The Everharts Will Never Go To Hawaii - Because You Can't Drive To Hawaii

This Tesla X - an SUV with
gull wing doors. 

Waikiki Beach - not very wide -
but plenty long. Our condo
is the 5th one from the left.

Drew - Robin - and Liz went to
Duke University.
We love this Sand Restaurant on Waikiki
names after famous Duke the surfer.

Lulu loves Christmas shopping.

Back in 1978 - when we owned the green bus - our friend used to tease us about driving everywhere. Dale Kline chirped - "The Everharts will never go to Hawai because you can't drive to Hawaii." 

After Lulu teaching 8 summers for the University of Hawaii - and 5 other various trips with the family and passing through on the way to Australia - my reply is "How do you like us now?" My own brother in law said at the time - "Do you think it is a good idea sending her to college?" Thanks to "her" - this is all possible. I have gone from slugging it out in a public school classroom - to hopping all over this wonderful world. 

Two weeks ago it was England - last week it was Disneyworld - this week it is Waikiki. The only thing that will slow her down - is probably the health of this 70 year old ex-school marm. 

The Hawaii trip was planned on one premise. Did we want to go anything in April before going to Greece in May - Germany in June - Denmark in July - and London in August. When this $350  roundtrip to Hawaii popped up on Lulu's listserv - she pounced on it. 

Our first day in town has been basically to watch our bodies revolt to the time zones changes - the meal changes - the nap changes - the bathroom changes. 

This morning - I was up at 2 AM after 7 hours of sleep. Lulu lasted in bed until 5. We were done eating and all cleaned up by sunrise. We went for a walk - there were a few mainlanders out walking. Most of the stores were closed. It was breezy and cloudy. 

Hawaii reminds one of a foreign country - except the American money and cellphones work. We can watch the TV shows from back home on our slingbox and cellphones. Imagine watching the 6:00 news at noon. It is easy to stay up for Jimmy Kimmel at 5:30 PM. 

Hawaii became a state in 1959. It has 1.4 million people. 

The 8 main islands of Hawaii - we visited 5.

Most of the people live on Oahu - the island with Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. Waikiki is a beach neighborhood in Honolulu. The original state capitol was the Royal Palace - which is today a museum. There is a modern capitol building next door. The other islands can be visited on a $200 round trip. We have visited 5 of the islands. 99% of the time we stay on Oahu. 

Hawaii is about 3000 miles from the Mainland. The population is divided roughly 38% Asian -  24% white - 9% Native Hawaiian. The history is wonderful and tragic. The cost of living is high simply because it is 3000 miles from anywhere. It has tropical weather - the ocean makes it mild - the water cools the summers and heats the winters. 

One island is famous as the site of the former "leper colony." We visited that site years ago - by going down over a cliff for 3 hours on donkeys. There are still a few patients there - although the disease was cured about 50 years ago. 

Hawaii does have "Interstate Highways" that don't go interstate. They are called H1 - H2 - H3. There is a highway that circles Oahu that is 2 lanes. There is one small section in the northwest where the highway does not go. 

Downtown Waikiki and Honolulu are lined with high-end shopping - Rodeo Drive type. You can buy a Rolex watch in a store right next to a Tesla dealer. All the fancy names are here. There are many local foods available - and a strong Portuguese influence. When Portugal was a world master - they had a colony in Hawaii. We love their sausages and their pastries - Masalatas. 

Of course Hawaii is famous for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th - 1941. The USA had their fleet stationed here - it was then a USA Territory. Japan attacked us - and the next day Germany declared war on us. We know how that ended. 

Only the Big Island of Hawaii has active volcanoes. The other islands are covered with extinct volcanoes. 

Panorama of Waikiki Beach. 

Hawaiian Quilts are very popular.

Just 2 years ago - this market was a sleezy
flea market right downtown. 

This shack in the Banyan tree was one time a radio station
that broadcasted all over the world. 

There is a Tesla dealer in this mall -
among the Banyan trees

This bride was getting ready for her big day.
She was being married  at
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel

This is the beach about 8 AM.
It was very cloudy.