Oahu Hawaii Majestic Circle Island Tour

 With E Noa Tours, Pieter had booked us a Majestic Circle Island Tour 120 miles round.

That was on December 3, 1998.

With 18 people in a mini bus.

Oahu with the capital Honolulu

Earlier we already did tour the USS ARIZONA, see post below.

Waimea Valley

North Shore & surfing beaches

Waikiki Trolley Tours

This is the one we did:

Inside Diamond Head Crater

Hanauma Bay

Blowhole and Sandy Beach

Makapuu Lookout

Windward Oahu Coastline

Pali Lookout

Byodo–In Temple

Sunset Beach/North Shore Surfing Beaches

Waimea Valley

Pineapple Fields

~

The Diamond Head Crater, our first stop was not impressive, but that is because we both know far bigger craters from Indonesia!

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay, often called the BEST beach in the USA

Hanauma Bay view, a coral reef

Pali Lookout at 2,000 feet or 609 meter.

Wind gusts at 90 miles per hour or hurricane power as it doubles on this height!

Holding onto my video camera and The Bridge saddlebag...

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout with botanical garden below

Byodu–In Temple

North Shore Lookout at Laie Point

Lava once streamed through the hole behind me, to the right of my face. 

A volcanic eruption and this is left over from that.

Sharp lava formations churn the waves and emphasize the power of the Pacific Ocean.

Laie Point is also where we both saw the Cliff Jumps!

We do have a video tape, but as often mentioned, all in Dutch for Mom & Dad...

From there we got onto a special bus for driving through Waimea Valley, a tropical paradise.

We also went to the Macademia nut outlet and bought us half a pound.

Our final stop was the Dole pineapple plantation.

We also watched on December 6 from our balcony STREET BIKERS UNITED HAWAII

On December 4, we both walked in 45 minutes to the Ala Moana shopping center to Neiman Marcus where we dined at the Mariposa restaurant on the 3rd level, with fabulous view, see above photo.

View to the right.

We went back to our hotel by bus.

We were home again on December 8.

Fond memories of Oahu Hawaii

We only had been there once before, upon returning home from our consulting work in Australia, see link to post below...

Related links:

Our Vacation at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa | previous post by me

Pearl Harbor Hawaii | previous post by me

OAHU – GRAND CIRCLE ISLAND, ONE DAY TOUR | good YouTube video of the above

Working & Socializing with Staff from Melbourne Mushrooms | previous post by me as we entered the USA in Honolulu, Hawaii coming back from consulting work in Australia.

Our Vacation at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa

 On July 23 in 1998 I managed to book a flight to Hawaii on our Delta Airlines miles.

That was 60,000 miles for both of us!

Those were the days...

Flying to Hawaii is even 400 miles farther than flying to Amsterdam and it is 5 hours time difference with the East Coast.

So after a long stretch of 8.5 hours we landed. 

With a shuttle we went to our Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa ←click link.

Here you see the Hyatt Regency Twin Towers...

A beautiful complex with 40 levels and over 1,200 rooms.

We both stayed in room 3461, so not quite at the top!

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki's twin towers put visitors close to the action in Waikiki.

Luxurious suites, breathtaking views, the sand, sun, and sea... all a part of Hyatt's Hawaii.

Delta Air Lines got us here FREE for 60,000 miles for both of us!

Happy, for having organized it this way...

View from our balcony...

We were in heaven!

Happy me on the balcony and wearing my Majorica pearls and I managed to purchase the 15" black pearl necklace with ring and earrings at Neiman Marcus. 

These are 14 mm and also 15" as 16" is too wide for me...

Ocean view...

This is a post card with the view of Waikiki from the Sheraton Hotel Waikiki...

A DREAM! 

Stay tuned for more...

Related link:

Pearl Harbor Hawaii | previous post by me

Princess Diana's Funeral and Our Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Adventure

 At times it does not work out the way you planned it to be...

But in a good mood we set the nose of our car Southbound on September 3, 1997.

At home, ready for our short trip with end destination Fort Lauderdale, Florida...

Wearing a hat with my Hermès silk shawl around it.

Escada jeans and top...

Our wood garden visible behind me.

We woould be driving in our Mazda Millenia S, from December 19, 1994.

We did our Outlet shopping and in Ellenton at the Escada Outlet I was surprised to find still so many strawberry items; 75% off now.

One night at a Best Western in that area and next day we drove to Sawgrass Mills Outlets via I-75.

At Last Call by Neiman Marcus I found the Chanel pumps from $ 535.00 for $ 149.00 that were too small for me when we saw them in May; now in my size! 

Pieter bought a Nokia cell phone...

Then to the Budget Inn for the night.

On Friday morning, September 5, we had to leave, too bad as at 13:00 there would be a program on TV about Princess Diana...

Around 14:00 we checked in at Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale, just before the weather became really bad due to hurricane Erika being on its way from Puerto Rico. 

Pieter had to go back to the car and got wet...

Closing the double insulated curtains, I tried on my Outlet scores...

My Chanel thongs, a previous score from Last Call by Neiman Marcus.

Loved these Escada strawberry pieces when I saw them in the big catalog.

So what else to do ,when it is raging outside, but making photos...

My watch from Singapore airport taxfree

We did visit Matthew & Sandra Keysers (my sister–in–law's Uncle & Aunt) and back to our Hyatt Regency Pier 66 where we enjoyed a great dinner with a bottle of wine.

Our luxury two free nights!

Saturday, September 6, we did watch the funeral of Princess Diana at 4:40 while the storm raged outside.

Now we also got to know WHY we had double curtains in our room; for blocking out the noise of the raging wind and rain. 

We had a perfect room with balcony also around the corner but no way we could step outside...

You can view a short video of the dramatic clouds upon our arrival: Princess Diana's Funeral Day and our stay at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ←click link.

We could not swim so we went to Bal Harbour and it still was stormy with heavy rain.

We drove in our own Mazda Millenia to Bal Harbour, not in this Hyatt Regency limo...!

Pieter got a pair of nice Charles Jourdan shoes and we enjoyed an ice cream.

Already had my Escada strawberry shorts and sweater, with matching purse.

Also found my most favorite ever La Perla bathing suite at the Aventura Mall and they would mail the matching pareo skirt.

Seen in above photo, ONLY photo I have of it (click link below to know WHY...). Pareo skirt is next to my feet.

We went to bed in time and next day we drove home in one stretch the 565 mile or 909 kilometer.

Those were the days when we both were driving and traffic was not that bad!

Related link:

Our First Stay in Fort Lauderdale, Florida | previous post by me

{What Type of Feet do YOU have?} | previous post by me where I show the La Perla bathing suit...