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Sheraton Waikiki Staycation

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Took a very short staycation at the renovated Sheraton Waikiki earlier in the month. The main draw is the Helumoa Playground, featuring swimming pools, water slides, a waterfall, and hot tubs. Most parts of the playground are shallow so kids can easily play around. Even though the weather was chilly, a dunk in the hot tubs quickly warms you up.

Helumoa in the early morning

The remodeled hotel is nicely done also featuring the adults-only infinity pool, a Peets Coffee, and the buffet-serving Kai Market. All in all, fun times, and we’re definitely going back!

Click for my Yelp review of Kai Market

Oh yeah, the staycation pictures are here.

Cereal Remix Reviewed

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While the Froyo Wars is in full effect, the battleground over the Hawaii cereal market is only starting out. There’s Scrambled in Windward Mall and now on the Leeward side, there’s Cereal Remix.

To give these cereal cafes a fair shot, I had to try it out, hitting up the recently opened Cereal Remix. I opted for the steel cut oatmeal for a heartier meal instead of the sugary breakfast cereals. The 16-oz Mini goes for $4.25 and is filling enough after adding the toppings. For my hot oats, I sowed honey, azuki beans, strawberries, blueberries, mango, brownie bits, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and some brown sugar. The azuki beans were a winner along with the fruit. The Reese’s and brownie bits somehow didn’t match thought I hoped they would. The mango was kinda funky tasting, what a bummer. I also tried a sprinkle of li hing powder, but that combination is definitely not for me.

So overall, Cereal Remix was a worthy experience that you have to try for yourself. Honestly, I’m not sold on this cereal cafe concept especially during these tough economic times, but I do wish Cereal Remix future success.

Oh yeah, what I didn’t like was paying for parking in the Newtown Square. Since I ate in the store (with its 3 seating capacity), I took awhile longer and paid $1.50 for parking. $1.50 along with a $4.25 bowl of oatmeal? That’s a turnoff.

Looking for more about Cereal Remix? Check out this video…

Pictures from the Honolulu Festival

Went to the Honolulu Festival for the first time. Lots of stuff to see and games and crafts for the kids. Besides the $5 parking fee at the Hawaii Convention Center, the event and activities are free, even that ride on a Segway.

Some pictures.

The Next UH Men’s Basketball Head Coach?

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With the contract buyout of Coach Bob Nash, the UH Men’s Basketball team is officially looking for a new Head Coach. Who could that be? Here are some mentioned, speculated names.


I admit that I am piqued by Reggie Theus. He is a known name who brought about a WAC resurgence at New Mexico State then abruptly left to coach the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. While Reggie Theus would definitely have a short term impact on UH’s program, I think the anticipation of his departure would bug me. Is he staying? Is he committed? What’s the next thing he’s jumping to? Besides, I doubt the Stan Sheriff Center can accommodate the debonair duo of both Reggie Theus and Artie Wilson.

Who do you think could be the next Head Coach for the Rainbows?

Thanks to Dave Reardon for his insights.

Traveling with a Lowepro Fastpack 250

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After going on a short jaunt with my new Lowepro Fastpack 250 backpack, here are a few things I noticed.  

Tough

The bag is tough, providing enough protection for all the gear inside.  It also has a semi-rigid structure to help retain its shape and not cave in on your equipment.

Big but small enough

At first glance, the 250 is large.  Bigger than I had imagined.  It’s not necessarily the right size for casual toting of your DSLR equipment, but it can hold it all.  The 250 has a laptop pocket which is more than spacious enough for a 15-in MacBook Pro.  The MBP slides in easily without worrying about getting scratches from the bag’s zippers.  This laptop space is also good for a notebook since it can’t fit anywhere else.  The bottom half of the bag held my camera and gear and a bunch of chargers, cables, GPS, and other junk.  I put the easily accessible items in the top half of the 250, stuff like my iPod, earphones, snacks, and reading material.

Although the Fastpack 250 is big, it easily fits in the airplane.  The bag has lots of room in the overhead bins and slides in nicely under the seat.  Because the bag is a semi-rigid and retains its shape well, it’s easy to stow without spilling over.

Comfort

Even fully loaded, the Fastpack 250 was comfortable to wear.  I more or less wore the backpack everywhere, not wanting to leave behind my equipment. Still there were no straps cutting into my shoulders and no backaches.  I didn’t use the waist strap, instead using it like a bumper against the small of my back.

The simple pleasures

What makes the 250 a solid pack are its simple pleasures. The adjustable side pocket for water bottles – excellent! This pocket can accommodate small or large (1 liter) bottles of water. The side zipping access for the laptop and camera are are more useful in my opinion.

All in all, I’m happy to travel with my Lowepro Fastpack 250.

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