Well, we are already 4 (3?) days in to our Hawaiian vacation and I haven't posted yet! Lots to talk about. Part of it has been time change-related. Last night I fell asleep at 10PM local time, but I woke up today at 5AM and am ready to post! The kids are still asleep.
So…
We left DC on Tuesday afternoon and flew to SF. The flight was fine. N even slept a few hours, which is the first time he's ever done that on a plane. We arrived in SF around 6 and took a cab to our hotel that wound us right by AT&T Park 10 minutes before game time. Lots of SF fans milling around, of course wearing fleeces and down vests because it was SF. We checked in to the Hyatt Embarcadero and had a room with a strange layout that actually worked well with N's air mattress. We walked across the street to the Ferry Building and had a really good seafood dinner. We were all REALLY tired but powered through.
On Wednesday, which was a gorgeous, sunny, warm day (crazy for SF in August!), we packed up and headed to the Exploratorium, which has moved to the Embarcadero. The kids – and N in particular – really enjoyed it. He loved all the hands-on exhibits and didn't want to leave. Lots of fun things to see and do. Our favorite was a spinning Lego exhibit of Batmen and diving penguins. Sounds strange but it was really cool.
After that, we got an Uber who drove us by Fisherman's Wharf so we could point out Alcatraz and then took us to Chinatown. We had dim sum at our favorite Chinatown dim sum place – New Asia – and walked back to the hotel, poking in and out of a few stores along the way. Then it was off to the airport.
Our flight to Hawaii felt really long, but thankfully N slept for a fair amount of it. Poor Daddy ended up sitting on the floor, and eventually N rolled on top of him, though they both ended up sleeping through it. Like father, like son.
Here is a photo of our arrival in Hawaii:
And after we got to the hotel (the obligatory lei photo):
Our hotel is beautiful and there is a large pool/lazy river/slide complex that the girls have thoroughly explored. There is also a beach, but the surf was pretty strong yesterday and we didn't spend any time there. And there's a "lagoon" which is a fake beach with graduated entry and little stones that doesn't really feel like a beach. Lots to do. Today I think we are going to go to a nearby beach and do some snorkeling. We left the hotel last night and had dinner in a shopping area close by. It was very good. Lots of fish on the menu, which Daddy enjoyed!
N is sleeping pretty well on his air mattress though he had a pretty early wakeup yesterday. Given all the time changes and missed naps, he's doing really well.
Some more pics:
Our impressions so far: we love Hawaii! Gorgeous, warm, friendly, great food. Excited to do more exploring today.
Here is a list that M made of differences between Hawaii and DC. I love it.
Hawaii DC
Warm all year Sometimes really cold
People are always so happy People are grumpy and stressed
Pineapple is fresh and amazing Pineapple is hard and tasteless
Stars are so bright Stars are invisible
It sunshowers It rains hard
Outdoor airport Indoor airport
Most popular drinks are fruit smoothies Most popular drink is water
Hawaii is an island that's also part of the US DC doesn't have much beach and it's not a state
Sounds like Hawaii is winning on many fronts.
Some cuteness:
"N, do you like sleeping in a room with Mommyada?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Because I love them."
