I said that I would post something about Hawaii so I will make it short and sweet!
I had a fantastic time in Hawaii! Marissa is just like a sister to me so being with her again was the best part of the trip. I got to spend more time with her and her new family (Tony and Jordan) and was able to see all of the lovely island of Oahu the she currently inhabits!
I was able to see her wedding dress (I won't post pictures! ha!) and the site where she will be getting married and having the reception.
We spent a good amount of time at Pearl Harbor. The place was wonderful! It was a gorgeous day when we were there. Several survivors from Pearl Harbor were on site which was really neat to see. The Arizona Memorial was pretty impressive. The site was free and we were able to see all of the exhibits they had to offer. I would recommend it to anyone heading out to the island =]
The scheduling throughout the week never seemed to be in our favor =/ The two days we had planned to go snorkeling, the beach was closed (it was in a national park) and the day we planned on doing a hike at Diamond Head, that was also closed (another park).
We took a hike to the Makapuu Lighthouse and the view was stunning! I also attempted to surf the Pacific with Tony but an attempt is all I can call it... Marissa and I also spent a whole day at the Polynesian Cultural Center where we learned about the 6/7 main islands that share the same history. It was a really great day and it ended with a luau and a show called Ha: Breath of Life. Oh yeah - it was over 82 degrees the entire time I was there =] hehe I experienced my very first (and hopefully only!) tsunami evacuation after the earthquake in Japan. Thankfully nothing happened but it did result in sitting in a 'safe place' until about 4am =/
There are some pictures below but I didn't get a chance to take a whole lot because a lot of them are from driving in a car. Enjoy!
Love, Sha =]
Pearl Harbor with the USS Arizona Memorial in the far right corner
The USS Arizona Memorial (The rusted portions sticking up above the water are actual portions of the ship. When you are inside and you look down, you can see the battleship and a map within the memorial tells you what parts of the ship you are looking at.)
Marissa and I at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (and yes, I am that short!)
Just showing off my newly discovered photo skills. Pretty sweet, huh?
The USA flag and the Hawai'i state flag
Homeless Hawaiin Lane! (They get checks from the state but they like living in tents in downtown Waikiki better!)
Fort Hasse (spelling?) Beach which is on base closest to their house
Cheesy pose at Pyramid Rock Beach on the other side of the flight line
Another beach on base (I don't remember the name) that is full of coconuts! (See, she has a coconut!)
A lovely view from the car window!
The fog always surrounds the mountains like this!
Another lovely Hawaii beach!
A view of Diamond Head, the mountain that we tried to hike. From the top, there is a beautiful view of Waikiki =]
Marissa, Tony and Jordan at the Makapu'u Lighthouse Hike on my final morning
View from the top of the Makapuu Lighthouse Hike!
Me at the luau
Marissa at the luau
In front of one of the Polynesian places, Rapa Nui
Me and the mighty Pacific
Just monkeying around ;]
Can you see me?!
Me in front of the Iolani Palace
View from the base of Diamond Head
Us!
