So what else did we do at Bellows? Our routine was pretty similar each day. We would get up about 8, watch TV and eat breakfast. If we were up earlier enough we’d watch Gilligan’s Island which Alex loves. Everyone loves it but me. It’s ok but I’m more of the Andy Griffith show type. Thankfully that was on at 8 so we mostly watched that.
Afterwards Laura might skateboard or take a walk and we would take Alex to the turtle pond. We’d meet for lunch and then go back to the beach until suppertime. Then we’d watch HGTV. Since we don’t have cable, TV was part of the fun. Chad loved having access to Fox News. We decided that we like Me TV better than TvLand. Thankfully that is the channel we get at home. And of course we have to watch Doc Martin so we’re thankful for Netflix. Makes it sound like we watch a lot of TV but we really don’t so I guess that’s why it was so fun. Even though we don’t have cable, we’re fine and we love saving the 100 plus dollars a month since everything is so expensive there.
The first couple of nights there was a full moon and the reflection on the ocean was remarkable. Chad and I took some walks on the beach without the kids. We also went shopping at the Marine Corps base and found a great price on Fiesta dinnerwear which I have been wanting to try so we bought a couple of sets. Then we went to the commissary to stock the little bit of cabinet we have in the cabin.
Tuesday Chad and I rented a kayak and while the kids went and played at the minigolf we tried our hand at kayaking. It was pretty fun but it didn’t have a very cushy seat and it really hurt Chad’s tailbone. I guess mine is less prominent because I was fine but from then on we just kayaked by sitting on our paddle boards. It really is very similar.
On Wednesday we went out to Makapu’u lighthouse and hiked. Alex was not feeling great and of course he gets hot so easily but he perked up when I told him if he “led” us he could have two scoops of ice cream. Which leads me to one of our best discoveries on staycation–Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha–a shave ice and ice cream shop that is out of this world. It’s pretty far from our house but we will be glad to make the occasional trip to Hawaii Kai because it is by far the best shave ice we’ve had and the people are friendly to boot.
After our hike at the lighthouse and Uncle Clay’s we went back to the beach for a bit. That evening we ate at California Pizza Kitchen which is our favorite on the windward side. I’m sure there are many other fabulous restaurants but when you are gluten free you like to know what is on the menu. Sometimes it’s harder than you think to eat out because so much food has wheat in it. It was tasty and a nice break from cooking. Chad did most of the cooking back at the cabin so it was a really great hiatus from preparing the evening meal.
Some evenings we would play a game. One night it was Kwirkle which is really fun once you get the hang of it. Then we played Spoons which reminded me of days up at my Aunt and Uncle’s cottage in Michigan with 10 of us sitting around the table. I always loved playing Spoons. It’s just not quite as fun with only the four of us but Alex was finding his feet. Having a big crowd probably would have slowed it down a little more, perhaps. Laura is just too fast but in the end Chad beat her by a hair.
And of course there were S’mores or as people here say, “sa-mores” They treat the apostrophe like an ‘okina (the reverse apostrophe prevalent in the Hawaiian language). We had to use the coals from the grill because there were no campfire rings but it was still yummy. All of us became quite proficient at roasting them a delicate golden-brown…
That’s really the extent of our itinerary but it was a fabulous, relaxing week. The kind of vacation you don’t need a vacation from. I need to write a note to myself to call tomorrow and schedule for next year. We will all be looking forward to that white sandy beach!
Decidedly Different 