Hanauma Bay and Sharks Cove

Hanauma Bay

Breathtaking isn't it? Hanauma Bay is a protected conservation perfect for snorkeling, and thats just what we did.

Just laying on the beach and taking in the surroundings I felt that this truly was paradise. It was so gorgeous, and an absolute perfect day.

Sharks Cove

Another great place that we went snorkeling at was Sharks Cove. While snorkeling a lady saw an octopus that changed colors. Neither Brad or I saw it, and in my case thats probably a good thing, because I probably would have freaked out.

Monoa Falls and Diamond Head

While in Hawaii we went on a couple of hikes. One to a waterfall and the other overlooking Honolulu. We wanted to go on a couple more, but just didn't have the time. Manoa Falls was definitely a more scenic hike, but they were both fun to do and had spectacular views.

Monoa Falls

Diamond Head

Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center was one of the highlights of the trip. This is Hawaii's top paid attraction and I know why. It is so fun to come and learn about the Polynesian culture and the students from BYU Hawaii are so fun to be around. The church never ceases to amaze me in how smart they are, they certainly got it right when they built this. Plus all the money that they make goes towards scholarships for the students at BYU Hawaii.

We actually made two trips to the Center, because there is so much to do and we didn't get to finish it all in one day.

At the Center they have 6 islands from the South Pacific (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Hawaii) that are represented and at each "island" they teach you about their culture and have a show as well as hands on activities to do.

This man (apparently his name means "so handsome",or so he told us) did the show for Samoa and was Hilarious! He said in their culture that the men do all the cooking out of respect for the women so he taught us how to make a fire, cut open a coconut, and make coconut milk.
They also showed us how they get their coconuts. He was so fast!
On the way back down he posed for the ladies.
In another island we went fishing. Brad was the only lucky one to catch one.
We also learned how they settle disputes in Tonga. By seeing who could through their spear the farthest. Brad won on this one.At the luaus we sat next to 2 missionary couples serving their mission in SLC. They were taking an extra long P-day. It was fun to listen to all their stories. For one couple this was their third mission and had previously served in the middle east when the war broke out and telling us how dangerous it was and how careful you had to be when discussing the church or you could get killed.Here is our pig that we had for dinner.



The night time show was incredible! They had fire dancers and of course hula dancers. I find it amazing that they can shake their hips so fast.

The Cultural Center was so fun. It made me really wish I would have gone to BYU Hawaii for a semester.

Pearl Harbor & Dole Plantation

Pearl Harbor

On September 12 Brad and I went to Pearl Harbor. I felt that this was very appropriate since the day before was September 11, the 9th anniversary of the greatest attack to America. An attack of which hasn't been seen by Americans since the day of infamy: December 7, 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor is a very serene place that holds the upmost respect for the lives lost and forever changed on that day.

The sunken USS Arizona battleship has become a Memorial to commemorate all military personal killed during the Pearl Harbor Attack. The Memorial is above the sunken battleship and you can see the eerie ship below the water.

Over 1,177 men were killed on the USS Arizona and is many of the crews final resting place. The first thing I noticed when we reached the memorial was the smell. It smelled of oil. You can still see it in the water. The ship,69 years later, is still leaking oil.

(Picture of part of the ship protruding from the water)

The events on that day changed so many lives. I know it did mine, because my Grandfather served in the South Pacific during WWII. I am so grateful for all the valiant military who serve to defend our country.

Dole Plantation

After Pearl Harbor we went to see the famous Dole Plantation and to try their famous pineapple ice cream. It did not disappoint!
We went on a little train around the plantation and although the history was interesting the plantation itself was a little disappointing. Most of what we saw was barren fields and a few trees. Oh well. It was still fun to ride the little train.