Some Final Thoughts About Our Hawaii Trip

Now that I’ve had a chance to actually get some sleep, allow me to offer some final ruminations on our tropical adventure. 

-Our flight home was only delayed about 20 minutes this time, so that was a plus. However, the red eye is absolutely horrible. Maybe deep sleepers can get some good shut eye on the plane, but for me, it was a night of barely skimming the surface of sleep. As such, I was pretty wiped out yesterday. Kevin came home, showered, slept for like three hours and then drove 3 ½ hours to Cedar City where he is Matthew’s food backup plan while Matthew participates in the high school Shakespeare competition. So at least I got to sleep in my own bed last night. Apparently, my mom slept for a full twenty-four hours, only coming to consciousness for a brief period of time halfway through when my dad woke her to make her eat something. This trip has taken a lot out of her, and these long overnight flights are particularly hard.

-They eat some weird food in Hawaii. As I mentioned a couple days ago, loco moco is a huge thing that is kind of strange. The meat, gravy, and rice bits seem totally normal to me, but throwing a fried egg on top just makes it bizarre. Poi is still disgusting, at least in my opinion, and while I already knew this, Spam is a hot commodity. So hot, that in the Long’s Drugs we visited (which is like a CVS Pharmacy), it was a locked glass display case. If you wanted to buy Spam, an employee would have to come get it out for you like it was an iPhone. 😂 We saw some oddly flavored cookies and such, but I think the most revolting item I spotted was Spam flavored macadamia nuts. I kid you not. Right there on the shelf. 🤢

-I’m a huge fan of Liliha Bakery. We ate nearly all of our breakfasts there as well as several dinners. Everything we ate was really good…even the waffle if I take the macadamia nuts out of the equation. 😂

-There are feral chickens everywhere. It seems kind of weird to me, but they really are all over. It is such a common thing that we saw a display of stuffed animal chickens in the mall.

-The restroom signs in the Honolulu airport are far more fun than the ones we have here.

-My tendency to tan rather than burn is AWESOME and makes for some funny tan lines. You can tell that I wore the same sandals the whole time.

-Everything out there has its own special Hawaiian flair. We ended up needing to purchase some reusable shopping bags at Target and you most definitely can’t get that same design around here.

-Although it can be a challenge finding treats that are safe for Matthew and Malia, we scoured the island and did actually find a few tropical flavored goodies that are safe for them. Malia particularly enjoyed some gummy pineapples we found. Not only did they taste good, but they are dimensional and stand up on their own, which makes them even better!

-Apparently, we chose souvenirs wisely because Malia is ridiculously happy about the fact everything matches-shirt, shoes, and bracelets are all green, her favorite color. And while the pineapple socks don’t necessarily match, they are super fun and are the perfect finishing touch. AND because of where we were, we were actually able to find some things that had her name on them, something that never happens around here.

-It was a fun trip and I’m glad Kevin and I were able to explore the world a little bit. And I’m glad we were able to help facilitate my mom’s visit to her home turf. I am happy to be home though. And I know Kevin will be happy to be home in a couple of days when he actually gets to be here for more than three hours!

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.

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.

Hawaiian History

Today was our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. My Uncle Allan needed to head out to Laie to pick up a car and when he heard we were driving there today, he asked if he could ride along. We readily agreed and while he felt like he got a good deal because going with us was much better than riding the bus, we felt like we got the better deal because he is Hawaiian, has lived on Oahu for the majority of his life, and was like our very own built in tour guide. He gave us all kinds of interesting tidbits as we drove, and it made for a wonderful trip. We stopped at China Man’s Hat to take some pictures and with Uncle Allan along, we didn’t even need to do selfies!

Once we dropped Uncle Allan where he needed to be, we headed to the Laie Temple. This is the temple where my parents got married and due to the tropical local, the grounds look quite different from the temples closer to home. We didn’t have time to do any temple work, but we did enjoy wandering the grounds and exploring the visitors’ center.

After we ate lunch and visited the temple, we headed to the PCC. We opted to do just the villages, skipping the night show because with the drive back to the hotel and the fact that our bodies are still functioning on Utah time, it would feel like 3:00 a.m. to us by the time we got to bed. And the migraines really, really don’t like that. So, we explored the villages, saw some traditional Polynesian performances, did some shopping at the Hukilau Marketplace, and enjoyed some ice cream in tropical flavors. We ate dinner at the buffet that is located at the PCC though. We tried a little bit of everything and enjoyed most of it. I even tried some poi in the vein of trying foods I disliked when I was younger just in case I like them now. But I still don’t like it. The stuff still reminds me of wallpaper paste. 😝

It was a rather long day, but we had a good time. We ate some good food and found some little goodies for our family members at home. The only negative about the day was the fact that we missed going to lunch with my mom’s cousins. But we purchased our PCC tickets before leaving home and the lunch was scheduled only a day or two ago, so we opted to stick with our original plan. Oh well! At least my parents had a good time!

Old Home Day

Whenever she is in Hawaii, my mom goes to church in the ward she was in the entire time she was growing up. Despite having lived elsewhere for more than fifty years, the Auwaiolimu Ward is still home turf for her and there are still people there that she knows. In fact, my Auntie Lissa, my mom’s older sister, my uncle Allan, and one of their daughters and her family all live in that ward. When my grandfather passed away, my auntie inherited the land on Pacific Heights where they grew up and they recently built a beautiful new home up there with an upstairs/downstairs duplex plan, the downstairs home being where my cousin and her family live. It is a plan to provide them with the care they need as they age, and since they already owned the land, the $1.2 million price tag for the new home was doable. And the view is spectacular. Seriously. 

After attending sacrament meeting, we were invited to have lunch with my Auntie and Uncle. We were able to enjoy the afore mentioned views and chat with family. I heard some stories about my grandfather and my mom’s childhood that I haven’t heard before about how the money was raised for the Auwaiolimu church building. This was one of those situations where the members of the ward were responsible for raising the money for the building. Auntie Lissa told me that the members would hold carnivals and luau dinners to raise money for the church. My grandfather was highly involved in those fundraising efforts. He was the one responsible for collecting the money at the end of the event and since it was late at night, my mom and her two sisters would sleep in his car while he was doing so. He built a platform to cover the gap in the footwells of the back seat so they could lie down as in those days, car seats didn’t recline. 

I remember attending church in the Auwaiolimu Ward from my last visit to Hawaii, but that was almost thirty years ago, and some things have changed since then. The chapel is an open-air chapel with panels that can be opened instead of solid walls on the sides of the chapel. I remember all the panels being open to allow the breeze to help cool the building when I was there last, but since then air conditioning units have been installed to help keep the temperature in the building more comfortable. While the building has definitely been updated over the years, it still houses only the one ward, unlike the multiple ward buildings we have now. So, this is one of those much loved, historical buildings and it was neat to be able to attend meetings there again. And it was so fun to see hymnbooks in both English and Hawaiian!

After a spell back at the hotel for a Sunday afternoon nap, we enjoyed dinner with some other family members. My mom’s half-sister, my Auntie Pat, has two sons and a daughter. We met Stewart when we visited with her a few days ago. This evening, we were invited to dinner with Bryan, her other son, and his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Auntie Pat’s daughter Brenda also joined us. I know it might be more concise to call all these folks cousins, but I’m trying to make sure I know where everyone fits in the family so bear with me. Anyway, it was a pleasant meal and we had a nice visit. It has been a long day for my mom though, and as she got fatigued, we cut our visit short and headed back to get some sleep. 

It has been nice to meet some of these relatives and put faces with some names. We don’t see these relatives of my mom’s often, so it has been good to spend some time sorting out her family tree in my mind. I know that visiting with family is the reason my mom longs for Hawaii so much. She is very close to her family due to being raised in a multi-generational Chinese home, and living far away for so many years has done nothing to dampen the relationships. So while Kevin and I have taken time to play tourist, my mom has been focused on spending time with loved ones.

Family History and Family Dinner

It was dim sum day again. Hurray! And it was a different restaurant with a different menu and an earlier arrival time, all of which meant it was also a much better experience. Yay for dim sum day!

After our more satisfying lunch, we drove around to the other side of the island for dinner with extended family. Enroute, we got a family history lesson as my parents pointed out where they lived when my dad was stationed at Pearl Harbor, the field where they played church ball, the schools my mom attended when she was growing up, etc. It was fun to hear my parents share all the memories that popped up as they visited familiar locations. 

Once we left the Honolulu area, we headed towards the Dole Plantation. Unfortunately, the entire place was shut down because they were having some issues and had no water to the entire facility. So after just a few minutes browsing one of the smaller gardens, we hopped back in the car and were on our way. Kevin and I will be headed to the north shore again in a few days, so we’re planning to attempt another visit to the plantation then. Because how sad would it be if we never got to eat Dole whip at the Dole Plantation?

Our next stop was to nosh on some shave ice in Hale’iwa. For those who don’t know, shave ice is like a snow cone but about a million times better. Instead of grinding the ice, it is shaved very fine. The end result is a confection that allows the flavorings to fully blend into every bite. It feels smooth on your tongue, and you never end up eating just ice. In addition to the traditional fruit flavored syrups, ice cream, whipped cream, real fruit, etc. are incorporated and the end result is a wonderfully cool, refreshing treat for a warm day. Seriously good stuff. 

After our treat, we headed off to our dinner date. Our destination was Hau’ula and we had to traverse the north shore to get there. I know that area is very popular with surfers due to the perfect waves and all that, but the part we experienced today was the part where there are a billion cars and only one two lane road and all the resulting snarl of traffic. Luckily for us, we still arrived in good time and our hosts, Audrey (my first cousin once removed) and her family, and Sherry (Audrey’s sister, which makes her another of my cousins) and her family commiserated with the traffic situation. Apparently, the fact that it takes forever to get anywhere is a totally normal and somewhat irksome occurrence. Anyway, the length of travel aside, we had a lovely evening visiting with family we rarely see, learning a bit about their families and lives, and enjoying the family pictures that my mom brought to share.

It was definitely an on-the-go type of a day, but one that was steeped in family history. We saw places my parents frequented in years past, heard more stories of their time on the island, caught up with family members who live far away, and ate the food of my people. So, despite not being able to really visit the Dole Plantation, it was a good day!

Tropical Lifestyle

Today was another beach day for my dad, his favorite kind of day around here. He has noticed that he doesn’t actually get much reading done when he is with other folks, but he seems ok with that. 😉 Today Kevin and I and my mom all joined him at the beach and had a nice, relaxing morning. We chatted and watched the waves and the wildlife and generally lazed about which is one of the things vacations is all about. We walked down the beach a bit, dipping our feet in the water and acting as ballast so my mom could do the same. Tucked under some trees with the breeze blowing off the water, it was pleasantly cool and completely enjoyable. 

For lunch, he visited a little spot called Eggs n’ Things, a restaurant that offers brunch items. It is only open for breakfast and lunch and the majority of the menu is composed of traditional breakfast items with an island flare. I enjoyed the perfect trifecta of tropical pancakes-pineapple, coconut and macadamia with real nuts this time! Kevin had the fresh fruit rainbow pancakes, and the tower of whipped cream was just right for him, whose love of enormous amounts of whipped cream is well known, and often joked about, within my own little posse. We both chose fried spam as our protein, something we wouldn’t normally do at home, but which is a must around here! 

It was a slow, calm, laid back kind of a day. And I got to eat pancakes for lunch which always feels like a treat to me!

A Moment of Silence

Today was our Pearl Harbor day. Both my family and Kevin’s family have ties to Pearl Harbor. My maternal grandfather was a civil engineer and was employed at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Kevin’s grandfather was in the navy during that time and although he was home on leave, his ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. So in addition to the overall historical importance of the site to us as red blooded Americans, our family history ties us to the site as well. I’ve visited in the past, but as this is Kevin’s first trip to the island, he hasn’t had the opportunity to visit until today. 

Visiting the Arizona Memorial is a solemn affair, and the guide who gave us our little orientation before we boarded the ferry was great at conveying that. He very clearly stated that this is not a tourist attraction but is a military cemetery and deserves to be treated with solemnity and honor. I always feel that seriousness when there, as I believe most people do, but I was grateful for the reminder. I don’t know that I have much more to say other than that being there on the memorial filled me with an immense feeling of gratitude for all those who have fought and sacrificed, and those who continue to do so, in order to preserve the freedom of this country. They have allowed me to live my day-to-day life in safety and without fear.

Our second stop of the day was to ride the shuttle over to the airplane museum on Ford Island. It is still an active military base so there are security measures to be followed, hence the shuttle taking us rather than individual vehicles being allowed to drive onto the base. Kevin and I were both first timers for this stop and while I don’t have the same interest in airplanes as most of my boys do, it was another reminder of the cost of freedom in WW II. While most of the destruction of the December 7 attack was repaired, there are still bullet holes in the windows of some of the hangars. They were left as a reminder instead of being replaced after the war. 

The museum itself includes a Japanese zero which is a plane Kevin has never seen in person before, so he was excited about that. I think the most interesting thing I learned was that Asian American PILOTS carried what is called a “blood chit.”  Basically, that is a document that acts as proof that they were Americans and could be trusted should they be shot down and need help from civilians. It makes perfect sense that such a thing would be needed, but it was something I had never thought about before. Again, a solemn stop for me, one that was a reminder of how very blessed I am to live where I do.

When Kevin and I were finished at Pearl Harbor, we met my parents for lunch. It was dim sum day and I was super excited about that! Unfortunately, we arrived after the lunch rush, which you might think was a good thing but in fact, was not. We got a super pushy waitress who unloaded all the lunch leftovers on us which meant the selection was minimal and none of it was fresh. We all left feeling a bit dissatisfied with our meal. Oh well. We still have plenty of days left in which we can pursue some better Chinese cuisine. Because Asian food is plentiful and easy to find around here!