Yesterday and today were filled with discovering the island of Oahu. We were able to get a rental car and decided to head toward Diamond Head, arguably the most recognizable feature of the Hawaiian Islands.

While we are not hikers, plenty of people are. And apparently, this is one of those places you don't want to miss. Jeff, Sylvia, and the boys would LOVE it. Diamond Head is an adventure unto itself. We drove around it to the posh area of Kahala, the Beverly Hills of Oahu, to find the restaurant our hotel concierge recommended for Monday night's dining experience.

After feeling like we stepped out of an episode of "The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," we headed north along the windward coast...our mission: to find the North Shore. It's winter and "surf's up." This is the time of year when you were a kid and Wide World of Sports came on, you saw those waves bigger than a house, live from Waimea Bay or Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

But first, food. We took off without breakfast. And hunger set in around 9:30AM. Outside Waikiki, the selection of breakfast venues decreases to the point where there are two options: a type of fastfood that the locals call drive-ins, offering a selection of local fare. Or McDonald's. We are adventuresome eaters! And we chose McDonald's. If only our McDonalds would serve the same Spam, eggs, and rice for breakfast, we'd stay home...not!

As we rounded the top of the island, the dark rain clouds and winds showed up. It was an unexpected, dramatic climatic change. Before we knew it, we were hanging out with the "Hang Ten" crowd on Sunset Beach. Signs on the beach warned: "Caution! No swimming. Rip tides. Dangerous currents." Winds were at 25 to 30 knots. Although the temperature was still in the 70's, there was a decided chill in the air. About a dozen or more crazy people were in the water about 200 to 300 yards offshore, waiting for the perfect wave. Unfortunately, the limits of my camera did not allow me to get photos of these "spots" in the distance. Waves were about 15-20 feet out where the surfers were hanging. Onshore, you knew YOU wouldn't go anywhere NEAR the water. I wish I had had a footlong telephoto lens for my camera! But the experience was not lost. We got some great photos of Waimea Bay, where Beach Party Bingo was filmed in the '60's! The only problem we're having is we can't remember if this was Frankie and Annette or James Darren and Sandra Dee. Ok, we're old. This memory thing gets worse and worse!

My Moon Doggie is hungry right now, and we're headed to Hoku, the restaurant in Kahala. More later....