Island Car Tips To Remember, #72

Always Photogenic, Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii, October '08, artistic view, click to enlarge.

Aloha.
Driving by car is perhaps the best way to get around Hawaiian Islands. Although there are many bus tours that can take you almost everywhere, we prefer our own way of transportation. No need to wait for the bus, no need to check time the bus leaves, no need to have interest in all places the bus stops at, etc. However, if you like to be always in a group of 30-40 people, feel safer that way, like to perhaps save some money, then the bus tour approach may be right for you. A motorcycle is also good, a bicycle less so because of the heavy traffic, especially in Honolulu. In summer months, everything inside the car is going to get very hot, so make sure you do not leave kids, any animals, or even food inside.
Parking around Honolulu can be a problem, streets are narrow, and some malls only have a very limited number of parking spaces available. However, the biggest problems are with parking in your own hotel, and if you happen to rent a large car, you are going to spend lots of time in the parking garage under the hotel, driving backward and forward, trying to park and avoiding hitting other cars. The worst situation happens when you come back from the beach around 9 or 10pm on weekend, because inevitably near all spaces will already be taken, and the one remaining for you is in the dark corner, at 45 degree angle, between two cement columns, and two big cars, one of them parked half-legally, almost blocking your access. Imagine it is very hot underground, and there is no good ventilation, you are sweating profusely trying to figure out what to do. Several towing and “Don’t Park Here” reminders on walls, for $20/day. Moreover, the squeaky sound of tires is more than you can handle!
Outside of hotels, and away from Honolulu, things are usually problem free. If there are special events, attended by many people, then obviously you need to consider that. Therefore, our advice to you would be to think twice about renting a large car, a rental place agent will always try to upgrade your reservation to a larger car, but this may mean problems down the road. Hope you learned something new from this blog. In a smaller car, you are free as a bird!
Mahalo everyone.

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First New Video From Hawaii, #67

Local Kids At Windy Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Oahu, Hawaii, October '08, artistic view, click to enlarge, map.

Last time we wrote a blog, it was about the early state of Wall Street troubles. Things did not look all that bad at that time, but started to look truly awful in the coming days and weeks. “Meltdown” were newspaper titles, followed by even deeper downturns in the following days. How much smaller are your 401k, 403b or other retirement accounts, quite a bit? How much longer this slide is going to continue like that? Nobody knows, but one thing is certain, we do not like to see new records being broken on the downside anymore! Warren Buffett is saying, “It’s time to buy”, will you?

Aloha.
So, we arrived in Honolulu on a sunny day. We didn’t know that at the time, but all of our days would be mostly sunny with hardly any rain. After a good night’s sleep, actually it was only a B-grade sleep because of time difference, and temperature plus humidity changes. In addition, setting the right room temperature takes at least two days. And, did you remember to hang that “Do Not Disturb” card outside your door? And, we hope nobody towed our car! Leaving hotel’s parking garage remains a challenge, perhaps a life-long challenge. Taking a Pali Highway will get you from the west side to the east side of Oahu. You are going to drive near the Pali lookout, and it is always a good idea to stop there. Usually it is very windy there, something you notice while looking at your photos and videos shot on top. The east side of Oahu is visible for miles along with the Pacific Coast. Hills and tall trees obscure the west side. There are usually many people there, and easily recognizable big tour busses. Sometimes the strong wind and light rain make that place quite cold, so be prepared.

Several miles down the road, and you are in Kailua. If you follow first the Pali Highway, then 61, then go about a mile forward up to the last light stop, you will find yourself near the Ocean and feel that. Turn right, this road will take you to Kailua Beach Park, which is quite nice in itself. Actually, there is little reason to go anywhere else in our opinion; the water is near still, just enjoy it. The only reason I went forward, was because of the beach name – Lanikai, that ended up in the title of my first video shot in Hawaii in the early October. So, we are going forward, reading signs, and now trying to find a good place to park our rental car. In October, this is no problem; in summer months some parking space hunting techniques learned on the mainland may have to be enforced! We are not about to disclose those, will keep those to ourselves, though!

So, we are at the Lanikai Beach, taking some pictures – one or two may end up on twitter, swimming for two hours, sitting and walking around the beach, and then shooting the video. Slight cloud interruptions need to be taken into consideration. Should have swum for no longer than an hour, and should have started filming an hour earlier – crosses our mind. However, it is too late for that. Will have to work with the available light, too late to change anything. We could come back again on a different day, but this changes the mood of the video, unless today’s session is all thrown out. Let us work with what we got, and turn it into yet another masterpiece; it is the final decision. Tomorrow we are going to be in another spectacular place.

Mahalo everyone.
(As always, I did spell checking on this blog, accidentally the above words “Mahalo everyone” were replaced with “Maalox everyone”. Funny, but no thanks!)

YouTube videos: youtube.com/Vatsek .
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#43, Lanikai Beach

Jogging At Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii, May ‘08, artistic view.


Jogging Continues At Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii, May ‘08, artistic view.

This is one of the best beaches on Oahu, if you like to think that way. But you can easily find many as good beaches not far away from this one, if you want to. Whether you want to think of it as the best, or one of the best, is up to you. There are many good features about it; it is somewhat secluded, you always have people from private properties watching you – sometimes you may get a feeling that you are in someone else’s backyard pond (good/bad), white sand, about a mile long, slightly sticky clay bottom, a moderate number of people, plenty of swimming space, and lots of things happening around – outrigger canoe practicing, for example, so you can sit, watch and enjoy. On the downside, however, you may cruise around for a while in your car before you find a spot to park, remember it is all private property with very small and narrow streets, with up and downhills, so on holidays you better be either very early in the morning, or rather late in the afternoon. And finding a way to the Ocean can take a while, only small and narrow passages to the beach, after you found your parking space. Beyond that, everything else is just fine, put plenty of sunscreen and enjoy the sunny weather, and hope the clouds are not coming back today anymore. Two Mokulua Islands are always there, staring at you, and looking good in pictures! Also, the http://www.beachwalks.tv show originates at this beach almost every day.
It is getting late in the evening, it is time to find a car, get a sip of bottled water, boy it is hot, wash the sap and bird droppings from your windshield, wash your hands then, and head back to Ala Moana Shopping Center in Waikiki for a good sushi or sashimi dinner. Then off to your hotel for a cold beer.
Another beach in Kailua, not too far from Lanikai, is far more open and accessible since it is adjacent on one side to a small park. You actually may find this one quite pleasing as well, I know I do.
I need to stop now, because if I do not, I will most likely be booking another trip to Lanikai!

Dinner back in California: A Barilla Penne pasta with Chunky Ragu sauce. A glass of Gallo hearty burgundy, and a hot Lipton tea.
http://www.barillaus.com, http://www.ragu.com, http://www.gallofamily.com, http://www.lipton.com.