Top 10 Dining Experiences on Oahu

10. Pho 97 - Specializing in Vitanamese Pho, Mike and Melissa enjoyed giant bowls of noodles, beef (including tripe) for Melissa and seafood for Mike, green onions and bean sprouts while meandering through Chinatown on their final night in Oahu.

9. The Yard House - Knonw for having hundreds of brews on tap this was one of the first restaurants Mike and Melissa patronized with their friends Abram, Mark, David and Katie. The meal that highlighted the evening was the seared Ahi sandwhich paired with a number of delicious brews including one Beer Float for Mike Harrington.

8. Pizza Bob's - Not only was the pizza here delicious, on a Thursday night it was the most affordable meal the Harrington's enjoyed while on Oahu. Located on the North Shore, Pizza Bob's has some great nightly specials with Thursday being $3 night: $3 slices of pizza and $3 draft beers and Mai Tai's - a steal after paying $6 a pint at the Yard House.

7. Fresh Pineapple and Papaya - Why travel to a tropical island if not to enjoy the juicy, sweet, fresh fruit?

6. Diamond Head Grill and Market - This restaurant was recommended by a couple of CouchSurfers that Mike and Melissa had a chanc to meet up with after hiking Diamond Head. The meals were served in a typical plate lunch fashion, deliciously seasoned or marinated meats, rice and salad. Especially enjoyable when sipping on a Plantation Iced Tea (iced tea with pineapple juice). Also, the perfect meal after making your way to the top of Diamond Head Crater.

5. Phuket Thai - This was the location of the rehersal dinner and proivided such fabulous Thai dishes. Being a rehersal dinner, the Harrington's were able to enjoy a wide variety of appetizers and entrees without ever knowing their names, but enjoyed each bite immensely.

4. Ono's Hawaiian Food - The food of Hawaii, not the locals, but the Hawaiians. Pork Shoulder steamed in tarro leaves, Kalua Pork, creamy tarro root, rice and a delicious square of coconut pudding to finish out the meal. Not only is the food delicious but extremely affordable, a couple could easily eat here for $15 and enjoy each and every morsel.



3. Giovanni's Shrimp Shack - Recommended by the lifeguards of Wai'mae Valley, the Harrington's enjoyed consuming these 12 shrimp marinated in a wonderfully garlicky scampi marinade. With a fresh smoothie from a nearby shack the meal was complete, filling and scrumptous.
2. Waiola's Shaved Ice - One of Oahu's must-experience-destinations! Incredibly fine ice is espeically delicious served over ice cream, flavored as you wish and served with sweetened condensed milk on top is a fantastic afternoon pick me up after spending some time in the Hawaiian sun.

1. Leonard's Bakery - Malasadas. The Harrington's and Friends made multiple stops at this bakery for freshly fried and custard filled Malasadas. Perfectly creamy, warm, sweet and delicious. These donut like treats can quickly become addicting.

A Wedding, Waikiki, and Waterfalls Only a Few of Oahu's Wondes

On Friday, May 28th, Mike and Melissa Harrington landed in Honolulu ready to experience the beauty and joy of a wedding and island life. After some trying days at their places of employment, the Harrington's were grateful for some time away and a vacation in paradise to kick off a year of travel. The island greeted Mike and Melissa with a light rain followed by perfectly sunny skies and constant island warmth.



Friday through Monday the two spent most of their time with the groom and occasionally the bride offering assistance and companionship prior to the wedding day. From Bachelor party to Malasadas, from running errands to lying on the beach, the Harrington's experienced a small whirlwind of wedding preparations and time zone/jet lag adjustments the first few days of living life on Oahu. Monday, May 31st, 2010 Mike and Melissa along with a handful of others were able to witness and enjoy the beautiful wedding ceremony of Mr. Abram Heller and Ms. Mallory Moye. Following the ceremony, Mike Harrington had the opportunity to offer an entertaining and meaningful speech in honor of his good friend Abram, he had guests and wedding party rolling in the aisles.



With the wedding behind them, the Harrington's set to exploring and experiencing Oahu with good friends Mark, David and Katie with guest appearances by the Harrington family. Through the course of the week the Harrington's enjoyed a hike up Diamond Head, a hike off of Pali lookout, an Oahu Adventure Tour of Manoa Falls (featured in Jurassic Park), afternoons on the beach, boogie boarding, Wai'mae Valley, the North Shore, meeting up with some Oahu CouchSurfers, Hanauma Bay Snorkeling and of course some really delicious food.



One highlight of the trip for the Harrington's was visiting the North Shore where the pace of life finally slowed down, the views were outstanding, the shrimp carts blentiful and the waves exciting. The Harrington's, along with Mark Bartholomew and David and Katie Morton enjoyed Thursday, June 3rd, driving past the pineapple fields and making their way into Wai'mae Valley. In the Valley, they all enjoyed the variety of tropical flowers and plants while casually making their way to the waterfall at the end of the trail. Here, all but Melissa, swam out to sit under the waterfall and be refreshed by the frigid water. Having worked up an appetite, the crew made their way to Giovanni's Shrimp Shack before continuing with an afternoon on the beach and some boogie boarding.

As is common for traveller's to these islands of Hawai'i, the Harrington's were not all to eager to board their plane but did so with fond memories of their first Oahu visit.

View from Diamond Head

Sunset on Waikiki Beach

Bamboo Forest - Manoa Falls Trail

Botanical Gardens of Wai'mae Valley

Waterfall of Wai'mae (in Lost, this is where they find the briefcase)

The Road Not Taken

Today, Friday May 21st, Mrs. Harrington had the great pleasure of walking into a classroom where one of the first students she worked with and got to know had been asked to recite a poem he had memorized. Mrs. Harrington listened both attentively and selectively, realizing how the words struck a deep cord within her and the upcoming adventure she will begin with her dearly beloved. The poem is well known, the meaning and explanations plenty. However, for the Harrington's, as they begin this new road on their journey, the words take on new life, new meaning and put into words feelings that have been difficult to describe.

Dear Readers,
Enjoy The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

World Cup Soccer 2010 Predictions

Mike returned home from work this afternoon, and was met with an email that read "You guys don't even need to go and watch. It's been mathematically proven that Brazil will most likely win." That was verbatim, but the sarcasm was evident. In order to test this theory out, Mr. Harrington has set up two World Cup Soccer 2010 brackets -- much like March Madness brackets for NCAA basketball--one using yahoo, and the other using espn. He wants to have a friendly competition with anyone willing, to see who can do the best at guessing the outcome of the World Cup, and specifically the match that the Harrington's will be going to in July (3rd/4th place match).

If you're willing (and Mr. Harrington desperately hopes you are!), sign up and fill out your bracket using the following links and information.

Yahoo Bracket Group Name: South Africa Here We Come!
Group ID: 6983
Password: mandella
ESPN Bracket #1 Group Name: World Cup Wyomingites
Group ID: 20698
Password: mandella
ESPN Bracket #2 Group Name: World Cup Wyomingites
Group ID: 283
Password: mandella
ESPN Knockout Stage Bracket Group Name: World Cup Wyomingites
Group ID: 26665
Password:mandella
ESPN Fantasy Team Group Name: World Cup Wyomingites
Password: mandella

It should be known that the ESPN Bracket #1 you will be asked to pick the top two teams to advance out of each pool, and then fill out the bracker from their; ESPN Bracket #2 is picking the winner of every game; ESPN Knockout Stage Bracket is only for the knockout stage (after the pool stage); while in the Yahoo bracket you will be asked to pick the scores of EVERY game as well as who wins (bonus points for getting the scores right). The ESPN Fantasy team works similar to other "fantasy" games, where you pick a squad of players, and your score is based off of how well the individual players do. This is Mr. Harrington's first time trying anything "fantasy", and he is excited about the prospects. Please join 1 or all brackets...or at the very least comment on who you think will win the world cup and who the Harringtons will be seeing in the consolation final match!

Stories from the Couch: April 19th

On Monday evening, Mike and Melissa found themselves host to a lively and energetic 30-something male motorcyclist who was making his way cross-country. Having concluded that they were hungry yet worn-down from the days dealings; Mike, Melissa and Milton made their way to the Library Restaurant where they met up with a couple of friends and enjoyed a delicious dinner.

Milton kept the conversation going as he encouraged the use of CouchSurfing as a way to travel and experience the best a town or country has to offer. The Harrington's reminisced about their summer 2009 road trip as Milton discussed his own recent adventures at Salvation Mountain, Joshua Tree and through Monument Valley. The night was filled with conversations regarding travel and the excitement which is inherent in such conversations.

A desire to lay their heads to rest quickly yanked the CouchSurfer and his hosts from all conversation and all three enjoyed a restful nights sleep. Mike and Melissa made their way to work the following morning while Milton hopped on the cycle and continued on his journey.

A satisfactory way to end the hosting of CouchSurfers in 519 Clark. It is now for the Harrington's to turn the tables on CouchSurfing and become the surfer -- until Korea that is.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

If I had a twitter account, it would be on there, but since I don't it's on here. A small quote that my dad mentioned the other day that I don't want to forget. Chew on it for a little while, see what thoughts come to your mind.

Travel Preparedness: A Four Part Series - Part 4

After much patience and waiting, The Harrington Times has finally succeeded in gathering the thoughts of Melissa Harrington regarding the spiritual aspects of preparing to travel.
So, without further ado, M. Harrington on Travel Preparedness - Spritual Aspects.

From the beginning, this task of breaking down travel preperations down into four categories has been a challenge. We know that we have taken steps to prepare for this upcoming adventure, however it's difficult to recognize all the pieces which complete such a puzzle. It is particularly difficult to flesh out the compartments to which each preperatory step correspond. For me, figuring out our spiritual preperations has been most difficult. Aside from prayer, I'm not sure what is most specifically spiritual - in ways, it all has been.

To prepare physically, we're downsizing, simplifying, giving things away, selling things. Jesus told the rich young man to sell all of his possessions and follow Him, so while getting rid of possessions, we begin to recognize what is truly valuable.

To prepare mentally, we have relied heavily on the wisdom of those before us and our own instincts. We've been talking to people about it; the adventure, the logistics, the fear, the leaving of loved ones - as our minds begin to wrap around the reality of leaving, our spirits too begin to wrap around the reality of leaving and how to carry us through those challenges and joys.

To prepare emotionally, we continue to seek out time with our friends and family, we look for ways to incorporate new ways of communicating, committing even now to keep in touch with these life-giving friends we've made. This process brings in countless aspects of our spirituality, allowing us a venue for discussions; how are we going to serve others as we travel, stay connected to friends who will pray for us and keep us accountable to living intentionally?

To prepare spiritually, we prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally. We consider our spiritual gifts, particularly that of giving. We discuss how will give back to the communities we are about to enter, how we might have the opportunity to give and how we can do wisely. We research agencies that are doing good works in our travel destinations. We pray. We hope. We live these days intentionally so we are prepared to do so in a less familiar environment.