Hawaii, Day 2

Today we decided to head up to the North Shore to check out the beaches and the waves there. We got up and had a puka dog for breakfast (seriously... a hot dog smothered in spicy garlic sauce... just writing that out makes me want to jog down the block and get another one!) and then were on the road. Thank goodness for Garmin - it has made traveling a snap.

We debated what beach to stop at. The first one had a lot of random junk washed up on shore, and smelled kind of funny, though the scenery was pretty. At the one that we thought was "turtle beach" they had an ambulance there, so I figured maybe the waves were bigger than what we were ready for. Instead, we ended up at Waimea Bay, which is an inlet, and has slightly smaller waves. Still big and scary at times though! The surfers were slightly farther down the beach, in front of the lifeguard stand. The lifeguards have big attitude. The guys on the bullhorn reminded people that "if you can't swim, please do us a favor and stay out of the water." We also heard them calling out a few times to see if folks in the water needed help, and then sending someone out. The first couple of times, Tim and I retreated towards shore, and then as the day went on, we realized that us, waist deep in the calmer water, were not the lifeguard's chief concern.

We were there for about four hours, just relaxing, reading on the beach and spending some time fighting the waves. Tim is more timid than me when it comes to jumping in the waves. I also find that when I'm in the water, he's watching me like a hawk. He's a good beach buddy. I did get picked up and dropped on my butt a couple of times, including one time when Tim was like, "hold on to me, you'll be fine." Then he basically shoved me down. Nothing's better than standing up and realizing that sand is streaming from your drawers. That's when you know mother nature has given you a talking to.

Around five we packed up and headed out to Ted's Bakery, where we had plate lunches and delicious, delicious pie. We were starving, so we devoured our desserts while waiting for the plates to come out.

On our way back, we stopped off again at Turtle Beach to watch the sunset. We actually go to see a Hawaiian green back turtle! It was pretty cool. They come up on shore to bask and relax and digest whatever they've been eating. There's a group that comes and guards them and educates the public, which was very cool. We named the turtle Ned while we sat and watched the sun set. He was a nice turtle. He even waved one of his flippers at us.

So now we're back, trying to shower off all of the sand. We're meeting the bride and groom later for a drink. I'm glad to finally have a little color - I feel less like some sad shut in from Des Moines.

(okay, I have been trying to upload photos but our internet is ccccrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwllling. And we have to go get a Dole Whip, so pictures will have to wait.)