After the swap meet, we went and ate lunch at a place called YogurStory. One of Tami's cousins recommended we try it because they have good waffles. It was a little hole in the wall place on the outside but looked like an upscape restaurant on the inside. Their waffles didn't disappoint. Tami got a dulce de leche version and I got an oreo version.
When we were done there we headed off to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling.
This is an awesome place to snorkel in Oahu as it is a large preserve.
It has lots of rocks/coral where the fish hang out and feed. Tami, Hayden
& I went out looking at fish and we saw lots of them. Seeing Hayden's expressions as we saw the fish was priceless.
After snorkeling we came back to the hotel to get showered and changed. We decided we wanted Mexican food for dinner so we looked around (online) for a good Mexican restaurant. There ended up being one fairly close so we went there. The food was good. It wasn't the best Mexican food I have ever had but it was a lot better than I expected. We got some ice cream cones across the street from the hotel to cap off dinner. Tami wanted shaved ice but for some reason we can't find a place to sell it past 6:00.
We let the kids go to the play house for the last 45 minutes. Tami and I sat around the pool listening to some Hawaiian band that was playing outside. When 9:00 rolled around, we went to our hotel's fireside storytelling. A guy (named uncle - anyone older than you is nicknamed uncle) told the audience a story about how a couple of flowers became to be the flowers we see today. The kids seemed to enjoy it.
A great day today. Tomorrow is a character breakfast/lunch and then whatever. It's our last full day at our hotel so we are going to take advantage as most as possible.
I was kind of upset none of my GoPro pictures didn't turn out that great. We saw some awesome fish and I tried to take pictures but it was hard sometimes with the waves hitting us and holding Hayden's hand the whole time.
After getting the kids at Aunty's we went to Fireside Mo‘olelo and listen to stories by the fire before bedtime
(Written by Aaron) Day 6 - Today was our last full day at the hotel. We started the day with the character breakfast. The food was really good (although I like Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel better - more of a selection). Our kids finally were able to have fresh pineapple and to drink POG juice (we haven't eaten breakfast outside of our hotel before today so they were missing out on these things). We were able to get our picture taken with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy. We were seated outside which at first I wasn't happy with but that's where all the activity was so it ended up being the best seats in the house.
Last trip to Aunty's. They did a class called "Fish are friends, not food." Something they say on Finding Nemo.
As we were leaving we ran into Chip and Dale. So we said our good-byes to Chip and Dale and this awesome resort.
Paxton loves this picture because he got a hug
Hayden made that real lei at Aunty's and ended up flying home with it and giving it to my mom the next day. The flowers were still alive but half of them were missing.
After getting to Kailua we drove to Chinamans hat
Looking at Chinamans hat we stood on this beach and realized it was black sand
Then we drove to the temple. Here's the kids at the Temple visitor center
Laie Hawaii Temple
Driving back into the city after dinner (to head towards the airport) I was soaking all this scenery in that I could, one last time. I couldn't get over how beautiful these mountains where and how green everything was.
and we drove by Chinamans hat one more time
After snorkeling we came back to the hotel to get showered and changed. We decided we wanted Mexican food for dinner so we looked around (online) for a good Mexican restaurant. There ended up being one fairly close so we went there. The food was good. It wasn't the best Mexican food I have ever had but it was a lot better than I expected. We got some ice cream cones across the street from the hotel to cap off dinner. Tami wanted shaved ice but for some reason we can't find a place to sell it past 6:00.
We let the kids go to the play house for the last 45 minutes. Tami and I sat around the pool listening to some Hawaiian band that was playing outside. When 9:00 rolled around, we went to our hotel's fireside storytelling. A guy (named uncle - anyone older than you is nicknamed uncle) told the audience a story about how a couple of flowers became to be the flowers we see today. The kids seemed to enjoy it.
A great day today. Tomorrow is a character breakfast/lunch and then whatever. It's our last full day at our hotel so we are going to take advantage as most as possible.
Hanauma Bay
After dinner we got some ice cream, took the kids to play at Aunty's
beach house before bed while Aaron and I sat by the lazy river listening
to live Hawaiian music in the cool breeze. I never want to leave.... I need a Aunty's beach house in my every day life!
(Written by Aaron) Day 6 - Today was our last full day at the hotel. We started the day with the character breakfast. The food was really good (although I like Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel better - more of a selection). Our kids finally were able to have fresh pineapple and to drink POG juice (we haven't eaten breakfast outside of our hotel before today so they were missing out on these things). We were able to get our picture taken with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy. We were seated outside which at first I wasn't happy with but that's where all the activity was so it ended up being the best seats in the house.
After breakfast we dropped the kids off at the play house and we came
back to the room to relax and figure out the rest of the day. We got
the kids and got them dressed for swimming. Donald Duck was supposed to
make an appearance at 2:30 so we were excited to go and see him and get
our picture taken with him. We got to the area at 2:32 and there was
already a Disney employee at the end of the line saying the family in
front of him was the last family. I'm not sure why he wasn't staying
any longer but we weren't able to get our picture with him. That was a
little disappointing.
We wanted to swim on our last day here so we took advantage of the pool and water features (water slide and lazy river). We all enjoyed the last times in the water.
When done, we got dressed and drove back up to the north shore for dinner. Someone that Tami's parents knows recommended we go to this restaurant up there called Haleiwa Joe's. The food was pretty good. I got their prime rib and it was HUGE (probably 32 ounces bone in). Tami read the reviews on the way there so we were prepared. We decided we would split it if they still had some in stock when we got there.
After dinner, we drove back to the hotel and dropped the kids off at the play house for the final hour they were open (the kids really love this place so we are more than happy to drop them off there as much as possible ). Tami and I just sat around the pool waiting for 9:00 to come around (when they closed).
Overall a nice relaxing end to our vacation.
Tomorrow is check out and fly home day.
Coconut Minnie ears
That afternoon we enjoyed some Dole Pineapple ice cream by the pool. They sell it a Disneyland so of course Aulani has it too.
Awesome prime rib at dinner at Haleiwa Joe's
Our last night there I took a picture of where the kids slept. Aaron and I had a room but they slept in the great room on a hide-a-bed and a bed that was build in under the entertainment center. It worked out great for us.
(Written by Aaron) Day 7 - our last day
On the day of checkout, we can use all the amenities, we just lose the room at 11. So we sent the kids to the play house in the morning while we finished packing. At 10:30, when they were done with one of the activities there, we went and got them, hurriedly fed them lunch and then took all our stuff out to the car. We then sent them back to the kids club while we went to Costco to fill up the car, get the obligatory chocolate covered macadamia nuts and eat lunch. At about 1:30 we went to get them for the final time (yes, it was a little sad). We still had almost 10 hours to kill (our flight didn't leave until 10:15) so we headed to the east side of the island. We had heard there was a cool drive going to Kailua so we had decided that's where we were going to go to kill the time.
We got to Kailua (the drive was AMAZING) and decided we were going to head up the coast to show the kids Chinaman's Hat Island. On the way up the coast we stopped at a shaved ice truck to get our last true Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
After those things we still had time to kill so we kept heading up the coast. We got close enough to the Laie Hawaii Temple so we decided we would do a quick stop there so the kids could see it. We didn't have any time to tour the Visitor's Center nor to take a tour (unfortunately because it looked really cool inside the Visitor's Center) so we took a few pics and headed back down the coast towards the airport.
It was getting close to dinner time so we started looking for a place to eat. We ended up at a dive called Keneke Grill. This place was good. The first place where I didn't feel ripped off after eating. For less than $10 we got a HUGE portion of kalua pic, chicken katsu, plus the obligatory macaroni salad and french fries. If we end up there again, we will just get a 1 meat plate and that will be more than enough to fill us up.
After dinner we made the final leg to the airport. We dropped the rental car off and got shuttled to the airport. Thank goodness there wasn't a repeat of the flight over (over a 5 hour delay).
Overall a GREAT vacation that I'm sure the family will remember for years to come.
We wanted to swim on our last day here so we took advantage of the pool and water features (water slide and lazy river). We all enjoyed the last times in the water.
When done, we got dressed and drove back up to the north shore for dinner. Someone that Tami's parents knows recommended we go to this restaurant up there called Haleiwa Joe's. The food was pretty good. I got their prime rib and it was HUGE (probably 32 ounces bone in). Tami read the reviews on the way there so we were prepared. We decided we would split it if they still had some in stock when we got there.
After dinner, we drove back to the hotel and dropped the kids off at the play house for the final hour they were open (the kids really love this place so we are more than happy to drop them off there as much as possible ). Tami and I just sat around the pool waiting for 9:00 to come around (when they closed).
Overall a nice relaxing end to our vacation.
Tomorrow is check out and fly home day.
Coconut Minnie ears
That afternoon we enjoyed some Dole Pineapple ice cream by the pool. They sell it a Disneyland so of course Aulani has it too.
Awesome prime rib at dinner at Haleiwa Joe's
Our last night there I took a picture of where the kids slept. Aaron and I had a room but they slept in the great room on a hide-a-bed and a bed that was build in under the entertainment center. It worked out great for us.
(Written by Aaron) Day 7 - our last day
On the day of checkout, we can use all the amenities, we just lose the room at 11. So we sent the kids to the play house in the morning while we finished packing. At 10:30, when they were done with one of the activities there, we went and got them, hurriedly fed them lunch and then took all our stuff out to the car. We then sent them back to the kids club while we went to Costco to fill up the car, get the obligatory chocolate covered macadamia nuts and eat lunch. At about 1:30 we went to get them for the final time (yes, it was a little sad). We still had almost 10 hours to kill (our flight didn't leave until 10:15) so we headed to the east side of the island. We had heard there was a cool drive going to Kailua so we had decided that's where we were going to go to kill the time.
We got to Kailua (the drive was AMAZING) and decided we were going to head up the coast to show the kids Chinaman's Hat Island. On the way up the coast we stopped at a shaved ice truck to get our last true Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
After those things we still had time to kill so we kept heading up the coast. We got close enough to the Laie Hawaii Temple so we decided we would do a quick stop there so the kids could see it. We didn't have any time to tour the Visitor's Center nor to take a tour (unfortunately because it looked really cool inside the Visitor's Center) so we took a few pics and headed back down the coast towards the airport.
It was getting close to dinner time so we started looking for a place to eat. We ended up at a dive called Keneke Grill. This place was good. The first place where I didn't feel ripped off after eating. For less than $10 we got a HUGE portion of kalua pic, chicken katsu, plus the obligatory macaroni salad and french fries. If we end up there again, we will just get a 1 meat plate and that will be more than enough to fill us up.
After dinner we made the final leg to the airport. We dropped the rental car off and got shuttled to the airport. Thank goodness there wasn't a repeat of the flight over (over a 5 hour delay).
Overall a GREAT vacation that I'm sure the family will remember for years to come.
As we were leaving we ran into Chip and Dale. So we said our good-byes to Chip and Dale and this awesome resort.
The drive to Kailua
After getting to Kailua we drove to Chinamans hat
Looking at Chinamans hat we stood on this beach and realized it was black sand
Then we drove to the temple. Here's the kids at the Temple visitor center
Laie Hawaii Temple
and we drove by Chinamans hat one more time
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