My sister, Sara, lives in Hawaii with her three children and husband. They were stationed there with the USMC two years ago and have been living the island lifestyle ever since. They are incredibly lucky to live only a ten minute walk from two picturesque beaches. We had incredible weather the entire time so we were essentially glued to the ocean. When we weren't swimming we were checking out lava fields (on the beach), building sand castles, and looking for creatures in the tidal pools.
Our other (non-beach affiliated) explorations took us to a true Hawaiian luau at Paradise Cove. We danced, laughed, ate, drank, and experienced the beautiful Hawaiian culture.
We also checked out North Shore Marketplace and all of its shopping glory, which was pretty exciting for an Alaskan girl who hasn't seen a mall in two years. Another cool place we stopped was Waimea Falls and Botanical Gardens. Definitely worth the hike if you are ever in Honolulu!
Towards the end of our trip we visited the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. We toured the museum, USS Missouri, and the USS Arizona Memorial. It was such a sobering feeling to stand over the USS Arizona. Not much can compare to this historical landmark.
This trip was one for the books! I am happy to be back in Alaska but I will certainly miss being with my family in paradise. Perhaps we will have to make it a tradition? A girl can dream!
Questions:
Have you ever visited Hawaii?
If not, what was your favorite vacation?
My family was fortunate to visit Oahu in Feb 2012. We also went to Paradise Cove Luau and Pearl Harbor, memories that will last a lifetime! Only negative was the looooooong flight! Did you hike up Diamond Head?
ReplyDeleteRoger Light
Sheldon, IL
Hey Roger!! Nice to hear from a fellow Illinoisan :) We didn't make it up Diamond Head but we did go to Paradise Cove and Pearl Harbor! Both were such cool things to experience. It was truly an awesome vacation. The flight was a little kooky though…and I had to fly 1,000miles less than you guys did! Haha.
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