Hawaii Diaries / Part Five

Aloha! I hope you’re well. Grab a cuppa because I’m continuing on my diary series from our trip to Oahu, Hawaii. You can read diary one, two, three and four here.

DAY TWELVE

So, for our last stint in Waikiki we moved to our final hotel. For the previous two hotels, I was thinking of the budget and chose rooms without views so that we’d have money to spend on other things, but for our last hotel stay I really wanted to finish up with a view and a balcony… so we treated ourselves to just that.

We checked into the Sheraton, which is one of {if not THE} tallest buildings in Waikiki. I’d walked past the hotel in my travels and knew that it was in the perfect location. It’s built so that it takes advantage of that glorious view. It’s a busy hotel, and it’s perfect for families. The pool situation is next level. There’s a pool with slides for the kids, and I may have also had a few slides myself too! And then there’s an infinity pool just for adults. Hubby and I eyed off that pool and dreamed of floating in there without the kids… but one day we’ll get there.

While we were moving hotels we indulged into some good food. I may have indulged in the most delicious croissant from a new patisserie in the International Marketplace. Apparently they do REALLY good coffee, but I couldn’t tell you because I don’t drink coffee. The croissant though… you have to try it if ever you find yourself in Waikiki.

I then went and had my nails done while the family went to the zoo. The report back from the family was that the zoo was small, and easy to do in a few hours. Weirdly enough they had some Australian animals in the zoo, including a SEAGULL.

And then, because it felt like it needed to be done, we ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory for the last time for our stay. It never disappoints, and the kids think it’s the best too {but mostly I think it’s Hubby who loves it}.

To my utter delight, I discovered that Nordstrom Rack had just opened up on that day, so we went straight into the chaos and checked it out. It’s a discount department store. OMG. I would go back to Waikiki for this shop alone. I picked up some great exercise gear, but the shoes and handbags… OMG. I got a Kate Spade handbag {it’s bright pink and I don’t know where I’ll use it, but it was calling out to me} and some shoes for my big size 11 feet. It’s SO good.

We then spent the afternoon in the pools, just chilling out and having a good time. The pool set-up at Sheraton is so good. The space is huge, there are loads of deck chairs, so no one gets disappointed – there’s enough seats for everyone. It’s also handy if you stay at The Royal Hawaiian, because those guests get to use the Sheraton pool too. There’s a little paddle pool for Lulu, a bigger pool for Lacey, and then enough pool for Shane and I too.

The hotel was voted a favourite for all of the family, except I was still having a mad love affair with Moana Surfrider… but I rated it highly too.

After getting completely zonked at the pools, we took a small walk to the shrimp trucks at Pau Hana on Beach Walk for dinner. They have shrimp, Japanese, burgers and so much more. It’s a fun casual place to eat. The shrimp doesn’t compare to the North Shore, but it’s definitely still delicious.

We then finished with this insane sunset. Good, right?

DAY THIRTEEN

Because our whole trip had been pretty full-on, we always like to finish our trips with some downtime, because the kids really just want to swim their little hearts out, and with a long flight home lingering, I always want to make sure they leave the trip feeling happy – and swimming makes them happy.

So we had breakfast at nearby Denny’s. It’s just a 24 hour eatery that isn’t fancy, but I love that we could get fresh eggs and toast, and there are other healthy options too. It’s affordable, and close to the Sheraton.

On the way back we ran into Obama’s crew, and learned that President Obama WAS STAYING AT OUR HOTEL. I wrote about it here. I still can’t believe it.

Within the hotel of the Sheraton there are some cute little shops, including Baskin Robbins {where we made twice daily visits}, a hat shop {yes I bought one} and loads of others to potter around in. There was also a hair-braider, so we promised Lacey she could have her hair braided for the trip home. Her hair is super curly and crazy, so braids really work in her hair. It was the second time during the trip she’d had it done. It’s definitely not cheap {US$40} but it certainly looks beautiful and keeps the tangles away.

We finished up with a buffet dinner at Kai Market, it’s a feast that is popular the island over. For dessert they even have pies direct from Ted’s Bakery on the North Shore.

DAY FOURTEEN

Saying goodbye is never fun. Never. It was a nice long trip, so we were happy to be heading home but leaving Hawaii is never easy… it feels like home.

Shane’s best friend flew in on the day we were leaving, so he headed over to say hello and drop over some things that we didn’t need anymore {sand toys that we’d bought for Lulu} so that he could use them with his family. We ate breakfast at Kai Market at the hotel before leaving, then managed to squeeze everything into our suitcases and make out way to the airport.

It truly was the most magical trip, and I hope that you get to experience Hawaii in your life, because I think it has something for everyone.

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