Yesterday I went to Waimanalo Country Farms that was having its annual sunflower festival. Then we had lunch at Ai Love Nalo, an excellent vegan restaurant in Waimanalo. Below are some of the photos I took.  

First Friday in Chinatown is one of the most popular events in the local calendar. Once upon a time most of the art galleries in Honolulu were in Chinatown. They would open new exhibits on First Friday and stay open late, usually until 10 or 11pm. Since most of the art galleries have closed or moved over the last few years, it's become a time when a few art galleries and lots of stores and restaurants stay open until late. I often go to take photos or attend photo or ceramic exhibits that I'm in. I especially go to eat dim sum at one of the many Chinese restaurants. This time, however, I noticed new Moroccan and Lebanese restaurants that I'll have to check out. I also stumbled onto Wing Ice Cream Parlor, a tiny ice cream store that's literally a hole in the wall that has excellent ice cream in standard and sometimes bizarre flavors. Below are the best photos I took.   

Every year Kailua has a Fourth of July parade on Kainalu Dr. In classic American style, everyone honors America and promotes their own thing at the same time. The two hour parade features floats from small businesses, local associations such as the Elks, Masons, and Rotary Club, schools, churches, and especially politicians. Most of the major politicians were there yesterday: Governor David Ige, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, Senator Mazie Hirono, Congressman Ed Case, and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. There were several political hopefuls in the parade who are running in 2020 hoping to unseat some of these people. After the parade, our family had a cookout with hamburgers, corn on the cob and watermelon. We spent the evening with friends in Lanikai and watched the fireworks at Kailua Beach. Below are some of the best photos I took.

Yesterday I had the opportunity of visiting Daijingu Temple, a Shinto temple in Honolulu. It's the only Shinto shrine I know of in Honolulu, though I'm sure there must be others. Below are some of the photos I took while there. Next time I'll have to go when they're having a service such as their annual festival on the second Sunday of September.