Sharkbait Aloha Day

We saved the most dangerous adventure for our last day, when it didn't matter so much if Ned and the kids lost limbs: swimming with the sharks!  I passed on this--not because of the sharks: I swim with those every day--because every other line on the website was a version of the following: "If you tend toward seasickness, you WILL get sick on this trip."  So, Pasadena.

I dropped the rest of the family off at the boat launch on the North Shore, and we said our possible last goodbyes.

Then, with a heavy heart and empty stomach, I set off for breakfast.  On the way to my actual destination (through my worry, I had managed to Google several options), I saw a roadside sign for an organic farm dotted with kicky striped umbrellas and pulled over.

The view was gorgeous, the fresh breakfast was yummy, and for quite some time, it was just me and the glowing supermodel who was running the register (seriously, I think I need to start juice fasting because all of these run-away-from-the-stress-of-NYC pocket farms are run by glamazons).  So, I slow-rolled my coffee and read a Kindle book before driving around to find a good place for lunch.

Luckily, everyone made it back safely.  There were seasickness inducing waves and sharks on the trip, and Penn slid half his body out of the cage to get closer to his new sharkfriends, causing a woman on the trip to freak out and yell at Ned.  So, it was cool.

I ferried the crew to a cute little strip mall I discovered that had a hopping Mexican restaurant, a surf shop, and a Patagonia store: Hawaiian trifecta!

While eating, we learned that a surf contest was in process just a bit further up the road, but after much consideration, we opted out.  Enough adventure for the day.  Instead, we changed into suits and set off for world-famous Waikiki Beach.

With Diamond Head in the background, we settled in for a final Hawaiian sunset.

Still rocking the necklace!

Marvin, P.I.

One of us is a wide-walker!





And it was starting.

The setting sun was like a magnet, drawing boaters, swimmers, kayakers, dancers, hipsters, and beach sitters alike.  

The heavy clouds seemed to be pushing the sun into the surf.

Golden on one side and pastel pink, yellow, ivory, and blue on the other.

We walked back in the warm early evening as the pastels turned electric in the darkening skies.

Aloha with love from our home base for a wonderful week of explorations.

From the tippy top of Mauna Kea to the sharky depths of the Pacific, from Jurassic waterfalls to fish-filled reefs, from t-shirt wearing dogs to marauding chickens to feral kitties, mahalo, Hawaii: bruh, you the real MVP!