Hawaii – Day 2 – Cabanas and a Turtle Cameo

Saturday, June 28, 2025

I was definitely feeling the effects of a few too many High Noons from the day before, so I told AJ I was sleeping in. Jon had arranged to go beach fishing with a resort guide at 7:00 AM (something I was originally supposed to join him for, but that was… not happening).

Luckily, this was our beach cabana day, and AJ came to my rescue with some remedies before meeting up with the family at the beach cabana. The cabana setup was perfect! Conveniently located yet tucked away enough to feel private.

Elizabeth and AJ played with the kids as they explored the beach and tested out the snorkel gear. Around 1:00 PM (ok, maybe a little later), I finally felt human enough to join everyone and ordered a burger. Lynn had some music playing, Ford had already made a new bestie on the beach, and the girls were swimming and snorkeling. Ford wasn’t quite grasping the snorkel thing, but he was trying his darnedest on his own to make it work.

In true beach karma fashion, I managed to drop my burger in the sand 🙃, but salvaged the untainted patty and was perfectly satisfied. No beach drinks for me that day, but Lynn got a cocktail she loved, and Elizabeth followed her lead. AJ, of course, continued his piña colada streak.

Jon swung by the cabana on his way back from fishing, triumphant; he’d caught three fish on his trip with a father-and-son duo. When Jon returned in swimwear, I decided it was time to grab some snorkel gear and get in the water myself.

We all headed into the ocean to snorkel, and it was incredible. I swam out far enough to reach some old coral, put my face underwater and I was immediately greeted by a sea turtle gliding right past me, barely a foot away. My whole day was made right then and there. AJ tired out and headed back with Ford and Lynn, but the rest of us stayed in the water for another half hour while Ford ran around and Lynn watched from the shore. AJ ordered yet another piña colada.

When we were done at the cabanas, we all went back to our rooms to freshen up. The kids fell in love with Lynn’s big bathtub, and then we met in the lobby to head over to Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill, right next to the golf course on the resort property.

I still wasn’t feeling 100%, but I’m so glad I rallied because the food was phenomenal. The house-made Caesar dressing was a little too fishy for AJ, but then came the best filet mignon I’ve ever had in my life. Truly. I ate more than I thought possible. I have no regrets haha.

Since the restaurant sits on the golf course and no golfers were left by then, the kids had a blast running around on the grass, with plenty of gymnastics from Andi and Ava and bird-chasing from Ford. Both Ford and Andi took a couple of spills, but Andi bravely pulled it together for a group kid photo.

After dinner, we strolled back to the main resort and said our goodnights. AJ and I headed up to our room, where I researched hiking spots and decided on the Banyan Tree Trail on the property for tomorrow. I made sure to hydrate and get to bed early so I could make up for lost time.