Three Lanikai Lovelies - Part 3.

As promised, here is the final entry on our Thursday Lanikai open house tour.  This is the last property we visited, and I liked it best. Mostly because of the amazing views of the Mokuluas. The asking price is $1,950 000; definitely not a bargain, but of course the view is priceless. The house has a 3/2 upstairs and a 2/2 downstairs, making it a great multi-generational dwelling.

View from the large upstairs terrace

Three Lovelies of Lanikai - Part 2.

As promised, here are the pictures of the second place we saw yesterday. This house was built in 1935, and immaculately restored by the owner who is also an architect.  I took quite a few photos of this property, because not only did it have many interesting architectural details, it was also beautifully staged. I wish realtors would spend more time in and thought in staging homes.  It really makes a difference.

 Gecko bell greets visitors at the gate

Three Lovelies of Lanikai - Part 1.

It is Thursday again, time to accompany Debbie to some open houses.  Today we saw three great properties - all in Lanikai, an upscale beach community in Kailua.  What all three places had in common is great views of the beach and the Mokulua Islands. This pair of small islands off the coast of Oahu can be visited by renting a kayak, but that will have to be the topic of another blog post.

Today I share some pictures of the first property. It is a 3 bedroom 3 bath home, with a nice size yard.

Outrigger canoe on the welcome sign by the entry

Prima

Last night I went out to dinner with my friends at Prima.  This was my first time at this relatively newly-opened restaurant, so I thought a review is in order.  Prima is located near Foodland in Kailua town. They have both indoor and outdoor seating.  We chose to sit outside, and liked it, even though it looked directly at the parking lot. I was not too impressed by the decor, bland modern restaurant look.  

The food, however, was very good.  We have tried quite a few items on the menu, and while the portions are tiny, most of the dishes were excellent.  My three favorites were:

Maitake mushroom, pickled hon shimeji, cremini, cauliflower puree

 Fennel Panna Cotta, fennel stem marmalade, coffee salt

Weekend on Kauai

As I am writing this, I am sitting at home nursing a mild sunburn.  No matter how long you have lived in the tropics, and how aware and vigilant you are about sunscreen, spending two whole days in the sun will do a number on your skin.  I normally avoid being outside for too long, and try to limit my sun exposure time to mornings and evenings.  A dip in the pool in the middle of the day is ok, but you would never find me lounging by the pool, working on a tan.  Except for this past weekend.  

Though the intention was not acquiring a tan (or rather a sunburn); it is definitely a casualty of our lovely weekend getaway to the Grand Hyatt on the Garden Isle of Kauai. With its many pools, streams, lagoons, waterfalls and a long water slide, it is impossible to stay at this hotel and not want to spend the whole day poolside. Since we have been to The Garden Isle on other occasions, we did not have the need to explore, and could focus all our energies on relaxation.

Kauai is a half-hour plane ride from Honolulu, but a world away in terms of quiet and peace.  The Grand Hyatt, a truly grand resort is located on the south side of the island.  

The view from our room

One of the many parrots around the property