Oahu was always a destination we knew we really wanted to get to, however, Maui is so beautiful that we always seemed to just return to Maui. This time while planning our vacation, William, our 9 year old, asked if we could see Pearl Harbour, he remembered the story from the summer before when we stayed at Fort Steven Sate Park in Oregon. We booked it!
Every time we vacation, I get a little more organized, cause if you know me, I will be packing in the final few hours of departure and leaving a messy house. That is how I work – we all know it 🙂 This trip was no different except that I am now recognizing and accepting my short comings. I have also learned from our previous flights, that we are usually in the back and by the time the food service cart gets to us, there is nothing left our kids will eat, like pizza. This trip I made sure I was more organized. I brought ziplock bags and got to the airport with plenty of time. Once we got through security we ordered extra Hula Bowls and Pizza for the plane ride, saving us money and aggravation. It seems like as soon as we get on a plane my kids want some sort of technology and food, before we have even left the ground, this time I was prepared. I got the kids fed, they watched a movie and were able to fall asleep. This was the first time I read a book on a plane in 9 years! I will take this as a mom win – Yippee!
The next thing we did different was book the airport hotel, we arrived really late and usually fight to get a rental car with tired kids then have to drive and check in. This time we walked to the hotel, checked in and went to sleep. This gave us the next day to pick up our car, go to Costco and get what we needed before heading west to our resort. The things we learn along the way. This was a fantastic start to our vacation.
Staying at Marriott Vacation Clubs is always a pleasure, they offer the same experience no matter which resort. We always stay in the two bedrooms, giving our kids their own space and most importantly, us our own space. Each room has in suite laundry, a full kitchen and comfortable living room. These resorts have communal BBQ’s were we cook most of our dinners. This is one of my favorite features of these resorts, we get to cook outside and meet other families staying at the resorts. Ko Olina has three large pools, one of them being a quite pool, we did not know this the first day and our three kids showed up with water guns 🙂 We had many looks, no one said anything, too polite, but they were all happy when we realized and left – funny. We spent many hours in the other two pools, one had a water slide and cave and the other had a beach gradual entry.
The North Shore
After a few days at the pool and relaxing we were ready to explore this island. We drove up the middle and headed into Haleiwa. This little town is filled with history, shopping and great eating. You could spend hours here. My kids do not love window shopping so we drove a little farther and stopped at Laniakea beach, this is where the turtles are known to come and beach themselves. When we showed up it was high tide, I guess the turtles come onshore mostly during low tide when the waves are calm. We decided to stay and spend some time looking for sea glass, shells and jumping in the waves. These are all past times my kids could do all day. After a few hours we decided to head back into town and find some lunch. We looked up Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, he had been to and recommended Giovanni’s food truck. We sought it out and then decided to try as many food trucks as possible. They were all amazing! In fact the truck with the chicken and burgers was probably my favorite of them all. We also tried Honos food truck and I would have to say that they are just as great and the ribs where my kids favorite! So try them all – don’t get suckered into the long line at Giovanni’s.
I had a feeling we should head back to the beach and see if just maybe a turtle had come to sun themselves. We saw there was high congestion on the road by the beach, according to google maps. I took this as traffic was slowing down to see a turtle, maybe, just maybe. I was correct, there was a turtle! So exciting, this is the first time my kids have been able to see a HUGE turtle not in a zoo. So exciting! This became a highlight for our trip.
After 43 years of Marriage
On our way home we stoppped at the DOLE plantation. This is 100% a tourist trap – fun for the kids but a lot of money for what it is 🙂 All good – sometimes we do these things for the kids. The maze was fun, we saw lots of slugs and collected shells along the way. We then went for a dole whip – so so so good, the kids devoured them and they were HUGE. We got on the 20 min train ride and went through the different crops, learned the history of Mr. Dole and got to see how different crops are grown. We all learned a lot, even us adults! Who knew that pineapples grow from the top that we cut off!
The EAST side of the Island
We decided we needed another excursion so we thought we would check out the East side of the island. The main attractions on this side are Waikiki beach and Diamond head. We did not do these we were told to try Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail. We found the hike, parking was full and people where on the street but there is a lot of movement and cars are continuously coming and going. This hike is 4km hike with a continuous 15 degree incline. There are many benches along the way, we needed those breaks. The water colour on this side is so different than the west side and the rocky shores, it was totally worth the drive! When we got to the top we looked down into the water and the we could see turtles swimming in the ocean below.
Hard Rock in Honolulu
Pearl Harbour
This was our second to last day, we thought we should take in Pearl Harbor, even though we were told our kids were too young. Part of coming to Oahu was for my oldest child (9), he wanted to see Pearl Harbour. So we made the decision to try and see how the day went. I went on line to look up what to expect and realized that we needed to reserve tickets, which we did not and there were none left. So we stopped in on our way home from the East Shore and found out that they have 1500 tickets everyday released on a first come first serve basis at 7:00. So our new plan is to get up early and get the first come first serve tickets. We showed up 7:20 and got on the 8:45 sailing.
This is a free tour, but you need a ticket. You start with a short movie then get on a boat and they take to a memorial over the Arizona where 1177 lost their lives and the boat still lies today. This was a humbling experience and I believe that everyone in our party learned something and really enjoyed the experience, we were ages 4 to 69. I am so glad we did not listen to the advice of that one person and we decided to experience it for ourselves. It is an experience that you should take in if you are able to get to Oahu.
The Rest of the Trip
The rest of our trip we stayed close to the resort. We enjoyed a character dinner at Aulani – so so so good. The kids enjoyed seeing Stich and the other characters. It is more than a meet a greet of characters, it was a dinner filled with entertainment. There was a story and a chance for the kids to get up and dance and conga. It was a fun night had by all. At our resort they had entertainment from the Chief’s Luau. They came to the resort and introduced us to a few things Hawaiian. We learned about the culture, how to open a coconut, they climbed the trees, danced, got the kids involved and we all had fun. I would highly recommend seeing the Chief’s Luau if you get a chance, a great time!
In the eight years we have been Marriott Vacation Club owners we have never had a bad experience. The activities they have for the whole family, adult only or for the kids are always a hit. They have exercise classes for all abilities, they have art and crafts and they also do something that is local to the resort you are in. Here in Ko Olina they had ukulele lessons, Lei making, and for Valentine’s Day they had s’mores in the center of the resort.
We always leave these vacations, recharged and so grateful for the family time these resorts give us.
Some Family Highlights.
Douglas taught himself to swim! He was very hesitant at the beginning of the trip, needed his life jacket, had to be able to touch by the end he was floating, snorkeling and swimming! He loves the water and thoroughly enjoyed all the water time.
Eleanor, one day she swam for six hours. She too loved to snorkel and practice her gymnastics in the pool. Back at the beach, she found her true love – sea glass. It is amazing how she loves to explore and dig through the sand to find treasures.
Williams highlight was also strengthening his swimming abilities and his love for hiking. Him and grandpa were the first two to the lighthouse lookout. He reminded grandpa that when you are so close to finishing something you should not quit, take a rest and ‘keep on truck’n’. Such great advice. William also really enjoyed learning about Pearl Harbour and asked us some really good questions about World War Two and other major events in our history.
Wherever it Points 