We made it to Hawaii! Our trip began at L & L Hawaiian BBQ! Mike and Mooney (brother-in-law and sister) took us there before going to their house. I've never been to this place before, and boy did I love it. (Didn't know till I got home that we have one in Pleasanton, I eat there a lot.)
It had been about 9 month since the last time I got to see my sister and her family. They lived on the Schofield Barracks on Oahu in Houlu Hawaii. Beautiful property on the barracks. We started our vacation just hanging with the family, meals and just visiting for the first couple of days.
Scott and I got a pass to come and go into the barracks without and escort. My sister was nice enough to not only house us for 15 days, but also give us full access to their very nice Dodge van. We first explored Waikiki. A very tourist town, we found lots of souvenirs. Spent time hanging around the beach for a while, ate at Duke's and just enjoyed each other. Later that evening we found a cool bar called SKY Waikiki, Rooftop bistro, Lounge and Nightclub.
We took a day trip to North Beach and eat at the food trucks. Our favorite was Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI. There aren't very many parking spots so go early or expect to wait. Very much worth the wait! My sister told us where her favorite beach was and it is now my favorite beach. Not very many people and it's beautiful.
We all loaded up in the van one afternoon and spent the day and evening in Waikiki on the beach and watched the fireworks that night. Great Day!
My niece turned 13 while we were there, so we all took a family trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center! It's really hard to say what was my favorite part of this trip. The Polynesian Cultural Center was amazing! We got the full guided tour. (my brother-in-law got us a great discount with being a military member, so don't forget to get that discount if you have served our country, and Thank You!) Our guide was very informative and we all learned a lot. The LUAU! WOW! So entertaining and the food was amazing! Because of the center being all about family, and spend the full day of events with my husband, my sister and her family, this was the best time I had in Hawaii. Oh and Emily turned 13 that day! WOOHOO! Happy Birthday Em! We love you!