Turtle Bay

For most of our time in Hawaii, we stayed at the military resort called the Hale Koa on Waikiki beach because it packed the most bang for our buck. But we couldn't resist the temptation to splurge a bit on a two night stay on the North Shore. So we reserved a king sized beach-side cottage at Turtle Bay and drove up there after we were finished touring Pearl Harbor.

This resort is B-E-A-utiful. During our research we immediately latched onto it because we recognized the photos from various movies filmed in Hawaii. It has world-class golf course, beautiful pool complex, luxurious accomodations and ammenities, and its own private stretch of the fabled North Shore beach. In the winter time, when storms roll through, the waves off the coast of the North Shore are massive. This is where they hold all of the major surfing competitions we see on TV. Even in the off season or on a calm day, the coast is lined with cars as locals and tourists alike come and "hang ten".

Neither of us really wanted to try our hand at surfing. We were much more excited to relax and indulge. As soon as we stepped through the front door of our cottage, our jaws literally dropped. We are definitely not used to luxury like this when we travel. Little 10x12' Japanese business hotels with rock-hard "beds" have been the norm for quite a while. Our room had high ceilings, a comfortable four poster bed, gorgeous bathroom with a large glass shower and bathtub. But the best part was the view. There were just a few steps between us and the Pacific ocean. We could enjoy the view from our room, our porch, a hammock, or a stroll along the beach.

We felt like we were on our second honeymoon - and the staff certainly treated us that way. When we walked in, they gave us a couple glasses of fresh mango juice, sparkling water, and some ripe fruit as a complimentary snack. We also had fruit delivered to the room every morning. That first afternoon, all we did was soak in the sun and read. Then we walked to the in-house restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal outside overlooking the sunset. After dinner, they delivered a complimentary bottle of nice champaign to our room with our turn-down service. We felt like serious high-rollers.

It was a romantic place to say the least.

This resort wasn't named "Turtle Bay" for no reason. There are frequent sightings of wild sea turtles off the coast there, and I was determined to see and photograph one! Bobby and Melissa leant us some of their snorkeling gear, and we put it to the test the next day. First, we tried snorkeling in the hotel lagoon, but there wasn't much to see. Thankfully, our concierge recommended a popular beach about 15 minutes away called Wimea beach where we had much better luck. There were several large, volcanic rocks down there that people like to climb and jump off into the turquoise water. We snorkeled around them, looking at the coral and tropical fish. On our way back to shore, James pointed eagerly ahead. He had spotted a sea turtle floating near one of the rocks, having a bit of lunch. I was so excited that it was difficult for me to hold still long enough to get a photo. What a success! Definitely one of my favorite memories from the trip.

The Beach at Turtle Bay

That night, there was a fantastic sunset, so James willingly submitted to several self-portraits. Then we grabbed dinner at the Italian restaurant before retiring to our room for some much needed sleep.

The next morning we got up early so we could drive down the winward (eastern) side of the island on our way to rendevouz with Melissa at her church. Before we left, we milked the Turtle Bay experience for all it was worth by having breakfast on the porch. While we ate, we watched the surfers just off the coast, catching some Sunday morning waves.

This little kitty really wanted to share our breakfast.

The drive down the winward coast was very scenic. It's much more windy, but the mountains are large and the greenery is lush. We didn't have time to pull over for any photos, so we vowed to return later in the week.