Aloha!

During the week in Hawaii we were able to see some amazing places as well as relax! Here is an outline of our week.

Tuesday

Pearl Harbor-I had always wanted to visit Pearl Harbor not only because of the history that the harbor holds but also because I feel like I have somewhat of a connection to the event since my grandpa was there the day the Japanese bombed it.





U.S.S. Arizona Memorial





The oil that still leaks up from the U.S.S. Arizona to the ocean's surface after all these years. They estimate oil will continue to leak for another 40 years.














Wednesday

We made a visit to the famous Dole pineapple plantation. We went on a train ride to tour the plantation, ate dole whips (pineapple ice cream), and part of the group walked through the pineapple maze. We even watched a demonstration on how to properly clean and cut a pineapple...who would have known that you need to wash off the acid on the inside of a pineapple before eating it!














Thursday


We woke up early and headed out to Hanauma Bay which is the most popular snorkeling place in Oahu. The bay is a remaining volcanic crater filled with reefs, tropical fish, and sea turtles.





After snorkeling we explored the south east corner of the island where the famous Halona blowhole is located. It was really windy at this part of the island which is why our hair and clothes look crazy in the pictures.











Friday

We spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center where we went on a canoe ride, walked around the villages, and ended the day with a laua dinner and show. I had always wanted to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center and was happy to spend the day there with my family.




















Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday


Saturday and Monday we went to North shore beaches (Sunset beach where we met Kona, a dog that adopted us as its family for the day). We also went swimming and played games such as "Snake-in-the-water".










On Sunday we went to church where we actually ran into a former Saratoga ward missionary who is now living in Oahu with his wife and children. After church we made dinner, sang "Happy Father's Day to You!" to all the dads, and took family pictures.







Tuesday was a sad day when we left the island. Oahu will definitely be missed, but we created lots of fun memories that will last forever! Thanks mom and dad for planning such a great family trip!