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

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sure, we just hiked a mile in each direction uphill both ways, but there’s no time for rest! We have to see the rest of the island and still get back in time to enjoy our last night at Aulani! Let’s get a move on, people!

Let’s pause for a moment here while you picture my pregnant wife giving me “The Look”.

Ok, now can we go?

We piled into the rental car and headed east toward the coast. We passed another mountain called Koko Head as we drove. I only bring this up because “Koko Head” was quickly adopted for this trip as a, um, term of endearment. As in, “Hey Koko Head, stop taking flash pictures when I’m driving through tunnels!”

Our first stop was the Halona Blowhole. This is a spot where waves have eroded a tunnel through the lava rock on the coast, and as a result forms a spout that shoots water up high into the air when conditions are right. The waves weren’t too rough when we were there, but we were still able to see how it worked. Here’s the site at rest. Keep your eye on the spot just down and right of center.

So yeah, not too active today. But not bad for a 5-minute stop.

Back in the car! Just another few minutes down the road, we turned the corner to start heading north along the east coast of the island. But right at the corner is Makapu’u (“bulging eye”) State Wayside, with a nice scenic overlook. And no, I don’t know why the Hawaiians called this place “bulging eye”, and I’m not really sure I want to find out.

From the overlook, you can see Manana Island, which is more commonly referred to as Rabbit Island. This is because a) its shape resembles a rabbit’s head with the ears down, and b) a rancher introduced rabbits to Hawaii and raised them on this island. Because, hey, what the heck? This business plan worked so well it was no doubt the inspiration for all of the highly successful multi-million dollar rabbit farms across the U.S.

Anyway, the view was great. I just wish the blues in the ocean had turned out. Sometimes the pictures just don’t do the colors justice.

The rugged mountains all along the coastline just make for one gorgeous view after another. In many places, the road runs right along the edge of the coast, literally just a couple of feet from the ocean.

After this stop, we had a bit of a drive to get past the coastal town of Kailua and the military base at Kaneohe. That base includes a stretch of beach known as Bellows Beach, which I remember from my youth as being a particularly sweet bodyboarding beach. It’s also where my brother found a blue string on his board that actually turned out to be a Portuguese Man-o’-War tentacle, but that’s a different story.

We were headed to the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery and multicultural religious center, in order to see the Byodo-In Temple. It’s a replica of a Buddhist temple in Japan, which we don’t get to see every day and thought it would be worthwhile to check out. If you ever watched LOST, you might have seen this temple standing in for some of the scenes set in South Korea.

The entrance took us through a “tunnel” of palm trees. The Ko’olau range made for a sweet backdrop.

We’d read that it would cost us $15 to park and tour the temple, but they only charged us $9. I did not dispute this at the ticket window. We parked the car, walked across a footbridge, and found this:

As you might expect, I felt this was a great opportunity to teach our kids an appreciation for other cultures, including both their art and beliefs. And in that same vein, I also took the opportunity to point out the Vomiting Frog statue:

Don’t worry, I promise we behaved inside the temple itself. We had to remove our shoes to walk inside the temple and see the shrine to Buddha there.

There were a couple of small pagodas and gardens nearby. There was also a giant Sacred Bell you could ring. According to the official website (and stuff written on the internet is never, ever wrong), ringing the bell spreads the eternal teachings of Buddha, purifies the mind, and brings you happiness, blessings, and a long life. And if that’s the case, we’re going to live basically forever in eternal bliss, because when you give kids the chance to ring a giant bell, it’s not going to be rung only once. Buddha himself probably was getting ready to forsake his teachings on peace as my kids obnoxiously tried to ring it as many times as possible. We tried to cut them off before we turned the temple into the new site of The Gong Show.

Despite my family’s best attempts to ruin it, the temple is a beautiful work of art in a stunning setting, and we felt it was definitely worth the stop.

It was getting on 10:00 a.m. or so and we were getting hungry, having had such an early breakfast and then immediately used a lot of energy on our hike. So we decided to get a snack. Continuing the theme of cultural exploration and education, we drove right across the street to a landmark culinary institution. We were in search of a gourmet delicacy that once was common, but had become increasingly rare and was now in danger of disappearing from the globe altogether, resigned to be just a shadowy memory of better, simpler times. We were looking for the Holy Grail of snack items…

No, wait—that’s the Dole Whip. That comes later. We were in search of the Ark of the Covenant of snack items…

The deep-fried apple pie. For years, of course, McDonald’s always deep-fried their apple pies. Depending on your point-of-view, this could be another example of an evil corporation foisting terrible unhealthy snacks on an unsuspecting public. Or you might scratch your head wondering who would ever step inside a McDonald’s expecting to eat something healthy in the first place. In any case, McDonald’s eventually switched all of its pies in the U.S. to a slightly-less-unhealthy baked version.

Except in Hawaii. God bless them, Hawaii still deep-fries the pies. The result is a crispy, flaky crust of yumminess just like Momma used to make. If Momma ever worked the deep fryer at the Golden Arches, anyway.

Bellies and taste buds satisfied, we continued our drive north and enjoyed the beauty of the coast. We saw Mokoli’i Island, better known as Chinaman’s Hat. We also sadly drove past Uncle Bobo’s BBQ joint. I had wanted to eat lunch here because I’m a sucker for a) BBQ, and b) places with goofy names like Uncle Bobo’s, but it was 10:30 a.m. and they weren’t open yet. We decided not to stick around and forged onward, figuring we’d do lunch somewhere on the North Shore.

We rounded the bend at the north side of the island and began to head back west. We had one destination in mind here: Turtle Beach. This is supposed to be a great spot to see green sea turtles in the wild. It’s a popular spot, though, and parking is limited on the road, so we weren’t sure how successful we’d be. We drove along looking for a beach with dirt parking on the mountain side of the road. We finally found one that met the description, and sure enough, there were only a couple of makeshift parking spaces to be had. We squeezed in as best we could and crossed the road to the beach.

Even though the parking area was crowded, there was hardly anyone on the beach. A couple of heavily-tattooed surfers tried to sell us on surfing lessons, but we pointed out that we didn’t have bathing suits. They continued trying, undeterred, so we politely refused and kept walking. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any turtles out sunning themselves on the beach. It looked like it was going to be a bust…but then we spotted a dark shape in the water.

Sarah was thrilled—she said one of the things she most wanted to see was a turtle in the wild. Mission accomplished!

As we left and continued driving west, we discovered we were actually one beach east of the real Turtle Beach. If we looked to our right as we drove, we could see several turtles in the water or on the sand. And if we looked to our left, we could see a packed-to-the-gills parking area and a traffic jam eastbound heading back to the town of Hale’iwa. We had somehow found parking, avoided the crowds, and were heading in the opposite direction of all the traffic. Not too shabby.

We debated having lunch in Hale’iwa, but given the crowds we were seeing, we decided against it. Julie and I thought about our options and then remembered the happy hour deals at Monkeypod back near Aulani started at 3:30 p.m. So why not continue snacking and eat an early dinner? We gave the kids a choice between Matsumoto Shave Ice in town or Dole Whips at the tourist trap known as the Dole Plantation, and they chose…

We weren’t unhappy. It’s not like you can get Dole Whips all the time in Delaware. We’d have more opportunities to try shave ice later. Anyway, we’re pretty sure giving our kids deep-fried apple pies and Dole Whips for lunch should secure our Parents of the Year award.

We skipped all the touristy stuff—the maze, the train ride, etc. and headed straight for the snack bar. Along the way we saw some pineapple plants. Check out the leaves on these, and then ask yourself—who was the first person who waded into a field of these and thought, “Wow! I should grab that fruit, I bet it’s really tasty!”

Our menu options:

We chose not to dress things up and just got straight-up Dole Whips. Except for Julie, who prefers the float.

I’d heard reports from other TR’s that they didn’t taste as good here as they do in Disney World, but we didn’t have any complaints. When you go months or years between Dole Whips, they all taste good to us.

Coming Up Next: When is live music not really live music? And squeezing every last drop of fun out of Aulani before they kick us out.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

turtles are awesome to see in the wild, did you do any snorkling? we saw a bunch on our snorkling trip.


and i could go for a dole whip either disney version or those right about now.

 

[eandesmom]

Sure, we just hiked a mile in each direction uphill both ways

Now how do you figure it was uphill both ways?

We piled into the rental car and headed east toward the coast. We passed another mountain called Koko Head as we drove. I only bring this up because “Koko Head” was quickly adopted for this trip as a, um, term of endearment. As in, “Hey Koko Head, stop taking flash pictures when I’m driving through tunnels!”

You'll get to see more of Koko Head in my report, though oddly enough it did not become a term of endearment.

We were headed to the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery and multicultural religious center, in order to see the Byodo-In Temple. It’s a replica of a Buddhist temple in Japan, which we don’t get to see every day and thought it would be worthwhile to check out. If you ever watched LOST, you might have seen this temple standing in for some of the scenes set in South Korea.

As you might expect, I felt this was a great opportunity to teach our kids an appreciation for other cultures, including both their art and beliefs. And in that same vein, I also took the opportunity to point out the Vomiting Frog statue:

There were a couple of small pagodas and gardens nearby. There was also a giant Sacred Bell you could ring. According to the official website (and stuff written on the internet is never, ever wrong), ringing the bell spreads the eternal teachings of Buddha, purifies the mind, and brings you happiness, blessings, and a long life. And if that’s the case, we’re going to live basically forever in eternal bliss, because when you give kids the chance to ring a giant bell, it’s not going to be rung only once. Buddha himself probably was getting ready to forsake his teachings on peace as my kids obnoxiously tried to ring it as many times as possible. We tried to cut them off before we turned the temple into the new site of The Gong Show.

Need to make note of this when we go back with the kids, very cool!

No, wait—that’s the Dole Whip. That comes later. We were in search of the Ark of the Covenant of snack items…

The deep-fried apple pie. For years, of course, McDonald’s always deep-fried their apple pies. Depending on your point-of-view, this could be another example of an evil corporation foisting terrible unhealthy snacks on an unsuspecting public.

Except in Hawaii. God bless them, Hawaii still deep-fries the pies. The result is a crispy, flaky crust of yumminess just like Momma used to make. If Momma ever worked the deep fryer at the Golden Arches, anyway.

Honestly it is a VERY good thing I didn't know this. I'd have been all over it, burnt tounge from the hot apple gooeyness and all. Seriously though, I've never seen so many McDonalds!

Sarah was thrilled—she said one of the things she most wanted to see was a turtle in the wild. Mission accomplished!

As we left and continued driving west, we discovered we were actually one beach east of the real Turtle Beach. If we looked to our right as we drove, we could see several turtles in the water or on the sand. And if we looked to our left, we could see a packed-to-the-gills parking area and a traffic jam eastbound heading back to the town of Hale’iwa. We had somehow found parking, avoided the crowds, and were heading in the opposite direction of all the traffic. Not too shabby.

It was really only bad on that stretch and right in the main beach park area, rest wasn't a big deal. But that stretch was nasty.

We debated having lunch in Hale’iwa, but given the crowds we were seeing, we decided against it. Julie and I thought about our options and then remembered the happy hour deals at Monkeypod back near Aulani started at 3:30 p.m. So why not continue snacking and eat an early dinner? We gave the kids a choice between Matsumoto Shave Ice in town or Dole Whips at the tourist trap known as the Dole Plantation, and they chose…


We weren't unhappy. It’s not like you can get Dole Whips all the time in Delaware. We’d have more opportunities to try shave ice later. Anyway, we’re pretty sure giving our kids deep-fried apple pies and Dole Whips for lunch should secure our Parents of the Year award.

Definitely parents of the year! Pull that off until they start eating like true vultures. Enjoy it while you can!!!

 

[Poolrat]

We were headed to the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery and multicultural religious center, in order to see the Byodo-In Temple. It’s a replica of a Buddhist temple in Japan, which we don’t get to see every day and thought it would be worthwhile to check out. If you ever watched LOST, you might have seen this temple standing in for some of the scenes set in South Korea.

Cool- Looks like a wonderful place.

The entrance took us through a “tunnel” of palm trees. The Ko’olau range made for a sweet backdrop.

So pretty.

The deep-fried apple pie. For years, of course, McDonald’s always deep-fried their apple pies. Depending on your point-of-view, this could be another example of an evil corporation foisting terrible unhealthy snacks on an unsuspecting public. Or you might scratch your head wondering who would ever step inside a McDonald’s expecting to eat something healthy in the first place. In any case, McDonald’s eventually switched all of its pies in the U.S. to a slightly-less-unhealthy baked version.

Except in Hawaii. God bless them, Hawaii still deep-fries the pies. The result is a crispy, flaky crust of yumminess just like Momma used to make. If Momma ever worked the deep fryer at the Golden Arches, anyway.

I Loved the fried apple pies. Has it been so long that I had no idea they don't fry them anymore??? Now I really have to go to Hawaii.... that right there just tipped the scales..

Our menu options:

We chose not to dress things up and just got straight-up Dole Whips. Except for Julie, who prefers the float.

DROOL. That is a darn happy clan right there. Apple pie goodness and Dole whip in Paradise, does it get any better?

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Sure, we just hiked a mile in each direction uphill both ways,

“With 50-lb. bags...”

And important additional detail if I remember correctly

Let’s pause for a moment here while you picture my pregnant wife giving me “The Look”.

This time I’m pretty sure I know exactly which of the “looks” we talking about here…
No need to elaborate.

I only bring this up because “Koko Head” was quickly adopted for this trip as a, um, term of endearment.

So now the correct phrase to be used against you should be:
“Wouldn’t you rather take the Express Way, Koko Head?”

But right at the corner is Makapu’u (“bulging eye”) State Wayside, with a nice scenic overlook. And no, I don’t know why the Hawaiians called this place “bulging eye”, and I’m not really sure I want to find out.

I could take a SWAG at it, but no good will come of it I assure you.

a rancher introduced rabbits to Hawaii and raised them on this island. Because, hey, what the heck? This business plan worked so well it was no doubt the inspiration for all of the highly successful multi-million dollar rabbit farms across the U.S.

An other example of a Koko Head…

Anyway, the view was great. I just wish the blues in the ocean had turned out. Sometimes the pictures just don’t do the colors justice.

I had that problem with every picture I took of deep water during our various cruses.

The stunning sapphire that I could see never translated to anything even close
once the shutter was snapped. You really have to see it for yourself, because
I’ve yet to see an image that ever did it justice.

All the more reason to travel.



Speaking of images… I like this next one myself (good story there)…

It’s also where my brother found a blue string on his board that actually turned out to be a Portuguese Man-o’-War tentacle, but that’s a different story.

Sounds like another mighty interesting story.

We were headed to the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery and multicultural religious center, in order to see the Byodo-In Temple.

Have never heard of this spot. Stunning!


Yah like you haven’t shown us a picture yet that wasn’t stunning
in one way or another…

As you might expect, I felt this was a great opportunity to teach our kids an appreciation for other cultures, including both their art and beliefs. And in that same vein, I also took the opportunity to point out the Vomiting Frog statue:

Good thing the fountain wasn’t set up in a slightly different configuration…

According to the official website (and stuff written on the internet is never, ever wrong)…

Oh nooooo… never.

ringing the bell spreads the eternal teachings of Buddha, purifies the mind, and brings you happiness, blessings, and a long life. And if that’s the case, we’re going to live basically forever in eternal bliss, because when you give kids the chance to ring a giant bell, it’s not going to be rung only once.

Similar to the time when you gave your kids hammers…

The deep-fried apple pie. For years, of course, McDonald’s always deep-fried their apple pies. Depending on your point-of-view, this could be another example of an evil corporation foisting terrible unhealthy snacks on an unsuspecting public. Or you might scratch your head wondering who would ever step inside a McDonald’s expecting to eat something healthy in the first place. In any case, McDonald’s eventually switched all of its pies in the U.S. to a slightly-less-unhealthy baked version.

Interesting… something else I did not know.
Is this a tid-bit that you discovered accidentally of one that you learned about
while researching the trip?

We also sadly drove past Uncle Bobo’s BBQ joint. I had wanted to eat lunch here because I’m a sucker for a) BBQ, and b) places with goofy names like Uncle Bobo’s, but it was 10:30 a.m. and they weren’t open yet.

That is a sad story…

Even though the parking area was crowded, there was hardly anyone on the beach. A couple of heavily-tattooed surfers tried to sell us on surfing lessons, but we pointed out that we didn’t have bathing suits. They continued trying, undeterred…

Similar to the “tour guides” throughout the Caribbean…

Sarah was thrilled—she said one of the things she most wanted to see was a turtle in the wild. Mission accomplished!

Ya’ done good.

We had somehow found parking, avoided the crowds, and were heading in the opposite direction of all the traffic. Not too shabby.

Ya’ done real good.

Anyway, we’re pretty sure giving our kids deep-fried apple pies and Dole Whips for lunch should secure our Parents of the Year award.

Naaa… those last two “done goods” pretty much negate this one.
Besides, there are no calories (or saturated fat) in any food eaten during a vacation.

Check out the leaves on these, and then ask yourself—who was the first person who waded into a field of these and thought, “Wow! I should grab that fruit, I bet it’s really tasty!”

Either some one that was mightily hungry, or someone that figured:
“Hay, anything that heavily protected has gott’a be worth a few cuts and bruises”


And they was right too!

Coming Up Next: When is live music not really live music?

When it’s a celebrity on a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

And squeezing every last drop of fun out of Aulani before they kick us out.

Good plan!

 

[MEK]

Well, I just learned something new about McDonald's apple pies. They deep fry them? But only in Hawaii? That must be the state fair version.

The scenery pictures are stunning. I think the pictures have beautiful color. I love the temple. That's beautiful too.

Yup - I would pick Dole Whip over shaved ice any old day. Fried apple pie and dole whips. Lunch of champions. Hmmmm....wait....maybe not.

I can see you really did your research before leaving on this trip. If I ever go to hawaii I am duplicating your itinerary!

 

[chattadisser]

You’re a slave driver to your poor wife…hikes, stair climbing…I’m not sure she signed up for all that!

The pictures are beautiful and, as beautiful as they are, I’m sure they do not do justice to the real thing.

The Valley of the Temples is beautiful. Yea for not disputing the charge..sometimes things just work in your favor. Yea too for the kids ringing the bell and providing eternal bliss…who can resist ringing a bell??

How cool are is turtle beach! I’m surprised that they hang out there if there are people in the water.

Ahh…the holy grail…the Dole Whip! The kids are purists, straight up Dole Whips. I bet the line was shorter than Aloha Isle too!

Christine

 

[marvali]

We piled into the rental car and headed east toward the coast. We passed another mountain called Koko Head as we drove. I only bring this up because “Koko Head” was quickly adopted for this trip as a, um, term of endearment. As in, “Hey Koko Head, stop taking flash pictures when I’m driving through tunnels!”

I need to remember Koko Head. Sounds like a great new term of endearment for all types of situations!!!

Our first stop was the Halona Blowhole. This is a spot where waves have eroded a tunnel through the lava rock on the coast, and as a result forms a spout that shoots water up high into the air when conditions are right. The waves weren’t too rough when we were there, but we were still able to see how it worked. Here’s the site at rest. Keep your eye on the spot just down and right of center.

Okay, I kept waiting for the line "And Then Scotty Happened........"

I know, I know.......that was just wrong!

From the overlook, you can see Manana Island, which is more commonly referred to as Rabbit Island. This is because a) its shape resembles a rabbit’s head with the ears down, and b) a rancher introduced rabbits to Hawaii and raised them on this island.

I'm thinking more a dog swimming through the water........

As you might expect, I felt this was a great opportunity to teach our kids an appreciation for other cultures, including both their art and beliefs. And in that same vein, I also took the opportunity to point out the Vomiting Frog statue:

One can only be expected to take culture just.......so........far.......

There were a couple of small pagodas and gardens nearby. There was also a giant Sacred Bell you could ring. According to the official website (and stuff written on the internet is never, ever wrong), ringing the bell spreads the eternal teachings of Buddha, purifies the mind, and brings you happiness, blessings, and a long life. And if that’s the case, we’re going to live basically forever in eternal bliss, because when you give kids the chance to ring a giant bell, it’s not going to be rung only once. Buddha himself probably was getting ready to forsake his teachings on peace as my kids obnoxiously tried to ring it as many times as possible. We tried to cut them off before we turned the temple into the new site of The Gong Show.

I'm guessing they had a sign that read "Do Not Ring The Bell"

It was getting on 10:00 a.m. or so and we were getting hungry, having had such an early breakfast and then immediately used a lot of energy on our hike. So we decided to get a snack. Continuing the theme of cultural exploration and education, we drove right across the street to a landmark culinary institution. We were in search of a gourmet delicacy that once was common, but had become increasingly rare and was now in danger of disappearing from the globe altogether, resigned to be just a shadowy memory of better, simpler times. We were looking for the Holy Grail of snack items…

No, wait—that’s the Dole Whip. That comes later. We were in search of the Ark of the Covenant of snack items…

The deep-fried apple pie. For years, of course, McDonald’s always deep-fried their apple pies. Depending on your point-of-view, this could be another example of an evil corporation foisting terrible unhealthy snacks on an unsuspecting public. Or you might scratch your head wondering who would ever step inside a McDonald’s expecting to eat something healthy in the first place. In any case, McDonald’s eventually switched all of its pies in the U.S. to a slightly-less-unhealthy baked version.

Except in Hawaii. God bless them, Hawaii still deep-fries the pies. The result is a crispy, flaky crust of yumminess just like Momma used to make. If Momma ever worked the deep fryer at the Golden Arches, anyway.

Yeah, I hate they opted for the change as they are not very appealing any longer. for Hawaii sticking to the original!

Even deep-fried, my preference was always the ones you can get at Hardee's. Not only deep fried, but coated in cinnamon and sugar! Well, at least they used to be. I haven't had one in a while....... Hmmm, I guess I better go give that a try just to make sure!!!

Sarah was thrilled—she said one of the things she most wanted to see was a turtle in the wild. Mission accomplished!

So happy Sarah got her wish........so cool you got to see them!

Please tell me the Dole Whip was that much better in Hawaii..... One thing I definitely remember is how delicious and fresh the pineapple was there!!!

 

[sissy_ib]

I just found this, read half the first post and said "I love this family already!" I cant wait to read about your trip!

 

[afwdwfan]

Sure, we just hiked a mile in each direction uphill both ways

In the snow too, right?

So yeah, not too active today. But not bad for a 5-minute stop.

You certainly are making the most of seeing the island on a limited time frame. I'll give you that.

From the overlook, you can see Manana Island

I don't know how it is pronounced, but the way I read it, it should be something from the Muppets. There's your Disney connection.

We’d read that it would cost us $15 to park and tour the temple, but they only charged us $9. I did not dispute this at the ticket window.

At least you weren't chased down by a guard.

And in that same vein, I also took the opportunity to point out the Vomiting Frog statue

Wait a minute. This is a Captain_Oblivious TR. Shouldn't your head be inside that bell?

We had one destination in mind here: Turtle Beach.

Because it is shaped like a turtle and has a turtle farm on it?

This is supposed to be a great spot to see green sea turtles in the wild.

Oh. I guess that makes sense too.

Sarah was thrilled—she said one of the things she most wanted to see was a turtle in the wild. Mission accomplished!

I wonder if that makes up for abandoning her in a snorkel tank with sharks?

We had somehow found parking, avoided the crowds, and were heading in the opposite direction of all the traffic. Not too shabby.

Wow, you screwed up and it paid of. Nice!

Anyway, we’re pretty sure giving our kids deep-fried apple pies and Dole Whips for lunch should secure our Parents of the Year award.

That's what vacation is all about.

 

[franandaj]

Great couple of updates! I'm going to have to remember that Mickey D's in Hawaii still has those pies. They are just not the same without that fried goodness.

I loved the temple, and how you made your pregnant wife walk up 99+ stairs. The view was awesome, and I thank you for counting, gives me an idea of what to push for if we ever go there.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

turtles are awesome to see in the wild, did you do any snorkling? we saw a bunch on our snorkling trip.

We thought about snorkeling but stayed away from it due to my daughter's traumatic experience last year. But there are more turtles ahead.

and i could go for a dole whip either disney version or those right about now.

Is there ever a bad time for a Dole Whip?

Now how do you figure it was both ways?

Poetic license.

You'll get to see more of Koko Head in my report, though oddly enough it did not become a term of endearment.

I remember you posting on FB that you had hiked there. Looking forward to it! And next time one of your kids gets in trouble, try calling him/her "Koko Head". I bet you'll love it.

Need to make note of this when we go back with the kids, very cool!

It was a great spot to explore!

Honestly it is a VERY good thing I didn't know this. I'd have been all over it, burnt tounge from the hot apple gooeyness and all. Seriously though, I've never seen so many McDonalds!

There sure were a lot in a relatively small area, weren't there? You may or may not be surprised to learn that this was not our last pie stop.

It was really only bad on that stretch and right in the main beach park area, rest wasn't a big deal. But that stretch was nasty.

I think it's just a matter of only one travel lane and a few very popular beaches close together. I'm sure everyone wants to see the turtles.

Definitely parents of the year! Pull that off until they start eating like true vultures. Enjoy it while you can!!!

It's already starting! My daughter eats like she has a hollow leg. And she's starting to order off the adults' menu too.

Cool- Looks like a wonderful place.

I Loved the fried apple pies. Has it been so long that I had no idea they don't fry them anymore??? Now I really have to go to Hawaii.... that right there just tipped the scales..

My friend actually tipped us onto that fact, otherwise I would have had no idea. But once we found out...I'm sure their pie sales went up for a couple of weeks.

DROOL. That is a darn happy clan right there. Apple pie goodness and Dole whip in Paradise, does it get any better?

(thinking)

No. No, it doesn't.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

“With 50-lb. bags...”

And important additional detail if I remember correctly

Through the snow...in gale-force winds...

This time I’m pretty sure I know exactly which of the “looks” we talking about here…
No need to elaborate.

Exactly.

So now the correct phrase to be used against you should be:
“Wouldn’t you rather take the Express Way, Koko Head?”

Thanks, Julie.

I could take a SWAG at it, but no good will come of it I assure you.

The guidebook also mentioned another mountain formation nearby that the Hawaiians gave the name, "Giant Te$ticle$". They figured it was because of what was required to climb to the top.

An other example of a Koko Head…

I had that problem with every picture I took of deep water during our various cruses.

The stunning sapphire that I could see never translated to anything even close
once the shutter was snapped. You really have to see it for yourself, because
I’ve yet to see an image that ever did it justice.

All the more reason to travel.

I will never, ever understand people who are homebodies or who vacation to the exact same place every single time. I know everyone is different, but there's so much to experience out there.

Julie took a photography class over the spring and learned a lot of tricks about using the aperture to get better representations of the color instead of the pictures seeming washed out all the time. For the most part, it worked great, but there were still a few times when it just didn't seem to capture the vivid colors we were seeing.

Speaking of images… I like this next one myself (good story there)…

Me too.

Sounds like another mighty interesting story.

Well, he just happened to be body-boarding and noticed this long blue string on his board. So he grabbed it and threw it away.

He was laid up for the rest of the day.

Have never heard of this spot. Stunning!


Yah like you haven’t shown us a picture yet that wasn’t stunning
in one way or another…

Have I mentioned that I really recommend these guidebooks yet?

Good thing the fountain wasn’t set up in a slightly different configuration…

Then you'd have Gaston.

Oh nooooo… never.

Similar to the time when you gave your kids hammers…

I don't know where they learn this stuff.

Interesting… something else I did not know.
Is this a tid-bit that you discovered accidentally of one that you learned about
while researching the trip?

Actually, my buddy told me about the pies. I don't know where he heard that they were still deep-frying them in Hawaii. But he said he made 3-4 trips while he was there.

That is a sad story…

Our book called the BBQ place "one of those diamonds in the rough that we live for..."

Similar to the “tour guides” throughout the Caribbean…

Yeah, we weren't real eager to stick around.

Ya’ done good.

Ya’ done real good.

Naaa… those last two “done goods” pretty much negate this one.
Besides, there are no calories (or saturated fat) in any food eaten during a vacation.

How could I forget that? Thanks for the reminder.

Either some one that was mightily hungry, or someone that figured:
“Hay, anything that heavily protected has gott’a be worth a few cuts and bruises”


And they was right too!

They were! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they took the risk. I'm just amazed anyone would have thought something edible was in there.

When it’s a celebrity on a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Or a Super Bowl halftime show? I really don't know, because I never watch them.

Good plan!

I need to go back now!

 

[nodnol]

We were in search of the Ark of the Covenant of snack items…

The deep-fried apple pie.

It might be easier for you next time to fly east - last time I checked (about two moths ago), I was served the real thing here in Germany. And we are quite proud of our roads...

But actually - reading your TR, I would pick Hawai instead of Germany

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well, I just learned something new about McDonald's apple pies. They deep fry them? But only in Hawaii? That must be the state fair version.

It's the AWESOME version. Apparently this exists in Germany as well.

The scenery pictures are stunning. I think the pictures have beautiful color. I love the temple. That's beautiful too.

Thanks! We definitely weren't lacking for beautiful scenery.

Yup - I would pick Dole Whip over shaved ice any old day. Fried apple pie and dole whips. Lunch of champions. Hmmmm....wait....maybe not.

Nothing but the best for my family! We couldn't pass up Dole Whips. It's hard to get them around here, as you know.

I can see you really did your research before leaving on this trip. If I ever go to hawaii I am duplicating your itinerary!

I tried! We didn't want to miss anything since we knew we wouldn't be coming back for a while.

You’re a slave driver to your poor wife…hikes, stair climbing…I’m not sure she signed up for all that!

Wait till we get to the difficult hike.

The pictures are beautiful and, as beautiful as they are, I’m sure they do not do justice to the real thing.

We tried our best, but there's no substitute for seeing it with your own 2 eyes.

The Valley of the Temples is beautiful. Yea for not disputing the charge..sometimes things just work in your favor. Yea too for the kids ringing the bell and providing eternal bliss…who can resist ringing a bell??

Not me, that's for sure. I mean, uh, the kids. It was them.

How cool are is turtle beach! I’m surprised that they hang out there if there are people in the water.

I think this has been going on for so long that they're used to the people.

Ahh…the holy grail…the Dole Whip! The kids are purists, straight up Dole Whips. I bet the line was shorter than Aloha Isle too!

True! We only had to wait for a couple of people. Julie likes the float, but the rest of us just take straight-up ice cream.

I need to remember Koko Head. Sounds like a great new term of endearment for all types of situations!!!

I expect to see you using that one in Glenn and Dan's TR's.

Okay, I kept waiting for the line "And Then Scotty Happened........"

I know, I know.......that was just wrong!

Actually, it makes perfect sense!

I'm thinking more a dog swimming through the water........

I could see that too.

One can only be expected to take culture just.......so........far.......

Hey, they're the ones that installed a vomiting frog. I just pointed it out.

I'm guessing they had a sign that read "Do Not Ring The Bell"

You can't leave a giant bell totally unguarded and then expect it not to be rung.

Yeah, I hate they opted for the change as they are not very appealing any longer. for Hawaii sticking to the original!

Sooner or later, the Fun Police always seem to catch up to you.

Even deep-fried, my preference was always the ones you can get at Hardee's. Not only deep fried, but coated in cinnamon and sugar! Well, at least they used to be. I haven't had one in a while....... Hmmm, I guess I better go give that a try just to make sure!!!

Mmmm...that sounds really good. It would probably take 4 years off your life, but they'd most likely be years spent in a nursing home anyway.

So happy Sarah got her wish........so cool you got to see them!

It was a big hit with her, that's for sure!

Please tell me the Dole Whip was that much better in Hawaii..... One thing I definitely remember is how delicious and fresh the pineapple was there!!!

We had plenty of real pineapple, which tasted fantastic. The Dole Whips tasted the same.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I just found this, read half the first post and said "I love this family already!" I cant wait to read about your trip!

I'm assuming it's the other 4 members of the family that you find so charming, right? *burp*

In the snow too, right?

Well, yeah. It was just out of range in the pictures.

You certainly are making the most of seeing the island on a limited time frame. I'll give you that.

We tried hard! Getting up early helped with that. In many ways, it was like a Disney trip.

I don't know how it is pronounced, but the way I read it, it should be something from the Muppets. There's your Disney connection.

Perfect! We're re-naming it to Mana-mana Island.

At least you weren't chased down by a guard.

Oh, like that would ever happen.

Wait a minute. This is a Captain_Oblivious TR. Shouldn't your head be inside that bell?

Bells and cannons are completely different things. Besides, they had a fence around this.

Because it is shaped like a turtle and has a turtle farm on it?

Survey says...

Oh. I guess that makes sense too.

Yeah, not as exciting.

I wonder if that makes up for abandoning her in a snorkel tank with sharks?

I'm gonna say yes. Yes, it does. And we'll never discuss it again.

Wow, you screwed up and it paid of. Nice!

Driving around the island counter-clockwise was a good call, though.

That's what vacation is all about.

Junk food? I agree.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Great couple of updates! I'm going to have to remember that Mickey D's in Hawaii still has those pies. They are just not the same without that fried goodness.

Plus, you really needed a reason to go to Hawaii. Right?

I loved the temple, and how you made your pregnant wife walk up 99+ stairs. The view was awesome, and I thank you for counting, gives me an idea of what to push for if we ever go there.

We don't mind working hard if there's a payoff, right? That's what I keep telling myself.

It might be easier for you next time to fly east - last time I checked (about two moths ago), I was served the real thing here in Germany. And we are quite proud of our roads...

Don't tempt me! I'll go a long way for a deep-fried pie.

But actually - reading your TR, I would pick Hawai instead of Germany

I'm not picky. They'd both be an amazing trip for me!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I would say that Dole Whips and deep fried anything for lunch definitely make for a good vacation day!

I suppose I will reveal myself to be particularly uncultured by saying that the temple looks "just like EPCOT." But seriously, it does look beautiful and I am giggling imagining your own personal gong show.

So glad you got to check the "see a turtle in the wild" item off your list!

The scenery is just stunning. Really, really, REALLY have to think about how I can get myself there!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I would say that Dole Whips and deep fried anything for lunch definitely make for a good vacation day!

If I do that at work, does it make the day seem more like a vacation?

I suppose I will reveal myself to be particularly uncultured by saying that the temple looks "just like EPCOT."

I've thought about going to Europe to see if they captured the flavor and feel of EPCOT over there.

But seriously, it does look beautiful and I am giggling imagining your own personal gong show.

It's funny if it happens to somebody else, right?

So glad you got to check the "see a turtle in the wild" item off your list!

The scenery is just stunning. Really, really, REALLY have to think about how I can get myself there!

Mortgage payments are overrated. Just sayin'.

 

[glennbo123]

I was a couple of chapters behind, but am now caught up.

Wow! That rainbow picture from Diamond Head was amazing! I'm sure Julie was glad that she pushed-on and made it there.

Ah yes, I remember McDonald's fried apple pies. What I remember most was how boiling lava hot they were, 'cause I was never patient enough to wait for them to cool off before biting into one.

I'm glad that Julie got to see a turtle.