Hawaii (Part 1 of 2)
Finally back from Hawaii. It was such an incredible trip that returning really seemed like a bum deal. If we could have shipped our cats out there and found a house within a week, I'm not sure we would have returned! So, so much to see and do!
We spent one week on Oahu with my husband's family and absolutely loved it. We stayed on the marine base most of the time which had definite pros and cons, but it worked out well overall.
When we go back (yes, we're saying that already) we will stay in Honolulu. We spent one night in downtown Honolulu and absolutely loved it.
View from our hotel, the Modern Honolulu. Excellent stay, and would most definitely return!
Honolulu has a big, Asian city vibe. What impressed me the most was how clean the city was. We got up early one morning and walked down the street for breakfast and there were elderly ladies sweeping the sidewalks and doing their part to keep the city clean. We ate dinner at
, which was traditional Japanese food. Their sushi was excellent and very, very quick service. Breakfast the next morning was at
and really blew me away. Order the French Toast! They use traditional Hawaiian breads and it's the perfect mixture of crisp French Toast and gooey breads. Their servings were surprisingly large and filling!
Of course we did fun, touristy stuff too!
We drove up to the Dole Plantation and walked through the gardens.
So many flowers! And pineapple. ;)
We spent a couple of hours walking through the
in downtown Honolulu. The palace was gorgeous and the audio tour was incredibly interesting. Really, this little palace has so much history and sadness behind those doors. It's a must see! We actually didn't get the chance to see the Crown Jewels, so we'll have to go back! ;)
Of course, no trip to Oahu is complete without a visit to Pearl Harbor.
I highly advise getting here early and getting your tickets to take the boat out to the Arizona memorial before it gets too busy. The Memorial is very sober. I appreciated the serious video they showed, before we got onto the boat, because it really set the tone for the visit. While I still saw selfie sticks used at the Memorial, overall there was a sober and respectful tone.
I wasn't prepared for the petrol smell. It truly gives substance to the face that this memorial is a large grave and the ramifications of December 7th are still present even today.
Exhaustion is no excuse not to keep sightseeing. We did a brief (think, one hour?) tour of the Missouri, saw where the treaty to end WW2 was signed and then moved on to the most incredible shaved ice I ever had. (The Pearl Harbor memorial had an area for hot dogs as well. Best hot dogs I've ever had, although my stomach was still on Eastern time and thought it was lunch.) ;) Get food at these places, people!
So much more to talk about, but this is getting overwhelming. Part 2 is coming up soon! :)