{o a h u // travelogue}

Last week I found my way to Hawaii.  For the first time ever.  Oahu to be exact.  So many peeps told me it was the least desirable island to visit.  Say what?  I find that to be completely mind-blowing.  You mean to tell me there’s something more beautiful?  If Oahu is the least desirable, then I can’t even imagine what the other islands have to offer.  I fell in love with Oahu.  North Shore.  Haleiwa!  It was a fairly short trip, leaving me with so many places I can only hope to return and explore some time soon.

Here are some of the many highlights of our stay in Haleiwa.  Which means a slew of photos and captions.  Some yummy places to eat and cool spots to check out.

First off, I was traveling with my long time pal, Nicole and her homegirl (soon to become mine too) Lina!  We were a pretty rad traveling combo.

In October, Nicole mentioned that she would be traveling to Hawaii for work.  And I was welcome to join.  I’m about 99% sure she didn’t think I’d take her up on the offer.  It was a surprise to me too, that it all worked out.  Lets just say, I’ve dreamed of spending a December on a beach for a while now.  Not just any beach, a warm tropical beach!  So, this was basically my dream come true!!!  A beach in a bikini (with a tall can) in the cold ass California winter.  Sign me up.

The night before our trip, I was too excited to sleep.  Just like the Disneyland commercial!  So I did what all normal people do.  I stayed up till 2am making new cutoffs.  Duh!!  In my defense, it’s not exactly the best time to invest in cute summer/beach clothes.  So I had to make shit happen.

 

The flight

 

I made it to the airport in the morning with just enough time to slam a mini bottle of Chandon at the bar.  Priorities.  Remember, this was my first sip of booze in 5 frickin days.  #nosugardiet.  That shit was over as soon as that chandon hit my lips!

Then I hopped on the longest flight of my life.  Sitting next to a mute, very religious dude (no offense, I dig God too) that was highly unimpressed with my mini bar I carried on in my purse.  Did you know you can take mini bottles on a plane?  Me either.  I just made cocktails all happy as fuck, minding my own business.  And I did something else that hasn’t happened in YEARRRSSSS…I read more than half (211 pages to be exact) of a book.  And the kicker, I enjoyed it!  Ha!

You’ll Grow Out Of It by Jessi Klein

Amy Schumer’s review:

Jessi Klein is a brilliant comedic mind and this book is a perfect reflection of that.  It’s like having a glass of wine with the best friend you wish you had.

Maybe that’s why I liked it so much?!?!

I’m sad to report that I haven’t picked it up since.  I WILL FINISH THE 76 PAGES LEFT!!!  I WILL!!!

 

I found Nicole + Lina in the Honolulu airport and we started out adventure……

You wanna know the ONLY good part about flights leaving California at the butt crack of dawn?  The two-hour time difference giving us lots of daytime + daylight for our first day!

I am the friend you have to explain to your other friends before they meet me!  True story!!

In the first hour I successfully introduced Lina to tall cans + Instagram + the art of dropping the F bomb in every sentence + venmo + boomerangs!    Luckily Nicole had already warned Lina as to what she was in for 🙂

 

Work, then play

We hit up Costco for the necessities…wine + tortilla chips + dip + cheese.  What else could 3 chicks on vacay need?

We got to tag along with Nicole for just a bit on her first day of work.  My iPhone pictures don’t do it any justice.  This place is gorgeous.  One of the most photographed sunflower fields in the world, we found out.

Peeps pay to get in on the weekends to take pictures.  We got a private tour with pictures…lol.

After a little googles sesh, check out all these cool articles…..

The Beautiful Landscape In Hawaii You’ll Only See Once A Year

Oahu Sunflower Fields

How to see the sunflower fields on the North Shore (before they’re gone)

These flowers even have their own FB page….

Sunflower Fields, North Shore Oahu

 

Our place

 

We found our VRBO…fucking SICK!!!

This was just the little road to our place

Check out the pano that Nicole took with her iPhone below.

(that’s me in the bottom right corner sippin my 5th cup of coffee, no doubt)

coffee till cocktails

This clearly Instagram enhanced image of our view from the patio.  For reals Yo!

 

The views!

You know that I quickly found our neighbor, Todd, and recruited him to take a picture of the three of us.

“Todd, make us look super hot and super skinny”

 

The Beaches

Oh the beaches.  Take me back!!!

Someone asked me what my favorite part of Hawaii was. That was an easy answer.  The beaches.  The beaches are unreal.

This is the beach at our house.  Other than a ton of surfers in the early morning (like 6 am) + a couple of families, we pretty much had this beach to ourselves.

If you follow me on snapchat, then you know this is what I did at the beach.  Or should I say this is what I do at any beach.

They read books and drank tall cans 🙂   I just drank tall cans.

(that’s our house right above Nicole’s hot ass)

Doesn’t it look like a scene from Baywatch?  LOL!  This beach was full of people and it was still gorgeous.

Would you look at that….another day, another tall can.

The stone steps we used to and from our house to the beach.  I couldn’t have dreamed of being any closer to the beach.

Clearly I found the big ass lifeguard hat I had my heart set on.  And it took up 75% of our super cute selfie!  I may or may not have even slept with it on one night.  Or at least tried.  The $12 purchase made me insanely happy.

Speaking of beach.  Remember my instagram about the miracle of my Triangl suit coming just in the nick of time?  Well, kinda of.  It came from Australia and required a signature upon delivery.  Clearly they didn’t get the memo that this bitch has a JOB!  I’m not just kickin it at home on a Thursday at 2pm.  So, I did the only thing a chick leaving on vacay would do.  Drove to frickin sac at 7pm to pick it up at the FedEX office.  FML!

It was worth it.  I’ve only wanted this suit or a Triangl suit in general for over a year.  I’m already debating on what one I want for next summer.  Since this one is summer 2016 not 2017…lol.  That’s how I like to justify shit.

TRIANGL ESTELLA – BLUSH

 

Another shot of the house from the beach.  Nicole scored when she found this place.

 

 

Provisions

I admitted to the girls that three things are most important when I’m on vacation.  And two of the three are Food + Booze!!  They were not surprised 🙂

Nicole + Lina introduced me to the ever so popular Lava Flow.  We may have tried them a couple of time….lol.  Basically every restaurant we went too.

Turtle Bay made the best by far.

 

Cafe Haleiwa where breakfast is served with your choice of rice, beans or potatoes.  The breakfast burrito was everything!

Haleiwa Joe’s is the place to be.  The people watching is incredible.  Their Poke was bomb.com too.

 

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers  for pre-drinks + clear tequila shots of course.  They had a cool bad too!

 

Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar + Grill was probably my favorite.

I had my first beignet.  OMG!  Fucking amazing.  The basket of warm beignets came with a side of creme anglaise + vanilla ice cream.  You guys, I never ever order dessert.  Just pass the bottle of wine and I’m good.  But I have to admit….this was the best!!!

Nicole + Lina…I’m thinking NOLA for our next rendezvous?!?!  Tour de beignet!!  Sounds fancy!

 

Island Vintage Coffee wasn’t just coffee.  In fact, we never drank their coffee….because the food was legit.  We even went back a second time.

The croissant sandwich….yumm.  And I ordered my only real authentic-ish Hawaiian meal here.  Fried egg + asparagus + sausage + mixed greens + rice + papaya.  Guess what?  I even ate the papaya.  It was way better than I imagined.  Remember, this is coming from a non-fruit eater.

After being recommended over and over by so many locals, Rajanee Thai was our last dinner in Haleiwa. This place is real, nothing fancy, super relaxed atmosphere.  Solid Thai food!  The portions were beyond generous as you can see below.  I ordered the fish special.  What I liked best, BYOB!  You walk down the street to 7-11 and grab your booze of choice.  Just my style!!

Turtle Bay for Lava Flows + Sunsets.  We were originally planning to stay at Turtle Bay.  The resort is beyond amazing.  I would take our little house and beach over it any day.  They did make a killer Lava Flow though.

 

Ted’s Bakery famous for their Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie….

a layer of rich, smooth dark chocolate custard cream, filled with another layer of haupia (creamy coconut pudding); topped with whipped topping.

I didn’t try it though…lol!  I had my heart set on that big ass cinnamon roll.  This place was packed every time we drove by.  To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed.  Probably because we didn’t try the cream pie?!?!

 

Believe it or not, we never ate from one of the 50+ food trucks that lined some streets.  Although I’ve heard they are pretty damn good.  Note for next trip!

 

Billabong Pipe Masters

December 8-20th Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii

This event is held annually at Banzai Pipeline since 1970.  It attracts the top 45 surfers from The World Surf League (WSL).  $525,000 prize money….dannnggg!  This event is the final leg of the Triple Crown of Surfing and the final event on the WSL tour.

And the kickier – it was up the road about 5 minutes from our place.  Once again, so fucking cool, right?!?!

We would check the web-site each morning to see if it was still on Stand-by.  Although it was set to begin on December 8th, the called it off till Monday the 12th due to low waves (if that’s what you call it).

The three amigos before we got wiped out from the waves.

My iPhone snaps don’t show shit.  Please below and look at how bad fucking ass this event really was: PHOTOS: 2016 Billabong Pipe Masters at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii

We sat on the beach with all the other spectators watching the bad ass surfers + waves.  The waves broke on the beach so hard we got soaked.  Everyone standing in the front got wet.  The Pipeline is notorious for huge waves which break in the shallow water.  Crazy!

Pipe Masters came to and end Monday the 19th.

We, along with ALL of North shore, were rooting for Jon Jon Florence, 24-year-old born and raised North Shore surfer!!

You could find a Congrats Jon Jon sign on almost every corner and in every shop.  Local love!!

 

Sunrises + Sunsets

A very close second to my favorite part of Hawaii.

 

Other Bits + Pieces

We had just a few creature encounters….

Sea turtle

A whale breaching

Giant slug (I mean fucking huge)

8 inch centipede (under Lina’s bed)  YIKES

Red bird (that was loud AF)

Tons of chickens…some crossing the road

Geckos galore (which Nicole would catch and release…she’s so Davis like that)

 

Saw my first Holiday Light Parade (since I missed the good ol Woodland Parade)  I made friends with the cop and he gave me candy bars…lol.  Always making homies.

 

Watched some dude spear fish

 

Found the famous North Shore wings

 

Found a booze lei (with shot glasses + vodka) + a snow globe (which was close to impossible) Anything for Benny Bear!

 

We passed on the Shark Tour

We all bought cute dresses from Mahina.  If you ever hit up Oahu – check this place out.  Super super cute clothes for good prices.

 

The flowers

Only 2,558 Miles to California.

 

Airport bar debating on ditching my plane and staying forever.  I’d have Bay shipped over to me though!

I could have played those days on repeat for a while longer.

 

Thank you Nicole for making my December dreams come true.  I had a great time getting to know you, Lina!  I couldn’t have asked for better time.  Better weather.  Better beaches.  Better sunsets.  Better homegirls to experience my first Hawaii trip with.  I’m forever grateful for our friendship and time we spend together.  Always, always a good time!!  Can’t wait for another Nicole + Lina + Stacy adventure!!

 

 

I will never forget this trip.  Ever!

I left a piece of my heart 2,558 miles away.

 

xoxo stacyb