Aloha Oe

Today was our last day in Hawaii. Our flight is not until 9:00 p.m. and we had to check out of the hotel by 11 a.m., so this morning Kevin and I drove back out to the Dole Plantation in the hopes that water would be flowing, and that it would actually be open this time. And as luck would have it, both criteria were met! This is a working plantation, not an amusement park or anything like that, so we didn’t feel like we needed a load of time. We did ride the train which takes you out into the actual plantation. We saw fields that had been harvested, some that were being planted, and others that had pineapples ripening. The signs along the route pointed out a variety of tropical plants, some grow naturally in the area and others that are intentionally cultivated on the plantation. After the train ride we walked through the botanical garden and saw more tropical plants and flowers. There were some really interesting and beautiful varieties growing. 

Once we finished our walk, we headed into the plantation food court and had lunch. I chose kalua pork and rice while Kevin opted for the loco moco. Loco moco is a local dish that has shown up on nearly every menu we have seen over the course of this trip, the exception being the Chinese restaurants and the ramen shop we visited last week. Basically, loco moco is a hamburger patty covered with brown gravy that is served over rice with a fried egg slapped on top of the whole concoction. Kevin felt like at least one of us should give it a try before we went home, so he took the plunge today. It was ok. Not great. My pork was much tastier and despite being a fast-food kind of a situation, it was juicy and flavorful. It was a really good last traditional meal on the island. We rounded out our meal with some Dole whip, of course, and it was absolutely delightful! Kevin also tried some chocolate-dipped pineapple which ended up being what looked like a quarter of a pineapple dipped in chocolate. It was a much bigger portion than he was expecting, and he said it was kind of weird. So, note to any who visit in future-the Dole whip is the way to go!

After eating and shopping (we found some pineapple gummies that are safe for Matthew and Malia!), we still had plenty of time left before we needed to head to the airport. We headed back towards Honolulu and decided to stop at the Honolulu tabernacle. Like the tabernacles that dot Utah, this one was built as a large gathering space for the saints on Oahu. Unlike many of the tabernacles in our neck of the woods, the Honolulu tabernacle is still actively used as a ward building and stake center. It is not open for tours or anything like that, but we were able to appreciate the architecture, which includes a large mosaic of Christ, and enjoy the beautiful grounds. One of the most fascinating was the enormous banyan tree that grows on the tabernacle grounds. Not only was the thing incredibly enormous, but banyan trees are interesting because new roots grow down from the branches, eventually embedding themselves in the ground below. So, while it might look like there are numerous smaller trees growing near the large one, it is, in fact, just one gigantic tree.

From there, we made our way to the airport. We met my parents, got through security, including the additional agricultural check that we don’t have around here. My parents upgraded seats allowed them to take advantage of the Delta first class lounge, so once we got them settled there, we moseyed around to find some dinner. Even with some slower service, we still find ourselves with plenty of time to hang around before our flight leaves. And then, we attempt to sleep on the plane as we wing our way towards home.