Hyrum and I went to Oahu for his medical conference this year. I had only been to Oahu twice and really didn't remember much about what there was to do so it was kind of fun and exciting to explore a "new" island. My good friend, Becky Platt, and her great family live in Oahu...stationed there with the Army...so it was doubly awesome to go to Oahu because I got to hang out with my friend! She showed us around to all her favorite hikes and we got to hang out and play games. We stayed at the Disney resort, Aulani, which was pretty nice. Hyrum and I aren't huge Disney fans but this was where his medical conference was so it's where we stayed. The resort DID have a pretty great beach and it was nice to just order drinks to be delivered to you right on the beach! Hyrum didn't go to many of the conference lectures but he did spend a few hours each day in lectures. But mostly we just played, ate fish tacos and relaxed at the beach!
At our resort on day one...soaking in some Hawaiian sun
Virgin pina colada? Sure, don't mind if I do:)
Exploring some cool lava rocks and tide pools...
...of course I slipped and cut my toe on a sharp rock on Day 1! Luckily I had a doctor with me. He put pressure on the cut to stop the bleeding then scrubbed most of the blood off my foot with wet sand.
We met up with the Platt's at Wahiawa Botanical Gardens. They were just coming from church which is why they are so dressed up. L-R: Connor, me, Becky and Cael
Becky showing off her mad ukulele skills:)
We went for a fun, short hike on the Kolekole trail to an amazing lookout. This hike is on the Army base so most people don't have access to it. What a great little treasure to have right in your backyard!
The "sacrifice" stone. This was just off the trail on our hike. Ancient Hawaiian's would sacrifice people using this stone. Someone would kneel on the backside of the stone then rest their head in the trough at the top and that way when their head was chopped off all the blood would then run down the "drain" to be collected. Kind of cool but also pretty creepy.
The first of the trail is pretty steep but then it flattens out before too long
What an amazing view at the end of the hike!
We met up with Ben Platt for a short minute. He was actually doing "training" all week and wasn't even home but we stole him for a few hours here and there during the week. We have so many great memories with this fun couple from our time in Germany together.
Kayaking the Anahulu river near Hale'iwa. Becky was able to borrow a kayak and some paddle boards so we could adventure down the river. It was a beautiful and relaxing paddle. We even saw a sea turtle floating by in the river!
Becky's niece, Tessa, joined with us for the paddle
Enjoying a yummy açaí treat after our adventure.
Becky and Tess had to go but Hyrum and I enjoyed wandering around Hale'iwa together. We got some yummy food at 7 Brothers and then found some gelato. I love wandering around shops but I don't necessarily need to buy anything.
Hyrum remembered a cool old banyan tree near Turtle Bay from our previous trip to Oahu so we went to check it out. Unfortunately it is not doing so well these days, they think it might be some sort of bug that is killing it. Still enjoyed our nice walk through the forest to get to it.
Having fun at Turtle Bay
We stopped at Ted's bakery for some yummy haupia pie to share with the Platt's
Playing games...having fun!
We spent an entire day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Such a fun place to explore and enjoy learning about different people from all around the Pacific. My favorite is always the New Zealand show!
Playing the Maori "stick game" from New Zealand. I grew up playing this because my dad served his mission in New Zealand...so I'm pretty much a rock star at this game 😜
Hyrum got called out of the audience to help with a drum demonstration. He really hates being the center of attention but he was a pretty good sport:)
They gave him a cool hat for helping out:)
We got cool warrior tattoos...
...and learned some spear throwing skills. I was completely terrible at this!
We took a fun boat ride through all the different "islands" at the PCC
The Platt's couldn't stay for the luau but Hyrum and I enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner and fun show. I loved the pina colada they serve in the fresh pineapple!
We watched the evening show which features amazing fire stick dancing but we weren't allowed to take photos. Overall it was a really fun day at the PCC.
Any day is a good day when you start off at the beach!
The tacos and sushi at T8ste buds in Waianae were amazing! I will definitely be going back if I'm ever in Oahu again!
We drove to the end of the island and had fun playing in Yokohama Bay. The waves were pretty rough but it was nice to cool off a bit.
We explored around the Ku'ilioloa Heiau. It's so neat that a piece of ancient Hawaiian history is preserved to explore.
Attempting to hike the Pu'u O Hulu trail or "pink pillbox" before the sun sets. This was 3/4 mile hike with 600 feet elevation gain. So when I say we hiked up this hill...we really hiked UP the hill. It was crazy steep!
Really cool tree on the trail. It looked like something from Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
...just in time for the sunset:) I was very proud of myself!
I like to start my day with some delicious spam musubi! Hyrum thinks I'm crazy but I love how salty and flavorful it is!
Becky took us on one of her favorite hikes, the 'Aiea Loop Trail. This was about a 5 mile trail but mostly flat. I loved that most of it was in the forest so it wasn't too hot. We also got some amazing views along the hike.
I loved how you could see the highway cutting right through the landscape. What an amazing engineering feat to link both sides of the island.
Along the trail there is a plane wreckage from a military plane that crashed into the side of the mountain in 1944 due to bad weather and visibility issues.
After the hike I needed some hot malasadas from Leonards bakery:)
We explored the "mermaid caves" but decided not to go inside the underground cave. The ocean was very rough bringing lots of water into the underground caves and I was also worried that once I dropped into the cave I might not be able to get out again. This is something I think my boys would love to explore on a calmer day.
Another beautiful Hawaiian sunset to close out our day
For dinner we got pizza from Best Side Pies. I'm including this in my blog so I can remember them because this pizza was delicious and I want to eat it every day next time I'm in Oahu!
We stopped by the Halona Blow Hole and the choppy, big waves made for some spectacular "eruptions"
More beautiful views of turquoise water
Some of my favorite fish tacos on Maui are from Paia fish market so I was very excited to find they had one in Oahu as well!
We saw many cool plants and trees
You can drive about a mile into the garden and you end at a beautiful viewpoint of these mountains
After our fun day of exploring we went back to the Platt's house for some yummy soup and more games with the family. I wish I would have gotten a photo of when we left. All the family came out on their front steps and sand "Aloha Oe" (a traditional Hawaiian farewell song) it was very sweet 💕
One more photo from our balcony as we got ready to check out of the hotel and head home.
Hawaii is always a wonderful place to visit and explore. What makes it even better is when you can visit with friends. We certainly had a blast hanging out with the Platt family! This trip was one of the most relaxing times we have spent in Hawaii. We usually don't spend much time at the beaches just reading and enjoying floating around in the water but this time we really took advantage of being in a resort right on the ocean with beach chairs and towels set up and just inviting you to sit and relax:)
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