"I Just Wanna Feel Some Sunshine" - Aulani May 2024 - Updated 6/10 Relaxing Day at Aulani

[Dis_Yoda]

Enjoying your report! I don’t think I have ever seen a tempura shrimp roll quite like that before!

Thank you! I don't think I have ever had a tempura shrimp roll like that before either.

I'm not sure if I'll put this one on the list. If Jill wants to, then great. I'm not a huge nut fan, although I have been known tobeat a chocolate covered Macadamia Nut before.

Yeah - it's not a place I would go out of my way to visit. It was right up the road from the ranch so the entire pit stop took about 15 minutes? Chocolate makes a lot of things taste better.

I'm glad you got out of retirement for Run Disney races. I could never do that.

The two themes that could get me out of retirement are Star Wars or Stitch. I'm glad we did it but it's gotten my husband back on the running bug. He wants me to try to get signed up for Wine & Dine this year but not sure we're gonna luck out into that as he decided after the sign ups occurred.

That is a great reason to fly to the Big Island.

It was! I'm glad I didn't listen to everyone on the facebook groups that think its too crazy to do it for a day. Is it a long day? Sure! But it worked well with our plans and it was easier than moving island to island with our luggage.

You know, i think i did a very similar hike to that in 1980 something on my first trip to the big island. Since then I've only done the driving trip, which seems to have changed a whole lot since I did it later in the 80s. Especially since the island is a little bit longer on the South end since I was there!

Yeah - I think a fair amount has changed as you used to be able to loop around the Sea Arch but that road is now closed. They had to rebuild some of the roads over the years as the lava does it thing. It's so interesting that its always going to evolve.

Yeah, I don't blame you. When I did that hike, I think I was just barely in my 20's and still in pretty good shape and I know it kicked my butt. Now that I'm approaching 60 I know better about hikes!

It was definitely not an easy one but I'm glad we did it.

That has got to be the worst shrimp tempura roll I've ever seen. It's not even a roll! (And Fran and I ordered that often since she couldn't eat raw fish due to her auto immune disorder.)

It really was. At least it starved off hanger but uh. There's a reason we didn't order more food and I think that photo shows it.

I laughed at this and then I cried a little bit. I would love to have had an adventure where we ended up getting cranky with each other, just to have another adventure again.

There's always the memories that make it feel real.

Don't you love it when you're the one who is in the right position at the right time?

Yes! Especially with as long as a day we had and how much I just wanted to eat real food.

Sounds like it! I never want all the food that they try to pawn off on you. This sounds just like what I would like to eat as well!

It was so good. I wish I could have some of that now!

As I am going to sleep after midnight with an alarm set for 6:30AM.....Ugh.

That was me this past week! It was rough.

Oh I can eat my weight in Macadamia nuts!

I didn't realize it was so easy to hop over to another island. Definitely taking notes for the all Hawaii trip. I think I'll skip the hiking though.

Jill in CO

I enjoy macadamia nuts in small amounts. This was definately the place to get them all!

It was rather easy to hop over especially if you aren't carrying much luggage around. The flights were super short.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Relaxing Resort Day

We woke up around 6AM naturally and slowly started our day. My husband went for a run and I watched Lakefront Bargain Hunt on the TV. Vacations are good for watching nonsense tv.

A little after 8AM, we headed down to the Beach to enjoy the sunshine while we had it. We spent some time in the water and some just relaxing listening to the waves.




Around 10AM – it started raining lightly and I looked at the weather app and saw what was off shore so we called it and headed back to the room to clean up. For lunch, we were planned on eating onsite at Off the Hook. There was some chaos when we got there shortly after opening as the rain had caused them to have to close off all their outdoor dining and rearrange some tables but eventually we were sat inside and were able to order. Our cocktails arrived quickly and felt like vacation. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to have in Hawaii?


Blue Hawaiian & Pina Colada

We got an order of Maui Onion Rings to share and were pleased with the quantity.


Maui Onion Rings

Shocking no one that was a regular in my dining reports, my husband got a Chicken Caesar Salad. The portion was huge! He was content with his choice.


Chicken Caesar Salad

I went the Garlic Shrimp Flatbread and loved it. The arugula and shrimp paired nicely together with the herb cheese on the flatbread.

Garlic Shrimp Flatbread - herb Cheese, Arugula, Three Cheese Blend, Lemon, Parsley

On our way out, we saw the Aulani cat trying to befriend another table for some food.



My husband and I went separate ways after lunch as I was checking in for my 80-minute deep-tissue signature lomilomi massage about an hour early so I could enjoy Kula Wai – Hydrotherapy Garden.



The garden includes a reflexology path, a cold-water plunge pool, multiple heated whirlpools and outdoor showers.





About 20 minutes before my service, I went back inside the woman’s locker room and got properly (un)dressed for my massage and enjoyed the relaxation room as I wanted for my service to begin.




The next 80 minutes were absolute bliss. I do not know how Michael, my technician, did it but he’s the first therapist that I think made all my IT band issues go away. It was feeling prickly along my thigh to my glute after all the hiking the day before. He made that go away and it still hasn’t returned.

Back at the room, I took a nap until it was time for us to head to dinner.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Kuni Restaurant & Catering

I had found tonight’s dinner location thanks to Open Table as they had recently started accepting reservations that way. Kuni Restaurant and Catering is located in Waipahu so not too far of a drive down the H1. This was an affordable lowkey Japanese restaurant in a strip mall.

We started off with the normal sides of Miso Soup and Tossed Green Salad but they also provide Tsukemono and Moyashi as well.



For my main, I went with the Chicken Katsu while my husband had the Chicken Teri. We stole some pieces off each other’s plates as well. The Chicken Teri was the better of the two.






This wasn’t the fanciest of meals but it was really good. The restaurant was filled with mostly locals and then us as the outsiders which also helped me know we made a good choice. It wasn't that expensive either.

We headed back to the hotel afterwards for the night.​

 

[alohamom]

Kuni Restaurant and Catering is located in Waipahu so not too far of a drive down the H1.

Ohhhh making note of this place, thank you!

 

[franandaj]

I spent the last week in Gray Summit, Missouri for the 2024 Saluki National Specialty. Driving 12 hours each way alone is a struggle.

Glad you had a successful show, but that it a lot of driving alone!

I am thrilled at that outcome as there were over 80 male dogs there! He's still young but he's gonna do great things.

Congratulations! He is very beautiful!

 

[franandaj]

We woke up around 6AM naturally and slowly started our day. My husband went for a run and I watched Lakefront Bargain Hunt on the TV. Vacations are good for watching nonsense tv.

I tend to wake up naturally at 6AM now. I'm not sure if I'm happy about that or not. I'd rather watch nonsense TV than run!

For lunch, we were planned on eating onsite at Off the Hook.

I'm not sure if I've heard of that restaurant. I need to start researching Aulani!

Our cocktails arrived quickly and felt like vacation. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to have in Hawaii?

Absolutely!

Shocking no one that was a regular in my dining reports, my husband got a Chicken Caesar Salad.

Nope, not one bit shocking.....

I went the Garlic Shrimp Flatbread and loved it.

That sounds like an odd and interesting combination. I'm glad it was good!

On our way out, we saw the Aulani cat trying to befriend another table for some food.

There's a cat at Aulani????? Oh boy!

My husband and I went separate ways after lunch as I was checking in for my 80-minute deep-tissue signature lomilomi massage about an hour early so I could enjoy Kula Wai – Hydrotherapy Garden.

I don't know what he did, but you made the better choice for sure.

The next 80 minutes were absolute bliss.

Perfect.

Back at the room, I took a nap until it was time for us to head to dinner.

So far this day is sounding absolutly great!

This was an affordable lowkey Japanese restaurant in a strip mall.

We started off with the normal sides of Miso Soup and Tossed Green Salad but they also provide Tsukemono and Moyashi as well.

Sounds great!

For my main, I went with the Chicken Katsu while my husband had the Chicken Teri. We stole some pieces off each other’s plates as well. The Chicken Teri was the better of the two.

I would have picked the chicken katsu of those two options as well.

This wasn’t the fanciest of meals but it was really good. The restaurant was filled with mostly locals and then us as the outsiders which also helped me know we made a good choice. It wasn't that expensive either.

That's always a good sign!