Hawaiian Family Vacation, June 24 - June 29, 2025

This vacation of a lifetime, was largely paid for (airlines, hotel, food and transportation) by our eldest son Kyle and his wife Diane, and it included their two sons - 

And our other two sons, their wives and children, also joined us, a total of 14 people.

The purpose was to celebrate Anne's and my 60th wedding anniversary (June 26, 1965) and to spend time together as a family.

We stayed in the Ala Moana Surfrider, a beautiful hotel on the ocean front in Waikiki. And we visited the ocean front elsewhere on Oahu where Kyle and Diane are buying some investment property.

While visiting that investment property, we met the residents and the current owner, and we swam in the bright blue surf, and picnicked under the trees on a wooden picknick bench.

Our normal daily routine:  

At 6 am each morning several members of our party went surfing, and then at 8:30 am, we all met for breakfast at the Ala Moana, in a magnificent ocean setting.

While we ate, the conversation was lively and funny, and the salty sea permeated the air, with the sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach lulling us into gentle relaxation.

After breakfast, we occupied lounge chairs on the beach front adjoining the Ala Moana with umbrellas blocking the intense sun, and went swimming in the surf, in warm and crystal clear water.

Lunch and refreshments were served by the Ala Moana bar and grill, as food servers took our orders.

In the evening, we all went to dinner together, to a different and very fancy restaurant each night. Thanks to Kyle's assistant, Rahsua Valdespino, I had vegetarian food from restaurants that did not normally serve vegetarian. (I have been a vegetarian for over 24-years.)

My favorite was Stripsteak Waikiki because they actually hired someone to create delicious veggie burgers from scratch, rather than use commercial brands.

Our anniversary dinner was held at Hy's Steak House, one of the finest restaurants in Oahu. We also had dinner at the Hula Grill, Roy's and Duke's, the latter being one I particularly enjoy.

Desert was sometimes eaten in the restaurant, or at other times was purchased in scoops from the Haagen- Dazs store across the street from our hotel.

Family photos were taken on the beach, courtesy of our son Clayton, and his wife Maria. 

And it was a joy to have our middle son Kevin and his wife Melody and their children join us all the way from Montana.

One of my favorite activities was riding a stationary bike on the hotel mezzanine, overlooking the main Honolulu thoroughfare, and doing people watching.

One of the people I saw was Anne walking by with a jewelry store bag in her hand, and judging by her smile feeling very good about what she just bought. 

Commentary: 

I am grateful to Kyle and Diane for paying the many thousands of dollars this trip cost. 

Given that our grandchildren are growing up and some are beginning to venture out on their own, I do not know if another trip like this will happen again, but hopefully it will.

In any case, there were many fond memories of being with our family, memories that will last a lifetime. 

I can still hear the laughter, see the smiles and picture the sun lighting up the many whitewater waves as they tumbled onto the sand.

With Love To All - Dick