Round the World

(click on each category description to expand for content)

Here’s what we packed and how we packed it…

Her: (26lb carry-on, 15lb personal)

6 tshirts	2 long sleeve tees	5 shorts	6 dresses
2 swimsuits	1 pair: boots, sandals, flipflops	2 gym shorts	1 light cashmere sweater 1 cashmere shawl
1 flannel shirt	2 lightweight knit mesh sweaters	1 pair leggings	ski pants, goggles, gloves, wool socks
1 medium weight sweater	camera w/ scuba housing	2 beach cover ups	2 belts
exercise loop & band	1 Pair of PJ’s	7 Undies 4 Pair socks	Jewelry bag, Toiletry kit

+ Travel day attire: polo shirt, light zip hoodie, jeans, belt, socks, sneakers, lightweight (waterproof) HH jacket

Him: (29lb carry-on, 12.5lb personal)

5 tshirts	4 long sleeve tees	1 pullover fleece	1 medium weight sweater
4 shorts	1 khaki pants	flip flops, dress shoes	2 swim shorts
2 long sleeve dress shirts	2 button down short sleeve shirts	ski pants, wool socks, & gloves	4 pair socks
7 boxers	toiletry kit	iPad	International charger adapters

+ Travel day attire: long sleeve button down shirt, 1/4 zip fleece, jeans, belt, socks, sneakers, lightweight (waterproof) HH jacket

*Note that some airlines have weight restrictions for luggage depending on flight duration and class.

All cold weather clothing and shoes fit in our personal item bags! Some items are best rolled, others are laid flat. I did unpack and repack 4 times to get it right.
We packed for primarily warm weather but we will be skiing in the Pyrenees Mountains for a week. Instead of packing bulkier sweaters we are going for layers instead! It allows for more versatility and matching combinations.
On-site laundry in our hotels is essential. Laundry is done every 7-10 days. Being in warm climates we are in our swimsuits most of the time, which can be hand washed along with other delicates & undergarments.
I ended up buying a light sweater in Hawaii and 2 locally made cape/shawls while in New Zealand. I didn’t need them but they were a result of window shopping. 😂

TURNS OUT WE OVER PACKED!!

Once we arrived in Florida we gutted our suitcases and shipped back a bunch of stuff. Each living off a single carry-on for 3 weeks.

You REALLY don’t need anywhere what you think you need! We were tired of schlepping around so much. Here’s what was in our suitcases for the last month of our trip.

HER ♀️: 5 shirts (tees and polo)	4 dresses (3 casual, 1 date night)	1 pair: Flip flops, sandals, sneakers	2 sets of gym clothes
1 pair of jeans	1 light hoodie	1 light cashmere long sleeve shirt	2 swim suits, 1 beach cover-up
4 shorts (1 denim, white, navy, & 1 PJs)	7 undies 5 pair of socks (mostly ankles)	HH light waterproof jacket	Underwater camera w/ scuba housing
International chargers & cables	Jewelry bag, Toiletry kit	Tote bag, 2 exercise stretch bands	Hat, sunglasses, NC headphones

HIM ♂️: 5 tshirts	4 long sleeve tees	1 pair: flip flops, sneakers, dock shoes	1 pair of jeans, 1 khaki
5 button down shirts (2 long sleeve, 3 short sleeve)	3 shorts (navy, tan, mint)	5 pair socks (mostly ankles)	7 boxers
3 polos	1 medium sweater	Sunglasses	iPad
1 swim shorts	Toiletry kit

An overnight in the City By The Bay.

Delta Comfort+ seats were just what we needed for the nearly 6 hour flight. No one sat between us which is a perk. I will often reserve an aisle and a window seat when we travel together, knowing many people wouldn’t want to pay extra to sit in the middle. 😉

We chose to stay at Hampton Inn Burlingame Airport South due to it being directly outside of the airport. We thought about calling up and getting a shuttle but upon exiting we saw a taxi right there. We should have called for a shuttle… The fact that our hotel was only 4 minutes away we paid a $25 taxi ride! Turns out the airport charges vehicles to park there and that fee is passed onto unsuspecting travelers. When you land in SFO – call your hotel to pick you up! Lesson learned.

Tacos at Lolo’s with Steve’s niece, Eli and her partner, Lissa. The cauliflower Al Pastor tacos were delish and the chocolate dipped churros certainly didn’t disappoint either! We stayed at a Hampton Inn at the SFO airport, and even though it was right outside of the parking lot, the ubers and lyfts were all $30! Apparently there’s a fee to enter the airport parking lot if you linger for longer than 20 minutes. So that fee is passed onto the passenger. (That was my understanding at least).

Our flight takes off for Hawai’i at 7am (with a connection in Maui) so a relaxing lounge experience at our gate, thanks to Amex Priority Pass, was a warm welcome at this hour.

Kona, Hilo, Volcano National Park, Manta Rays, & shelter dogs!

(click on each topic to learn more)

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Outrigger, Kona! We had a large oceanview room overlooking the pool. Desipe being directly over the pool bar it was totally quiet. There isn’t a beach as it is located on a cliff but with the huge pools (one being adults only) you really don’t miss it. Signing up as an Outrigger member gave us discounts on all the bars and restaurants. There’s also convenient stores on site and a beautiful gym overlooking the ocean. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

FLIGHT NOTES

Our 5 hour flight to our connection in Maui was pleasant. Noting that there aren’t any entertainment screens behind the seats, it requires you to bring your own entertainment. Hawaiian airlines also doesn’t give you an option to request vegetarian or special menu for domestic flights. I did have to contact customer service to reserve a vegetarian menu for myself for our Oahu-Auckland flight, as they do offer specialty menus on international flights. We chose their premium comfort seats and reserved an aisle and window seat with a vacant middle seat, *(yay, 2 for 2! 👏)* for us to spread out a little more. There’s significantly more legroom in these seats. I overheard passengers behind us in row 18 complaining about the lack of space. I originally reserved 18A and 19A for us, which are standard seats, but last minute yesterday I scored us an upgraded location and am happy I did! The staff is very friendly and they didn’t weigh our bags, as they do have a 25lb limit, which we are slightly over. 😬 I did know this prior to arriving, but thought I’d take my chances that they wouldn’t be as strict with weight capacity as it wasn’t a full flight. I really hate checking bags, so it worked out. I did insert airtags in each of our suitcases just in case we were asked to check them. 👍

Volcano water. I just liked the reusable bottle. 🤗

HOTEL: OUTRIGGERS CLIFFSIDE RESORT 🌊🪨

I’m eating fish tacos everywhere we go for the next 2 weeks!

HUMANE SOCIETY DOGGY FIELD TRIPS! 🐶

SCOOTER! I signed us up for shelter dog field trips through the Hawaii Island Humane Society for a weekend of canine companionship. Scooter was one of my requests as I instantly fell in love with his photos and profile. We had such a great time with him! We visited Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, took him to Island Lava Java for lunch, and trekked around the public shoreline by our hotel. He is an angel of a pup and I ugly cried saying goodbye to him at the end of the day. I went back the next day to see him one more time and learned he had an appointment to meet a potential family. Before my tearful goodbye and telling him what a good boy he is, we made a donation to the shelter and bought him a fancy toy and some treats for his upcoming adoption! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND CONTACTING HIHS TO ELEVATE YOUR HAWAIIAN VACATION WITH A PUPPER COMPANION! They even have overnights, which I learned about too late… (Scroll to enjoy his photos).

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
Island Lava Java

GARTH! We ventured over to the other side of the island, to Keeau, near Hilo, and had a reservation at the Humane Society there where we requested a field trip with sweet boy, Garth. He is 4 years old and should NOT be in a shelter. It was instant love. I’ll be checking on him regularly. We spent the day visiting: The Keaukaha General Store, Liliʻuokalani Gardens (stunning public park), Carl Smith Beach (gorgeous coastline and a local hang out), Rainbow Falls and the neighboring park, Boiling Pots (when you but a ticket to the falls you get compted access to Boiling Pots).

If you are interested in adopting Garth his adoption fees have been sponsored! You lucky dog, you. He SoOoOo deserves a great home. He was instantly comfortable with us right away. He’s a perfect 10 handsome boy! We made a donation in his honor and I am seriously considering him joining our family. (scroll to enjoy his photos) 😁

VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK 🌋

Saddle Drive is incredible! There are also no bathrooms for 2 hours, so plan accordingly!

The 2 hour drive (via Saddle Drive) from Outriggers to the North side of Hawai’i was absolutely stunning! Lush, green, with rolling hills and bluffs – a stark contrast to the lava fields and moon-like surface at the volcano peak seen here at the Volcano National Park. The Big Island is truly amazing! Diverse in all ways, making for an interesting and captivating visit.

We ALMOST made it to the fountaining eruption of Kīlauea volcano’s episode 40. We went the evening of 1/11 and the fountaining action happened the following morning! We did get to see some action and lava spewing.

The local Hawaiian name for Kīlauea’s summit caldera is Kaluapele, meaning “the house of the Pele” or Pele’s home, reflecting its significance as the sacred dwelling of Pele, the goddess of fire, while the volcano itself means “spewing” or “much spreading”. The active pit crater within Kaluapele is known as Halemaʻumaʻu, meaning “Fern House,” and is central to the Pele legend.

To watch live cam footage of this magnificent entity you can do so HERE.

Nāhuku Lava Tube

Nāhuku, formerly known as the Thurston Lava Tube, is a popular, easily accessible lava tube in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, formed about 500 years ago by a lava flow from Kīlauea. Visitors can walk through the 500-foot-long, 10-to-30-foot-high tunnel, which is lit from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and see ferns and tree roots lining the walls, though the original lava stalactites are gone due to souvenir collectors. The site offers a short hike through a rainforest and is part of a larger loop trail, with limited parking that fills up quickly.

NIGHT DIVE WITH MANTA RAYS! 🤿

VIDEOS WILL BE UPLOADED SOON!!

EXPLORING KONA

Lunch at Magic Sands Beach. Sometimes it’s white sand, other times is full on lava rock. We got lucky today. The waves were rippin’!

EXPLORING HILO

Keaukaha General Store! A local institution. Good people. I needed a hat!

WILDLIFE

Nothing tops familiar faces in warm places. Whales Galore & helicopter rides in paradise!

Our flight was easy and about 30 minutes. Our luggage fit just fine where it needed to go and we didn’t have to weigh it – thankfully! 🙂

The AC Marriot in Wailea is the perfect blend of convenience and serenity. First of all, this pool – YES! With the hotel’s elevated position you get wide views of the ocean where you can watch whales breaching on the horizon. Just up the hill from The Shops for luxury shopping and just across from the Wailea shopping complex for a variety of needs, including cafes, salons, and day trip tours. The food was middle of the road but the breakfast was lovely. We enjoyed the hot tub and fire pit on cooler evenings with tropical breezes.

Maui is the home of one of my dear friends, Brooke, my former roommate in NYC when we attended F.I.T. 150 years ago (give or take). She ditched LA life catering to celebrities and evacuating from wildfires and instead chose a happier healthier path for herself. The last time we linked up was on a trip the 3 of us took to St. Maarten BVI back in 2021. Enjoying the company of ones you love while basking in the tropical sun is hard to beat. We enjoyed lunch at Ferraro’s, a swanky poolside restaurant, along the oceanfront promenade where we drank margaritas and watched whales breaching and competing with one another for hours!

Sunset over Kihei, casting its warm glow over Charley Young Beach where Brooke and I got wrecked by waves all afternoon, while Steve relaxed with a book under the shade of a native pine. This is where I learned that paddle boarding in the ocean is serious business and not really my calling. Overall a perfect Hawaiian day, although I was picking sand out of my hair 4 days later.

AC Marriot was perfect for us. More privacy than the oceanfront hotels, a killer view from our pool, and a solid fitness center.

Waikiki, shopping, sea turtles, & surfer boys! 🙂

Another easy inter-island flight. No longer than 45 minutes. We purchased regular economy seats for our short island hopping journeys.

Oahu, of what I’ve seen of it, is fun but is my least favorite island out of the 3 we had the chance to see. Honolulu is heavy with traffic, noise, not particularly pretty, run down in parts, and just overall not my scene. Waikiki is what I expected – a party spot, likely most suitable for spring-breakers and night walkers. Very Miami/Fort Lauderdale-ish, which could be fun with the right crowd! Perhaps a girls-trip is in order before I make my final judgment. There’s good energy here but not the relaxing vibe one would expect from a Hawaiian Islands getaway, although Waikiki Beach, on the far end by the zoo, was calmer and pleasant.

We did find some treasures such as the Westin Surfrider, (which has a really cool history being the first hotel in Waikiki), and House Without A Key for a quiet dinner featuring a hula performance from a former Miss Universe. Sampling local rum, hot sauce, and honey at Kohana Rum Distillery was also a treat! We made a purchase to have shipped home and are looking forward to enjoying it. The Ala Moana Mall is the real deal, featuring over 350 shops and restaurants! There’s luxury brands and fortunately for my wallet, I know I didn’t have much room to do extensive shopping but I did treat myself to a light sweater from Uniqlo and a ring from Gucci. Jewelry doesn’t take up much room! 😏✨

We chose Park Shore Hotel turns out it’s dated and not really up to our standards, but the staff was nice, the location was perfect for us – on the far end of the beach walk by the zoo where it’s quieter. There’s perks with some of the local restaurants and businesses for staying here, and it included free morning yoga on the beach and a stargazing telescope activity on select nights.
The view overlooking the ocean and Diamond Head gave us plenty of enjoyment! I also chose this hotel because it has a pool and not all of the hotels in Waikiki (& Maui) have pools, as it is assumed you will be hanging out on the beach. It’s not glamorous but overall it’s fine, friendlier on the wallet, and with the beach and all the happenings literally just steps away.

The hotels along the beach walk are exquisite, although I chose to not have us stay at any of those due to reviews mentioning noise complaints, and I like my sleep.

Our favorite bars and restaurants include: House Without A Key (reservation required), Tiki’s Grill (reservation required for a table although bar seating is a constant flow), and DUKE’S (where we ended up hanging out and getting friendly with the VP of Waikiki Brewing and Cheeseburger In Paradise) shout-out to Robert and Vince. 🤙

SCUBA, so many turtles!

Uploads coming soon!

PEARL HARBOR

We spent a couple of hours at Pearl Harbor, although it’s recommended to spend a greater amount of time here. We didn’t see everything but saw enough to keep our interest within the timeframe we had. I’d return again to see more exhibits. We visited the USS Arizona, the Pacific Museum, and we boarded the submarine Bowfin.

CENTRAL OAHU & NORTH SHORE SURFERS

We rented a car with the Turo app, a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe, which was fine – nothing fancy but got us around, except for when it stalled which was short lived and at the end of our excursion. We spent Monday 1/19 exploring a little bit more of the island. Visiting Pipeline Banzai Beach for surfers, Ko Hana Distillers for some local sugar cane rum, and Tantalus Overlook for a panoramic view of all of Honolulu & Waikiki. Notable mention, the life and traffic death of surfer and local legend Tomayo Perry.

Banzai Beach surfer boys 😋

The view from Tantalus Overlook – Puu Ualakaa State Park. Diamond Head Reservation and all if Waikiki, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and the HNL airport.

Definitely NOT Hawai’i’s best fish tacos but they were alright…

Auckland, Waiheke Island, Wellington, and an epic train ride through the North Island of New Zealand.

TRAVEL AND HOTEL

Time Traveling – leaving Oahu at 1pm crossing the dateline arriving tomorrow at 9:30pm where we will meet up with a friend of Steve’s. We ended up checking our larger carry-on to make our morning easier. Although I hate it, Steve preferred it, airtags will ease my mind a bit. We were exceeding the weight limit for carry-on by a total of 7lbs combined from the both of us, we could have just carried on if we didn’t mention anything. 😉 Priority Pass Membership got us into the Hawaiian Airlines lounge, although there isn’t much here except comfortable chairs, complimentary coffee, soft drinks, and small snack packs.

TRAVELING TO NZ, FROM THE US, A VISA IS REQUIRED. It’s 117NZD ($69USD) per person. The LEGIT government app looks like this (there’s many imposter websites and apps, don’t get scammed!)

When traveling with a one way itinerary maybe countries require you to provide an exit ticket in person at the airport in order to check-in.

If you haven’t firmed up a departure date simply choose a refundable or creditable ticket. You might be able to get away with booking a departure ticket right before you check in at the airport, then canceling it after you arrive at your destination. Most airlines will fully refund you within 24hrs of purchase. Then you can pick a departure date at your leisure.

ONE OF THE WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ARRIVING IN NZ IS… Airline officials board your plane upon arrival and spray everyone with insecticide! We were not a fan of that surprise…gross and ineffective!

Hilton on Prince’s Wharf was a convenient starting point for us. A short ride from the Auckland airport and right where we needed to pick up the ferry to Weiheke Island. Taxis are abundant. The one down side is that a hideous cruise ship was docked right next to us for over a day.

Double Tree, Lambton Quay Grey Street is located on a pedestrian friendly street with outdoor dining and right across from the trolly to Zealandia and the Botanical Gardens. Loads of shopping and people watching. We enjoyed having the cafe and Sal’s Pizza right next door. We visited both daily. 🤗

AUCKLAND & WAIHEKE ISLAND, joined by friends Gabriel & Phillip

Mudbricks is a 5 star restaurant and event venue. This place is pure magic!! A must see when visiting Waiheke Island. Reservations required.

WELLINGTON

The Library Cocktail Lounge was our favorite place to hang out and they had the best drinks!

We had a really good time walking through the old Bank Arcade. Historic architecture revitalized with new energy.

These 2 adorable Koera birds were on a mission and weren’t the least bit phased by our presence.

TE PAPA NEW ZEALAND HISTORY MUSEUM ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shed 22 was another favorite of ours. Local brewery and great lunch spot right in the heart of the marina. Their Halloumi Burger is outstanding.

SAL’S PIZZA (on Gray Street) GETS ITS OWN SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT BECAUSE THIS PIZZA WAS 💣 AND I ATE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY WE WERE IN WELLINGTON. 🤗 🍕

OFF ROAD EXCURSION WITH FUR SEALS, with Seal Coast Safari. A wild ride from Wellington into the heart of farm country. An exclusive experience. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THERE WERE SO MANY!!

These are all males, females reside on a different nearby beach. A rather gentle fraternity.