#best burger honolulu hawaii

[butcherbirdhi]

Local Flavor Meets Gourmet: Best Burger Places in Honolulu

Experience the finest burger places in Honolulu Hawaii, with a variety of delicious options made from fresh, local ingredients. Whether you're a local or visiting, these premier burger spots in Honolulu are sure to satisfy your craving for a fantastic burger.

[deke-rivers-1957]

Girls! Girls! Girls! Review

With the established success of Blue Hawaii, Hal Wallis and other Hollywood executives decided that comedy travelogues were the best way to go regarding Elvis films. In fact, to recapture the magic of Blue Hawaii, director Norman Taurog was brought to direct this movie. Additionally, 13 songs were included to match Blue Hawaii's 14 songs.

Filmed on location in Honolulu, Girls! Girls! Girls! captures not only the natural beauty of Hawaii but also the down to earth side. Surprisingly the movie managed to get nominated for both the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture - Musical and Elvis himself received a 2nd place Laurel Award for Best Male Performance in a musical. Did this movie deserve the praise through its own merit, or did it rest too heavily on Blue Hawaii's laurels? Let's find out.

"Girls! Girls! Girls" is such a bizarre titular song given what happens in the movie. It's got a good upbeat tune, but for the title of this movie, it just feels out of place. We get introduced to Ross Carpenter, a young man living in Hawaii. He's seen helping a married couple on a fishing boat. At first the movie plays perfectly into the title showing Ross flirting with girls on the West Wind.

We very quickly go away from that when Mrs. Morgan is seen to flirt with him only for him to not at all return her feelings. I'm very glad that this doesn't last long. I just don't think it's very entertaining to have romance drama right off the bat. At least give us a chance to learn who these characters are without adding romance.

For instance this scene alone allows us to learn more about Ross without romance. We know that he's working for this elderly couple because he wants to buy a boat. I love this couple as even though they don't have a big role, they give this movie a lot of heart.

Ross seeing them as family is so sweet. It makes him completely different than the loner edgy man he's portrayed. Not every Elvis character with missing parents needs to be so angry at the world. I think it's great to see that Ross is being productive with his grief. He makes connections with other people and creates his own family.

It's interesting how we get introduced to Robin, yet she isn't the love interest. I think they used to be in a relationship yet for some reason Robin still feels very bitter about something. I can understand a girl feeling upset about a breakup because that makes them human, but she's just so bitter about seeing Ross and you just wonder why. It isn't as if he was caught cheating on her.

"I Don't Wanna Be Tied" is a good song. It's quite fitting for the scenery but it's odd that it's in this movie given what will happen not that long after this scene. We get introduced to Laurel. Even in her first scene I immediately like her character. Her going on a random spiel at the hotel about having birds that don't exist is so hilarious. I have no idea what it was about, but I liked it. She has that nice amount of randomness where it's charming. In a nice blink and you'll miss it moment, you can actually see Blue Hawaii posters in the background. I know the crew had absolutely no intention of making that movie exist in the same universe as this one, but you still can't help wondering how that would work.

So Ross has to show off the boat to a potential buyer, Mr. Johnson. It's clear that he doesn't want to do this but his actions are understandable. He goes to see Laurel for their lunch date but immediately storms off when he sees her with another man. I'm so glad the drama of Ross seeing Laurel with another man is resolved quickly. It ended up being a complete nothing burger as the man she was meeting was her father, therefore it was completely harmless. The matter ultimately has no impact on the plot, but it shows that this couple has healthy communication skills. We don't get the cliche of having this be the drama that lasts the rest of the movie but is instead a misunderstanding that can easily be resolved with just a couple lines of dialogue.

Robin then shows up and I have no idea why she's so upset. Even though she had feelings for him, he's not at all obligated to stay loyal to her. Any romance that they had in the past is over. You basically get the idea that while Ross has moved on from the split, she's just too petty to do the same. Of course that doesn't stop Laurel from considering her as a rival.

We get the Stavros' anniversary party and I think it's beautiful that Ross was allowed to bring Laurel with. It really demonstrates how much this old Greek couple means to him. I wonder how Elvis felt having to sing "We'll Be Together" knowing his relationship with Gladys. It's so touching for Ross to sing this to Mama and in general having him call her Mama is sweet.

Ross explains why the boat means so much to him. This gives genuine depth. It's not a 3rd act reveal meant to be a plot twist, but something we already learn so we have context for his actions. Him singing "A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You" is nice. I think if we didn't have all these songs so close together, it would've been the emotional highlight of their relationship.

I love how we get actual Hawaii in this movie. This isn't just pretty tourist Hawaii. This is actual Hawaii where the native people live and survive. Paradise Cove is a real tourist attraction for the island of Oahu. It makes perfect sense to film there since it's only about an hour away from Honolulu if you're driving.

I also love how we have a lot of genuine Hawaiian extras. It makes this feel like a real place as opposed to just a soundstage. It also makes Ross feel like a real person as he's shown being relatively familiar with everyone. The Yung family especially gives him a little spice that is well appreciated. It shows that he has made so many connections from various cultures.

I love the Yung family and the Ling sisters. These are not Asian stereotypes but a real Asian family. I absolutely love the casting decision to include Chinese actors and the Tiu family. Like I mentioned about their sister Vicky Tiu, the Tiu family originally came from the Philippines before moving to Hawaii. Having them portray Chinese characters is not farfetched since Manila does have a relatively large Chinese population. Mr. and Mrs. Yung being played by Chinese actors really pays homage to the Chinese population in Hawaii. Because you allow the actors to portray experiences from their own culture and introduce it to an audience that for the most part didn't have that experience.

Seeing Ross use chopsticks correctly is so beautiful. It shows that their culture is not something to be made fun of, but a genuine part of who they are. It speaks volumes for him to eat with chopsticks even with Mr. and Mrs. Yung using forks because it shows how he's taken the time to learn how to use it properly. I also love how he gives Laurel a fork so she won't have to keep struggling to eat. This is a real concept when eating Chinese food. If you go to a Chinese household and struggle to use them properly, they won't mind if you use a fork. As a guest, they would rather have you use a fork and enjoy your meal, than misuse chopsticks and struggle. As long as you show that you're trying to use them properly that's all they can ask for.

"Earth Boy" is amazing. It shows how Ross actually took the time to learn Chinese. Chinese is not at all easy to learn and given that Duolingo and other online translation services didn't exist, you would have to be really dedicated to learning it. This is why I think Ross is bilingual because even though he isn't entirely fluent in Chinese, he knows enough of it to be able to translate what the Ling sisters are saying in Chinese.

The song itself is pretty good. It doesn't feel out of place for him to be singing with these Chinese girls. Since we already established that he's known them for quite a while, it doesn't come off as nonsensical for Elvis to know Chinese. Now I'm not Chinese so I can't speak for how well his pronunciation is, but I give him props for at least trying to tackle it. I also wonder who did the instrumentals for this song since it's not at all a typical Elvis song. If anyone out there is Chinese I'd love to hear your thoughts on that scene and the use of Chinese culture in general in this movie.

Ross and Laurel are one of the most real couples in an Elvis movie. Waking up in the middle of the night to cuddle during a rainstorm is so cute. The whole scene makes you think of the things you would do with your significant other as a teenager. I also love how Mrs. Yung knew that they snuck out but chose to do nothing. It was a quick blink and you'll miss it, but a nice detail. Laurel revealing that she's getting over a bad breakup and Ross supporting her is so wholesome. It's always important to be open about your situation and not string your partner along. Even though you can tell these two have obvious chemistry, you appreciate that they move along at their own pace that feels natural. You want to ignore that they've known each other for a day because it doesn't feel that way at all when you watch them interact.

The next day we found out that Johnson buys the boats. Even though Ross is upset, Johnson is not a villain. No one is the villain here. Mr. Stavros isn't a villain for wanting to sell them, Ross isn't a villain for wanting to keep the West Wind and Johnson isn't a villain for wanting to buy them. It's a naturally bad situation that Ross has no control over. I love the way this conflict is set up since it would be too unrealistic to make Johnson a cliche mustache twirling villain who wants to wipe out Mom and Pop shops. He doesn't even have a vendetta against Ross since he offers him a job. If Johnson was really a villain, giving him the chance to buy the boat wouldn't even be an option.

So Ross decides his only option is to go back to the nightclub and work as a singer. He wants to tell Robin himself because for whatever reason he's worried that she's going to be upset. I know she's jealous that he's with Laurel, but it's pretty ridiculous for her to think that he'd want to see her get fired. The boss of course doesn't care and introduces Ross as his new singer.

"Return to Sender" is iconic. Funny thing is the word zone being used in the song. Not long after the song was released mailing zones were no longer used. They were replaced by what we know now as ZIP codes. Even though it's now considered anachronistic to use that term, you don't really care because replacing it with ZIP code or just code doesn't convey the same meaning.

"Because of Love" is ok. Honestly with how many songs we have in the movie, the only way I can comment on all of them, would be if I talked about them solely on the soundtrack. The show ends and I have no idea what Robin's deal is. If she claims to know Ross so well, she should know that him working at the same nightclub is not at all meant to be an act of revenge. I don't get why on Wikipedia he's described as having to choose between Robin and Laurel. There is no big drama here. He's already made it clear that whatever relationship they had is over and he only wants to be with Laurel. Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't buy that this is a legit drama when from Ross' perspective the choice was already made.

Laurel being upset that she was stood up is very understandable. She already explained that she got hurt very recently and trusted him to keep a promise. Of course it's not Ross' fault because he was open about wanting to get money. Even though Laurel is wrong to say that he was doing it to be with Robin, you don't blame her for thinking that way. Given how quickly he gets the job as a singer, there's no way she could've known that. She did go too far by saying he should go back to Robin but I love the face she makes when she sees him leave altogether. It shows that he was genuine about only wanting the money and has the emotional maturity to not get in this back and forth when Laurel is clearly not thinking rationally.

"Thanks to the Rolling Sea" is a pretty good song given that it has good audio for the middle of the ocean. Yeah it's pretty obvious that this song was pre-recorded but the song itself is an interesting sea shanty. Unfortunately the fishing nets were destroyed by I'm assuming the motor. Obviously that would have to be taken out of Ross' pay. Except it turns out that it won't. Because Johnson is so much of a villain that in exchange for giving Ross his fair share of the income, Johnson will take the loss on the fishing nets. How absolutely awful. This man is so terrible that he's willing to ruin his own business just to be fair to his employee who's done nothing but complain.

"Song of the Shrimp" is so unnecessary. It's good yes but this doesn't fit with the Hawaiian background. Especially when we outright hear New Orleans. It feels like this was just a holdover from when they had the idea of filming it in New Orleans before deciding on Hawaii. We just didn't need another song so soon after the one we just had. Especially since this is now the 2nd song within not even five minutes about some type of seafood. The spacing between each song is terrible. It works as a soundtrack but in a movie it's so distracting.

As expected, Laurel goes to apologize and I love how this doesn't feel forced. Laurel has an established internal conflict that she opened up about. She instinctively reacted and realized she made a mistake. After allowing some time to really think about it, she goes back to apologize. This is a very healthy way to resolve conflict and it only emphasizes just how little romantic drama exists in this movie. There is no love triangle since you don't even consider Robin to be a threat to their relationship. Yes she does have feelings still, but she ultimately doesn't have a big enough role to make it feel like this big choice Ross has to make.

It really speaks to their relationship that Laurel invites him to her apartment for dinner with the full assumption that he'll show up. Ross snarks but ultimately doesn't deny it. It feels so realistic because it's totally normal for loving couples to be snarky with each other. It shows just how comfortable they are with each other's feelings that they know where to draw the line.

In an act of foreshadowing about her background, it turns out that Laurel can't cook to save her life. She knows absolutely nothing about how to operate in a kitchen. She turns to Ross for help when her roast catches fire. It's incredible how we get genuine advice by seeing them looking for salt. Salt/flour is exactly what you put on a kitchen fire involving oils and grease if you don't have a fire extinguisher. Ross making dinner while Laurel burns herself lighting a match is the perfect amount of chaos. This whole time I'm thinking about how Ross is going to be the malewife while Laurel's the girlboss. Even though this was 1962, I genuinely see him as being the one to take care of the home while Laurel works simply because he actually knows how to keep house.

"The Walls Have Ears" has a wild set up. There's a couple arguing next door and results in a lot of banging noises. Laurel and Ross try to figure out what's happening and it's very much implied that the couple next door started having sex. So what do our main characters decide to do when the whole apartment starts shaking? They start to tango and makes you realize exactly what will go down in the bedroom. Ross being visibly aroused makes perfect sense even though it was not at all intended. The song itself is the highlight of the movie

So because Laurel loves Ross so much, she decides to go to Johnson and buys the boat. I love how we see Laurel girlboss her away around. Even her father isn't immune to it. I admit for the 60s it was a little eyebrow raising when it's implied her father thought she was getting an abortion. I know such a topic existed back then, I just didn't think for a non-gritty Elvis movie it'd even be mentioned.

"We're Comin' In Loaded" is once again a good song that doesn't need to be here. This is now the 3rd song about seafood and you just wonder why. I'm starting to think this is now a musical about lonely fishermen who only have sea shanties to help pass the time. Elvis is after all dressed in a sexy sailor Halloween costume. It's honestly incredible how when he sees the boat was sold, he punched Johnson for being a rat. Johnson has the patience of a saint for not pressing charges. Because in real life, if you have an employee acting that way, you'd call the police.

So Laurel meets with Ross at the restaurant for lunch as promised. Only problem is that now he's sore that she was the one who bought the boat. He considers it to be a real betrayal. At first you think he's being very unreasonable and think Laurel didn't do anything wrong. But it turns out that he has his own instinctive reaction. Ross grew up having to provide for himself. He feels like people are only pitying him by giving him charity. I personally don't understand it, but I do know that it isn't unrealistic to react this way. I think even in Elvis' life his family felt that way because admitting you need charity is admitting that you're failing as an adult. As much as this is drama, you can understand why this happened. It's not a moral failing in a new relationship to have a conflict between the two parties wants and needs. It's how they overcome this obstacle that tells you whether or not it will last.

I like how Laurel meets with Robin to find Ross. She's willing to talk to someone she can't stand. Robin meanwhile never gets her redemption as even when she tells Laurel where he could be, she's still so petty. I don't know what the intention was for her character but she's too unlikeable to consider her a genuine love interest for Ross. If anything, her behavior only makes me think that it was the reason why their relationship failed to begin with.

I think it was funny that Mr. Yung has a cat named Kapu that he uses to tell the weather. As much as you think it's just a stereotype, I personally don't see it that way. While it is true that the Chinese doesn't have a superstition about cats predicting the weather, I don't think it's a stereotype to have him believe that. People having superstitions about predicting the weather isn't something that only Chinese people have. Every culture has superstitions and people can believe in things that others from their own culture would think is odd.

Naturally Mr. Yung is proven wrong as not only is a storm about to roll in, but Chen finds Laurel with Johnson on the West Wind. It's very telling that Ross' first instinct is to get on a motorboat with Mr. Yung and save her. Granted I never thought she was ever in any real danger, but given the low opinion Ross has about Johnson, his actions make sense. It's also very sweet how Mr. Yung is so supportive of his relationship with Laurel that he's willing to help. It really shows how much he sees Ross as an adopted son just like the Stavros.

So we get the final fight scene and it's honestly incredible how quickly it's resolved. It also shows that Johnson was ultimately only an antagonist as opposed to being a straight up villain. Sure he was pushy with Laurel, but that only makes him a jerk. Johnson buying the boat back just because he got beaten in a fight proves that as much as he was annoyed by Ross, he really didn't have a vendetta against him. He was simply an obstacle that Ross had to overcome.

In a very quick blink and you'll miss it moment, the motorboat Laurel and Ross get back into actually crashes right into the West Wind. I have no idea if that was intentional since we do get a close up of Johnson's reaction. If it really was just an accident I'm very shocked they left it in, since that crash looked like it could've been very dangerous. This is the real Hawaiian waters so the motorboat could've easily capsized. And the last we ever see of Johnson ends with him saying Ross reminded him of himself, ultimately proving there was never any ill intent on his part.

As promised, the Yung family has a party while Ross and Laurel talk. He realizes that making himself miserable just to have the chance to buy his dad's boat back isn't worth it. That his dad wouldn't want him to working for bosses he doesn't like just to keep his memory alive and that building a new boat with Laurel is a healthier way to cope with the grief. When it's implied that the two will get married, I can believe that. I don't get the feeling that this relationship was rushed at all. This movie shows us that they have the chemistry from the very start and shows us that they can overcome various obstacles. That's enough to believe that even if they only knew each other for say a couple months, that this couple will last. This is one of the most maturely written, most developed couples in an Elvis movie.

The reprise of "Girls, Girls Girls" is amazing. The movie finally lives up to the title by showcasing the various cultures that exist in Hawaii. As much as it's confusing to see kimonos being associated with the Ling sisters who are Chinese, there was a point in history where the Japanese got the inspiration from Chinese traders. Outside of that, it's still fitting to have various Asian cultures given that they make up a large portion of the Hawaiian population. Overall a cheerful tribute to the non-white cultures of Hawaii and a good way to end the movie.

I was very shocked at how good this movie was. The title and the marketing is a complete injustice since you assume it's a cheap rom-com Elvis vehicle with little emotional substance. Might I suggest changing the title to "The West Wind" since that's the actual object of Ross' affection. It's incredible how this title completely influences your opinion only to surprise you with how little focus the girls actually get. Instead we get a pretty touching film about a man trying to reunite himself with the final physical tie to his deceased father. It's not a dramatic masterpiece similar to King Creole, but it's definitely not the throwaway cheap beach film you initially think it is.

Therefore I'm giving this a 9/10. The songs could've been spaced out better and the movie trying to market itself based on the sexual appeal of women just doesn't fit. That being said, if you look at the movie in regards to writing and its characters it's very solid. My only issue is that Robin's involvement in the plot is very weak. If the intent was to have her be a legit threat to Ross' relationship with Laurel, I'd say it was a failure because I never saw her as one. She just comes off as very petty with no real reason why or any chance at redeeming herself. Outside of that, I think this was a great ensemble cast and highly recommend giving it a chance.

An: Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I'm glad to have reviewed a movie that showcases how even adults have respect for their parents.

Tagging: @whositmcwhatsit, @hooked-on-elvis, @smokeymountainboy, @atleastpleasetelephone, @stitchlover0112,

@tupelomiss, @vintagepresley, @eapep, @almightybigbrain, @coltswael,

@cieloestrelladoluna, @huhhhhsthings, @arrolyn1114, @peaceloveelvis, @peskybedtime,

@mercsandmonsters, @tacozebra051, @valloos, @ilovequeen978, @elvisvideos,

@presleyhearted, @leiaorganaskywalkers, @kawaiiwitchy, @swingdownsweetchariot, @ruggednessworld,

@gentle-bunny, @atrophyingaphrodite, @jrbrandi13, @summer56, @elvismylove04,

@eptodaytommorowforever, @lookingforrainbows, @araiarts, @fharysa, @lett-them-eatt-cake,

@fryb0rg, @wanderlustingtomboy, @slayingjd, @wildhorseinkansas, @ilovequeen978,

and @jhoneybees.

[omgjasminesimone]

Homecoming Part 4

Author’s Note: We’re nearing the end! Just one more part after this I think.

Summary: Bryce and Casey attend Abigail’s wedding. They both drink too much. 

Word Count: ~ 3600

Previous Part: Part 3

Next Part: Part 5

Bryce sighs dramatically as he takes a seat at the long dinner table. It has been quite a long day and he just wants to get back to Casey and his hotel room.

Ryan had set a very early appointment for the tux rental fitting, followed with an awkward breakfast with all the groomsmen. Bryce knows most of them from prep school, and Francis is a groomsman too, but he doesn’t like any of these people, so he would have much preferred brunch with Casey.

Bryce was distracted during the rehearsal, thinking about what Casey might be doing at the moment. She told him she was going to go on one of the hotel excursions, a hike to Manoa Falls. He wanted to text her throughout the day, but knew she likely didn’t have cell reception.

His entire family was at the rehearsal, and it was the first time he’s had to interact with them without Casey as a buffer the whole trip.

It was almost unbearable. His mother was completely overbearing, seemingly in charge of every aspect of this wedding and directing the rehearsal like some kind of deranged dictator.

Francis and his father brought up the real estate business at every opportunity, but he ignored them to the best of his ability.

Maybe worst or all, Abigail has paired him with his ex-girlfriend for all the wedding party duties.

He and Tia dated his senior year of high school, and then two more years while he was at the University of Hawaii. She’s pretty, long blonde hair, big blue eyes, the kind of girl his father approves of. She was probably his first love. He can’t remember exactly why they broke up. He vaguely remembers a huge fight. And that she had cried.

She seems to have forgiven him though, spending most of the time at the wedding rehearsal flirting with him. He brought up his current girlfriend several times, but Tia is undeterred.

Even now, she’s trying to play footsies with him at the dinner table. He moves his foot away subtly.

“Sir, are you ready to order?”

The waitress’ question leads him to glance through the fancy French food on the menu. Ryan’s parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner, and they’ve picked the most expensive French restaurant in Honolulu to showcase their wealth. They can’t be upstaged by Kate Lahela’s opulent displays.

Bryce hates rich people food. “Can your chef make a custom order? Burger and fries?”

The waitress looks taken aback. “Umm... probably?”

Bryce flashes her a megawatt smile. “Thanks.”

She continues around the table, collecting more orders. Bryce pulls out his phone, sending a text to Casey.

Bryce: how was your hike?

He immediately sees the dots indicating she’s responding.

Casey: Amazing!!! ❤️❤️❤️

A series of photos follow, the breathtaking views from her hike making him smile.

Bryce: glad you had fun. hope you weren’t too lonely 😔

Casey: I wasn’t lonely. You know how easy it is for me to make friends.

Casey: I met a couple on their honeymoon and they let me hang out with them.

Casey: They even invited me to dinner. We went to this Italian place and the pasta was soooo good. 🤤

Bryce: and what are you doing now?

Casey: Took a long shower, and now I’m in bed watching A Star is Born.

Casey: Lady Gaga is so talented.

Bryce: in bed? what are you wearing?

Bryce: (hoping you’re naked) 🤞🏽

Casey: Not naked, but I’m in that teddy that you like. I’m waiting for you to come rip it off me.

Bryce bites his lip, reading her last message again.

A photo comes through, Casey posed seductively in the bed in that deep red silk teddy. It’s not a selfie.

Bryce: who took this?!

Bryce: is that couple with you?

There’s a slight pause before he sees she’s typing again.

Casey: I used the timer you jealous dork. 😂

Bryce chuckles a little under his breath, his jealousy dispelling. He scrolls back up to the photo, eyes scanning over her greedily.

His uncle lets out a low whistle, glancing at his screen. “Damn Bryce, you did good.”

Bryce flushes and immediately pockets his phone, his uncle Tito chuckling beside him.

Dinner takes forever, countless speeches by friends and family about the bride and groom. His own speech is short and to the point. After what feels like eternity, but is really 3 hours, he’s finally able to get in his rental car and head back to the hotel.

He practically jogs from the elevator to their room, shoving his keycard in the door impatiently.

“Baby, I’m home-” He begins, trailing off when he sees she’s asleep. She’s snoring softly and the tv is still on, bathing her in a blue glow.

He turns off the tv, shrugging out of his suit jacket. After a quick shower, he climbs into bed beside her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her forehead before falling into a deep slumber. He dreams about returning to Boston in just two days time. He’s ready, he’s had more than enough family time.

...

..

.

Bryce arrives at the church where Abigail and Ryan will be married very early in the morning. He’s unsure why his mother insisted on such an early time, since the men all spend the time awkwardly sitting around after getting ready in less than 30 minutes. He can only assume it takes the women longer.

When Abigail, his mother, and the bridesmaids are finally ready, it’s time for photos. They must take over a thousand photos, moving around the church, then outside the church, and then, hey, why don’t we get a view of the ocean, now how about a view of the church? It’s never ending, and he’s exhausted.

They finally get a lunch break, food laid out on the picnic tables outside the church. He can’t help but laugh as his sister delicately tries to eat some pineapple without ruining her lipstick. She’s covered her dress with a large bib to ensure it remains pristine and white.

“Abs, want me to chew it for you? Then I can regurgitate it into your mouth like a mama bird.” He jokes.

She flips him her middle finger, with a perfectly manicured French tip, and continues to slice the pineapple into minuscule pieces with a knife.

Tia tosses her lunch trash and approaches the table where he’s sitting alone. All morning, she’s been using the photos as an excuse to hang all over him, somehow almost always managing to end up on his arm.

“I saw some guests heading in when I went to the bathroom. Almost time to get this show on the road. We’re almost free!” Tia exclaims excitedly.

Bryce quirks a small smile. “You really should have declined her bridesmaid invitation. You know how our mom is. There was no way she wasn’t turning into a complete momzilla and making this whole process a living hell.”

“You didn’t refuse either.” She points out.

“They didn’t give me much of a choice.” Bryce insists.

“Well, it’s not all bad. I like these blue bridesmaid dresses. And I do get to hang out with you.” She grips his arm.

He peels her off. “Tia, I told you. I have a girlfriend.”

“A girlfriend isn’t a wife.” She retorts, winking cheekily.

“No, but one day she’ll be my wife. Casey is the one.”

Tia looks more hurt by that than he expected. The hurt on her face is quickly replaced with anger, and she storms away from him.

“Well damn, I guess Bria isn’t happening.” Abigail laments, throwing away the packaging from her lunch.

He rolls his eyes at the old couple name she used to call them. “Why would you pair me with her Abs? You knew I had a girlfriend.”

“To be fair, I hadn’t met Casey yet, so my loyalty was 100 percent with my girl Tia. I really like Casey though, I think she’s good for you. But it’s too late to change the pairings for walking down the aisle now, so just grin and bear it.”

“I’ve been grinning and bearing all day.” He retorts.

She smiles at him sadly. “Yeah, me too.”

Bryce becomes uncharacteristically serious. His little sister can always bring out his protective side. “Abigail, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, our parents would love if I pulled a runaway bride. Can you imagine what all those hundreds of guests would say? ‘First, she gets knocked up as a teen, now she runs away from her very appropriate and wealthy fiancé, what’s wrong with that Abigail Lahela?’” She chuckles mirthlessly.

“Who cares what they’ll say? You don’t even have to stay here. You and Haku could move in with me in Boston. I have a guest room.”

“Bryce, I’m a big girl now. It’s time to get out on my own. Ryan is a good guy. He treats me well and this is an important business connection. I married for love before, and that didn’t work out too great for me.”

“Wow Abs. They’ve really brainwashed you. You sound just like our parents.”

“Whatever Bryce.” Abigail mutters before heading back over to her bridesmaids.

They go back into the bride’s and groom’s dressing rooms in the church, retouching makeup and preparing to finally walk down the aisle.

The wedding coordinator Mrs. Lahela hired appears. She looks frazzled, like she can’t wait to get paid and be done with this wedding. “It’s go time people.”

The wedding party splits into their assigned pairs. Haku fidgets nervously at Bryce’s side. He puts a reassuring hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “You’re going to be a great ring bearer kid.”

Traditional Hawaiian music starts playing. This is something their dad was against, but Abigail managed to get him to agree to her being in charge of one thing at her own wedding, the playlist.

Francis and Gabrielle are the first pair down the aisle. A few more pairs go before it’s Bryce’s turn. He offers Tia his arm, and she smiles at him.

They walk down the long aisle, to where Ryan is standing at the altar. They split off from each other, Bryce joining the groomsmen behind Ryan.

Bryce searches the room for Casey as the maid of honor and best man conclude the aisle walk.

He spots her in the aisle seat of the fourth row. She’s so beautiful, in a silver strapless gown that hugs her in all the right places. Her curls are up in a delicate updo, light makeup accentuating the look. He has no idea how he got so lucky with her. He throws her a flirtatious wink, and she blows him a kiss in return.

Haku and the flower girls, who are Lahela cousins, walk down the aisle. Haku stands beside Ryan and he claps his soon to be stepson on the shoulder reassuringly.

Finally, the wedding march starts. Abigail comes down the aisle on her father’s arm. Bryce has to stop himself from scoffing at the smug look on Aoloa’s face. He’s probably already counting the money this union will bring him.

…

..

.

The reception is held immediately following the ceremony at the Lahela mansion. Bryce grabs a drink from cocktail hour in the formal dining room before heading out to the backyard.

His mother has really outdone herself. There are literally peacocks strolling around. Twinkling lights and lanterns add to the party atmosphere. A large tent is set up, with a dance floor and dinner tables.

Bryce strolls over to the tables, frowning when he sees a place card for Mr. Bryce Lahela on an elevated table at the front of the tent. Not only does the Mr. instead of Dr. bother him, he also wants to sit with Casey, not the wedding party.

He feels like he’s barely seen her over the last two days. He spots her at one of the circular tables where she’s currently sitting alone since most of the guests are still at cocktail hour. She’s sipping on a tropical cocktail.

He takes the seat beside her, glancing at the place card. Mr. Joseph Grant, an older gentleman who owns a private beach and beach club. A notorious bachelor, who will likely spend the entire evening flirting with Bryce’s girlfriend.

He frowns, glancing at the other place cards and seeing that this table is full of Lahela business contacts. His mother could have at least placed Casey with fun people, like his cousins and uncles. Or his friends.

He tosses Joseph’s place card to the ground, claiming the seat for himself.

“Amor, it seems like your mother put a lot of effort into these seating arrangements.” Casey gently chides.

Bryce takes Casey’s hand, placing a kiss to her palm. “Don’t care. I’ve barely gotten to see you baby.”

Casey smiles. “I missed you too. But I’m not going to let you steal Mr. Grant’s seat.”

“Fine.” He stands and easily picks her up, sitting in her seat instead and placing her in his lap.

Bryce kisses her shoulder, and then her neck. Her skin is so soft, and she smells like something he can’t quite place, but it’s flowery. “You smell amazing.”

“I went to the hotel spa this morning and got a scrub. I forgot my purse, so I charged it to the room, but I’m going to pay you back.”

“No, you won’t.” He nibbles below her earlobe. “Very willing to pay for this moment right here.”

Casey laughs, turning slightly so she can capture his lips. “Your mom is glaring at us.”

She is. The guests have started to migrate to the tent, and Mrs. Lahela is sitting at the wedding party table he’s supposed to be at.

“Let her glare.” He rubs gentle circles in her side through the silky fabric of her dress.

“I still want her to like me Amor. You should get back to your seat. Please.”

Bryce frowns, but Casey knows he can’t refuse her anything. “Fine, but you owe me later. Save me a dance.”

She stands so he can leave. “I’ll save you several.”

Before he leaves, Bryce grabs a pen out of Casey’s purse on the floor. He crosses out the Ms. on her place card, replacing it with Dr. “We didn’t go through medical school to not be referred to as Dr.” He reasons.

Casey laughs, kissing him one more time before he walks off.

When he returns to his assigned seat, he uses the borrowed pen to correct his own place card as well. ‘That’s Dr. Bryce Lahela to you.’ he imagines himself retorting if his brother or father bring up the real estate business one more damn time.

…

..

.

The newlyweds’ first dance concludes, Ryan hugging Abigail close and placing a kiss to her forehead.

“And now the dance floor is officially open!” The DJ announces, John Legend’s You and I coming over the speakers.

Bryce is quick to hop down from the wedding party table. Now that dinner, the speeches, and the first dance are all done, he’s finally completed his groomsman duties. Time to actually enjoy himself.

He spots Casey over by the open bar with his uncles. He approaches, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leans back into his touch.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Tito asks the assembled group. “Definitely more in love than the newlyweds.”

Bryce grins. “Sorry to steal her, but I was promised a dance.”

“And dance we shall, but first peacock selfie!” Casey detangles herself from his arms, pulling him to the edge of the lawn where the peacocks have gathered. “I can’t believe your mom rented peacocks! This is definitely going to be my most liked pictagram photo ever.”

She’s clearly a little drunk. Since he was at the wedding party table all night, he had to settle for the champagne he was expected to drink after every toast. But Casey’s been free to hit the open bar, and he’s watched her take full advantage.

They crouch near the prettiest peacock, Casey fiddling with her phone and struggling to unlock it.

Bryce pulls out his own phone, unlocking it easily and snapping a selfie while he kisses Casey on the cheek.

He shows her the photo. “It’s cute!” She exclaims, so he chuckles and uploads it to his own pictagram account.

“Alright, now we dance.” Bryce declares, intertwining their fingers and leading her back to the dance floor.

The song has changed to Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are. Appropriate. “Girl you’re amazing, just the way you are.” Bryce sings in her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I love you Bryce.” Casey says softly when the song ends, hands rising from his shoulders to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“I love you too Casey.” He promises before capturing her lips.

They gently sway to several more songs before Bryce is interrupted by a finger tapping on his shoulder.

“Dearest, so sorry to interrupt but the ambassador’s son is here, and I’ve spent so much time gushing over you that he wants to meet you.” His mother explains, not looking all that sorry to be interrupting.

Bryce sighs irritably. He hates mingling. It’s one of the worst parts about his mother’s parties.

“I’ll be right back.” He promises Casey.

She waves him off. “Take your time.”

…

..

.

Of course, his mother doesn’t just want to introduce him to the ambassador and his family, she parades him around the whole place. Brags about what an accomplished surgeon he is, how proud she is. All for appearances of course, she’d been just as against medical school as his father.

The open bar helps him get through it, stopping to get another drink between each group his mother insists on introducing him to.

He’s more than a little tipsy when he finally manages to slip away almost an hour later, immediately looking for Casey. He spots her at a dinner table, drinking with his friends.

She’s very drunk, he realizes almost immediately. She looks like she’s about to fall asleep at the table.

“What did you guys do to her?” Bryce playfully accuses, taking the seat beside Casey and allowing her to lean on his shoulder.

“She thought she could out drink me. I told her she couldn’t.” His oldest friend announces smugly.

“I’m…. not … conceiting…. confeated…” she mumbles drunkenly.

“Conceding.” Bryce helpfully supplies.

“That! I can out drink you. I just need a little break first. Maybe some water.” She reaches for the water pitcher, knocking it over accidentally.

His friends chuckle as Casey pouts. “Okay Dr. Valentine, time to concede. Let’s get you to bed.” Bryce says before lifting Casey and cradling her to his chest.

“Bed? We’re staying here?” Casey asks, playing with his blue tie as he carries her.

“Well you sure as hell can’t drive. And I’m a little drunk too.” He explains, entering the house and carefully climbing the steps towards his childhood room.

He gently deposits her on his bed, removing her shoes and clothes. He changes her into his old T-shirt and high school gym shorts. He admires her for a moment, pushing her curls out of her face since her updo has long since come undone.

He’s about to get up, but she grips his arm. “Stay.” She pleads sleepily.

Bryce kisses her forehead. “I’m just going to say goodbye to my friends and my uncles. I’ll be right back.”

Casey nods, yawning and releasing him. She rolls onto her side, and he turns out the lights before leaving the room.

Bryce returns to the backyard just in time for the beer pong tournament his Uncle Tito has started. His mother would never allow this, it’s too low class for her tastes, but she’s turned in for the night. She’s probably chugging a bottle of wine, finally away from prying eyes.

Bryce loves beer pong, so of course he joins. But he’s already tipsy, so he’s not as good as usual. He finds himself missing several shots, being forced to drink more and more as Uncle Tito hits almost all his shots.

An hour later, Bryce is definitely drunk. He stumbles into the house, heading towards the guest bathroom. He’s about to turn the door knob when the door opens, surprising him. Tia crashes into his chest.

He steadies them both by wrapping his arms around her. He’s trapped against the hallway wall, Tia leaning against him.

Tia glances up at him, smiling. “You smell like beer.”

He smiles back, the room is spinning, but he tries to focus. “You smell like vanilla. Are you still using that same perfume?”

“You remembered.” Tia says softly, her hands tightening in his white dress shirt.

Suddenly she leans up, aggressively pressing her lips to his.

If he was sober, he would have stopped this immediately. Pushed her away and quickly returned to Casey, the love of his life. But he’s so drunk. And her lips feel nice, and taste like the strawberry lip gloss she was always so fond of.

He kisses Tia back, hands tangling into her hair. Her blonde tresses are silky and smooth, so different from Casey’s dark curls. And that’s enough to break the drunken spell. To make him realize what he’s doing. That he’s cheating on Casey.

Glass shatters at the exact moment that he pulls away.

Bryce’s wide eyes meet Casey’s. The glass of water she was bringing to his room shattered on the expensive tile floor.  

…

..

.

Author’s Note: You’re probably wondering why I did this. And to be honest, I’m wondering the same thing. But the idea just came to me and I wanted some angst and conflict. 

Taglist:  @octobereighth @sibella-plays-choices @hazah @akrenich @lovehugsandcandy @professorortegasstudent @regina-and-happiness @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @lizeboredom @desiree-0816 @hellooliviaolivia @dreaming-of-movies @friedherringclodthing @weaving-in-words @fairydustandsarcasm @goldenjellyfish12 @pessimystic-fangirl @mimikoasahina @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl  @god-save-the-keen @caroldxnvxrs @cora-nova

[tallat-of-thralls]

Small pleasures and Cryptids

Here are a few things i enjoy and where i attained them:

Horchata : local gas station, 24 hr taco shop in a weird part of a small town between brenham tx and bellville tx

Chocolate coated Honeycomb candy (seafoam toffee or hokey pokey): A booth at the socal ren fair, a remote candy store in a beach canyon near the artists colony in laguna beach california

Smoked Salmon and locks bagel or german apple pancake: A small cafe hidden behind an art gallery near the boardwalk laguna beach california (since closed)

Most bitter Green tea ice cream: a sushi bar across the street from a hotel in the retirement town either mission viejo or laguna hills california (since closed)

The best Stroganoff: a diner between the new Mexican border and austin texas. Cant remember the town

Licorice scotty dogs, fudge squares, and chocolate dipped graham crackers: Ortega candy store on ortega highway (peak of a mountain valley pass near two hiking trails and a camp site)

Chili powder coated candy dried mangoes: a gas station in quartzite arizona along the i 10. The one with the burger king

One of the best Chai Tea Lattes also good burgers: Dry Creek Bar/Cafe in Houston Heights, Houston Texas

Crawfish boil: just know a Cajun/texan/lousiannian

The best pickles: secret recipe of an established old family that used to own more than half the town back in the 1800-1900s

Wonderful street tacos: mean old lady in a taco truck that moves along highways with construction sites in texas

Fresh goat cheese: man with a glass eye and nubby finger that keeps a ram in his truck bed at the local farmers market held every first saturday of the month at the four corners intersection across the train tracks

F*cking huge watermelons: a one legged farmer in a pick up and an old sun chair along the tx 290 highway towards bellville

Locally sourced brewed honeymead: the gas station down the 1774

Spontaneous selection of Japanese candy: a gas station along the 290 tx

Some good flapjacks: a midwestern themed shortstop diner in hemet/temecula ca

Best roast pig: luau in Honolulu Hawaii

Coconut pancake syrup: a dennys in hawaii

Sweet and spicy hawaiin teriyaki sauce (cant get in tx): a meat market on el toro road in southern california [the owner tried telling squirrels ran the conveyor belt when i was 7]

Alligator entrees: a seafood themed restaurant in land locked tx, cajun restaurant on the 1488

Boysen berry syrup and/or jam: Knotts berry farm southern california

Best Garlic ever: a farmers stand along the highway near the hotel i stayed at in Gilroy Northern California

There's plenty more but i felt the list was getting to long.

Also sorry about not including other states i have passed through (like New Mexico, Arizona, nevada, oregon, washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) i didnt get the chance to do anything while i was there.

Feel free to add favorite things/foods and their associated cryptids in your reblog if you want. I want to know good places to visit when i caravan cross country.

[gogoprivatetours]

Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to Help You Find the Best Local Cuisine Restaurants

Many people visit the Hawaiian Islands because of the glorious sandy beaches, while others for the natural beauty. Hawaii’s unique and rich culture is amazing too. But if you have an epicurean spirit and you want to indulge in the island’s delicious food, have your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu take you to the best restaurants in Honolulu. During recent years, Honolulu’s culinary reputation has increased significantly as Instagram food aesthetics, the farm-to-table movement, and increasing ex-pats and immigrants have started to shift to local flavors. Experience Helena’s Hawaiian Food Hawaiian food isn’t the same as local food and one of the favorite restaurants that offer the real taste of Hawaii is Helena’s. If you aren’t familiar with Hawaiian food, ask your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to bring you to this restaurant to savor the genuine local cuisine. Helena’s has plenty of local dishes to offer, from the glorious Chicken Long Rice to Pipikaula, Kalua Pork, Opihi, Lau Lau, Tripe Stew, Lomi Lomi Salmon, Poi, Squid Luau, and more. Have a cultural feast at Lanikai Beach, Oahu The culture of drive-ins is quickly disappearing, even in Hawaii. Fortunately, some are still doing business one that’s definitely worth visiting is the Rainbow Drive-In. Famously known as Rainbow, the restaurant has served post-beach fare and plate lunches since 1961! To the locals, the quintessential options are the plate lunches, and at Rainbow’s, their plate lunches contain a combination of ingredients with barbecue pork or beef, a generous cut of mahi-mahi, and a boneless chicken cutlet. Ask your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to bring you to Shige’s Saimin Stand A visit to Hawaii isn’t complete without trying saimin once. This is a Hawaiian noodle soup dish. It’s similar to ramen but more comforting and lighter. Many locals eat this dish every day. To experience the savory taste of saimin, visit Shige’s Saimin Stand. The noodles they use are very fresh and so good. You can either get the fried saimin or the traditional saimin. Try the Teri burger, too, as burgers and saimin are a classic combination in Hawaii! Merriman’s For a more sophisticated dining experience, drop by at Merriman’s. This is an award-winning contemporary Hawaiian gastropub. While there, order the Kalua Pig Quesadilla with mango sauce and the kimchi made in-house. You might also want to try the “Bag o’Biscuits,” served with fresh honey butter. This restaurant also serves fresh seafood. Their ocean dishes are reliably divine and some of the most unique you will ever taste. Try GoGo for the best Hawaii travel experience To save you extra dollars while moving around in Honolulu comfortably and safely, we at Gogo Private Transport are the best choice. You can depend on us for airport transfers to and from your hotel and to the various restaurants, and more. We will provide you with everything you need so you can arrive at your destination with peace of mind. Call us today at (808) 800-7171.

[burgerdudes]

🍔🍟🇺🇸 Burgers and Things (★★☆☆☆) — Burgers and Things are located a few kilometres outside central Honolulu on Oahu, Hawai'i, and are perhaps best known for beating Swedish chef Johan Jureskog in his burger tv show. We ordered their classic Juicy Burger with cheddar and caramellized rosemary bacon for 11.50 USD, with a side of garlic fries. The friendly service got our hopes up, but we were left disappointed when we saw that the meat was braised in a heater oven and wasn't made to order. During our 30 minute stay the oven didn't get refilled, so we have no idea how long our patty had been there. Apparently the specials were made to order, but all burgers were braised in a meat jus before being served, which gave our chewy patty an almost boiled mouthfeel. There were some upsides though, such as the tasty bacon and the brioche bun. We also liked the garlic fries, even though 4 USD was a bit pricey. This was far from being the best burger on the island, but at least it wasn't the worst. — @burgersandthings #burger #burgers #burgerdudes #burgerlovers #burgerporn #burgertime #food #foodie #hamburger #hamburgare #hawaii #hawaiiburgers #usa #usaburgers 🍔 #🍟 #🇺🇸 (at Burgers and Things)

[hangryandlazy]

la + hawaii apr 19

back again at our favorite place! :) 

although we didn’t manage to cross all of the to do’s off of our lists, this turned out to be one of the best trips we’ve ever had. when it’s just alan and me on a trip, we tend to take the easy route. :P we play it safe and after exploring the city we chill out at the hotel room and milk it for what it’s worth hahaha.

soooo...alan and i had a night alone in LA before ada arrived. our first dinner was at a restaurant called sage plant-based bistro. i can’t remember which location we visited, but the cauliflower wings were BOMB af. also delicious were the avocado jackfruit carnitas and the baked eggplant farmesan. (see video for foodie pics)

the next day, we met up right at this restaurant called met her at a bar. it wasn’t a vegan restaurant although they offered many healthy plant-based options. we got buffalo cauliflower wings again, salads, burgers and french toast and waffles. (see video for pics again!)

this time round, we made our way up to the japanese garden up in van nuy. i was expecting it to be much bigger, it takes you about 20-30 minutes to walk around the entire park. it was stunning, although you can also catch a view of the sewage factory next door.

it was quite a relaxing visit anyway. :)

of course i had to make a pit stop at sip matcha to support the youtubers i’d been watching since high school! a bit too sweet for my taste, but i’d also forgotten to ask them to take it easy on the sugar levels, so that’s my bad. it was delicious regardless!

ada had been raving about this salad place called sweetgreen for years now, so of course we ended up ordering seamless that night! the pics aren’t that great so i’m leaving them out of this post, but damn that’s some good salad. 

another reason why we’d ordered in that night was because we had to head out early the next day to make our flight to big island. so *long story short* we had some misunderstandings and ended up having to fly to big island to transfer to honolulu. i’d been dreading the layover from the moment that we got our tickets issued, and we both ended up hating sitting around in that small outdoor airport for several hours (they had a power outage so the ice cream in the freezer was melting) that we bought one-way tickets immediately from honolulu back to los angeles to secure seats on a direct flight for when we head back a few days later. it was miserable! (yeah i know i’m a spoiled, high maintenance bish lolll)

when we finally landed in honolulu and picked up our rental car, it was about the same time that ada was supposed to land, so we headed back to the hotel together. we stayed at the modern honolulu together. alan and i had stayed there as well when we had visited 2 years ago, and we both loved the deco/aesthetic as it was (like its name suggests) much younger and more modern than the other hotels down the strip. the location was also quite nice because it’s right at the beginning of the strip, so we’re not stuck in the middle of a sea of tourists, but right on the edge of tourist city and local life.

we ordered in that night because we were pooped from traveling all day long, and we just wanted some comfort food and veg out in front of the tv before our big day the next day. what did we have in store for ourselves? WELL, we only had to wake up a tad bit earlier to drive over to the north shore to join a shark dive!!! we joined the one ocean diving team’s free diving expedition. i don’t think our program is really considered free diving, since we had snorkeling gear on, but it sure sounds a hell of a lot cooler than shark snorkeling, so i’m going to call it diving from this point onwards (although, if you look closely in the photo below, you’ll definitely notice that we don’t have diving tanks strapped to us and we’re just using flimsy snorkelling gear and flippers.

i was so proud of myself for taking the plunge and diving in right alongside everyone else. the waves were pretty rough, and i’m not familiar with using a snorkel, so it was actually quite confusing to me for a while. i had already warned ada and alan back in hong kong, before we’d even flown over, that there’d be a big chance i’d chicken out of the entire dive altogether. 

i ended up staying in water the longest! i almost didn’t want to leave. (i mean, it did take me a while to muster up the guts to even get in at all lol) it was such a thrilling experience, i’m so glad i went through with it.

when we got back to shore, we treated ourselves to smoothie bowls from haleiwa bowls. i’d been wanting to try this place out for ages, but the last time we were in hawaii we didn’t rent a car, so we didn’t want to venture out an hour north of the honolulu on an uber... turned out it was just a couple minutes walk from the shark snorkeling registration area, woohoo!

we got 3 bowls to share between the 3 of us (obviously more to share between me and ada lollll) we got a hapa bowl (acai/nana/strawbs/blueb smoothie with granola, fresh nanas, coconut flakes and hawaiian honey), a paniolo bowl (nana + pb + dates topped with granola, nanas, strawbs, cacao nibs and hawaiian honey), and also a blue majik spirulina chia pudding. honestly, they were delicious. not sure if it was because everything was hawaiian and fresh, or if it was because i’d seen their bowls on ig so many times before, or maybe we were just starved from all the adrenaline and excitement. 

we went hiking the second day, and as aesthetically pleasing this piña colada combo looks, they tasted pretty bleh. not refreshing or anything..

this was the diamond head lookout trail, although it was paved and quite easy so i’m not really sure at what point these pictures were taken. :p we stopped at a couple spots along the way.

before we headed off! (we threw away the fruits after the photo :p i know, a waste :( but no one wanted to lug them around on the hike)

on another day, we rented a jeep and drove up to the ho'omaluhia botanical garden to take some jurassic park themed photos :)

after we scouted out this spot and took a bunch of pictures here, other cars started to line up to make use of the backdrop as well hehehehe

we flew back to la to spend the rest of our holiday! for 420, we went to by chloe for vegan fast food (YUM) and then went off to universal studios. i didn’t realize until much much later that alan didn’t want to spend his 420 there, no clue why he didn’t just let us know sooner! i was pretty stoked that i won 2 toys at universal hehe.

our other best friend crystal was also in town, so of course we met up with her and ate more good food :P

(those are her hands grabbing the truffle pizza! haha)

and that concludes my la/hawaii trip! it was one of the best trips i’d ever been on, hands down! (even though it took me uhhhh 8 months to finally post about it hahahaha)

[bigjohnsadventuresintravel]

Fantastic Food Trucks and More Scenes from the North Shore

Anybody who has spent more than a few days on Oahu will tell you that some of the best food on the island is found at food trucks on the North Shore. These colorful restaurants on wheels first began springing up around Honolulu in the 1970s. Back then it was mainly burgers, hotdogs, and the traditional Asian cuisine. Now-a-days, a person can satisfy any cravings from zesty street tacos to wasabi-flavored poke bowls.

Some of the best food trucks on Oahu are found on the North Shore, directly across the street from Shark’s Cove.

If Rebecca and I had to pick a favorite mobile eatery it would definitely be Aji Limo Truck!

All of Aji’s dishes are made with the freshest local fish and organic produce bought from the nearby Pupukea Garden Farms.

Don’t worry, the beers were all mine! This little mommy always plays it safe and refrains from consuming raw fish or adult beverages.

This California inspired dish consisted of Sashimi, rice, avacados, and salad…. Yes, it was every bit as good as it looks!

Rebecca had the Thai poke (only she had them throw the fish on the grill to make her meal pregnancy-friendly). This tasty dish consisted of fresh salmon, mango, cilantro, crispy coconut and coconut sauce over rice and organic greens.

Our friend, Foghorn Leghorn, decided to show up for dinner unannounced. He’s lucky I had a little extra corn to spare!

This truly is my happy place!

If tacos are your thing than don’t go far. You’re not going to find anywhere better than North Shore Tacos.

North Shore Tacos offers shrimp, fish, chicken, beef, steak, pork, and even a vegetarian option as well… Yum!

For a little slice of heaven right on the North Shore, come visit Jerry’s Pizza! He also has some pretty amazing subs, salads and desserts.

  Get your surf lessons and rentals at North Shores Surf Shop

Your momma warned you never to enter the water right after eating… but then again, your momma has probably never been to Hawaii’s North Shore!

Rebecca thought it would be fun to hide her baby-bump behind this purple Hawai sarong.

I would probably be the scariest mermaid you could ever meet at sea!

Cars line the strip in front of shark’s cove.

Shark’s Cove is a popular tourist site for snorkeling and it is fairly shallow. The water does get up to 20 feet at the cove’s mouth and many scuba divers explore the areas just outside the cove. A few caves can be found around the cove’s northwest point, and to a lesser extent to the south. The area to the left of the cove offers excellent night diving. The origin of the cove’s name is uncertain, but sharks are not any more common here than other places on Oahu.

Laniakea Beach in North Shore

Probably one of the best places to sea a Hawaiian green sea turtle basking in the sun is at Laniakea Beach.

The Hawaiian green sea turtles arrives onto Laniakea Beach most regularly around lunch time. The sea turtles and I share that in common, since lunch time is also my favorite time to visit the area. But regardless of whether you’re coming to surf, snorkel, chow down, or simply bask under a Hawaiian sun, there is never a really bad to to visit Oahu’s fabulous North Shore!

Mahalo and happy travels,

Big John

[butcherbirdhi]

Enjoy the Best Burgers in Honolulu with Exceptional Service

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[beachesandsnorkel-blog]

Hawaiian Juice

Hiking by way of Hawaii's lush rainforests, lounging on a secluded beach, cruising down a volcano on a mountain bike at best speed. These are just several of the myriad of activities you may do whilst in Oahu, Hawaii - Having said that I was right here for a single reason only, to surf and to encounter the dwelling of surfing.

A lot of people involved with surfing will in no way visit the home with the sport, while I personally feel it can be one of the most critical surf trip to create along with the complete point of this trip is merely to experience the 'Aloha' of surfing in particular person.

I'm greeted at Honolulu airport by my personal surf guide as his voice echoes by way of the arrivals hall "Aloha, Bra.... Over Right here....!", whilst I attempt to remain calm what appears like numerous overweight New Yorkers trample all more than me inside the rush to obtain to the totally free limos for their accommodation. 20 minutes later we're driving away from the city of Honolulu and in to the dark depth of Oahu and towards the north shore. My guide who is pleasant and smiling chats happily away completely forgetting that I've travelled 18 hours and really feel knackered. Right here I am within a warm tropical climate, within a location that I've normally wanted to stop by since I could first stroll and it seems a total daze, I just cannot take it in.

Abruptly we take a sharp right turn and we seem to go off road by way of some fields, my guide calm as ever just laughs and shouts out "short cut Bra... get some cane on the way!", I quickly learn he signifies, Sugar Cane! we pull over inside a dark field and he grabs a large tall plant and snaps it in half, "that will provide you with some sugar to wake you up...Bra" then we are off in to the night once again as I commence to doze off despite the recent sugar doze.

6am and I'm woken up by what I assume is thunder... the ground seems to shake but I see no clouds out the window. Within a daze I grab some shorts and take a look outside my accommodation around the North Shore. The noise I heard was just a good 20ft swell breaking out front, as I look to my ideal I see surf pumping after which I appear to my left and see the identical, out inside the line up I can see a number of dots getting lifted up the big walls of water then disappearing once more. What a wake up call!

Following breakfast my guide arrives "what's up Bra... nice swell currently man!" the concern on my face will have to be obvious, surely this dude just isn't going to take me out within this swell. To my delight it would appear that we're basically heading for another spot that is off the beat of typical visiting surfers "locals only Bra... and you my man of course!" as we trek within the four x four by means of a track that appears rather overgrown and a thing out of Tarzan. We burst by way of the bush and a bay opens up in front of us with a nice four to 6ft wave breaking for the ideal and some thing rather larger around the left! All I know is we're somewhere on the south shore.

At lunch time for food, I tried a waffle dog (a hot dog wrapped in a pancake-like waffle). My guide had no problems wolfing down his cheeseburger. I also enjoyed my wonton noodles but relished more the guide's burger, which he declared the very best he'd ever eaten.

Refuelled, we stopped next at Diamond Head, from which lava erupted about 150,000 years ago. "We're within a volcano?" I asked as I looked up at the lip from the crater and attempted to take it all in. I feared it would erupt once again although we have been in it. Although we felt like ants inside the bottom of a big bowl, no harm came to us needless to say and it was off for the subsequent most effective surf spot along the coast for some late afternoon watery barrels.

Five days into my week extended stay in Oahu and I now feel additional like a nearby than I do at my own spot back on the key land in US. Right here I am surfing in waves and subsequent to true Hawaiian waterman of a lot of generations and loving each and every minute of it. My guide just sits next to me within a line up that appears more like one thing off certainly one of these surfing DVD's, branded pro's sit only yards away trying to escape the cameras that dot the line up from the larger far more common breaks while in among them controlling the surf like amusement park workers are my new good friends and for this week if not once again I really feel like a neighborhood!

All of a sudden a shout comes from my side "Yours Bra.....!" and I realise that the following lump heading my way is finally mine. I paddle with nice deep strokes, feeling for the wave because it approaches and I catch a glimpse in the corner of my eye as other individuals start off to paddle towards the approaching wave. This wave has my name on it; I've the permission from the Hawaiian locals to make use of the energy of Mother Nature for my pleasure. I start off to rise up the face, then with out pondering I look to become flying forward and I'm moving quickly and smoothly down the line "Go Bra...." I hear within the distance and I hold tight inside the wave and drag my hand to slow down as considerably as possible as the lip rises up and more than with all the ease of walking down the beach.... As I exit the barrel spray hits my back and I kick out the wave with as a lot grace as you can... an expertise I could inform a thousands times more than and brings me continued stoke, surfing Hawaiian barrels for exciting!

Let's face it, most surfers coming to Hawaii hit the surf and by no means budge. By the time we've packed up every thing from wax to ding repair, flown God knows how far, unpacked anything, and planned the surf for the week such as each of the exciting and relaxation, we deserve to dig our heels in to the beach and sit awhile. But should the urge to discover strike you, there are fantastic outings all more than Oahu, secret waterfalls, hidden petroglyphs, the world's greatest water slides.

Getting a private surf guide who can drive you about when the surf goes flat or you simply wish to explore makes it a lot less difficult and the beauty is it is possible to stay in either budget accommodation or maybe a best 5 star resort either way this is a surf trip that no matter what normal you are from Learner to Specialist you ought to go on. Aloha!

[timesharesonly]

Luxurious Hawaiian Timeshare Experiences

Experience Luxury with a Timeshare in Hawaii

Many of us spend a lifetime dreaming of tropical vacations on faraway beaches. Pineapple drink in hand, a tiny umbrella to top it off and hopping from one exciting adventure to another. Luckily, with a timeshare in Hawaii, these adventures can become a reality. If your dream vacay is best described as a sequence of unforgettable high-end fun, head to the Aloha state. These islands offer up a big dose of unique, luxurious Hawaiian vacations. You might not be able to see all of these incredible attractions in one trip, but they will spark your imagination for the use of your timeshare ownership.

On the Island of Oahu

Party on the Oceanfront at RumFire RumFire / 2255 Kalakaua Avenue. Honolulu, HI / (808) 922-4422

With a view of Diamond Head crater and the Pacific Ocean, RumFire has an upscale vibe that's sure to impress. Well-crafted cocktails and a delicious menu of tapas-style small plates make an island-themed selection of cuisines. Locals and tourists alike can find plenty of outdoor seating, complete with torches to round out the atmosphere. You’ll have a great view even from inside due to the abundance of floor-to-ceiling windows. Don’t leave without ordering a 1944 Mai-Tai (having it served in a pineapple is optional but highly recommended). Try the spiced lemongrass crispy wings to start off. Then, finish your meal with a decadent Truffle Burger served with truffle aioli, buchette cheese and local greens. Treat Yourself to Luxury Goods Luxury Row / 2100 Kalakaua Avenue / (808) 922-2246

Imagine over 100,000 square feet of the world’s top fashion in one convenient building just blocks from the beach. Feast your eyes on the latest fashions from Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu, Saint Laurant, Gucci, Chanel and Moncler. Once you’ve spent the day shopping you can unwind at the fabulous eateries nearby. Hit up nearby Sushisho for intense sushi bites of the freshest catch or La Mer, the only restaurant in Hawaii to be awarded five stars by Forbes Travel Guide. Play A Round at the Ko'olau Golf Club Ko’olau Golf Club / 45-550 Kiona’ole Rd. / (808) 236-4653

One of golf magazine’s top 100 places to golf, the Ko’olau Golf Club is a must-play for enthusiasts. A boasting 18-hole course and the brainchild of famed designer Dick Nugent, Ko’olau is one of Golf magazine’s top 100 places to play. Some of the tees of this court are on par to be the most difficult in the world. However, there are some easier tees as well. With a phenomenal backdrop featuring the Ko’olau mountain range, this golf club provides a tee-off that is unforgettable. Sail Along the Turquoise Seas on A Catamaran Royal Hawaiian Catamaran / 1125 Ala Moana Boulevard, HI 96814 / (808) 587-1849

The Royal Hawaiian Catamaran’s signature vessel is a 52-foot luxury catamaran that seats 30 passengers. Relax as the experienced Captain Kelly Faulkner prepares the perfect itinerary unique to your occasion. An attentive assistant is present to cater to your every need, providing food and drinks during your sail. Commonly booked activities include sunset sails, snorkeling and private dinner cruises. For the splurge of a lifetime, book an overnight outing that travels from one island to another. It's a truly unforgettable and luxurious Hawaii vacation experience. Luxurious Timeshares on Oahu

Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club There are a number of high-end, grandeur resorts on Oahu. Find solace at Hilton Grand Vacations Hokulani Waikiki, where spacious one-bedroom suites are minutes away from Waikiki Beach. Each suite comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, dining space and Juliet-style lanais. Or take a dip in one of six pools at HGV's Grand Waikikian resort, also complete with oceanfront views. Even Marriott has a beautiful resort right on the beach, the Ko Olina Beach Club.

On the Island of Kauai

See the Sea in Style Holo-Holo / 4353 Waialo Rd Suite 5A Eleele, HI 96705 / (808) 335-0815

The Napali coast is famous for its 3,500-foot high cliffs that tower over the island. While it’s wonderful to hike these fantastic rock formations, imagine this dream-like landscape from the comfort of a 28-foot wide luxury catamaran, and get a chance for snorkeling as well. Throughout your sail, expect phenomenal hospitality and a full menu of culinary options. Choosing this adventure from November through March makes for a special treat: humpback whale sightings. Kauai Timeshares

Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas A top-rated vacation resort, Marriott's Kauai Lagoons-Kalanipu'u hosts two and three-bedroom villas with comfortable accommodations. Each villa comes with a private balcony to enjoy the beautiful Kauai views. Another beachfront treasure, Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas are located just a hop and skip away from Kauai's main airport. These resorts bring guests into their luxurious Hawaiian vacation dreams.

On the Island of Maui

Indulge in an Interactive Dining Experience Maui Chef’s Table / 1670 Honoapi’ilani Hwy. Waikapu, HI 96793 / (808) 270-0333

Part of partaking in luxurious Hawaiian vacation experiences is indulging all of your senses (taste included). For this purpose, Maui Chef’s Table won’t disappoint. The restaurant is known for providing an interactive dining experience. Guests can watch their meals being prepared as there is no separation between the kitchen and the dining room. The tasting menu is all about indulging your palate in unique combinations of island flavors and ingredients. One diner gave details of his amuse-bouche served by the chef. It consisted of a vanilla wafer topped with creme fraiche, microgreens and a fennel spread. On top of this was an incredible foie gras confit, cooked for 10 days in duck fat. It was then paired with a pickled Brazilian berry native to the Amazon, the jaboticaba. Cruise in A Classic Car Maui Roadsters / 122 Kio Loop, Bay #3, Kihei, Hi 96753 / 808-339-6204

Car enthusiasts can live their very best life in some of the world's most iconic sportscars. There are plenty of car rental companies on Maui, but none that offer 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster Convertible. While these are reproductions, you can cruise in style in these fun vehicles for trips along Mau's coast. See Maui from the Sky Maui Helicopter Tours / 800-745-2583

They say that some of the most unique sights in Hawaii can only be seen from the sky with a bird's eye view. The lush valleys of the West Maui Mountains to rugged shorelines, a helicopter ride will give you an exclusive look at Maui. Plunging waterfalls, the crater of Mt. Haleakala and rich rainforests are must-sees on a Hawaiian trip--why not go sky-high? Timeshare Resorts on Maui

Hyatt's Ka'anapali Beach Poolside bars in man-made caves, an oceanfront spa and rooftop gazing completes the Hyatt Ka'anapali Beach Resort. The resort sprawls over 40 acres of oceanfront land. Private lanais and panoramic views give every guest gorgeous scenery from the privacy of their suites. The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas is another option through Vistana Signature Network. This resort is nestled between the West Maui Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Along with expected vacation ownership amenities, guests will never have to leave this resort. Complete with a spa, restaurants and grocery store, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas are a complete luxurious Hawaiian vacation experience.

On the Big Island

Book A Private Dinner on the Beach Four Seasons Hualalai / 72-100 Ka’upulehu Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 / (808) 325-8000

If a private dinner on the beach isn’t enough for a romantic night, you can also have your dinner accompanied by a local ukulele player and hula dancer. Starting at $1,000 for a four-course menu, the Four Seasons Hualalai offers the ultimate intimate dining experience. Complete with two glasses of Ruinart Rose Champagne, specially designed floral arrangements and a formal dining setup makes for an unforgettable evening. Even more opulent options include a dinner featuring a four-course customized dinner served with Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame Champagne. This menu is created just for you with the aid of a private chef consultation. For the whole menu of dinner enhancements you can add on to your spectacular night, check out the full information booklet. Enjoy A Cup of Real Kona Coffee Brewed by A Coffee Expert Daylight Mind Coffee Company / 75-5770 Ali’i Drive Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 / (808) 339-7824

Run by coffee scientist and connoisseur Shawn Steiman, Daylight Coffee brews real Hawaiian-grown coffee from the islands. In addition to Maui and Oahu, some international varieties also come from Peru and Colombia. But there’s more to Daylight Coffee than incredible coffee perfected by science. The menu includes a full variety of brunch and lunch favorites, as well as cocktails. For a filling (but delicious) breakfast item, opt for the “Sam,” a hearty portion of meat-filled omelet topped with cheese, hollandaise and gravy, served with a side of rice and pancakes. Standout cocktails include the warmth-inducing Cascara Breeze, which blends vodka with cascara syrup and lemon, and the tropical margarita which comes in passionfruit or guava flavors. Luxury Timeshares on the Big Island

The largest island of Hawaii can't be complete without the best of the best luxury Hawaiian timeshare resorts. The Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort offers a breath-taking experience for Hilton Grand Vacation Club owners. A Hawaiian haven, Bay Club sits between two champion golf courses on the Waiulua Bay. Two swimming pools, tennis courts and poolside cafe are available for all guests to indulge in. Read the full article

[tamboradventure]

How to Road Trip Around Oahu

Posted: 8/3/20 | August 3rd, 2020

I didn’t know much about Oahu before I visited. Everyone told me it was worth it for Pearl Harbor but to spend the rest of my time elsewhere in Hawaii. Maui and Kauai were where the action was, they said.

But Oahu was home to Honolulu’s international airport from which I was catching an onward flight to Taiwan. Since I had limited time, going to multiple islands wasn’t feasible.

Fortunately, after spending a full week on Oahu, I can say this: everyone was wrong.

Maybe they just let their preconceived notions get the better of them.

Or maybe they just didn’t give the place a chance.

But, whatever the reason, I’m here to tell you that Oahu has some magic to it. Sure, it’s quite developed, has terrible traffic, and huge crowds. And yeah, maybe it’s not as “raw” as the other islands (I assume that’s why people like them).

But there are plenty of spots in Oahu where you can live that Hawaiian dream

I spent a week round-tripping the island (which, given how small it is, turned out to be quite easy). My plan was simple: sit on a beach as long as I could, eat my body weight in poke (diced raw fish, pronounced “po-keh”), and hike.

Along the way, I also binged on shrimp, drank the best piña colada of my life, and took notes so you can do even better when you visit!  

Driving Oahu: A Road-Trip Itinerary

First, a tip: if you’re driving around Oahu, go counterclockwise from Honolulu, since most of the food trucks you’ll want to stop at are on the ocean side of the highway as you go up the east coast. So going in that direction just makes it easier to pull off the road and try all the food trucks that line the highway (and there are a lot). There’s also more to do on the east side of Oahu, so it’s best to start there.

That said, I actually don’t think a traditional road trip is the best idea. Oahu is smaller than you think — you can drive end to end in under two hours — so everything listed below can really be done as a day trip from one base or another, which will save you packing and unpacking, as well moving from place to place too often (especially since the east and west coasts don’t have a lot of affordable accommodations).

Base yourself on the North Shore for a couple of days and then in Honolulu (in the south) for a couple of days (or vice versa).  

Day 1: Honolulu to Kailua (28 miles)

Pick up your rental car, head out of Honolulu (you’ll be back later), and start off at Hunauma Bay in southeast Oahu. You can spend a few hours there snorkeling and relaxing on the beach before heading to the nearby Halona Blowhole Lookout for the view and Makapu‘u Point (Oahu’s easternmost point) for a short hike. There are also plenty of beaches, food trucks, short hikes, and viewpoints along the way to Kailua, where you’ll want to stay the night.

Where to Eat:

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers

Any of the food trucks on the way north

Buzz’s Steakhouse (for dinner)

Where to Stay: Airbnb is the best option, since there aren’t many hotels or hostels in Kailua. Book early though, as there isn’t a lot to choose from.  

Day 2: Kailua to Haleiwa (50 miles)

Start your morning with the famous Lanikai Pillbox hike just south of Kailua, where you can get sweeping views of the ocean and the cities and beaches on this side of the island. The hike is short (it only takes about 20-30 minutes) but steep, so wear appropriate shoes.

If you have some time in the morning, Kailua and Lanikai beaches are both beautiful (they’re right next to each other and on the way from the pillbox hike). Not a lot of people, white sand, blue water. They’re heaven.

As you leave this area to head north, visit the Ho‘oamaluhia Botanical Garden (it’s free!), which is also home to a lake filled with tropical plants.

Afterward, drive up the east coast toward the North Shore. Along the way, you can stop at the Kualoa Ranch, where many movies have been filmed. If you do a tour, I suggest the 90-minute Hollywood Movie Sites Tour (which includes scenes from Jurassic Park!), as you don’t need much more time than that to see the ranch. (It’s expensive, though, so if you’re on a budget, I’d skip it.)

As you keep going north, you’ll find a ton of beaches and hikes (there are plenty of signs for everything). I really enjoyed the Hau’ula Loop Trail especially, which is about 10 miles north of Kualoa. It’s a really overgrown trail, so you’ll feel like you’re very much in the jungle (meaning you’ll also need to bring bug spray). And like most hikes here, there’s a scenic viewpoint!

Then drive around the northern tip of Oahu to Haleiwa, your base of operations while on the North Shore.

Where to Eat Along the Way:

Kalapawai Café and Deli

Fresh Catch Kaneohe

Shrimp Shack

Seven Brothers

Ken’s Fresh Fish

Fumi’s Shrimp

Where to Stay: Airbnb is again the best option, as there aren’t many hotels or hostels in Hal‘eiwa. Book early here too.  

Days 3 & 4: North Shore (Base: Haleiwa)

This was my favorite part of Oahu. It was Hawaii the way you imagine it should be: a lot quieter, less touristy, and less developed. And it had that whole “hippie vibe” going for it. Everyone up here was much more laid back than down south.

You can learn to surf here (two-hour lessons begin at just $80 USD) or hike the Ka‘ena Point Trail (west of Haleiwa) and/or the ’Ehukai Pillbox (east of Haleiwa). The latter is pretty muddy, so bring appropriate shoes.

Haleiwa itself is a sleepy little tourist town with a bunch of restaurants, shops, and parks. There’s not much to do in the town itself than eat and window shop.

If you do just one hike, though, I definitely recommend the Ka‘ena Point Trail, which was one of the best experiences I had. It’s a scenic two-hour coastal walk to the northwestern tip of Oahu, where you will find a protected biological area with seals and native birds. At the tip, you can see all the way down the west side of the island — a magical view. Bring sunscreen and water, as the whole trail is exposed to the sun.

Where to Eat:

Ted’s Bakery

Sunrise Shack

Hale‘iwa Joe’s

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Ray’s Kiawe

Kono’s

Jenny’s Shrimp Truck

Giovanni’s Shrimp

  Day 5: Dole Plantation, Oahu’s West Side, Honolulu (60 miles)

Head south (inland) and stop at the Dole Plantation. While it is super cheesy and touristy (I mean, so many useless souvenirs!), it does have a cool maze, and there’s a train ride through the farm that, while whitewashing a lot of bad things, was an interesting look at the importance of the pineapple to Oahu. For a general overview geared to your average tourist, it was surprisingly informative.

Afterward, continue south toward Honolulu and then head west on the H1 road to the west coast for some deserted local beaches, such as Ma’ili, Ewa, Makua, or Yokohama. Stop at Countryside Café for some incredible diner food. The portions are pretty large, so you can share them.

Then head back into Honolulu, as there’s not a lot of accommodation along the west coast. If you do want to stay longer, you’ll find some listings on Airbnb and Booking.com if you book far in advance. Otherwise, there are a few hotels in Kapolei if you don’t want to drive all the way to Honolulu.  

Days 6 & 7: Honolulu

I actually liked Honolulu a lot (the main beach area of Waikiki is a tourist trap though.) While downtown is a bit bland, other neighborhoods are filled with awesome stores, breweries, bars, restaurants, and art galleries. Be sure to check out the “hip” Kaka‘ako part of town in particular.

Consider going on a hike on Diamond Head, a volcanic cone on the east side of town. It offers an incredible view of the city, though it’s one of the more popular trails in the area so if you aren’t there early enough to beat the crowds you’ll basically be walking in a slow-moving line up the mountain. If you are short on time, skip it.

Other Things to Do:

A free walking tour with Hawaii Free Tours (call ahead, since they only run when they have bookings).

Pearl Harbor – This is a must. It’s not even up for debate. You have to go.

Iolani Palace, the former royal residence of Hawaii’s monarchs.

Soak in the sun on Waikiki Beach or other nearby beaches, such as Ala Moana, which is popular with locals.

There’s also an Islamic art museum, which is supposed to be great, but I didn’t make it there.

Where to Eat:

The Pig and the Lady

Mei Sum Dim Sum

Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

Rainbow Drive-In

Leonard’s Bakey

Ono Seafood

Hula Dog

Where to Stay:

The Beach – This hostel is right on the beach, includes free breakfast, and has plenty of space to relax and meet other travelers.

Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki – The accommodation here is basic, but the staff are super friendly and helpful, and they organize lots of events.

Waikiki Beachside Hostel – A fun, social hostel that hosts live music. Breakfast is included too.

Additionally, head to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for the best piña colada of your life. It’s not cheap ($15 USD a pop), but it is sooo good! Every one of my friends who didn’t order one got it as their second drink. (Fun fact: My grandfather was stationed in Oahu during WWII and went back to Oahu often. The Royal Hawaiian was his favorite hotel. It’s pretty cool that it’s still there!)  

Average costs

How much do things cost on Oahu? Here are some typical prices (in USD):

Airbnb – $100+/night for a one-bedroom or studio

Hotel – $175–250/night for a mid-range boutique hotel

Hostel dorm – $27

Car rental – as low as $20/day, plus insurance

Gas – $3–3.50/gallon

Poke bowl – $12–15

Takeout meal – $10–14

Sit-down meal at a fancy restaurant (with drinks) – $50+

Local lunch – $15

McDonalds – $6 for a value meal

Groceries – $75 for one person for a week

Beer (at a restaurant) – $8–10 ($2–3 at the Japanese Walk!)

Piña colada – $10-15

Coffee – $5

Surfboard rental – $25/day

Snorkel gear rental – $15/day

Scuba dive prices – $125

  Budget Tips

Oahu is pretty expensive. Most everything has to be imported, so if it can’t be grown nearby or caught in the ocean, expect to pay a lot. But it’s not impossible to save money. Here are a few ways to cut your expenses:

Hike and enjoy the beaches. Nature is free!

Buy your own food from supermarkets so you can cook your own meals or have picnics. Sure, there are plenty of world-class restaurants here, but if you want to keep your food costs down, you should cook some meals. The poke at supermarkets is delicious anyway!

If you do eat out, hit the food trucks. Most cost around $10 USD for a meal — much cheaper than sit-down restaurants.

If you’re going to buy alcohol, do so at Japanese markets, where you can find beer for only $2–3 USD (compared to $8 USD at bars).

Skip ride-sharing websites like Getaround or Turo (where you rent cars from private owners). They are usually cheaper than the big rental companies, but on Oahu, hosts charge you an added fee for dropping the car at the airport. I found the traditional car rental companies to be much cheaper, with rates as low as $20 USD a day.

Get your gas at Hele stations. They were consistently the cheapest on the island.

***

While Oahu is often crowded and overly commercial, there were a lot of wonderful things to do and see. To me, the best parts were the food and the hiking — with so many hikes, you could spend weeks here. My favorite part of Oahu was the North Shore, so I recommend you spend a few days there at least. I certainly look forward to returning!

Book Your Trip to Hawaii: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. My favorite places to stay in Oahu are:

The Beach

Polynesian Hostel Beach Club Waikiki

Waikiki Beachside Hostel

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Need an affordable RV for your road trip? RVshare lets you rent RVs from private individuals all around the country, saving you tons of money in the process. It’s like Airbnb for RVs.

Want more information on Hawaii? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Hawaii for even more planning tips!

The post How to Road Trip Around Oahu appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[whiskeyandwing-blog]

THE BEST WINGS IN EVERY STATE IN AMERICA

The chicken wing is the perfect storm of American snacking ingenuity, a bar food forged from the ideal that, no, we will not relegate the flapping appendages of a flightless bird to a stock pot. We will, in fact, put them in a fryer and feed them to the teeming masses that like their meat tender and their hands messy. It's a food so delicious that Sir Paul McCartney named his post-Beatles band after it (source needed). But who makes the best versions of this delicious staple of bars across the country? Well. Let us tell you. These are the best wings in every one of these United States. Some are in tiny Korean restaurants. Some are in dive bars and high-end eateries. But they're all guaranteed to leave you with dirty fingers and a very happy belly. Bring a towelette.

ALABAMA

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

DECATUR The four generations of family behind Big Bob Gibson's take their barbecue as seriously as Alabama jewel Nick Saban takes his football. And with 10 world championships, the Big Bob Gibson Competition Cooking team -- formed specifically for BBQ-battling purposes -- has earned the place its rep as one of America's best BBQ joints. That signature smoked chicken with white sauce, then, makes it very, very easy to overlook Bob's excellent smoked wings. Giant, crispy, and available in sticky piles of five, 10, 20, or 40, they serve as the perfect vehicle for the rest of Gibson's blue-ribbon barbecue sauces and come tossed in your choice of mild or spicy. Obviously, they're perfect for tailgating, as is the 'Bama way. But they're just as good if you just, you know, eat them in the parking lot before you take a full platter of the other stuff home.

ALASKA

Winky's Wings

Address and Info ANCHORAGE Alaska isn't exactly known for its wings. Probably because fish -- even the flying ones -- don't have any. But Winky's has local carnivores' needs covered with a diverse menu featuring cheesesteaks, gyros, Cajun food, and the real star of the show: the short-and-sweet selection of flavor-packed wings. Boneless (no!) or bone-in (yep!), they're pure comfort in their familiarity, with sauces running the gamut from garlic Parmesan to teriyaki, BBQ, lemon pepper, and Buffalo. Hot and crispy as hell, the deep-fried wings are available in heat grades ranging from an everyman's mild to the tongue-scorching Inferno option, which is totally the second-most enjoyable way to warm up during a brutal Alaskan winter. You don't want to know the first way.

ARIZONA

Teakwoods Tavern & Grill

Address and Info GILBERT Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon and the honey hot wings from Teakwoods Tavern – the, um, Grand Canyon of flavor. OK, maybe not quite, but the wings are damn good. The joint self-identifies as a casual neighborhood bar and grill, but the wing selection is anything but casual. There are 12 options -- including cactus-flavored wings made with a prickly pear sauce -- but make a beeline straight for an order of the Honey Hots. The deep-fried wings are coated in a sticky-sweet sauce loaded with honey but also plenty of heat. No, seriously. Teakwoods warns on its menu to order them at your own risk, but the only real risk is that you won't be able to stop eating.

ARKANSAS

The Rail - A Pizza Company

Address and Info ROGERS While the pies might be the namesake of this Rogers-based eatery, the wings -- as an appetizer or a meaty main course -- are the delicious draw, and are available in Parmesan marinara, Louisiana Hot Sauce, alfredo, garlic Parm, spicy BBQ, and Thai flavors. The Rail also offers a token tongue-scorching option for the masochists among us, the hallmark of any wing joint worth its crispy skin. This particular brand of pain is called Bring the Rain, and the while the menu instructs you to ask your waiter about it, watching this kid take the taste bullet (video involves a lot of sweating, moaning, and the repetition of the phrase "This is so bad!") might be warning enough. Godspeed! And maybe go garlic Parm.

SAN TUNG | FLICKR/THE FOODHOE

CALIFORNIA

San Tung

Address and Info SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco's Sunset neighborhood is thronged with nondescript casual Chinese joints, but do not --repeat, do not --  accept any substitutes for San Tung, even if the lunch and dinner lines looks daunting. There's a damn good reason that people queue up, and while the noodles are all fine and dandy, the wings are the draw. You can get them swimming in the sweet-and-spicy signature sauce loaded up with peppers and shoots, but don't. Get them dry. The batter that encases the wings gives a satisfying crunch as a precursor to the immaculately tender meat inside, and it all comes together in a beautiful symphony of ginger and garlic. When you've got a wing this well-honed, sauce is merely a distraction. You didn't wait in line for sauce, after all.

COLORADO

Cho77

Address and Info DENVER The best wings are not typically found in fine-dining restaurants. But when fancy-as-heck ChoLon opened in Denver, its SE Asian-inspired wings were a hit. It's an odd sensation to have sticky hands at a nice dinner, so it didn't last. A few years later, chef/co-owner Lon Symensma opened a more casual sister restaurant called Cho77 with a friend. It was the kind of restaurant where wings could… fly. (Sorry.) There, Symensma's pal/exec chef/co-owner Ryan Gorby was inspired to create a Vietnamese version of everyone's favorite bar snack based on the fish sauce-doused version that's typically served in a clay pot. First, it's a large confit wing (one where the drumstick and wing are connected) that's transferred to the grill to get a fantastic char flavor before getting that caramel fish sauce. It's a sweet, savory wing with burnt sugar, caramel, fish sauce, and chili powder all commingled. And the best news is that after you're done finishing off a plate of these, you'll be in a place where it's not weird to wipe your hands on your pants.

CONNECTICUT

J. Timothy's Taverne

Address and Info PLAINVILLE The dirt on J. Timothy's is dirt. Dirt Wings, specifically. That's what this Connecticut institution calls its signature fried-sauced-fried-again preparation, allegedly namedafter the oldest player on a softball team of bar regulars. The result is delicious: That double-deep-fried shell finishes a few shades darker than hot-sauce orange and delivers super-crisp bites. The dirtying process puts sauce into the fryer, which mucks it up and necessitates frequent oil changes, so you know you're getting the good stuff. Timothy's was founded in 1985, but the building it's in was built in 1789, so it's pretty much as old as dirt, too.

DELAWARE

2 Fat Guys

Address and Info HOCKESSIN In 2004, before they owned two successful restaurants, the two fat guys behind 2 Fat Guys ran a catering company. Back then, they knew burgers, ribs, and wings were the staples. They still are. But to stand out in a state where popular chain Wings To Go got its start, you gotta do things a little differently. Case in point: One of its most popular wing sauces is the Triple Threat -- a combo of bourbon BBQ, poached pear, and mild. About that unique poached pear sauce: It's scratch-made by, you guessed it, poaching pears, emulsifying them, and mixing with the restaurant's BBQ sauce. Another bestseller is the PB&J sauce with peanut butter, grape jelly, and BBQ sauce, which is essentially school lunch on a wing! Regulars know to ask for the special sauce of the day, as they're often wild ideas for wings that sound like they could fail miserably in the wrong hands. They don't! One winner featured regularly on Valentine's Day is Vampire's Blood, made with cinnamon Red Hots candy and Atomic Fireballs. But one stand-out wing that pops up as a special frequently is the Yuengwing, made with, yup, Yuengling. It's all the flavor of that classic lager without having to get up to go to the fridge and open one. No surprise that it'll likely be promoted to a regular menu item soon.

FLORIDA

Sports Grill

Address and Info MIAMI Though every dude who moves to South Beach for a winter and changes his Facebook hometown to "Miami" claims to be a 305 local, no one can truly claim that title until they've spent an entire Sunday crushing wings at Sports Grill. Each of the upscale sports bar's seven locations serves up these South Dade staples that are flame-grilled and THEN fried, giving the little fall-off-the-bone suckers a savory flavor unmatched anywhere in South Florida. The must-order sauce is the sweet-and-spicy Dale sauce, an addictive flavor combination of chilies and barbecue sauce named after a longtime Sports Grill regular named Dale (though most would assume it's pronounced "DAH-lay," after Mr. 305 himself).

JR CRICKETS | SEBASTIAN DAVIS/THRILLIST

GEORGIA

J.R. Crickets

Address and Info ATLANTA In 1982 a guy named Paul Juliano opened a rickety chicken wing joint in Midtown Atlanta, not far from Georgia Tech. He named it J.R. Crickets, and like any true visionary would, he branded it with a logo of an upright Caucasian peanut pretending to be a cricket in a tux jacket and no pants. Thirty-five years later Juliano's crispy-fried wings are the stuff of legend, having earned (no pun intended) a mention on Donald Glover's Atlanta for a mythical flavor called "lemon pepper wet." The classic Buffalo are unfailing, the fries are nice and salty without overkill. The skin holds up to the sauces, whether it's the thick BBQ, wet teriyaki, or lemon pepper dry (rubbed). Sure, you might find wings you like anywhere in Georgia, but it’s hard to say that anybody in this state has done it better.

HAWAII

Hale Vietnam

Address and Info HONOLULU If you didn't know any better, you'd think Hale Vietnam's absolutely enormous chicken wings were chicken tenders. This wing was inspired by a dish the chef had in Vietnam, and ever since '86 the kitchen's been frying 'em up. First, the big-ass wing is deboned and stuffed with ground pork, vegetables like carrots and onions, and long-grain rice. Then it's lightly breaded in panko and deep-fried, and finally served with fish sauce. You can also ask for a Vietnamese peanut sauce. And because you're going to want a beer with these wings (and a bowl of pho, if you're smart), you could have a Tsingtao or Singha. But our recommendation is to go local and order a Kona Longboard -- a beer brewed on the Big Island, a mere seven miles away.

BARBACOA | LAURIE PEARMAN/THRILLIST

IDAHO

Barbacoa

Address and Info BOISE Idaho isn't exactly synonymous with chicken wings, let alone ultra-swank Latin-fusion restaurants. So it's kind of crazy-surprising that the best wings in the state aren't served in a basket as an afterthought at a cowboy bar, but rather on a board with a tiny little hibachi grill. That's right. Taken on their own, the tender, plump wings are remarkably balanced in their sweet/spicy pop. But get frisky with that mug-sized grill, and you can make them your own. Add a little smoke. Or a lot of char. Or let the sauce caramelize and melt into the skin, creating extra crunch. Just don't, you know, put them on then get up to go the bathroom. Burning these things is a crime against all that is delicious.

ILLINOIS

Crisp

Address and Info CHICAGO The satisfying skin on the Korean-inspired, double-fried wings at this tiny temple to the art of fried poultry has managed to win over even the most ardent Buffalo wing devotees. Actually, Buffalo fans are still in luck at this modest North Side counter-service joint, as the wing sauce it employs from legendary hot dog stand Budacki's is reliably on point. That said, you'd really be missing out if you passed over their BBQ, kind of a hybrid American-Korean style amped up with red chili paste (they'll happily turn up the spice factor if you ask). The milder ginger-garlic-soy Seoul Sassy is also a must-order, and not just because it's super-fun to say. Fortunately this place is accustomed to mixed orders for the decision-challenged.

INDIANA

Ale Emporium

Address and Info INDIANAPOLIS No disrespect to the quality of its beer list, but this Indianapolis favorite might want to update its name to the Ale & Wing Emporium given the reverence Hoosiers express for the wing artistry here. With a wood-paneled, brass-railed neighborhood vibe, the place is a prime spot for live music and sports. But the chicken steals the most attention. While it has a sizable arsenal of your standard sauce options and heat levels, you're getting the Hermanaki wings -- a closely guarded secret recipe named for the owner that involves an addictive dry rub and a finishing stint on the grill following the fryer. Sometimes when an establishment touts a dish as "world famous" it induces skepticism. These will make you a believer.

IOWA

Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack

Address and Info IOWA CITY The ribs may be the namesake specialty at this beloved Iowa City smokehouse, but unlike some of its barbecue brethren, Jimmy Jack's really does its wings justice. The assorted tools and farm implements decking the brick-red walls let you know you're about to do some work with your hands, though not involving an ax (hopefully). First thoroughly coated in the house rub before a 2.5-hour smoking session over hickory wood, they're then placed on standby until they're fried to order and sauced up. The original sauce packs just the right balance of sweet, heat, and vinegar to make for the optimal pairing among the quartet of BBQ-centric sauce options, but it also offers a Buffalo option spiced to your liking, which marries nicely with the smoke for an upgrade over your standard hot wing.

KANSAS

Hot Basil

Address and Info OVERLAND PARK Hot Basil doesn't necessarily look like an establishment where you'd be driven to go primal on a plate of wings, what with the white tablecloths, soothing green hues, and delicate floral prints. But all concerns about decorum go out the window when you’re confronted with a plate of wings at this family-run Thai restaurant. The perpetually in-demand wings are a family recipe that starts with a trip to the deep fryer before getting tossed to the wok, where they're finished in a sauce deep with garlic, Thai basil (naturally), and a hit of Sriracha. The visible flecks of basil make you feel like you can pretty much count it as a salad, though you're more likely to be thinking about whether it'd look weird to put in a second order. It won't. Just do it.

MILKWOOD | COURTESY OF MILKWOOD

KENTUCKY

MilkWood

Address and Info LOUISVILLE Top Chef vet Edward Lee’s made quite the name for himself with his seamless melding of Southern and Asian flavors, and you probably shouldn’t pass through Louisville without enjoying some of his food. May we recommend the wings at MilkWood, the still-sleek but more casual sibling to his much-acclaimed 610 Magnolia? You'll spot an array of animal skulls and antlers adorning the white brick walls, but soon enough the only animal remnants capturing your attention will be chicken wings stripped of every morsel of meat as you wonder what just happened? Here's what happened: They were tenderly smoked before getting crisped up and tossed in some chili-lime sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions, drizzled with Alabama white BBQ sauce, and brought to your table where you tore through them like a maniac. Nice work.

LOUISIANA

Kin

Address and Info NEW ORLEANS Last year, tiny 25-seat pan-Asian/southern fine-dining spot Kin ditched the fancy stuff and dedicated its open kitchen to atypical ramen incorporating everything from oxtail to crawdads. Chefs Hieu Than and Nate Nguyen also decided to celebrate the glories of the chicken wing with two different variations that change daily under the banner of General Meow's chicken wings. They could be honey-coated and flecked with rosemary, shimmering with garlic and chilies, or kicked up with traditional five spice. The only thing you can expect -- aside from a line -- is that the wings will have a crispy skin, tender meat, and explosive flavors. Order both offerings. Maybe two of each.

MAINE

Samuel's Bar and Grill

Address and Info PORTLAND This typically crowded and comfortably no-frills neighborhood spot offers patio seating and an extensive menu featuring every type of bar snack you can imagine. That said, don't be seduced by the nachos or caught up in the sweet siren song of the calzone, because, despite the inherent tastiness of both, the wings are the reason you're here. The offering is mostly straightforward -- served naked or tossed in Buffalo, sweet Thai chili, or BBQ sauce -- but if you want to do it big, opt for the twice-fried Dirty wings, one of the most rightfully raved-about menu items. For the full experience, we recommend putting on something with an elastic waistband and swinging by on Wednesday or Thursday night when the wings are only 50 cents each from 5 'til close. Just remember that Samuel’s is open until 1am, so, uh, pace yourself accordingly.

MARYLAND

Kisling's

Address and Info BALTIMORE Let's just get this out of the way -- of course a huge, 170-plus-seat, wood-paneled neighborhood tavern in Baltimore sells Old Bay wings. And of course its customers pair those wings with Natty Boh and Heavy Seas beers. But that's obvious: It's like telling someone from Maryland that Cal Ripken played a couple games in a row for the O's. Duh. What might not be obvious is that Kisling's has been churning out its wings for 20+ years on the back of an owner who cooked up its original, mildly spicy wing sauce that's so popular he started bottling it. It's hot but still enjoyable, so there's no need to cry for your mom and drink a gallon of milk. You can also go straight-up Buffalo with the sauce, or opt for the honey Old Bay sauce, which builds on the classic crab seasoning with a hit of honey to sweeten the proceedings, all while retaining those delicious flavors from the Old Bay. If you're one of those people who doesn't know what the hell a Cal Ripken is, Old Bay is made mostly of red pepper flakes, paprika, and celery salt. And it's damn good on wings.

MASSACHUSETTS

Buff's Pub

Address and Info NEWTON Fans of classic Buffalo-style chicken wings won't be disappointed with the canonical version at this wood-paneled watering hole plastered with sports memorabilia and even more plastered BC students. Buff's slings the best in the state. But the right move here is the joint's Honey Hots. Like the Buffalo style, they are fried until juicy and crisp-tender, then doused in Frank's RedHot. Instead of the traditional butter, they are laced with honey (duh), giving the clunkers a sticky sweet-spicy glaze. Just the right thing to tear into in sweatpants while watching Tom "I never eat sugar" Brady throw touchdown passes into his 80s.

SWEETWATER TAVERN

MICHIGAN

Sweetwater Tavern

Address and Info DETROIT A Bricktown institution housed in one of the Motor City's oldest buildings (well, at least the original location is… it's got four now), Sweetwater ditches the practice of offering a bajillion different sauce options to specialize in only one, and it's frankly heralded as Michigan's best wing. Using meat straight from the Eastern Market, each wing takes a 24-hour bath in a top-secret sauce before getting dredged in spices and fried. They arrive at your table wet but not too saucy, with spice, salt, and vinegar permeating every bite. It's Detroit soul and BBQ at its finest, an institution built on the power of the wing that also happens to be one of Motown's finest classic bars.

MINNESOTA

Monte Carlo

Address and Info MINNEAPOLIS Now, the Monte Caaaarlo might sound like the kind of joint that serves its wings boneless, stuffed with foie, and sprinkled with gold dust, a folded cloth napkin on the side, but of course. But at this landmark chophouse, a North Loop fixture since 1906, the only fussiness with its beloved dry-rubbed Beijing wings is the expertly balanced, 18-ingredient secret spice mixture. Tucked in a decidedly unfancy paper napkin-lined woven basket, the righteously crackling-crispy wings -- dry-rubbed, fried, and then dusted in more spice mixture -- betray hints of cinnamon, cumin, onion powder, and celery salt. Beats lame, upright-pinky resort food any day of the week.

MISSISSIPPI

American Wings & Cafe

Address and Info HATTIESBURG You'd be forgiven for seeing some red flags when approaching American Wings & Cafe. It's got a strip-mall look that seems better suited for a joint that sells pre-paid cellphones, which are admittedly not delicious. It's lit like a hospital (though a hospital that smells like fried food). And it's got one of those menus that features everything from cheesesteaks to shrimp and gyros. Indeed, those items are questionable. But what is unquestioned is the dominance of these old-school wings. On first inspection, they look like any old chicken wings you'd see in a bar. And yet the secret here is in the sauces, which are house-made. That includes teriyaki/garlic pepper and garlic Parm in addition to lemon pepper BBQ and an incendiary hot sauce that's like Frank's way funner cousin. It might just be among the best in Mississippi. And Mississippi isn’t exactly sleeping on the hot sauce game, either.

MISSOURI

Gobble STOP Smokehouse

Address and Info CREVE COEUR All too often poultry is the forgotten stepchild of the BBQ menu, but if you did a good job learning your animal sounds as a child you probably guessed that isn't the case at Gobble STOP Smokehouse. OK, fine, "gobble" is turkey and "cluck" is chicken, but whatever. Point is this place really does right by birds. Owner DeMarco Howard doesn’t even offer pork at his strip-mall shop outside St. Louis. What he DOES offer is some seriously addictive chicken wings among many other fine poultry options, dry-rubbed before a date with some smoldering hickory wood that leaves them with the kind of smoky juiciness that'll make you glad you have those slices of bread to make sure nothing's left behind.

MONTANA

Desperado Sports Tavern

Address and Info MISSOULA While this old-school Missoula spot sort of resembles a log cabin from the outside, the interior is jam-packed with 32 HD TVs, making it the perfect spot to post up and watch the game… every game. And the best fuel for your fanaticism is, of course, the self-proclaimed King of Wings' specialty. Grab a cold beer and a pile of the meaty, crispy-skinned Buffalo-style wings that earned this bar the best-wings-in-town crown several years running. Just keep in mind when ordering that Despo's takes the "hot" part of hot wings pretty seriously, so you shouldn't be that ashamed if you play it safe with the Sissy Sauce… We hear the Tavern is totally a no-judgment zone. Sissy.

NEBRASKA

Oscar's

Address and Info OMAHA While the phrase "char-buffed" might sound like the name of tanning salon for overly muscular bros, it's actually the technique used to cook the best chicken wings in Nebraska. At West Omaha's Oscar's, the kitchen fries each wing, dips it in sauce, and grills it until, well, it develops a nice char. It's all in the name, ya know? And if you like your wings extra saucy to the point where you have no choice but to use your shirt as a napkin, ask for them double-dipped. The wings will get another sauce bath after a stint on the grill. And if you really like to live life on the spicy-and-saucy edge, get your order made with Oscar's Kujo sauce, which is just a fancy way of saying "really insanely hot" and has nothing to do with early Stephen King cocaine allegories.

WING KING

NEVADA

Wing King

Address and Info LAS VEGAS Lots of places have a ton of different sauce options. So what makes this little joint inside the big-ass Shooters Bar & Grill so special, outside of the fact that it's a handy place to eat away your sorrow from losing your kid's college fund on a bad hand of blackjack? The 80 sauces bathing your classic bar-style wings are outstanding. You can go dry with a brown sugar/bourbon rub or one that approximates Cool Ranch Doritos, spicy with everything from curry to jerk (plus Hell Wings, which have a legendary challenge attached to them), or weirdly delicious with a sauce that tastes pretty damn close to strawberry cheesecake with a kick. Even better? This is also the home of pig wings, which are bone-in ham shanks dropped into a fryer for a nice crispy porksplosion. Get them with apple BBQ. That just makes sense… or at least as much sense as pig wings allows.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Wing-Itz

Address and Info PORTSMOUTH You might think of New Hampshire as more of a swing state than a wing state, but as New England's only wing butchery, Wing-Itz takes fresh to another level: Every wing is guaranteed to have been cut right off the bird that day. The Portsmouth restaurant has an impressive 30-sauce roster that runs the gamut from sweet to spicy, and no matter how you prefer your hand-breaded wings, we recommend getting them Southern-style for an extra crunch. If you must go boneless, go home… Or  get those suckers in wrap or sub form, both of which offer a delicious bread barrier between your fingers and any sticky sauces. And if you're a fan of the fork, you can even get 'em tossed in a salad… though, let's be real, that kinda defeats the whole point.

NEW JERSEY

The Chicken or the Egg

Address and Info BEACH HAVEN Despite being closed for the entirety of winter (one of the only downfalls of running a business in the beautiful shore town of Beach Haven), New Jersey's overall wing king is certainly The Chicken or the Egg, most commonly referred to simply as "Chegg" by locals. It opened on Memorial Day weekend -- the official launch of summer on the Jersey Shore -- in 1991, and hasn't really slowed down since. It offers up 16 varieties of sauces, though you'll probably want to try the Ludicrous (as in ludicrously hot) or the spicy honey mash-up of the Killer Bee Sting sauce. The wings are way bigger than your standard offerings and juicy as hell. Oh yeah, and it's open 24/7 in the summer. Which is perfect, because wings are a suitable meal at literally any time. They're as much a part of Jersey Shore culture as the dude who punched Snookie.

NEW MEXICO

Cowgirl BBQ

Address and Info SANTA FE With its Tex-Mex aesthetic and checkered tablecloths, the Cowgirl looks like a theme-park version of the kind of bar that Patrick Swayze might be fighting at in the big roadhouse in the sky (RIP, good sir). But the Southern-style BBQ joint proves you don’t have to be Texan to do everything bigger. Case in point, the honkin' wings, which contain a light smoke, crispy skin, and a hell of a lot of heat, even if you get the straight-up house style. You can also go jerk, but come on. Cowgirl up and go with the Wings of Fire, which are tossed in a fiery habanero-based salsa diablo that might be manageable for the weak of heart(burn) were they not so friggin' big. Lucky for you, it also has great margaritas, and you can catch some live country music as you recover. Hell, that's what Dalton would do. Remember: Pain don't hurt.

ANCHOR BAR | FLICKR/YURI LONG

NEW YORK

Anchor Bar

Address and Info BUFFALO Oh, you want wings? Well there's not really a better place to go in New York State -- or the entire world, for that matter -- than the Buffalo restaurant where wings as most bars know them were invented. Yes, this is ground zero. It goes like this: On March 4, 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at Anchor, his family's restaurant. When a few of his friends stumbled in after a night of libations demanding something to sate their drunched-up appetites, Dominic's doting mother Teressa fried up the wings of a chicken (normally used for stock), then covered them in an impromptu, incredibly hot sauce, and served them up… to rave reviews (obviously). Thus, the first late-night wing moment happened -- and from there, Teressa's creation spread to bars across the nation. Luckily for us in the 21st century, you can still count on an otherworldly spread of wings at Anchor Bar. It even continues to use Teressa's secret sauce, alongside seven new iterations. Sometimes "first" isn't necessarily the best. This is not one of those times.

NORTH CAROLINA

Seoul Food Meat Co.

Address and Info CHARLOTTE Despite being open just under a year, Seoul Food Meat Co. has become Charlotte's go-to spot for wings. And they are a refreshing -- if not incredibly hot -- break from the traditional trappings of wing joints, with Southern BBQ and Korean traditions buddying up. The wings are double-fried with a fine, succulent crust that falls apart (in a good way) as soon as you bite into it. These suckers will melt in your mouth. There are only two flavors here: soy garlic and spicy BBQ. Get a split order of the enormous, crispy suckers. Just know that those Korean spices mixed with BBQ flavors are as hot as they are delicious. And they're pretty damn delicious.

NORTH DAKOTA

Sickies Garage

Address and Info FARGO Motorcycle-themed Sickies also serves up the best damn burger in NoDak, so we were a little hesitant to also bequeath upon the joint (which, at 50 taps, is also a formidable beer bar) the honor of the Roughrider State's best wings. Actually, no we weren't. Because these suckers are delicious and infinitely customizable. They're traditional pub-style wings at their core, but it's what you do with them that matters. Rubs range from mango habanero to Sriracha, while things really get amped up in the sauces, which include boozy variations like Jameson and Fireball and the ghost pepper-spiked Hells Fury. Go with that one and you're gonna be pretty stoked about that big-ass beer list.

OHIO

Fat Head's Brewery

Address and Info CLEVELAND Fat Head's is one of the best breweries in Ohio (and now Oregon and Pennsylvania), and the joint really makes good on its name, offering gigantic sandwiches to pair with Hop JuJu that would make even the most ardent CrossFit trainer grow jowls. Carrying on with that unpleasant joke, the wings, too, seem cut from a hyper-steroidal chicken with a serious addiction to the gym. They're big, is what we're saying. And smoked. And tossed in a special salty/spicy dry rub before getting tossed in sauce. We recommend the tangy/fun-to-say bumble berry, though you'd be a dumbass to not get at least one in garlic Parm. The price point is a little deceptive, too. At $6 for three, it sounds a little expensive. Then you pull a muscle lifting the plate, and those concerns will be gone. Again, they're big is what we're saying.

OKLAHOMA

Wing Supreme

Address and Info OKLAHOMA CITY Established in the nation's capital, Wing Supreme eventually made the move from DC to OKC, and took its secret blend of 11 spices with it. The restaurant's wing savants don't miss any opportunity to add flavor throughout the preparation process, and take an inside-out approach, frying the flavor into the wing itself rather than just slapping some sauce on afterwards. There are 16 sauce options, among them the standout Cajun and Honey Love. Regardless of what you get, they’ll be crisp and piping-hot. Whether you have the willpower to wait for them to cool, however, is between you and the burn ward. RELATED

Every State's Most Important Food Innovation

POK POK | COLE SALADINO/THRILLIST

OREGON

Pok Pok

Address and Info PORTLAND Chef Andy Ricker helped put PDX on the food map by introducing the masses to Northern Thai food. He toured Thailand with Bourdain, and even starred in his own documentary. But most importantly, he unleashed upon America Ike's Fish Sauce Wings. Prepped using a recipe from a Vietnamese street vendor, they laid the foundation for Pok Pok's expansion to New York and LA and even led the chef to open a wings-only outpost in Portland. They're basically meat candy. Giant, full-wing meat candy. After marinating in fish sauce and sugar, these Vietnamese wings get a dose of garlic after the fry, coating the crispy, caramelized skin with an explosion of flavor unlike anything you've ever had. Get them with a frozen jelly beer or Pok Pok's signature tamarind whiskey sour, and don't plan on sharing with the rest of the table.

PENNSYLVANIA

Moriarty's

Address and Info PHILADELPHIA This Philadelphia pub might share a name with Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis (asshole!), but trust us, this establishment is way more a friend than a foe. This classic Irish drinking hole knows how to pour a pint of Guinness and make some of the goddamn tastiest wings in America. Moriarty's epitomizes less is more and only has one seriously unfussy wing option on the menu. The chicken is deep-fried and tossed in a tangy sauce made with plenty of Frank's which generously coats the enormous Buffalo-style beauts. Boom. Simple perfection. It might sound straightforward, but trust us, the reason why Moriarty's keeps winning awards for its wings comes down to more than just the luck of the Irish. Also, can we talk about that Sherlock finale???

RHODE ISLAND

Boneheads Wing Bar

Address and Info WEST WARWICK A Kickstarter success story, Boneheads was started by four friends with zero real restaurant experience who honed the original recipes in their own homes on NFL Sundays. Fast-forward a few years, and the award-winning restaurant now pumps out 1 ton of extra-crispy wings every week and boasts 56 wet sauces and 25 dry rubs -- plus unique quarterly releases -- in both conventional flavors and more unusual options (peanut butter/Fluff, for instance). The restaurant's rock 'n' roll theme is not only reflected in the decor -- which features autographed memorabilia, concert posters, and famous guitar signs -- but on the menu, where each sauce is cleverly named for a song. For a cranberry-habanero kick, try Zombie; Pump Up the Jam with the PB&J flavor; or opt for a bestseller like the maple-bacon magic that is Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which tastes like the most important meal of the day slapped onto a wing. Or maybe just hit shuffle on your iPod and order accordingly.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Carolina Wings & Ribhouse

Address and Info LEXINGTON With its five locations, you don't have to travel too far across the state to find one of these outposts, which is good news, as the restaurant's wings have been voted the best in multiple cities. Now for the method to the delicious madness: Both the certified jumbo and the bite-sized boneless wings start off in the fryer before being transferred to the pan, where they're sautéed in one of 24 sauces. These range from the pleasantly mild teriyaki to the significantly hotter Fire Island and all the way up to the oh-my-God-why-would-you-do-this-to-yourself-Greg?!?! Beyond Blistering, which -- at 600,000 Scoville units -- is rated a Weeknd-esque "I can't feel my face!!" on the Carolina Wings heat scale. If you'd like to be able to taste anything in the foreseeable future, maybe pass on the that one.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Steerfish Steak & Smoke

Address and Info SPEARFISH The Fish is a weird and wonderful town, one where cowboy culture meets college town and that's annually overrun with hundreds of thousands of bikers spilling over from Sturgis. All will find something to love at the this dining hall-style steakhouse, which also happens to enjoy having three-ways with chicken wings. Wait, that sounded bad. What we mean is the wings (bone-in or boneless… never do the latter) are first hickory-smoked, then fried, then sautéed with sauces like Thai chili or chipotle bacon. That means you're basically getting all three classic wing preps, and at a place where you can pair them with a locally sourced steak or chicken-fried bacon. For real. We weren’t joking when we called SoDak underrated as hell.

HATTIE B'S HOT CHICKEN | JOSEPH WOODLEY

TENNESSEE

Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Address and Info NASHVILLE When you visit Nashville, you go to Prince's or Hattie B's or, these days, even fancier spots like Acme, and you get some type of hot chicken -- that spicy dry-rubbed, battered, and deep-fried poultry that is as synonymous with Music City as cowboy hats and sweltering humidity. But once you've gotten that basic fried bird, move on to Hattie B's platters of mouth-tingling whole wings. After they come out of the deep fryer, the wings bathe in a mixture of oil and a paprika-cayenne-spice explosion. The result? The flavors soak deep into the crispy bird. Order 'em Damn Hot with blue cheese and let your tongue dance with as much of that heat and flavor as you can handle.

TEXAS

The Tavern

Address and Info AUSTIN The building housing The Tavern turned 100 last year, and the restaurant's sign still proudly advertises air conditioning -- a former luxury that no doubt drew a huge, sweaty crowd during sweltering Austin summers. Now AC is an expectation, but sweaty, hungry Austinites still head in droves to the legendary Downtown bar for daily drink specials, TVs, trivia, and, of course, the unique wings. As The Tavern isn't a wing joint by definition, it doesn't serve standard-issue chicken dredged in your choice of 400 weird flavors. Instead, The Tavern has a singular -- wingular? -- focus that's manifested itself in the "Amazing White Wings" which are wrapped in bacon and jalapeños and covered in house-made hot sauce (there are also traditional Buffalo wings tossed in that sauce, but who are you kidding?). Whether you have to fight the Downtown lunch crowd by day or dodge a whole kickball team's worth of 20-somethings in neon T-shirts by night, these wings are definitely worth it. And, OK, the AC is still pretty nice.

COURTESY OF THE TROLLEY WING COMPANY

UTAH

Trolley Wing Company

Address and Info SALT LAKE CITY In 1999, long before the food truck craze swept the country, the Trolley Wing Company was dippin' and flippin' wings from an old converted trolley car in Salt Lake City. In the 18 years since, it's graduated to a more standard brick-and-mortar setup, but the cooking method -- a unique baked-not-fried technique perfected in the original location -- remains the same. The restaurant's wings are available in bone-in, boneless, veggie, and vegan variations, in four levels of heat, and can be bathed in any combo of 18 available sauces, among them raspberry habanero and the best-selling Jamaican honey garlic. That makes for 4,194,304 possible flavor combinations, and with a new sauce flavor rotating in temporarily each month – previous faves included jalapeño and bourbon peach -- there’s no chance your taste buds will ever get bored.

VERMONT

Wicked Wings

Address and Info ESSEX Contrary to popular belief, not everything you eat in Vermont involves maple syrup. Exhibit A: these chicken wings, which are available in 21 rubs and sauces. While both the hand-breaded boneless chicken bites and chicken tenders share space on the menu, the Essex eatery's house specialty is, of course, the Wicked Wings, for which the chicken is first fried, seasoned, and sauced, and then finished over an open flame. No matter what poultry product you pick, if you opt for "Melt Your Face!" -- the hottest on the five-level heat spectrum -- do yourself a favor and order a hand-spun milkshake on the side. We're pretty sure that levels everything out.

VIRGINIA

Mama J's

Address and Info RICHMOND Not only is Mama J's the best spot to snag wings in the Old Dominion state, it's one of the best soul food restaurants in the entire country. J's has been a force in the Richmond food scene since it opened in 2009, when Mama J (Velma Johnson, a born-and-bred Richmond resident) and her eldest son Lester made their long-held desire to open up a soul food joint in the city's historic Jackson Ward neighborhood a spicy-hot reality. And much of their success stems from the restaurant's consistent ability to deliver quality "chicken wingettes" deep-fried to perfection. There aren't a ton of flavors to choose from (two, actually: plain or sauced), but that's part of the beauty here. Above all, they nail that crispy, savory crunch every chicken wing skin needs. Mama J, we could kiss you. But we won't. That would be rude.

WASHINGTON

TanakaSan

Address and Info SEATTLE You gotta love a lauded chef who sticks with what he loves. Prolific James Beard winner (and actual beard wearer) Tom Douglas clearly loves wings, as the hot pepper ones at his famed Palace Kitchen have long been considered Seattle's best. But he's topped them at his TanakaSan restaurant, where the Asian-inspired wings come in two flavors (salty caramel, serrano & garlic; and smoked chili with kimchee ketchup) and are fried about the same number of times you actually watched Wings: twice. Come on. You thought we were gonna get through this whole list without a shout-out to Steven Weber's glory days?

KOCHIX | BRIAN OH/THRILLIST

WASHINGTON, DC

KoChix

Address and Info WASHINGTON, DC DC wing devotees rightly hail their outpost of Korean import Bonchon for its excellent Korean-style wings, but those in the know have come to appreciate the attention-demanding chicken achievements coming out of this less flashy Shaw corner joint. You can opt for wings, drums, or a combo -- a flexibility that's much appreciated given the impressive meat quotient found here. But no matter which route you go, you're getting a perfectly fried exterior rich with nooks and crannies for collecting more sauce -- the hot honey spicy is the favorite among the trio available, having been accused unironically of possibly containing narcotics.

WEST VIRGINIA

Clutch Wing Shop

Address and Info MORGANTOWN Clutch does a different wing special every week, supplementing its normal offerings with outside-the-basket wing flavors like Sriracha sweet chili Buffalo, honey Cholula, and the incendiary Ghost Riders sauced with those spooky peppers and topped with bacon (no Nic Cage, alas). This illustrates the main selling point of this Morgantown chicken joint: creative and rotating flavor combinations spicing up wings of the bone-in, boneless, and even tofu variety. And as Clutch is a delivery and takeout spot, it's the perfect option for those who prefer to enjoy their wings the way nature intended: on the couch, sans pants.

WISCONSIN

Points East Pub

Address and Info MILWAUKEE The former owner of this pub describes its wings as an accident -- a successful cooking style discovered when leftover Hooters wings were reheated on a gas grill one spring break. (Note: This is the only good accident in spring break history.) Fast-forward a few decades, and this unique method is what earned Points East's wings bragging rights as Milwaukee's best signature bar food. The 2,200lb of wings cooked up each week make it to your plate courtesy of a three-part process: They're first deep-fried, then dipped in the pub's hand-mixed signature spicy BBQ sauce, (the recipe for which hasn't changed in 22 years), and then finally slow-grilled to fully develop the flavor as the sauce permeates the meat. It's worth warning that wait times can be long (slow-grilled is not just a clever name), but given the impressive craft beer selection at Points East, we imagine you'll be able to entertain yourself. And if you can't, hey, maybe just reheat some Hooters leftovers.

WYOMING

Lovejoy's

Address and Info LARAMIE Namesake Elmer Lovejoy was like Wyoming's Henry Ford, having worked tirelessly to make the first horseless carriage west of the Mississippi and the garage-door opener. But more importantly, unlike overrated Henry Ford, his namesake old-timey saloon makes perhaps the best damn no-frills wings in cattle country. Which is to say, get a steak (and a garage). But before that, get these immaculate wings, a paragon of no-frills bar food tossed preferably in sweet/spicy sauce, though the Thai chili version is also a thing of beauty. On Tuesdays they come by the bucket for $6 alongside the other special, a gravy-soaked poutine. Between the Canadian fries and the Thai chili, it's as international as you're gonna get in Wyoming on a weekday. By ANDY KRYZA and SAM SUMPTERPublished On 02/03/2017 @apkryza Read the full article

[justiniopmarshall]

Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach

When in the mood to chill out in Surf Bars, then Huntington Beach, Orange County is definitely the place to be. Famous for chill, booze, and a good time, surf bars in the area offer a chillaxing happy vibe sought for by beach combers. Find out more about Huntington, CA

Chill out after riding the waves. (Photo Credits)

Surf City USA described the Huntington Beach night life in one of the articles they have posted in their website.

"Thirsting to drink a beer with the locals? Watering holes in Huntington Beach run the gamut from rockabilly dive bar to upscale jazz lounge. Live music, karaoke, and juke boxes sing from bars and pubs lining Main Street, where you'll find a mix of dance floors, sports bars, cantinas, aloha spirit, Irish pride, quiet outdoor patios pouring craft cocktails—and even Orange County's only mechanical bull. This eclectic variety of nightlife permeates throughout town, all the way up through Sunset Beach and its famed retro tiki bar. Here in Surf City USA, the glass is always half full." Historical and Cultural sites in Huntington Beach

Check out their recommended dive and surf bars here.

Surf and Dive Bars

A top of mind recommendation made by locals to visiting beach goers, is Hurricane's.

In their official website, they recounted how their bar became a success in the Huntington Beach area. "It was in 1992 that Hurricanes Bar & Grill first splashed onto the Huntington Beach local scene. Over 25 years later we are still making every item from scratch, from rich and creamy clam chowders to thick chargrilled sirloin steak burgers, mountainous sandwich creations, teasing and tasty taco platters and mouthwatering mac n cheese just to name a few of over 60 items. Combine that with a full bar and 20 ice cold taps and you have a recipe for the best experience this side of the Mississippi. Things to Do in Huntington Beach Other than Surfing

Big Portions Reasonably Priced has been our success! This is truly SoCal casual dining at its best."

Check out their full menu and offerings from their website here.

Named after an Olympian

Duke's is yet another go-to-bar for locals and avid surfers in the area.  In their homepage, they included a bio of Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic gold medalist whom the bar has been named after.

"Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the first of six sons and three daughters of Duke and Julia Kahanamoku. He grew up in carefree Waikiki with the ocean as his playground, doing what he loved – mostly swimming, surfing, canoeing and bodysurfing. At the age of 21 he won his first Olympic gold medal, then went on to represent the United States in the Olympics for 20 years, winning not only medals but the hearts of people all over the world. He is remembered as a swimmer not just for remarkable speed, but for his grace in the water, his good humor, and his sportsmanship."

Check out Duke's Huntington's drink and food selection here.

Huntingtin Beach is definitely the place to chill out when in Orange County, California.

Gforce Green Electric Solutions Orange County 9222 Christine Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92646 (714) 312-3114 https://www.gforceelectric.com/electrician-service-huntington-beach/

The post Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach appeared first on GforceElectric.

This was just seen on Justin Marshall's Blog

[cathyrsaunders]

Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach

When in the mood to chill out in Surf Bars, then Huntington Beach, Orange County is definitely the place to be. Famous for chill, booze, and a good time, surf bars in the area offer a chillaxing happy vibe sought for by beach combers. Find out more about Huntington, CA

Chill out after riding the waves. (Photo Credits)

Surf City USA described the Huntington Beach night life in one of the articles they have posted in their website.

“Thirsting to drink a beer with the locals? Watering holes in Huntington Beach run the gamut from rockabilly dive bar to upscale jazz lounge. Live music, karaoke, and juke boxes sing from bars and pubs lining Main Street, where you’ll find a mix of dance floors, sports bars, cantinas, aloha spirit, Irish pride, quiet outdoor patios pouring craft cocktails—and even Orange County’s only mechanical bull. This eclectic variety of nightlife permeates throughout town, all the way up through Sunset Beach and its famed retro tiki bar. Here in Surf City USA, the glass is always half full.” Historical and Cultural sites in Huntington Beach

Check out their recommended dive and surf bars here.

Surf and Dive Bars

A top of mind recommendation made by locals to visiting beach goers, is Hurricane’s.

In their official website, they recounted how their bar became a success in the Huntington Beach area. “It was in 1992 that Hurricanes Bar & Grill first splashed onto the Huntington Beach local scene. Over 25 years later we are still making every item from scratch, from rich and creamy clam chowders to thick chargrilled sirloin steak burgers, mountainous sandwich creations, teasing and tasty taco platters and mouthwatering mac n cheese just to name a few of over 60 items. Combine that with a full bar and 20 ice cold taps and you have a recipe for the best experience this side of the Mississippi. Things to Do in Huntington Beach Other than Surfing

Big Portions Reasonably Priced has been our success! This is truly SoCal casual dining at its best.”

Check out their full menu and offerings from their website here.

Named after an Olympian

Duke’s is yet another go-to-bar for locals and avid surfers in the area.  In their homepage, they included a bio of Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic gold medalist whom the bar has been named after.

“Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the first of six sons and three daughters of Duke and Julia Kahanamoku. He grew up in carefree Waikiki with the ocean as his playground, doing what he loved – mostly swimming, surfing, canoeing and bodysurfing. At the age of 21 he won his first Olympic gold medal, then went on to represent the United States in the Olympics for 20 years, winning not only medals but the hearts of people all over the world. He is remembered as a swimmer not just for remarkable speed, but for his grace in the water, his good humor, and his sportsmanship.”

Check out Duke’s Huntington’s drink and food selection here.

Huntingtin Beach is definitely the place to chill out when in Orange County, California.

Gforce Green Electric Solutions Orange County 9222 Christine Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92646 (714) 312-3114 https://www.gforceelectric.com/electrician-service-huntington-beach/

The post Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach appeared first on GforceElectric.

This first appeared on Linda Song's Tumblr

[allen81justice]

Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach

When in the mood to chill out in Surf Bars, then Huntington Beach, Orange County is definitely the place to be. Famous for chill, booze, and a good time, surf bars in the area offer a chillaxing happy vibe sought for by beach combers. Find out more about Huntington, CA

Chill out after riding the waves. (Photo Credits)

Surf City USA described the Huntington Beach night life in one of the articles they have posted in their website.

“Thirsting to drink a beer with the locals? Watering holes in Huntington Beach run the gamut from rockabilly dive bar to upscale jazz lounge. Live music, karaoke, and juke boxes sing from bars and pubs lining Main Street, where you’ll find a mix of dance floors, sports bars, cantinas, aloha spirit, Irish pride, quiet outdoor patios pouring craft cocktails—and even Orange County’s only mechanical bull. This eclectic variety of nightlife permeates throughout town, all the way up through Sunset Beach and its famed retro tiki bar. Here in Surf City USA, the glass is always half full.” Historical and Cultural sites in Huntington Beach

Check out their recommended dive and surf bars here.

Surf and Dive Bars

A top of mind recommendation made by locals to visiting beach goers, is Hurricane’s.

In their official website, they recounted how their bar became a success in the Huntington Beach area. “It was in 1992 that Hurricanes Bar & Grill first splashed onto the Huntington Beach local scene. Over 25 years later we are still making every item from scratch, from rich and creamy clam chowders to thick chargrilled sirloin steak burgers, mountainous sandwich creations, teasing and tasty taco platters and mouthwatering mac n cheese just to name a few of over 60 items. Combine that with a full bar and 20 ice cold taps and you have a recipe for the best experience this side of the Mississippi. Things to Do in Huntington Beach Other than Surfing

Big Portions Reasonably Priced has been our success! This is truly SoCal casual dining at its best.”

Check out their full menu and offerings from their website here.

Named after an Olympian

Duke’s is yet another go-to-bar for locals and avid surfers in the area.  In their homepage, they included a bio of Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic gold medalist whom the bar has been named after.

“Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the first of six sons and three daughters of Duke and Julia Kahanamoku. He grew up in carefree Waikiki with the ocean as his playground, doing what he loved – mostly swimming, surfing, canoeing and bodysurfing. At the age of 21 he won his first Olympic gold medal, then went on to represent the United States in the Olympics for 20 years, winning not only medals but the hearts of people all over the world. He is remembered as a swimmer not just for remarkable speed, but for his grace in the water, his good humor, and his sportsmanship.”

Check out Duke’s Huntington’s drink and food selection here.

Huntingtin Beach is definitely the place to chill out when in Orange County, California.

Gforce Green Electric Solutions Orange County 9222 Christine Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92646 (714) 312-3114 https://www.gforceelectric.com/electrician-service-huntington-beach/

The post Best Surf Bar in Huntington Beach appeared first on GforceElectric.

This was posted on Linda Song’s Blog