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Winter is a wonderful time to visit Hawaii. My wife, Cynthia, and I went in December observing our 50th wedding anniversary, trading the snow and ice here for surf and palm trees. And tropical weather about 50+ degrees warmer.
Our first stop after exiting the plane after a seven- or eight-hour flight was the car rental agency where we rented a Camaro convertible in an effort to relive our dating life. Back in the day when we met, I was driving a blue 1968 Camaro Rally Sport convertible. We thought it would be fun to harken back to that time in our lives.
Bad idea. For one thing, ‘68 Camaros have a way bigger trunk than the new models. So, our luggage wouldn’t fit. For a second thing, I put my camera bag in the back seat of the Camaro and forgot about it in the fuss. We saw a Jeep SUV parked next to it, so we loaded our stuff into the Jeep and took off for the hotel. I didn’t miss my camera bag until we unloaded.
Luckily, I put my real estate business cards in my camera bag, so, long story short, we got a call about 1 a.m. to come pick up the bag. Thank you, Alamo. Good people there.
Party Through the Night
Waikiki is a party place. We stayed at the Moana Surfrider hotel on the beach in the 14th floor. Our room had two balconies, one facing the activity below and the other facing the ocean. Past midnight and the party below us was still going on. The next night the staff moved us to the 20th floor with just a balcony facing the ocean. Ahh, peace and quiet.
I wanted to connect with Realtors while we were there for referral purposes and a former client who lives there. She inherited a house in American Fork she wanted to sell and called looking for help. She had called several agents before she called me, but I was the one who answered the phone. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect.
I heard Hawaii was expensive, but I was surprised at how expensive. Gas was about $5.20 a gallon, not to mention the cost of eating out.
Honolulu Real Estate
The average price of a home in Honolulu is $1.2 million, according to our tour guide. The best way to see Honolulu is to jump on a tour bus and let them show you around. It was a great way to spend an afternoon when you don’t know the territory.
Honolulu traffic is horrendous. Especially on Dec. 7 with the 81st Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade remembering the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. To go a short distance took hours, it seemed.
While we were out and about, we started a game to see how many out of state license plates we could see. There were none. And then there was one from Texas. And another one from Texas, and even a third one. We decided they must be military.
Observing Pearl Harbor
To attend the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we had to rise early in the morning so we could be in our seats at 7 a.m. We joined some 2,500 others who attended. One of the first events was the Missing Man flyover at 7:55 a.m., the time the Japanese zeros attacked. Four fighter jets flew over the harbor with one of them leaving the group and turning up toward the heavens while the other three continued on flying through a rainbow.
We also sat in silence as the USS Daniel Inouye, a guided missile destroyer, passed by the USS Arizona entombed in a memorial in the harbor. The attack launched the U.S. into WWII when 2,403 Americans were killed and more than 1,000 were injured.
At least half a dozen survivors, most around a century old, attended the event. One was featured on the big screen from his hometown. Another one lives in Provo. As USS Arizona survivors die their cremated remains can be placed in the Arizona with their 1,177 buddies who remain with the ship.
Discovering Kepaniwai Park on Maui
Earlier, we spent a couple of days on Maui where we attended a luau. Then we explored the island a bit discovering Kepaniwai Park & Heritage Gardens honoring the various cultures that immigrated there over the years.
Back on Oahu we drove around the coast, then up to North Shore where we visited BYU-Hawaii, the Laie LDS Temple and spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center where we were drenched in a rainstorm but attended another luau, thankfully indoors.
Visiting the North Shore
We stopped at the Banzai Pipeline, one of the most famous, though dangerous, surfing locations in the world. We joined others on the beach watching the surfers, including professionals we met from Argentina. Surfers come from all over the world to experience those great barrel waves that break in shallow water.
A short distance away our son, Chad, surprised us at the Turtle Bay Resort, spending a few days with us.
I helped Chad buy his first house in Draper 20 years ago when he was working for Larry Miller at his then-Mayan restaurant as entertainment director. From that experience he launched an event company with one of his assignments handling the massive open house when Daybreak in South Jordan first launched.
Chad’s company eventually morphed into AdVenture Games, a hugely successful team building company. His team works with many name brands you would recognize. Along the way I referred Realtors to him so he could buy a house in Florida and a lot to build his dream home in California. By referring agents, I get to share in the commission. His business takes him to both coasts and many cities in between.
Just as I helped him, I can also help you or the people you care about buy or sell their homes. I’ll even pick up some of the costs of buying or selling just to show gratitude and appreciation for getting your business. Reach me at 801-360-9133 or rodger.hardy@cbrealty.com
