The group then reassembled. Hawk decided to do his own thing today. Bill and Kate split off to have their first solid alone-time since getting engaged on Sunday the 15th. The rest of us (Albert, Dan, Matt, Maricia, Lauren, and me) hopped in the van and headed toward the North Shore. Lauren directed us to take the scenic route up Oahu's east coast, which was breathtaking.The authentic hole-in-the-wall Hawaiian lunch spot we were shooting for turned out to be closed, so we decided to press on. It was at this point that our driver, Dan Fingal, earned the Citizen of the Year award. We were cruising along the highway, and right behind us, a car pulled out into another car, causing an accident. Without a moment's hesitation, Dan pulled off at the next parking lot (for a beach of course), and ran back to the scene of the accident. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Dan stayed on the scene to give his report to the police, and all was well. Go, Dan!
Incidentally, the beach where we'd swerved to a stop was gorgeous, with high, focused waves and some very brave boogy-boarders (local boys, all).
We eventually stopped for lunch at Haleiwa Joe's, a moderately famous tourist restaurant that Lauren had never tried. It overlooked a marina and served (apparently) amazing seafood. I've been asked to specially note the "amazing crab!" and the "moist fish!" Artichoke appetizer and my turkey burger were also very tasty.After lunch, we went to Waimea Bay, which Lauren called "possibly my favorite place on Earth." The bay was very beautiful, with clear, blue water, perfect sand, and stark rocks marking the edges of the beach. We found ourselves in something of a wind tunnel on this particular day, with some serious sand-blasting and some rain blowing down from up the mountain. But even if it was difficult to get serious beach reading done, Waimea Bay is still a place and a feeling that I'll remember for a long time, a place to which I'm eager to return.
After an hour or two in the sun, wind, and rain, where else could we go but Matsumoto's Shave Ice? An obligatory North Shore stop that claims the world's best shave ice, we had to give it a try. We all agreed that it was tasty, but not as good as Lauren's hometown favorite, Island Snow. Maricia pronounced "too much azuki bean at the bottom." Great t-shirts, though, and pictures on the wall of every celebrity that had ever visited the North Shore, shave ice in hand...After shave ice, it was getting near sunset. We drove a short distance to Haleiwa State Beach, where we watched the sun set over the water.
Night having fallen, we took the quick, less scenic route back to Honolulu, where we freshened up at the hotel. The North Shore group stuck together for dinner at the posh Japanese restaurant, Sansei. My vegetarian sushi was great, as was my sake sampler.
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