Waking up to an alarm clock at 4:00am is not a usual occurrence for us. But today was the day we were scheduled to fly to Honolulu for a week of much-needed rest and relaxation. Boarding a flight and having the cabin fill with smoke is not really all that usual for us either … but that happened today, too. A faulty air circulator on our flight from Palm Springs to LAX created a bit of a tense situation as we first had to evacuate the aircraft on the tarmac and then wondered if we would get to LAX in time to catch our flight. The long story short is that we did, in fact, make it to Hawai’i and are listening to the waves lap against the sands of Waikiki. Ahhhh.

Despite the fact that self-taken pics are not the best angle for me (Ryan), here we are onboard the flight from Palm Springs, thinking we were going to be leaving. Not thinking that a smoke-filled cabin would force us to evacuate.

But the unusual nature of the day didn’t end there. When we checked in to our hotel in Waikiki, we had the pleasure of experiencing fantastic customer service (while this shouldn’t be “unusual,” it is so more and more). We had originally reserved a small suite at the Sheraton Waikiki, but we received a free upgrade to an enormous suite … complete with a drop-dead gorgeous view of Waikiki, the Pacific, and Diamond Head. We guess that all of Ryan’s business travels and hotel loyalty paid off.

On our suite's bedroom lanai.

The view from the lanai off our living room.

Our suite's living area.

After gawking at the view for sometime, we grabbed lunch at the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel next door and enjoyed soaking up the ambience of Waikiki that we love so much.

View from our table at the Mai Tai Bar.

Ryan had some fun in the Pacific while Clint watched from his perch high on the 19th floor of the Sheraton Waikiki. After that, it was off to dinner at a restaurant recommended by Clint’s cousin, Ellen, and her husband Ray … at the Ocean House. What a fantastic meal as we watched the sun set and the lights of Waikiki come on.

We feel pretty darn fortunate to be here. It’s been a few years since we’ve been to Hawai’i and so that, in and of itself, makes today quite an unusual day.

More tomorrow …