Monday, June 30, 2025
I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to make up for all the indulgences of the past few days with a proper hike. Lynn and the Hamiltons had already set out at 5:30 AM for their deep-sea fishing expedition, so AJ and I were on our own for the morning.
AJ decided to sleep in, so I set off solo on the ‘Ehukai Pillbox Trail at 7:00 AM.
Not long into the hike, I snapped a pic of the biggest snail I’ve ever seen (easily the size of my palm)
while a little gecko watched me curiously from a nearby branch.
I followed the coastal trail toward the pillbox, with the ocean on one side and lush forest on the other, my boots sinking into the sand.
Along the way, I found a tree swing right on the beach and stopped to take in the incredible view of the resort.
On my way up, I came across a woman with a New Zealand accent who had been lost on the trail for over an hour. She looked completely exhausted and very relieved to find another human. I walked her back to the paved section and made sure she could find her way back to the resort.
When I finally reached the pillbox, I paused to read the plaque explaining its historical significance and took a moment to enjoy the quiet before heading back to the room.
Once I returned, AJ and I got ready for the day and decided to make the hour-long drive to Waikiki. We arrived around 10:00 AM and were immediately enchanted by the New York–level hustle on a tropical island.
We found parking at the International Market Place and discovered an entire dining floor, which seemed promising. After checking a few menus, we chose Liliha Bakery, where I ordered my very first loco moco which was absolutely delicious, and I’ve been chasing that dragon ever since.
We also grabbed a couple of drinks while fending off a bold gang of House Sparrows who were very interested in our food (Elizabeth would not have approved).
After breakfast, we wandered the streets of Waikiki to see what all the fuss was about. There were luxury shops alongside a wild variety of ABC stores, each one somehow different. We bought a few souvenirs, snuck into a Denny’s for the restroom, and indulged in some quality people-watching.
Eventually, we followed a beach path and caught our first glimpse of the crystal-clear, light-blue water outside the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort. The sight was so irresistible that we decided we had to take a dip. The only problem was we hadn’t brought our swim trunks.
Our first stop was an ABC store, but they only had aggressively patterned, 21-inch inseam cargo board shorts for $38. After much debate and a quiet crisis of style, we decided to keep looking. Thankfully, we stumbled upon an H&M having a massive sale and scored super-cute (and super-short) swim trunks for $8 each. That little win saved us $45 on the ABC store shorts and at least $70 in dignity.
We dropped off our souvenirs and made our way back to the beach, passing a rack of surfboards waiting patiently to be taken out on the water.
We ended up right in front of the Royal Hawaiian Resort, where I snapped a picture of AJ looking very much in his element.
We waded into the water, which was just as amazing as it looked, and made our way out to a sandbar. I did some body surfing while AJ did his best not to get swept away by the current. As we got out of the water, it started to rain lightly, and it felt like the most quintessential Hawaiian moment.
We grabbed a strawberry banana smoothie and some water before heading back to the car for the drive home. We took the scenic route, passing through Kalihi Valley on Likelike Highway and then through Kaneohe, Kualoa, Kaaawa, and Hau‘ula on Kamehameha Highway. The views were absolutely breathtaking.
When we got back, we were hungry again and decided to try our luck at Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi. To our surprise, we were seated right away at 4:45 PM. The staff was incredibly kind and even set up a “Happy Anniversary” card at our table.
AJ ordered the rare seared ahi while I had a Caesar salad. We shared the sizzling beef tobonyaki and the Banzai Surf & Turf Roll. The food was fantastic, but we had to scurry back to our room to get ready for our sunset photo shoot.
We changed into our white button-up shirts and khaki shorts and met the group in the lobby. The photographer captured some really sweet moments, including a great shot of AJ and me with Ford.
After the shoot, the rest of the group went to grab food while AJ and I headed to The Lip Bar for drinks. We met a guy named Jeremy G, who turned out to be one of the founders of some big company. He shared his shishito peppers with us while I enjoyed a Purple Rain cocktail.
Later, Elizabeth, Andi, and Lynn joined us at The Lip. Elizabeth and AJ ordered espresso martinis, and AJ spent the evening love-bombing Andi.
We also made friends with Pia, a local bartender with a beautiful name who bonded with AJ over video games and astrology. She taught us a few Hawaiian phrases before we headed back to the room, where we fell down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos learning more.
That night, we stumbled across the story of Aloha ‘Oe, Hawaiian Queen Liliʻuokalani’s swan song written after signing a treaty under threat. It was heartbreaking and beautiful.
We wrapped up the night researching hikes and decided on Ka‘ena Point for the next morning.
The Life of Babeman 
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