Hawaii

David and I had an amazing Hawaiian getaway, just the two of us. . . seven days of fun in the sun and exploring the beautiful island of Oahu.  

We stayed at the Aston Hotel on Waikiki Beach, which was perfect for us, because we did a lot of walking, and so many things were within walking distance of  our hotel, including great places to eat, the BEACH,  shopping, live music and entertainment, and so many other attractions.

We hiked to the top of Diamond Head, where we saw beautiful views of the island.

We had heard about how delicious Hula Pie is at Duke's restaurant.  We were not disappointed!  Our dinner was great, too:  fish tacos and waffle fries.  We got to enjoy our food as we listened to live Hawaiian music and watched the waves lapping the sandy beach and the beautiful sunset.

Throughout our vacation, we went snorkeling at several different places on the island, including off the pier near our hotel, Hanauma Bay, and Shark's Cove near the North Shore.

We boarded a tour bus at 6:15 a.m. on day 3 in Hawaii, which took us to Pearl Harbor.  We walked on the grounds of the Memorial Center and went to the exhibits, including a movie which explained the historic and tragic day of December 6, 1941, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, marking the beginning of World War II.  We then boarded a tour boat which took us to the USS Arizona Memorial, the site of the downed ship and watery grave for the many people whose lives were lost that fateful day.  

Next, we went aboard the USS Missouri, a huge ship whereon the treaty was signed which ended World War II.  David especially was fascinated by the enormity of the ship.

My cousin, Brad, who currently is a resident of Oahu, took us on an awesome driving tour of the island.  We made stops along the way, beginning with Leonard's Bakery, where he introduced us to melt-in-your-mouth malasadas pastries.

Yummmm!

We saw many breathtaking views and scenery.

We drove to the North Shore on Day 5 to attend the La'ie Temple.  It was gorgeous!  We went inside for an endowment session.

We spent the afternoon and evening at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It was so fun to be entertained at the different "islands of Polynesia" throughout the park.  

I especially loved the music and dancing of the boat parade.

In "Tahiti," David got chosen from the audience to dance on the stage.  He did an awesome job up there with the hula girls and guys, dancing to the drums as the audience cheered and clapped for him.

Ta da!!!  My husband stole the show!

It poured rain as we took a river boat ride and as we ran from there to the Luau we attended.  We bought disposable rain ponchos, but we still got soaked through because the puddles were so deep!

After the Luau, we attended the night show, "Ha; Breath of Life," which was incredible and amazing.  

It was fun to choose among the different places to eat each day.  One evening, we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe on Waikiki Beach.

 Yummy burger, fries, and a milkshake at Hard Rock Cafe.

We snorkeled at Shark's Cove.  It was a whole different experience from snorkeling near our hotel off the pier.  The jagged volcanic rock under the water made it a little trickier, especially getting in and out.  Also, the water was much deeper and the waves were stronger.  It was still an amazing experience to view the tropical fish swimming all around us underwater.  I especially enjoyed watching large schools of fish; I thought I could just reach out and touch them because they were so close to me, but they moved too quickly!

We went on a beautiful hike to Wiamea Falls.  The falls themselves were a bit of a disappointment, since the water was so low and murky.  But the foliage and flowers along the way made it worth the effort.

We saw giant sea turtles!  Where else?  At Turtle Beach.

 Our trip to Hawaii would not be complete without shave ice from Matsomoto's!  It was a great way to end a day of island exploring, snorkeling, and hiking.

And of course, we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

We loved the view of the skyline and Waikiki Beach after dark.  It was gorgeous!  

In the evenings, we enjoyed relaxing on the pool deck at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel while listening to the soothing sounds of live Hawaiian music, walking along the beach, and strolling down the busy main street, where there was an abundance of shopping, restaurants, and entertainment.  

We also got to enjoy a fireworks display celebrating the Honolulu Festival on our last evening at 

Waikiki Beach.

I can't wait to go back!