That's right, "we." Gary (Sedona --> Vegas --> Myrtle Beach --> Birmingham) and I now find ourselves on Waikiki Beach on a true vacation. No working during the day in hotel rooms, no looking wistfully out the windows in the glare of computer screens, this week is pure fun and sun, relaxing and recreation. We arrived on Saturday, rented a car, and drove to a Hilton hotel which was about a block from the beach; lovely room, not much of a view, so we unpacked and headed out to explore. Waikiki is full of shops and cafes catering to typical tourists and somewhat specifically, Japanese visitors. There was a P.F. Chang's right across the street and a Cheesecake Factory nearby along with a lot of very high-end clothing stores. Since we didn't want or need any jalapeno poppers or Prada purses, we ended up getting some Vietnamese fast-food, taking it out to the beach, and plopping ourselves in the sand. That constituted our first dinner and the evening's entertainment. It couldn't have been a nicer day.
