On Sunday we decided to take Emily for a trip around the island. This used to be almost an annual trip for us when we were kids. But this is the second time we're doing it this year. What we didn't consider this time was the crowds on a Sunday.
The Iolani Palace is closed on Sundays, but we walked around and enjoyed the views. Emily may come back later to see the inside on her own.
We gazed at the Queen Liliuokalani statue at the State Capitol which is right next to the Iolani Palace.
We took the trip up to the Tantalus Lookout and saw rains over the Leeward side moving in. We were getting a little worried when we saw rains coming from different directions.
Next stop: Pali Lookout where the King of Oahu put up his last stand against King Kamehameha's warriors who united the islands. You get a good view of the Windward side from this vantage point.
This place is famous for the ferocious winds that blow up the cliff. We've been here before when there was a drizzle but we were unprepared for the torrential downpour that drenched us. We had to run back to the car! That was a first!
We made a little stop at the famous Chinaman's Hat.
Emily had read about Giovanni's Shrimp Truck on Yelp and asked if she could try it. That was quite a coincidence since Tiffany and Ed had also wanted to go there after reading the great reviews on Yelp. We tried the Hot and Spicy before and didn't like it, but we hadn't tried the Butter and Lemon. We already knew the Scampi would be good.
Our advice to everybody is to stick to the Scampi unless you can't stand garlic.
Another strong advice: Don't go around the island on Sunday. There were long, long lines everywhere and TRAFFIC!
We missed Shark's Cove but stopped at Pupukea and enjoyed the view.
We stopped at KC's favorite place, Dole Pineapple Plantation.
Art and I think it's unbearably touristy, but if you're a tourist, why not?
There was somebody passing out keys to a little treasure box. If you could open the box, you'd get a discount coupon for a pearl from an oyster you pick out yourself. Emily was the only one whose key opened the box. She chose an oyster and got a really nice sized pink pearl.
It was really a pretty pearl. She was given the option to set it here or just buy the pearl. She opted to take the pearl and set it another time. I know it will make a lovely pendant someday.
Do you see my one eyebrow raised? No, Art wasn't looking for another t-shirt for himself. He said he thought Emily might like to buy one.
Unh hunh...
She didn't.
When we were in Haleiwa, we passed by Matsumoto's Shave Ice Stand where all the tourists go. There must have been a line of about 50+ people-long there. And their shave ice is not all that good anymore. There are far better shave ice places on the island. Our favorite is Mountain Magic at Waikele between Sports Authority and Old Navy.
It was as marvelous as ever.
When we returned home, mom was busy preparing a crab casserole for dinner. And for dessert? Left over chocolate haupia pie!
It was a good day!
The Iolani Palace is closed on Sundays, but we walked around and enjoyed the views. Emily may come back later to see the inside on her own.
We gazed at the Queen Liliuokalani statue at the State Capitol which is right next to the Iolani Palace.
We took the trip up to the Tantalus Lookout and saw rains over the Leeward side moving in. We were getting a little worried when we saw rains coming from different directions.
Next stop: Pali Lookout where the King of Oahu put up his last stand against King Kamehameha's warriors who united the islands. You get a good view of the Windward side from this vantage point.
This place is famous for the ferocious winds that blow up the cliff. We've been here before when there was a drizzle but we were unprepared for the torrential downpour that drenched us. We had to run back to the car! That was a first!
We made a little stop at the famous Chinaman's Hat.
Emily had read about Giovanni's Shrimp Truck on Yelp and asked if she could try it. That was quite a coincidence since Tiffany and Ed had also wanted to go there after reading the great reviews on Yelp. We tried the Hot and Spicy before and didn't like it, but we hadn't tried the Butter and Lemon. We already knew the Scampi would be good.
Our advice to everybody is to stick to the Scampi unless you can't stand garlic.
Another strong advice: Don't go around the island on Sunday. There were long, long lines everywhere and TRAFFIC!
We missed Shark's Cove but stopped at Pupukea and enjoyed the view.
We stopped at KC's favorite place, Dole Pineapple Plantation.
Art and I think it's unbearably touristy, but if you're a tourist, why not?
There was somebody passing out keys to a little treasure box. If you could open the box, you'd get a discount coupon for a pearl from an oyster you pick out yourself. Emily was the only one whose key opened the box. She chose an oyster and got a really nice sized pink pearl.
It was really a pretty pearl. She was given the option to set it here or just buy the pearl. She opted to take the pearl and set it another time. I know it will make a lovely pendant someday.
Do you see my one eyebrow raised? No, Art wasn't looking for another t-shirt for himself. He said he thought Emily might like to buy one.
Unh hunh...
She didn't.
When we were in Haleiwa, we passed by Matsumoto's Shave Ice Stand where all the tourists go. There must have been a line of about 50+ people-long there. And their shave ice is not all that good anymore. There are far better shave ice places on the island. Our favorite is Mountain Magic at Waikele between Sports Authority and Old Navy.
It was as marvelous as ever.
When we returned home, mom was busy preparing a crab casserole for dinner. And for dessert? Left over chocolate haupia pie!
It was a good day!
I don't know where you folks get all the energy. And yes, weekends are too much traffic on the non-city side of the island.
ReplyDeleteEmily must have loved her tour Kay.
ReplyDeleteIt is just a wild guess on my part, but I'm betting Emily is very pleased with her decision to visit you guys. What a great time you showed her. You better watch out before the line to visit you starts growing like the shaved ice line.
ReplyDelete43 years ago, on my way to UCI in Calif,for grad school, I entered the US at Honolulu since flights then stopped all over the place from Mumbai to SFO. Then in 1992 , my children (6 and 13) and I stopped over in Honolulu en route to Mumbai on our way back from Germany, and I remember going by Bus to a place where they had a huge place you could walk around, read about Hawaiaan culture, meet guys in costumes, look at old traditional houses and iimplements, then they had a great dinner thing after which they had a wonderful program depicting Hawaiian history and culture through dances, some with fire too. Then we came back to our Hotel in the same bus that took us around.
ReplyDeleteI was reading about your trip showing Emily around, and just wondered if the old place was still there.
Yup, that's definitely the Polynesian Cultural Center and it's still the place to go to see the cultures of the Polynesian Islands.
DeleteIt is interesting to see where you take tourists. I would love to be a tourist in Hawaii because I have never visited. It sounds so beautiful and exotic.
ReplyDeleteI think Oahu has some nice places, but I think the Big Island is the place to go because of the volcano.
DeleteI enjoyed that so much, I love to see your photos ,
ReplyDeleteLike a trip down memory lane. I have photos of my kids at many of the site where you took Emily. How nice some of them are still pretty much the same. I recall the wild ginger grew up on Tantalaus. Beautiful in bloom. Glad you had a nice visit. Dianne
ReplyDeleteI love the wild white ginger too. The smell is intoxicating. I didn't know they were an invasive species though.
Deletehow fun to be a tourist guide with friends and family. we've seen most of those places-love your panorama photos.
ReplyDeleteSounds like everyone had a great time. That is one HUGE shave ice you're eating!
ReplyDeleteUgich -- You're probably thinking of Polynesian Culture Center. I went last September, and it's definitely for education and tourists, getting a little worn on the edges, but still a delight. There's a new huge dining hall, and a beautiful show at night. The students prepare foods from all different islands, and it is amazing with tall poles and huge shell/torches. I'd go again. Even the Mercedes coach bus makes the drive to the Center delightful.
ReplyDeleteKay - I'm looking at the shave ice photos many times today. It's still 106 in Kansas. We may have to start growing corn in Hawaii! DrumMajor
remember when the workers, a large part BYU students, had enough of it and went on strike for higher wages against the Mormon owners? After all, the Polynesian Culture Center is really a business.
DeleteI guess I wasn't here when they had the strike. Emily really enjoyed the Polynesian Cultural Center. Too bad she wasn't able to do the Ha, Breath of Life show and luau though. That's staying out pretty late on her own.
DeleteLike Grannie Annie above, I was thinking you are soon going to have a line of people wanting to come visit you.....you guys are the hosts with the most!
ReplyDeleteditto what RONW said lol I'm pooped just from reading all the things you do and places you have visited. But nothing ventured nothing gained. Your life is indeed a good one.
ReplyDeleteL. from W.
Then, again... yesterday we just lazed about while Emily went off on her own. :-)
Deletewhat a great day, too bad about Sundays though. The shave ice looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts: Barack Obama, when he was a child, used to have picnics with his grandmother and grandfather at Tantalus Lookout Park. We had a picnic there once and a whole bunch of feral cats came out of the underbrush to see what they could get to eat. Mark Twain wrote that he'd never seen so many cats in his life as he did in Hawaii. And that was 150 years ago! If you have a common, ordinary cat and it has a crooked tail it is informally called by some a Diamond Head Cat. This is not an official breed. The crooked tail is becoming a trait of local alley cats--because we are on an island and the gene pool is restricted. Our son brought a cat home from the Humane Society. It had a crook in its tail and we began to discover all this information. Of course, if you have a fancy shmancy cat.... --by Henry Hank Chapin
ReplyDeleteYes, my cat, Cutey, had a crooked tail that he was born with. BTW he was born on October 15, 2006, the day of the Great Earthquake that shook the Hawaiian Islands. Cutey died a couple of years ago in our patio.
DeleteThat is so interesting about the feral cats. We didn't see any when we were up there but there's a ton in Manoa. I'll be looking for that tail now.
DeleteIt's always nice to do wonderful things for people you genuinely love, and this is a prime example of it. I know Emily can feel your love, Kay. Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun this all is for you to do and us to read later. The bedroom is lovely, and you two are so kind to your visitors. Depression like that is something that happens to my George too. It is a chemical imbalance, and it must have been terribly frightening. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteCompany is such fun for they make us visit the places we usually pass by. You really covered a lot of territory. Lucky Emily to find a pearl.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to hear there was left over pie to be had:))
Such wonderful pictures Kay and Emily is so lucky to be us guest and to get the beautiful pearl is an additional bonus for her..Hawaii is such a beautiful place to visit..it seems u had a beautiful time together and it becomes more wonderful when u return home and get the food prepared..
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised that she got such a gorgeous pink pearl. It was such a beautiful shape. One day, we'd like to go to India too.
DeleteYour island is just so beautiful Kay! Emily looked like she was enjoying her tour! That shaved ice is huge, but it looks very yummy! Glad you had a nice day despite the crowds and long lines of traffic!
ReplyDeleteIt is beautful there, crowds, traffic and all.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a nice day!
These are beautiful photos. You two are great tour guides!
ReplyDelete