Project 365...Hawai'i Post

So last May/early June we had the incredible opportunity to go to Hawai'i to do a job. Technically, the DH got the opportunity to do a job, I got to tag along. But considering it only cost us my plane ticket and my food, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do something of this magnitude this affordably!

We got to stay at a very nice, rather fancy hotel on Waikiki Beach, which is on the island of Oahu near Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Much to our dismay, we did not get to make it to Pearl Harbor. We decided that would be the thing that would draw us back next time.

[Sidebar: The hotel resort was very nice, but next time I want an open-air bungalow on a virtually uninhabited beach on Kauai! The locals told me that's where I can find "old Hawai'i." Sounds like the place for me!]

So here are just a few selected pics taken from our trip:

This was taken at one of the Luau's we went to. Good times.

One of my favorite things we made a habit of doing was walking along the beach at night. DH snapped this picture while I was putting my sandals back on after said walk. This was the night of the Luau in the above picture.

It fascinates me that clouds like this seem to hover over the island like this.

Sunset on Waikiki Beach

I've never seen so many different types of beautiful flowers. EV.ERY.WHERE.

Sands of Waikiki

Eyes of complete bliss! This was taken at Ted's Bakery, which is apparently a locally famous spot for eating chocolate haupia (coconut pudding) pies.
Oh. My. Word. Watch the video at the end of the post to see more!

Waikiki at night.
Our hotel is on the left with the rainbow on it.

I think this is some kind of ginger blossom.

Flamingos. At the hotel. Yep.
It was almost like a built in zoo at the hotel: parrots, wrens, flamingos, PENGUINS (?!), ducks, etc.

I'm not sure if this is some kind of Bird of Paradise or not. But it's pretty!

This, of course, is the hibiscus, the State Flower of Hawai'i

I could bore you to TEARS with all the sunset pictures I could've put on here.

These trees were AMAZING. See the colors painted on them? That's their natural bark color! Yellows, reds, oranges, and lime greens striped all the way up these towering trees. Just beautiful.

Dole Plantation

Heaven...I'm in heaven...and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...come on, sing it with me!

Fields and fields of cocoa plants!
This picture makes me teary eyed.
Seriously.

Pineapple Row
World's BEST pineapples. Hands down.

DH on one of the beaches on the North Shore

See that big dark thing just to the left of me? Can you guess what that is?!

It's a Honu...a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!
That previous picture was the closest I was allowed to get to her as they are carefully protected animals there. They have volunteers that stay at that beach (a honu feeding and basking area) for 4-hour intervals 24-hours a day.

Surfer on the North Shore.

This is the view from the same beach. Just breathtaking!

Mountains along the central part of the island of Oahu.

Pineapple fields forever....

Learning a hula
at the Polynesian Cultural Center
(which, if you ever get the chance...you MUST go there!)

Our tour guide at the Polynesian Cultural Center was from Tahiti, and she taught us how to make these childhood toys from palm leaves. It's a fish!

This was an Aussie named Bobbie (say it with the Australian accent!)
We met for the first time at the bottom of Diamond Head, so we decided to climb it together. She was visiting Hawai'i from Sydney all by herself!

The view looking back on the trail we were climbing to get to the top of the volcano crater.

There were tunnels to go through...

...and 282 VERY steep steps to climb...

...and an equally steep spiral staircase to climb...

This view is about half way up.

This is from the edge of the crater looking over the town behind.

This is inside the filled-in crater and also the place we started. We're not to the top yet!

THIS is from the top! View of Honolulu.

More of the same, but pulling the zoom back a little...

...and this is the actual view with no zoom from my camera. Absolutely no words.

Closer shot of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head.

Notice the curvature of the earth in the horizon. Wow.

This is an historic lighthouse at the base of the Diamond Head crater.

As promised, here's a little video of Ted's Bakery. You should watch at least the first minute or two if you'd like a good laugh.



Hope you enjoyed a walk through paradise on earth. I know I did. :-) Thanks again to Sara at Make Music from Your Heart to the Lord for hosting this awesome meme. Go check out what others have been up to! Have a great week! Aloha!