This was my FIFTH trip to Oahu, but my very first time it wasn't hot and sunny. I was disappointed, since it was Summer and Clayton's first time in Hawaii. But, since it is HAWAII, we still were able to have an amazing vacation (and do some things I had never done before). Here are some highlights:
1. The Vickers: A definite highlight was meeting up with Kya and Clayton. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, so it was fun to hang out and catch up.
2. Our Airbnb: Finding a place to stay in Hawaii was a challenge. Despite the elevator situation & the parking garage ($47/day) & the bathroom door that didn't really lock...or close, it was the perfect little place for us. My favorite part was the patio (we were on the 28th floor) where we sat and chatted most nights.
3. Waikiki: Our Airbnb was just about a 10min (or less) walk to Waikiki beach. Our first night we walked down to the beach and ate at Duke's (after waiting over an hour for a table). Over the next few days we went to all the ABC Stores, visited the "Duke Paoa Kahanamoku" statue, and attempted to watch the fireworks (they were cancelled due to weather).
4. Waimea Beach Park: This was our first full day in Hawaii and we had to take advantage of the warmer weather, since a storm was forecasted for later in the week. Kya and Clayton jumped off the huge rock, Mike sat alone in the shade, Mom got knocked over by a wave, and we all floated on boogie boards in the waves until Mom and Kya got sea sick:/
5. Luau: This was at the top of my list of things to do on this Hawaii trip...although, it was about the same as the "Luau" at the PCC. I was hoping for a ceremonial pig roasting--oh well, maybe they don't do that anymore. The show was amazing, the food was delicious, and the location was beautiful.
6. North Shore: A lot of the things we did were in the North Shore. We spent the first 3 days on the north shore (2 of which we spent hours waiting for Kya and Clayton to go skydiving only for it to be cancelled due to weather moments before they got onto the plane (twice)--not a highlight--super disappointing). We stopped by Dole Plantation and got Dole Whip--amazing. We stopped by Matsumoto's for shaved ice--amazing. We got tacos at North Shore Taco's TWICE--double amazing. We tried to watch the sunset and eat Bonsai Bowls at Sunset Beach--it was overcast and kind of raining so we couldn't see the sunset, and we were all too full for Bonsai Bowls:( The beach was beautiful though.
7. Visiting Old Friends: Mike's old coworker from LA (James) lives in Hawaii, so we met up with him for dinner and a walk on the beach. He brought Mike a lei his wife made:) We also visited Mike's mission president, Pres. Aki and his wife. It was a lovely visit.
8. Waimea Falls: Entrance to Waimea Valley was included in our Luau tickets, so we went back to do the waterfall. It was just a short (paved) hike to the falls. At the top they had life jackets and change rooms, so we braved to icy water and swam to the falls. It was one of the coolest experiences of the trip! Summer opted out, but took lots of pictures for us.
9. Lighthouse Trail: This trail was listed as the most popular kid-friendly hike in Hawaii. It was just 2 miles round trip up the coast. The drive to the trailhead was so beautiful, so we pulled over many times before we got there. One of the viewpoints was a blowhole. We walked all the way down to it! It was some of the most beautiful coastline I've seen. Summer and I almost got took out by a wave. After getting drenched she opted to head back up to the car:(
10. Shark's Cove: This was one of my favorite things we did. Luckily we were there when the weather was nice. We got to see a few different tropical fish. The only bad thing was walking on the rocks. I think most of us stubbed our toes or scraped up our feet. It was so beautiful and the highlight was definitely the huge turquoise fish was saw.
11. Laie: The Hawaii temple grounds are incredible, even in the pouring rain. We got a little soaked, before we realized the visitor's center had umbrellas haha. Then we headed to BYUH which unfortunately was under construction. We drove around and I was impressed that I remembered enough to get us to Jordan's old dorm (Hale 8) and show everyone where she lived (since I was the only one who took her there).
12. Lanikai (and other beaches): This is my favorite beach! Luckily it was warm enough to get our swimsuits on...the water was too cold for most of us, but we had fun playing in the sand.
13. Kualoa Ranch: Our last (and rainiest) day was spent at Kuala ranch. We booked a "half day" which included a Movie Tour, lunch, and Boat tour. It was absolutely pouring buckets the entire time we were there! We bought ponchos and just sucked it up. The ranch was actually incredible and one of my favorite things we did. We got to see places they filmed "Lost" and "Jurassic Park" and "King Kong"...we saw and learned all about Hawaiian agriculture and history, we saw an actual army bunker from WW2...and the boat ride was pretty cool too. We got to go to a private island and see sea turtles swimming in their natural habitat.
Overall the trip was fantastic. As we were leaving Clayton said "I don't think I want to come back to Hawaii, it's too cold" I know he was kidding haha, but he definitely needs to go back and see it all in the sunshine:)
