Hawaii - Days Two and Three - Oahu

So guess what?  I look out the window and THIS is the view.  Who knew.  When we arrived it was dark and we left the hotel yesterday before light and returned after dark.  This is the first time I have looked out the window in the daylight.  Yes, that is Waikiki beach beyond Kapiolani Park.  If the picture went a little further on the left, it would be the beginning of the Honolulu Zoo.  What a fantastic location Mister picked out for our hotel.

Our first destination today is Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial.  It is President's Day and the Great Aloha Run is taking place today so we have to make many detours to arrive at the park.  The grounds are beautiful and we have tickets for 9:15 so have about an hour to visit the museum and take pictures.

It is windy again today and so the decision is made not to run the boats out to the memorial.  Dang.  Our time here was not wasted though as the museum, the films, and the grounds are excellent.

We spot a table where gentlemen are signing autographs and answering questions for anyone who wishes to do so.  They are Pearl Harbor survivors and can tell the story as no one else.

Since we are unable to go to the memorial we decide to walk over to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, a tribute to the role of the submarine in war and peacetime security.  I cannot believe how large and yet small these are. I enjoyed playing with the periscopes to see the harbor.

On to the Northshore!  Haleiwa is the next stop and the drive up is beautiful.  We pass pineapple fields all along the way and stop to take a shot of one of them.  I love seeing how different foods grow.

Mister is really hoping to see the beautiful waves of the northshore, but the weather is making it a bit difficult.  We stop at Haleiwa and Alii Beach Parks and walk around the lava and out on the sand.  Even with the weather, it is beautiful here.  Almost picture postcard worthy.  Almost, I said.

We are hungry.  Go figure.  For some reason we forget to eat when we are busily looking at things.  Haleiwa Joes is the stop for some wonderful food.  I have the absolute best coconut shrimp that I have ever eaten while Mister enjoys some amazing looking fish tacos.  Oh yes, that is much better.

Continuing across the northshore, I am rapidly trying to locate a beach on the GPS that someone had told me about.  Ahhhh, there it is.  Laniakea Beach is supposed be the most likely spot to view sea turtles at any time.  Sure enough, there is one on the beach.  Isn't she beautiful?  I am in heaven.

The local sea turtle watch groups work the beaches and when the animals are around, rope the areas off  to protect them.  Even still, the woman working this beach spent a great deal of time asking people to respect the space.  Ugh.  The turtles come up onto the beach to rest and sun themselves.  They will stay for several hours and then turn around and leave, usually with the tides.

I want to stay here all day, but am also looking forward to visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center today, so we must be on our way.  Soon we are on the west side of the island in the town of Laie.  The Center is just down the road and the thought of getting out of the car and walking around for a bit sounds great.  Even though the distances here are small, the time to travel is huge due to a two-lane road and heavy traffic.  And this is not peak season --- oh my, another good reason to stay away during that time. We arrive at the PCC, purchase our tickets, and are told that the main river show is just starting.  We quickly walk over and watch as each country that is represented here does a small dance on rafts down the river.  The one from Fiji is my favorite.  We scan the schedule to see which shows we would like to see and first up is Samoa so we head to that island (kind of like the different "lands" at Disneyland, only much smaller).

The presentation is excellent.  We are taught about the culture in Samoa, how to make fire, weaving, and coconut tree climbing.  There is even an opportunity to climb the tree ourselves, but we pass.  I want to be able to move tomorrow.  Our next stop is at the Hawaiian Mission Settlement to view the incredible quilts that are on display.  Someday I will make something that beautiful.

On to Tahiti and the chance to watch a wedding ceremony presentation.  It tells the story of their courtship and is quite beautiful.

We then walked over to Fuji and found a woman working on a ceremonial costume.  We visited with her for awhile as I watched her weave with her fingers and toes.  Then, on to Hawaii where we came across a poi demonstration.


The taro corm is cooked and then mashed down and fluids are added to achieved either a two-finger or three-finger consistency.  They give us toothpicks to use instead of fingers though.


Next up is the Islands of Aotearoa, the Maori name for New Zealand.  Since this is high on our list of places we want to visit, it is a must stop.  Here the presentation is on their ceremonies and is in the form of music and dance.  It is great and varies at all times.  At one point, the white puff balls that  you see in the picture are removed and twirled as they dance.  Their timing and facial expressions tell the stories impeccably and for me, it is my favorite presentation thus far.

Our last stop is in the Islands of Tonga where we are given a presentation with drums.  They are the heartbeat of the islands and can give more information quickly than many other forms of communication.  Again, a great demonstration.

Our time here is finished.  How did the hours pass so quick?  It is easy when you are having a good time.

Mister decides when we leave to retrace our route back around the northshore instead of following the west side and cutting over.  We had passed several shrimp farms on the way here and a certain shrimp truck had been highly recommended to us.  We had passed it also and so are now returning to Giovannis Shrimp Truck.  We order the Scampi to share and oh my goodness.  Even though it is the second shrimp dish for me today -- it is divine.  Mister always says that he has a hard time finding a good shrimp scampi.  Well, he did today.

Satiated again, we continue on while watching this phenomenal sunset and Mister surprises me with a repeat visit to Laniakea Beach.  Crazy, but there is another turtle on the beach.  Fantastic!  What a perfect end to a great day.

A new day dawns and we want to explore the west side of Oahu today.  First stop is Leonards Bakery for malasadas.  This is another one of the "must eats" on our list.  This bakery has been in this same spot for over 50 years and is a tradition throughout the island.  Superb donuts.

With our tummy's happy, we continue through the mountain to the west side.  Yep, that's right - a tunnel. Always fun.  When we exit the tunnel, it looks as though we are on a different island altogether with high mountains that butt up against the ocean in places.  Nestled on the slopes is the Byodo-in Temple.  It is at the back of a very large cemetary at Valley of the Temples Memorial Park.  It has been here since 1968 and is a smaller-scale replica of the 950-year-old one in Japan.  They had to get permission from  the Japanese government to even build it here.

Across the road from it is perhaps one of the most intriguing cemeteries I have seen.  It is serene and beautiful with headstones unlike any I had seen before.  The stones are all black granite with gold lettering and all are facing north.

The very first thing on the property once we pass the gates is the Bon-sho or "sacred bell".  A "shu'moku" is used to strike the bell and is customarily rung before one enters the temple to purify the mind of evil spirits and temptation.  So, I give it a ring.

As we walk towards the temple, there is a little meditation area that we explore and can hear the wild peacocks in the area.  I hope and hope that we will see one, but no such luck.

I watch Mister as he sets about capturing the temple.  What do you suppose he sees?

Ah -- nice.

I leave him to his photography and as I start to explore the grounds I run into a pond full of turtles.  I watch the for quite awhile until Mister joins me.  These little guys are almost posing for us and one of them sticks out his hind leg and literally stretches for quite awhile.  Just as Mister tries to snap the picture, he pulls it back in showing just who is in control.

Our time here is finished and so we reluctantly point the car southeast and back through the mountain - via a different tunnel.

Also on our "must see" list is the The Bishop Museum and so that is our next stop.  Once we arrive, we face a sign that says "closed Tuesdays".  Grrrrrr.  I cannot believe that I didn't find that in my research. Oh well, moving along --- onto The Lyon Arboretum.  We arrive at the same time that a downpour does.  What is going on today?  Thankfully, the storm is short-lived and we dart out in between showers and head into the rainforest.  We plan on walking up to the Aihualama Falls which is about 45 minutes each way.  Let's go.

Someone has a sense of humor.  Says psst to me.  Too cute.  Soon our path opens out onto Inspiration Point and this is our view.  Oh my.  How lovely and aptly named.

Another couple pops out of the vegetation a few minutes later and so we exchange photo opportunities with them  Cool -- I will get at least one pic us together on this trip.  As we start back onto the path, a flowering plant catches my attention.  So unique.

Back on our trail.

Along the way there is an old, abandoned seismograph station.  Mister just has to explore.  I am surprised that there are not any barriers keeping people out.  Oh well, it is the rainforest and not a very accessible trail.
As we enter The Great Lawn, we have become targets for the rain again since we have lost the canopy.


This has been a great place to visit and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
It is time to wind our way back into town, but a quick stop at the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific is in order.  It sits in Punchbowl, an inactive volcano crater and pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the Pacific during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.  Almost half of those buried here were from WWII, including victims of Pearl Harbor.  We have to wait awhile for this picture as there is a tour group there at the same time as us, but it works.

A walk around the grounds takes us to an overlook of Honolulu.  Mister did a couple of panorama shot but they are not attached yet and so I will fix it when he finishes.  While up at the overlook, we spot this cute little guy in a tree.  He was pretty shy though and took off when I tried to get closer. I also spotted a coconut tree that was FULL and some gorgeous bougainvillea plants.

We drop down the mountain and back into downtown Honolulu.  We park in Chinatown for a quick bowl of noodle soup and are soon on our way again.  A quick stop at the Hawaii State Capitol building emits a WOW from me.  My picture does not do it justice nor could I find any link that did.  It is way cool.  The architecture reflect the island so well.  I am going to simply quote from Eyewitness Travel here as it is spot on: "The building rises from a reflecting pool just as the islands rise from the blue Pacific.  Fluted columns, suggesting lofty palms, circle the veranda, and two volcano-shaped chambers contain the houses of the legislature."  It is true AND the entire thing is open air -- you can walk all through it even now, way after closing hours.  I loved it.

The last couple stops of the day are at the Iolani Palace and the Aliiolani Hale.  These two buildings represent both old and new governments combined.  The Palace is the only royal residence in the United States.  The Aliiolani Hale or "House of the Heavenly King" was designed as a palace and built in 1874.  It currently houses the Supreme Court and the Judiciary History Center.  The statue out front is that of King Kamehameha.

Our day is finished with a stop at Hawaiian Islands Brewing Co. and we enjoy a beer just as they are closing.  It is time for bed as we are flying early tomorrow morning.  Time for the Big Island.

Hawaii - Travel and Day One - Oahu

I asked Mister where he would like to go for his birthday and after a brief panic attack when he told me Nepal, he agreed to Hawaii.  There are only two states he hasn't visited and this is one of them, so we started planning a trip to explore two of the islands.  Come along with us and enjoy.

We leave Dallas at 6:00 a.m. via US Airways en route to Phoenix where we are hoping to connect to Honolulu on the island of Oahu.  When we arrive in Phoenix, we are unable to make the first flight and upon checking with the counter, know the second flight is a sure thing so set about waiting for that flight, wandering around taking pictures of soon-to-be-gone US Airways logos on tails, and visiting with other passengers who are waiting.  Suddenly, it is posted that the flight is cancelled.  Wonderful.  So we quickly book a flight for Kona and figure we will make the changes when we get there since it is the wrong island -- ha ha, great start here.

While we wait for the flight to Kona, Cass calls with an option to go to Los Angeles and hop a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu.  We manage to get double booked on both the Kona and LA flights and as soon as the Kona one fills up, we are off and running to the LA gate.  Yay! We make the flight and then check in with Hawaiian Airlines in Los Angeles and are able to make that flight as well.  Watching all those episodes of The Amazing Race pays off every now and then in strategy.



We receive two beautiful leis at the end of the jet bridge and take our seats.  Cool -- relaxation starts to set in.  Oops, wait a minute.

There is a problem with the toilet and the plane has to return to the gate. Oh fun.  While this is going on, a young child next to us gets sick and the seat cushion has to be changed out.  Love these interesting beginnings.  Soon (or I guess later) we are on our way to Honolulu.



As soon as we are at altitude, we are served dinner and learn that Hawaiian Airlines is the only airline from the US that still offers a full complimentary meal on long distance flights.  It is actually quite good but since we are starving by now perhaps our judgement is clouded.

Satiated for awhile, we settle in and try to sleep off and on for the remaining 5 hours.  I am lucky enough to find 3 empty seats in a row at the back and stretch out leaving Mister our two seats to himself.  It works.

We arrive in Honolulu, pick up the car and drive down to Waikiki Beach where our hotel is located.  It is around midnight when we arrive and check into our room at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel.  It is a small room and the view out our window is that of the rooftop pool below.



We remove the leis and decide that even if it is late, we want to walk on Waikiki Beach and relax for a wee bit before sleep.

It is a beautiful night and so we wander down the main walk and out onto the beach.

The beach is empty except for a few couples here and there doing the same thing.  Oh, and the bums sleeping on the streets and in the picnic areas.

It is after 1:00 a.m. by the time we get back to the room and fall into a heap in the bed.  Silly us, the alarm goes off 4 hours later and we are up and running.  It is about a 30-45 minute drive to the eastern point of the island and we want to see the sunrise.  It is definitely worth losing sleep over.

Is this not just beautiful?  I love the reflection of the sunrise in the lava pool.  It is raining off and on while we are trying to enjoy the sunrise, but between showers we both get out of the car and let the impact of "we are in Hawaii" set in.

The water is the most beautiful ice blue as the waves turn.  It is crystal clear and we cannot wait to get into it.

From the pullout that we stopped at, we continue east to Makapuu Beach Park and walk up to the lookout.  The views are intense.

In the water below, you can see a few brave locals out surfing, but it is easy to be thrown onto the rocks.

Notice the lighthouse on the hill.

We retrace our route and stop at Hanauma Bay State Underwater Park, one of the premier snorkeling spots on Oahu.  It is early and so only a few people are here so far.  We change clothes and prepare to rent equipment down on the beach only to find out that the power is out on the beach and they are considering closing it because the restroom facilities are not available without power.  Dang.

We check our plans for the day to move on to the next idea and decide to go back into Honolulu and the Kapiolani Park which has an art show on the fence of the Honolulu Zoo on Sunday mornings. The artists are all local and this is a tradition which has been ongoing for several years.  We find a couple of prints that we like and I fall in love with the Banyan Trees.  They stop me in my tracks and I stand in awe.  The root systems are simply incredible.

We drive up to Diamond Head, enjoy the view, and realize that without any sustenance so far today, perhaps the hike up to the summit is not the best idea.  Grabbing a quick brunch, we are soon on our way again.

We have a walking map of Chinatown and so aim in that direction.  What a wise choice.  This is by far the best Chinatown we have ever been to.  I love it.

The walking tour takes us to The Lum Sai Ho Tong Temple.  Oh what a treasure this little Taoist temple is.  It is above a store and is for members of the Lum clan to worship in.  The history of this little temple is awesome and this shrine dates back over 100 years.  The incense spirals emit a calming aroma and everyone is so welcoming and eager to share information with us.   While we are admiring the temple, various people come in, deliver offerings, and worship.

A gentleman and several teen boys arrive in a bright colored uniforms making offerings of fruit and lighting incense sticks.  We are told that they are members of a local Dragon Dance Club and if we stay for awhile we will be able to watch the dance.  It is being done for the Chinese New Year celebrations and is part of renewing their faith.  While we wait outside, one of the local members shares with Mister some of their beliefs and his take on life in general.

The teams that will be dancing start to arrive with the costume and I am absolutely fascinated.  Everything is so bright and colorful.  Two teams play drums for the dragons and after dancing on the street for awhile, they enter the temple to offer their respects.  Awesome.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time.  We are so lucky.

When the dance is completed, we cross the river over to the Izumo Taisha Shrine.  It was built by Japanese immigrants in 1923 and during WWII the city of Honolulu confiscated it and held it for 20 years before returning it to the congregation.  The entire shrine is made without nails and the ringing of the bell at the entrance is an act of purification for those who come to pray.  While are there, we watch an older woman being helped to the shrine and then up the stairs to ring the bell.  It is truly spiritual to watch.




Two marble lions mark the entrance to Chinatown and were donated by a city in Taiwan in honor of the 200th anniversary of Chinese settlement in Hawaii.


As we are leaving the area, we walk through the open air markets and past the Hawaii Theater, a beautiful building which has been renovated and is still being used today.






The drive back takes us along the harbor and we locate the Aloha Tower Marketplace, park, and walk along the piers.  The elevator to the top of the tower delivers us to great views.  I love all the tug boats lined up and we also spot a submarine cruising past.  Very cool.  Isn't this the cleanest harbor you have ever seen?

It has been a long day with very little sleep so we locate Aloha Beer down on the docks and give the sampler a try before going next door to Sam Choy's for a quick dinner.  Mister decides to order the poke, one of the items on our "must try" list.

It is definitely bedtime and I think I fall asleep during dinner and am not at all sure of the drive back to the hotel.  Wow.