Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii!

After the showers...Rainbows decorate the sky.

Part I- Oahu I finally was able to check the Hawaiian Islands off my Bucket List. Wow, what an incredible journey and highly recommended if you haven't visited this tropical paradise yet. My husband and I decided to visit four of the islands because we weren't sure if we would ever be able to make a return trip. However, we had such an awesome trip and picked some favorite destinations that we really hope to return someday. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful trip that will always hold terrific memories for us.

I have so much to share I decided to split my stories into four blog posts: One for each island we visited and the order we visited them. That way it will be less overwhelming for the reader and I can focus on what was important to share about each island.

Some of the cultural information and travel tips apply to every island, but each island has it's own unique characteristics and also features that create each island's personality.

The Hawaiian Islands are typically classified by eight main islands: Hawaii, Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, Moloka'i, Oahu, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. The westernmost island of Niʻihau has a population of around 130 natives, no one else is allowed on the island. The most frequently visited islands are: Oahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island of Hawaii. The island of Oahu has just over one million residents (about 70% of the state's population).

So we started our journey flying into Honolulu on the island of Oahu. So many of my preconceived notions about the islands have already been changed. First of all, I thought you had to fly into Honolulu, then fly to the other islands. Well, I found out that many airlines fly directly to the other islands if that is what you prefer. Well, we started at Oahu then island hopped to the other destinations via Hawaiian Airlines. It went amazingly well and our travel agent did a great job of organizing flights and transfers. A terrific shout out to Travel Leaders in New Richmond, Wisconsin for helping us with an adventure and an amazing trip. I have planned many trips on my own, but I was very intimidated by the island hopping...so many things to remember! I really appreciated their expertise and having our trip "mapped out" for us.

The warm welcome to Hawaii with a floral Lei!

Upon our arrival in Honolulu, we were greeting with the traditional floral lei. It was amazing to me that they were made with REAL flowers (plumeria) and they were so lovely and fragrant! After the long flight, it really brought you back to life and made you realize...yeah I really am in Hawaii! For Hawaiians the Lei not only symbolizes "welcome", but is used to cover an array of heartfelt messages from baptisms and birthdays to "I Love You". I definitely felt welcomed.

So after settling into our hotel on Waikiki Beach, we had a quick bite to eat and decided to call it a day...a long day. There is a 4 hour time difference between CST and Hawaii time. We knew we had to get some sleep, because we had a tour scheduled with a shuttle picking us up at 7 am.

So our first introduction to Hawaii was a terrific "Circle Island Tour" all around the Oahu coastline. Several different stops at points of interest were made with our final destination at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. No wonder we had to leave so early...this was an all day excursion. What made the tour so incredibly fun and educational was our driver: Ben.

He was a Native from Oahu that told us his Native name several times. It was seemingly a mile long and impossible to pronounce for a non-native...but he just smiled and said..."You can call me Ben". Ben was a delight to spend time with and also an incredible wealth of information on the tour. We learned all about Shaka and how it represents the spread of goodwill. Hang Loose, Dude.

One of our stops was at the beautiful Waimea Botanical Gardens in Haleiwa, Oahu. Wonderful showcase of all the variety of plants that grow in this tropical place. The Waimea Valley is considered a sacred historical site to be preserved by the Hawaiian people. It is here that I learned all about Monkeypod trees. Not only are they uniquely shaped and grow very large in stature, they are a good source of hardwood for various products.

Peacock in a "Monkeypod" tree

In wandering around the gardens, you not only see the beautiful native flora, but as you can imagine you are in the presence of so many types of birds. Many you see, but many you just hear in the tree tops. When I was there, there was a male peacock loudly calling to his mate. Wish he would have spread his feathers in display to her...but I got a fairly decent photo nevertheless.

Then at the northern part of the island, towards the end of our tour, we stopped at the Dole Plantation. People think pineapple when they think of Hawaii, that's why this is such a fun stop. Large crops of pineapple are grown here in Oahu, but most of the world's pineapple come from Costa Rica. Nevertheless, the Dole Plantation provides a terrific place for the tourists to go. And of course the pineapple is a universal symbol of hospitality.

Dole Plantation Tour: all decked out with my pineapple print blouse & my Dole Whip..yum!

When we were there it was fun to learn how the pineapple plants grow and are propagated. And I tried an absolutely scrumptious taste treat that I got "hooked" on while visiting the islands: Dole Whip. It's basically pineapple, soft serve ice cream but it has what I thought was a hint of lemon to smooth out the flavor. I really liked it, and I don't think that is something you can find back on the Mainland. It became one of my vacation experiences...exclusive to Hawaii.

This was all just day one...Whew!

Then the next day we had another tour scheduled to Pearl Harbor. Bright and early, like our first tour. So we went to where the tour buses pick up and Lo & Behold there was Ben...our favorite driver/tour guide. Just by coincidence we got him again, there are many different tours, and drivers, that go in and out each day. He was so great to spend time with. On this tour, we took the 1/2 day tour to the Pearl Harbor memorial.

USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor

Many travelers to Hawaii visit this memorial during their trip. It is the most visited site on the island of Oahu and is still a working military base. I am thankful that my husband and I included it in our travel plans, but the experience is not your typical "vacation destination." The mood is somber as you ponder the reality of what happened here. Yet, there is also a strength and faith of what it means to be American and what we fight for. The memorial and Visitors Center provide a very honorable and respectful remembrance of all the soldiers that lost their lives just as America was entering into WWII. Late in 1941, it was becoming clear that America's involvement with war was inevitable. Yet on December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor: the catalyst that brought the United States into World War II. On that day, more that 2,000 people lost their lives. The USS Arizona took a direct hit and sank at this site and still rests in the waters below where the memorial has been placed. From the USS Arizona alone, 1,177 crewmen lost their lives. A memorial wall lists all the soldiers who lost their lives that day.

This site is considered a national historical site, and is therefore operated by the National Park Service. The NPS Rangers staff the facility and help shepherd visitors through the lines and also to the ferry that takes visitors to the site. I was so incredibly impressed with how the Rangers helped to convey the need for reverence and respect. Sometimes you need to remind folks of those behaviors, and they did it very well. Our group anyway, was polite and reverent.

That evening, the serious nature of the day was softened by the beauty of a glorious sunset on Waikiki Beach. It is really awesome to see the sun sink into the ocean; the colors seem to be that much more vibrant. Aloha

Sunset @ Waikiki Beach, Honolulu