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

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sunday, June 23

On Sunday morning, we went to church. It seemed appropriate, given that we were able to take a big trip to see the majesty of creation. Might as well take the time to thank the one who made it all possible.

We went to a small non-denominational church called Waipuna Chapel. As you can see, it’s a church with a view:

I won’t bore you with the details, but we did think it was pretty cool to be able to travel 6,000 miles and still find a place to be welcomed and worship with those of the same faith.

The afternoon was still free for exploration. So we piled into the Jeep, drove all the way down the mountain, through the town of Kahului, and plunged into the mist-shrouded depths of Iao Valley State Monument. Here you can see the valley looming ahead of us as we drove.

The Iao Valley is a lush region within the West Maui Mountains featuring steep cliffs dropping down to a stream flowing through the center of the valley. It was also the site of a huge battle where the forces of Kamehameha I conquered the army of Maui, and with it, the island itself. The battle was reportedly extremely bloody—so much so that the dead left behind blocked the flow of the stream. Do you still want to apply the “pictures or it didn’t happen" rule?

The valley is now a state park, and there is a fee of $5 to park. It does fill up occasionally, but early on a Sunday afternoon we didn’t have trouble finding a parking space. There are a couple of short trails you can take through the park. One is a short half-mile climb to an observation area where you can see the Iao Needle, a unique rock formation standing about 1,200 feet above the valley floor. There’s an offshoot of this trail that meanders along the stream. The other trail goes through a not-very-well-maintained botanical garden that is supposed to show plants and agricultural methods of Hawaiian culture. Not much is explained there and some areas seemed overgrown and/or poorly drained.

Anyway, the valley itself is beautiful and doesn’t take much time to explore. We did the uphill hike first to see the Needle. Along the trail:

The Needle:

After checking that out, we walked along the stream. There are several signs posted asking visitors not to go beyond the trail, but that didn’t seem to be stopping numerous people from swimming. The sun kept disappearing behind clouds, but there was one break in the lower clouds that gave us a cool view of…well, upper clouds. Well, it looks better than it sounds:

Heading down the trail:

Some of the few pictures of the stream we got that didn’t have obnoxious people in it (insert Oblivious Family joke here):

See the sign? And somebody’s towel laying directly under it?

This was part of the lower garden. They had a replica of an ancient Hawaiian hut you could explore.

I think Sarah took this picture of a couple of lovebirds on the trail. Typically when one kid gets to take a picture, all 3 of them end up having to take a picture, and then we just hope that there’s one in focus we can keep.

Leaving the valley:

We drove back into Kahului, where we had a couple of important stops to make. Wait, let me back up a bit—we had one important stop to make. We needed to go to Costco in order to gas up the Jeep and stock up on supplies for the next day’s mega-adventure (unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what that is).

(Heh. Suckers!)

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the “HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW” sign was lit.

So, just like that, we had 2 important stops to make. First up was the Krispy Kreme. If there is a better treat than a hot, melty glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut straight out of the oven, I don’t know what it is.

Then we went to Costco. I dropped Julie off to get food inside while I went to wait in the gas line. Costco has by far the cheapest gas on the island. When we were there, the typical gas stations were running about $3.59/gallon. At Costco, the price was around $3.25/gallon. Needless to say, there were long lines. But as I told you before, the Costco membership was paying for itself between our rental cars and gas prices.

Anyway, I’d read that I needed to have a full tank of gas before beginning the next day’s journey, so we made sure that was the case. As far as the other supplies go, the important item was this:

I think it might have been Dan that mentioned these to me before we left, but I hadn’t said anything to Julie. She was just looking for snacks and picked up a bag on a whim. Holy cow, these things were good. They’re basically onion-flavored kettle chips, and they were amazing. I am not entirely ashamed to admit that I would end up destroying easily 2/3 of the (Costco-size) bag over the next couple of days. I wish they sold these on the East Coast. Then again, I would probably weigh 350 lbs. if that was the case.

Shopping done, we drove up the coast a bit to the town of Pa’ia, located along the northern edge of Maui. This is a funky little artist enclave known for some unique shops and galleries. It must be a popular place, because parking was at a premium. There’s one public parking lot on the western edge of town, and we happened to luck into a space just as another person was pulling out and leaving.

We wandered the streets and shops for a while, bought some postcards to mail to friends, and then headed for our main objective: we were there to try Hawaiian Shave Ice.

I’m not totally up on the history of shave ice, but this treat was apparently developed in Hawaii and locals will insist to you that it is most definitely NOT a sno-cone. Sno-cones consist of crushed bits of ice and flavored syrup. Shave ice is ice that has been shaved down by a sharp blade, giving it a much smoother texture…with flavored syrup, of course.

I can also tell you that Dumbo, Aladdin’s Flying Carpets, the Astro-Orbiter, and Tri-Ceratops Spin are most definitely NOT the same ride.

We tried out Tobi’s Shave Ice in Pa’ia because my aunt and cousin knew the owner (they’re neighbors). A typical cup of shave ice runs you about $4, and you can mix up to three flavors. We went with primarily fruit flavors, getting all sorts of mixes of orange, pineapple, mango, lemon-lime…

What’s that? The yellow ice? Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, it’s pineapple.

Scotty was the lone holdout on flavor-mixing, insisting on root beer and only root beer syrup in his cup.

So how did it taste? Well, it was pretty yummy. But, I’ll be honest here…

…it tasted like a sno-cone to me. Don’t tell anyone.

That was our Sunday on Maui. Normally I would close with a picture of yet another gorgeous Maui sunset, but you’re probably tired of that by now. So here’s a basketball backboard mounted on a palm tree. Because, you know, what the heck.

Coming Up Next: Embarking on one of the most infamous drives in America. But we have Maui Onion chips, so what could go wrong?

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Mark.

First, where the heck was my postcard???????????????????????????

What a beautiful valley and streams (and what's wrong with people not following the rules?).

I am really angry with you right now. And do you want to know why? Because I love Krispy Kreme and now I'm going to have to make Mark leave to go to work early one morning so we can go to the one and only one we have here anymore. Wait, I guess it is my Mark who is goinjg to be mad at you.

Sno Cone/shaved ice? Same thing to me.

I have to say that we don't go to church (Mark's wedding was the first time we've been to church except for a funeral since the kids made their confirmation). But with a view like that, I just might be tempted to go.

 

[that's nice]

So we had the in-room coffee, which was decidedly mediocre. But still better than Nescafe. So we had that going for us, which was nice.

No Kona coffee in room? BLAH!

The resort looks stunning. Lazy river& water slides- who needs anything else?

Great write up on Pearl Harbor.

I was pretty disappointed in my fellow visitors. We had been told numerous times that this was a tomb, and decorum was appropriate, such as maintaining a respectful quiet. We walked inside and saw people texting, gabbing on their phones to their buddies, etc. It made me sad to see such a lack of respect.

That is a shame. I remember when we were there, there was no one talking except for whispers and very discretely. Seeing the oil still rising from the ship is surreal.

Behold the Pineapple Bacon Cheeseburger

I knew I'd see a burger in this TR.

We found another friend along the way. Youre welcome, Kathy.

LOL... well played!

The hike itself is just under a mile, and you climb about 560 feet from the crater floor to the summit.

'Where do these stairs go?'
'They go up.'


And I'm sure you continued your exercise regimen when you got home, right?

Awesome pictures from Diamond Head! I wish we had more time on Oahu than 2 full days on our honeymoon.

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&

Smart kids you have there. I'll take a Dole whip in Hawaii any day.


OK finished Chapter 8... I'll B back!

 

[MEK]

So how did it taste? Well, it was pretty yummy. But, I’ll be honest here…

…it tasted like a sno-cone to me. Don’t tell anyone.

Wait - say it isn't so! I have heard so much about the delicacy of shaved ice that I can't believe it is nothing more than a son-cone! What the...?

At least Scotty knew the truth. Smart boy for insisting on a single flavor.

Yup - that's something you don't see around these parts much.

Love the scenery pictures. Denny and I had the fortune of being able to spend a few days in Tahiti when returning from NZ. Your pictures definitely remind me of the scenery there. Those mountains are just gorgeous.

 

[chattadisser]

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the “HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW” sign was lit.

So, just like that, we had 2 important stops to make. First up was the Krispy Kreme. If there is a better treat than a hot, melty glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut straight out of the oven, I don’t know what it is.

There are not too many things as irresitible as Krispy Kreme when the HOT sign is on.

I’m not totally up on the history of shave ice, but this treat was apparently developed in Hawaii and locals will insist to you that it is most definitely NOT a sno-cone. Sno-cones consist of crushed bits of ice and flavored syrup. Shave ice is ice that has been shaved down by a sharp blade, giving it a much smoother texture…with flavored syrup, of course.

So how did it taste? Well, it was pretty yummy. But, I’ll be honest here…

…it tasted like a sno-cone to me. Don’t tell anyone.

I've heard people rave about shaved Hawaiian ice and I've always wondered "isn't that a snow cone?" and now I know....it is!

Christine

 

[declansdad]

Nice pictures of your hike, looks like a beautiful area.

I really want to see the guy that plays on the basketball hoop.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 13: Yea, We Walked Through The Valley

I suspect that this particular valley will be just a might less – shall we say: “challenging” - then that other one there.

On Sunday morning, we went to church. It seemed appropriate, given that we were able to take a big trip to see the majesty of creation. Might as well take the time to thank the one who made it all possible.

Generally a good plan for starting off most days.

Do you still want to apply the “pictures or it didn’t happen" rule?

Well actually, if you happen to have pictures of this, the thing I’m really interested in is seeing the time machine you used to acquire them.

Imagine the possibilities…

The valley is now a state park, and there is a fee of $5 to park.

Parking fees seem to be rather common out there.
Probably a good idea to always have a small bit of cash on you at all times.

The other trail goes through a not-very-well-maintained botanical garden that is supposed to show plants and agricultural methods of Hawaiian culture.

Unfortunate. Not all state parks are created equal.
But then again, a “not very well maintained” park in Hawaii does still have the subtle advantage of actually being in Hawaii. Nice as they may be, none of my state’s park can make that particular claim.

After checking that out, we walked along the stream. There are several signs posted asking visitors not to go beyond the trail, but that didn’t seem to be stopping numerous people from swimming.

It’s just a sign… I’m sure they didn’t mean “me”.

Some of the few pictures of the stream we got that didn’t have obnoxious people in it (insert Oblivious Family joke here):

Too late… the author already took care of that.

I think Sarah took this picture of a couple of lovebirds on the trail. Typically when one kid gets to take a picture, all 3 of them end up having to take a picture, and then we just hope that there’s one in focus we can keep.

Well at least with digital imagery you can allow that kind of thing.
In the days of film, giving up three of your 24 frames for stuff that might not be usable was a more expensive proposition (and could cost you the ability to take a really great shot later on). Technology can be a mighty good thing.

(unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what that is).

(Heh. Suckers!)

Sucker? All I have to do is wait and read it.
You're the one that has to do the “work” of writing it.

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the “HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW” sign was lit.

Round here, all that means is that the clock is somewhere between 6:00 and 11:00 (AM or PM). You don’t need no app, they’re always “Hot Now” during those times.

If there is a better treat than a hot, melty glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut straight out of the oven, I don’t know what it is.

The key lime pie of awesomeness?

They’re basically onion-flavored kettle chips, and they were amazing.

Interesting.
Too bad they’re not available locally or I’d have to try them out.

I’m not totally up on the history of shave ice, but this treat was apparently developed in Hawaii and locals will insist to you that it is most definitely NOT a sno-cone.

Well that’s true if you consider that out this way we don’t generally put ice-cream in the bottom of the cup or add beans as a layer between the cream and the ice.

Y’all did try it that way right?

I can also tell you that Dumbo, Aladdin’s Flying Carpets, the Astro-Orbiter, and Tri-Ceratops Spin are most definitely NOT the same ride.

Oh, of course not
It’s sacrilege to even suggest such a thing

That was our Sunday on Maui. Normally I would close with a picture of yet another gorgeous Maui sunset, but you’re probably tired of that by now.

Ummm… no, not really.

So here’s a basketball backboard mounted on a palm tree. Because, you know, what the heck.

Now I’m short and fat, but that may just be a smidgen higher than normal.
Do they offer a free shave ice for being able to dunk a ball in that basket?

Coming Up Next: Embarking on one of the most infamous drives in America. But we have Maui Onion chips, so what could go wrong?

Well if The onion chips can be used to pull a rented Jeep out of a gorge (or serve as a parachute while plunging into said gorge)…

then I’d say: “not a thing”.

 

[afwdwfan]

On Sunday morning, we went to church. It seemed appropriate, given that we were able to take a big trip to see the majesty of creation. Might as well take the time to thank the one who made it all possible.

Seems reasonable to me.

We went to a small non-denominational church called Waipuna Chapel. As you can see, it’s a church with a view

Doesn't everything have a view in Hawaii?

The sun kept disappearing behind clouds, but there was one break in the lower clouds that gave us a cool view of…well, upper clouds.

Scientific terms, of course. Meteorology 101...

They had a replica of an ancient Hawaiian hut you could explore.

Explore... Yep, a thatch roof with some wood posts.

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the “HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW” sign was lit.

So... what was better? The Hawaiian truck donuts or the ones you can get anywhere?

I’m not totally up on the history of shave ice, but this treat was apparently developed in Hawaii and locals will insist to you that it is most definitely NOT a sno-cone. Sno-cones consist of crushed bits of ice and flavored syrup. Shave ice is ice that has been shaved down by a sharp blade, giving it a much smoother texture…with flavored syrup, of course.

So... kind of like that kakigori at the Japan pavilion in EPCOT isn't a sno cone either???

I can also tell you that Dumbo, Aladdin’s Flying Carpets, the Astro-Orbiter, and Tri-Ceratops Spin are most definitely NOT the same ride.

They aren't the same ride. They're just carbon copies.

So here’s a basketball backboard mounted on a palm tree. Because, you know, what the heck.

Because a 10' goal isn't difficult enough...

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Oh! Oh! I bet I know what tomorrow's adventure is!!!!! But I won't tell anyone and spoil the fun for everyone else

Mountains and trails with streams bring back good memories from Mountain Camp. It may not have been that tropical, but oh the stories I could tell.

Your pictures just continue to make me drool over the idea of a Hawaiian vacation. I'm dying to go. But with 2 Disney trips on the schedule this year....it'll have to wait. And now that my parents have finally bought a new bed (yes, they're sleeping on a real mattress now), our Camry died. I guess the good news is that come January I move out and their financial situation is no longer my problem. My student loans, however.......

 

[2xcited2sleep]

The scenery continues to be spectacular. I remember hiking to the Iao Needle as a kid. Very cool! What is the matter with the people blatantly displaying the "do not pass" sign? I'd be afraid that park rangers had a very good reason for putting the sign up in the first place!

I think I know your next destination too. If it's what I'm thinking of, I sure hope no one is prone to feeling car sick.

That basketball hoop looks awfully high.....

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

I think it might have been Dan that mentioned these to me before we left, but I hadn’t said anything to Julie.

glad you liked the chips, anytime my SIL comes home i make her bring me as many bags as she can handle.

the last trip she came home, her carry on was a paper grocery bag that she had stuffed with the cosco size bag of those chips...she was happy to hand that over to me after an overnight layover on the west coast anything for those chips.

 

[middlepat]

Anyway, the valley itself is beautiful and doesn’t take much time to explore. We did the uphill hike first to see the Needle. Along the trail:

Definitely on our list for our next visit. Looks like a great excursion.

Some of the few pictures of the stream we got that didn’t have obnoxious people in it (insert Oblivious Family

Sometimes these things just write themselves.

joke here):

Whoops, the sentence continued.....

See the sign? And somebody’s towel laying directly under it?

Those are merely suggestions, right? Kind of like speed limit signs?

We drove back into Kahului, where we had a couple of important stops to make. Wait, let me back up a bit—we had one important stop to make. We needed to go to Costco in order to gas up the Jeep and stock up on supplies for the next day’s mega-adventure (unfortunately, you’ll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what that is).

I think I might have and idea..... you're going to find Carmen Santiago?

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the “HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW” sign was lit.

Detour!

So, just like that, we had 2 important stops to make. First up was the Krispy Kreme. If there is a better treat than a hot, melty glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut straight out of the oven, I don’t know what it is.

I would say champange out of the Stanley Cup.... but that's just me.

I think it might have been Dan that mentioned these to me before we left, but I hadn’t said anything to Julie. She was just looking for snacks and picked up a bag on a whim. Holy cow, these things were good. They’re basically onion-flavored kettle chips, and they were amazing. I am not entirely ashamed to admit that I would end up destroying easily 2/3 of the (Costco-size) bag over the next couple of days. I wish they sold these on the East Coast. Then again, I would probably weigh 350 lbs. if that was the case.

Gotta love the Maui chips.

Shopping done, we drove up the coast a bit to the town of Pa’ia, located along the northern edge of Maui. This is a funky little artist enclave known for some unique shops and galleries. It must be a popular place, because parking was at a premium. There’s one public parking lot on the western edge of town, and we happened to luck into a space just as another person was pulling out and leaving.

Love Pa'ia, hate the parking. This is the place where Anthony's Coffee Shop is and where I stock up on good coffee each visit.

We wandered the streets and shops for a while, bought some postcards to mail to friends, and then headed for our main objective: we were there to try Hawaiian Shave Ice.

Ooohhh...shave ice. I wonder if it's anything like a sno-cone?

I’m not totally up on the history of shave ice, but this treat was apparently developed in Hawaii and locals will insist to you that it is most definitely NOT a sno-cone. Sno-cones consist of crushed bits of ice and flavored syrup. Shave ice is ice that has been shaved down by a sharp blade, giving it a much smoother texture…with flavored syrup, of course.

of course.

I can also tell you that Dumbo, Aladdin’s Flying Carpets, the Astro-Orbiter, and Tri-Ceratops Spin are most definitely NOT the same ride.

Absolutely not. Dinosaurs are not the same as Elephants.

We tried out Tobi’s Shave Ice in Pa’ia because my aunt and cousin knew the owner (they’re neighbors). A typical cup of shave ice runs you about $4, and you can mix up to three flavors. We went with primarily fruit flavors, getting all sorts of mixes of orange, pineapple, mango, lemon-lime…

Purple is a fruit.

What’s that? The yellow ice? Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, it’s pineapple.

That's what they told you at least.....

Scotty was the lone holdout on flavor-mixing, insisting on root beer and only root beer syrup in his cup.

No reason to mess with greatness.

So how did it taste? Well, it was pretty yummy. But, I’ll be honest here…

…it tasted like a sno-cone to me. Don’t tell anyone.

Typical mainlander.... not appreciating the subtle nuances of the shaved ice.

Coming Up Next: Embarking on one of the most infamous drives in America. But we have Maui Onion chips, so what could go wrong?

Let me explain.... no there is too much, let me sum up....

 

[Poolrat]

Another beautiful relaxing day. You sure made the most of relaxation.
Finally caught up and trying to stay that way.

 

[that's nice]

For our first order of business, Julie and I decided to do something we’d never done before:

Sit through a time-share presentation.

Ok, it was for DVC, so it wasn’t that bad. And we were solely motivated by greed. They’d placed a card in our room saying we could attend a presentation and receive a $100 gift card for the Aulani gift shop. We figured: well, 1 hour of our time is probably worth $100 in this case, considering we were going to spend it on souvenirs anyway.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!! DON"T DO IT. IT's A TRAP!!!!!!

The only debt I carry is my mortgage and I’m not ready to add more. Also, we like to vacation by seeing many different places, spending a couple of nights here and there, and the DVC model doesn’t really fit that style. So…it’ll have to remain a “someday” dream.

WHEW!

$100 richer, we went to see if we still had kids. We figured if they hadn’t been kidnapped by now, they would be at each other’s throats fighting over the game. Or maybe splashing around in the pool, acting like THAT family. Or maybe they’d found the charge privileges on our room key and had gotten a head start in the gift shop. <SNIP>

At some point, we got up and headed to the gift shop when everybody was dressed so we could pick out souvenirs and maybe, possibly, a few Christmas gifts the kids don’t know about yet because we snuck back down after they were in bed to pick them up. How far did $100 go? It gets you 3 t-shirts.

That’s not an exaggeration. T-shirts run about $30 - $35 here, and they’re among the cheaper items. Here’s a helpful formula for your souvenir budget: normal price + Hawaii markup + Disney markup = Aulani Mega Sticker Shock.

Even with the gift card, this put a nice dent in the wallet. But how many times will you get to go to Aulani? You know you’re buying the stuff. They know you’re buying it. So they’ve got you.

I think they've caught onto people going to the presentation just for the gift card.

Next chapter

Glad your flight to Maui was uneventful and short.

Then we did something almost unheard-of on an Oblivious Family Vacation®:

We did absolutely nothing.

Your Aunts house is beautiful and the view? OMG!

Coming Up Next: We're on Maui. In June. Wearing sweatshirts.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID!!!!

One of those particular activities was driving to the top of Haleakala.

I knew it! But you didn't go at 3am to see the sun rise?

Great pics from Haleakala!!!!

Those little light-brown tracks in the crater are hiking trails. You can spend the entire day hiking in the park or even rent a cabin and spend the night down there.

Sounds fun unless the volcano decides that it is ready to blow. Makes for a rude awakening running from hot liquid mag-muh.


I'm almost caught up.....

 

[that's nice]

Because the road connections are so limited on the island, it took about 45-50 minutes to drive from Kula on the mountain all the way down to the beach. If only they would hire a road engineer to improve the travel options&

You know any?

I'd comment more on your beach chapter but I got bored.

{great beach pics BTW... look like you guys had a fun time.}

There are several signs posted asking visitors not to go beyond the trail, but that didnt seem to be stopping numerous people from swimming.

Seems like that happens a lot in Hawaii.

But when we drove to the Costco, we saw that there was a Krispy Kreme directly across the street. And the HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW sign was lit.

So, just like that, we had 2 important stops to make. First up was the Krispy Kreme. If there is a better treat than a hot, melty glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut straight out of the oven, I dont know what it is.

Every time I think this TR is sophisticated, it always come crashing back to reality with posts like this.

Anyway, Id read that I needed to have a full tank of gas before beginning the next days journey, so we made sure that was the case.

I know what you did!!!! CAn I guess?????

The Road to Hana

I can also tell you that Dumbo, Aladdins Flying Carpets, the Astro-Orbiter, and Tri-Ceratops Spin are most definitely NOT the same ride.

Nice BB hoop on a palm tree... how high was that thing?


OK MR. Oblivious I am all caught up... now I can join in with the, what I can imagine is, great banter.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Those are merely suggestions, right? Kind of like speed limit signs?

Around here those signs are actually referred to as:
“Suggested Retail Speed”

Let me explain.... no there is too much, let me sum up....

That doesn't leave much time for dilly-dallying.

OK MR. Oblivious I am all caught up... now I can join in with the, what I can imagine is, great banter.

I know you’ve read Prior Oblivious TRs so I have to attribute that last notion to a severe bout of amnesia.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Great update, Mark.

First, where the heck was my postcard???????????????????????????

Um...you didn't get it? Gosh, I can't believe it didn't make it. Must be the USPS cutbacks...yeah, that's it...

What a beautiful valley and streams (and what's wrong with people not following the rules?).

Just goes to show that no matter where you go, you will find irritating people.

I am really angry with you right now. And do you want to know why? Because I love Krispy Kreme and now I'm going to have to make Mark leave to go to work early one morning so we can go to the one and only one we have here anymore. Wait, I guess it is my Mark who is goinjg to be mad at you.

If he ends up with a donut, can he really be that mad? We actually don't have a Krispy Kreme in Delaware so it's a rare treat for us.

Sno Cone/shaved ice? Same thing to me.

Pretty much. It is a softer texture, and I should point out that Julie and the kids really liked it a lot and sait it was better than sno-cones. Maybe I just don't appreciate the nuances.

I have to say that we don't go to church (Mark's wedding was the first time we've been to church except for a funeral since the kids made their confirmation). But with a view like that, I just might be tempted to go.

Everyone has their priorities. It's always been important for us, and making time to go even on vacation helps to reinforce that for the kids.

No Kona coffee in room? BLAH!

Well, the in-room coffee was a "Kona blend". Which basically means 10% Kona, 90%

The resort looks stunning. Lazy river& water slides- who needs anything else?[/QUOET]

Not much more I can say. Aulani was amazing. I hope we get to go back someday.

Great write up on Pearl Harbor.

That is a shame. I remember when we were there, there was no one talking except for whispers and very discretely. Seeing the oil still rising from the ship is surreal.

It really is. I had remembered people being much more respectful in my past visit as well. It really was a shame.

I knew I'd see a burger in this TR.

I hope you were sitting down when you read that.

LOL... well played!

'Where do these stairs go?'
'They go up.'

+1 for Ghostbusters.

And I'm sure you continued your exercise regimen when you got home, right?

Um...yeah. It's just a different kind of exercise. I try to work with gravity to help hold the couch down on the floor.

Awesome pictures from Diamond Head! I wish we had more time on Oahu than 2 full days on our honeymoon.

We really had a rushed tour of the island as well. We'll just have to go back.



Maybe a joint Aulani trip is in our future! Hope you like burgers.

Smart kids you have there. I'll take a Dole whip in Hawaii any day.

Mama didn't raise no dummies. Having tried shave ice at this point, I think they made the right call.

OK finished Chapter 8... I'll B back!

Man, this is a lot of hard work. Your effort is appreciated. Just don't think about how many hours you'll never get back.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wait - say it isn't so! I have heard so much about the delicacy of shaved ice that I can't believe it is nothing more than a son-cone! What the...?

Julie insists shave ice is better. I guess you'll just have to try it for yourself.

At least Scotty knew the truth. Smart boy for insisting on a single flavor.

I liked the mix. We didn't really have a good picture, but they were much more colorful than Scotty's poop brown. Excuse me, root beer brown.

Yup - that's something you don't see around these parts much.

Love the scenery pictures. Denny and I had the fortune of being able to spend a few days in Tahiti when returning from NZ. Your pictures definitely remind me of the scenery there. Those mountains are just gorgeous.

I bet Tahiti was pretty awesome. Actually, I bet NZ was awesome too. Sounds like an amazing trip!

There are not too many things as irresitible as Krispy Kreme when the HOT sign is on.

It's kind of like a bug zapper for people. The glow draws you in, and you can't resist its allure...you could be heading to certain doom inside, but you don't really care...

I've heard people rave about shaved Hawaiian ice and I've always wondered "isn't that a snow cone?" and now I know....it is!

Unless maybe you need a more discerning palate than mine. Mine was dulled through years of greasy hamburgers and cheese steaks.

Nice pictures of your hike, looks like a beautiful area.

I really want to see the guy that plays on the basketball hoop.

I'd love to know how they installed it.

 

[that's nice]

I know you’ve read Prior Oblivious TRs so I have to attribute that last notion to a severe bout of amnesia.

You (in a collective plural sense) are to blame.

Humm does that last sentence even make sense? Should I have just written ya'll are to blame?

Well, the in-room coffee was a "Kona blend". Which basically means 10% Kona, 90%

I guess 10% is better than 0%.

+1 for Ghostbusters.

YEAH! I got points!!!!

Maybe a joint Aulani trip is in our future! Hope you like burgers.

I love burgers and I don't eat enough of them. When we going?

Man, this is a lot of hard work. Your effort is appreciated. Just don't think about how many hours you'll never get back.

That's ok. Not to give you a big head or anything but if this whole making roads and bridges thing doesn't work out you should really start writing your own novels, or travel guides, or poems.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Should I have just written ya'll are to blame?

Closer to the truth.

We just need to get you to move the apostrophe one letter to the left and start using the word right regular like, and you’ll make for a real fine honorary South’ner.