Along with my Dad, the family spent

New Years In Honolulu, Hawaii

Leaving just after Christmas, we spent 9 days at the Hyatt Regency on Waikiki  beach.

There were definitely 2 stages to this vacation. The first 4 days were spent weathering the worst rains Honolulu had seen in Over 10 years.

Like 2-3 INCHES per day! 

But the last 5 days were beautiful with plenty of sun. I had to drag Kathy away from the pool to get her on the flight home.

Between the Monsoons, we toured the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We all enjoyed it, especially my dad who told all of us what he was doing when he heard the news way back in 1941. The memorial is built over the wreckage of the Arizona lying on the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Unbelievably, 60 some years later, oil still seeps from the sunken Arizona where over 1000 Sailors are entombed within. Very moving.

click here for all the pictures

The rest of the time was spent sunning, going to the beach, and frolicking by the pool. 

On New Years Eve, we went down to the beach and rung in the New Year with Fireworks going off all around us. We witnessed a tragedy on the Beach when some young Revelers who had too much to drink went for a New Years Dip in the Pacific. Sadly they pulled out a girl who had drowned right in front of us. Tragic.... 

Kathy, of course, did some shopping, we hit a movie and just had a great time as a family. 

ALOHA!