Hawaii…there’s no place like Hawaii! When I think of Hawaii nothing comes to mind but happy thoughts. Our Hawaiian getaway with friends is one of the most memorable trips we’ve ever been to. You get that paradise vibe the moment you hop on to that plane. Thank you Hawaiian Airlines for the fantastic airfare deals a couple of years ago! You definitely made our dreams come true! 😀 How could you resist going to Hawaii when the airfare is $303 round trip and hotel rates are much cheaper than normal? We couldn’t so we took advantage of the opportunity. We were suppose to stay at a hotel for one night and we rented a vacation home for the rest of the week but we ended up extending at the hotel for two more days since the owner made a mistake with our booking. Our extra nights at the hotel was reimbursed by the vacation home owner so it was all good. We stayed at Pacific Hotel, just a block away from Waikiki beach then we headed to Kailua for the remaining days. We chose Kailua because of Lanikai and one of our favorite artists, Hawaii’s very own Justin Kawika Young! 😀 Yes, we heart Justin Young and he’s from Kailua. Not that we plan on stalking him or anything but even if we wanted to it’s not possible because he was already residing in LA at the time and we were fortunate enough to meet him at Colbie Caillat’s very first concert just a few months before our trip. He was her guitarist during her tour and he even tried to help us get our CD’s autographed by Colbie. Justin Young’s songs were our Hawaiian getaway soundtrack and One Foot on Sand was on repeat! Hahahaha! :D. It was funny because when we stopped at North Shore to try some of the famous garlic shrimp, his version of the song Leaving on a Jet Plane comes on the radio and that totally made our day! 😀 Did I mentioned that we love him? Hahahaha! We really do! He’s a humble and talented artist and deserves to get noticed! I am totally smiling at this very moment while I type away and recall some of our fun moments during that  trip. It’s always the little things that means the most :).

Anyway, here are some photos from our first and second day in beautiful Hawaii :). We didn’t really get to do much on our first day as we arrived late in the afternoon and it rained. It rained the next day too but we still went to Lanikai and thankfully the sun came out in the afternoon :).

Aboard the plane via Hawaiian Airlines! Aloha!

We were quite amazed by this architecture that we saw en route to our hotel located in Waikiki.

We heard that there is a branch of Marukai in Oahu and of course we had to check it out and grab some snacks! We got some mitarashi dango and goma dango. Dango is a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea. Dango is eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Three to four dango are often served on a skewer. Mitarashi dango is covered with a syrup made from shouyu (soy sauce), sugar and starch while goma dango are sesame seed balls that are sweet and salty.(Wikipedia)

We went driving around after going to Marukai and found this famous Filipino restaurant by accident where we had dinner :).

Thank goodness the rain stopped and we were able to enjoy the beach on our second day!

Come here fishy…fishy! 😀

We just love the clear water! 😀

Smart dog! 😀

Lanikai Beach is located in Lanikai, a neighborhood within Kailua, on the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. This small 0.5 mile beach has been constantly ranked among the best beaches in the world. Adjacent to Lanikai Beach is a primarily upper-class residential area, because of this it is only accessible through public beach access paths. Although the beach itself is public property, it is not state land and is not a county beach park like many beaches in Hawaii. There is no public parking lot and the area lacks facilities like restrooms, showers or lifeguards. During the weekdays the beach is relatively empty, but on weekends during peak tourist season it can become extremely crowded. Lanikai is a popular spot for photo shoots as renowned models and photographers frequent the place on nice days. Due to its position on the east side of the island, Lanikai is recognized as being great place to watch the moonrise over the Mokuluas, especially during the full moon. (Wikipedia)

Photo op with the twin islands of Na Mokulua in the background :).

Nā Mokulua (meaning, in Hawaiian, “the two islands”) are two islets off the windward coast of O‘ahu in the Hawaiian Islands. They are also commonly known as “The Mokes” (rhymes with “smokes”) or the “Twin Islands”. The islets are often photographed, and are located about .75 miles off Lanikai, a neighborhood of Kailua, Hawai‘i. The larger island (on the left when looking from Lanikai) is Moku Nui and the smaller, Moku Iki. They are part of the Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary and activities on them as well as off-limit areas on them are regulated by law.[1] Specifically, the smaller islet, Moku Iki, is off-limits to visitors, as is the interior of Moku Nui. Also, no pets are allowed. Many birds nest in ground burrows on the islands. Locals surf the breaks on both sides of Moku Nui and spearfish alongside tiger sharks where they are known to hangout on the ocean side drop off. Kayak tours to the islands are very popular but laws prohibit deliveries to Kailua or Lanikai Beach. (Wikipedia)

Say cheese! 😀