O’AHU REVISITED
By
LEANNA RAE SCOTT
Table of Contents
DOLE PLANTATION……………………………………7
BEACHES, PARKS, SCENIC OUTLOOKS 12
FOOD 16
KUALOA RANCH 21
BOWFIN & PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE 33
PACIFIC FLEET AVIATION MUSEUM 38
WEDDING AT MAGIC ISLAND, WAIKIKI………42
POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER…………………46
INTRODUCTION
Leanna Rae Scott, O’ahu 2024
Why, one might ask (reversing my standard, long-time pattern) would I revisit O’ahu when I’ve already been there before? Valid question. I have long thought that experiencing each new destination only once would enable me to see the largest possible portion of tourist-worthy places in the world—one of my dreams. And how else could I make up for decades of non-existent vacations due mostly to 1) my choice to have what most other people think is an obscene number of children—13—and: 2) my lack of success (or more commonly known as failure) in partnering with an equally hard-working and financially responsible co-parent.
My once-per-place thinking has strengthened and solidified as I have aged. At 72, I could unknowingly be approaching my own personal End-Stage Era of Travel Abstinence, like so many elderly others. Of course, it isn’t just strictly age that makes older people terminate traveling: it can also be issues of mobility, health, finances, mental functioning, sluggishness, companionship, crankiness, intestinal irregularity, quirkiness, and who knows what all else. The age part I can’t do anything about, dang it, but—all the other issues—I’m trying to minimize, especially intestinal irregularity. But, back to my opening question—why would I revisit a destination? Of course, there always have been exceptions.
My recent, repeat trip to O’ahu fits in my most important category of exceptions—family events and get-togethers. Many months ago, my youngest child and her fiancé set Waikiki, O’ahu as the destination for their wedding. Nice! Utah to Hawai’i. But this adventure also qualifies as a valid secondary exception as well—the first trip was a sub-standard, totally inadequate one. My first time in O’ahu, in 2003, my then-husband, four children, and I stayed only four days in O’ahu before moving on to Kaua’i. I can’t remember why we did that, exactly, but we definitely did not see enough of O’ahu. No kidding! I can recollect, however, that I was to blame, since I was the solitary, and highly inexperienced family vacation planner at the time.
[Nowadays, when I make travel mistakes it’s usually because I generally keep myself over-busy, I sometimes scrimp when I shouldn’t, and I’m still an amateur. (So, same-o, same-o.) However, these days I tend to have help with making my travel faux-pas—from my grownup kids who are my travel companions. And, no surprise—they tend to be somewhat spontaneous travelers, like me. But one good thing about making travel mistakes, when I’m able to admit them, is that I can pass on what I learn to my readers. I’ve long been a big advocate of sucking up as much wisdom as we can from other people’s screwups, plus our own.]
In July of 2003, right after four days of O’ahu, I vividly recall being asked at our Kaua’i vacation condo check-in how long we were staying, and saying, “Two and a half weeks.” The clerk laughed and with certainty, said, “You obviously aren’t from the mainland U.S., because they only vacation a week at a time, whereas Europeans and Canadians and other non-USians typically stay a couple weeks or more.” I imagine I declined to confess to him our abbreviated stay in O’ahu, but I likely took credit for being a Canadian, newly transplanted into mid-mainland Utah.
On that first trip to O’ahu, we stayed two days with my then-husband’s nephew, and two days in a high-rise hotel, both in Honolulu. We toured the Honolulu Aquarium, which was quite nice, as aquariums go. We went to the Pearl Harbor USS Arizona exhibit and the two small Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center Exhibit Galleries near the security check point. I thought it was great and I had no idea at that time that we missed anything else, other than walking through the submarine. One day we drove north to the Polynesian Cultural Center and spent the day, with interest and enjoyment, wandering from one cultural Polynesian “Village” to another and we took in the impressive finale of the evening. We had bought our tickets at the gate, so the lu’au, of course, had sold out. We were disappointed, but bought the alternate buffet, the only other food for sale, which also was disappointing [Now there are many non-lu’au food choices]. Part of another day we drove, then hiked to the top of a mountain (or as we western Canadians would say, a hill) with a great view of Honolulu.
Honolulu from whichever hill we drove/hiked up. 2003
Leanna Rae Scott HI, 2003
[My memory says it was the highest spot on the island, but that can’t be right. (I sometimes can admit my memory defects—especially when there’s picture proof.)] The highest point on O’ahu is Mt. Ka’ala, apparently a rugged 7-mile hike, each way, and for sure that didn’t happen in 2003, plus, the Mt. Ka’ala views of Honolulu are further away than in the 2003 picture above. We also hiked to the top of Diamond Head, without a tour. [I’m currently told Diamond Head is a pretty rugged climb, as well, but I don’t recall it being very difficult 21 years ago. This discrepancy is not, I maintain, memory related. It’s more likely, (in my mind) that a certain great grandma is currently perceived as not very tough, especially being off the wagon with her walking.]
In 2003, as well, we took a relatively short, but pleasant, catamaran jaunt out past Diamond Head. And we went on a guided canoe surfing experience on Waikiki for an hour or so. That was the closest I will ever come, guaranteed, to standing on a surfboard on top of a wave. Sitting in a canoe on top of a few waves was great fun, though, thanks to the expertise of our guides. [Apparently, canoe surfing was the original, ancient Polynesian form of wave riding (which is not after all a California invention as I might have supposed). And, as the following picture suggests, canoe surfing has likely been the long-preferred version of us older women.]
Vintage “Surf Waikiki” art print, cropped. Picture taken at Pacific Aviation Museum.
Swimming on Waikiki, however, was the most memorable event for me on that long-ago visit to O’ahu. That’s where my 13-year-old son had swum out past other swimmers on Waikiki beach with me and his ten-year-old sister (the one who just got married). While we treaded water and talked, a full-sized sea turtle surfaced within our circle. My son yelled, “Yiiiiikkes! Alligator!” and instantly vacated the premises in his best imitation of an Olympic swimmer beelining for shore, leaving us “girls” in unconditional abandonment in the Pacific Ocean, laughing with the turtles. It still makes me laugh.
Picture of these Waikiki kids 2003
O’ahu March 28 to April 8, 2024
Having learned my lesson, this time (2024) we spent a total of nine days in tourist mode, not counting travel, all on O’ahu. There was zero island-hopping involved—not that we weren’t tempted—we, being me and Wayne, my oldest child. Wayne and I are just beginning our collaboration in doing Travel Videos and Travel Blogging. He’s the tech-savvy one with skills in music composition, photography, and videography (including time-lapse and aerial) [https://dixonmedia.io]. I’m the tech-assisted one, and sometimes the tech-resistant one who likes to write stuff [https://leannaraescott.com].
Wayne and Leanna O’ahu, 2024
The reason we were still tempted to island hop on this trip was because Wayne hasn’t yet been to Kaua’i (my current favorite out of the four main islands), and I loved Kaua’i so much I wanted to see it again with him—another valid exception. Next time. Having done some O’ahu trip researching, Wayne assured me there were enough tourist to-dos on O’ahu to fill our nine days. Indeed, there were more than enough. We didn’t even find a half day for me to re-hike up Diamond Head like I really thought I probably could—without an EMT—if I could set my own pace. But that’s okay. Other hills need climbing. Next place.
Wayne and I Airbnb’d at the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel near Waikiki, along with his girlfriend, Kristi and her son, Kai. Our pre-arrival cost for ten nights was $1721.87. My daughter, Rae, traveled with her fiancé, Austin, and their five children, staying in a very nice and spacious hotel off Waikiki. Additional wedding guests traveled and stayed in other groups.
DOLE PLANTATION, Wawa, HI
We did two Dole Plantation tours: the Pineapple Express Train Tour, and The Plantation Garden Tour. The Train Tour was a narrated, 20-minute, two-mile leisurely mini-train ride around the ranch, showcasing all the well-marked types of vegetation grown on the plantation’s many acres. As it happened, I seated myself directly in front of a young boy who was very, very excited about the excursion. He was so excited that he stood directly behind my head and every few seconds he screeched the words he was reading from every sign throughout the tour, hurting my ears and fully drowning out the narration. Admittedly, besides annoyance, I was feeling assertiveness-shy, due to some parental pushback the previous day on my flight to Hawai’i.
I had politely petitioned a mother behind me to ask her daughter to stop kicking my seat. Her response was, “He’s a BOY and he’s NOT KICKING YOUR SEAT!” My response? I moved, oh so gratefully, to the last remaining empty seat on the plane. On the Dole Train, I considered my options: 1) having raised a couple of ADHD children in my day, I doubted this child would simply cease and desist screaming if politely asked, and 2) there was no empty seat anywhere, so clambering over seats—per my near-frantic inclination—was also not a viable alternative. But as soon as the ride was over, I asked the dad if I could give his son an FYI and he agreed. I said to the boy, “Just so you know, because I’m old and half deaf, I have to wear hearing aids so I can hear things, like the audio on the Train about pineapple. But the bad part is the hearing aids hurt my ears when loud noises are nearby. So, every time you yelled, my ears hurt. In the future, you might want to be less loud around old people with hearing aids.” He said, “Sorry.” And I told him, “It’s okay. You didn’t know.” I added, “You’re an awesome reader!”
Dole Plantation Pineapple Express Train Tour pictures (4), 2024
On that note, we went on the Garden Tour. It wasn’t a terribly big garden, but nicely landscaped in eight sections, one being a showcasing of tons of types of pineapple, which was surprising. It was a self-guided walk-through, with a free app for audio—so I guess that was the “tour” part—which I enjoyed after resting my ears. Typically, in my travels, I seek out gardens to visit, hoping always to see a multitude of flower blossoms. This time, I think the season wasn’t right for the multitude. But, since it was Hawai’i, many leaves of the plants, or what we non-tropical habitants call greenery, were every bit as colorful as the blossoms we’re used to. Nice.
Dole Plantation Garden Tour pictures (8), 2024
I’m not sure what our Tour decisions were based on that day. (Overwhelmed by moving right up to the day of our trip, I was uncharacteristically abdicating most tourist decisions.) Maybe we didn’t have time to do all three Dole tours. We didn’t do the Pineapple Garden Maze, which has been called the largest (permanent) maze in the world (being three acres and two and a half miles of paths). I have yet to experience paying a fee to get myself lost in a professional maze. Someday, hopefully I will, but preferably before I no longer have the capacity to figure my way out of it. My guess is that If I wait too long, it probably wouldn’t be so much fun anymore.
The Plantation Country Store provided a few scheduled presentations (such as how to properly select a pineapple from your produce department—which, regrettably, I missed because I was in the bathroom, again). The Store also had an extensive assemblage of souvenirs to choose from, and a variety of vended foods in a multitude of combinations, mostly involving fresh pineapple with other tempting and tasty carby ingredients. I enjoyed part of a Dole Soft Serve with, of course, fresh pineapple, then I sort of got back to my diet-controlled diabetic fare with Fish and a Few Chips from the Plantation Grille.
Dole Plantation Fish & Chips Soft-Serve with pineapple
DOLE PLANTATION adult prices: Pineapple Express Train Tour $13.75; Plantation Garden Tour $8 (free audio); Pineapple Garden Maze Tour $9.25
Any factual-based statements contained in the Dole Plantation section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Dole Plantation. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for all of those is Leanna Rae Scott.
BEACHES, PARKS, SCENIC OUTLOOKS
We topped off our first day (after the Dole Plantation) by taking a walk around the temple grounds (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) near the north shore and checking out the food trucks at the Hukilau Marketplace at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
LDS Temple grounds pictures, O’ahu, 2024 (2)
We also watched a beach sunset—but we probably did that most days. It seemed like there was always a beach fairly handy whenever the sun was setting. Sunrises on the beach, however, were a whole different matter. Not that the beaches weren’t available—we were just mostly elsewhere, still snug in our beds. Such a shame!
O’ahu beach pictures, 2024 (5)
We rented a car right from the airport. Because we were pretty much planning our activities day to day, we didn’t always conserve on miles as much as we could have. But we did conserve by interspersing our planned adventures with numerous un-planned stops at beaches, parks, and scenic lookouts. We also enjoyed almost non-stop drive-by views of the same. One beach phenomenon I loved observing in many places was extended families of the local population setting up large canopies on the beach, with cookout, camping, and socializing equipment (for when they aren’t otherwise in the water). Apparently, this is a popular get-together practice of many families, engaged in as often as possible—just like with many mainland camping enthusiasts, except minus the public beaches—and often minus the extended families. Apparently, there are four O’ahu beach parks that allow camping, with a reservation, and a three-day pass for $32.
The other beach phenomenon (that I didn’t love) was the vast permanent-looking “tent cities” of the homeless, mostly in one area on the west side of the island. I don’t recall seeing any in 2003, but we might not have seen the west side of the island. Hawai’i declared a homeless emergency in 2015 (reported in Cracked). Numerous online articles explain the contributing causes as: high costs of housing; addictions; mental illness; disabilities; health; not enough outreach; difficulty getting the services to the homeless; and not enough manpower for enforcement. Some approaches to fixing the problem have been to fly the willing homeless elsewhere, bulldoze the belongings of the homeless Yikes! and to suggest moving them all to a different (wastewater-treatment plant) island Double Yikes! Veterans and native Hawai’ians make up significant portions of the homeless. Some of the better approaches have been the Housing First program, and a yearly three-day “Tent City” program that offers free services, such as medical, dental, food, clothing, employment, return-to-housing, critical documents, and haircuts to the homeless. Apparently, many people choose homelessness instead of continuing to struggle to pay for housing, some fly to Hawai’i specifically to have a warmer homelessness; and some have part-time or even full-time jobs. The unsheltered report that most of the harassment they suffer comes from tourists, some from law enforcement, and none really from locals.
Having been a parent to mentally and addiction-challenged adult children, without having the wherewithal to solve their problems, my heart goes out to everyone involved with these problems, everywhere. Such as the friendly elderly veteran we met, named Mike, a former Vietnam helicopter pilot who was stationed on O’ahu for many years. We chatted with him in two different places. He now lives in his car, but he once owned a house up the hill from where we stood. Homeless veteran numbers declined by 51% in Hawai’i between 2015 and 2022, 20% more than nationally, and have decreased consistently over the last seven years (Honolulu Civil Beat). The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions (OHHS) says, “Rather than ‘passing the buck’ from one neighborhood to the next, and deepening homelessness (with “sweeps”) the focus of this office and this administration [is] to spend its limited time and resources on the permanent solution: creating deeply affordable spaces where people can be housed and healed.”
One day Wayne suggested we check out a first-class beach—a bonus beach, I like to call it. We parked as close as possible—a few blocks away—and walked to the beach behind one of the most expensive hotels on O’ahu. You might surmise that patrons of these hotels have better beach experiences than tourists elsewhere. No doubt! The lawns leading to the beach are better landscaped and vast; the footpaths are wider, cleaner, and more beautifully curved; the imported rocks and comfortable benches under the shade trees and palms are ubiquitous; the bathrooms, change houses, and showers are bigger, nicer, and cleaner; and in some places there are wading pools, hot tubs, and man-made lagoons for warmer water experiences. There is better quality everything there than what you find leading to the beaches along the highways or at free parks.
But the high quality of the actual beaches—meaning the softness of the sand and the absence of rocks—isn’t just behind the pricey hotels. There are equally terrific sandy beaches elsewhere on the island, too. And all beaches, rocky or otherwise, are publicly available to everyone, by law. From behind this premium locale, on this picture-perfect beach, we watched the sunset, anew—and, of course, this sunset was equally beautiful and awe-inspiring. Despite my ever-so-slight sense of “trespassing,” no one checked for our room key as we walked through their pretty park on the way back to our car. Legally, I’m guessing, they must let non-patrons walk through. Not sure if they legally have to let you use their bathroom, though. We didn’t ask.
Views of some of the pricey pre-beach settings from Austin & Rae’s wedding-night hotel. 2024.
FOOD
Our first morning in Honolulu, we walked to a popular restaurant, The Aloha Kitchen, signed onto their waiting list, went souvenir shopping nearby (where Wayne collected a crucial fridge magnet), then went back for a great breakfast. I enjoyed Eggs Benedict. That was a great culinary start to our trip, and then it just went downhill from there. Just kidding. We had lots of great O’ahu food. I suspect a lot of people read travel blogs (in part) for information on great restaurants and local authentic cuisine. This is not that blog. I wish it could be, but my personal proclivities don’t allow me to be that writer. My apologies.
For me, food is a non-stop challenge, for two reasons. Not that I don’t like food. In the old dichotomy: “Do you live to eat or eat to live?” I’m naturally the first type. Well, I was for about 50 years. Which is exactly why I eventually had to switch. For 20 years I have been keeping my Type II diabetes under control, just with my diet. I’ve actually succeeded, but I could do better. When I hang with others who don’t eat like me (which is pretty much everybody), it can sometimes increase my level of temptation—from everyday Medium to Off-The-Charts. And sometimes it can limit the diabetic-friendly food that’s available to me, like when my options are: 1) Be hungry, 2) Don’t care that blood sugar is through-the-roof, or 3) Rudely extract and trash bits of carbs from my meal. To prevent such limited choices, I’ve learned to bring my own snacks. Most of the time on vacation or in restaurants, I can manage to stay at least semi-focused on eating to live—which, I prefer, will be for a long, long time.
My other food challenge stems from my innate food quirks. I don’t like spices that burn my tongue (which is mild amounts of many of them); I can’t handle more than a minor amount of garlic; I don’t like anything but salt and pepper on most of my meats; and I don’t like fishy-tasting seafoods. Also, any sort of rubbery chewy thing does not belong in my mouth. I know that all of the above are what many people live to eat for, but my taste buds have refused my every attempt at reprogramming. My father was notorious for only eating six different foods his whole life. I’m nowhere near that quirky—or annoying (according to my mom). But usually when I think I won’t like something new, I’m right. So, I’m better off sticking with what I know I will like. Even so, it’s hard adapting the parameters of my known food likes to a menu of unknown dishes. Sometimes I think a new dish will be to my liking, but then it isn’t. Like with the Lau Lau pork and Lomi salmon, pictured below. I ended up ordering the chili cheese fries after all, which was my first inclination and made a great lunch, with leftovers.
Lau Lau pork with Lomi salmon.
Lau lau, lomi salmon, stew, lu’au pork (enjoyed by my companions).
I want to be clear—no one else around me ever seems to have such difficulties with local authentic cuisine, or even restaurants in general. Just me. (Well, my father would undoubtedly have.) In no way can my lack of culinary enjoyment be blamed on the restaurants—unless they neglect, when asked, to tell me something was hot-spicey, fishy-tasting, garlic-infused, or rubber-based.
We stopped at a Foodland grocery store the day after arriving on O’ahu. I was expecting prices to be high, but I found myself putting a few things back after seeing the actual prices. But then, in all fairness, it wasn’t long ago I was still doing that in Utah after losing my beloved Aldi stores from Pennsylvania. That, possibly, is partly an age thing—and it’s perhaps reinforced by that crankiness thing. Walmart’s pricing was definitely somewhat better. We did some minimal cooking in our tiny hotel room, needing to shuffle around each other a bit. Wayne did some poolside barbecuing two times, as well. I went through a dozen eggs, scrambling some for breakfasts and soft boiling some for snacks in the car. And we did sandwiches some.
One O’ahu food truck menu item I totally loved, was hamburgers with grilled pineapple (and Walmart-switched zero-carb buns). And I couldn’t get enough of the ubiquitous fish and chips, with my preference being cod, and with always enough chips to share. We stopped once at Ted’s Bakery in Haleiwa, which was impressive. (I don’t think I ever met a bakery that wasn’t.) Their cream puff fit my criteria of being a-bit-lower-carb and delectable. Wayne and Kristi loved their macadamia chocolate nut cream pie; an omelet; and pancakes with crushed macadamia nuts, coconut syrup, and spam and eggs, probably not consumed in that order. They also thought the best food trucks on the island, for shave ice, pineapple hamburgers, garlic shrimp, and more, were the ones near the beach on the north shore, at Pupukea.
Shave ice Garlic shrimp at north shore Shrimp Truck
KUALOA RANCH, Kaneohe, HI
The Kualoa Ranch, on the east side of the island, is where tons of movies and TV shows have been filmed over the decades. They offer something like fifteen different kinds of movie, and other tours and packages, of a wide variety, including bus, UTV, e-bike, zipline, horseback, ocean, and secret beaches. We took their Hollywood Movie Sites Tour (by bus, since ziplines have not yet become my preferred method of mobility). As we drove through the ranch, marked sites of various movie scenes were pointed out to us—many of them being enthusiastically recognized by my more astute movie-loving fellow tourists. At one movie scene site we de-bussed and traipsed over a hillside movie set among the fake-life-sized fake dinosaur bones. We were enlightened throughout the tour with enthralling local historical facts and interesting cultural details, none of which are surfacing from my memory banks so I can share them with you.
Kai, Kristi, Wayne
Kai
We also stopped to walk through an actual World War II bunker, hollowed out of a mountain on this 4000-acre ranch, post-Pearl Harbor attack, just ten years before my time. The interior of the bunker was plastered with scads of movie posters and props, showcasing the ranch’s “filmography.” Since Elvis in the 1950s, there have been more than 250 Hollywood movies and TV shows filmed at Kualoa Ranch, including the Jurassic series, Jumanji, Kong Skull Island, 50 First Dates, LOST, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum PI, and NCIS. The Rock has filmed seven movies, and Adam Sandler five, at Kualoa.
It was fun looking at all the film posters, but it didn’t detract from the underlying hallowed ambiance of the bunker and its vintage furnishings and memorabilia. Getting to stroll through one of Hawaii’s World War II bunkers was, for me, almost worth the price of the tour all by itself. Our Tour Guide was awesome. He was not only funny, but authentically knowledgeable about the history and culture of the Ranch and the area. And, bonus, he enunciated and projected, with his PA system, well enough that I was able to hear and understand most of what he said, even catching most of his punchlines. [FYI: Joke-tellers everywhere tend to mumble their punchlines, so the hearing-impaired are often humor-impaired. I wonder if that contributes to the crankiness.]
Kualoa Ranch Filmography and TV lists pictures (2)
Kualoa Ranch entrance picture (1) Kualoa Ranch WWII bunker
World War II bunker pictures (2)
KUALOA RANCH adult tour starting prices: Novice or Experienced Rider E-Bike $124.95; 2-Hr UTV Raptor or Ride-Along $149.95; Hollywood Movie Sites, bus $54.95; Jurassic Adventure $145.95; Jurassic Valley zipline $179.95; Ocean Voyage Adventure $54.95; Secret Island Beach $54.95; Jungle Expedition $54.95; 2-Hr Horseback Walking $149.95; Kualoa Grown $54.95; Malama Experience $54.95; also private and package tours.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Kualoa Ranch section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Kualoa Ranch. The Ranch does not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
PINK SAILS WHALE WATCHING, Waikiki, HI
This was my first time ever watching whales in the wild. I had never traveled anywhere whale-occupied in-season before. Wayne, who was not a rookie like me, gave me the know-how I needed right off the bat. And we passengers continually pointed for each other to where we were sighting the whales. Our tour guides were pleasant enough young fellows who taught us how and where to sight the whales. They also made a valiant effort to entertain us, however, their stand-up skills (I was told) were about as lacking as was their enunciation, especially with their punchlines. So, I was fairly oblivious to what other passengers were groaning about. Except, I did hear loud-enough apologies a few times each for their “bad jokes.” They did, however, do perfectly fine with maneuvering the boat, obviously the most important skill we all paid for. The excursion was awesome. We were a month away from the end of the season, but we saw oodles of whales. And watching the dolphins was pretty spectacular, too—they really put on a show for us. It was a great two-hour tour.
Pink Sails Whale Watching tour pictures (2)
PINK SAILS WHALE WATCHING adult prices: 2-Hr Humpback Whale watching tour Dec 15-Apr 15-$47; 2-Hr Waikiki Sunset Whale Watching Cruise-$57; Friday Night 1.5-Hr Fireworks cruise-$75; 2-Hr Waikiki Turtle Snorkeling Adventure-$75; 2-Hr Waikiki Water Park Adventure-$97; Sailing Lessons-hourly rates.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Pink Sails Whale Watching section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by Pink Sails. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempted humor. The person who is answerable for all of those is Leanna Rae Scott.
MACADAMIA NUT FARM, Kaneohe, HI
Our tour guide at the Kualoa Ranch had recommended we stop in at the Macadamia Nut Farm just down the road from the ranch. He said his brother-in-law, or maybe an uncle runs the place, so we should go check it out. (It’s not that he was confused about the relationship—I just don’t remember.) Apparently, though, The Macadamia Nut Farm is a 36-year-long family owned and operated, “whole family gig.” It sounds like it actually might have been large enough and long enough of a family gig for a little legitimate relationship-confusion, though. I know some of my older kids would interact with the youngest and momentarily call him a nephew instead of brother (same age as a nephew). It happens—especially in large families! I’m guessing the regular extended-family get-togethers on Hawai’ian beaches are very effective in reducing this kind of kindred muddle. Unless Hawai’ian culture is like some others that just embrace the muddle by referring to most everyone as “auntie” and “uncle.” Interesting to find out.
The Nut Farm no longer offers tours, since Covid—they mostly just market a variety of products such as various flavors of Macadamia nuts, coffees, teas, syrups, jams, jellies, honey, butters, sauces, oils, rubs, cookies, candy, and health and beauty products. There was a separate “hut” with beautiful jewelry, involving a plentitude of pearls (no surprise, named Aloha Pearls). And the Coconut Hut sells fresh coconut treats and scenery-painted coconut shells. I enjoyed the Nut Farm’s décor, which included lots of vintage art (not for sale), and beautiful flower arrangements (also not for sale). For a few minutes I enjoyed watching people smash macadamia nuts then feed them to the Bantam chickens loose in the yard. Of course, I bought some macadamia nuts—cinnamon—I believe. Of course, any of the chocolate covered ones would have been my preference, but at that moment I behaved myself.
Macadamia Nut Farm pictures (4)
Any factual-based statements contained in the Macadamia Nut Farm section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Macadamia Nut Farm. The Farm does not, however, take any responsibility for story line or opinions. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
WAIMEA VALLEY FALLS, Haleiwa, HI
Botanical Gardens are always one of my favorite tourist activities, especially if blossoms are a distinct possibility, so I was looking forward to seeing Waimea Valley Falls. It’s promoted as a 3/4 mile (each way) gradually uphill paved walk, ending at a 45-foot waterfall, with a 30-foot-deep pool. The name Waimea means “red water,” which it sometimes has, from the red volcanic soil it picks up. A couple of guided tours are offered, but we chose the self-guided walk. We took our time and walked most of the extra gravel paths and additional garden collections off the main road. We weren’t pre-warned about the total mileage (counting the “off-road”) but that was okay, because it happened to be in my doable range. Plus, it was a pleasant, delightful, leisurely walk on a beautiful day. I enjoyed the descriptions of traditional Hawai’ian farming practices (agricultural terracing), Hawai’ian cultural sites (many ceremonial houses, and games sites), and an ancient Hawai’ian archaeological site. There were lots of interesting informational signs throughout the walk—botanical, historical, and cultural. For instance, in 1779, Waimea Valley was the first contact site between O’ahu and the Western world, when Captain Cook’s ships sought fresh water; and then a repeat contact in 1792 led to misunderstanding between the cultures and deadly interaction.
Waimea Valley pictures (6)
We took a few hours getting up to the waterfall, much of it in the hot sun. It’s a beautiful waterfall, and lots of people were swimming, but, even though we were hot and might have had a slight hankering: a) we didn’t bring our suits, b) there was an ocean of semi-clear azure water to swim in all around the island, more to my liking, and c) the Leptospirosis warning says not to swim in waterfalls and don’t dive and put your head under the water if you’re not into hosting a parasite. But, I wonder, wouldn’t the main point of swimming in a 30-foot-pool be to attempt a 30-foot dive? Or not. Definitely not in a mandatory life jacket!
Waimea Valley Waterfall Leptospirosis warning
So, we rested and watched the swimmers for a while from the side of the pool, sitting in the sun. After that, I was actually tired and hot enough that I parked myself in the shaded return shuttle bus stop—until I heard the one-way cost was $9. That rate (calculated at $12/mile, downhill), gave me an attitude adjustment, which triggered a resurgence of energy. This was great, for three reasons: 1) I avoided an unnecessary $9 purchase; 2) I got additional exercise; and 3) We explored more side paths on the way down, and I saw some gorgeous, bowered blossoms, similar to wisteria, called Blue Jade Vine that I otherwise would have missed—the best blossoms of the day. Again, the time of year was probably not conducive to maximum whole-garden blossoming, but it was a very pleasant jaunt.
Turns out, the Leptospirosis warning is a legal requirement for such waterfall sites. Waimea Falls successfully prevents the hazard by pumping the water out of the pool every other day. Legally, I’m guessing, they’re probably not allowed to post an equally huge, DON’T WORRY sign along with the warning. Too bad—for the worrywarts of the world. Just saying.
WAIMEA VALLEY FALLS adult prices: General admission $25, Senior $20; one-way Shuttle $10. 12:30 daily educational walk-through with staff; a few days each week there are 75-min guided shuttle tours for $59.95. Swimming at the falls depends on waterfall conditions, decided each morning by the lifeguards. Available: snack bar, bar, coffee bar, and snack shop.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Waimea Valley Falls section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by Waimea Valley Falls. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
BEACH DAY, Waikiki, HI
Another day I walked with Austin, RaeAnna, and the kids from their suite to the beach, and we hung out there until early evening. Most of the other wedding trip guests also joined us. We did abandon our beach umbrellas, though, soon after arriving. The wind had rendered useless all umbrellas up and down the beach, because no one could auger them through the hard sand a foot deep. It was, nonetheless, a very enjoyable day. We consumed snacks at will throughout the afternoon. I don’t think anyone got too terribly burned, but some of us a little. Thanks to my outdated prescription sunglasses, I was joyfully, but still with some difficulty, able to read a fair bit of Lisa Scottoline.
Talk about delightful! Legal thriller—with heaps of humor—relaxing on the beach. What more could a gal want? A beach umbrella! The better to read a great book on a sunny beach, while, for sure, not getting sunburned! I did eventually break away from my book and join the women’s chat group in the waste-high water, despite everyone’s complaints about how cold it was. I didn’t find it that cold, but I knew it would be more wet than my hair would tolerate while staying frizz-free. And maybe so did others who had better O’ahu things to do than re-straighten hair and better pictures to take home than frizz-ball ones. But most of the men, who all had short, non-frizzing hair, also stood around chatting in the water most of the day, as opposed to swimming. It seemed a great way to stay cool, while some achieved slow and steady beverage consumption, which definitely rendered them a cheerful group of guests. It was a terrific day on a terrific beach!
RaeAnna & Austin on Waikiki Leanna & RaeAnna on Waikiki
PEARL HARBOR, HI
USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL & NATIONAL MEMORIAL VISITOR CENTER, Pearl Harbor, HI
This time to Pearl Harbor, I was able to see all of it (well almost) on two different days. The first day, I re-visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which is free, technically, but requires a $1 booking fee, and “includes” the two small, actually free, Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center Exhibit Galleries. That’s what they’re officially called, but they don’t have any signs on them, and nobody tells you they’re there, or to go see them first. They’re like un-marked mini-museums mingling anonymously with the souvenir and bathroom buildings, not far from the security check point. One of these exhibits is where the USS Arizona 23-minute prep video that they tell you about online is presented—but nobody tells you where it is presented. After you get through security, minus any small bag or purse you had thought you were taking in, you’re pretty much on your own. A newcomer to this free group of exhibits might do better by standing in the middle of it all and asking other tourists in a loud voice, “Can anyone tell me what I’m supposed to see, and in what order?” than by hoping for such guidance from anyone official. But the on-sight Park Services employees are adept at ensuring no one gets in their USS Arizona navy boat trip access lineup without pre-registration.
Nonetheless, these exhibit galleries were just as interesting my second time around. One of the galleries focuses on events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the “Gathering Storm” and the other one focuses on after the attack, the “Dawn of War.” I was again enlightened by the presentation of the issues from many perspectives, helping me understand the global factors involved. Until I forgot them, again.
USS Arizona Memorial pictures (2)
PEARL HARBOR NATIONAL MEMORIAL: VISITOR CENTER EXHIBIT GALLERIES: FREE
USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL free with ticket, $1 mandatory booking fee. This includes a 23 min video (in the exhibit galleries) and a free boat trip to the Memorial. (Free audio in 7 languages.)
Any factual-based statements contained in the USS Arizona Memorial section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the USS Arizona Memorial. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
USS BOWFIN SUBMARINE MUSEUM & PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE MUSEUM, Pearl Harbor, HI
This trip, I also saw the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum. The Bowfin was a fleet attack submarine, nicknamed, “The Pearl Harbor Avenger,” which was launched on 12/7/42, one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. We did a walk-through of the submarine—first time I was ever on a real submarine—unless I count the one in the fake lake in West Edmonton Mall. Which I don’t. That was a toy. This was a huge warship. And we checked out all the submarine and torpedo paraphernalia on the grounds and even peered through a vintage periscope.
But for some reason, we didn’t fathom that the sizeable building 30 feet off to the side of the ticket turnstile and 50 feet from the food court (that securely captured my lunchtime attention)—was the actual indoor Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. So, I missed that (DUH!) even though I paid for it. I would have loved the sign-free entrance to the museum being pointed out to me and being told, “FYI, you also just paid to see that museum over there, not just walk through the submarine.” I would have said, “Oh! Thanks! Who knew?” While taking pics of my grandkids, I didn’t notice the huge high-up sign on the front of the building. But if I’d known about it, then I would have apportioned my time better. Spent less time with the torpedoes (although the Japanese Kaiten manned torpedoes were astonishing), walked a little faster through the submarine, maybe one less time in the bathroom—but spent some time inside the Submarine Museum.
Bowfin Submarine Museum pictures
Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum that I missed after paying for it—turnstile is to the left of the pink-shirted lady. Food court is further left. Torpedoes are to the left. Submarine is in the harbor to the left and behind the camera.
USS BOWFIN SUBMARINE MUSEUM (A walk-through of the submarine and the grounds) & PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE MUSEUM This is the museum building in the picture above: Adult price: $21.99 (Also with free audio in 7 languages.)
Any factual-based statements contained in the Submarine Museums section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Submarine Museum. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
USS BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL, Pearl Harbor, HI
Day Two, 2024, of Pearl Harbor involved a bus trip to Ford Island for 1) the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial and 2) the Pacific Aviation Museum (In that order unless you want to repeat the bus trip.) Having studied U.S. World War II history for only a few weeks in Canadian schools as I grew up six decades ago (in contrast to U.S. schools presenting all things Canadian in merely two days), I was still woefully ignorant of the historical significance of the Battleship Missouri when I stepped foot upon her. I was gob-smacked as I viewed the photos and the Instrument of Surrender that representatives from Japan, the U.S., China, the USSR, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand all signed on the deck of the Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Given my Canadian-nurtured peace-loving genes, I treasured (albeit belatedly) what took place on this hallowed spot, including the expressed hopes for lasting world peace.
After I adequately processed this wow event, we walked through the rest of the battleship, which was the biggest one I’ve ever toured.
Instrument of Surrender pictures (2)
Another momentous piece of USS Missouri history: it was the last active battleship of any nation in the world. I was fascinated with the Memorial’s display of information about the more than 3000 kamikaze pilots and their memorabilia, such as last letters to their loved ones.
Kamikaze data pictures (2)
Picture of The Last Battleship poster.
One surprising observation from our walk-through was that Wayne couldn’t fit on his side or lengthwise in a standard battleship bunk bed. Of course, we all know that each generation gets taller and bigger, but weren’t there lots of sailors, even decades ago, who were way too big for those bunks? I didn’t notice a Super-Sized Sailor Section. Or maybe tallness and bigness in the Navy was like flat feet—grounds for rejection.
Picture of Wayne in USS Missouri sailor’s bunk.
BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL adult price with free guided tour $34.99; Captain’s Tour (10+) additional $30; Chief Engineer’s upgraded tour (10+) additional $30.
Any factual-based statements contained in the USS Battleship Missouri section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the USS Battleship Missouri. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
THE PEARL HARBOR PACIFIC AVIATION MUSEUM, Pearl Harbor, HI
The Pearl Harbor Pacific Aviation Museum was never going to intrigue me due to my status as an aviation fan or an aircraft afficionado. Because I’m not. But I loved the museum because of its historical recounting of the war. Not that I’m a fan of war either, like I said, but I really like history (unless you put an exam in front of me). I used the museum’s audio device to great advantage because that was where the most interesting stuff was. Plus, I’m kind of a slow reader—but I’m a pretty good listener—as long as I can channel the sound straight to my hearing aids, meaning, as long as I don’t have to factor in my deafness. The Aviation Museum boasts 50 plus aircraft on display, and for extra fees—two flight simulators, a 168-foot Tower Tour, or a tour guide.
The Maui section of the museum totally captivated me, even without the audio. I learned that Maui had 50 different training areas for 100,000 trainees in the war, including the largest single area for training naval air groups in the U.S., with 20,000 pilots trained there. I was enthralled, for instance, by the recounting of a fighter pilot maneuver called the Thach Weave, which was taught in Maui skies. It successfully pitted two slower-turning U.S. American Wildcat fighter planes against a single Japanese Zero fighter, which had better maneuverability and rate of climb. This maneuver was used until, some say, years later the Japanese figured out how to counteract it. Maui, in many ways, was integral to the war’s success. I could easily have spent a couple extra hours enjoying this fantastic exhibit, including all the videos of survivor testimony. But we ran out of time, again.
(Picture of Thach Poster, Picture of poster at the Aviation Museum courtesy of Pacific Aviation Museum)
THE PACIFIC AVIATION MUSEUM adult general: $25.99; Top of the Tower tour + $19.99; Guided hangars tour + $10.00; Flight simulator single seat of two $10.70; Solo Flight simulator $21.40.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Pacific Aviation Museum section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Pacific Aviation Museum. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
WEDDING, Ala Moana Regional Park (Magic Park), Waikiki, HI
What a joy to be with my daughter as she got dressed and dolled up for her wedding, and then to ride with her and her entourage in the limousine to the site on Magic Island, Waikiki. I was impressed with the whole event. Weddings of Hawaii, the wedding planners, did a superb job, and the wedding itself was terrific. They Hawai’ianized the event just the right amount, for my liking. It was a ceremony so representative of Rae and Austin—with malfunctions that didn’t mortify, laughter that wasn’t stifled, tears and sobs that weren’t squelched, and a few f-bombs and other colorful language that blended in and didn’t traumatize.
I don’t remember ever attending such an unpretentious wedding before. It was also great to see the social acceptance of things-not-the-norm, with mother and brother giving away the bride, and with a pocketed wedding dress! The best part of the wedding was the self-written vows, which touchingly included vows to the kids (that generated some tears and sobs). The vows were sweet, sweet expressions of love and commitment. People who can bring off such a touching wedding ceremony are people after my own heart. And in fact, in my opinion, anyone who can use her words to cause her pre-teen to sob, in such a good way, is not only a phenomenal person, but one hell of a mom. I can’t claim to have ever done that. Just like generations of offspring keep getting bigger, I think new generations of parents keep getting smarter at the job (in general).
Me, Rae (my youngest), Wayne (my oldest). Wedding on Waikiki
Pictures were taken at the wedding site after the ceremony, then we limo-ed back to change clothes before we found our way to a nearby stretch of beach for the evening celebration—with plenty of people, with enough pizza, beverages, and wind for everybody—and then some, and water and waves for the few who swam into the dark.
After-wedding celebration on the beach. (2 pictures)
WEDDINGS OF HAWAII website: wedhawaii.com
SEAL LIFE PARK, Waimanalo, HI
The Sea Life Park, on the east coast of the island, was another great place to visit. Unfortunately, we rather rushed through it because we only had the morning available. I’ve never devoted any time or money to animal sanctuaries or humane zoo habitats, and the like, but I appreciate that others do. Not that I don’t like animals—I just don’t prioritize them in my life, nor do I often prefer them in my personal space—especially snakes. The fact that this Park (and their interesting and educational signage) focuses on animal rescue, recovery, rehabilitation, and the conservation programs that are their main priority, was very touching to me. I was impressed. Their seabird rehabilitation facility receives injured birds 24/7; their green sea turtle colony, the only reproducing one in the U.S. under human care has released more than 16,000 hatchlings, improving their numbers in the wild. (Maybe you can meet up with one on a Waikiki wave.)
Against the backdrop of all that conservation, the Sea Life Park offers encounter opportunities with sea lions, Cockatiels and Lovebirds, the Hawai’ian reef (snorkeling with the fish and reef sharks), and three types of dolphin interactions. It’s kind of hard to believe I have yet to interact with a dolphin. If I could make myself hold a three-foot alligator (in the everglades), I think I can handle a dunk with the dolphins. Next time, next place—with proper planning. Besides the bird aviary, and the sea turtle, dolphin, and sea lion habitats, The Sea Life Park also have penguin, monk seal, shark, seabird, and wholphin habitats. There is a twice daily dolphin lagoon show. A full day for this adventure would have been better than the half day we gave it. The Park also claims to offer the best authentic ocean-front lu’au, with entertainment such as coconut tree climbing and fire knife champions. My guess is the ocean-front ambiance for a lu’au would be a plus.
Mature green sea turtle at Sea Life Park Kai feeding some fish at Sea Life Park
Dolphin at Sea Life Park Lovebirds at Sea Life Park
SEA LIFE PARK highest adult prices on website: General admission $55.99; Dolphin Exploration (8+) $282.71; Dolphin Encounter (4+) $198.94; Dolphin aloha (1+) $94.23; Sea Lion Encounter $89.99; twice daily Hawai’ian Reef Encounter $89.99 (all encounters include admission to Park); Aloha Kai Lu’au $108 to $230 (4 packages, with 1-10-day Park admission). Online discounts for general admission, advanced purchases. Many activities sell out & 3 weeks advanced purchase is necessary.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Sea Life Park section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by Sea Life Park. They dso not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER, La’ie, HI
Just before our planned day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, I learned that RaeAnna, Austin, and their kids were doing the guided tour package that included the lu’au. I know that sounds very lame, because we knew months earlier we were doing this trip. But it’s actually not that I’m a totally incompetent trip planner—I did the best I could, really—I was moving my household virtually right up until the minute we departed. Incompetent life planner, perhaps. Anyway, RaeAnna invited me last minute to join their tour group. I hadn’t planned to do the lu’au, so I didn’t care if it was sold out. But I learned at the gate that the guided tour was also sold out. I calculated the lu’au cost, subtracted it from the guided tour cost, and asked if they would sell me a customized ticket then unite me with the wedding tour group that was a half hour ahead of me. It took some supervisor interaction, but they did it, ungrudgingly—and then cheerfully escorted me to the group. Wow! Much appreciated! Such excellent and unfortunately rare customer service! Kind of makes me a little bit homesick for Canada—but, sadly, I’ve heard superior service is going downhill there too. Glad it’s alive and well in La’ie, Hawai’i.
Polynesian Cultural Center canoe venture
Tonga village presentation with Austin
Our two tour guides were terrific at their jobs—they were, like all guides, actual Polynesian young people, happily tourist-guiding as they work on their BYU Hawai’i educations. Importantly, many of the other staff and performers at the Center are also authentic natives of the islands they represent. I also loved that our guides enunciated well and spoke loudly enough that I could hear most of the very interesting and entertaining things they had to say—even when not within my typical super-close earshot. I hoped they would help us hit the high spots so we wouldn’t miss any of the most interesting, funny, or informative presentations. Apparently, such tours are often customized for each group, which makes sense. We were led through several hands-on activities, such as spear-throwing, and temporary tattoos (a tradition that originated in Polynesia). Our guides recommended the Tonga performance, which was lots of fun—three volunteers were sought, and to our delight, Austin was targeted, with some guide-conniving, I’m sure. He was a super good sport.
I was enthralled with the displays of authentic Polynesian canoes, some day -fishing ones, small outriggers, cross-water vessels, and double-hulled canoes. Each “Village” displays one or more historically authentic vessel designs with its island-specific moniker. One we saw was reportedly the inspirational model for the one in the animated film Moana. One of these larger vessels on display is an active voyaging canoe, having recently undertaken an educational “wayfinding” journey, teaching ancient Polynesian navigation techniques. It’s also preparing for this month’s (every fourth year) Festival of the Pacific, where sailing canoes will gather from all of Polynesia. Fascinating.
Back in 2003, I believe we made it around to all six Pacific Island “Villages,”namely: Hawai’i, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). This time I had no idea of what I did see and how much I might have missed, which was slightly discombobulating. Each “Village” can have more than one presentation, including cultural, hands-on, one-on-one, shows, or teaching displays, but it was all kind of a blur for me. That might have had something to do with being guided and me not being “in charge” of my own logistics. I’m kind of partial to—and used to being in-charge of me. But also, I got there late and missed the canoe trip, and I didn’t know what else. Besides, I believe that being in a large tour group slowed us down some and we probably didn’t get to see as much as otherwise. My Bad—for adding a person after the group was sold out, making 26 of us. Undoubtedly, all it would have taken for me to feel suitably combobulated would have been to obtain a schedule-of-shows and any other handouts at the gate. Or, big surprise, there’s an app I could have used. But the best remedy of all, if I’d had another day, I could have come back for free. Everyone gets a three-day free pass for additional day activities after their initial visit. If I had come back one more day, used their handouts, and used their app, heck—I could have been half-ready to apply for a tour guide job—if I were half a century younger, had a super high GPA for BYU, and was of Polynesian heritage.
Just before the lu’au, we learned that two of our group weren’t going to stay for it, so our guide suggested I use one of those tickets. It required supervisor permission, the ticket holder’s verbal okay, and tour-guidance above-and-beyond to make it happen. I was welcomed to the lu’au like everyone, with an authentic lei (my first one—Nice! Not that I had been feeling terribly lei-deprived. Just a little.) I was delighted to be able to sit at the same table with my daughter and her family, which was appropriately recognized with a Congratulations Plate. Before the eating extravaganza began, we watched the unearthing of the Kalua pig from the authentic imu. The meal was delicious as well as diabetic-friendly and quirk-friendly. It was buffet style, so I could sample and then select from the many tasty traditional and mainland protein, vegetable, and make-your-own salad dishes. And I was free to limit my carbs—or not. Of course, I splurged a little. I even sampled a few of their petite desserts. We were entertained throughout the dinner, and that was great. Many of the children seemed to enjoy participating in a “hula-hands” musical number. After the lu’au we attended the evening finale, The HA: Breath of Life Show. It was an elaborate presentation—I was repeat-impressed.
POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER adult prices: self-guided tour, with no finale $89.95; self-guided tour with finale $119.95; self-guided with a buffet, entertainment and finale $144.95; group guided tour with lu’au $194.95; private guided tour with lu’au $289.95. They offer discounts for advance tickets, a narrated motor coach drive to and from Waikiki for $27 and a narrated Island Sightseeing Tour for $76. They also have a free Polynesian Football Hall of Fame by the front entrance. Scooter rentals are available. The Hukilau Marketplace, outside of the ticket entrance, includes many food trucks, many booths with souvenirs and local arts and crafts, the Pounders restaurant, and even a hair salon.
Any factual-based statements contained in the Polynesian Cultural Center section of this blog have been FACT-CHECKED by the Polynesian Cultural Center. They do not, however, take any responsibility for story line, opinions, or any attempts at humor. The person who is answerable for those is Leanna Rae Scott.
ALOHA
I know this 9-day trip to Oahu still doesn’t measure up to my long-ago Kaua’i-loving 17-day trip, (I can still do the math) but this time around we did pretty darned good on our O’ahu to-do list. My estimation of O’ahu has improved considerably. Kind of sad that I’ll not likely return to this lovely place, given my limited time left and my still-strong urge to experience so many other destinations. Until next time.
My website: https:// leannaraescott.com
Wayne’s website: https://dixonmedia.io