DAY 3

We traveled to the other side of Oahu to North Shore where the surfing is great. On our way, we stopped by the Dole plantation for ice-cream and souvenirs. We snorkeled at Sharks Cove where Taylor decided to Spear hunt some fish. I was actually quite surprised when he ended up with a squid. It turned white after releasing all of its ink in the water. We then went to Aokis for their famous slushies! YUMMY!

DAY 4

We decided to go to the Marriot time share presentation. It is a great way to vacation and would be something we would love to do in the future. We then picked up one of Janson’s old Mission companions, Shane, who is from Hawaii and went to the Polynesian Cultural center. It was a great way to see a little culture from many different islands. Tonga was one of our favorite. We then watched an IMAX movie about the Hawaiian Islands, and ended up missing our Luau. We didn’t realize it until we arrived and found most everyone had eaten and they were concluding the luau. It was actually really funny, but we were there mainly for the food anyway. We then went to the night show “Ha”. It was really a great production and a great way to end our Polynesian Cultural experience.

Day 5

We awoke early and went to Pearl Harbor to get tickets for the USS Arizona. We then headed over to the Flee Market to shop. What a great place for souvenirs. We then went back to Pearl Harbor and took a tour of the USS Arizona. Oil continues to seep through the sunken boat and will for hundreds of years at the pace it is leaking. It was amazing to see the oil floating on the water after all these years. After we returned from the tour, a man had a little accident, so Dad donated his new shorts he had just purchased from the flee market to save the man’s pride. We went to a movie, which does not seem like a Hawaii thing to do, however, movies at home are far and few between with all of the kids. We picked up a pizza and went back to the hotel to swim and relax.

DAY 6

RELAXATION!!! We slept in, relaxed by the pool and drove down the coast to find an area to snorkel. As we drove down the coast, we saw several tents and shacks that people live in right on the beach. It was sad to see, however, the weather is fairly consistent so they don’t need much shelter. When we arrived at our destination, we saw dolphins in the distance, but they were too far out to snorkel towards. We saw starfish, several tropical fish and an eel. We drove back to the Hotel, cleaned up and had to hurry to catch our dinner cruise. Traffic was a little crazy so we were definitely behind and almost missed our cruise. Thank goodness for Valet parking. They were just getting ready to set sail. It was a great cruise that overlooked the city. We danced, played ukuleles, and sang happy birthday to Janson. Nolle even had the opportunity to dance with a little oriental woman who cut in between Janson and Noelle. What a great way to end the day!

Day 7

We awoke early and drove to Manaua Falls. The hike to the falls was exactly the way you would imagine Hawaii to be. The forest was thick with vines, bamboo and tropical flowers. WOW! Noelle learned quickly that it is indeed possible to swing from the vines and experimented. We then drove to Waikiki Beach and relaxed for a couple of hours. I think it is much more glorified than it really is. It isn’t all that big and there is only about 30 yards of beach from the Hotel front to the ocean water. I think if we were in our early 20’s looking to meet others we would definitely want to hang out for a while. We drove to Hanama Bay where we were able to snorkel with the tropical fish and turtles. The water was beautiful and the sea life was incredible. We would highly recommend this bay for snorkeling. Then back to the Hotel to clean up and go out for a fancy restaurant at the Marriot. The ambiance was great: live music, sunset, ocean view, and great weather.