As I’ve mentioned before, Page and I love to travel whenever we can find room in the budget and on the calendar. Rather than buying anniversary gifts, we tend to celebrate with a get-away around that time of year. We spent our first anniversary in Vegas for a weekend, we took a shopping road trip full of hubby-planned surprises to Minneapolis for our second, we explored Savannah for our third year, and as for our fourth…well, we skipped a trip all together since we figured buying a house two weeks before our anniversary was more than plenty for that year!
So with a couple years behind us since our last excursion, and our five-year anniversary upon us, we decided to go for it and book tickets to somewhere neither of us had ever been…
Source: travelwithkids.about.com via Life In on Pinterest
…Helllllooooooo, Hawaii!
We are headed to the island of O’ahu (home to Honolulu for anyone like me who is Hawaii-geography-challenged) for a week the end of this year. We are beyond excited and lucky to have a good friend who has lived on O’ahu the past two years helping us hash out the details of what to do (and what not to bother with) so that we can see all of the amazing parts of the island and really get to experience the state. While we plan to get plenty of relaxing sun and cocktail time in, we didn’t want to go all the way to Hawaii just to sit at a resort and never leave. We are stoked to get out and DO things like hike the infamous Koko Head, tour Pearl Harbor, drive the coastal highways, and take tons of photos. We’ve talked about doing a Jeep tour, trying something out of our (well, MY) comfort zone like kayaking, and of course dining, dining, dining, on all of the delicious island cuisine.
The only thing that could come close to the fun of planning the trip…is shopping for it. 
I love packing for trips, planning out outfits, and in the case of this extra-long trek, gearing up for the flight itself.
Knowing this trip was in the works, I’ve been on the lookout for a cool and versatile carry-on sized bag all summer. Since I’ll be carrying on my camera bag as my personal item, I wanted something that I could carry as my “purse on steroids” and have everything I need on-hand. I just ordered this Tory Burch bag and love that I can fit my typical purse items, magazines/books, and laptop/chargers in here, no problem!
Speaking of bringing my camera bag, I am in love with mine, which can hold my camera body, flash, 3-4 lenses and a few accessories. (The compartments are so smartly laid out, I would never have guessed so much could fit in this bag.) It’s also uber helpful that I can strap a lightweight tripod to the front so we’ll be able to get a couple shots with both of us in them! The whole reason I went with this bag is because I can strap it to my back and in a second, swing it around sideways and unzip my camera out when I’m ready to take a shot. But when I’m not shooting, the bag is very comfortable to wear and I sort of forget it’s even there. I will definitely take it on the day or two we try a hike and probably just carry my camera on its own in a tote when we’re shopping or eating out…but basically my goal is to see how many times Page can give me his “you’re SUCH a tourist” eye roll in one week.
More than once, I’ve been tempted to buy one of these in an airport before a long flight. I figured the eleven-hour leg from Denver to Honolulu is a good a time as any to try one out. Of course it had to be in a fun girly pattern.
There’s something about packing a never-worn outfit for a trip. I love pulling out a brand new piece (or a few!) when you’re living it up on vacation. Since there won’t be any warm climate clothing available in Iowa when we get ready to leave this winter, I figured I should take advantage of the summer sale racks now. I came across this bargain aqua/blue dress this week and have the perfect bright blue patent flip flops to put with it. It’s pretty zoomed-out in this photo, but up close, I really love the pattern. I already stashed it in my office closet so I’m not tempted to wear it before our trip!
I’m so looking forward to putting together some plans (and doing plenty of unplanned stuff once we get there) and of course writing all about it when we get back. Anyone been to O’ahu? Have any must-do items we should consider??
Hawaii is SOOO beautiful….we traveled there for a basketball tournament my sophomore year and I cannot wait to take Nick back there. Pearl Harbor was such a chilling experience. There is a silence throughout and you can still see oil coming up to the top of the water! I can’t wait to read about your experience there. You will want to go back I can assure you!! So neat you take anniversary trips!
Ooh, that makes me even more excited now to check it out! I’ll have to stalk through your facebook pics circa sophomore year and check it out!
You’ll have to let me know how the trip and planning goes. Chris and I (mostly I) want to go to Hawaii next year for our 10 year. I want to pack as much in the trip as I can while still be relaxing. It will probably be the only time we ever go to Hawaii!
Aloooooha from Hawaii
I’m so happy so see that people are interested in visiting my home. I live on the island of O’ahu and I can safely say that you will thoroughly enjoy your vacation. There are many sights to see and adventures to take, so plan your time wisely. Always be mindful that it is an island, and there are many many people living on it. You will encounter traffic and possibly rain (what???) in different areas of the island. Coming at the end of the year means encountering “our” winter whether, which, for us, isn’t that different from the rest of the year, just a few more rainy days and cooler nights. BUT there is a good chance that it will be sunny, hot yet breezy, and cool. If you’re going to hike Koko Head, be sure to pack as lightly as possible! It’s best to go in the morning when it is still cool out because the sun does rise on that side of the island. Btw the sunrise is BEAUTIFUL from the top (great photo op). The Pearl Harbor Memorial has been newly renovated and is definitely worth your time, so don’t rush your way through the memorial. When you go driving along the coast, be sure to stop at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. Then head on down to Waimea Bay for some relaxing beach therapy…while there, you might as well do like the locals do and “jump off da rock!” You’ll know what I mean when you get there. Not sure where you plan on staying, but if it’s heading town bound then don’t forget to stop at Matsumoto’s or Aoki’s Shave Ice and/or Dole Plantation. FYI this may be a lot for one day of coastline driving, so go ahead and spread it out or get an early start.
There is great food to be found EVERYWHERE…try something new. I hope that I haven’t given away too many secrets, but I do hope that this helps. Everyone is really friendly and laid back here, it’s all a part of island living. Don’t be ashamed to ask people questions or for directions. I hope that you will enjoy your time here in Hawaii and that you will visit us again!
Nicole, thank you SO much for all of this info! So helpful and gets me even more excited to visit your state! Thanks for reading and for all of the great tips!!
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