Waimea Valley & La Mariana Sailing Club

(Katherine) Our last full day in Hawaii! We decided to head over to the North Shore and Waimea Valley. The traffic was pretty bad, so we pulled off along the way in Haleiwa and had a shrimp platter at an awesome shrimp truck called Makie's. You just order at the truck and voila, they give you a plate to eat at a fold out table under a shade structure.


We continued on to Waimea Valley, where we purchased tickets to walk through the botanical gardens. It was a lovely path, and at the end you come to Waimea Falls. At first, we weren't sure we wanted to get into the water, which is tinted red from the minerals in the water (I think it's iron.) But I'm SO glad that we decided to take the plunge, because we swam right up to the waterfall and sat on a ledge right where the waterfalls meets the pond. The sheer power of the water pounding on your back was the best massage I've ever felt – and it was provided for free by Mother Nature! I would have stayed under the falls for an hour if it wasn't so hard to breathe and there weren't other tourists waiting their turn.

On our way out of the park, we ran into a peacock that was just hanging out in the parking lot. I'm not sure if he was scared or showing off, but he displayed his feathers for us and I got some great pictures.

We planned to hit one of the beaches at North Shore, but we decided that in the essence of time and traffic to head back to Haleiwa to dine at Banzai Sushi Bar. We sat on cushions on the patio and enjoyed very generous portions – I highly recommend this place if you're in the area, but try to get there between 3-5 so you can take advantage of happy hour.

Our final destination was a venue which eluded us on our first trip to Hawaii 2 years ago – La Mariana Sailing Club. Robert has been determined to go here since it was one of the featured places on Anthony Bordain's “No Reservations” Hawaii episode. “Mariana” refers to the lady who owned & ran the club for about 70 years – she just passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 92. She started the sailing club with her second husband when they determined that there was a need for affordable slips (docks) for local sailors. The restaurant/bar was originally established for club members, but luckily for us it is now open to the public. It's totally of the beaten path on a random industrial road close to the airport, but once you're inside it is a tiki paradise. We both enjoyed an Zombie, which they supposed only allow 2 max per customer. I personally didn't think they were THAT lethal, but our waitress told a funny story about a male patron who received a drink from a table of females, and by the time he walked over to thank them his speech was so slurry that they were no longer interested in talking to him!

This venue also represented our last adventure for the US portion of our honeymoon – the next few days would encompass a flight back to LA, frantic packing, and visits with Robert's family. The next destination – Buenos Aires!

Michelle's Wedding

(Katherine) Today was Michelle's big day! We headed towards the northeast side of the island to The Chapel at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, which was actually very difficult to find. We finally made our way to the chapel and saw another sorority sister of mine, Katie, with her husband Peter. The service was very nice – it was a mass, and although I'm not Catholic I have been to enough Catholic services to follow along pretty well and even mumble through the Lord's Prayer. Their reverend gave a great speech about marriage and also told some pretty cute jokes.


After the service, we all drove over to the reception at the Kaneohe Yacht Club which was about 2 miles away. It was a lovely venue which was decorated with Michelle's colors, coral and turquoise, which looked perfect in the beach setting. We appropriately sat at the “IU” table with Diana, Andy, Katie and Peter, along with another IU alum named Andy who was a member of the fraternity right next to my sorority at IU. It was fun to swap stories about Bloomington and have someone else try to explain to Robert some of our bizarre IU traditions (i.e. Sink the Bismark, one of our favorite drinking games.) It was a really fun reception and great to have our little IU reunion – it feels like no time has passed whenever I see my ZTA girls!

Art Night with Jen

(Katherine) We decided to stay in the resort area all day and snorkel at one of the 3 lagoons that were located on the other side of the main street surrounded by hotels and condos. The fish weren't quite as abundant as they were in Kona, but with a little exploration were were able to find some pretty good pockets. We headed back to the condo to shower up for our evening out, but learned that the hot water was out – great. Luckily, we're very resourceful people, so we hopped back on our bikes and went back to the beach where we showered at the outdoor shower (bathing suits on, obviously.) I actually washed my hair via the sink in the public bathroom since we weren't supposed to use soap in the showers. Naturally, within 15 minutes of our return to the condo, the water came back on. Oh well.


We finally got on the road & headed to the house of one of my SF friends who moved to Hawaii about a year ago, Jen. It was great to see her and her dog Snowy, and after a few minutes of catching up some of her friends stopped by to collect us so we could all head out to the Hawaii Academy of Art for a party called Art Night. Hawaii is a super casual place, but people were definitely dressed to impress at this event. The academy is comprised of several small buildings, and they had DJs set up in a couple of the courtyards along with a dance floor and drink stations scattered throughout. We had a chance to walk around and look at art with a glass of wine in our hands – the best way to appreciate art. It was also cool to do a “local” event, meaning it wasn't marketed to tourists so most of the attendees lived in Honolulu.

After the event, we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant named Auntie Pasta's with Jen and had a chance to finish catching up with her and learn about her plans for the rest of her time in Hawaii (she's currently in a master's program, and also an expert surfer.) She made an interesting point that everyone you meet who moved to Hawaii either came out to surf, or to escape life. This makes perfect sense to me – I can think of no better place to come and recharge than these islands!

After dinner we met back up with her friends, who were at a nearby park throwing a boomerang that Jen's friend Daryl had just purchased in Australia. I don't think I had ever thrown one before, and although I was terrible, I could see it being a really fun and really random skill to have. I might just have to invest in one once we reach the outback in December.

Lanaikai Beach & Honolulu

(Katherine) Today was our first opportunity to see my friend Michelle from college, who was the lovely bride-to-be. She had selected the amazing Lanikai Beach as a meeting point as a wedding guest “activity,” and we ran into another one of my sorority sisters on the beach - Diana, and her husband Andy. The beach is absolutely beautiful, and apparently it is a popular destination for kayaking and paddling out to a set of islands. However, we decided to just linger on the beach, and then finally made our way into Honolulu where I had booked us 2 back to back massage appointments. I had been saving 2 SpaFinder gift certificates from a previous employer for about 6 years which I planned to use one day on a honeymoon with my future husband (yes, I'm the consummate planner!) I wouldn't say it was the best massage we had each ever had, but the gal was extremely knowledgeable and tried to help explain to me why I get such bad knots in my upper back. Basically, bad posture is a huge culprit (I knew it!)


I then left Robert for a little bit to attend a happy hour for Michelle with several of her local girlfriends. I had a great time meeting them, but I hurried back to Robert after about an hour so I wouldn't abandon him on our first night out in Honolulu. We headed to Duke's for dinner which was absolutely packed – we were lucky to find an awesome table in the bar. Afterward we wandered around the strip and accidentally walked right through an exclusive party at the Sheraton – I stayed at this hotel years ago and didn't even recognize it with the amazing remodel they have done which includes an infinity pool. I would definitely stay there again on another trip to Oahu!

Dinner at Roy's

(Katherine) Today was the first day that we had been on a computer in over a week, so we had quite a bit of catching up to do. However, checking email and paying bills is MUCH more enjoyable while sipping on coffee from your lanai in Hawaii! We finally got ourselves off the grid and went down to our complex's pool for a swim. We didn't stay long though because we had early dinner reservations at the famous Roy's restaurant, which was conveniently located just down the street. It is located right on a golf course with beatifically manicured grounds and lovely waterfall and stream. The food is absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend it to anyone. However, our experience wasn't quite as tranquil as I would have hoped because the fire alarm went off and it took almost an hour for the firemen to come and turn it off. It really kind of ruined the experience, but the manager was really cool about it & comp'd a good portion of our bill to make up for it. I would definitely go back, but now I know that if the alarm goes off that it's best to just get the bill & leave immediately!

On to Oahu

(Katherine) It was a sad morning, as we had to say goodbye to Natalie and Kien – the week went by way too fast! Once they left for the airport, we walked around Kona for a while, which didn't take long because the town is very small. We learned that many of the establishments have gone out of business because they simply can't survive with the lack of tourists. We definitely took note of how empty the town looked. We ordered a great make-your-own sushi meal at a tiny take-away restaurant which is called You Make the Roll and ate our meals right by the ocean.


We finally made our way to the airport, where we experienced a slight delay in our flight due to the most random issue. Apparently, among the people disembarking from our plane were two juvenile delinquents who were in handcuffs and being escorted off the plane by guards. One of the boys decided that as soon as his feet hit the ground, it would be a brilliant idea to take off running down the tarmac. It caused quite a scene, as he had airport security chasing after him both on foot and little vehicles. It was actually pretty funny, and the other delinquent was laughing along with everyone in the outdoor terminal. I assume they caught him, because we were eventually allowed to board the aircraft.

We flew to Oahu to start phase 2 of the Hawaii trip – a chance for us to finally be alone (not that we don't love Kien and Natalie!) and also attend my friend Michelle's wedding that weekend. We were also SUPER fortunate that Robert's former boss at Tivo, Joanne, gave us an incredibly generous wedding gift – she let us stay in her condo complex for a week free to charge. What more could two homeless & unemployed newlyweds hope for? Little did we know just how NICE of a condo we were getting – a 3 bedroom with a huge lanai overlooking the complex, located in the resort community of Ko'Olina. It also included modern conveniences like a washer & dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal, huge shower, air conditioning and a garage – all things which are virtually unheard of in most San Francisco apartments. I've literally never had that entire combination of amenities the entire 13 years I lived in SF!

We ran across the street to sneak onto the Paradise Cove property to watch the sunset – ironically, this was the venue where I took Robert for his birthday celebration 2 years ago for a luau. We then headed back to the condo where we cooked dinner and pretended that we were living in our own “grown up” home – definitely a place to aspire to own someday!

Sunset at the Royal Kona

(Katherine) Robert and I got up early today to go with Natalie to Hookanu Beach, where she had been a week ago and saw dolphins. We were the first ones to arrive at the beach, but apparently we could have camped at a site just behind the beach (note for next time.) We snorkeled for about an hour & a half, and Robert saw a turtle. I chased after a Cornet Fish, which looks like a trumpet. I also saw Parrot Fish, which have freaky looking teeth. We went back to wake Kien, and then we all went to a beach just down the street from our apartment, the Kahaluu Beach Park (specifically, I think it was La'anua Beach, which I later learned the locals call “Magic Beach” due to the tide patterns.) Here we did some more snorkeling in super clear and warm water – so relaxing!


We showered up and were determined to make sunset at the Dan the Beachcombers at The Royal Kona, one of Kona's oldest resorts. We could not have asked for a better view – we literally had an unobstructed view of the entire sunset while sipping on Mai Tais. It was definitely a “mental picture” moment that I will have to reference later in life while I'm sitting in my cubical.

Later that night, Kien took us to The Mask Bar, which describes itself as “Kona's Friendliest and only Neighborhood Gay Bar.” We met up with Tina's (Hilo homeowner) friend Mike, who lives on the island. We also met a super cool bartender named Iliana, who is incredibly funny and brash – she had us in stitches. She introduced us to some of the locals, who were really sweet guys from Kona. I of course had to sing a couple of songs, while Robert played darts with some of our new friends. The placed reminded me a lot of my old Silver Clouds karaoke bar from San Francisco – ahhh, memories!

Black Sand Beach along transition to Kona

(Katherine) Transition day – time to head to Kona. We packed up and stopped at the Farmer's Market in Maku'u for some great Thai curry. After about an hour or so, we finally reached the infamous Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, which is a pretty amazing site. The sand is REALLY black, which only made my pale legs look even whiter (FYI, there is more rain than sun in Hilo.) We walked along the beach and found a group of sea turtles swimming in the ocean, and then found a couple of them hanging out on the beach who didn't mind posing for some photos.


We finally arrived in Kona to the apartment we had all rented through AirBnB, a SF based company who runs a kind of Craigslist-type web site which matches travelers with people who are looking to rent out their apartments or a room.  Our place was right on the main street through town & also right across the street from the ocean (click here to view.)  We headed into town in search of food and chose the Kona Brewing Company for pizza and beer samplers – yum. After, we went for a nightcap at Huggo's on the Beach, where the outdoor seating is right on the sand and shoes were basically required to come off. We watched a hula dancer perform and try to give lessons to some of the female patrons while we sipped on fruity drinks with umbrellas – very quintessential Hawaii.

Journey to Waipilo Valley

(Katherine) Today was a huge driving day, as we decided to head north towards Waipilo Valley along a highway that would kind of be like Hwy 1 in California, right along the coast for many stretches. Our first adventure was driving along the 4-mile Scenic Route and stopping at Honoli'i Beach Park. We then stopped at the Hawaii Artifact Store which had amazing wood sculptures and jewelry, and met the super sweet couple who own the shop & make the goods. We then made our way to Laupahoehoe Point, which was the site of a tsunami which killed 24 people, mainly schoolchildren, on April 1, 1946. There is a somber memorial with pictures of the school which was wiped out by the waves, along with images of the site after the tsunami. They have since turned the area into a park, and we decided to have lunch at one of the picnic tables and watch the waves crash against the rocks.


We got back in the car and finally made it to Waipilo Valley, which we learned means The Valley of the Kings. It is very sacred ground, and unfortunately, so sacred and remote that you can't get down into the valley – all we could do was look at it from above and take some photos.

Our final destination was Akaka Falls State Park, where we took a short hike through the jungle to the falls, which has an impressive 420 foot drop. On our way out of the park, we had a huge craving for ice cream, and luckily Ed from Mr. Ed's Bakery saw us park and re-opened his store for us so we could buy ice cream and baked goods. Here I learned that mixing coconut and chocolate ice cream is REALLY tasty!

Rainbow Falls in Hilo

(Katherine) We headed into downtown Hilo which has a cute little stretch of shops and cafes. We stopped for a bite to gear up for a trip to Rainbow Falls, which I assumed would require a bit of a hike. No such thing – you literally drive right up to the falls and walk about 20 feet! We took some photos, and then drove a few blocks up to the source of the falls – a river called Boiling Pots, which we dubbed “Pee Pee Falls” because it is located off Peepee Street (hehe.) We watched some brave souls jumping from the rocks down below into the water, and then went in search of some beach time. We found a nice spot at Kūhiō Bay, but were only able to enjoy a few minutes of partial sun before the rain attacked. On our way home, we stopped at the Big Island Candy Company, and ironically a tour bus of Japanese children had just arrived – literally, kids in a candy store. You can imagine the chaos, and it was kind of entertaining to watch them attack the samples as they were set out – I accidentally got too close to one platter and almost got knocked over. Don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.

Kilauea Volcano & toast to Pele

(Katherine) In a continuation of our search for lava, we headed to the Volcano National Park which is centered around the Kilauea Volcano. We stopped at the park and received a wonderful tour from a park ranger who gave a great overview of the Halemáumaú Crater. We continued along Crater Rim Drive and stopped at an overlook that was completely deserted. Being the rebels that we are, we decided to climb over the chain rope and have a picnic at the edge of the crater where steam was continuously pumping out – so cool! We all had a toast of our “jungle juice” concoction to Pele, the Goddess of Hawaii's Volcano's and took photos. We later did a walk through of the museum which included a case containing a burnt up suit from a scientist who got a little too close to lava – ouch.


We then decided to do a little relaxing at Ahalanui – a pool of warm of water which is made of both spring & ocean fed water, surrounded by a man-made wall and a natural inlet that separates it from the ocean. The water is warmed by the Kapoho eruptions which volcanically heat the water to 91-95 degrees – it is considered a genuine Pele bath.

On our way home, we stopped in the town of Volcano and shopped at a small art store where a goat named Edgar lives in the backyard. Naturally, we had to stop and pet him while making our purchases to support the local artists.

Robert's Birthday

(Katherine) Our first real day in Hawaii, and also Robert's 33rd birthday! We started the day with a hearty breakfast, and then drove to the town of Kalapana in search of lava. We headed down to Lava Road where we parked & then took off on foot to see how close we could get to the lava that continuously flows into the ocean. However, our journey was cut short because the road was closed part way down – a HUGE flow of lava had taken over the road just 2 weeks ago so we could not pass (but got some cool photos.) We also entertained ourselves taking photos next to a “For Sale” sign outside a house that was completely surrounded by lava flow and random metal household appliances. Given the demand for real estate in Hawaii, they might actually find a buyer – or maybe the asking price is in a range we could actually afford!


We then took off for Kahena in search of a black sand beach. However, the beach proved to be rather elusive, even with the assistance of a local woman walking her two huge dogs. We instead found a ledge with a lovely view and stopped to eat sandwiches before we all became “hangery” (you will hear this term frequently – this means “anger derived from hunger.”)

After driving around a bit more, we stopped in Pahoa Village for a Thai dinner at Ning's for Robert's birthday celebration, and I presented him with a Kindle for his birthday present. Later that night, we sat out on our lanai and the four of us engaged in a game of Uno which went on for 5 hands – insane. However, in the end, the birthday boy appropriately won after we played a “winner take all hand” so we could all finally go to bed!

Travel to the Big Island

(Katherine) The days between our wedding day and SF departure day consisted of frantic packing for long term SF storage, short term SF storage, items for Goodwill, items to trash, and items to take with us to Robert's Uncle John's house in LA (our home base in the states.) After a sleepless night of final packing in SF and driving all night to LA, we arrived at Robert's sister & her boyfriend's house (Joanna & Jason) at 5am and got just a few hours of shuteye before we left for our Hawaii adventure out of LAX.
This was the first leg of our honeymoon, but we had decided to spend it with friends. My friend Kien has been my gay boyfriend for about 10 years, and is now a close friend of Robert's as well. He had been wanting to visit Hawaii for a vacation anyway, so he & his friend Natalie joined us for a week on the big island. Kien is friends with a super nice couple named Tina and Barbara who live in Santa Rosa, CA, and also own a house in Hilo. They generously offered to let us all stay at their house for 5 nights for free (in exchange, you purchase something for the house – very fair deal.) Our plan was to fly into Hilo where Kien & Natalie would pick us up & spend 5 days in Hilo, and then visit Kona together for 2 days, then just Robert & I would continue on to Ohau. Although the transition to Hawaii was exhausting after 2 weeks of packing & moving out of our apartment, we were extremely happy to finally arrive on the island and stay at our wonderful house in rural Hilo (mind you, I was still wearing the same clothes I was put on in SF – ugh!)

Welcome to the Tour!

Greetings! We are Robert and Katherine May (the Mays!) We are two San Franciscans who were married on May 1, 2010 (May Day, appropriately) who have decided to embark on a 9-month honeymoon adventure around the world. We quit our jobs, packed up our things & gave up our apartment so that we could truly focus on being “professional travelers” during our adventure which will span every continent except Antarctica.


We are maintaining this blog in the hopes to A) chronicle our trip for our own future reference, B) tell our friends and family about our current life experiences, C) share information on our trip so that we might provide valuable information on anyone else who visits the same locations. Feel free to contact us while we're on our journey if you have any questions, comments, or recommendations for our honeymoon plans!