary mochi – the have Bubbies (cantaloupe, green tea, pistachio, sakura) which I have been going on and on about. I decided eating only mochi for dinner was a bad choice so I got white truffle oil shoestring fries and 4 ice cream mochi with a small (not small at all) Fanta fruit punch ($9.91USD in total – $1.69/mochi here). Mind you, we ate only an hour or two ago so don’t judge me.
Aqua Bamboo – Looking up from the pool side
Finally arrived in Honolulu!
Steak & Shrimp plate
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki beach during sunset
little surfer
Bubbies Ice Cream Mochi
Lawson
ABC Store
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We hit the beach bright and early and stationed ourselves by the beach bistro and police station. There was a surf competition so the water was filled with surfers. The area we anchored ourselves had water that was a little more choppy then the previous day but nonetheless, after you got in it was delightful. Once it rolled around to noon, the became filled with tourists as it was also a Sunday. For lunch, we went to the Hilton Hotel to Mac 24/7 which by the name is open 24/7. Man vs Wild made it known to the world as the manhole cover sized (14 inch) pancakes (3 stacks). Jaira, Melissa and myself attempted it (Pineapple, macadamia nut and coconut with maple syrup and coconut syrup) for $22USD. It was delicious but even though we divided it into 1/3 each, I was the only one able to finish my piece and that was painful to say the least.
Our friends Ronnel and Eric whose flight never left Toronto finally arrived and quickly threw their stuff into our rooms and we all headed to the beach. Took in the afternoon sun and then walked a distance as a whole group to Rainbow Drive-in (3308 Kanaina Ave) and Leonards (933 Kapahulu Ave). Rainbow Drive-in is a good ol’ local eatery – nothing fancy but they sure make some good local comfort food. I had the mixed platter plate with BBQ, chicken and ahi ahi fish with rice and mac salad ($7.95USD). Great food that tasted amazing and best part is that it is cheap! Leonard’s is a Portuguese bakery that specializes in Malasadas – Portuguese donuts with no holes that are usually filled. Even though the walk to dinner was a long one, we decided to go for a night walk and ended up at the Pier and just hung out in the dark. Its amazing how you can see the commercial part of the beach where the hotels are light up the sky but the other side has no lights so its a beautiful chiaroscuro on the ocean and you look up and the stars are so bright. We called it a somewhat early night after that.
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