Idol Banter

Kaka'ako Water Park

While waiting for Ali to complete her Secret Service interview, I decided to wander around the waterfront area and take a few photos with the trusty point-and-shoot - instead of going to the Apple store and quite possibly buying the new 27' iMac (I'm proud of myself - lol).

I stopped by Point Panic first, but the surf was small kine to say the least, so I decided to walk over to Kaka'ao Water Park which underwent some serious renovation a few years ago. The park is a sprawling series of gentle grass covered hills and cement walkways fronting the ocean and offers many different activities.

While we don't suffer much man-made air pollution here, one thing we do get is vog- which could easily be mistaken for fog or air pollution - thanks to Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

As you can see in the picture below of the older gentleman fishing at Point Panic, Diamond Head is visible in the distant haze (vog) so to speak.

As you can see there are several winding pathways throughout the park that make for a scenic walk or short run (unless you make a few laps) just about every day of the year :)

There are gentle slops and grass covered hills - popular with pet owners and afternoon picnickers of alike.

I was unaware of this memorial to the Ehime MARU which you can read more about by following the link.

Yet another view of the grassy slopes and gorgeous ocean vistas found throughout the park.

There's a path that leads to the "summit" of the park if you will that affords views of the John A Burns Medical School and on a clear day, views from Ewa to Pearl Harbor to Diamond Head. So if you find yourself in the downtown area with a bit of time to kill, or just want to take in the sights, check it out - it's free, and yet another of the many things I love about Hawaii :)

 That's all for now, hopefully we'll have some time to go out and about on my next days off - maybe some FUUD pics this time. Until then - stay safe and happy out there.

P.S. - Happy Halloween!

 
 
 
 

Gaming Goodness!

Ok - so this finally arrived (pre-purchased on Steam of course) and all I can say is wow! The folks at Gearbox hit it out of the park. I don't usually like cell-shaded stuff but I'll make an exception in this case. It's kind of like a 1st Person Diablo in the wastelands, with vehicle combat, mutants, tons of monsters, the usual stooopid hoomans, tons of upgrades and weapons and more - might as well check it out yourself here.

Next, I've been patiently following this game for over a year (also pre-ordered on Steam). I actually was in the beta for Mythic and enjoyed it immensely. The folks behind this game are, you guessed it, former Blizzard employees who worked on, wait for it...the Diablo series :) This comes out tomorrow, so you know where I'll be when I have some downtime!

 

Gah!

 I know, it's been ages since I posted here. I do add a few pics and comments every now and then on FB, but I haven't had the chance to go out and take many new pics lately, and well, the old blog hasn't been on my mind as much recently. We are doing well and hopefully will have even more good news to share in the near future (other than Ali passing both her FBI and Secret Service exams!)

Of course, I celebrated yet another birthday this month and can honestly say I feel better emotionally and physically than I have in many moons :) That's a heaping plate full of batayaki on the left, which Ali made as my belated b-day dinner.

Hopefully we will head to Lanikai for a long bike ride or maybe the North Shore later today and I will have a few more pics to share with you.

Here's a favorite pic I took of the view from one of the multi-million dollar homes at Lanikai beach a few years ago. Not so hard to imagine yourself sitting here is it? Stay safe - and I'll try and update again soon.

Can't Wait...

Because Band of Brothers was SO good, and it's all about the Pacific campaign, which as most of you know is the center point of one my all-time favorite books!

October So Far...

Started off with a long bike ride on Friday, then the Aiea Loop Trail (see several previous posts on this) on Saturday, and finally the Hawaiian Humane Society 2009 Pet Walk on Sunday -oh, and Monday was my birthday :) Here are a few photos:

We've had a bit of rain so far this year which certainly helps with the lush vegetation, despite this, the trail was fairly dry with a only a few muddy spots.

A few sections can be a bit tricky to navigate if you chose to run or bike this trail.

We always stop to reflect a moment at the 1944 wreckage site of an ill-fated USAF B-24J flight that took off from Hickam Airfield so many years ago during WWII.

Headed straight from work to the Dog Walk as it starts at 0800 at Magic Island.

Prior to the walk many of the former "adoptees" posed for a picture with their "parents" :)
 

Even HPD participates.

 

The start line with over 1,000 eager dogs, cats, and even rabbits ready to go!

Lt. Governor Duke Aiona (in the aloha shirt) leads the pack at the start.

See - even rabbits!

And last but not least, Ali made me a sumptuous Peanut Butter pie for my birthday :)
 
 
 
 

The Other Half

I decided to wander around Kahala and the Hawaii Kai area last Friday and take a few photos and share with you how "the other half" (read rich) lives. Of course, Kahala is home to some of the most luxurious and expensive homes on the island, especially those with ocean front views. Even though all beaches are "public access" here, many of the homes have fencing that runs right up to the shoreline, so I decided to head to the Kahala Mandarin where I would be less obtrusive.

As you you may have guessed, most local people cannot afford and do not stay at this resort (even with Kamaina rates) - yet it still offers some of the most sumptuous views on island. Mostly Japanese tourists, rich mainlanders, or foreigners occupy the hotel/resort at any given time. Still, who wouldn't want to stay here - take a look at the pics and judge for yourself!

This bar/restaurant is right on the waters edge and has supposedly inspired many a want-to-be journalist :)

Hmm - a swim in the pool or the crystal clear water just beyond?

One of the most popular tourist wedding sites on island .

Of course I had to check out the Dolphin Quest show while I was there as it was free and not crowded in the least - a very personal experience for those who were participating I'm sure.

Warm ocean breezes, a good book, and perhaps a Mai Tai anyone?

After I was done perusing the Kahala area, I wandered over to China Walls to check the surf and take a few videos. This area is off the beaten path a bit and usually not that crowded. It's popular with local fishermen, body boarders, and surfers, although the rough surf and proximity of the wave break to the rough shoreline and shallow reefs make it dangerous at times. Follow the linkage above for more info.

I found this small cave/overhang area just around the corner from the entrance and stopped to take a few photos and get out of the sun for a few minutes :)

Oh, and those oceanfront homes I mentioned at the start, well here's a backyard view from one of them.

Until next time stay safe and happy, and if you're planning to come out and visit, here's a link for ya!

 

 

Dolphin Days

Went to Hilo for the day and took a few pictures of pictures of Ali back in the day (heh) doing one of her favorite things in the world. She was going to be a Marine Biology major, but somewhere along the way decided on Forensics instead. Also, as promised, I went wandering around the Kahala side of the island on Friday and just so happened to stop by the Kahala Resort to take a few photos (more on that in the next post) - and low and behold I arrived just in time to watch a private showing :)

More soon!

Small Kine Blogging Hiatus

I know, it's been over two weeks since I've posted anything. I do post on Facebook every now and then but really I've just been busy with the usual lately. Planning to go to Hilo in a few days so I will probably have some photos then, if not I will be touring the windward side this coming Friday and will definitely have some photos then. All is good and everyone is happy and doing well. Until next time, I leave you with this:

North Shore Wanderings

Since I finally had a few consecutive days off, we decided to head to the North Shore and take Hapa along - since he did so well in the car during his stay in Hilo.

First stop was the North Shore Marketplace - and of course we had to wander over to the Quiksilver store to check out the latest goods.

Since we were in Haleiwa anyway...might as well stop at world-famous (and home of the best kine shave ice fo' real) Matsumoto's!



These kids crank out over 1,000 shave ice a day during the summer - and just about any weekend ;) The line can stretch down the road quite a ways at times.



Yep, even Hapa loves shave ice. What flavor? Why Lilikoi w/ ice cream at the bottom of course!



A little further down the road we stopped by the always picturesque Waimea Bay. In the winter time the waves get up to 30' in height and every once in awhile, when the conditions are right, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is held here. Pretty much snorkeling conditions when we stopped though.



We stopped by one of the local fruit stands along the road on our way through Kuhuku for some fresh corn and starfruit.



There's a restaurant located in the small shopping center behind the gear/sign- next time we plan to check it out.



Hapa is ready for more exploring!



Kualoa Park - late afternoon. I wish I had brought my D90 for this shot, but you get the idea :)



And perhaps what Kualoa is most famous for - Chinaman's Hat, which you can actually walk/wade out to during low tide (wear some rubber-soled booties).

As we were headed back to our side of the island, we made one last stop in Kaneohe to try and take a few pics of the location/area where "Karate Kid 2" was filmed. The area is privately owned so we had to take our pics from afar.





I always enjoy taking a ride to the North Shore - especially when I can take my time and take it all in. Next time I plan to photo some of the more well-known beach parks. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!

Opa!

We decided to take a quick detour to the 29th Annual Greek Festivall yesterday. The  sun was definitely shinning, and even though there wasn't much of a breeze, it was still another beautiful day in paradise. We were looking for Baklava, Dolmanthes, Gyro, Loukamades, Mousaka, Pastitio, Souvlaki, Spanakopita - you name it :) Admission was only $3 and it was a nice diversion for a Sunday to be sure.

 
The festival is held in the McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Beach Park every year. parking is a bit sketchy but we didn't have to walk too far. Musical goodness after the link above.

It just wouldn't be a Greek Festival without traditional music and dancing!

 

And of course the ever present alcoholic spirits (got uzo anyone?).

Of course, we came for the food primarily.

They ran out of Souvlaki just as I was near the the table ready to order :( What did they substitute with - why Costco hot dogs of course!

Nonetheless, we were determined to eat something Greek - so we settled on grape leaf wraps and shared a bowl of Greek malasadas.

Yep, they were all of Gyros too! Oh well, we will simply go to Pyramids this up coming weekend to make up for it :) More musical goodness after the link.

Some traditional Greek religious items, and of course, jewelery.

 

Ali just had to buy a necklace (heh).

 

And I leave you with a parting shot of the Honolulu Lawn Bowling Greens - gives you an idea of just how nice the weather was.

PS - Still loving my little point-and-shoot :)