Today we took the ferry from Vancouver Island to the Mainland. We will spend one night in Surrey with my Mom and then fly to Hawaii from Vancouver. We were originally planning to leave on the 24th, but then we had an idea. “Let’s re-do the kitchen”. What a great idea (no sarcasm intended).
In regards to our kitchen reno, we met with some contractors, got some quotes and looked at everything we wanted to do. Figuring out what we thought we would like in a 70-year-old house can be a challenge as there are “surprises” behind every wall. In the end we decided on a local company who have good reviews and were competitive on pricing. The timing actually worked really well. They need full access to the kitchen for two weeks and during that time we would only have limited access. Well, if we’re not here, then that is not an issue, right?
Enter a Hawaiian vacation/cruise.
The contractor was gracious enough to move a few jobs around and fit our job in while we were away. In discussions with the contractor, they went over what they needed, which included all cupboards being empty. Now, I truly hate packing. I’ve been known to be stuffing a suitcase on the way to the airport because I just tossed everything into a bag 15 minutes before we had to leave. Then I tried to pack it into a suitcase on the way to the airport. Hey, it works for me. This time I have a fully bonified reason not to pack. I have to empty the kitchen.
We had everything emptied by 9:00 AM and were off to the ferry shortly after. We had originally planned to walk-on; however, we need to take a number of things over and lugging bags on a BC Ferry is not really anyone’s idea of fun. So, we made a reservation for our car.
Our Plans for Hawaii
We have learned that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times. Let’s face it, no plan survives first contact with the airport/customs/airline/taxi…. However, while plans are useless, planning is essential.
We’ll get in to Oahu late at night, so other than checking in to our hotel, there won’t be much to do or see.
The next day, we’ll explore the local area. We’re staying in Waikiki, about a five-minute walk to the beach. The cruise ship is open for check in at noon, so we will aim to be at the pier for noon. There’s a special lunch onboard for our loyalty status, and it’s usually pretty good. After we get settled in, we plan to head off the ship and explore the nearby park and beach.
A hike and captivating views
On day 2, we are hoping to hike the Diamond Head crater. We have park access reservations between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. Everything I’ve read says do the hike in the early morning to avoid the sun and crowds as much as possible. When we’ve finished the hike, we’ll get an Uber and either rest on Waikiki beach or try surfing, which we did last time we were in Waikiki. We might not try it though, the previous experience was humbling to say the least. There is always the other side of the island to snorkel. We will not have a car, but the bus system is pretty good. The only thing we have to watch for is the ship’s departure at 5:00 PM.
We will try to post from Waikiki, however we’ve opted not to take the internet plan on the ship. We may find some hot spots while we are sailing around the Hawaiian Islands, we will see.
Thanks for reading, please feel free to reach out with any comments or thoughts.
Cam and Meg
You can also follow us on Instagram at Roam Relax and Repeat