The Finale

To round out my trip to Hawaii, I did something near and dear to my heart.  My parents met in Hawaii in 1977.  My dad was a new Marine, just out of The Basic School following his graduation from the Naval Academy.  My mom was a recent college graduate who'd moved back in with her parents when she discovered my grandfather (an Army Colonel) was being transferred to Hawaii.  I've heard many stories of my parents' courtship, and many of their adventures begin or end with "a drive across the Pali" which was the main highway (at least now it's a highway) between their houses.  The road goes through some very steep mountains and can make for a precarious drive since it's frequently drizzling in the middle of the lush jungle, so if my mom was driving, my dad would often escort her in his own car to ensure her safety.

Anyway, as I said, I've heard many stories of my parents' dating days, and came to Oahu armed with a list of landmarks special to them: their old homes, places my dad had taken my mom, special restaurants, the exact location on the exact beach where my dad proposed, and more.  But as I prepared to take this trip down their memory lane, I'd start crying, missing my dad, angry that he's no longer alive, and I just couldn't bring myself to go.  I couldn't bear to see the house where Dad lived with five other Marines, remember the story of Dad's proposal when they were nearly accosted by a motorcycle gang on Valentine's Day 1978, snoop around at the cabin where my grandfather caught my parents "camping" after Dad returned home from deployment.  I just couldn't do it.

But I made myself drive across the Pali.  If I only did one thing it needed to be that.  That road that linked my dad's house to my mom's and forever forged their path together.  I stopped at the lookout about half-way across for a moment of reflection.  Walking to the vista, I had to concentrate more on my footing than my emotions, however, as the wind at that high elevation was strong enough to blow me right over...and it nearly did!  Despite the overcast skies, the view was amazing!

After a few minutes, I went back to my car, drove the rest of the way across The Pali, and enjoyed an amazing dinner of coconut shrimp with honey mustard and plum sauces and mango sorbet at Haleiwa Joe's Kaneohe.  It was a fabulous meal and was a great way to round out my time in Hawaii.

My few remaining days on-island included dinner with family friends (this couple knew my parents right after they were married), lunch with my first XO who is stationed there now, and one more afternoon basking on the beach.

As wonderful as Hawaii is, home is where the heart is, and my heart absolutely swelled when I arrived back home last Saturday to the smiles and hugs of my husband and son!!

Surf's Up

Once again, on Sunday morning I woke early, with gorgeous sunshine streaming in my windows.  I quickly showered and dressed and hit the road for the North Shore.  Opting to drive through the middle of the lush island, as I'd seen the gorgeous easters coastline the day before, I drove through miles of pineapple "orchards", mountains, and volcano fields.  It was at times beautifully clear and at others overcast and drizzling.  And that made for a fabulous rainbow I was able to capture while driving!

My aim for the day was Haleiwa Town, the capital of Hawaiian surfing!  By the time I arrived the sky was permanently clear and I couldn't have asked for better weather.  I stopped at Cafe Haleiwa for breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast sandwich.

Nothing, however, could prepare me for the goodness that is Matsumoto's Shave Ice.  Yes, it's touristy.  Yes, there's a line.  Yes, locals (I know a few) will tell you to go elsewhere to save time and money.  But I say it was worth it.  At $3, this treat wasn't breaking the bank, and since I arrived around 10:30 in the morning, the line was maybe ten minutes long.  And the flavor list puts Baskin-Robin's "31-derful" flavors to shame!  I was told to order with ice cream in the bottom, and I'm so glad I followed that advice!  The vanilla ice cream made my mango shave ice taste like a creamcicle!  Mmm....

After recovering from my brain freeze, I continued through town, wandered in a couple shops, and then made my way to the beach.  I sat and enjoyed the views, the brilliant blue of the Pacific, and the guts of the surfers along the Banzai Pipeline before making my way back to my car for another trek along the gorgeous coastline.

I drove back toward Honolulu and back to Diamond Head.  I hadn't given up on my hike, and my timing was great.  Arriving around lunchtime, the parking lot was not so packed and the attendant gladly took my money in exchange for a spot.  I grabbed my purse and camera and made my way to the top!  Yes I was in flip flops.  Yes, this is a hike.  It's not terribly difficult, and it was certainly doable in "slippas" but I do wish I'd had something a bit more suitable for walking up the side of a volcano.  I'll admit I was a bit naive as to what this excursion entailed.  But it was good afternoon exercise and I did work up a sweat by moving rather quickly and squeezing past dozens of Japanese tourists stopping for pictures every ten steps.  And the views were amazing!

Following my hike, I returned to my hotel, grabbed the essentials, and retreated to the beach where I spent the remainder of the afternoon, soaking up the glorious sunshine I've so missed since moving to the foggy central California coast.

Polynesia is more than Hawaii

Who knew that Polynesia was more than just the Hawaiian Islands?!?  OK, Smarty Pants, you can put your hand down and stop gloating at my ignorance.  It's not that I didn't know that there was more to Polynesia than Hawaii; it's that I just didn't quite put two and two together...

Either way, BYU has a campus on Oahu and opened the Polynesian Cultural Center in 1962 as a way to keep alive the traditions and cultures of the various groups of Polynesian Islands.  Additionally, the Center raises money to provide scholarships (and funding) to BYU Hawaii.  Don't be fooled by the Mormon-LDS sponsorship, however; the PCC is all about conserving Polynesian customs, and is certainly open to visitors of any faith group.

The park opens at noon, so I planned my visit on conjunction with my tour around the island and arrived shortly after stopping for lunch at L&L.  I'd pre-purchased a ticket from my hotel (military offers MWR discounts, but I didn't have the luxury of getting to their office due to my working schedule) which included admission, a luau meal and show, and the evening show beginning at sunset.  Once inside, I made my way around the park, stopping for demonstrations of various skills and traditions of the island groups represented.  Canoe rides, cooking demonstrations, lessons in spear throwing, coconut tree climbing, fishing, making fire, and playing ancient instruments are just a few of the activities available at the Center.

Mid-afternoon, visitors gather along the banks of the river winding through the park for the Canoe Pageant.  We were greeted with a canoe delivering homemade rainbow sherbet on a bed of tropical fruit before the show started. Representatives from the islands of Samoa, Hawaii, Tonga, Figi, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Tahiti, each on their own canoe, paraded down the river performing traditional dances in local costume.  The pageant was by far a highlight of the day!

The Royal Court

Aotearoa

Samoa

Figi

Hawaii

Tonga

Tahiti

I had some time to kill following the Canoe Pageant (also aptly called "Rainbows of Paradise" as each culture wears a traditional color to represent...something...I've since forgotten what each color meant to each island group!).  Anyway, while I killed some time, I found a sunny spot near the lagoon and called my mom.  There's a six-hour time different between Hawaii and the East Coast, so I hadn't been able to talk to her much during the week as it was nearing midnight by the time I was back in the hotel after work.  I also managed to call Hubs and even "talk" to Bunkey a little before we went to bed.

Finally, it was time to make my way to the luau.  While I waited to go in, I befriended a family from LA who invited me to sit with them so I wouldn't be lonely.  We observed the Imu Ceremony together, chatted throughout the buffet style luau (oh the food was fabulous), and pretty much ignored the luau dancers, which were not nearly as good as the dancers at the luau I attended at my hotel, the Hale Koa (which is a military hotel, for those of you who qualify and are looking for a fabulous place to stay at a reasonable - for Hawaii - price).

Imu Ceremony

Mr Pig

The lovely ladies that invited me to sit with them

Following the luau, we made out way to the amphitheater to watch Ha: Breath of Life, the evening show at the Center.  Telling the life story of Ha, the musical-play features costume, music, and dress traditional to each of the six Polynesian cultures represented at the Center during each stage of Ha's life.  The show culminates with a fabulous fire dancing show that leaves you absolutely breathless.  If you ever make it to Hawaii and visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, I highly recommend you pay the extra money to add this show to your ticket. In fact, if you'd rather skip the Center altogether, there are options to purchase admission to only the luau and evening show, which in all honesty, is what I wish I'd done.

At any rate, I didn't quite finish my trip around the island, as I quickly discovered that I'd need all afternoon at the Cultural Center, but I still had Sunday to finish my sight-seeing!

Island Girl

During my trip to Hawaii, I had but one weekend to see and do all things Oahu.  My weekdays involved work from 7:00 to 5:00 with a 30-minute commute in the morning and 45 to 60-minute commute in the evening.  By the time I got back to my hotel, relaxed for just a few minutes, and changed out of my uniform, it was close to 7:00.  Calling Hubs (three hour time difference) pushed everything even later, so I made attempts to call him on the drive home from work.  That said, Hawaii, like California, has a very strict hands-free rule while driving and my rental wasn't equipped with Bluetooth, so I had to be careful and use speaker-phone daily.  Anyway, the point is that I didn't have time in the evenings to do much more than grab dinner, since I didn't want to be walking alone in a strange place in the dark, super-late hours.

I wasn't required to report to work on the weekends, so I strategically planned those two days to the max!  Luckily I tend to wake up early, and even without an alarm, I woke between 6:00 and 6:30 during my weekend in Hawaii!

On Saturday, I was out the door by 8:00 on a quest to drive around the island.  That said, I learned that the highway stops for one section of coastline, a few areas south of where the road ends are dangerous (exactly how much, I'm not sure, but I didn't want to test it), and the next stretch didn't have much to see any how.  So I opted to stick to a large loop that covered about three quarters of coastline and then a gorgeous stretch through the pineapple fields down the center of the island.

My first stop was Diamond Head!  Well, actually, my first stop was to a gas station near Diamond Head as I realized I'd forgotten to swipe deodorant that morning and I didn't want to go the day like that!  My second stop was Diamond Head.  I made my way to the parking area, got there well before 9:00, and discovered that the parking area was full.  I was told I could down back down the mountain and park at a community college and then walk up, but since I'd seen a Farmers Market going on at said college (and not much parking) and because I didn't want to waste time adding a mile or so to my hike each way when I was limited to two days of sight-seeing, I decided I'd go back the next day.  But I did snap a picture of a lookout about mid-way up the mountain:

Next, I drove to Hanauma Bay.  Known for its snorkeling, this nature preserve requires a short video before any visitor is allowed down to the beach or into the water.  The marine life is fabulous, but it's protected, so the staff is very strict as to the volume of human traffic coming through on a daily basis.  Once again, I was limited in my time, so I didn't bring my snorkel gear (or even a bathing suit) since I didn't want to get side-tracked.  Pictures, however, were a must!

Following the Bay, I drove just a few miles up the road to the Halona Blowhole.  Since it was neither windy nor high tide, I didn't get to see the optimal effects of this little phenomenon, but I did get to see a tiny bit of its magic!

The next stop on my scenic drive was the Makapuu Lighthouse.  I didn't have time for the 2-mile hike, but I did enjoy the views from the overlook!

By this time it was nearing lunch, so I made a stop at L&L for some garlic shrimp and macaroni salad.  Once my belly was full, I continued on to the Polynesian Cultural Center, where I'd spend the second half of the day...and I'll tell you about that tomorrow!

Out & About in Oahu

The last time I was in Hawaii, I was three years old.  Needless to say, I don't remember much of it.  I was determined this trip to see and experience Oahu and make it memorable.  Of course, without my family, things weren't nearly as much fun; however, I figured keeping busy would keep my mind off of how much I missed Bunkey (oh, and Hubs too!).

The item on the top of my Must Do list was a Luau (duh!).  It just so happened that my hotel (the same property at which I stayed during my trip ahem twenty-six years ago) hosted a luau twice a week, so I made my reservations upon check in.

I had fabulous seats, but unfortunately one of the people at my table was quite talkative.  And in an annoying way.  I tried to be polite, but inwardly I was screaming at this guy to shut up.  After all, he was explaining to me the ins and outs of the Navy....and I'm in the Navy!  I felt bad, because he was a new Officer in the Reserves and obviously very eager, which is great.  That said, he has a lot to learn before he goes and starts talking like this to other Officers because his lack of experience (he's coming in as a Lieutenant with zero active duty time) is going to make him the butt of many jokes.  I hope someone at his unit takes him under their wing and helps him out.

At any rate, the luau was wonderful.  Entertainment and demonstrations of Hawaiian culture while we sipped Mai Tais, the traditional Imu Ceremony, typical Hawaiian luau food, and then fabulous hula in the styles of several Polynesian cultures!  It was a wonderful evening!

Tropical Libations

Although I was on a business trip, I tried  to feel a tiny bit like I was on vacation while I was in Hawaii for the last two weeks.  While I certainly didn't imbibe every night, I did sample my fair share of fruity beverages with paper umbrellas!

Mai Tai at Biba's....Tropical Itch at Duke's

Lava Flow at Koko's, Scorpion at Koko's, Wild Wahini at Haleiwa Joe's

Aloha!

I know...  I know it's been forever since I've posted.  

It's just been a busy summer around here.

I'm sure you all can relate.

As a Reservist, I have to perform two weeks of Active Duty time each year.  The unit I'm affiliated with supports a large command in Hawaii, so my Active Duty time took place in Pearl Harbor this year.  Months ago, when I first accepted the position with my unit (shortly after we moved to California) I submitted orders for my two weeks to be in June.  This just so happened to coincide with Hubs' summer break (he only gets two weeks between the spring and summer quarters).  The original plan was for Hubs and Bunkey to accompany me to Oahu and get a little bit of family vacation time knocked out at the same time.

At the last minute, the Navy, and more specifically, my command, changed the travel rules, and therefore the dates of my trip.  Luckily I was still able to work things out so that I'd still be gone during Hubs' break, so he would be here to take care of Bunkey.  Up until the very last minute, as in the morning I left, we were checking plane tickets and (free) military flights so that Hubs and Bunkey could still come with me.  But at the end of the day (more specifically, 3:00 am the day I left, with a cab coming to pick me up at 4:30) it was just a bridge too far.

So I went to Hawaii alone.  I arrived on island around lunch time on Father's Day, picked up my rental car, and made my way to my beach-front hotel.  My room wasn't ready yet, so I made the most of my very limited free time and went back towards the airport (in Honolulu traffic this can take a while) and to Pearl Harbor.  I toured the historical site, visited the USS ARIZONA memorial, and paid my respects by dropping the flowers from a lei in the water.

By that time I could check in to my hotel, so I went back to Waikiki, checked in, and tried to get a bit settled.  I wandered around the grounds a little to get my bearings, and ate dinner at one (of two) of the hotel's restaurants.  Eating alone, in a real restaurant, was not my idea of a good time, but I was there for two weeks, so I was going to have to eat at some point....and pizza or McDonald's didn't sound like a good diet for 14 days!

An anchor from the Arizona

The Arizona's watery grave

Headstones dot the harbor, marking the places where all
the ships sank

The purple flower in the middle is from a lei I dropped in the
water in honor of my late father, on Father's Day.