19. Spend at least 24 hours in 10 states (5/10) - Honolulu, Hawaii

Ok so I'm seriously seriously behind with my blogging... thankfully its the holiday season right now... I'm on extended vacation and have just returned from a glorious week in the Colorado Rockies sans hubby (he's diverted to New Orleans on our way back home for a week offshore on the rig) and my first day back in Houston has been one of those Texas Winter days... rain, thunderstorms, icky inside with a book and a cup of day, domestic goddess types of days... in other words perfect for catching up on the MOUNTAIN of blogging I have to do... First stop... i need to head back in time about a month or so and remember the time I spent sitting overlooking the beach with a glass of Sav Blanc and a plate full of 'raw ocean bar' (oysters, king crab, lobster, yellowtail sashimi, ahi sashimi, and tiger prawns) while enjoying the relaxing sounds of the ukulele and the ever present and calming sigh of the tradewinds... Yes, I'm heading back to Hawaii....

The dinner in question - enjoying the 'raw ocean bar' plate at The Beachhouse at the Moana, Honolulu

Months before I was lucky enough to find myself landing on the sandy shores and perfect beaches of Hawaii, I was talking to my dear Aunt Deb in Adelaide... she was desperate for a vacation... I was unsure of how I was going to spend Thanksgiving since the Hubby was scheduled to be offshore on the rig (this was indeed before the whole Moratorium business) and therefore a catchup seemed like a good idea... but where to go??? Well what is halfway between Houston, Texas and Adelaide, South Australia??? Honolulu!!

My first morning on Waikiki Beach at Sunrise

In my normal crazy way, I flew in from Midland, Texas from a pre-spud meeting the Wendesday before Thanksgiving arriving into Houston at 8pm that night only to fly back out to Hawaii (on a 10 hour flight, with a 4 hour time difference) the next morning (Thanksgiving morning) at 8am.. and when I finally made it, I realised I'd landed in, what could only be described as paradise! 

 Aunt Deb's first ever Turkey Day!

The next seven days was absolute bliss... we shopped at the Honolulu Mall, Ala Moana on Black Friday, indulged in a plate of nachos bigger than my head at Jimmy Buffet, toured Pearl Harbour, the MSS Missouri and checked out Punchbowl Cemetery, climbed Diamond Head crater, did a SUPER long day trip to the Big Island, the Island of Hawai'i and walked on dried lava beds, marveled at the black sand beaches and crashing surf, ate our way through Mauna Loa macadamia nut plantation (a nut that is not indigenous to Hawaii but is instead, an Aussie treat), sniffed beautiful orchids and visited Volcanos National Park, viewing the amazing Kilauea - the most active volcano on the planet!! 

The smoking Halema'uma'u crater - In the caldera of Mt Kilauea 

Walking through Thurston Lava Tube, Volcanos National Park

It was an absolutely amazing trip.. I got to catch up with my Aunt Deb in a tropical paradise, got to experience the beauty that was Hawai'i and, as I was of course still in the US, got to eat a delicious amount of food... I'm such a lucky gal!!