hawaii part 4 {other activities}
for other hawaii posts:
part 1 - food
part 2 - hikes
part 3 - beaches
Before I get started on everything we did, I first have to mention the Oahu Pass. If you ever go to Oahu, I highly recommend getting an Oahu Pass. We didn't figure things out early enough, but if we had, we could have saved so much money because practically everything we did (Pearl Harbor, Pineapple Plantation, Polynesian Cultural Center, catamaran sailing, paddle boarding, and snorkel equipment for Haunama Bay) is offered through the Oahu Pass! You can get it as a 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7-day pass, and if you get a multi-day pass, you don't have to use it for that many days in a row (i.e., if you get a 2-day pass, you don't have to use it for Monday and Tuesday . . . You can use it for Monday and Friday or whatever). I recommend figuring out the things you want to do, then figuring out how many different things you can fit into one-day increments, and then buying the pass that fits your needs. Compare prices and I'm sure the Oahu Pass will come out to a better deal for you. The only thing you need to be mindful of is whether or not you would pay to do that in the first place. For instance, we went to Pearl Harbor but didn't pay for any extras, so we did what we wanted of Pearl Harbor for free VS. what the Oahu Pass offers for Pearl Harbor are things that cost extra money. Also, for some things you have to make reservations, so keep that in mind as well. But these are definitely worth looking into, and if we ever go back to Oahu I will definitely be making use of these!
Aloha Stadium ($1/person entrance fee; only open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays) - Aloha Stadium is basically a giant marketplace where you can buy all the Hawaii souvenir-type things. Unfortunately, this is the very first thing we did in Hawaii. I say "unfortunately" because 1. Russ doesn't really like long travel, so after long travel, it's a definite possibility that he's in a bad mood. That was true in this case. 2. Because it was the very first thing we did, it was our first time seeing the stuff that Hawaii had to offer. We didn't have anything to compare stuff to, so we didn't know what was best or what there might be something better of. It made it hard to know whether or not we should buy stuff there. So I suggest going in the middle of your trip :) But actually, I guess now I know that I didn't really find any other good/big marketplaces like Aloha Stadium, so I guess go whenever and buy to your heart's content! Haha :) We bought matching turtle tanks, swim shorts for Russ, and some tropical fruit :)
Capitol Building - The Capitol Building was closed when we went (New Year's Day), so we just walked around outside and took some pictures. Russ may have read some signs, but that's not really my thing.
Russ's Birthday - Russ had his 27th birthday while we were in Hawaii! January 3rd is a tough birthday to have because it's so close to Christmas . . . I always have to save some of the things I find for Christmas for his birthday, and I'm not even very good at it. It usually just ends up being DVDs because I used any creative and fun ideas for Christmas. Maybe someday I'll do better! The day was mostly chill though: we watched THREE movies (Walter Mitty, 50 First Dates, and While You Were Sleeping), read and sunbathed outside in the backyard of the house we stayed at, and hiked Koko Crater.
Church - We went to church while we were in Hawaii and I'm so glad we did! People were so nice, and one lady even invited us over for dinner so we wouldn't have to pay to go out that night! That was a really fun night because we got to be in a family atmosphere :) The Grandma was the one who invited us to dinner, but her daughter and two grandsons (who are in their twenties) were there, too. It was fun to chat and eat some tasty Japanese BBQ :)
Pearl Harbor (free with things at additional costs) - Remember how I mentioned above that reading signs isn't really my thing? Yeah . . . still true. I mean, I enjoyed Pearl Harbor well enough, but I would never say it was my favorite thing. Russ really loves airplanes and knows a ton about them, so he loves reading about WWII airplane-related things. My sister-in-law loves history, so Pearl Harbor was her favorite thing she did on her trip to Hawaii. But for me, it was just one of those "everyone does this when they go to Hawaii, so we'll do it too" kind of things.
Pineapple Plantation (free entrance, activities cost money) - I have actually been to Hawaii several times in my life, but one thing that I don't remember ever doing is the Pineapple Plantation. I think that's part of why this activity came out higher on my list of "fun things we did" than other activities. We walked around a pineapple maze finding various checkpoints (I found this difficult, so Russ directed us to almost all of the checkpoints ha :) ), we took pictures inside a giant pineapple, we ate dole whip and pineapple samples, and we shopped in the store. We actually bought Russ a new wedding ring at the store! I've always felt kinda bad because Russ had an idea of what he wanted for his wedding ring, but we went with something else just because it was cheaper (and to be honest, I liked it just as well as, if not more than, the expensive option). So when Russ found this ring and really liked it, we decided we'd get it :) Definitely our single most expensive purchase on our trip, but still a great deal at $95. But don't tell me if you've gotten a similar ring for less, because that will just be sad haha :) Also, I mentioned in an earlier Hawaii post that Russ and I talk about turtles all the time, so we bought a cute little plush turtle there, too :) We almost bought a pineapple knife, before realizing we had carried on our luggage, and a knife wouldn't make it back home with us haha :)
La'ie Temple - Unfortunately, the temple was closed for maintenance during our whole trip :( But we still went to see the outside and we also went to the nearby visitor's center.
Polynesian Cultural Center (expensive; different packages) - This was my third time doing the PCC. I remember loving it when I was 7, I don't remember it when I was 18, and I remember this time thinking that the PCC is a little overrated. It's definitely a main attraction in Hawaii, and there is cool stuff to do there (learn some ukulele, how to use poi balls, weaving, dance shows, etc.), but at the end of the day I was just thinking it was so expensive for something not so spectacular (in my book at least). Maybe kids like it better (since I liked it when I was 7), but Russ and I weren't too impressed. It was okay, just not worth what we spent on it. I think I would recommend doing a smaller package, probably not including the night show. (Though if you use the Oahu Pass, you get better deals, which would make things more worth it.)
Catamaran Ride - The catamaran ride was one of our very favorite things on the trip. It was new and exciting, and we got to look at the beautiful ocean the whole time! Russ also dreams of learning to sail, so being on this boat, sailing, made him excited and happy which in turn made me happy, too :) We saw so many cool things while we were sailing! We saw spinner dolphins, sea turtles, and even a few whales, though I don't remember what kind they were. It was so nice to be in the ocean air seeing things for the first time with Russ :) It really made me hope that someday he does learn to sail, so we can have a boat like that all to ourselves. Seems like it could be pretty romantic :) (because, unfortunately, you do share the boat with like a million other people haha :) )
Other things to mention about our trip -
part 1 - food
part 2 - hikes
part 3 - beaches
Russ and I did so many fun things on our Hawaii trip. Like I said before, I loved planning it all! But even more, I loved doing it all, and with Russ :)
Before I get started on everything we did, I first have to mention the Oahu Pass. If you ever go to Oahu, I highly recommend getting an Oahu Pass. We didn't figure things out early enough, but if we had, we could have saved so much money because practically everything we did (Pearl Harbor, Pineapple Plantation, Polynesian Cultural Center, catamaran sailing, paddle boarding, and snorkel equipment for Haunama Bay) is offered through the Oahu Pass! You can get it as a 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7-day pass, and if you get a multi-day pass, you don't have to use it for that many days in a row (i.e., if you get a 2-day pass, you don't have to use it for Monday and Tuesday . . . You can use it for Monday and Friday or whatever). I recommend figuring out the things you want to do, then figuring out how many different things you can fit into one-day increments, and then buying the pass that fits your needs. Compare prices and I'm sure the Oahu Pass will come out to a better deal for you. The only thing you need to be mindful of is whether or not you would pay to do that in the first place. For instance, we went to Pearl Harbor but didn't pay for any extras, so we did what we wanted of Pearl Harbor for free VS. what the Oahu Pass offers for Pearl Harbor are things that cost extra money. Also, for some things you have to make reservations, so keep that in mind as well. But these are definitely worth looking into, and if we ever go back to Oahu I will definitely be making use of these!
Aloha Stadium ($1/person entrance fee; only open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays) - Aloha Stadium is basically a giant marketplace where you can buy all the Hawaii souvenir-type things. Unfortunately, this is the very first thing we did in Hawaii. I say "unfortunately" because 1. Russ doesn't really like long travel, so after long travel, it's a definite possibility that he's in a bad mood. That was true in this case. 2. Because it was the very first thing we did, it was our first time seeing the stuff that Hawaii had to offer. We didn't have anything to compare stuff to, so we didn't know what was best or what there might be something better of. It made it hard to know whether or not we should buy stuff there. So I suggest going in the middle of your trip :) But actually, I guess now I know that I didn't really find any other good/big marketplaces like Aloha Stadium, so I guess go whenever and buy to your heart's content! Haha :) We bought matching turtle tanks, swim shorts for Russ, and some tropical fruit :)
 |
| matching turtle tanks! |
Russ's Birthday - Russ had his 27th birthday while we were in Hawaii! January 3rd is a tough birthday to have because it's so close to Christmas . . . I always have to save some of the things I find for Christmas for his birthday, and I'm not even very good at it. It usually just ends up being DVDs because I used any creative and fun ideas for Christmas. Maybe someday I'll do better! The day was mostly chill though: we watched THREE movies (Walter Mitty, 50 First Dates, and While You Were Sleeping), read and sunbathed outside in the backyard of the house we stayed at, and hiked Koko Crater.
Church - We went to church while we were in Hawaii and I'm so glad we did! People were so nice, and one lady even invited us over for dinner so we wouldn't have to pay to go out that night! That was a really fun night because we got to be in a family atmosphere :) The Grandma was the one who invited us to dinner, but her daughter and two grandsons (who are in their twenties) were there, too. It was fun to chat and eat some tasty Japanese BBQ :)
 |
| the other friend we made at church--a tiny gecko! |
Pearl Harbor (free with things at additional costs) - Remember how I mentioned above that reading signs isn't really my thing? Yeah . . . still true. I mean, I enjoyed Pearl Harbor well enough, but I would never say it was my favorite thing. Russ really loves airplanes and knows a ton about them, so he loves reading about WWII airplane-related things. My sister-in-law loves history, so Pearl Harbor was her favorite thing she did on her trip to Hawaii. But for me, it was just one of those "everyone does this when they go to Hawaii, so we'll do it too" kind of things.
 |
| looking all awkward because smiling in a picture taken with this wall just seems wrong . . . |
Pineapple Plantation (free entrance, activities cost money) - I have actually been to Hawaii several times in my life, but one thing that I don't remember ever doing is the Pineapple Plantation. I think that's part of why this activity came out higher on my list of "fun things we did" than other activities. We walked around a pineapple maze finding various checkpoints (I found this difficult, so Russ directed us to almost all of the checkpoints ha :) ), we took pictures inside a giant pineapple, we ate dole whip and pineapple samples, and we shopped in the store. We actually bought Russ a new wedding ring at the store! I've always felt kinda bad because Russ had an idea of what he wanted for his wedding ring, but we went with something else just because it was cheaper (and to be honest, I liked it just as well as, if not more than, the expensive option). So when Russ found this ring and really liked it, we decided we'd get it :) Definitely our single most expensive purchase on our trip, but still a great deal at $95. But don't tell me if you've gotten a similar ring for less, because that will just be sad haha :) Also, I mentioned in an earlier Hawaii post that Russ and I talk about turtles all the time, so we bought a cute little plush turtle there, too :) We almost bought a pineapple knife, before realizing we had carried on our luggage, and a knife wouldn't make it back home with us haha :)
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| the maze |
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| proof we hit the checkpoints |
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| this was intense! pineapple whip in pineapple juice! i probably would have preferred plain whip :) |
La'ie Temple - Unfortunately, the temple was closed for maintenance during our whole trip :( But we still went to see the outside and we also went to the nearby visitor's center.
Polynesian Cultural Center (expensive; different packages) - This was my third time doing the PCC. I remember loving it when I was 7, I don't remember it when I was 18, and I remember this time thinking that the PCC is a little overrated. It's definitely a main attraction in Hawaii, and there is cool stuff to do there (learn some ukulele, how to use poi balls, weaving, dance shows, etc.), but at the end of the day I was just thinking it was so expensive for something not so spectacular (in my book at least). Maybe kids like it better (since I liked it when I was 7), but Russ and I weren't too impressed. It was okay, just not worth what we spent on it. I think I would recommend doing a smaller package, probably not including the night show. (Though if you use the Oahu Pass, you get better deals, which would make things more worth it.)
 |
| russ being russ :) |
Catamaran Ride - The catamaran ride was one of our very favorite things on the trip. It was new and exciting, and we got to look at the beautiful ocean the whole time! Russ also dreams of learning to sail, so being on this boat, sailing, made him excited and happy which in turn made me happy, too :) We saw so many cool things while we were sailing! We saw spinner dolphins, sea turtles, and even a few whales, though I don't remember what kind they were. It was so nice to be in the ocean air seeing things for the first time with Russ :) It really made me hope that someday he does learn to sail, so we can have a boat like that all to ourselves. Seems like it could be pretty romantic :) (because, unfortunately, you do share the boat with like a million other people haha :) )
Other things to mention about our trip -
- We watched a movie almost every night of our trip, and for some reason, I didn't make it through any of them! I was just exhausted from all the fun in the sun, so I couldn't make it through more than an hour of a movie before falling asleep. Haha it actually got frustrating because I really wanted to be able to stay awake!
- Neither of us got a bad burn on this trip! Which is kind of miraculous since I burn so quickly. Instead, we both just got tan (and maybe pink for me haha).
- I am SOOO grateful to Sandra for letting us stay in her home and use her car while we were there. It was so nice to have a house and especially for it all to be free. Her generosity made this trip possible for us.
- Our trip overlapped with Sandra's daughter's trip, so for a few days we shared the house, which was totally fine. It also worked out great because we were able to pick Jane up from the airport when she arrived, and she was able to drop us off when we departed.
- Can we just talk about my hair for a minute?? I LOVED WHAT HAWAII DID TO IT! Haha I didn't really do anything to it--I'd just get out of the shower, towel-dry it and brush it, and it would turn into beachy waves. I can kind of do that here in Utah (though I can only wash the crown of my head (because my hair has to be a little dirty for it to work) and I can't brush it after my shower), but it looks nothing like the voluminous awesomeness that was my hair in Hawaii haha :)
- We like to buy Christmas ornaments when we go somewhere fun, so we bought this turtle ornament since we saw sea turtles for the first time :) (can you tell we're obsessed yet?)
- I don't think we ever really intentionally watched a sunset while we were there, but our last night gave us a great one . . . I just love the palm tree silhouettes!
All in all, our trip was perfect. I love romantic getaways with Russ, especially when they last a whole week. I'm sooo grateful that everything worked out the way it did so that we could have this amazing trip together :)
And for such a great price! Granted, it definitely cost a chunk of change, but with airfare being $513/ticket and our accommodations and car being free, we definitely got a bargain!
Cost Breakdown:
Airfare - $1026
Accommodations - free
Food - $402
Activities - $289
Gas/Parking/one day of a rental car - $181
Shopping - $157
Total - $2055
I am so jealous, looks like it was an amazing trip!! And really, much cheaper than I'd expect it to be. I love that you didn't smile in the pearl harbor temple lol! Bummer the temple was closed...I guess you'll have to make another trip out there one of these days haha
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