Hawaii: June 6th - June13th

Being able to visit Hawaii is an amazing experience. Of course you think "I could move here" and then you realize that you only think that because you aren't living "real life" while there. You aren't working to afford the average $600K home or the gasoline or the milk and so it is glorious to visit, but living in Hawaii would not be relaxing.

I would miss snow after a while and 14,000ft mountains. So I will always love visiting Hawaii but living there not so much.

This trip was a great chance to remember that I love my husband and that we get along for the most part ! ) It was an adventure that maybe one day when the kids will actually appreciate it we can share with them.

So here is our adventure- enjoy!

Our Hotel

Open Waiting Area

Room Similar to Ours

Our first day(6 June 2010) we got there with hours to kill and so we walked down to a nearby diner to eat as the "locals" do. OH MY Goodness...the plate lunch is HUGE ....Seriously I couldn't even imagine finishing all of that food. The diner was called the Rainbow Drive-In and just as we walked around the corner there was a beautiful REAL rainbow right above the diner....good omen!

We should have taken a picture of what we ate but here is a similar image....

Usually a plate lunch has 1-2 LARGE scoops of rice, 1 scoop of macaroni salad and a MEAT and if that meat has a sauce it is smothered in it...DANG! I felt bad not finishing that much food- espescially with all of the homeless that we saw- but I just couldn't do it.

As we walked through Waikiki we saw these stores everywhere...

Apparently there are 47 ABC stores in the 1 sq. mile that makes up the Waikiki section of Honolulu. That's a lot of beach mats! These are a life saver when you don't want to pay $5.00 for a glass of milk at the hotel...instead you can pay $5.00 for a 1/2 gallon. But that's the cost of paradise.

I guess that the cost is worth it though when you have a view like this from your hotel room.

Monday, 7 June 2010

We woke up and went to this breakfast/hit you up for all the money you don't have thing. It was a bit of a shock to be hit up for tour...after tour....after tour...and we learned quick that this wasn't for us but the guy had us trapped. (Lesson: NOTHING is FREE)

After we escaped we went to another tour/hit you up for money that was kinda interesting but come on people...

Finally, we were able to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Oh what an awesome and inspired place to visit.

The history of the people represented and of the area is so phenomenal. I could have spent three days there. Learning about the Pacific Islanders and their culture was an amazing experience.
We were able to see the canoe parade in the afternoon and then take a canoe ride of our own after visiting several of the villages.

New Zealand/Aoatera

Tahitian

Hawaiian

Samoan village

Our favorite village was SAMOA. The people that did the demonstrations were entertaining and funny. The main man was named "CAP" and he was hilarious. He made you smile and appreciate his culture- Samoan's have amazing personalities!

Cap is also the main fire and knife dancer at the show that is performed at the PCC.

On the Canoe

We then had a super yummy luau. Complete with poke (po-KAY), poi (poy), kaluah pork, tarro rolls (they are like potato rolls but PURPLE) and of course pineapple YUM!!!

And entertainment!!!

The Pig

After dinner we took a short ride through BYU-Hawaii and over to the Laie Temple. It was so beautiful and the history of the LDS church in the area was so interesting and inspirational. The temple is finishing renovations so we were unable to go inside but just to be there was spectacular.

After our visit to the temple we were able to enjoy a show called: HA: The Breath of Life. It was performed in an outdoor amphitheater and highlighted all of the Polynesian islands represented at the center. It was spectacular!!!

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

So we slept in after a long night and headed over to Leonard's for some Malasadas- Portuguese donuts. They were so yummy! About the sized of a glazed donut but filled and covered in sugar!

Oh malasadas! (Since the taxi ride was a bit pricey we just walked back to our hotel.)

Then we got ready for our submarine ride. We boarded a boat and met the sub just off the coast. Although it wasn't as spectacular as expected it was interesting and fun and plus we were able to learn about some of the fish that we would see more of as we snorkeled around the island. (If I had to do it over again I would just have snorkeled more and saved the money...Live and learn!)

After our sub ride we rented a car and went out for our first ride around the island and a first try at snorkeling. We found some secluded beaches and watched, waded and snorkeled. It was a great adventure and the scenery was AMAZING!

Renting a car is certainly expensive but it was so worth it. We could go where we wanted, when we wanted. We could go out for a long time or a short time. IT was well worth the cost!

Black Sand Beach

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Pearl Harbor

We knew that Pearl Harbor was an all day affair, so we woke up early and were at the base by 7:30 am and got tickets for the 10:30am (earliest available) taxi to the USS Arizona.

While we waited to go to the Arizona we toured the USS Bowfin- the submarine docked at the base.
It was so interesting to see the inner workings of a submarine. To realize how many men were crammed in these boats and understand how fast they could maneuver was astounding.
There were bunks right above the torpedos! Could you imagine your son sleeping on top of a torpedo?
Thankfully it wasn't too warm but I could only imagine how it was with all those men crammed in there and the adrenaline pumping.

After touring the entire submarine we had the honor of being taxied out to the USS Arizona. I am a big WWII freak and I love learning about the history of the time period so this was something that I had always wanted to do. It was an honor to be able to pay respect to the 1177 seamen and marines who are entombed within the USS Arizona.

It was emotional to see the oil still rising to the surface as if the Arizona is still bleeding nearly 70years after the fact. It was interesting to find out that men are still choosing to be interred within the Arizona and the process that it takes to make the ship their final resting place.

After our visit to the Arizona memorial we boarded a bus and went to Ford Island to see theUSS Missouri or Mighty MO. This ship is where the surrender of Japan was signed at the close of WWII. To be on this battleship and see how massive it is gave such perspective to how large the Arizona was. (Mind Blowing!)

It was a beautiful view but it was a bit scary to realize that there were so many ships this size in this harbor and that so many lives were lost so quickly.

It is an amazing place to visit. To drive through Hickam Airfield and walk aboard the ships is to walk through history. You can nearly hear the ghosts of the memories that were made in these places.

USS Arizona in background

They still use rope to secure these massive ships!

After a long day at Pearl Harbor we went to the swap meet for some deals on Hawaiian goods- great place to shop but a lot of the same stuff.

Finally, we got back to the hotel and Ryan took me out to my first Japanese Steak House. It was so entertaining and yummy too. It is always a good sign that there are native Japanese at a Japanese restaurant, right?

Thursday, 10 June 2010
A day to be lazy....You would think that we would be on the beach all the time but until this day we hadn't really spent that much time on the water. It was certainly time to change that. Ryan decided he wanted to take a surfing lesson and so I thought that I'd just chill on the beach and watch- or at least try to watch him, it was packed! However, there was a slight issue when we got to our spot!

We had just missed the MAJOR jellyfish invasion but they were still about so this is what we encountered. Not to be deterred Ryan was off! I was so proud that he was willing to try anything!

He even got up!

He had no idea the board was that BIG!

The surf class- guess who the instructor is?

Surfing is not without it's dangers though!

It was a beautiful day to be on the beach!

At the end of our long day we had a sunset dinner cruise. It wasn't too high end but it was fun and affordable. It was nice to be able to see Waikiki Beach from the water and to experience the sunset by boat.

The show was nice but the other tourists were hilarious!

Aloha Tower

Dancer on dinner cruise!

Friday, 11 June 2010

King Kamehameha Day

Unknown to us the 10th of June is a state holiday in Hawaii. Complete with everyone off of work and a parade. Well we got up early and took a hike to one of the waterfalls used in one of my favorite tv shows LOST. It was sooo cool. You wouldn't even remember that you were in the middle of a cemetery in Honolulu with the highway just above you. It was a great easy hike and the falls were so gorgeous!

After our hike we headed to the North Shore. We stopped at a botanic garden in Wahiawa. The vegetation is amazing there!

As we continued on we drove through the DOLE Pineapple plantation! Look at that Red Dirt!

Finally we got hungry and stopped in Haleiwa at the Bluewater Shrimp Truck- oh it was so yummy! And to top it off we got a shaved ice at Matsumoto's....I love souvenir eating!

After a good lunch we were off to snorkel some more. While driving around trying a place to park- it was a holiday- we saw dolphins leaping out of the water. It was so awesome!

Then we found it TURTLE BEACH!!!! Nearly 20 turtles-maybe more- feeding right on the rocks!

Beach just North of Turtle Beach

HI ya!

It was Ryan's favorite thing of the entire trip!

Close-up!

It was so crazy to be snorkeling along and BAM there is a turtle right in front of you. They are hard to avoid too. One last beach at Waimea Bay and we snorkeled some more! It is the most relaxing thing that I have done in quite some time. So peaceful and quiet. It was so easy to lose track of time!

So after a long day we grabbed some more shrimp, a chocolate haupia (coconut) pie and headed back to the hotel.

But not to be missed was the sunset!

Saturday, 12 June 2010

So we woke up early on Saturday and headed to Hanuama Bay. This is a nature preserve and it gets packed early and it is easy to see why with all the awesome fish we saw while there.

After an hour an a half we were off to go Kayaking. Good thing to because the people were coming in hoards!

We headed up to Kaneohe Bay and Kayaked around. IT was a little frightening to be on the open water but it was also AMAZING! I will definitely do that again!We kayaked out to a bird preserve called flat island!

After kayaking we visited one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The Byodo-In Buddhist Temple. Near Kaneohe this temple is an exact replica of a temple in Japan that is over 900years old.

The temple is located in another cemetery called the Valley of the Temples and is towards the back right against the mountains. It is so peaceful and quiet.

After a peaceful drive back to Honolulu in the convertible that we rented we drove through the Punchbowl Cemetery.

And as we exited the cemetery we took this great drive on Tantalus Drive above Honolulu. It was amazing!

It was like being in the middle of a jungle...we had vines hanging above us and bamboo everywhere. Once at the top we stopped at Puu Ualakaa Park. The view was spectacular! We could see 25 miles of coast line...So breathtaking and nearly free- just the cost of gas!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Iolani Palace and the King Kamehameha Statue in downtown Honolulu.

Sunday, 13 June 2010

With a red-eye flight not until 10pm we had time for a few more activities. First, was church. The building was beautiful and it was great to be able to go to church and have it be the same as at home.

This Tabernacle is so beautiful!

Then we were off first to another botanic garden.And then to the Kualoa Ranch. Another LOST sight. It is a historic ranch where movies like Jurrasic Park have been filmed. While at the ranch we went for a nice little horseback ride. I love seeing the world from atop a horse. You just get a different perspective.

Finally we saw the Pan Pacific Parade.

Oh and I saw John Locke(Terry O'Quinn) from LOST.

We got a free meal because the kitchen messed up and we headed home. Back to reality.

But seeing as it has taken me a month to blog about Hawaii reality obviously bit me in the behind when I got home. The next weekend I flew to Utah. Came home again and then drove to Utah again and after that I spent the last week of June and first part of July sick as a dog and wanting to die! So Aloha Hawaii trip. Thanks for the great time with my sweetheart but I think I'll have to take some time to recover before I can return.

We did a lot. We snorkeled at six or seven different beaches and saw several botanic gardens. We ate at Shrimp trucks all over the island and gained a new appreciation for my cost of living. I would certainly do it again and above all I am glad I bought a guide book and used coupons. It always makes a trip better to save money and know where you are going.