Hawaii Part 3

Monday afternoon Melissa and I went to Pearl Harbor. Ashley decided to stay at home with Keaton since we didn't know what the kid situation would be like there. It's a good thing too because it was a very quiet reverent place.

In the photo below you can see the USS Arizona memorial behind us. In the attack on Pearl Harbor, the most lives were lost in the USS Arizona (over 1,100). So many men and women were trapped inside, so they left it there with everyone buried inside. We took a ferry out there to see it, and it was amazing.

You can still see the ship right below the surface.

Nothing wrong with a little eye candy... :-)

I'd love to go back to Pearl Harbor if I ever go back to Oahu. We were eager to get home to Ashley and Keaton, so we decided to just to the highlights this go around.

Hawaii Part 2

Friday night we went to Paradise Cove Luau, and boy was it fun!

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but we managed to talk our way into a Mustang convertible for the whole time we were in Hawaii. What's a trip to Hawaii without cruisin' the H1 with the top town? Here we are leaving for the Luau.

The Luau was right near the Ko Olina beach, which was beautiful!!

We got to experience a few neat Polynesian culture things: lei making, net fishing on the shore, coconut tree climbing (not by us!), hula dancing, and here below: a tattoo (don't worry, it's not real!)

On Saturday we spent the day on the North Shore. We drove all the way up the east coast of the island (right by the Morman Temple), and around to the North Shore. We spent some time shopping in the boutiques and getting some yummy shaved ice in Haliewa. For dinner, we ate at the famous Shimp Trucks. YUMMY.

Don't let the "white trash" feel fool you. These are delicious and very fresh. If you ever go to the North Shore in Oahu, these are a MUST.

Hawaii Part 1

What a GREAT girls trip!!! This was our 7th annual together, and it was the longest one so far-- a FULL week. To refresh your memory, go here for a recap of last years trip, and go here for trips 1-5! Since we were going to Ashley's house, we had to juggle Keaton around. He was AMAZING when he was with us. Let me just say THANK the Lord we didn't have my kids. There's no way they would have cooperated like Keaton did. Ashley's good friend Karen watched him for 2 of the days, and then Scott had him on the weekend. Scott's new job is pretty flexible, so he was home from work every day by 4:30, which made it easy for us to get out the door for dinner.

We were greeted at Ashley's house with these BEAUTIFUL fresh leis. They smelled SO good. We were exhausted from our 8 hour flight, but it was so fun to finally see Ashley.

On Thursday we went snorkelling first thing at Hanauma Bay (see below pic), and then we went to a different beach in the afternoon at Lanikai Beach (which is pretty near Ashley's house). Not to be a complainer or anything, but I have to say that the snorkelling here isn't NEARLY as amazing as what we've seen in the Bahamas in years past. I know what you're thinking, and we were thinking the same thing: we're SPOILED!

This is at the beach in Kailua

That night we headed to Southshore Grill for some fish tacos. YUMMY!

We had Keaton on Friday, so we headed to the DOLE plantation, which was super cool. I don't about you, but I had no idea how Pineapples grow. Well, they grow in these little plants-- and sit on top of a stalk. You can sort of see one in the pic below. Very fun!

We took a train ride around the plantation, which was fun for us, but especially for little Keaters.

Stay tuned for part 2 (luau, Pearl Harbor, Stairway to Heaven, etc...)

Adios!

Or should I say ALOHA?

Be back in a week... WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer!!

On May 1, our neighborhood spray park opened. This past Friday we ventured out with the kids. It's only a few blocks from our house, so we are able to walk. It's right next to our park, so nearly every park visit for the past 3 months, William has been asking how much longer until we can go to the spray park. 

As you can see, they were SUPER excited.

One of the greatest things about the spray park: I can go fully dressed and never get wet! Well, there's the occasional getting squirt with the water gun, but for the most part I can leave unscathed! 

My to-do list

So, Melissa and I leave in 9 days to visit Ashley in Hawaii. Being since Ashley is new to the island, pregnant and not feeling well, taking care of a 2 yr old, learning her way around herself, Melissa and I are in charge of putting together a loose itinerary for our time there. Thankfully, I have a close friend who lived in Oahu for a few years, so she's given us the inside scoop on the best restaurants, beaches, hikes, etc.

Here's what we're deciding on:
Restaurants:
California Beach Rock 'N Sushi - yummy sushi, and they have a happy hour!
Dukes Canoe Club - apparently, they have live music on Sunday afternoons, and it's right on Waikiki beach, which makes for a superb atmostphere (plus, we've heard that they have amazing Mai Tais!)

Beaches:
Hanauma Bay - we'll be doing some snorkeling here.
Waikiki - rumor has it that this beach is the best and the most beautiful

Activities:
Northshore, with a pit-stop at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Not sure what we're going to do here. Probably shopping, eating, beaching
Pearl Harbor - you can't have a trip to Oahu without a stop here
Hawaiin Flea Market: we plan to find some cool Hawaiian treasures here
Paradise Cove Luau - I'm guessing that no trip to Hawaii is complete without going to a Luau.

Hiking:
Stairway to Heaven: this will be something that Ashley will have to skip, due to her pregnant state. It's a straight up climb to the highest point in Oahu. I'm terrified of heights, but I'm going to make myself do it because I know it'll be worth it.
Still undecided between: Pali Lookout, Manoa Falls or Diamond Head

No matter what we do, I know it'll be a blast. What more can a girl ask for than to spend a week with 2 of her very best friends in Hawaii? I know, we're spoiled.

The to-do part is trying to figure out what exactly to do and when. If you've ever been to Oahu and you have some recommendations, I'd love to hear them. It's not to late. The itinerary isn't set.

Aloha.