The Beginning of My Summer

Hello everyone! I hope that this posting finds you well. Ten days ago, I left my island home and set out to begin my summer adventures. After a quick five hour flight that was passed by sleeping, I said my final farewells to all my fellow island friends and made my way in the real United States - Honolulu. Although many people have tried to tell me that Hawaii does not count as the real US of A, I can assure that it does for two reasons: 1) Stoplights and 2) Buildings over 4 stories tall. So there.

I spent my first night in Honolulu with my boyfriend and his sister being mesmerized by the plethora of food and drink choices readily available. We made a pit stop on the way home to play a few rounds of bar trivia - we won once - and then got some sleep before our flight to Kauai. On Tuesday, Steve and I departed for the Garden Island.



We stayed in a wonderful condo in Poipu, a beach town on the south side of Kauai, and engaged in various sightseeing and nature activities. The highlights of the trip (in no particular order) were:

1. Swimming and tanning at Poipu Beach



2. Hiking along the northwest coast on Kauai to see a beautiful beach and an awesome waterfall







3. Walking five minutes through head-high grass to find a gorgeous 25 foot waterfall and then jumping off the waterfall rope swing into the pool below. (No pictures yet)

4. Visiting Waimea Canyon



5. Checking out the Hawaiian blowholes.



6. Relaxing :)

This past Saturday, Steve and I returned from Kauai and I made my way over to Waikiki to welcome my mother (!) to the island. Since it was late in the afternoon, Mom and I went for a stroll on the beach and around the different stores to get ourselves better acquainted with the area and grabbed some food. Sunday featured time lounging at Waikiki Beach and then watching the Celtics game - a great, relaxing day in Hawaii.

On Monday, we undertook our major cultural project for the trip - Pearl Harbor. Steve, my mom and I left early - around 7:30am - to beat the dreaded tour buses that TripAdvisor warned against. We arrived around 8:00am, purchased our tickets for the aviation museum, Mighty Mo and one of the submarines in the war and reserved our spot for the USS Arizona memorial. We diligently followed the self-guided audio tours for both the submarine and the battleship. Both were wonderfully informative, providing a lot of background knowledge and helping us appreciate the sites more. Touring each ship was a fantastic learning experience - to see firsthand the types of living and working conditions that the various military forces endured.

Submarine torpedoes and the submarine behind it

Inside the tiny submarine

The USS Missouri - the last battleship and the one that ended the War

After finishing up with the USS Missouri, we headed back to the main entrance to await our boat to the USS Arizona memorial. When the USS Arizona was bombed at Pearl Harbor, over 1,100 men died, including over 900 who are still entombed inside the sunken ship. Due to the severe damage done to the ship and the number of men who died there, the military and the families jointly decided to leave the ship in the harbor. The memorial for the ship lies perpendicularly above the ship, parts of which are still visible in the shallow 35-40' deep harbor. It is a beautiful memorial and allows for a wonderful view of the rest of the Pearl Harbor memorial site as well. I would highly recommend it.

The USS Missouri, part of Battleship Row and a portion of the sunken USS Arizona

Our flag above the memorial where the mast would have been

After visiting the USS Arizona, we made our final stop of the day at the Pacific Aviation Museum. It was an informative and interactive museum housed in a former airplane hangar. The majority of the information there described the first year of the war in the Pacific, from the Pearl Harbor attacks to the Doolittle raid and the Battle of Midway. It was a nice stop, but our group was worn out after 6 hours spent at Pearl Harbor.

Tuesday was my mother and I's last full day in Honolulu. We woke up rather early (early for me, at least) and hiked up the famous Diamond Head Crater just outside of the city. The trail was packed with many different types of people and we completed the round trip in just over an hour. The hike was well worth it - stunning views of Honolulu and Waikiki specifically from the top.

Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head

Now, last but not least, it is Wednesday and we have departed Oah'u for the Garden Island of Kauai. Mom and I checked into our awesome hotel today - three pools, one pool with sand to mimic a beach, and a water slide - and are looking forward to exploring Kauai for the next few days.

Coming up on tap: driving to Waimea Canyon, visiting Kipu Falls, sunset dinner in Poipu and a 5-hour rafting trip along the Na Pali coast. Should be lots of fun! I will definitely keep you updated! Hope everyone is having a good start to the summer! Tofa!