12-27-14 Saturday North Shore, Haleiwa

We got a slow start to the day and decided to go back up to the North Shore to Haleiwa. Harry wanted to talk to the people there who rent things on the marina there. I started out the morning while Harry was getting going with making our reservations for using the Go Oahu card for the coming New Year's day and the following weekend. It turned out there was not a lot available for New Year's day, so I ended up reserving a catamaran ride from Honolulu and planned to use the Cheesecake Factory gift certificate for dinner that evening.

Harry was trying to get word about a boat for sale up at the Haleiwa marina. Ever since we found out we have to go home three weeks earlier than planned, he has been trying to come up with a scheme where we can come back and stay for two months at a time for little or no money. We like Haleiwa, and he visualized that we could live on a 20-22 foot sailboat moored at the public dock there and then keep it in dry storage the rest of the year. It is financially very feasible, but the marina is neglected, there is no harbormaster, and few amenities, such as any place to get a hot shower or get off the boat and indoors anywhere. He visualized sailing to other islands in the state and spending our days on the beach, snorkeling or kayaking. He was also thinking about coming over and bringing camping equipment and camping out for two months at a time, so we also planned to check out the camping and minimal cabins at Bellows Air Force station further down the windward coast. To say I have reservations about these plans is putting it mildly, but he has difficulty hearing any objections to a plan in progress and any concerns or opinions I put forward were met with reasons why whatever plan he has will work and be wonderful, so I was trying to get in the spirit of things and enjoy whatever he wanted to do with the weekend.

I took some photos with my phone at Haleiwa of people learning how to use stand up paddleboards.
This is somewhere I want to come back to and rent a kayak for a couple of hours so I can explore the cove and the river and maybe see some sea turtles.

From Haleiwa we headed south along the windward shore, stopping at the Giovanni's shrimp truck for their famous shrimp. Harry had the scampi, marinated in olive oil and cooked with garlic, similar to what we had at Macky's. I had the plain boiled shrimp with a lemon butter dipping sauce. The shrimp are fresh from the ponds and taste so good.

The line for Shrimp at Giovannis'

Waiting to order shrimp a the Giovanni shrimp truck

Harry's Shrimp Scampi with garlic and olive oil

My boiled shrimp with lemon butter sauce

We got a funnel cake after that from a couple who are members of our church it turns out. We had a nice visit with the brother, who has written some children's books and goes by Pappi Nui. We sat back in the sheltered area at a table to eat the powdered sugar laden funnel cake. It was really good.

Then we headed all the way down the coast past Kanaohe to Bellows where we talked to someone about rates and reservations and looked at where the cabins were and got a look at the beach. We learned that the Obamas had been there earlier in the day to go swimming. The beach had to be blocked off for security and a wedding had to be moved from their chosen spot to accommodate the first families' plans. I gather the President apologized personally to the bride and groom for the inconvenience, but a lot of people have been very critical of it just the same.

Late afternoon on the Bellows AF beach