Captain_Oblivious
DIS Dad #257, Galactic Salad Dodger
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
- Messages
- 13,440
It appears I need to apologize to you, my faithful readers. The previous chapter dealt with some more serious subject matter, and some of you responded by mentioning things like respect, decorum, being moved, etc. This led me to believe that we may have actually discussed something of meaning and value, which of course has little business in an Oblivious Family© TR. So I apologize for treading on meaningful waters, and we now return to our usual standards. As a token of my sorrow, please accept this gratuitous fart joke.
Ahhh Things feel more normal around here already.
It was time to eat. Long-time readers know that when its time for us to eat, that usually means one of two things: we either packed PB&J sandwiches in a desperate attempt to save money, or we searched out a dive/burger joint. We didnt have any PB&J with us on Oahu, so we drove into the city on our quest for a good burger (remember, 2 out of 5 people impersonating doctors will tell you that cholesterol and calories dont count on vacation).
I usually depend on the greasy spoon Bible that is Road Food to find some local inexpensive gems, but they were very limited on Hawaii info. So I relied more on reviews at TripAdvisor.com and Yelp.com, as well as my trusty guidebook. They recommended the Kua Aina Sandwich Shop in Honolulu. The guidebook in particular gave this one a rating of Ono (which in Hawaiian means delicious, and not Oh No!).
This burger joint is located in the Ward Center on Ala Moana Blvd. and a free parking area for the shopping center was conveniently located right across the street.
Heres the menu, so you can start adjusting to Hawaii sticker shock. And no, those prices dont include fries. Or cheese on your burger. Weve been home now for over a month and my wallet is still in a sling, although it says rehab is going well.
It would have been pricy no matter where we went. We just wanted good food.
In our family, there is a Pantheon of Foods That Make Everything Better. When we initially discussed the Pantheon, we included the obvious choices: bacon and cheese. Then we decided that these two did not necessarily make desserts better (although there are exceptions), so we added chocolate to the list. We figured that with any food, adding one or more items from the Pantheon would improve it. And recently, we added pineapple to the list. Mostly because were suckers for pineapple, and will put it on just about anything.
Being in Hawaii, we felt it was only natural to test the pineapples worthiness of inclusion in the Pantheon. Julie ordered pineapple and onion on her burger. They didnt skimp on ingredients (at those prices, theyd better not) and gave her 2 pineapple rings and an entire onion slice (not just a ring, but a whole slice), both with eye-catching grill marks. Meanwhile, I went all out for Pantheon Food Heaven.
Behold the Pineapple Bacon Cheeseburger (mine is on the right, Julies is on the left).
I should note Davids observations: This meal is healthy, because theres a carrot stick next to it. Well said, son.
The verdict? Thousands upon thousands of taste buds singing the Hallelujah Chorus. The Pantheon worked to perfection. In fact, staring at that picture is making my ham sandwich look fairly craptacular today.
We raved about how good the pineapple tasted on the burger. Julie and I went back and forth tossing out compliments about the food
and then Scotty happened.
Mmmm this salt and pepper is SO tasty, he said.
After lunch, we debated driving to Waikiki Beach just to say wed been there. But wed read a lot of reports that traffic was bad, and the beach tended to get overcrowded (if you could find parking). Plus, we had some other sights we wanted to see and still wanted to get back and enjoy Aulani some more. So we decided not to head to the beach. But I still wanted the family to see the famous view of the shoreline with Diamond Head behind it, so we turned down a small street leading to a boat dock next to the Ala Moana Beach Park. We were able to hop out and just enjoy the view for a few minutes.
Well, at least Julie and the kids did. There wasnt any parking available, so I circled the lot while they enjoyed the view. Im sure I earned many future rewards through my sacrifice that just havent been fully realized yet.
Continuing on our McTour of Honolulu, we headed downtown near the state government buildings and somehow lucked into an empty metered parking space in a garage. Sure, the spot was labeled Compact Only, but next to a minivan or a Humvee, a Chevy Impala is compact, right? Good enough for us. We fed the meter for 25 minutes of time ($57 or so) and set out on foot.
The park was framed by monkeypod trees.
Our first stop on our brief walking tour was the Hawaii State Capitol. This building has housed the Hawaiian government since 1969.
Next door is Iolani Palace, which served as the home of Hawaiian monarchy until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. Its the only royal palace in the United States.
We could have taken a tour of the palace, but admission for 5 of us would have been around $60, so we chose to save the money. Also, I enjoy house tours just as much as the next guy, which is to say not at all.
Nearby is a banyan tree. This is all one tree. The trunks you see are actually part of the trees root system. These make an awesome playground for kids.
And finally, just across the street from the palace is Aliiolani Hale, which houses the Hawaiian Supreme Court. The statue of King Kamehameha I out front is a Hawaiian landmark. Kamehameha was the first man to conquer and rule all of the Hawaiian islands as one territory.
The grounds around these buildings were very well kept, with hibiscus blooming all around.
This concluded our 25-minute walking tour of downtown Honolulu. When we got back to the garage, the meter had run out. We didnt have a ticket on the windshield, so we quickly climbed into our compact Impala and made a clean getaway.
The next stop was the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl Crater. This is basically the Arlington Cemetery for the Pacfic theater, and is the final resting place for many soldiers who fought in conflicts ranging from World War I up through Vietnam. The cemetery is entirely located within a dead volcanic crater and features a memorial to the soldiers. Theres also an overlook at the top of the crater that affords terrific panoramic views of Honolulu. Theres not much more I can say here that I didnt say in the Pearl Harbor chapter, so Ill just let the pictures tell the story.
Entrance gates
Memorial at the top of the hill
Several maps showed key battles in the Pacific. These were all intricate tile mosaics.
Proof that we were actually there:
Continued next page
Ahhh Things feel more normal around here already.
It was time to eat. Long-time readers know that when its time for us to eat, that usually means one of two things: we either packed PB&J sandwiches in a desperate attempt to save money, or we searched out a dive/burger joint. We didnt have any PB&J with us on Oahu, so we drove into the city on our quest for a good burger (remember, 2 out of 5 people impersonating doctors will tell you that cholesterol and calories dont count on vacation).
I usually depend on the greasy spoon Bible that is Road Food to find some local inexpensive gems, but they were very limited on Hawaii info. So I relied more on reviews at TripAdvisor.com and Yelp.com, as well as my trusty guidebook. They recommended the Kua Aina Sandwich Shop in Honolulu. The guidebook in particular gave this one a rating of Ono (which in Hawaiian means delicious, and not Oh No!).
This burger joint is located in the Ward Center on Ala Moana Blvd. and a free parking area for the shopping center was conveniently located right across the street.
Heres the menu, so you can start adjusting to Hawaii sticker shock. And no, those prices dont include fries. Or cheese on your burger. Weve been home now for over a month and my wallet is still in a sling, although it says rehab is going well.
It would have been pricy no matter where we went. We just wanted good food.
In our family, there is a Pantheon of Foods That Make Everything Better. When we initially discussed the Pantheon, we included the obvious choices: bacon and cheese. Then we decided that these two did not necessarily make desserts better (although there are exceptions), so we added chocolate to the list. We figured that with any food, adding one or more items from the Pantheon would improve it. And recently, we added pineapple to the list. Mostly because were suckers for pineapple, and will put it on just about anything.
Being in Hawaii, we felt it was only natural to test the pineapples worthiness of inclusion in the Pantheon. Julie ordered pineapple and onion on her burger. They didnt skimp on ingredients (at those prices, theyd better not) and gave her 2 pineapple rings and an entire onion slice (not just a ring, but a whole slice), both with eye-catching grill marks. Meanwhile, I went all out for Pantheon Food Heaven.
Behold the Pineapple Bacon Cheeseburger (mine is on the right, Julies is on the left).
I should note Davids observations: This meal is healthy, because theres a carrot stick next to it. Well said, son.
The verdict? Thousands upon thousands of taste buds singing the Hallelujah Chorus. The Pantheon worked to perfection. In fact, staring at that picture is making my ham sandwich look fairly craptacular today.
We raved about how good the pineapple tasted on the burger. Julie and I went back and forth tossing out compliments about the food
and then Scotty happened.
Mmmm this salt and pepper is SO tasty, he said.
After lunch, we debated driving to Waikiki Beach just to say wed been there. But wed read a lot of reports that traffic was bad, and the beach tended to get overcrowded (if you could find parking). Plus, we had some other sights we wanted to see and still wanted to get back and enjoy Aulani some more. So we decided not to head to the beach. But I still wanted the family to see the famous view of the shoreline with Diamond Head behind it, so we turned down a small street leading to a boat dock next to the Ala Moana Beach Park. We were able to hop out and just enjoy the view for a few minutes.
Well, at least Julie and the kids did. There wasnt any parking available, so I circled the lot while they enjoyed the view. Im sure I earned many future rewards through my sacrifice that just havent been fully realized yet.
Continuing on our McTour of Honolulu, we headed downtown near the state government buildings and somehow lucked into an empty metered parking space in a garage. Sure, the spot was labeled Compact Only, but next to a minivan or a Humvee, a Chevy Impala is compact, right? Good enough for us. We fed the meter for 25 minutes of time ($57 or so) and set out on foot.
The park was framed by monkeypod trees.
Our first stop on our brief walking tour was the Hawaii State Capitol. This building has housed the Hawaiian government since 1969.
Next door is Iolani Palace, which served as the home of Hawaiian monarchy until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. Its the only royal palace in the United States.
We could have taken a tour of the palace, but admission for 5 of us would have been around $60, so we chose to save the money. Also, I enjoy house tours just as much as the next guy, which is to say not at all.
Nearby is a banyan tree. This is all one tree. The trunks you see are actually part of the trees root system. These make an awesome playground for kids.
And finally, just across the street from the palace is Aliiolani Hale, which houses the Hawaiian Supreme Court. The statue of King Kamehameha I out front is a Hawaiian landmark. Kamehameha was the first man to conquer and rule all of the Hawaiian islands as one territory.
The grounds around these buildings were very well kept, with hibiscus blooming all around.
This concluded our 25-minute walking tour of downtown Honolulu. When we got back to the garage, the meter had run out. We didnt have a ticket on the windshield, so we quickly climbed into our compact Impala and made a clean getaway.
The next stop was the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl Crater. This is basically the Arlington Cemetery for the Pacfic theater, and is the final resting place for many soldiers who fought in conflicts ranging from World War I up through Vietnam. The cemetery is entirely located within a dead volcanic crater and features a memorial to the soldiers. Theres also an overlook at the top of the crater that affords terrific panoramic views of Honolulu. Theres not much more I can say here that I didnt say in the Pearl Harbor chapter, so Ill just let the pictures tell the story.
Entrance gates
Memorial at the top of the hill
Several maps showed key battles in the Pacific. These were all intricate tile mosaics.
Proof that we were actually there:
Continued next page
keep it coming!
) and know you and the kids are going to have some amazing memories. Does the quest start over for Cletus or will you tell him/her that he/she's already been to Hawaii? 
I wonder how you found that out. 
