Hawaii In Review: Oahu

The KOA we'd been living at in Petaluma, CA offered storage spaces, so we left our home there as we flew to our 39th state, Hawaii!  We loved the relatively short flight of only 5 hours as opposed to the 8 it would take from Kansas!  Such a crazy thing planning for this dream trip as just one of the 50... the realization didn't really hit until we landed and Jim surprised us with beautiful, fresh, scrumptiously smelling leis.

We had contemplated visiting many of the islands via cruise ship, but craved a slower pace.  Instead we decided on two islands, vowing to return someday to visit more!  

With Natalie's dream being to learn how to surf, our first stop was Oahu.  We chose a hotel right in Waikiki, surfing mecca!  Though we typically like to stay outside of big cities, we chose our hotel right in the heart of it all... walking distance to the international market, upscale shopping, restaurants, and the beach!

We loved our night view of the city

First stop was the beach... beautiful, CROWDED, and full of jellyfish- which didn't stop anyone from entering.  First things first: surf lessons for all four of us!

We had a blast learning and all stood right up... but found that it's way more exhausting than it looks!

Us girls loved browsing and bargaining through the International Marketplace... a huge open-air market with lots of kiosks, all selling the same Hawaiian knick-knacks :) 

The marketplace food was amazing.  We returned twice to Blue Water Shrimp for fresh, "fast food" seafood.  The girls and I especially loved the edible flowers often added to salads here:)

Pearl Harbor was a must-see, and we were first impressed by how beautifully kept the area is... nice pathways around the park, lush landscape, and great panels of information overlooking the sites of the events they described.  Audio tours narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis led us through the park.  

Overlooking the Battleship Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorials

Several beautifully displayed museums gave us great visuals, hands-on activities, and more information than we could absorb. 

Japanese torpedo bomber

This Japanese torpedo was found in Pearl Harbor 50 years after the attack almost fully intact

Alayna worked on breaking codes, a museum activity designed to give a sense of the decoding efforts on messages sent between the Japanese government in Tokyo and its embassy in Washington D.C.

We toured the Battleship Missouri Memorial.  The USS Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944, and is the last U.S. battleship ever built.

The main gun battery consisted of nine 16" guns with a range of 23 miles

The main deck highlighted historical aspects of the ship, including this scar left from a kamikaze attack during the Battle of Okinawa on April 11, 1945.

Below deck we saw where the crew ate, slept and spent most of their free time.

Over 240 gallons of milk, 500 gallons of coffee, 210 dozen eggs, 200 pounds of bread, 500 pounds of vegetables and 1,000 pounds of meat products were prepared in this kitchen for the 5,000 crew rations every day.

The enlisted crew slept in these small, cramped beds referred to as "Coffin Racks"

These signs were found all throughout the ship

The USS Missouri became the site of the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945.

"Over this spot on 2 September 1945 the instrument of formal surrender of Japan to the allied powers was signed thus bringing to a close the Second World War.
The ship at that time was at anchor in Tokyo Bay"

A ferry brought us to our next tour of the USS Arizona Memorial which straddled right over the sunken Arizona that still entombs over 1,000 men who lost their lives during the attack. 

It was so moving- rusted and burned parts of the ship peaked above the water, while the sunken portion was covered with coral and now home to the beautiful sea life swimming around it.  

In one area a small, consistent leak could be seen- referred by some as the tears of those who died.

A small room at the far end of the memorial held a list of all the names who were lost.

"To the memory of the gallant men here entombed and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941 on the USS Arizona"

Tree of Life

We were so lucky to have the opportunity to meet the 95 year old Pearl Harbor veteran, Herb Weatherwax.  

Another stop was near the center of the island at the Dole Plantation where we took a train ride through small crops of sugar cane, mango trees, coffee plants and of course, lots of pineapple fields.

The tour was fun, but not the only way to view pineapple crops... many great views were captured right along the highway.

One of our favorite places to explore on the island was the North Shore- home to gorgeous, secluded beaches notorious for their huge winter waves and surf competitions.  Mixtures of soft, white sand, jagged lava rock, beautiful blue water, and lush palm trees made this stretch of beach absolutely breathtaking.  The waters of Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, and others along this line of beaches are calm in the summer months, but drastically change in the winter months when waves reach 30 feet high and becomes home to some of the most dangerous and spectacular surf in the world.

We got a flat tire while driving Kamehameha Highway along the North Shore (no doubt from running over a piece of sharp lava!)  Not a bad place to be stranded... Alayna had a blast helping Dad while Natalie sat along the rocks watching surfers glide through the waves.  We even caught glimpses of a whale splashing right in front of us!  Bonus!

We ended our day relaxing in the sand with good books and watching the sun set at Sunset Beach:)

Another day enjoying the crystal clear waters of Waikiki Beach and trying our hand at surfing... without instructors!  

We enjoyed one afternoon wandering through the lush botanical gardens of Waimea Valley taking in the peacefulness there that so contrasted the atmosphere of Waikiki.  And few things are more beautiful than Hawaiian flora...

Most of the plants here were gargantuan, including these lily pads... each was about 2 feet in diameter!

Hawaiians in this valley once lived in hale (houses) similar to these. 

At the end of the valley was a lovely waterfall and pool perfect for swimming... though only Natalie was brave enough to jump in the chilly water.

We stopped at Turtle Bay hoping to catch a glimpse of sea turtles, but the strong winds, crashing waves, and murky water left us only searching for signs of life along the rocky shoreline.

Last stop before leaving the island... a sweet little ukulele shop in Honolulu where Natalie purchased her new instrument! 

We loved this little island and like so many places this year, were sad to leave.  Thankfully though, we had more of Hawaii to enjoy as we boarded our plane for a whopping 20 minute flight to the Big Island!