Just the 19 of Us – Oahu North Shore & Aulani – Jan. 2016 ~ Updated 6/4: Complete & DL TR Link!

[Dugette]

This looks fab!

It was quite good!

I think that's my favorite type of cookie! yum!

They were so delicious! Could not stop eating them...

What a neat fruit stand!

It was - and you'll see some of the fruit we got in the next update.

Cute, glad she got a good nap in!

Me too!

That was really nice! So glad that the family appreciated your tips.

I was really surprised at how grateful they were to us for passing along our tips. I wasn't expecting all the buying for us and such.

Beautiful sunset!

Such a nice view.

That's really rude, I'm sure the drinks weren't cheap! Glad you "took one for the team" though lol!

Exactly, the waitress was super rude about it. At least we were somewhat hungry.

Hmm very interesting! hahahaha

She was so insistent on this being a good thing and that other performers have done it for them.

Cute, I love finding random animals on vacation when I'm missing mine!

It was fun to see them. I couldn't believe how friendly the cats were!

Sounds like a really awesome night! Definitely more relaxing than Disney, but still really fun.

Agreed, much more relaxed than we are used to vacationing (and wait till you see the next day!), but very much enjoyed.

Really enjoying your trip report, can't wait to read more!

Thank you!

We also spent a couple of nights on the North Shore during our summer trip this year and loved it. We found a fun little beach cottage not far from Ted's. It was a great part of our trip and we will definitely do it again.

Oh, that would be fun to have a little cottage! Glad you enjoyed your time on the North Shore!

I have to tell you that the waves were not as large this summer, we went in June, but I wouldn't say they were that kid friendly. We are used to Galveston and Florida gulf coast waves so even the "small" waves on the North Shore were a little more than my girls were comfortable with swimming in for very long!

Good to know. We were there during the high season for waves, so we were expecting it, but I would have guessed the summer was fairly calm.

All the photos in this last update are making me hungry - everything looks so good!

I wish I could easily get over to Ted's from here...yummy stuff!

Those are some great views you had! I'm glad you guys were hungry enough to order some food so you could stay and enjoy the atmosphere for a bit longer.

It was such a nice view and good company. Glad it worked out to just eat some dinner there too - we ended up being there a long time, so glad we did.

 

[Dugette]

Slow-Paced Sunday

One of the many things that came with our condo was quite a supply of beach supplies, which Izzy discovered this morning:



I enjoyed some yogurt along with fruit from the roadside stand for breakfast (the funny-looking thing is a rambutan and very good; the banana is an "apple banana", I think - very sweet):



Also, we used the tiny bottle of sparkling wine I got at Foodtown along with the POG juice to make some breakfast mimosas:



Apparently Izzy wanted dinosaur chicken nuggets along with her muffin and yogurt breakfast :



I guess we acquired this as well:



After we ate and got ready, I headed over to check out Nana and Papa’s condo, as I had plans to join some of the others for a hike. I think Dug and Izzy hung out in our condo for a while, I’m not sure exactly what they did. Anyway, Nana and Papa’s condo had lots of windows:



Golf course views with a bit of ocean in the background:



The Vikings were playing this morning, so we hung out and watched the rest of the game, since there wasn't too much left:



Unfortunately, they lost that one.

After the game, Nana, Kay, Jay, and I took off for a walk on the beach. Papa stayed back to relax in the condo. Kay and Jay had walked along this same stretch the day before and saw a turtle, so I had high hopes, but we didn’t end up seeing one. We saw a lot of beautiful ocean, though:





As we walked through the sand, sometimes the waves hit particularly hard and we had to run further back to get out of the way. At one point, Nana almost fell in the water, but we kept her up. Jay was working on taking some really nice pictures of the ocean, so he hung back on the beach while we moved on to the non-beach part of the trail:





Pretty scenery with those trees – you could walk in and through some of them. At one point, Nana and I couldn’t find Kay, so we walked around and looked for her. Turns out, she was squatting behind a tree for a potty break. Oops, and we just thought it was a game of hide and seek.

A bit later, we were walking along a very sandy trail and Nana tripped on a tree root and fell right on her face. She was totally fine, but very sandy. Kay and I helped her up and wiped off all the sand. Poor Nana! Luckily, she (and her camera) was okay.

We ended up back on the beach and met up with Jay again, I think:



In the meantime, Dug and Izzy had gone to the beach at Turtle Bay. No pictures, but here’s how he recounts it: Took like an hour to get Izzy ready and pack all the things they needed into the minivan. Beach toys, towels, a beach chair from the condo, etc. They got down there, Dug had to lug everything over from the parking lot while watching Izzy. He got them set up in the corner that Jay’s relatives had made their home (their condos were right next to the beach). And Izzy played in the sand…for about two minutes. Then she decided she was scared of the waves and wanted out of there. So, Jay’s family let them into the pool for their condo complex and they spent maybe 20 minutes or so there before Izzy had to go potty and wanted to go back to our place. So, he got everything packed up from their very brief outing and that happened to be when I got in touch, telling him we were done hiking. So, they swung by and picked us up on their way back:



This is apparently what I had for lunch:



I knew there was a restaurant chain in Hawaii called Zippy’s that was supposed to be good, so when I saw their frozen soups in Foodtown, I grabbed a couple. I think it was good, not that I can remember much anymore. Looks like Izzy made Dug join her in “shaking their maracas” (measuring cups) while they ate:



After lunch, I think we had some semblance of naptime.

I also did some laundry, since we had the washer/dryer in our unit. And I have a note that says it took an hour to change Izzy's shirt - I'm guessing that was a toddler tantrum of some sort. I think we hooked up the Apple TV (that we brought) so that Izzy could watch some Disney Junior later.

That evening, Dug went out solo for sushi. When he finishes a big work project, he likes to go out for sushi to commemorate it, but I had no interest (not a sushi person). Izzy and I stayed back and played games on the iPad. Or maybe watched Disney Junior? I don't remember.

Here’s Dug’s sushi photos from Banzai Sushi:

























I know he really enjoyed his meal and was glad he went out.

I have no idea what Izzy and I had for dinner. Whatever food we had in the condo, I guess. (Oooh, I just found that my notes said "leftovers". )

And that’s about it for that day! Probably the least busy day we’ve ever had on a vacation.

Up next: The Polynesian Cultural Center & Luau!

 

[cindianne320]

Sounds so relaxing!!! Glad you each got to do what you wanted. But poor MIL.

 

[schmass]

Sounds like a nice, relaxing day! Your hike looks like nice - so much beautiful scenery there.

I had to laugh at Dug's description of going to the beach with Izzy. Sounds about right for an outing with a toddler!

Dug's sushi looks so good, and the banana dessert sounds pretty amazing, too!

 

[Imagineer5]

One of the many things that came with our condo was quite a supply of beach supplies, which Izzy discovered this morning:

How nice! That is a good assortment!

I enjoyed some yogurt along with fruit from the roadside stand for breakfast (the funny-looking thing is a rambutan and very good; the banana is an "apple banana", I think - very sweet):

HUh I have seen one of those before but didn't know how to eat it

Also, we used the tiny bottle of sparkling wine I got at Foodtown along with the POG juice to make some breakfast mimosas:

Now that's a good way to start the day!

Nana and I couldn’t find Kay, so we walked around and looked for her. Turns out, she was squatting behind a tree for a potty break. Oops, and we just thought it was a game of hide and seek.

I think a little forewarning would have been nice lol!

had to lug everything over from the parking lot while watching Izzy.

Bahahaha. I find this pretty funny as I spent a weekend in Beverly, MA with Maya & Aria by myself while Andrew attended a conference. Oh I had the dogs, too. I attempted a beach day but it lasted about 20 minutes - it was tough watching the two of them, keeping Maya out of too much sun and from eating sand, making sure Aria was safe etc. It was a pain! It's definitely not that fun doing it alone.

I know he really enjoyed his meal and was glad he went out.

That is nice he had some time to himself!

I have no idea what Izzy and I had for dinner. Whatever food we had in the condo, I guess. (Oooh, I just found that my notes said "leftovers". )

Maybe some more of those chicken nuggets lol

 

[Dugette]

Sounds so relaxing!!! Glad you each got to do what you wanted. But poor MIL.

Yeah, I felt really bad for her when she took that tumble. She was SO covered in sand, but at least it was a soft landing, I guess.

Sounds like a nice, relaxing day! Your hike looks like nice - so much beautiful scenery there.

It was really nice. I could have just hiked around all day. And, yes, it was insanely relaxed.

I had to laugh at Dug's description of going to the beach with Izzy. Sounds about right for an outing with a toddler!

I know, right? I was glad I'd chosen to hike and he was the one who got stuck with that - I've been through similar situations often enough.

Dug's sushi looks so good, and the banana dessert sounds pretty amazing, too!

I'm not a sushi person, but I would totally go for that dessert!

How nice! That is a good assortment!

It was! Beyond the toys, there were a couple beach chairs, a cooler, snorkeling equipment, etc. Very well-stocked!

HUh I have seen one of those before but didn't know how to eat it

I had to ask SIL what to do - you kind of had to pop it out of the skin.

Now that's a good way to start the day!

I agree! I should do that more often!

I think a little forewarning would have been nice lol!

Exactly! I mean, why just disappear and make us look for you? Luckily, we didn't really see anything, as she was buttoning back up when we found her.

Bahahaha. I find this pretty funny as I spent a weekend in Beverly, MA with Maya & Aria by myself while Andrew attended a conference. Oh I had the dogs, too. I attempted a beach day but it lasted about 20 minutes - it was tough watching the two of them, keeping Maya out of too much sun and from eating sand, making sure Aria was safe etc. It was a pain! It's definitely not that fun doing it alone.

Oh my gosh - two kids and the dogs too?! I don't think I would have even made it 20 minutes.

That is nice he had some time to himself!

He really likes that time to reflect on the project he finished, so it was nice he got it, even in Hawaii.

Maybe some more of those chicken nuggets lol

Quite possible!

 

[Dugette]

Polynesian Cultural Center – Part 1

We enjoyed some more exotic fruit for breakfast this morning, along with yogurt, mini bagels, and POG juice:



Izzy also enjoyed some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse during breakfast:



I think Izzy was anxious to go somewhere at that point, but the rest of our group wasn’t yet ready to head to the Polynesian Cultural Center. So, to appease Izzy (and myself, really), I put her in the stroller and we went for a walk:



Here’s one of the entrances to the condo complex and you can see the gate where you scan your key fob to get in:



I saw a yellow fire truck, which was different:



And we ended up by Turtle Bay, overlooking the beach that Izzy had enjoyed for two minutes the previous day :



I’m pretty sure I took this picture for a reason, but I no longer recall what I wanted to say about that group of guys :



Yes, this is some high-quality trip reporting here!

Have another picture of the beach instead:



We turned around at that point and headed back to the condo to meet up with everyone. Once again, the minivan came in handy, as all 7 of us were able to ride together (I drove and Dug, Izzy, Nana, Papa, Kay, and Jay were along). Dug insisted one making a quick stop at Romy’s shrimp truck on the way there. His mom was not excited about that and giving him a hard time about wanting to stop at a food truck (this was well-known for being a must-try kind of thing, FYI). But I was driving and made the call to stop quickly for him while his mom sat in the minivan irritated.

He took these pictures while waiting in line:





Soon after taking those, though, he was told it was going to be about a 45 minute wait (!!! Not sure why?), so he cut his losses and came back to the minivan, feeling defeated while Nana was probably doing a bit of I-told-you-so. I got us back on the road and we were soon pulling in here:





The Polynesian Cultural Center is a large property that reminds me a bit of World Showcase in Epcot. There are different “villages” to represent the various Polynesian islands. Each has education, entertainment, structures, etc. to reflect each culture. We’d be spending the majority of our day here. Kay had gotten us a group deal on tickets (along with Jay’s extended family) and that included the Luau dinner and evening shows. On our previous trip (November 2014), we had come to the PCC (just Dug, Izzy, and I) for a few hours, but we felt Izzy was old enough now to handle a full day including the shows, so it was worth coming back.

Upon parking and entering, Dug was interested in the food trucks they had there, as he’d been saving room for Romy’s and didn’t get any:





I think he got the curry dish:



He caught up with us after that and you can see the rest of our family on the left there:



Kay is pushing Papa in a wheelchair. He generally does not use one, but for a day with a lot of walking, it was a good call. He has heart problems and tires quickly if he’s walking a lot.

Here’s some signage near the entrance:





There were statues around the property:



And lots of waterfalls:





Pretty scenery throughout the place!

Fairly soon after entering, we came across a show that was about to start, so we grabbed some benches. A pre-show we-sie:



I don’t really remember what this show was all about, but here are some pictures:





Izzy spent some time on Papa’s lap and they were having fun together, it appears:





And there was fire-twirling:



And then one of the guys climbed this palm tree:





After the show, we walked around some more and saw these things:





Looks like we saw another show, this one with dancing :



I have a video clip too:

(click to watch)

We came across a demo thing we could participate in. It involved tossing little sticks back and forth with a partner. Well, Izzy was my partner, so we didn’t do much other than try not to lose a stick or injure anyone. Kay and Jay had a good time learning the skill, though.

Looks like Nana helped Izzy to stop and smell the flowers:



Here’s one of the authentic styles of structures they have throughout the property:



Continued in next post…

 

[Dugette]

Polynesian Cultural Center – Part 2

Continued from previous post…

We came across a hula lesson about to start, so a few members of our party joined in:



First, Dug and Kay got up there:



Then Nana jumped in as well:









Papa and Izzy watched from the sidelines in their chairs:



I also have some video of the lessons:

(click to watch)

A bit later, Dug, Izzy, and I ran across a javelin lesson:





Dug got in on the next lesson:



And after a few tries, he hit the target :



He was pretty excited :



I also have a video of him succeeding:

(click to watch)

The reason we had gone over that way is to use the restrooms, I think. My notes say “bathroom/timing crabbiness”, so I guess Izzy wasn’t happy. But there was also a concession stand and Izzy wanted a snack:



You can see some of the more exotic menu items listed:



What did Izzy get? Doritos.

Then it was time for the river parade. This was something we did previously, but really enjoyed and were willing to see again. We got seats with a good view and enjoyed the colorful floats:



I guess Izzy was impressed (and enjoying her Doritos):





Back to the show:



Just as with our previous visit, one of the dancers went overboard (so, I guess that probably IS part of the show ):



More floats:









There was a duck food vending machine nearby and another little girl was nice enough to share some of her duck food with Izzy :





Back to the parade:













Looks like Izzy volunteered to push Papa’s wheelchair after the show:



Continued in next post…

 

[Dugette]

Polynesian Cultural Center – Part 3

Soon, it was time for another show:



I have no idea why someone is doing push-ups.

Izzy was eating freeze-dried raspberries and managed to spill the whole bag, of course :



Lots of drumming took place and I think it was rather comical with the audience participation:



I guess we saw this at some point:



And then there was a re-enactment of a wedding ceremony:















Looks lovely and all , but I remember being irritated during that show, as Izzy wasn’t in a patient mood (who can blame her after all the shows?) and I was stuck managing her. I don’t remember much about the actual show, but I know Dug and his parents enjoyed it. I also was irritated because Papa needed help getting his wheelchair out of the grass after the show and nobody else was around to help him, so I had to push his wheelchair and Izzy’s stroller by myself. He was grateful for the help, but why wasn’t anyone else there? I guess they just wandered off at the end?

I soon got over that, as Kay and Jay said they were going to paddle a canoe and Izzy and I could join them. That sounded great to us, so we headed over to get in line for these:



Izzy tried to help with the oar:



It was fun to paddle around the river for a bit.

I don’t remember what we were doing here, but this is cute:



I know we rode these bigger boats last trip, but can’t remember if we did this time:



Never mind the family in the forefront, as I was trying to take a picture of the back row :



Continued in next post…

 

[Dugette]

Polynesian Cultural Center – Part 4

Continued from previous post…

By that point, it was time for our Luau. We lined up here:



We got our fresh flower leis :



We were led to our table and everyone was given a cup of this punch on the way in (non-alcoholic, as the PCC doesn't serve alcohol at all):



I think I only had one for me, since Izzy had her thermos of milk. Naturally, Izzy wanted to try my punch and spilled it and got very upset, so I had to go get another glass or two for us.

A view of the stage:



Oh, this must be before she spilled it (and I think I was trying to figure out where to get a second glass since she stole mine):



The food was buffet style and all very good:



That purple bread was a Taro Roll and delicious…Izzy and I had a few. There was more food available than that, but I guess we didn't take many pictures.

There were tasty desserts as well:



There’s Izzy’s plate:



And some chocolate cake:



After we were all eating, the show began:





It was a big place with a large crowd, as you can see here:



I remember having to take Izzy on multiple bathroom trips across that expanse.

We enjoyed the luau, though I was getting tired of toddler-management by that time of the day. Luckily, I was then offered the chance to be cut loose for a bit to see the movie that Dug and Nana had seen earlier. I quickly took them up on that offer and headed out to this area:



I sat down in the theater and heard the couple behind me saying this was “like Soarin’ Over California”. Sounds good to me! And it was similar in some ways. The seats didn’t move and it was about Hawaii, but it had a similar feel and was very enjoyable. And, frankly, having that time to just be by myself was wonderful too.

Izzy and Dug met me outside and she was so happy to see me again!

As we walked to our next destination, we passed a ukulele player that serenaded Izzy:



He really was playing for her, but she wasn’t watching, of course.

While waiting for our final show of the evening, Kay danced around on a little platform with Izzy and her other niece that was there. It was really cute. Jay’s brother (niece’s dad) came over and gave the girls glow necklaces too. Izzy had a good time just cutting loose for a bit.

Our final show was the one the PCC was pretty famous for:



Pretty lighting as we got ready to head in:



Here is the view of the auditorium from our seats:



While waiting for the show, there were some folks from Canada that Papa was chatting with, as his parents were from Canada. They were very nice. I think I’d shown Izzy how to link two of those glow bracelets together and she was showing it off to everyone that would look. Soon, the show began. No photos allowed, I believe. Izzy had to sit in my lap, as she was young enough to not require a ticket (I believe under 5). She got a little restless and switched laps with our entire party throughout the show, but not bad for a toddler being kept up late after a long day. The show itself was really good. I can’t really explain it well, but it’s a story of a boy growing up and falling in love and involves music, dancing, fire, you name it. Very well done. Izzy was a little scared at some parts, but not too bad, all things considered.

After that, we all headed out and went back to the condos for a good night’s sleep.

Up next: We get out and explore other parts of the island!

 

[Imagineer5]

Photobucket is oddly working at work again so I'm taking advantage and quickly commenting before they go away lol!

But I was driving and made the call to stop quickly for him while his mom sat in the minivan irritated.

I was waiting for his chance to share these delicious treats, but that was really too bad htat the wait was so long, WOW!

And lots of waterfalls:

The place is beautiful!

Love the hula lesson!

What did Izzy get? Doritos.

Gah! Aria would be a PITA too like that lol. If I want her to get something specific i'll just tell her they're out of that and she has X y and Z to choose from :-D

I have no idea why someone is doing push-ups.

Yeah that's awkward

I soon got over that, as Kay and Jay said they were going to paddle a canoe and Izzy and I could join them. That sounded great to us, so we headed over to get in line for these:

Very cool! Surprised they didn't have life jackets or something?

We got our fresh flower leis :

MMM I just love these. I wish the Poly used real ones.

We enjoyed the luau, though I was getting tired of toddler-management by that time of the day.

Yeah I would be annoyed too esp with so much family around.

I sat down in the theater and heard the couple behind me saying this was “like Soarin’ Over California”. Sounds good to me! And it was similar in some ways. The seats didn’t move and it was about Hawaii, but it had a similar feel and was very enjoyable. And, frankly, having that time to just be by myself was wonderful too.

Very nice! Sounds like a good way to relax esp not having to worry about Izzy getting bored or talking or whatever

 

[schmass]

Wow, that was a full day! I remember the PCC from your last TR and thinking that it looked really cool, and it looks even better this time! I'm glad that Izzy enjoyed it more this time, even if it was a long day.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hi Dugette! I'm a little late to the party but I'm here! I am really enjoying the TR so far. I think it is really nice that you were able to go on another trip to Hawaii with some extended family.

The view from the bench:

Gosh that water looks so pretty - crystal clear!

And the view was even better:

SO beautiful!

When I saw this picture at first, I did a double take and thought the building in the back looked like the Contemporary for a second!

The PCC sounded like a lot of fun as well. I remembered you talking about it in your previous TR. That's great you were able to do/see more this time around!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[khertz]

The PCC was the one thing from our Hawaii trip that both DH and I wished we had spent more time doing. We did the luau and the nighttime show but had only gotten there early enough to see demonstrations at a couple of the islands. I think we learned a dance in Fiji and watched some kind of show in Tonga. Whenever we get back to Hawaii, with or without the kids (though I'm thinking we will probably just wait until they are older and make it a family trip), we will absolutely have to plan a full day there to experience more. We loved the little bit we got to do! I remember really enjoying the food at the luau too, which I had been a little hesitant about. This update brought back so many wonderful memories! We already have our next 3 years of vacations mapped out, but I'm sure I'll be pining for Hawaii soon after that. lol

 

[mrp4352]

Hope all is well! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

 

[Dugette]

Hi, folks! Remember me? Sorry, I don't seem to be doing a stellar job of keeping up 3 reports at once! I haven't had a ton of DIS time and when I have, I've been trying to knock out updates on my May 2015 land & sea report, so I've neglected this poor TR! But I will keep it going! (soon, I hope)

Photobucket is oddly working at work again so I'm taking advantage and quickly commenting before they go away lol!

Haha, now that it's been two months - it's still working, right?

I was waiting for his chance to share these delicious treats, but that was really too bad htat the wait was so long, WOW!

He was really bummed it didn't work out.

The place is beautiful!

Love the hula lesson!

I think Izzy would have loved to join in at this age, but back then she just watched. It was cool they all did that, though.

Gah! Aria would be a PITA too like that lol. If I want her to get something specific i'll just tell her they're out of that and she has X y and Z to choose from :-D

Good strategy!

Yeah that's awkward

Very cool! Surprised they didn't have life jackets or something?

Good point, but no, nothing.

MMM I just love these. I wish the Poly used real ones.

That would be great if they had them at the Poly! Gotta go to Aulani for that, though.

Yeah I would be annoyed too esp with so much family around.

Yeah, though I will give them credit for putting up with her during the late show - she was up and down the aisle, trying out all the family member laps.

Very nice! Sounds like a good way to relax esp not having to worry about Izzy getting bored or talking or whatever

Exactly! A good respite.

Wow, that was a full day! I remember the PCC from your last TR and thinking that it looked really cool, and it looks even better this time! I'm glad that Izzy enjoyed it more this time, even if it was a long day.

It was a long day, but pretty fun for everyone, so I'm glad we did it.

Hi Dugette! I'm a little late to the party but I'm here! I am really enjoying the TR so far. I think it is really nice that you were able to go on another trip to Hawaii with some extended family.

Eh, I'm kinda late to this party myself. I'm super glad it worked out to be there with Dug's family. Great memories!

Gosh that water looks so pretty - crystal clear!

It's gorgeous!

SO beautiful!

When I saw this picture at first, I did a double take and thought the building in the back looked like the Contemporary for a second!

Turtle Bay does bear some resemblance to the Contemporary, I agree.

The PCC sounded like a lot of fun as well. I remembered you talking about it in your previous TR. That's great you were able to do/see more this time around!

Looking forward to reading more!

It was a really fun day. Thanks, I look forward to getting more written soon!

The PCC was the one thing from our Hawaii trip that both DH and I wished we had spent more time doing. We did the luau and the nighttime show but had only gotten there early enough to see demonstrations at a couple of the islands. I think we learned a dance in Fiji and watched some kind of show in Tonga. Whenever we get back to Hawaii, with or without the kids (though I'm thinking we will probably just wait until they are older and make it a family trip), we will absolutely have to plan a full day there to experience more. We loved the little bit we got to do! I remember really enjoying the food at the luau too, which I had been a little hesitant about. This update brought back so many wonderful memories! We already have our next 3 years of vacations mapped out, but I'm sure I'll be pining for Hawaii soon after that. lol

Hope you can get back there with the kids in a few years! Maybe I'll even have this report done by then. They really do have a lot of activities/exhibits/shows there and it's easy to spend a day.

Hope all is well! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

Thank you for commenting and luring me back here - I kind-of forgot how long it's been since I updated over here. As I said above, I hope to get things moving here, but I've been working on my other TR. But all is well, thanks for asking!

 

[BariTravis]

Following Along! Look's like a good trip so far!

Can't wait to try the coconut/chocolate pie when I go in May!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Hi! I caught your report pretty close to the beginning this time. How amazing that you got to go to Aulani again! It started off a little rough but feels much more relaxed once you actually arrived. I can't believe how big Izzy is getting already! Looking forward to reading more

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Man! Reading your trip report so far is like a trip down memory lane from our honeymoon. We stayed at Turtle Bay Resort, so, so far we did the same things you guys have done!

But, long story short, our first visit came about due to exceptionally lucky timing of checking airfare during a major Delta price glitch and getting $70 flights (yes, you read that right – AND….they were 1st Class ).

Man! I need to get lucky and get that kind of deal!!!!

Despite the signage everywhere about Leptospirosis, a dangerous bacteria that could potentially be in the water. Dug and Izzy just stood by and watched and took photos while everyone else donned the required lifejackets and made their way in:

Ha! We went there and decided against swimming there, as well. I want to say we may not of known there would be a swimming hole and didn't have suits as well. But still the sign was good enough for us to not go in. But did you watch Lost back in the day? The filmed a lot in that area and I know the scene where Kate finds the briefcase is from that waterfall area.

And we got some BBQ chicken and rice to share:

Plate Lunch! I was obsessed with Plate Lunches when we were there!!! I don't know why...

Can't wait to hear more about the trip. It makes me want to go back to Hawaii!!!!

 

[soniam]

Glad I found your report. I am looking forward to hearing about Aulani. We are thinking of going for the first next in Summer 2018. We have been to Oahu before though. We love POG too It's really good mixed with vodka That radar plaque was cool. DH and I are electrical engineers. I used to be a member of IEEE. DH still is; DS and I steal his magazine We haven't been up to the Turtle Bay area, but it's really beautiful. Love the condo.

We did the PCC too and really liked it. We did the VIP thing, because I wanted good seats for the Ha show. It wasn't too expensive at the time, and you have a guide, that you shared with less than 10 people, that took you around to the various demonstrations and the boats and got you seats up front or let you cut in line. It was kind of like a cheaper not as cool version of a Disney VIP tour Luau was really good too. I just wish I could have gotten a tasty adult beverage I think we will try and go again, but I might skip the VIP thing and the Ha show. I won't skip the Luau though.

We skipped swimming in multiple places in Hawaii due to various scary sounding diseases. I figure I don't need to tempt fate that much and get sick on vacation. When we visited my in-laws in Chile, DH decided to eat some pate the night before we flew home. I was really worried he would vomit on the plane. I don't do well with vomit. Luckily, he held it together, and mostly got rid of everything at his parents before we flew out