Things to do in Hawaii!

I’m back in California now and already missing Hawaii! In reminiscing about my trip, I’ve compiled a list of things that I think every Hawaii trip needs:

Pineapple Dole Whip Float - I know you can get these in Disneyland but why not get an authentic one on the Pineapple Plantation in a little souvenir cup! It's so yummy and pineapple is a staple of Hawaii so you might as well indulge!

Acai Bowl - these are pretty specific to Hawaii. It's hard to find them anywhere else and the acai bowls are tart and tasty. Sort of like a parfait and Jamba Juice smoothie all in one.

Surf/Paddle Board/Snorkel/Scuba - I suggest doing at least one of these activities while in Hawaii. The clear water and abundance of coral life really makes this worthwhile. And it's a great way to get exercise while enjoying Hawaii!

Shaved Ice - Shaved ice is another one of those local foods that just somehow tastes better in Hawaii. It's a light dessert or afternoon snack and since it's just syrupy water, you don't feel too guilty for having one...or two.

Poi - I had no idea what poi was until we were on our luau bus but the tour guide suggested that we try it, even if we don't like it. According to wiki (and because I'm too lazy to describe it by myself):

Poi is a Hawaiian word for the primary Polynesian staple food made from the corm of the taro plant (known in Hawaiian as kalo). Poi is produced by mashing the cooked corm (baked or steamed) until it is a highly viscous fluid. Water is added during mashing and again just before eating, to achieve a desired consistency, which can range from liquid to dough-like.

I'll be honest, it doesn't look like the most appetizing thing but we dipped our Kahlua pork in it and it doesn't taste like too much of anything at all. It's kind of like an extra dipping sauce.

Mai Tai - If you're 21+, mai tais are the drink to have. Actually, any of the fruit cocktails are delicious but mai tais have Polynesian flavors in them and really help capture the spirit of Hawaii. (See what I did there, SPIRIT?)

Macadamia Pancakes - We had some macadamia pancakes in a local breakfast place and they were amazing. The pancakes were light and fluffy with little macadamia nuts spread throughout and it was the perfect mixture of soft and nutty. I really want to get the recipe for those pancakes but I know it just won't be the same without the Hawaiian sun peeking over my shoulder while I eat them.

Luau - Luaus are SO much fun. It's part tourist-y, part cultural, and lots of food. Though I would highly suggest doing your research before picking a luau (the one we picked gave me some bug bites and an upset stomach), the night is worth it.

So here's my list of things that are needed for every Hawaii trip! I'd love to hear your suggestions because I know I'm going to be making a trip back sometime in the near future!

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

Tonight is my last night in Hawaii. How did the week pass so quickly! We really took advantage of the day and got up early to head back out to Hanauma Bay. We got there around 9:00AM and had to sit through a little information video that told us about the history of the bay and the rules we should follow to help preserve the natural life.

Hanauma Bay is perfect for snorkeling. The water is really clear and there’s a ton of fish. We brought our own snorkels and goggles but next time, I’d recommend just renting the whole set of snorkel, goggles, and fins. It’s cheap and if you don’t plan on snorkeling a whole lot in your future, you might as well just rent for the day. The set was only $12 for the day.

The strange thing about Hanauma Bay is that it’s pretty shallow. When I went snorkeling a few years ago, we took a little boat into the middle of the ocean and then dived in there so the water was pretty deep. At Hanauma Bay, the reef is close to the water so you’re swimming on top of it and all the fish are diving in and out of the rocks.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant to swim over the reef. I have a terrible history with coral reefs because I end to flail and kick and cut up my feet. I got a few scrapes here and today but swimming with the rented fins really helped. Also, it took a little bit of time to get used to the snorkel and breathing through it. I was doing this weird thing where I just held my breath when I put my face in the water but after a few minutes, I got the hang of it and was happily swimming along looking at the fish. It was a wonderful way to end our trip and we even had a nice Italian dinner altogether!

On another note, tomorrow is “National Best Friend Day!” What an appropriate way to end our trip to Hawaii.

The World’s Largest Maze!

Today was so much fun!!! We were planning on going to Pearl Harbor in the morning and then heading to the Dole Plantation but it turns out that Pearl Harbor tours need to be booked at 8AM so we kind of missed that…But we drove to the Dole Plantation instead and it was easily the most fun I’ve had so far on this trip!

I’ve never been to the Dole Plantation before but many of my friends have and I was really excited to go for the first time. We bought the package that included the maze as well as the 20-minute train ride. We decided to run the maze first. The Dole Plantation Maze is touted as the world’s largest maze, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Hidden in the different corners of the maze are 8 little stations that you can have to get to and mark off on our little cards. We split up boys vs. girls and had a somewhat Amazing Race competition. It was so much fun running around and asking everyone if they had seen the “pineapple” or the “sea urchin.”

My finished maze card!

After our maze race, we took a little train ride that took us around the plantation. It had a recorded tour guide who told us about the history of the Dole plantation. All the different crops that grow on the plantation surprised me: not only pineapple, but bananas, breadfruit, rambutan, and sugarcane, too! I also picked up an authentic Pineapple Dole Whip. You can get them at Disneyland too but if you’ve never had one, it’s basically pineapple frozen yogurt sitting in a cup of pineapple juice. I got the little souvenir cup too so I could have a little memento of the place.

Pineapple Dole Whip. Yummiest thing ever!

After Dole Plantation, we went to North Shore for lunch and also swam around on beaches. I wish we had thought ahead to bring snorkel gear but we had our swim goggles and so we paddled around and took a look at the fish swimming around. I am terrible around coral reefs because I kick like none other and I got a few scratches on my feet. Nothing serious, just a few stings.

We decided to take dinner easy and eat at the food court at a mall down the street from where we’re staying. The food court is nice because we can all choose what we want to eat and get different things. Tomorrow we’re going to head back to Hanauma Beach early in the morning with our new snorkel gear to look at the fishies! And then maybe a showing of “The Internship” since it’s coming out tomorrow! I also completely forgot “Now You See Me” is playing and I really want to see that too! So many movies, so little time. Until tomorrow!

Look us, a pile of pineapples!

Hiking In Hawaii

We got a bit of a late start today because we all didn’t feel too well after the luau’s food last night. We rented a car and drove eastward to Hanauma Bay. There was a little trail that we hiked up and saw a beautiful view of the bay. Even though there was a slight rainstorm as we arrived, the water was surreally blue and more than made up for the rain. After our hike, we got ramen at a local joint and then headed back to our hotel for a little R&R.

The rain, unfortunately, was still on and off. For dinner, we went to a place in the nearby mall that a friend suggested. It was called Blue Hawaii Lifestyle and I had my first acai bowl. For those of you who haven’t had acai bowls, it’s kinda like a parfait made of acai berries. Acai berries are supposedly crazy good for you with lots of antioxidants. We ordered the Classic Blue Hawaii, which is acai berries with granola, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. It was delicious! I don’t think they have acai bowls in California so I’m definitely going to take the opportunity to eat as many as I can here!

Acai bowl!

Tomorrow we’re headed to Pearl Harbor and the Dole Plantation. I cannot WAIT to go to the Dole Plantation and try the maze. For the rest of the night, we rented “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill and we’re going to get an earlier start tomorrow. More later and hopefully more acai bowls!

I’d Rather Be a Palm Tree

Today we were scheduled to go snorkeling but due to high winds, they cancelled it because the waves were too big. We’re rescheduled for Friday though! Instead, we took the day to get some local BBQ for lunch. After a mile and some walk, we reached a small mom and pop, hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurant. We got pretty big portions for a cheap price and it was totally worth the walk!

After that, we went to go splash around in the ocean for a while and after about half an hour of splashing, one silly kid realized that he had left his phone in his swimsuit pocket so we had to walk back to the Apple Store and get it replaced.

After that whole fiasco, we signed ourselves up for a Luau! You have to experience a luau if you’re ever in Hawaii. Even though it’s highly commercialized, it’s one of those experiences that is so typical Hawaii that you need to have before you leave. There was entertainment to and from the event, dancing and fire, plenty of libations, and traditional Hawaiian food. Our bus host was pretty entertaining, if a bit tiresome at the end since we all just wanted to sleep on the bus ride back but he really did try to make it as fun as possible! “I’d rather be a palm tree” is a lyric from the many songs the bus host tried to make us sing enthusiastically on the way home. All in all, it was a pretty fun thing to attend and if you’re ever in Hawaii, I recommend that you go to at least one luau!

Hanging loose on the beach!

Lastly, on a separate but equally important note, I’ve become obsessed with Law and Order. I watched a few episodes in the hotel room while I was getting ready (there is always a Law and Order marathon on) and it’s like a more mature version of Castle. When I was younger, I always thought Law and Order was some sort of grown up show, but I guess I’m somewhat grown up now.

I tethered my iPhone for Internet today and it seems to be working a lot better than the hotel connection. It still makes Tumblr insanely laggy but at least blogging is happening again!

Hanging Loose in Hawaii!

As the sun sets on my second day in Hawaii, I finally figured out my internet situation so I can update you what’s going on!
The time difference between California and Hawaii is three hours, which actually works in my favor. I tend to be a late sleeper but the three hours helps me be an early bird here in Hawaii. Our flight was actually delayed four hours from Oakland but thanks to the time change, we still have plenty of time to explore.

Our first day, we checked in and scouted out the place. We’re staying in the Hilton Waikiki Hawaii Village and the entire place is made to keep you in their constructed village. It’s a pretty nice set up with a different hotel towers and a range of shops. There’s the beachfront and a small lagoon and plenty of places to paddle board or learn to surf or snorkel. We had a pretty relaxed day walking around and having dinner at one of the hotel restaurants and ended the night with a couple of rounds of Cards Against Humanity and Heads Up.

Today was mostly a planning day. After waking up relatively early, we grabbed a quick bite before heading out to the beach and to enjoy the sun. No matter how many times people say it, the ocean is always a surreal blue in Hawaii and it feels so nice to just float and bob around in it. After lunch, we did a bit of planning to figure out what we’re going to do for the rest of the week. As nice as it is just sitting on the beach, you have to take advantage of the sunny skies and all the fun ocean activities there is to do. So far, we have planned a snorkeling trip tomorrow and a visit to North Beach and hopefully a trip to the Dole Plantation.  I have not gotten my fill of pineapple yet!

My internet isn’t actually the fastest, unfortunately. It takes quite a while for each page to load, but I’ll do my best to keep you updated on the sunny beaches of Waikiki!

Look at the guys with their fruity drinks

Leaving for Hawaii!

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be leaving for Hawaii!!! I’m not entirely sure what my wifi/internet deal is so I’m going to try and queue a bit of stuff tonight so you have something to read while I’m away.

I can’t wait for a week of sun and sand and lots of relaxing. Everything about Hawaii just screams relaxation doesn’t it? I’ve been packing all day because I’m a serial overpacker, but surprisingly, I’ve loaded everything into my one duffel (that still qualifies as a carry-on) and my large Longchamp bag (which qualifies as a personal item)! Hurrah! That means I don’t have to check anything in and I can save myself $25.

I’m going to do a short “What’s In My Bag?” post for tomorrow morning and then I have some other topics I’m going to just write about but is there anything in particular you want to read about?

Here's to more jumping on the beach!

My Best Friend’s Back!!

In a few hours or so, I’m going to be picking my best friend up from the airport and we’re going to have the week of a lifetime! After living together for two years, it’s strange spending time apart. Next year is going to be rough.

The Bestie and I visiting San Francisco! This is our first picture together on Facebook. We were so young!

On Sunday we’re going to be leaving for Hawaii and spending a week there! It’s going to be our last hurrah and a whole week of fun before we start our real post grad, work lives. Being a new grad, I highly recommend taking a grad trip before you start work. Most jobs won’t force you to start right after you graduate, they’ll give you a bit of time to move and get your priorities in order before jumping into the work world. Take some time to explore the world, with your friends or your family! I’m lucky to have had my family so close to my college so I got to go home on the weekends to see them.

For our grad trip, my roommate and I picked Hawaii. It’s not outside of the US but at the time same time, it’s a bit exotic and foreign. And who doesn’t love the beach? We’re looking forward to tanning and swimming and surfing and libations in coconuts. I can’t wait!!!

The last time I went to Hawaii was my sophomore year in college during my winter break. Since our football team didn’t make a bowl game, I had most of my winter break free, which meant I got to travel with my family to Hawaii. We spent the days in the sun and having delicious food and I learned to surf. It was such a lovely time. This time we’re headed to Waikiki. Anyone have any suggestions on what to do there?

Check me out! I'm surfing!

Also, this is my 21st post, something I guess I should commemorate because I’m 21 years old! Being 21 was something I looked forward to, not only for the lovely drinks, but because it marked my last year of college. I have a summer birthday so I always stay the same age during the school year, which I always thought was kinda cool. I can’t wait to exploit the fact that I’m 21 in Hawaii!