...And Then Scotty Happened. A Hawaiian Adventure (CHAPTER 32 Added 5/23--THE END)

[lovetotraveltx]

I've really been enjoying the TR. Have noted the burger place.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Now I am drooling after my Lean Cuisine lunch.

Most meals don't compare to the Unholy Awesomeness of a pineapple bacon cheeseburger.

Always knew he was a smart boy.

Just don't ask if we actually ate the carrot sticks.

Sounds like Scotty.

That's my boy!

I would have paid $3.50! Seriously, breathtaking pictures.

And you wonder where Scotty gets it from!

You have to work at being this idiotic.

Good call by The Fun Police!

Man, you're a spoilsport too.

Great pictures!

I think that is the perfect Christmas card for your family.

Thanks! It does kind of fit, doesn't it?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Thank you!!!!

You're welcome!

Only 2 out of 5???? Your quacks must be quacks.

We couldn't even find actors to agree that eating anything you wanted was healthy. Tough crowd.

Wait a minute... free parking???? It didn't cost $50 just to park????

Well, if it takes $50 just to feed your family, they become lenient on the parking.

Wait a minute... so where's the chocolate?

The Pantheon By-Laws state that if bacon and cheese don't work, chocolate will. Since bacon and cheese work in this case, there was no need for chocolate.

Did he dump it out on the table and lick it up right before he said that, by chance???

Would that have made it more relatable?

Exactly!!! Who needs to see the natural beauty of Hawaii when you have Aulani right there?

It's more of a nagging feeling that we're paying the freight for Aulani, so we'd better get our money's worth! Hard to strike the right balance.

Good luck collecting. Maybe you can get a Key Lime Pie of Awesomeness as a reward for your efforts.

I like the way you think!

It is also the HQ for Five-0.

Of course it is. You want to stay subtle so the bad guys can't strike back.

Wow... only $3. And they pay a guy to enforce it? Are you still in Hawaii???

I WANT MY $3!

Just shut up and let the pictures do the talking.

Yes, sir.

Come on Julie!!! You know you want to see it yourself too.

Seriously. Talk about a party pooper.

And I'm sure Scotty would love it!

Exactly! We all saw how much he loved Big Thunder Mountain.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

i knew bacon was involved, a meal is not complete until bacon is in the picture.

i keep bacon bits in my desk drawer in case of emergencies

Nice! I don't think it was too much of a stretch to guess that bacon would be in there somewhere.

We've had dinner with a bunch of people this week and I've made THREE Key Lime Pies of Awesomeness in the past six days. The Captain is well taken care of.

But would they have been made if we weren't getting together with friends?

Thanks Kathy!!! Glad I'm not the only sane one on here.

Nobody likes the Fun Police, you know.

The whole slice of onion was AWESOME!!!!!!!

So did you like it?

And as Barry pointed out to us, he not only conquered and united all the islands, but he did so without wearing pants.

This sounds like a Most Interesting Man In The World commercial.

Definitely well worth the $3. Gorgeous view. Or was it breathtaking? Wait, No, I think it was stunning!

It's a great spot!

What a fun day. I enjoyed every step of your nickel tour. It was perfect. I'm still wondering what you would have done if you hadn't found that compact car parking lot.

We would have kept hunting! I thought it was worth the time just to get a little Hawaiian history and see downtown Honolulu.

Beautiful photos.

Thanks!

Oh I love logging in and seeing an update from you... You are hilarious!! keep it coming!

Thanks! I'll do my best.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That was mighty rude of us…
We’re sorry; we wont let it happen again.

Oh… your apologizing!
Well then I take that back.

Just reminding everyone to keep the bar low around here.

That’s considerate of you, but if you gonn’a offer up that kind of an apology…
Why not go all out. Here, let me give you a hand with that.

Always a classic.

You were just as Costco…
How did that get overlooked?

Well, we were only on the island for 2 full days before we had to board a plane again. We didn't think that was enough time to eat 8 gallons of peanut butter.

And 10 out of 10 DisDads will agree.

And that's all that is really important.

A good rating and complimentary parking… on Oahu…
Promising.

This blind squirrel may have found a nut!

Add garlic to the list and that’s what is referred to our house as:
“The Unholy Trinity”

My wife would agree. Actually, she would probably put onions on everything if I let her.

My official guess for this, if I remember correctly, was…


I do believe I smacked that one out of the park.

+1 Not that it was really all that hard to figure out.

Wise beyond his years…

Well, he is a boy. Vegetable avoidance comes naturally.

Sometimes you win.
And if it fit in the space… it’s a compact.

Works for me!

Very un-capitol like
But far more interesting then say…

Alaska’s

Wow, they went all out on the design for that one!

Dang fine story you told there Mark.

Some of my best work.

That’s the same price that is charged at the Castillo de San Marco and Fort Moultrie.
Obviously there is some type of conspiracy going on here.

It's probably where they staged the moon landing.

We now have an absolute standard for what constitutes:
“A three dollar view”

I like it! Let's keep the phrase for future trip reporting.

I think that “three dollar view” will surface from now on.
Or if it’s a more formal setting then go with the Latin counterpart:
“Tres Pupa Visum”

I intend to hijack that phrase in future writings
(giving you full credit of course).

You're pooping on what?

And you tried it of course?

I meant with a hat, not a young’en!
But then again…


How much does Scotty weigh?

Only one way to find out.

Oh… Alright.
We won’t throw Scotty over the edge.

Gheeeze… just because y’all are smarter then we are…




(but you know that sanity is overrated, right? … Just sayin’.)

Less fun. Stop with this "smarter" stuff. The phrase is "less fun".

THREE!!!

That's some good eats, right there.

And only Barry would have thought to look at it from that angle.

 

[afwdwfan]

We've had dinner with a bunch of people this week and I've made THREE Key Lime Pies of Awesomeness in the past six days. The Captain is well taken care of.

But they weren't made for him so it doesn't count.

And even if they were, he was forced to share.

Would that have made it more relatable?

No, but for some odd reason that's how I picture it happening with him.

It's more of a nagging feeling that we're paying the freight for Aulani, so we'd better get our money's worth! Hard to strike the right balance.

Exactly! Also why I feel the urge to be at the parks from rope drop to close.

But would they have been made if we weren't getting together with friends?

Exactly.

But then again, she's pregnant and you got them anyway. Or at least got a few bites of them, so I guess you're probably just going to have to take that as a small victory and move on.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

All caught up. Life beyond Disney??? But I do have to agree. I love that you guys are on a quest to visit all 50 states (that is you, right? ) 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?

Yes, that's us! The kids are just about halfway through the quest (Sarah has 25, the boys have 24). We'll have to get Cletus to pick them up as we go along. So I guess we'll just have to come back to Hawaii. Darn it all.

Your visit to Pearl Harbor looks and sounds amazing. Thanks for the tip on booking a guaranteed spot and happy to hear that you didn't encounter the horrible traffic that some others have seen. How special to meet a gentleman who was there as a child. I can't even imagine what that must have been like. How cool to get to talk to him about it.

One tip I forgot to mention: they don't allow any bags onto the boat or memorial. They do have storage lockers you can rent for $3. Or you can wear cargo shorts like I did. You can bring a camera without a bag.

Really great meeting an eyewitness there. We'll never forget that.

I visited Pearl Harbor many years ago as a teen but I'd love to go back as I think I'd get so much more out of it now.

Better start calling the airlines!

Love the McTour of Honolulu. You definitely earned major brownie points by circling the lot while the family got to take in the view of Diamond Head.

Did you hear that, honey? DID YOU HEAR THAT?! Major brownie points!

I am also always in search of a good burger or dive spot so that recommendation will be noted. I have not thought of creating my own personal pantheon of goodness... hmmm....

If you are looking for fancy gourmet places, I can't help you. But if you want burger joints and dives...you're in the right place.

Oh, and thanks for the news that not only do calories and cholesterol not count on vacation but their ill effects are actually negated and turned healthy by virtue of mere proximity of a vegetable. Rules to live by, for sure!

Loving your report. Thanks for sharing!!

It's a good thing the Fun Police haven't found the vacation rules yet.

Nice update Mark. I knew that a burger joint couldn't be much farther in this TR!

That was inevitable, wasn't it? Don't worry, there will be more to come.

So, how did you know that the attendant would chase you down for your $3?

Um...well, you see...

That little tiny machine is not easy to spot. It's kind of out-of-the-way.

Dot's interesting road information.

In the present day, the discovery of a mass grave would halt a road project in its tracks. In 1898? Not so much.

Your burger was cheaper than my burger

Good point!

Seriously though, how much does a burger cost in your hood? Cuz a good burger here...is in that range and fries are extra.

At a sit-down place, we generally would pay $9-$12 for a good burger (with fries included). We have a local burger joint similar to Kua 'Aina right across the street from my office, and I can get a good burger, fries and soda for around $8. And I don't have to pay for the cheese.

those look good! And Scotty is hilarious. Bacon makes everything better.

I had figured on paying around $50 to feed my family anyway, just guessing that Hawaii was expensive. And the burgers were terrific, so no complaints.

Ok, I could skip the nickel tour of downtown!

After all that work I did to find it?

but this was wonderful, I would love to take the boys there.

Hard to beat the views from up there. It's also cool to stand inside an ancient volcano.

Worth 3 bucks for sure!!!! but fail on the card photo...unless you use the one of you being blown over, that one is great! Poor Julie looks like her face is getting whipped by her hair.

If nothing else, she had a good sense of humor about it.

Great update, and I like the idea of the Pantheon.

I should probably add steak to the Pantheon. Steak makes everything better too.

Update to this story. Turns out it really was only 1 skull. The DOT worker would hit something with a shovel, pick it up, and say "oh, a skull" then toss it over his shoulder. Next day he would get back to the work site and the same thing happened.

It's either that or you have to fill out the environmental permits.

 

[marvali]

Here’s the menu, so you can start adjusting to Hawaii sticker shock. And no, those prices don’t include fries. Or cheese on your burger. We’ve been home now for over a month and my wallet is still in a sling, although it says rehab is going well.

Behold the Pineapple Bacon Cheeseburger (mine is on the right, Julie’s is on the left).

That actually does look pretty good!!! Might have to add some pineapple in the future.

I should note David’s observations: “This meal is healthy, because there’s a carrot stick next to it.” Well said, son.

Depends whether or not you actually eat said carrot stick, in which case the healthy factor diminishes since the carrot stick is no longer next to the meal.

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.

An old proverb about an acorn and the oak tree seems appropriate here.

Well, at least Julie and the kids did. There wasn’t any parking available, so I circled the lot while they enjoyed the view. I’m sure I earned many future rewards through my sacrifice that just haven’t been fully realized yet.

I expect those rewards to come your way sometime in the next few months for sure, as I see additional opportunities for midnight diaper changes in your future thanks to your sacrifice.

Nearby is a banyan tree. This is all one tree. The “trunks” you see are actually part of the tree’s root system. These make an awesome playground for kids.

Those are so cool!

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.

It is also the site of a memorial to Ellison Onizuka(sp?), the Hawaiian born astronaut who died in the Challenger disaster!

Several maps showed key battles in the Pacific. These were all intricate tile mosaics.

Nice! Although I'm sure they were, I don't remember those being there when I visisted.

Proof that we were actually there:

We who? I don't see you anywhere.

I really like the Bird of Paradise.

I was trying to decide if the best word to use to describe the view was “stunning” or “breathtaking”.

I'll go with stun-taking!!!

A word of warning: this overlook is known for being extremely windy.

One day when we get the chance to chat, remind me to tell you the story the tour bus driver told us about how windy it is there.

You got some really great pics of the Windward side of the island!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hmmmm I wonder how you found that out.

Um...well, you see, it was dark out, and um...squirrel!

Great information and I like a good burger joint.

The pictures makes me want to jump right in them- No not off the edge to see if I will fly back Such beautiful landscape and of course beautiful family too.

Thanks! We definitely took our time enjoying the view.

I did want to add regarding Kua Aina Burger, there is a relatively new one in Kapolei (near Target). If anyone wasn't wanting to go all the way into town just for a good burger.

Thanks! That's definitely good to know if you don't like paying the prices at Aulani.

Oh, and

Late to this party Mark... but I just had to say...



♫♫♫ I'm nerdy in the extreme... Whiter than Sour Cream ... I'm Just too White and Nerdy!!! ♫♫♫

Oh...and great job on the report... I've really enjoyed it.

Nate!

I've really been enjoying the TR. Have noted the burger place.

And now apparently there's one much closer to Aulani in Kapolei.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

But they weren't made for him so it doesn't count.

And even if they were, he was forced to share.

Precisely. Thanks for backing me up, Andy.

No, but for some odd reason that's how I picture it happening with him.

I gave up predicting Scotty's behavior a long time ago.

Exactly! Also why I feel the urge to be at the parks from rope drop to close.

I hear ya on that front.

Exactly.

But then again, she's pregnant and you got them anyway. Or at least got a few bites of them, so I guess you're probably just going to have to take that as a small victory and move on.

Story of my life.

That actually does look pretty good!!! Might have to add some pineapple in the future.

You won't regret it!

Depends whether or not you actually eat said carrot stick, in which case the healthy factor diminishes since the carrot stick is no longer next to the meal.

Exactly! Which is why we left those carrot sticks right where they were.

An old proverb about an acorn and the oak tree seems appropriate here.

I expect those rewards to come your way sometime in the next few months for sure, as I see additional opportunities for midnight diaper changes in your future thanks to your sacrifice.

Gee...thanks...if that's the reward, I'd hate to see the punishment.

Those are so cool!

It is also the site of a memorial to Ellison Onizuka(sp?), the Hawaiian born astronaut who died in the Challenger disaster!

That's one thing I didn't spot. Now I have to go back!

Nice! Although I'm sure they were, I don't remember those being there when I visisted.

Pretty sure they've been there, but I don't have photo documentation...

We who? I don't see you anywhere.

We chose the most attractive people for the photo.

I really like the Bird of Paradise.

I'll go with stun-taking!!!

Now there's one I didn't think of.

One day when we get the chance to chat, remind me to tell you the story the tour bus driver told us about how windy it is there.

Oooh, this sounds like a good one!

You got some really great pics of the Windward side of the island!

Thanks Marv!

 

[aboveH20]

Great update, and I like the idea of the Pantheon.

Update to this story. Turns out it really was only 1 skull. The DOT worker would hit something with a shovel, pick it up, and say "oh, a skull" then toss it over his shoulder. Next day he would get back to the work site and the same thing happened.

Ha! (My technologically challenged self is posting from my iPad. I really wanted to insert the little yellow guy howling with laughter and rolling on the floor, but I don't know how to retrieve smileys.) (Insert sad face, too.)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Ha! (My technologically challenged self is posting from my iPad. I really wanted to insert the little yellow guy howling with laughter and rolling on the floor, but I don't know how to retrieve smileys.) (Insert sad face, too.)

Don't encourage him! We love our faithful, hard-working, underpaid public servants around here.

 

[jmwest]

Enough with the history and spectacular views......bring on the hula girls!




Just kidding. Another excellent update. Keep them coming.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Enough with the history and spectacular views......bring on the hula girls!




Just kidding. Another excellent update. Keep them coming.

I tried, but Julie refused to wear the outfit.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

I tried, but Julie refused to wear the outfit.

... And Then Scotty Happened!

 

[middlepat]

Don't encourage him! We love our faithful, hard-working, underpaid public servants around here.

Ha Ha! You think I'll stop without encouragement. I've been known to beat a dead horse or 2 in my day.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

... And Then Scotty Happened!

Even Scotty's not that crazy!

Ha Ha! You think I'll stop without encouragement. I've been known to beat a dead horse or 2 in my day.

That horse has been beaten, stabbed, shot, dragged under a car, incinerated, and sent to sleep with the fishes. Of course, we all still laugh at the jokes.

And I hope you're happy. You messed up my top-of-the-page update. Ay caramba.

 

[middlepat]

That horse has been beaten, stabbed, shot, dragged under a car, incinerated, and sent to sleep with the fishes. Of course, we all still laugh at the jokes.

And I hope you're happy. You messed up my top-of-the-page update. Ay caramba.

Winning!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

At this point, we’d seen the site of an historic military attack. We’d talked to an eyewitness and pondered a memorial. We’d talked about the ancient Hawaiians and seen breathtaking scenery. So really, the only obvious move left was to go play computer games.

We got back to Aulani mid-afternoon, and the kids really REALLY really really really really wanted to try out the Menehune Trail game. Really. So, we headed on over to the Pau Hana room to sign up for the game. An adult has to be present so they can track which phone/game device is given to which room. Then you can hand the little phone over to your accident-prone 7-year-old, secure in the knowledge that if anything happens to it you’ll be out $200 to replace it. Oh, and just so you know, most of the trail runs around the pool area.

They have 5 different “trails” you can do, and you can keep the phone throughout the day and do as many of them as you want until the Pau Hana room closes, and I can’t remember exactly what time that is. One trail goes through the lobby area, and the other 4 are in the Waikolohe Valley. Our kids decided to do the one in the lobby first.

If you’ve ever tried the Agent P spy missions at Epcot (or their previous incarnation, the Kim Possible missions), then you know what to expect. This is exactly the same, only instead of receiving spy missions you’re listening to “Aunty” as she relates different pieces of Hawaiian information. She receives calls from different island residents who need her help and it’s your job to find whatever it is she tells you to find. In reality, it’s all just a scavenger hunt to find whatever hidden tricks and surprises the Imagineers planted throughout the resort.

I’ll put a SPOILER warning here for the next several pictures so you can skip them and go in cold if you’d prefer not to know any of the secrets.

One of the stations involved this little guy:

Here you can see the phone the kids are using. Hold that in both hands, Scotty! Sheesh.

Another clue asked us to find the lamp with a gecko in it.

We were afraid it would try to sell us car insurance when we hit the button, but those fears were unfounded.

END SPOILERS (part 1)

Other hidden tricks involved fiber optics and paintings that came to life. All in all, it was really well done and we were again amazed at the subtlety used in disguising the features in the hotel. You wouldn’t know many of them were part of the game unless you were playing it. It struck us that Aulani really was the most state-of-the-art of Disney resorts. The Imagineers have taken every trick they’ve learned through the years and applied it here to increase your enjoyment.

After finishing the lobby trail, we took a break for a character meet. If you’ve read my previous TR’s, you know that Scotty is a huge fan of Chip & Dale. He really grew to love them on our Disney Cruise back in 2009 and got a stuffed Chip & Dale from the gift shop with their nautical outfits. Then he got excited at WDW in 2010 when he got the chance to meet “Naked Chip & Dale” in the parks.

Here, he got the chance to meet Hawaiian Chip & Dale. There was a short line to meet them and by the time the family in front of us finished their pictures, Scotty was already in Full Hug Mode.

As I mentioned before, the presence of character meets is one of the few overt Disney features of the resort. It’s very low-key and feels like a bonus add-on to your Hawaiian vacation, rather than Disney trying to force itself onto you.

The kids decided to try one of the pool area missions, so we hung around with them and enjoyed the scenery. Looks like we weren’t the only ones hanging around.

Here’s another SPOILER. Anytime you can press a button and set off pyrotechnics, that’s a win.

END SPOILER

The kids finished off that mission which may or may not have involved a secret room inside the volcano and then announced they were hungry and ready for a break. They enjoyed the game, but weren’t going nuts over it like they did with the Agent P missions, so we figured that was enough. Oddly enough, they’d have a different reaction later on, and I think I know why. Stay tuned for that one.

Anyway, we managed to turn in the phone unharmed, and my credit card breathed an audible sigh of relief. They also told us we could come back to play some more, and by giving them our room number, we'd be able to pick up right where we left off.

I went to scout out dinner possibilities while the kids and Julie went to listen to the storyteller by the fire pit. Aulani has lots of different programs and classes they run throughout the day, such as hula or ukulele lessons, Hawaiian art tours, or even surfing lessons. We didn’t take advantage of many of them because we wanted to see the rest of Oahu, but many of them looked like fun. I guess we’ll just have to come back.

The storyteller is “Uncle”, who may possibly be related to “Aunty”. He relates Hawaiian folk tales about the menehune. I only caught the tail end of it, but Uncle seemed to be doing a great job, getting audience participation and a few laughs and generally involving the group in the story. He also did a cool trick with his hat to put the fire out at the end of his story. The kids and Julie really seemed to enjoy it, and judging from their reactions I’d say it’s worth the 15 minutes or so of your time to listen in.

We found another friend along the way. You’re welcome, Kathy.

We decided to grab a quick dinner at One Paddle Two Paddle, which is one of the counter-service places at Aulani. They serve burgers, sandwiches and chicken fingers, etc. You order at the window and then they give you your meal in a cardboard take-out box. If you’ve ever had a standard Disney counter-service meal, then you know what to expect here. It’s no better, no worse. For some reason, Dave really wanted us to take a picture of his (sigh) PB&J sandwich.

They don’t have any seating area next to the counter, so you have to find your own. We scrounged around as best we could and tried to find a clear area. Really, any old spot would do.

Well, what do you know? It was time for sunset.

We just sat back in the cool trade winds and watched the sky. It’s a large canvas, and no one has yet surpassed this particular artist’s handiwork.

We tried a few shots of Aulani lit up at night, but without the tripod they were a little blurry. Still, you can see that the place doesn’t lose any magic after dark.

Julie had the kids dip their toes into the lagoon for some silhouettes.

If you look at that picture in a glance, you might think it would make a great Christmas card or computer background photo. If you look more closely, you might see three children in adolescence, pausing for a moment of reflective calm. And if you look even more closely, you might even be able to see Scotty still holding his take-out box.

Coming Up Next: Hiking on another ancient volcano…if we can find it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Winning!

I always wondered who your role model was.