Skip to main content

My Hawaiian Vacay : Day Eight

The most difficult thing I did today was two loads of laundry in the hotel laundromat...adjacent to the pool. All day in my bathing suit, the sun, a cool refreshing beverage, and a book. Finished the biography of Cornelia Fort that I purchased at the Pacific Aviation Museum the other day.


Cornelia Fort (1919-1943) was one of the first female Army pilots, but prior to her assignment to the WAFS, she was in the air over Pearl Harbor ( as a flight instructor) on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked. She dodged the bullets from a Japanese plane intent on destroying the airstrip, taking the controls from her student pilot and landing them safely while Pearl Harbor was under siege. There is an exhibit at the museum featuring the women pilots who ferried planes from factory to airfields during WW2. Cornelia is a fascinating female figure of history and I've thoroughly enjoyed Rob Simbecks bio, 'Daughter of the Air.'

The search for a decent meal under a $100 dollars consumes most of our afternoon once Paul returns from work. On one of my trips downtown on the bus, I spied an Asian restaurant that had a line out the door of waiting customers...always a good sign. And it's a few blocks off the Waikiki strip, which usually means less expensive prices.

MarukameUDON; Chinese noodles, made fresh right before your eyes. A variety of broth, sauces, fresh veggies, and crunchy tempura. Bingo! Another dinner under $20; and it was cafeteria style, so no tipping. 

We strolled back through Kings Plaza only to find a Farmers Market in progress with every conceivable kind of freshly prepared Asian food! Fresh fruit, tapioca, salads, veggies, and desserts....oh the desserts!

The custard type Hawaiian cake is densely sweet...we chose coconut and passion fruit. The Hawaiian donut, called malasadas, is heavenly confection dusted w sugar and some stuffed with flavored crime....I chose mango creme. We had the custard cake for dessert...saving the malasadas to accompany tomorrow's rich Kona coffee.

I'm partial to the native food we have had thus far...its fresh, sweet, and richly flavorful. I've also developed a fondness for the hotels Mai Tai Punch

When I return home I'm going to expect a cabana boy to serve me Mai Tai punch, someone to make my bed each morning and make sure the toilet paper has that nice little point on it.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I Knew Better

July 3, 2013 Typical Pennsylvania Road I always hate saying ‘Goodbye’ to my Dad. He won’t travel since Mom passed several years ago, which means I don’t see him except in the summer when I travel North - or every few years during the Holidays.  I’ve learned many things from my Dad; some of the lessons came hard, some of the lessons were difficult, and unfortunately, most of the lessons were learned much later in life. Had I paid attention the first time, my journey would not have been as rough, and my ability to grasp the many opportunities presented to me would have been easier. As my Dad and I both age, we get a long better, and our relationship had deepened after my Mom passed...for this I am grateful. I left Indiana early this morning - taking 35S  - the fields were shrouded in a chilly mist as the sun cast a pinkish glow to the East. I was filled with anticipation that I was going to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Falling Water’ home south of Pittsburgh.  Wh...

Summer Road Trip 2014_Final Thoughts

I awoke Friday morning exhausted; as if someone had put on boxing gloves and gently but consistently pummeled me from head to toe. I dreaded the long journey ahead of us. Since arriving in Indiana early Wednesday morning, it had been   a whirlwind of responsibilities. Mine were minimal compared to what my brother and sister had already had to do to arrange the funeral, tie up loose ends, and cover all the bases that need covering when a parent dies. After the service and dinner at the church, I think we all felt a foreboding. Our Grandparents were gone,   our Mom was gone, our Dad was gone…..who does the family gather around from this point forward? We were all at loose ends. The trip back to Florida would be another ‘get on the super slab and ride’ kinda trip….the worst. I-75 South is congested with traffic, and the Weather Gods were not going to be in our favor today.   We gulped a cup of coffee, my brother gave me a hug and we TRIED to sli...

Plan? What Plan?

"Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have titles until much later." In the last few months I've been asked from several readers and followers, 'How do you plan your trips?' I also see the question asked numerous times (like over and over and over and over...) on the various biker-related groups on social media.  Penny Tours I confess: I'm not much of a planner! I ride in the spirit of the intrepid Bessie Stringfield, a pioneer of the sport of motorcycling who in 1930 became the first black woman to ride solo across the U.S.. Bessie was notorious for her 'Penny Tours.' She would toss a penny in the air and wherever it landed on her map of the U.S.....that is the direction she would travel. And yes; I've done the Penny Tour many times. Just a few weeks ago in Indiana; I had a 'free' day between events and tossed the penny on the map of Indiana. It landed in the northern part of the state near the ...