Our journey started at home. I can't believe I took so little.
We had two workaholics (myself and Angel) to drag out of our offices. I had worked all day and Angel had also. My sister, Princess, was coming with us along with Lily, a family friend.
I have known Angel for over 10 years and what do I get her for dinner -- Raising Cane’s -- she doesn’t eat chicken, what was I thinking? When we got her out of the office, she had her computer and files in tow. Can we get her to decompress? Can I decompress? We did take our cell phones and computers, maybe not the next time.
We left kind of late to drive to Dallas to catch our nonstop flight tomorrow. After we were on the road we stopped at a Texas Road Runner gas station and found some interesting water.
In Mexico aren't you not supposed to drink the water?
It is always great to drive in Dallas’ 6 lanes of traffic when there is non one on the road but you.
We woke up around 8:00 a.m. to get ready for our 1:00 plane departure to the land of flowers in our hair. Angel had gotten up earlier to work on her files that she could leave there.
On our way to the airport, the driver got real friendly and started talking out of his head about 24 lanes of traffic, duh? Gotta love the education system in the U.S. They are doing a rehaul of the airport highways but it’s not a 24 lane highway, they are working on the lanes.
We got to the airport and through security -- it was so odd -- we didn’t have to pay for any of our bags -- what is this - a new and friendlier American Airlines? Also they had feet protectors and baggies.
Security was a breeze. And we were in the big new terminal -- Terminal D-- we found the Reata Grill and Brandi was our waitress. This was my favorite restaurant when I lived in Fort Worth. And no, I didn’t get the tamales, but Angel did. We had the breakfast items on the menu. Lily had a lunch item and really really liked her soup.
Yummy, Reata Tamales
At the gate, I held down the fort as the others went throughout the airport shopping -- and getting us provisions for our 8 hour nonstop flight. (We love nonstop flights -- less likelihood of losing luggage and only one takeoff and landing.)
On the plane, I took my traditional Dramamine and was out quickly. But I did wake up long enough to watch the best movie -- “Flipped”. It was awesome -- “the whole is a sum of the parts” and he had “dancing eyes”.
Angel worked a little on the plane. She would relax when we got there, right?
Also Princess tried her best to take a bath in her Coke. They give you a full can on the flights now. Her’s fell on the floor and she didn’t wait to open it. I was laughing so hard I was crying.
FYI you need to bring your own food on the plane, quite like on a European train ride -- because now they don’t serve it but you can buy it. If they gave you a list it would help but they don’t do that either.
The airport in Honolulu is great -- it's open air in some parts and has gardens -- Aloha - your blood pressure decreases just feeling the tropical air.
As you could tell there were some people on the plane from the South too. Ready for the big game January 9, 2012.
Was Harry Potter and Hermione on our flight?
Luckily our luggage did make it. We called the hotel and they came to collect us -- the Outrigger/Best Western/ Ohana Airport Hotel. In the lobby, they had a few differently decorated Christmas trees -- one with Aloha Angels and others with toilet paper and electrical plugs (their different departments decorated mini trees for the desk area).
Our room wasn’t anything fancy, and served it’s purpose -- a bed and clean shower. The desk clerk told us about Uncle’s restaurant for dinner.
It was a little creepy when our “Charley’s” taxi driver didn’t know where it was. He had some weird fancy fare meter -- a GPS etc. But thankfully he found it. A flakey male driver, what was our trip to entail?
Definitely a local establishment. It was packed with families, kind of odd on a Tuesday night. This was traditional Hawaii -- the straw valances, mounted fish, even the air conditioning ducts were decorated with painting underwater scenes. There were flat screen TV’s with fishing videos playing. The chairs were super comfortable and there were woven placemats and lava rocks as table decorations.
Angel and Princess ordered the parmesan Mahi Mahi -- it was excellent. Lily and I had the tuna salad. The fish was fresh off the boat that morning -- Uncle’s is right on the Docks - you can’t get any closer than that. But I do have to say that to me crackers mean saltines not the oyster crackers that they brought me.
We got some desserts too -- as Princess is allergic to nuts we always have issues. But here she was open to every dessert. Red Velvet Cake was the best. Lilikoi cake was a little sweet. The Japanese cheesecake was not that tasty. Just call us hardcore Southern Belles -- the Red Velvet was the best.
Our cab driver on the way back to our hotel, told us about the significance of their New Year’s Eve traditions. No black eyed peas or cabbage here. We needed to surround ourself with red -- to ward off evil spirits. Fireworks are to also ward off evil spirits. Poke, a local fish, cost more on New Year’s -- I don’t understand that one still.
Four hour time difference really took it out of us and we had enough. Some idiot on the elevator wanted to make sure we weren’t spending our whole vacation at the airport hotel -- yeah, not. :) Sand is needed between the toes ASAP --- Onto the Big Island tomorrow.
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