Issue #4: Hawaii Trip Report and Bay Area Indoor-Outdoor Living

A full recap of my trip to Honolulu, and homes with exceptional indoor-outdoor spaces that make you feel like you’re on vacation.

The Silvert Lining is a place where I will be talking about real estate, cool homes for sale, things I’m looking forward to, and how I’ve been spending my time. In addition to this newsletter, I’m also posting regularly on Instagram. You can follow me at Dan Silvert Homes.

Waikiki at sunset. Photo by Jessica Mosby.

I just returned from my first visit to Oahu and the high level summary is that I loved it. Honolulu feels like a bustling international city situated on a beach…think Tokyo meets Santa Monica. My girlfriend and I went on this trip to relax and eat delicious food. When we weren’t eating or exploring, we lived at our hotel’s pool and the beach. Here are the day-by-day details of our trip:

Day 1: Travel Day

The Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club and our first cocktails of the trip at Duke's Waikiki. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Morning: We flew on Alaska Airlines from San Francisco to Honolulu. We used my girlfriend’s Alaska Airlines Companion Fare, which made the tickets very affordable.

Afternoon: Given that Honolulu is three hours behind California, we arrived in the early afternoon. After waiting in the taxi queue at the airport, we were assigned a white limousine to drive us to the hotel. Arriving in style to start our vacation! The Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club was our home base, and we jumped in the pool soon after settling in.

Evening: We had an early reservation at Duke’s Waikiki. Our table had a view of the beach and watched the sunset while we feasted. After dinner, we took our time walking back to the hotel making our daily stop one of the island’s ubiquitous ABC stores. The Surfjack has live music every night by the pool, which we enjoyed while swimming and drinking cocktails from the Mahina and Sun's bar.

Day 2: A Bit of Work Then Relaxing

Basalt’s charcoal buttermilk pancakes and a night swim at the Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Morning: I spent the morning working and catching up with clients. I took a break for brunch and we ate at Basalt, which is owned by the same group that founded the ABC stores. We had their famous charcoal buttermilk pancakes; while charcoal pancakes may sound unappetizing, these pancakes were the best pancakes ever.

Afternoon: I finished a bit of work and then spent the rest of the afternoon poolside taking a break for lilikoi shave ice and an ube milkshake.

Our haul from one outing to an ABC store and extravagant drinks from Nana’s Green Tea. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Dinner: I wanted to have poke with fresh local fish for at least one meal this trip. Maguro Brothers have a storefront in Waikiki that is only open from 5 to 8 PM. We sampled two of their local tuna poke bowls and were divided on which we preferred. We did agree that the hero of meal was the daily special blue fin toro bowl. We finished the night with matcha drinks from Nana’s Green Tea, our daily stop at ABC, and more pool time at the Surfjack.

Day 3: Pearl Harbor

The view from our table at Monkeypod Kitchen. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Morning: This was our busiest day as we had booked our Pearl Harbor tickets in advance. We walked over to Monkeypod Kitchen for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised by the incredible views from our table. Their Mai Tai flapjacks were delicious, but I was still pining for Basalt’s charcoal buttermilk pancakes.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Arizona Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Afternoon: Pearl Harbor tours, particularly the USS Arizona Memorial, often sell out in advance; we booked our tickets a month before our trip. We spent about five hours in total touring the USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and USS Bowfin submarine. I found Pearl Harbor to be absorbing and sobering.

Waikiki Brewing Company IPA flight and cocktails at Tiki’s Grill and Bar. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Evening: After leaving Pearl Harbor, we went to Waikiki Brewing Company for snacks and beers before walking back to the Surfjack. The poolside music for the evening had already started, and we swam and hung out before grabbing delicious burgers at HI Burgers. We weren’t ready to call it a night and headed to Tiki’s Grill and Bar for a round of Mai Tai cocktails.

Day 4: Relaxing, Eating, and Drinking

The soufflé pancakes at Cream Pot and a beachside Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Morning: After a slow morning of relaxing and swimming, we walked over to Cream Pot to try their soufflé pancakes, which lived up to their reputation.

Afternoon: After that appetizing carbohydrate feast, we explored on foot ending up at the Royal Hawaiian to try their classic Mai Tai. We followed that with matcha shave ice at Ice Monster.

Udon at Marugame and ube cookies and cream ice cream at Il Gelato Hawaii. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Evening: A day of pancakes, daytime cocktails, and shaved ice, led to a predinner dinner nap. Is there anything better than a nap after a day of relaxing on vacation? Eventually we did rally in time to watch that night’s musician at the Surfjack and swim. We finished the night with udon at Marugame (they also have a Berkeley location). On our way to dinner, we saw a crowd around Il Gelato Hawaii and thought that the gelato must be extraordinary given the number of people. It turns out that the crowd was there for the filming of a reality show, but we still had gelato and their ube cookies and cream flavor was tasty.

Day 5: A Final Morning of Fun Before Heading Home

Waikiki beach. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Morning: The last day of any vacation is bittersweet. We started the day swimming in the Surfjack’s pool before heading to Waikiki to read on the beach and swim in the Pacific Ocean. Since I was still dreaming about the charcoal buttermilk pancakes at Basalt, we had brunch there again. The pancakes were even better the second time!

Afternoon: We headed to the airport to fly home. I’m already thinking about my next trip to Hawaii. Maybe the Big Island?

The courtyard and pool at the Surfjack. Photo by Jessica Mosby.

After spending every night of my vacation at the Surfjack swimming, listening to live music, and enjoying a cocktail in their stylish courtyard, I am loving homes with exceptional indoor-outdoor spaces that make you feel like you’re on vacation. If you want to tour any of these homes, please email me at DanSilvertHomes@gmail.com and we’ll make an appointment.

• This triplex on Alameda’s Bronze Coast is listed at $1,695,000 and has an impressive location on the water. Would it be a bit too on the nose to make Otis Redding’s “(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay” this home’s anthem?

• This home in Alameda’s East End listed at $2,097,000 has water views, a private boat dock, kayak rack, and luxurious forbidden island vibes.

• This home in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge neighborhood is listed at $1,595,000 and has a large deck with a hot tub surrounded by mature landscaping. There is also a separate building that you could use as an office, but I think would be better served (pun intended) as an outdoor bar.

• This mid-century modern home in Oakland’s Crocker Highlands neighborhood is listed at $1,750,000 and has walls of floor-to-ceiling windows and multiple decks that epitomize indoor-outdoor living.

• This mid-century ranch home in Oakland’s Chabot Park Estates is listed at $1,698,000 and sits on a one-acre manicured lot with a pool that is ready to host your next backyard party.

• This home in Orinda is listed at $1,795,000 has multiple decks, a hot tub, and a cool 1970’s treehouse feel.

• This home in Concord is listed at $1,725,000 and has an outdoor fireplace and an impressive outdoor kitchen. I love the idea of grilling meat and vegetables on the barbeque for dinner and then making smores for dessert in the outdoor fireplace.

Let me know if you are looking for a new home, and I can create a customized search based on your wants and needs that will email you homes that meet your search criteria. You can schedule time with me to discuss your search for a new home or selling your current home by emailing me at DanSilvertHomes@gmail.com. DRE #01963734

My favorite parrot. Photo by Jessica Mosby.

This weekend I attended a book release party for cartoonist November Garcia’s new book, Complete and Utter Malarkey: San Francisco, The Philippines, and Places in Between. November worked in Marketing at Climb, the brokerage where I came of age as a realtor. She read a few excepts at the party and each piece was great. Several of my former Climb colleagues were at the event, including my favorite parrot. Kazoo remembered me and our special bond; he spent most of the evening perched on my shoulder chatting away.

November Garcia's new book and quality time with Kazoo. Photos by Jessica Mosby.

Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film, Megalopolis, has proved to be critically divisive and commercially unsuccessful. I was intrigued by the movie and wanted to see it myself, especially as I listen to a daily podcast about Stoicism. I will just say that I’m glad I saw the movie at the theater. If you have not seeing Megalopolis or have no plans to, I do recommend Mr. Coppola’s interview on the Daily Stoic with Ryan Holiday. Their discussion about Stoicism, the Roman Empire, and influential books is a fascinating listen.

Please check my Instagram to see where I’ll be hosting an open house this weekend.