Cass, Rob & Kira - 20 Hours at Aulani and other Oahu Adventures July 2024

[erinch]

How did getting Kira settled in go?

 

[Timon]

Wow, that's quite the interesting family history on your mom's side! Good luck with the Nova Scotia trip and helping to get Kira settled in. Can't believe it's already time Good kick Kira, hope you have a fantastic first year in uni

Awww, thanks! You are always so supportive and so very sweet!

It was a whirlwind trip and a crazy five days but she is now all settled in and comfy in her own little space.

Safe travels . Good Luck on your new adventure Kira!

Thank goodness for today’s technology you can call and FaceTime! It’s hard to be an empty nester . I miss my kids but my husband reminds me we did our job let them fly.

Nova Scotia is a great place to visit too!

Yes! Thank the Heavens above that we can FT anytime! I've already done it several times.

As much as I am going to miss her terribly, I know this is going to be such a great experience for her!

We got to explore downtown Halifax together and then Rob and I visited Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg on our way.

Thanks for posting all the fantastic pictures.

Congratulations and good luck to Kira!
And, good luck to you and Rob, too. Hang in there!!

I remember your first trip reports and seeing Kira's earliest photos. It is unbelievable how time has gone by so fast! How can that be?!

Right? She was 10 months old on her first trip to WDW and that was my second trip report on here!

Now she is living over 3000 miles away from us.

But she is doing great, she loves her room, the three of us did a pretty good job with it and she is loving it all.

Thanks for your always-kind words and support.

My 15 year old son is a huge history buff, and I know Pearl Harbor is a place he definitely wants to visit. I'm excited to show him all of your pictures once you wrap up this day.

What an incredible WWII story about your family!! I imagine there are many more like it.

Safe travels to drop Kira off! I'm wishing her (and you and Rob) all the very best in navigating this next phase of her life. I hope she has an amazing experience!

It's such a long day, LOL! Almost done though!

Your son will love it if he is a history buff! Plan to spend an entire day if you go!

Thanks so the good wishes!

She is all set at university and has been enjoying Orientation Week. Classes start Wednesday!

Good luck to Kira! (And mom and dad)

Thank you so much!

Oh Cass, this was good, really good. I am so far from a History fan, in fact, it was my worst subject ever and I could never retain a thing in school. At age 64, I learned more from your pictures and descriptions, that I ever learned in all my years of school! Thank you, so much, for bringing us thru Pearl Harbor, wow. So my Dad, he was a Navy Pilot in WWII, on the USS Midway. He used to tell us, the worst fear in his entire life, was when he had to land on the Midway, in the pitch dark of night, there were no lights to guide him down! He met my Mom, who was also in the Navy. So I just poured over all your signs and pictures, these were so great, one of your best reports ever. I loved your grandparents story!
I feel for you, as you have to say goodbye to Kira. I know how hard that will be for you. I was one of those that followed you way back then, so big hugs sent to you and Rob. But soon it will be October, then Christmas, then a few months later she'll be home for Summer! Telling you all kinds of good stories and making friends. We had to do this way back in 2010, with our oldest and he ended up staying in Fl. after college graduation and married the girl of his dreams. Its a new chapter my friend, it will take some time to get used to, but you and Rob will do just fine !

Oh wowowowow! That is such a great story about your parents!! And how scary would those landings be!!

Yes, I remember you were there for my very first one, my 2005 trippie and we found Jill and Don's little piece of heaven on CC!

I look back at those pics and wow, we were so young and so much has changed from that trip!

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I know this will be such an amazing adventure for her, cannot wait to see what her future holds. She is such an amazing person.

Good luck to Kira as she begins this new adventure. I can't imagine going to school that far away from home. For my first two years of college, I went home every single weekend.

I'm loving the report and especially everything from Pearl Harbor. We toured the Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri in 2023. We splurged by taking the "Captain's Tour" of the Mighty Mo which included stops in the Captain's quarters. The best part, however, was getting to see the Combat Engagement Center (CEC) where the ship’s modern weapons were operated from and the Tomahawk missiles were launched during the Persian Gulf War. This was incredible!

My only complaint about our visit was the no-bag policy. It was unclear during my research and planning whether or not the clear stadium bags were allowed and I didn't want to risk it. Instead, I checked my purse at the trailer. Unfortunately, the heat did a number on me and I got the worst migraine and didn't have access to my medication. I will never make that mistake again. I was wrecked for the rest of the day and we had to skip our dinner and shopping in Waikiki as a result. I am still bummed about this and it's a whole year later.

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words!

Oh wow, that tour sounds AMAZING!!! If we ever go back, I would 100% do that!!

Oh no, I am so sorry to hear about your migraine! That is the worst!

Kira and I were really starting to feel the effects of the heat and sun and we just barely made it through everything. Thankfully it was really windy at the top of the tower and that really helped!

Following

Awesome!

How did getting Kira settled in go?

It was a long and crazy five days, but she's all settled in, she's made a friend (which REALLY helps with her anxiety!) and she is loving her room and her independence. Classes start Wednesday, so I guess we shall see how that goes!

 

[Timon]

Deleted

 

[NAB]

Oh love her dorm room. So cozy! How did you get it all there…lol

The picture of Boo!

Glad you got some sight seeing in too. I would have told you for Peggy’s Cove stay off the black rocks ! Many people have slipped in the water for a picture. Boardwalk in Halifax is crazy busy in the summer too. Lunenburg , they stay in character so much fun.

 

[Darkrobe]

Hey peeps!

I will finish off my Top of the Tower tour tomorrow as I have plans today but I thought I would post a few photos of Kira's dorm room, for those of you who are interested in seeing them.

Her room when we first arrived....

I posted a reel on my Instagram. (timoncass) Sadly, I didn't realize I was zoomed in a little for the final spin. Oh well.

The DIS won't let me post Instagram reels, which is weird since it is an approved site.

But if you put timoncass into the search, you will find me.

Happy Labour Day, everyone!

I think this is your first trip report within a trip report on the DIS, is that legal?

 

[lucas]

Oh wow! Ya'll did GOOD! Kira's room is beautiful.

And, your Instagram reel was great - the music got to me!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Aww, her room is so cozy!! Love all the ways she's made it her own. I'm off to follow you on IG now!

 

[Timon]

Part 7

At the top of the tower, you also get great views of Diamond Head.

Our guide kindly took some photos of us.

It was so windy, you really had to hold onto your hat!

Once we got all of the photos we wanted, our tour guide started her spiel.

It was getting hot in the main room so I walked around, finding the wind and I took some more pics as I listened to her tell us about the tower and its history.

I thought this was a cool photo.

She told us about the USS Utah, which is the other ship that is still sunk in the water on the north side of Ford Island.

The ship and the memorial is located just over the top of the trees.

Looking down...

Rob took photos of all of the informational signs, which were very interesting.

Our guide finished her presentation and then we were told we could enjoy some time looking around before we headed back down.

At this point, Kira was DONE. Not only with the heat, sun and humidity but also her social battery was running really low and she was tired of posing for photos. Rob tried to take some photos of us and she was not having it.

I tried to cheer her up with some sass and sarcasm.

It worked.

Mostly.

And finally, Rob got his shot.

Back now in the Aviation Museum, Kira was very excited to ride the Flight Simulator and the promise of this experience got her through the whole tower thing.

This was an extra cost but I can't remember exactly just how much. Maybe $10 each, if I had to guess.

They both loved it and it was money well spent as it revitalized by kiddo's attitude.

We then toured the shop and I spotted this perfect shirt for Rob.

We bought some matching Swamp Ghost shirts, which featured Donald Duck. The history of this plane and this original nose art can be found HERE.

Kira also bought a journal and a pin, I think?

Waiting on the bus to take us back.

We had hoped to also grab some shirts from the Pearl Harbor store but everything was closed down by the time we got back so we hopped back into our car and headed west. We spotted a rainbow on the drive back.

We decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which is about 10 minutes away from Ko Olina.

By the time we were seated, we were desperate for some food and ice cold drinks!

Our amazing server read us quickly and accurately and brought us some bread right away, as well as some ice waters and then took our drink and food orders as we ravaged the bread and water.

Kira's chicken strips came out about 10 minutes later.

Our food, however, did not come out for a very long time. I don't know what was going on in the kitchen but Kira ate her entire meal and at least another 10-15 minutes had passed and Rob and I were still waiting for our food.

My poor, hungry husband was getting impatient.

Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out if we ever get fed.

 

[erinch]

Kira got a single? As a frosh? Unheard of in the States

 

[Jillpie]

All I can say is, WHEW what a day that was!! You thoroughly saw the heck out of it, so well done. I bet you could go back and do another couple of days and not see it all. I never thought it was that big, I always thought it was a small building all this time. And to end it on a Cheesecake factory slow night, ugh, I bet you were starving!! More please...

 

[Timon]

Oh love her dorm room. So cozy! How did you get it all there…lol

The picture of Boo!

Glad you got some sight seeing in too. I would have told you for Peggy’s Cove stay off the black rocks ! Many people have slipped in the water for a picture. Boardwalk in Halifax is crazy busy in the summer too. Lunenburg , they stay in character so much fun.

Well, we each had one big checked bag and one carry-on but we did buy a lot in Dartmouth two days before move-in day. We went to Walmart (3 times LOL!), Costco, Mark's and Atlantic Superstore. She had a blast shopping because she got to choose all of her stuff.

We stayed far away from the black rocks. It was a very windy day too, so that was fun!

I think this is your first trip report within a trip report on the DIS, is that legal?

It's not a trippie, just a few photos.

Thanks for being such an awesome dad to our kiddo. You are half the reason she is so amazing.

Oh wow! Ya'll did GOOD! Kira's room is beautiful.

And, your Instagram reel was great - the music got to me!

Thanks! She absolutely loves it! And I have watched that reel so many times and tear up each and every time!

Aww, her room is so cozy!! Love all the ways she's made it her own. I'm off to follow you on IG now!

I don't post much, I'm more of a FB kind of gal.

Kira got a single? As a frosh? Unheard of in the States

Oh wow, I haven't heard that word in decades! I also thought it was a Canadian thing.

The great thing about her university is that there are MANY res buildings so she had a plethora of choices. If she had to have a roommate, she wouldn't have gone! Too much anxiety for her!

One of the many reasons we agreed to her going to a university so far away was because unlike almost every other university, she can stay in res for all four years. Most universities here only guarantee res for first-year students and then they have to live off-campus. They also have smaller class sizes, all of her classes, except one, have less than 34 students! This was definitely a good choice for what she wants and needs despite it being a million miles away.

All I can say is, WHEW what a day that was!! You thoroughly saw the heck out of it, so well done. I bet you could go back and do another couple of days and not see it all. I never thought it was that big, I always thought it was a small building all this time. And to end it on a Cheesecake factory slow night, ugh, I bet you were starving!! More please...

Yes, we rope dropped and closed that park down!

It was a long, hot day but we managed to get everything done. We did speed through the Mighty Mo though and if we go back, I would do that Captain's tour for sure!

Oh yes, we were starvin' marvins but the bread and drinks kept us going until we finally got to eat.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I don't post much, I'm more of a FB kind of gal.

Neither do I!! I just browse around reels and stories. I hardly ever post anything. Now, on FB, a totally different story!

 

[Timon]

Part 8

Okay, let's finish up this very long day. I don't have many more photos but I couldn't fit them all into the last chapter due to image limits.

It seemed like forever but we finally got our food.

I ordered the fish and chips after our server told me they used fresh fish from the island. It was alright. The actual fish was good but the batter was very light and very basic with no crunch. It did the job and filled me up though.

Rob got the fresh catch of the day, which was kajiki (marlin) and he said it was good.

We also got a piece of cheesecake to go, to share later and tomorrow.

No need to dig into my receipts because I took a photo of it because of the little drawing our server did. So cute!

I had two $50 gift cards that I got with points two years ago and the bill came to $100 so all I needed to pay was the tip.

We headed back to Ko Olina just as the sun was going down. I was sad to have missed the sunset but we really needed to eat fast.

I definitely needed some pool and hot tub time tonight. Kira was going to join me but once we got back to the resort, she just wanted some time to chill and do her own thing so Rob and I headed down to the pool and we spotted our furry little friend again.

Rob caught up on emails and read his book.

The pool was nice and quiet tonight. This part of the pool would be our HQ for every pool night except the last.

I must have enjoyed at least 90 minutes of bliss that night, it was amazing!

Probably the most relaxing time I have ever experienced in my life is right after some great pool/hot tub time. I always just wrap a towel around me to dry off and then sit in a chair with my eyes closed and just take in the moment. My back, my feet, my joints all feel so much better. Pure bliss.

It was a long day, packed with amazing experiences and memories I will cherish forever.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of this amazing trip.

 

[monkeydawn]

Kira got a single? As a frosh? Unheard of in the States

LOL I had the same reaction. They stacked us three deep...

 

[missjackiemcg]

I feel like the cheesecake factory always seems to have painfully slow service when we've gone, too! Fine when you're enjoying each other's company, but I would've been SO annoyed after your long, hot day. I'm sure you were STARVING!

What a lovely way to end the day in that perfect paradise!

 

[Kanga2Roo]

That was all so interesting. I did not know a lot of that info and now I want to read up more on it. Such a cool experience!
And you know I love the Cheesecake factory!

 

[Timon]

Part 1

Yay, I finally made it to another day!

I didn't really have anything planned for today as I knew that the visit to Pearl Harbor was going to drain us.

Our only goal was to have breakfast and check out the ABC Store across from Aulani.

We did sleep in because we were all exhausted and we got to our destination just before 11am, after the morning rush.

This gorgeous MP tree!!

Make sure to pay for parking if you are here more than a few minute as I have read many people don't realize that you have to pay to park and they get tickets.

We parked over behind the building that had Egg's 'n Things, which was where we were going to have breakfast.

Kira got us checked in. You just input your information on this iPad and then they text you when your table is ready.

We ended up going into the Crazy Shirts store just down from Egg's 'n Things. It's a little on the expensive side but they have some great t-shirts and other clothing. Rob ended up getting a cool, thin hoodie.

Honestly, if it wasn't so expensive, I would have bought many shirts in there! Good quality too!

This one was funny.

About 20 minutes after we signed in, our table was ready. Thankfully this was not the breakfast rush because as they don't have many tables!

Kira got the dollar pancakes with Nutella and a side of strawberries. I don't have a photo of her strawberries, only video, but they cost $6! Now, she did get a fair amount of berries, so I can't complain too much but keep that in mind for later in the trip report.

She devoured it all and said it was very good!

I got ham and eggs, surprise, surprise!

Mine was also quite delicious!

Rob got the rainbow pancakes, which he loved. He also REALLY enjoyed the coffee here, it was Kona coffee and he had a lot of it.

I was laughing at the size of his whipped cream tower.

He was laughing at the size of my ham steak.

The total price was $72 before the tip. It was expensive but it was really good and worth the money. Kira and I had left to go over to Island Country Markets, which is the ABC Store while Rob stayed to enjoy his coffee and pay the bill. When he joined us, he gave me the receipt and I noticed that they had charged us twice for Kira's pancakes so Rob ended up walking back over to get it refunded while Kira and I perused the store.

This is a GREAT store! I had visited this store last October on our Hawaii cruise to get my mother-in-law the Macnut Crunch chocolates she likes as well as my powder sunscreen, which I love and couldn't find anywhere else! When we go to theme parks, my scalp burns easily when I don't wear a hat so I use the powder stuff and it works like a charm! Haven't burnt my head since!

Today, however, I get to really explore this awesome store and since I know many people who are reading this report are probably planning their own trip to Aulani and would love to see everything it offers, I took MANY photos, just for you.

There's a decent selection of clothes here, mostly t-shirts but we also found some stuff for Kira. More on that later.

There's a coffee bar with gelato as well.

They have a great selection of grab-and-go items as well as a bakery and a place to order hot foods.

And while these are still "Hawaii prices", they were SO much cheaper than Aulani prices and a much bigger selection as well.

I have more more photos but will have to continue in the next chapter.

 

[bcwife76]

I bet the pool and hot tub were just heavenly after such a busy day at Pearl Harbour!
I don't think I've ever been to a Cheesecake factory where we haven't waited a bajillion minutes for our food to come
Great relaxing start to the next day! I still need to do Eggs N Things That market is amazing...maybe have been there several times

 

[NAB]

Yes we love ABC stores. Ton of them in Waikiki .

We bought cereal cups and a litre of milk for our breakfasts in the room. Worked out great. I have to eat to take my pills first thing. Got my blue hoodie there too. I

 

[lilmc]

We love ABC stores! And we love their kimchee fried rice special they have advertised so big there