Hawaiian Getaway

A few months ago, the bargain flight alert to which we subscribe (https://scottscheapflights.com) featured a round-trip fare from Minneapolis to Honolulu on Delta for only $369 per ticket. We'd never been to Hawaii, and the fare was too good to pass up, so we didn't. We booked it. I then went to work to find lodging, and found a condo in Honolulu, three blocks from Waikiki Beach, for $145 per night. Not bad! We booked that, too.

Sadly, our timing was poor, because the unusually cold and wet April weather in Minnesota began to give way to a glorious spring at just about the same day we took off. Nevertheless, since most overseas travel is still off limits, Hawaii is one of the most exotic spots we could find.

The travel day was long, but everything went smoothly. Excitement woke us before the 5 a.m. alarm. The Uber driver was 15 minutes early. TSA screening lines were short, and both the flight to LAX and the final leg to O'ahu were on schedule. The only bad part was a 5+ hour layover at LAX, but that was the price paid for such a bargain fare.

One thing that has not been a bargain is the car rental. We've seen articles in the news about how rental companies reduced their fleets during the pandemic. Now, with vaccinated people such as ourselves beginning to travel again, demand has increased quickly. We managed to get a little KIA that is unusually high mileage for a rental, and showing some wear and tear. But it runs well. Gas is very expensive here, and parking around Honolulu is at a premium. We're glad the condo comes with a parking space.

Our plane got in at 6:30 p.m., and we were surprised that it was already dusk here. We got through the Covid screening at the airport pretty quickly -- no line. And we happened to catch the bus to the car rental agency waiting for us at the curb. Google Maps works fine here, and we got ourselves checked into the condo with only minimal difficulty.

Then it was off to Walmart to stock our condo kitchen for the week. Driving in a strange city after dark is always an adventure, so the 1.5 mile trip took longer than expected. So did finding things in a new store. And some time was spent just marveling at the sticker shock over food prices. A small cart of groceries totaled over $65 at the checkout.

By the time we had stashed the groceries, we had been away for going on 23 hours, so we crashed before 9:30 p.m. local time. Of course, our biological clocks had us awake before the sun, as well.

Our condo is a small studio with a cozy feel and a little balcony overlooking other condo buildings. If we stand in just the right spot, we can see a little sliver of blue ocean between them. But it is very clean and well-maintained, and has all of the amenities we need.

Our first morning was spent just exploring Waikiki. We are just up the street from the famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which has been preserved in much of its 1920s grandeur. We took the obligatory photo of Diamond Head, walked on the beach, sat on a bench and watched surfers, and generally enjoyed the people-watching. If my phone is to be believed, we walked about 3.5 miles.

Back at the condo, we enjoyed lunch and a bit of R&R, during which I started writing this post....

After a bit of rest, we were reinvigorated sufficiently to return to Waikiki Beach where we put down our towels and sat reading our paperback books. By afternoon, it was much more crowded than in the morning photo, above. Only occasionally did I look up to take in the surroundings, which included a great many young women in thong bikinis that left very little to imagination. However, we also noted many, so attired, that might have benefitted from having kept imagination in place.

Around 3:30 p.m. it began to sprinkle, so we packed up and adjourned to the Maui Brewing Company across the street from the beach. It was happy hour, with $2 off on beer and $10 pizza, so we stayed for supper. The beer was good, but not distinctive. The pizza was better than average. Looking around, we were, by far, the oldest people in the place. But they have happy hour daily. We'll be back.