This past summer our family spent the month of July in Hawaii… the North Shore to be specific. We had never been to this part of Hawaii before but it was highly recommended to me as I was searching for a place to stay for the month. I can now see why people love it there! I have so much I want to share with you for those of you that might want to come here in the future. I will be doing several posts to cover everything I want to share with you.
We rented an amazing home on the beach that is pictured above. The beach is Log Cabins and is next to Ke Iki beach and Pipeline. As you can see from the picture the water in North Shore is calm in the summer. Good thing because that is exactly what I wanted… calm, serene, warm and beautiful water. This beach was especially perfect because it was practically empty with the exception of our family. Now that’s paradise!
Here is the picture of the back side of the home we stayed in. A wrap around porch on both levels and ocean views from most rooms.
If we weren’t on the beach, this was the most popular spot to hang out. Reading… napping… snacking… just relaxing and looking out on that beautiful ocean.
Here’s the upstairs porch which had a daybed type of bench. Another perfect reading or napping spot.
The kitchen met most of my needs as a cook with a Wolfe range and oven and a Sub Zero refrigerator. And of course… more ocean views!
There are two master bedrooms upstairs and both have that stunning ocean view. Sleeping with the sound of softly crashing waves is music to my ears. Heaven I tell you!
In addition to the two master bedrooms, there is an additional guest room with a queen bed and this kids bunk room that has SIX built in wall bunks! It also has a big flatscreen TV, X box, foosball, lockers and a large desk. My kids loved it!
The whole home has hard wood floors and stone floors in the bathrooms which I loved. No gross carpet! And all the walls and ceilings are white wood paneled… a Pottery Barn look and feel.
So many of you inquired about the information on this home we rented so I decided to show you a bit of it and give you the link to their site for more information. It is privately owned by two local Southern California families(the nicest people!) and they have not started renting it out until spring of this year. Lucky us!
Here’s the link for those of you that are interested. http://www.Kewaena.com
Now it’s time to talk FOOD! The North Shore is all about food trucks. I am not a huge fan of food trucks as most of you are but I did find some seriously amazing ones that I will share in my posts. This here is the famous Hula Dog. To be fair, I am not a hotdog fan, so I got the veggie dog and found it bland. I took two bites and tossed it. On the other hand, my kids (My son and his new wife is pictured above)… all five of them loved it as well as their lemonade. Their buns are huge!
Matsumoto’s shaved ice is a very popular and famous place on the island. There is always a long line out the door so you bet I was excited to try it! We were all so disappointed with this place. The shaved ice was not fine and fluffy and the syrups were not great either. I seriously cannot understand why people flock here and love it. Sorry but it was a “Jenny fail”.
Another hugely popular but a “Jenny” fail was the Giovanni Shrimp food truck. It really wasn’t anything special. My kids all agreed. I don’t get the hype about this truck.
Right by Giovanni’s in Pupukea (there is a food truck plot) is a Korean type of bbq meat truck. That was not Korean BBQ people… a poor imitation. Not recommended!
Ok… so enough with the negative (hey… I have to be honest with you all about how I feel… right?) and on to the winners! In the same food truck plot (I call it a plot because there are literally a bunch of food trucks on a plot of dirt) there is a frozen yogurt food truck called Ono Yo.This is their only location and can I tell you that I have never had frozen yogurt this good! I mean.. we had to come here daily! They tell me their yogurt is made from greek yogurt so I don’t know if that is what makes the difference but whatever it is… they have a winner! After talking with a lot of people, I found that I am not alone with my over the top love with this place. It is worth the drive no matter where you are on the island of Oahu. Really! My favorite is their tart (I don’t like tart yogurt at any other place) and fruit flavors topped with fresh fruit. Their guava flavor is not served often, but man… it is beyond delicious so make sure to order it if they have it the day you go!
Also in Pupukea is a place called Kahuku Grill. Man… their burgers and crazy fries are out of this world good! It is owned by a local family and they know how to put together some incredible burgers!
The above is the Shem burger that is loaded with guacamole. Hand formed juicy patties that are freshly ground daily make such a difference!
Also at Kahuku Grill is this…. Banana Bread Sundae. I about died when I took my first, second, third and so on… bite. Moist and flavorful banana bread, coconut and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Simple but not to be underestimated in it’s greatness. The mother of this family bakes this bread for the restaurant every day! Way to go Mama Hanneman!
Not in the mood for a burger? They also offer coconut shrimp and fish plates. We couldn’t get enough of this place!
Part two coming soon!
