Even though I'm not much of a drinker, I really enjoy those Corona beer TV commercials. You know, the wistful ones where the ubiquitous cell phone, laptop, or handheld is unceremoniously chucked or drowned by the weary workaholic in surrender to a tranquil day of stretching out on a beach chair beneath dancing palm trees in some secluded spot. Under a warm sun, two sweating bottles of Cervezas chill in a bucket of ice, and glassy breakers run through translucent aquamarine water and lap in hypnotic rhythm on sugary white sand. Two newly relieved hedonists are seen in the prone position and just drinking it all in (pun intended), clear and free of any of the gizmos that tether them to everyday hubbub. They've made a conscious decision to take a day and just "be" (...and drink it all in too). For many people, this idyllic setting is but a distant pipe dream they only get to live vicariously for the 30 or so seconds the commercial runs.


But for us lucky buggers in Hawaii, it's a distinct and imminently accessible reality, if one chooses to seek it out. Life these days, especially for working types with families, has become exceedingly hectic. Many fit into the same afflicted demographic I do; middle-aged, working full time and hoping that continues, worried sick about an ailing economy and procession of incoming bills, young Keiki doing the weekend sports marathons and needing help with the homework, keeping high blood pressure and chronic insomnia at bay, restocking dwindling household items, checking in on the equally diminishing 401K portfolio, fixing that pesky leaking faucet, renewing the safety check, programming the DVR, and whatnot! Sometimes my wife and I will plop down on the sofa after a particularly frenzied day, collectively unable to recall the day's haps. In between salvos, we always try to carve out a couple hours of me-time. Sometimes can ... sometimes no can.



Recently, we had a common epiphany of sorts. We recognized that as a family, things were getting away from us a little. There was always somewhere we had to go, and when we got there, it soon seemed to be time to pack  up and head somewhere else. Quality family time was becoming rarer, and boy, the kids sure were growing up fast. We were inadvertently but clearly overscheduled, and in need of decompression. It was decided that we had to make time to just "be" and to "be" in each other's company exclusively and in a decidedly relaxed and unhurried environment.  I pointed out the beer commercial and the beach seemed as good a place as any to get away from it all. But where could we go so that we weren't fighting for parking, or a space on the sand, where the water didn't reek of sunscreen? Despite my ramblings about the cementing of Oahu in previous articles, there are a many untouched retreats. I knew some places we could check out, and so, we went.


I've always had difficulty reckoning out people who were born, raised, or currently live in Hawaii who dislike the outdoors (and/or can't swim). It's not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, to each his own, but with all the natural finery and the majestic Pacific ocean right at our doorsteps, it just seems to me a strange and contradictory homebase for any pasty, landlocked, nocturnal Urbanoid. Oh well, I guess they're a key part of the social balance that makes life so interesting and in a practical sense, it's good that we're not all flocking to the beach. It's plenty crowded already dude, especially here on Oahu. As notoriously populated the name beaches are here, if you look in the right places, there are secluded and amazingly beautiful spots on the left and right sides of Oahu. In under an hour's drive from any direction, one can place themselves in a fantasy postcard setting that they never knew existed so close to home. No need for a plane ticket or a hotel room. Folks on the neighboring islands are blessed with unfettered access to coastal havens that we Oahu city slickers can only envy from afar.


Take time to smell the roses, in a place where they bloom more plentifully than anywhere else on the planet. For the zombie-like hoards of the jaded and overtasked, much needed relief is readily available in the form of fresh air, solitude, and being.

Special thanks to Mr. Greg Rice for the incredible images! To see more of Greg's photos, visit his website: www.GregRImagery.com

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