Aloha!

We skipped out on a summer vacation this year so that we could attend our friend's wedding in Hawaii. We were so glad to be invited-it was a ton of fun and the week in Oahu and Kauai was just what we needed!

We basically went right from the airport to the beach. It was a good move as the weather more-or-less sucked for rest of the trip. We didn't complain though--a rainy day in Hawaii is still better than a sunny day at the office!

Check out this Waikiki sunset!

Dinner at Alan Wong's was fantastic. Too bad the jet lag took over-Jackie nearly fell asleep between the last course and dessert.

The next day, we "adopted" one of the bridesmaid's husband so he didn't have to get his hair and nails done with the rest of the girls. We went to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling......

We saw all sorts of fish and sea life including Hawaii's beloved Humuhumukununukuapua. Try saying that fast three times! We tried. It took sooooo long to learn how to pronounce Humuhumukununukuapua once that we didn't have time for a leisurely lunch. Thank goodness Drew can multi-task.

We were in a hurry because we had a surfing lesson with Hawaii's best (and most entertaining)surf instructor, Eric. Eric was definitely the best instructor on Waikiki as we all were able to ride the first wave that came our way. Watch out Long Board Champions....here we come!

The end of the day was marked by the sunset wedding ceremony of Joanne and Carl. What a beautiful bride!!!!


The wedding was perfectly short and sweet, which left lots of time for the good stuff:

1. cocktail hour......


2. Appetizers....


3. Dinner.......

4. Wedding Cake...... ....and 5. cheesy wedding dances...

The next morning in Hawaii, it was football time on the mainland so we skipped breakfast and headed to a sports bar to cheer on the Redskins. A 3 hour football game turned into a ridiculous day drinking fest where 4 of us drank 9 pitches of beer. Needless to say we are not 22 anymore so the rest of the day was shot, but we sure had fun (from what we remember!).

We spent our last day on Oahu touring the island's sights and beaches.

First we headed to the Dole Pineapple Plantation.....

Then we made it to the North Shore to check out the surf. The pictures don't do the waves justice...they were HUGE and POWERFUL.

Don't let Drew fool you....he didn't get a baby shark bite in Hawaii....a wave tossed a rock right at his knee. Ouch!

All those waves got our stomachs growling so we headed to one of the North Shore's famous Shrimp Shacks for a delicious bite to eat. We highly recommend the garlic-chili shrimp if you ever make it to Kahuku's. Fantastic!

After lunch, we drove around to Kualoa for some more tranquil waters and some R&R.

The next day, we headed to Kauai, the land of wild chickens and perpetual rains. Good thing we rented a convertible! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The trip to Kauai was a true vacation. Jackie got to sit around with a beer and her nose in a book while Drew tended to the kitchen duties. When is our next vacation???

Drew's dinner of lobster tails and filet mignon was good...so good that it was almost food-blog-worthy. Almost. :)

Drew was off the K.P. hook for dessert because we went out for the local favorite..a Hawaiian Shave Ice.

The next day, in between rain showers, we were able to catch a glimpse of Hawaii's Grand Canyon. It was beautiful!

After touring the canyon, we met up with the newlyweds, Joanne and Carl, who were on their honeymoon in Kauai. We all took a boat cruise of the Napali Coast-one of the most picturesque spots on Earth . Too bad we had to turn around early because about 70% of the passengers got sea sick. Yuk!

Towards the end of our trip we took a kayak tour to a hidden waterfall. We got dressed for adventure and were ready to paddle! Does matching water shoes say "Coolest Couple on the Planet" or what???? ha ha

Coldest waterfall ever:

Finally, a few hours before we were to leave for the airport, the sun came out so we finally got to fool around like kids and play in the pool at our hotel.

Our last supper in Hawaii: A World Famous Bubba Burger. Sooooo yummy!

Aloha again, and hope enjoyed the pics!