 1 Valentine's weekend festivities...Dave made an awesome salmon spinach salad and homemade potato salad. And we got some fun guests to come over with dessert :) |
 2 Boys like to be in the pictures now. |
 3 Thanks for dinner, Dave! Delicious! |
 4 Silly guys! |
 5 Dave let me design this date for the holiday on Monday while mom graciously played with the kids for 8 whole hours! This is Koko Crater - 1048 stairs to climb about 1200 ft up to the top of this volcano. |
 6 On our way up - several stops for water and views. Fairly breezy so not horribly hot. |
 7 Cell phone shot of our date sent home to Gramma :) |
 8 "Why did I do this" - indeed! |
 9 It was a good climb - great workout! And the day was gorgeous - we could see all the way to the neighbor islands! |
 10 The southeast coast, looking back toward Makapu'u. |
 11 Can you see the humps of the other islands, Maui, Molokai'i, and Lana'i? |
 12 A panoramic view - you're looking down into the crater. There's a botanical garden inside the crater with tons of plants and trees from all over the Pacific. |
 13 |
 14 Picture from our new friends on the hike! Thanks Stefie!!! |
 15 Bunkers at the top made for some interesting things to check out. This is Hawaii Kai in the background, looking toward Diamond Head. |
 16 Butterflies all over... |
 17 |
 18 This does not do justice to the stairs - they are so steep you feel like you might hurl yourself right down if you go too fast. Great quad workout :) There's also a tricky little "bridge" to go over...with gaps between the railroad ties. Don't look through or you get distracted! |
 19 Now relaxing at the Hale Koa, mai tai in hand :) Ahhhh... |
 20 A quick swim, then off to our lunch date! Wow...lots to squeeze into a little time. |
 21 Now out at dinner at Taormina in Waikiki - a Sicilian restaurant. I'd emailed a picture of their menu to my friend Jenni, who lives in Sicily, to ask for a consultation about what we should order. It was very good! Dave is having a great time - just prefers to not have it documented right in the restaurant :) oh well! |
 22 The bruschetta. YUM!!! Shrimp, scallops, sundried tomato, spinach...so good! |
 23 Dave's Sicilian spaghetti. |
 24 My veal sausage pasta with cabbage and potato. Also very good! |
 25 Dave cut himself on the coral while surfing the kayak the day before. He did not slit his wrist over being dragged out on an adventure date :) We met another couple who had gotten her boyfriend to do the Koko Crater hike as well. It was funny watching him haul himself up wondering why he'd agreed :) hee hee! |
 26 We sat on these rocking chairs for 32 seconds I think...just to say we finally had sat on them :) They are at the Moana Surfrider hotel. It's a gorgeous place. |
 27 Pirate ship out there! It's the Black Pearl, here as a set for the next Pirates of the Caribbean... |
