Hafa Adai Dolphin

One of my family's favorite treats is to eat at the Dolphin Restaurant at Hafa Adai Beach Hotel.  We sometimes visit this restaurant for Sunday brunch.  It serves a simple buffet with grilled items, seafood, sushi and other Japanese dishes.  The food is tasty, but it is not the main attraction.  The main attraction is the spectacular views from the restaurant.

The restaurant is on the 10th floor of the Crystal Tower at the hotel and its unobstructed views of the lagoon and the ocean horizon leaves you in awe.  On the North side of the restaurant you have views of Managaha and Micro Beach, and on the South side you can see parts of Garapan and Tinian.

(looking North)

(looking South)

Look out West and you see the vast ocean, starting with hues of turquoise as it fades out to navy blue.

(looking West)

The restaurant isn't very big, and surprisingly it's not usually crowded, which lends to its intimate setting.  

The Dolphin Restaurant, tasty food, intimate setting, spectacular views, and another reason I Luv Saipan.

Mouse over and click on the pics below to see a larger version of the photos.

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(hu guaiya hao mama)

The 4th Is Strong In This One

The 4th of July, Independence Day in the mainland, Liberation Day here on Saipan.  It was the day the U.S. released (liberated) the indigenous population from internment camps post the WWII U.S. invasion of the Marianas.  Saipan celebrates the liberation with a month long carnival, a crowning of a Liberation Day Queen, and a parade on July 4th.  Families crowd both sides of Beach Road to watch the parade, with some families camped out from the previous night.

My family didn't watch the parade this 4th of July.  The parade was scheduled for the late morning, and frankly, we chose Sunday Mass over getting a good spot on Beach Road.  So instead of enjoying a parade, I said a prayer, in church, for our country's and our islands' soldiers who our defending our liberty.  I prayed for their protection.  I especially singled out my cousins who are deployed in Afghanistan.  I also thanked God for our freedoms, rights bestowed on us citizens of this great country, the United States of America.

After Sunday Mass, instead of bearing the midday July heat trying to catch the last part of the parade, we had brunch at one of our favorite restaurants on Saipan, Coffee Care.  We had banana crepes, along with seafood tacos, and a cheese pizza.  You can't beat that combination!

Here are some photos of my family at Coffee Care.  Mouse over a photo and click on it to see a larger picture.  It's a restaurant with a menu variety my family loves, along with a great view of the lagoon and Managaha.

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The highlight of the day though was my 3 year old son stubbornly eating a lemon slice from his water glass, thinking it was like an orange.  He loves oranges, but we warned him that this was not an orange.  His reaction to the sourness made us laugh and tear, and although he'd grimace with each lick, he was intent on continuing his experience until he finished that lemon slice.  I admire his tenacity.  The force is strong in this one.

Check out the video of this hilarious experience.

The 4th, Coffee Care, my funny son, a great day, and another reason I Luv Saipan!

(hu guaiya hao mama)