Wednesday, 26 July 2017
A Week in Waikiki
Blog Entry #1
The weary travelers--Will, Anita and I--returned late Monday night from our week-long vacation in Hawaii. Since I didn't have a chance to blog during the week, I will present a day-by-day summary here (or perhaps over the next several days) to regale you with narrative and photos. Although much has changed and grown in Honolulu (especially) and Waikiki since my first visit in 1990, the basic paradigm of the tropics remains the same: build the hotels bigger and taller; crowd out other people's views of the ocean; open more and more expensive boutiques and chain stores; open more cheap restaurants serving standardized food at high prices.
Monday, 17 July 2017
Tucson to Honolulu
We pickup Anita at her home in Tangerine Crossing in Marana, just three miles north of our home. Not only do we have round-trip first-class tickets on American Airlines, but we leave at the civilized hour of 11:50am. Transferring to a larger plane in Phoenix (PHX), we arrive safely and pampered (full lunch served on cloth with real beverage glasses and dining utensils; we were able to choose our entrees prior to our departure). The Grand Waikikian Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Waikiki Beach is a 30-minute taxi ride away (on the meter, plus tip, comes to about $70. for three people and luggage), compared to the flat rate of $29. for the return to the airport.
At the Grand Waikikian we share a spacious two-bedroom, two-bath unit on the 12th floor, with a balcony that faces eastward and looks out over the hotel grounds, the beach, the ocean, and the huge Marco Polo Condominium that suffered a deadly fire the week prior to our arrival.
But it's late and we are hungry, so off we go the short distance to the Rainbow Bazaar, within the grounds of the Hilton complex. Here there are restaurants ranging in cuisine from Japanese, to Italian, to seafood, to more . . . ranging in comfort from sloppy self-service to elegant fine dining. We choose the seafront Bistro for our first tropical dinner. Of course, there is a wait--there are waits everywhere on this island at this time of year!
Views from Our Balcony
In the next few blog entries I shall continue with our adventures on land sea.
A Week in Waikiki
Blog Entry #1
The weary travelers--Will, Anita and I--returned late Monday night from our week-long vacation in Hawaii. Since I didn't have a chance to blog during the week, I will present a day-by-day summary here (or perhaps over the next several days) to regale you with narrative and photos. Although much has changed and grown in Honolulu (especially) and Waikiki since my first visit in 1990, the basic paradigm of the tropics remains the same: build the hotels bigger and taller; crowd out other people's views of the ocean; open more and more expensive boutiques and chain stores; open more cheap restaurants serving standardized food at high prices.
Monday, 17 July 2017
Tucson to Honolulu
We pickup Anita at her home in Tangerine Crossing in Marana, just three miles north of our home. Not only do we have round-trip first-class tickets on American Airlines, but we leave at the civilized hour of 11:50am. Transferring to a larger plane in Phoenix (PHX), we arrive safely and pampered (full lunch served on cloth with real beverage glasses and dining utensils; we were able to choose our entrees prior to our departure). The Grand Waikikian Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Waikiki Beach is a 30-minute taxi ride away (on the meter, plus tip, comes to about $70. for three people and luggage), compared to the flat rate of $29. for the return to the airport.
At the Grand Waikikian we share a spacious two-bedroom, two-bath unit on the 12th floor, with a balcony that faces eastward and looks out over the hotel grounds, the beach, the ocean, and the huge Marco Polo Condominium that suffered a deadly fire the week prior to our arrival.
But it's late and we are hungry, so off we go the short distance to the Rainbow Bazaar, within the grounds of the Hilton complex. Here there are restaurants ranging in cuisine from Japanese, to Italian, to seafood, to more . . . ranging in comfort from sloppy self-service to elegant fine dining. We choose the seafront Bistro for our first tropical dinner. Of course, there is a wait--there are waits everywhere on this island at this time of year!
We stop at one of the ubiquitous ABC Stores, located off the Hilton Hotel Lobby, for breakfast supplies for tomorrow. Then it's time for a few interior pictures before our lovely quarters are messed up by holiday living. And then it's off to bed.
Interior Views
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| Living Room, Dining Area, and Kitchen |
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| Kitchen with Quartz Countertops |
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| Large Master Bedroom with Sliders to Balcony (Will and I Sleep Here) |
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| Master Bath and Shower |
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| Second Bedroom with Door to En-suite Bathroom (Anita Sleeps Here( |
In the next few blog entries I shall continue with our adventures on land sea.
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