…from Honolulu! We started our 11.5 hour travel Monday am to Oahu. With a short layover in D.C, we headed west and then south for some fun in the sun;-)
Kids waiting to board plane in Detroit
Em gettin’ comfy
We were super fortunate that the plane wasn’t full so we had several rows to ourselves!
We finally made it to the hotel!
We arrived in Honolulu about 6:30pm HI time…. 12:30pm MI time so we were all tired! We hiked our way up to the room and crashed…. until 3:30 HI time! We were having jet lag flashbacks of China;-)! When the sun finally came up we were pleasantly surprised to find this awaiting us…
Beautiful view of Waikiki Beach
Down the coast at Waikiki Beach
We explored the pool and beach. Elijah had fun burying Emily;-) I think he was secretly getting back at her for a multitude of things….look at his face!!
Who me?!?! Caught red-handed!
We rented a car and spent the morning at Pearl Harbor. Ok, for you history buffs this is going to be very offensive, but I knew very little about this horrific event in history and therefore have passed on very little to the girls. SO GLAD we took the time to visit this National Monument and learn about a major piece of American/World history! Over 4,000 visitors pass through its gate daily! And, of course, they offered the Junior Ranger program so guess what the kids did??;-)
Kids reciting their Pearl Harbor Junior Ranger oath to the Ranger
Pearl Harbor’s a beautiful setting with a serene atmosphere. It’s a living memorial and honored as such in all aspects. After going through the museum portions of the monument, we watched a very informative movie and then were taken by boat to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was difficult not to tear up as we walked on sacred “ground”, if you will. I had similar emotions as when we visited the Oklahoma Bombing site this fall…. it’s very somber to think of all the innocent lives lost.
Arriving at the memorial
A memorial wall naming all the amazing sailors and marines that lost their lives as well as the survivors that have chosen to be buried there over the years.
Lexie looking at the remains of the USS Arizona.
Bubba hasn’t quite figured out which way’s up with the shades;-)
We then headed north to the Dole pineapple plantation. We took a train ride into the fields to see the different phases of growth and then partook in some pineapple ice cream. If you enjoy pineapple, this is the place for you! They have pineapple everything!
Despite his SUPER enthusiastic look, Eli was TOTALLY digging this experience.
Other than the ice cream being extremely overpriced, it was pretty tasty;-)
We continued heading north to the infamous North Shore! We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the big waves of the international surfing competitions! In fact, the waves are so big there that they have permanent signs posted that forbid swimming. It was so beautiful!
The North Shore!
It was fun to watch the surfers out there!
Overall, Oahu’s a beautiful island…. it’s bustling with tourists, famous for its beaches & shopping, and gives an international flair with its many Japanese and Australian guests.
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