Hawaii - My last two days

Well, after the mini monsoon and embarrassing fake hit-and-run, a gal's gotta unwind. So yes, we sought out a spa. We went to Abhasa which happens to be in the hotel with our fantastic outdoor bar. Pretty, pretty. We both agreed that the massages were absolutely amazing. But be warned, they end abruptly. Unlike my massage in Las Vegas, my little Asian lady (who was small but packed quite a punch) did not soothingly put the stones away when she was done. *Klunk, klunk* The stones sounded like they were being hurled into the bowl. Short of slamming the door, my little Asian lady booked out of the room and it was over. But the massage itself was much needed and appreciated.

Before this vacation, I thought Oahu was "just OK." It reminded me too much of Vegas and I preferred the slower pace of Maui. Little did I know, just rent a car! Maria and I escaped the city fuss and went to the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort at Ko'Olina. It's about a 1/2 hour drive from Waikiki. Since this resort is out in the middle of nowhere, they did all sorts of things to make the place interesting (you can just click on the link for more info.) What I liked about it and what is not on the Web site - or I just didn't read thoroughly - is that there are five manmade lagoons. So instead of one long strip of beach, there are five different areas for people to lounge, softer waves for kids and, best of all, public access!

(This isn't one of the lagoons. It's a really pretty place on the Ihilani resort. They often use it for wedding pictures. Unfortunately, it's a little tricky to walk here so the brides have a hard ass time getting to this spot. But, from what I hear, it's pretty funny to watch.)

Although we were suppose to rent the umbrella space, the beach wasn't crowded at all so we just used one for free. It felt like a private and secluded beach and the resort had people patrolling so it's safe, too. My friend and I hung out for almost four hours, sunbathing, reading and close enough to the hotel to use their posh bathroom. I'm all about being near nice restrooms.


Maria and I thought it would be so cute if we took pictures in Hawaii, came back to the mainland and made postcards. Yahhhh. It didn't really work out. And yes, those are alcoholic beverages in our hand.

Mele Kalikimaka!

I had a SPECTACULAR time in Hawaii. With a heavy heart, I boarded my plane on Thursday and was back in the very chilly Bay Area by 9:00 pm that night. Luckily, I learned my lesson from previous vacations and took the next day off. So I had three days to readjust to my daily routine. Both the vacation and the vacation from my vacation saved my sanity. By Monday, I was ready to face the real world.