Locals Only

Today was a day of driving around the island visiting a variety of my parents’ old haunts. We started off the day by driving up to the Round Top lookout. We drove through some beautiful, lush tropical rain forest on our way, and it is very different from the temperate rain forest we saw in Washington. The lookout offers a spectacular view of the south side of the island and overlooks Honolulu and Diamond Head. It was a popular gathering spot when my mom was young, and she shared some memories of times spent there.

After enjoying the view, we drove back down the mountain to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, often referred to as the Punchbowl due to its location. For those who don’t know, the memorial is an official military cemetery that honors and provides internment for members of all branches of the military who served in wars in the Pacific. It was first established after WWII and also inters soldiers from the Vietnam and Korean wars. It is one of those somber stops, but such a good reminder of the sacrifices made by so many. My mom has an uncle who is interred there, and we were able to look up his location. In the course of our travels this morning, we also drove past the Chinese cemetery where my maternal grandmother is buried. 

Remember our conversation about Don Quijote a few days back? Let’s add a bit to our Don Quijote knowledge base. Apparently, this is the place where the bakery and deli offer a large selection of sushi, butter mochi, teriyaki and a variety of other Asian and Hawaiian goodies. Kevin and I wanted to go back to pick up some macadamia nuts so my parents, who were already in possession of this knowledge, suggested we pick up lunch in the deli. While some deli lunches are somewhat lacking in quality, I discovered that this particular one is actually pretty good. My sushi was quite tasty for deli sushi. 

After our lunch and shopping spree, we drove to the Pali lookout which is located on the top of another peak and provides a spectacular view of the north side of the island. It is also extremely windy up there. My mom said when she was young, they would drop a penny over the edge and if they caught the wind just right, the penny would get blown right back up. So yeah, super windy. 😂

Our last stop today was the cemetery where my maternal grandfather is buried. You can actually see the cemetery from the Pali outlook. My mom was only five when her mother died, so her father was the one who raised them, with help from all the aunties of course, but her dad was the parent she knew best. He lived with my mom and dad during the last part of his life, right before he passed away, so my dad knew him well also. As such, this was an important stop for my mom. Due to her health, I really think this might be her last visit home, which made it even more important that she get the opportunity to visit her dad’s grave.

Our travel route today was a big circle that left us back where we started. We visited some spots that draw fewer tourists and more locals. We did a couple family history stops and even drove past my mom’s high school. These are the reasons that traveling with our parents is such a perk. Because they both lived here, they know all the ins and outs of the island.