In February 2018, the Kapalka came to visit us in Hawaii, then the Madlers came in May.
Additionally, family friends Danyon visited in August 2017, and Anna in March 2019.
I started making a list of all the locations I wanted our guests to see on the island of 'Oahu, so here's the list with some extra notes and photos.
If you visit me, I'll talk to you hours on end about the history of Hawai'i and current issues here. Most tourists come to the islands without getting to learn much, so please make a point to educate yourself if you're a visitor! I'll be sharing some links. Here's one quick summary about the US illegal overthrow of Hawaii in the 1890s.
I started making a list of all the locations I wanted our guests to see on the island of 'Oahu, so here's the list with some extra notes and photos.
If you visit me, I'll talk to you hours on end about the history of Hawai'i and current issues here. Most tourists come to the islands without getting to learn much, so please make a point to educate yourself if you're a visitor! I'll be sharing some links. Here's one quick summary about the US illegal overthrow of Hawaii in the 1890s.
Historical Visits
Iolani Palace
More info on the Palace- see my InterVarsity blog post.
My must-see recommendation. Gives some history of the monarchy and the overthrow. Adults $20, kids $6. Bring change for metered parking. Bring a picnic lunch to eat on the lawn before or after your tour.
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| Ginger and Danyon |
More info on the Palace- see my InterVarsity blog post.
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| Mandy & Nick |
Queen Liliuokalani was the last Queen of Hawaii. Her statue here has her holding the Hawaiian Creation Chant and a constitution she wrote to alter the unjust "Bayonet Constitution" instituted by white landowners in a coup to seize power for themselves. Eventually, Liliuokalani chose to peacefully step down to avoid bloodshed, but she used her writing and music to protest the overthrow of her kingdom. I love showing visitors a movie about the overthrow and Liluokalani's niece, Princess Kaiulani. (The movie has a number of inaccuracies, but is a good conversation starter.)
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| Ginger, Nancy & Ron |
You've heard of Dole. He was one of the big land-owners in Hawaii and was part of the overthrow of the monarchy. During the Plantation era, many Asians immigrated to Hawaii, which had a huge impact on today's demographics. Hawaii was a welcoming and diverse place- long before it was acceptable on the US continent, Hawaii commonly had bi-racial marriages and other cross-cultural interactions.
The Plantation shares some history, focusing on pineapples. Every single person on Facebook says: Eat Dole Whip ice cream! (I prefer it with caramel.)
We recommend the train ride (Adults $11, Kids $9). Short history tour about Dole start the plantation in 1900, the history of pineapples, and the many plants growing outside your window.
There's also a maze (probably most fun for kids) and garden walk which both cost extra. You can see a lot for free just walking around as well. Dole also has an enormous gift shop.
Pearl Harbor
Arrive early morning to get free tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial. They'll give you a time, like 1:00 for your tour. There's a lot to see just walking around for free. Parking is also free. The Arizona sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack, with the greatest loss of life that day. The memorial is a white building hovering over the sunken ship.
There are several other tours if you want- USS Missouri tour (Battleship), USS Bowfin (submarine), a flight museum. Prices vary, $15 - $25 per adult for those tours. No bags or purses allowed. (Lock them hidden in your car.) Cameras are fine. I did bring a subway sandwich in once and they didn't care. You can also buy hot dogs or other overpriced snacks there.
Arrive early morning to get free tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial. They'll give you a time, like 1:00 for your tour. There's a lot to see just walking around for free. Parking is also free. The Arizona sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack, with the greatest loss of life that day. The memorial is a white building hovering over the sunken ship.
There are several other tours if you want- USS Missouri tour (Battleship), USS Bowfin (submarine), a flight museum. Prices vary, $15 - $25 per adult for those tours. No bags or purses allowed. (Lock them hidden in your car.) Cameras are fine. I did bring a subway sandwich in once and they didn't care. You can also buy hot dogs or other overpriced snacks there.
While Nick and Mandy were visiting, the Arizona memorial was closed for repairs. There was still an opportunity to watch an excellent video in the theater and ride a boat to see the memorial from a short distance.
Ron and Nancy by the USS Bowfin, an excellent submarine tour. Not recommended if you have claustrophobia. If you are my dad's height, you'll need to duck sometimes.
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| Ginger and Anna |
I found the the Missouri Battleship tour to be the best. On this ship, representatives from the US and Japan signed the documents to end the war. They also shared a story about sharing kindness and respect to the other side which brought us to tears. There was a young kamikaze pilot who died after a failed attempt to effectively crash into the ship. After initial anger from the seaman, the chaplain decided that the body would be treated with respect. The crew joined for a small service, making a hasty Japanese flag to cover the body, prayed for the young man, and buried him at sea.
Hikes
Lanikai Pillbox Hike
A short walk from our house. Steep (especially at the beginning) but not too long. If you do this hike at sunrise you get a beautiful view. The pillboxes are old WWII military outlook posts, like small concrete bunkers. Wear good shoe and bring water!
A short walk from our house. Steep (especially at the beginning) but not too long. If you do this hike at sunrise you get a beautiful view. The pillboxes are old WWII military outlook posts, like small concrete bunkers. Wear good shoe and bring water!
Viewing Northwest, you can see Kailua, Kaneohe, and the Marine Corps Base.
Hike on rim of old volcano. Medium difficulty, very crowded, but the view at the end is wonderful.
Makapu'u Lighthouse
East side of island, a paved trail you could even take a stroller on. Easy hike. Nice ocean view. Might see whales in winter. (We saw spouting, but no whales up close.)
super short and easy. Don't get lost! Arrows are carved into a tree.
Beaches
Lanikai Beach
is by our house, so you can park in our yard (otherwise parking is hard to find) (also the beach has no bathrooms or showers, so helpful to have house nearby) Really beautiful clean and peaceful beach. Snorkeling is also an option here.
Extremely crowded, most tourists are here. Lots of expensive and cheap places to shop (ABC stores on every corner have cheap souvenirs). You can buy surfing lessons or boogie board cheaper. (I think it's too wavy for snorkeling). Just don't spend your whole trip here.
Snorkeling
Hanauma Bay
Beautiful! Beach with shallow water, coral and lots of fish. Nice info center too. $7.50 entrance fee. East side of island
Beautiful! Beach with shallow water, coral and lots of fish. Nice info center too. $7.50 entrance fee. East side of island
no entrance fee, less crowded, really beautiful rocks- is on the North Shore, so you can spend a whole day in that area. Drive around, eat food truck shrimp.
Other Oahu Sites
There's also a Luau here. Anna took us in 2019- Luau was #1 on her Hawaii list.
A free family museum with an incredible selection of coral artwork and jewelry.
Just walking around Waikiki, there are many free cultural events- hula dancing especially. The International Marketplace shopping center has dancing and a show at sunset. The beach bar at the Ala Moana Surfrider hotel often has live music and dancing.
The sunset is nice in Waikiki. Friday and Saturday night might have fireworks too.
Good architecture in Waikiki: only two historic hotels on the beach, Ala Moana Surfrider 1900s and the Royal Hawaiian 1930s (the pink one.) (Downtown Honolulu is more architecturally interesting.)
Nuuanu Lookout
on the Pali Highway over the Koolau Mountains. $3 parking. Beautiful view of the Windward side facing Kaneohe and Kailua. A historical location where King Kamehameha the Great fought the final battle to unite the Hawaiian islands as one kingdom. Pali means cliff- the winning side backed the others against the edge of the cliff to their demise.
on the Pali Highway over the Koolau Mountains. $3 parking. Beautiful view of the Windward side facing Kaneohe and Kailua. A historical location where King Kamehameha the Great fought the final battle to unite the Hawaiian islands as one kingdom. Pali means cliff- the winning side backed the others against the edge of the cliff to their demise.
Underwater Scooters
A Kapalka favorite- we leave on a boat from Hawaii Kai out into the bay. You only spend 20 minutes on scooters (trading with other groups on the boat) - great opportunity to see many fish and sea turtles. Your head is in an air bubble, and there's no need for glasses! It's hard to tell how fast you are going, but using the scooter is intuitive. Several crew in scuba gear keep and eye on you and take photos. (My underwater camera can't handle lower that 10 feet, so we were glad.) Nancy recommends Groupon for a better price.
Food
Local food you should try in Hawaii:
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| Poke with Danyon |
- Poke (raw fish on rice),
- Laulau (pork in ti leaves),
- Poi (taro paste),
- Kalua pork (pulled pork)
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| We like acai bowls at Island Brew Coffee in Hawaii Kai |
In Kaneohe (our side of the island) we like Haleiwa Joe's. No reservations, just show up at five and wait a while. Beautiful setting, overlooking a beautiful jungle garden.
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| Nancy shopping for rare fruit at King's Marketplace in Waikiki |
Our favorite is Vintage Shave Ice in Waikiki. $8 for two person bowl, natural flavoring and extra fun toppings. But there is cheaper shave ice all over the island.
We had extra special occasions with my parents, celebrating Nancy's birthday with a Hawaiian quilt inspired cake, and visiting with her old friend Kris Anderson, who is a librarian for the medical school at the University of Hawaii.
Big Island
The Madlers first flew to the Big Island (Hawai'i Island) because Mandy loves (and has a degree in!) geology. At the Volcano Park, you can see lava flowing year round. However, this year the volcano was more active than expected. |
| Smoke from the Kilauea eruption |
Kilauea started erupting on May 3, 2018, just a week before the Madler's planned trip. It was yet another reason for everyone we knew to start messaging us to make sure we were alright! (Yes, we live on a different island. No, no one has been hurt! Just property...) The volcano park was closed to tourists, so we worried we may not get to see much. Our third day, driving North on the highway to Hilo, we saw the smoke.
But, there were lots of rocks to look at in the meantime.
Mandy taught us about the two types of lava. (I was excited when I looked up these words and found out they were Hawaiian! Mandy said every Geology 101 student knows that.)
- Pahoehoe (Pah-ho-ay-ho-ay): smooth or ropey surface
- Aa (ah-ah): small chunky (pictured above)
Aa forms when lava flows quickly, creating a high viscosity. The lava dries while flowing, tears, and creates the small rocks which continue tumbling along.
Pahoehoe flows slowly, with low viscosity. (Here I'm thinking: cake batter vs. brownie batter.) So it dries smooth as well.
Kaumana Caves
Lava often flows through underground tubes and leaves these tunnels behind! Several near Hilo were open for exploration. We also read that King Kamehameha used this as a sneaky way to get his soldiers from one location to another without the enemy seeing them.
We spent two nights camping out on a black sand beach at Punalu'u. Naturally, the black sand comes from volcanic rock. It's a favorite beach for turtles to come bask in the sun.
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| Be sure to give turtles lots of space! No touching |
Our other geological adventure was a drive to the top of Mauna Kea. It's a drive from sea level to 14,000 feet, and there's a required resting / visitor center half way where you need to stop and acclimate. By the top, we saw a little leftover winter snow. There's little growing this high.
Mauna Kea is a sacred mountain, and the observatories continue to be a source of dispute. There's a closed pathway marked only for people with permission to travel for traditional reasons. A year after our visit, there were major protests here. Here's a good summary.
On the West side of the Island, we visited Kaloko-Honokohau National Park.
After our camp out, we traveled north near Hilo to our home-away rental in a yurt. I had some confusing problems with our reservation that day. The owner messaged me, asking if I had cancelled. I said no, it wasn't me! So I told the website to un-cancel my reservation.
When we arrived at the neighborhood, a police officer guarded the street. He asked us if we were residents. Nick honestly answered, Nope! The cop said, we've shut down all the vacation rentals... but I see you didn't know, so I'll let you in for now, but you need to find someplace new for tomorrow.
He explained that while this neighborhood wasn't being evacuated yet, the only other entrance had been closed down, and evacuation was possible. We sheepishly promised to find someplace new for the next night.
At our yurt, the owner suggested a variety of fun things to do in the neighborhood... all of which were closed down. But, there was one wonderful opportunity that night. He pointed at the map: "If you drive down this road and climb to the top of the hill, you'll be able to see Fissure #17." We left immediately.
When we arrived at the neighborhood, a police officer guarded the street. He asked us if we were residents. Nick honestly answered, Nope! The cop said, we've shut down all the vacation rentals... but I see you didn't know, so I'll let you in for now, but you need to find someplace new for tomorrow.
He explained that while this neighborhood wasn't being evacuated yet, the only other entrance had been closed down, and evacuation was possible. We sheepishly promised to find someplace new for the next night.
At our yurt, the owner suggested a variety of fun things to do in the neighborhood... all of which were closed down. But, there was one wonderful opportunity that night. He pointed at the map: "If you drive down this road and climb to the top of the hill, you'll be able to see Fissure #17." We left immediately.
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| Fissure #17, viewed from aprx 2 miles away (photo by Nick Madler) |
More photos of Hawaii 2018 adventures available in this facebook album.
