Our first trip to Hawaii. I'm sure it won't be our last. Our little studio apartment that we rented off HomeAway.com worked out great. It was literally two blocks from the beach and most importantly, close to the wedding festivities. It didn't have the luxuries of a hotel but it was clean, adequate, and had a kitchen so that we could keep breakfast and snacks on hand.

Highlights of our trip included renting a car for a day to hike Manoa Falls and drive to Kailua. 

Serendipitously, Sunset magazine profiled the town just last month as a great place to get out of touristy Honolulu. It was exactly what we were looking for: uncrowded beaches, roadside fish tacos and fabulous sno-cones.

Another day we toured Peal Harbor with my friend and her husband who were also in town for the wedding. I'm so glad that we were able to visit Pearl Harbor and the museums. Although I learned the basic facts in history classes there was a lot I didn't know and the significance of the event became much more real to me.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay for a morning was our final touristy outing. It was our first time to snorkel! It was a good introduction and I'd love to go again, perhaps in deeper waters. We still need to drop off our underwater camera to get the film developed...I'm so curious to see what we captured.

I left most of the wedding event photography up to my friend (who brought along a nice Canon) and the professionals. I'm always a bit torn between capturing the moment and just being in it...and for me just being in it nearly always wins out. Let me say that the tapas and sangria, cooked up by the Spanish husband-to-be (who owns a tapas catering company!) and his mom were FABULOUS. My friend is one lucky gal to be marrying such a chef ;)

Here's a quick (blurry) snapshot of us before we headed out. (Note: my hair is getting longer!)

The wedding was full of love, English-Spanish translation, and happiness. The ceremony was held on a terrace overlooking the ocean just as the sun started to set. Perfect. Congrats Angie and Raul!!

The next morning we met up with my friend and her husband one last time to catch Sunday morning football. In Hawaii some bars open at 7 AM on Sundays and serve a full menu so that everyone can catch the games! 

We headed back home tired but satisfied from such a full and fun trip. Can't wait until we'll be back!