Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & North Shore

Swap Meet 
Surrounding the perimeter of the Aloha Stadium, in two rows so as to form a full-circle isle, the Swap Meet provided an opportunity for great shopping at a cheaper price. In approximately three hours, we only had time to cover a quarter of the circumference. Yet, with that time we found more than we needed. While some shops were repeats, many were original and had many new and fun things to offer. At one store we found some fun turtle earrings for the Mrs., at another, Hawaiian attire for our family photo shoot. Another stand offered an awesome gift for someone special - at lease we think it's awesome. One even sold delightful tropical jam, and another sold quite tasty dried tropical fruits, nuts, and snacks. From knickknacks/trinkets, to clothing, to jewelry, to gifts for family or pet lovers, to food, this swap meet has just about everything. It is a must for those visiting the island on a Saturday!

Following our shopping venture, we headed East to the coast line and then followed that North to the North Shore area. (Please excuse the quality of pictures - I was trying to capture the beauty while the car was moving approximately 60 mph).

Look how green it is!

Driving up the east coast of Oahu was amazing. The ocean was right next to the highway for the majority of the time, with gorgeous, steep mountains quite close on the other side of the highway. It was truly remarkable.

North Shore
More quiet. More private. Less crowded. I loved our decision to spend the majority of our stay in a rental home near Sunset Beach. The home was newly remodeled and had a perfectly-placed backyard porch overlooking the ocean. From that porch, a small wooden staircase led down through the trees and broke onto the beach. No obstructed views! And for the majority of the time, the portion of beach directly behind the house was like a private family beach. We ran out and in as often as we desired to sun bathe, snorkel, wave jump, surf, boogie board, or relax.

A fun bonus on the North Shore is the yummy food carts/stands on the side of the highway. According to my dad, they had the best shrimp he had while on Oahu - but I can't vouch for that one so try it at your own risk. ;) Each vendor had their own hours so we came to understand that if we saw a place we wanted to try, it was best to stop and try it when we saw it or they might be closed later. Oh, and we had to have cash on hand - just in case.

Another beautiful site was the Laie, Hawaii Temple. Just like the popular pictures of the temple, it has a street lined with palm trees leading an unobstructed path to the temple from the main highway. So breathtaking. So peaceful. So happy. Such a great place to be.

 

 

Sunset Beach was not quite as calm as Waikiki beach, but still relatively smooth. Low tide was the most calm, and was present for the majority of our stay. The first day and the last day were were there gave us a glimpse of the strength of higher tide waves. Water is powerful! These high, roaring waves created the perfect opportunity for a game of last-man-standing. The 6-8 foot swells pushing rapidly toward beach players seemed like a (very) mini-tsunami to this land-bound girl. Yet, as these were still summer waves, not the famous North Shore surfing waves found in the Winter months, the ocean provided a safer yet adventurous place to play.

This smorgasbord of various days' beach activities courtesy of my father and his better camera.

 

 

 

 

 Jenn standing on the back porch of our rental home. Talk about a perfect beach-side location! Just a few steps down and then the soft, warm sand envelopes your deprived feet.

 Oh so much fun! The water was warm and beautiful. The area we were at (near Sunset Beach) had a small patch of good snorkeling. However, a short bike ride away was Shark's Cove, a beautiful location for snorkeling and diving, complete with a beautiful variety of sea life.

Awkward sister photo anyone?

Staying on the North Shore was my favorite part of our Oahu visit and helped us find the best for a family vacation! We loved it!

Pearl Harbor

9/11. In honor of this day of remembering, remembering all those who have either died fighting for our freedoms, or those innocent Americans who were killed in the terrorist attacks this day so many years ago. I wish that we all can take a moment to remember. Remember what these people died for. Remember them.

The national monument, actually called "World War II Valor in the Pacific," but commonly known as Pearl Harbor, is a solemnly beautiful area. Included in the small entrance fee (if purchased online - free if in person) are a few free walk-through museums in addition to its anchor attractions. Though we only made a reservation for a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Memorial and Park, and Pacific Aviation Museum were also available and would have been very interesting to tour.

Our tour, however, began in a movie theater with a background video of the attack on Pearl Harbor from the view of both the Japanese and American sides. This informative moment led me to recall  lessons I had learned in history back in high school, along with a new perspective. As my great-grandfather was in the US Navy around this time, this film had a stronger connection for me than it would have prior to reading some of his letters.

Following this film, a sudden change from darkness to bright light ensued as we boarded a ferry to the ocean-bound remains of the USS Arizona. McKay enjoyed playing near the helm as the captain gracefully steered the boat across the loch to the location of the USS Arizona at the time of the air raid on Pearl Harbor.

Just off the shore of Ford Island, this solemn memorial has a permanent home residing directly above the sunken remains of the bombed USS Arizona. Reading the names of all those who perished while serving on this ship was quite melancholy. We are truly grateful for all those who gave, do now give, or who will yet give their lives (whether they live or die in the end) to fight for our country; that is the cost of freedom.

 

 

Munchkin's favorite part was pigeon chasing in the rafters on the mainland. He would catch site of those ever-present birds, and kick and kick until dad would lift him "high to the sky" to try and catch the birds. Sometimes he got quite close, actually - probably because his handsome daddy is so tall. :)

 

What a lovely day for remembering in Honolulu. We are so grateful for those who have served and who are currently serving our country, preserving those freedoms many of us feel so "entitled" to enjoy. Thank you.

Waikiki

Two days in Waikiki was perfect. While still in the busy city, we were able to find a more relaxed aura within the grounds of the Hilton and still find a variety of tastefully decorated shops, of delicious restaurants, and even of water activities.

The Shops.
Within the grounds of the Hilton, little convenience stores, pearl shops, knick-knack carts, spas, vacation club info stores, and gift shops were quite rampant. Though a bit of a tourist-trap, we loved exploring the unique beauty each afforded. Our Munchkin, of course, was quite content with the freedom to explore and find new "toys" to play with.

 

 

No bird excaped his curiosity either. There must have been some feed in the sand because these birds kept gathering together so we could run through and scatter them again. Some bystanders taking pictures of the beach became intrigued as well and even asked us to do it again. Quite the enjoyable morning activity I'd say.

The hotel room itself held many wonders and activities for a young mind as well. The cords and drawers quickly found themselves claimed by drool (a baby's way of marking territory?), and the toys we brought with us paled in comparison to the new noises and fixtures calling out for attention. Cat and mouse anyone?

The Food.

Eating a buffet breakfast, looking at the beach and smelling the salty breeze was perfect. I loved not having to worry about what to make :) As for other meals, the Village provided a wide variety of cuisine for tasting pleasure, including an outdoor grill, a grab-and-go convenience shop, Benihana's, Dairy Queen, and an exquisite (yet expensive) treat shop.

The Water.

The question was never, "should we go to the pool today?" but instead was, "which pool ought we to grace with our presence for a time?" or even "is it pool or ocean time?" All options provided a wonderful scenery for playing in the water. No hard concrete surroundings with only white lounge chairs and towels to break the monotony; the lush, green foliage and rock created a more natural feeling for the pools. Of course, the ocean was almost as natural as it comes. The calm, warm salt water was very family friendly and the sand was a joy to play in.

 

  

The Activities.
Consistent with the rest of the Village, other activities and accommodations were charming and relaxing. Nightlife was quite active at the Village, especially on Friday night. The hotel hosts a poolside luau, poolside Hawaiian music and dance, and a firework show on select evenings. As Munchkin fell asleep for the night before these activities began, I had the quiet pleasure of listening to the music and watching the fireworks from the balcony of our hotel room. A sizable tower obstructed my view of a good portion of the fireworks, however, what I did get to see was stunning.

As for day activities, the Village offered many rentals such as boogie boards, surfing lessons, snorkel gear, sand cruisers (imagine an enormous child's plastic tricycle), and much more. Group tours of the city, shoreline cruises, and other guided activities were also offered through the Village. Though we did not participate in any of these opportunities, there did seem to be a lot of options to choose from. We mostly stuck with the cheaper options: pool time, standing in the ocean, warming in the sun on the beach, the complementary gym to ensure we didn't lose our health entirely while on vacation. My personal favorite, while adjusting to the time difference, was the complementary DVD "rental" - like Redbox, but free. :) This became quite convenient when Munchkin was asleep and someone needed to stay and watch him.

The hotel and all aspects of it provided a wonderful, relaxing getaway for the whole family for those two days. We loved it and became more excited to venture on to other parts of the island.