Back to the Mainland

On our last day, we took a stop at Pearl Harbor.  Unfortunately, we could only do one thing, which was look through a battleship.  It was a great learning experience for the Brothers since they heaven't learned about Pearl Harbor yet and I thought it was interesting as well since I knew the significance of it.  The next day, we went back to the mainland!  The flight was shorter than usual at 5 hours and 10 minutes.  We flew back to Vegas and when we checked in to our resort, we found out that it was overbooked even though we booked a month ahead.  So they sent us to another resort where we lazed around.  The next day, we went to the original place we wanted to stay.  All the boys went to the pool while Mother did laundry and I played by myself.

The next day began our long drive back home.  Of course, we would be making pit stops along the way.  Our first stop was the Grand Canyon.  It was raining a little so the temperature was around 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit.  We were a little chilly, but luckily, I brought a sweater.  We walked to a view point and drove to another.  It was super cool to see the Grand Canyon in person, since I've only seen it in postcards.  When I see it in photos, it seems unreal, like it doesn't even exist.  But seeing it in person, it was hard to realize that it was real, since it was like looking into a photo.

We stayed until sundown before continuing to drive.  Eventually we settled down and checked into a motel, where we stayed the night and woke up early the next morning.  That day, we hit Texas.  It was a long drive before we made it to our hotel.  We came a little early so we couldn't check in yet.  So we decided to go to the Alamo.  We read about the great battle and looked at some artifacts  before buying some fudge and checking into our hotel.

There, we relaxed a little before checking out the Riverwalk.  We looked around a little for a place to eat with a low wait time before settling on Hard Rock.  We ordered a lot of food and Mother decided to get us soft drinks since tonight is our last hurrah before the summer vacation is over.  After we stuffed ourselves, we walked around again and then head back to our hotel room.

The next day, after around 10 hours of driving, we were finally back at Florida!  Everyone was glad to finally be back home and sleep in our own beds.  But first, we had to unload the car.   After that, we relaxed for the rest of the night until we went to bed, which was very late.  Well, very early since it was 2:30 in the morning.

The next day, I got up in the late afternoon and loafed around until dinner.  Afterwords, we went back to school shopping and got some food.  However, when we got out of the second store and began loading our groceries, I noticed the distinct smell of pee.  At first, I thought it was coming from inside the car, but then Mother pointed out a large puddle next to our car.

Someone peed next to our car.  Fabulous.

After that, we returned home and settled for the night.  Vacation is officially over and school is going to start soon.  Stay tuned until the next adventure!

Polynesian Cultural Center+Luau

I was the last to wake up today and even though I'm not really a morning person, I somehow got ready in time before heading out.  Even though it was a little too late for breakfast, it was the perfect time for lunch!

We stopped by a Korean grocery store and ate at the food-court there, which served some decent food for a food-court.  I was absolutely stuffed when I was only halfway through my soup! Mother finished it up for me and got some apple-juice.  Once everyone was done, we began to pile in the car and head to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

The drive took around an hour, but I entertained my self by sketching a little in my sketchbook.  There was some very nice scenery along the way since we were driving by the coastline.  Time passed by very quickly, and soon enough, we had arrived at our destination.  First, we bought the tickets and made our way to the Samoa section.  We had decided to do a challenge where we had to get these passports they get us stamped.  We had to get at least three stamps, however, they were out of passports so we had to use our maps.  In Samoa, we watched a presentation where a man showed us how the Samoans would open coconuts and drink the milk.  Another man also climbed a tree all the way to the top before sliding down.  It was quite impressive considering the size of the tree.

Once we got our stamps, it was time to move onto New Zealand.  There, we played with some balls tied to a string.  We swung the balls around, lightly hitting ourselves and attempting to do some tricks, which we failed at.  We didn't spend much time there after getting our stamps and then began to Fiji.

When at Fiji, we watched a quick show before moving on.  It was time to go to Hawaii! Eh, well, to learn about it at least.  While there, we learned how to play the ukelele and how to correctly pronounce it.  Say it with me, uke-eh-lay-lay.  We also stayed to watch a show, since the Baby became quite attached to the seats we were sitting on when we were learning.  The show taught us what a real hula is and the correct pronunciation of Honolulu.

By now, most of the day was over and it was time to go to dinner.  Dinner was Samoan themed and had a nice little show to go along with it.  There was dancing, audience participation, and tricks with fire! Brother #1 was even chosen for an activity and we got a nice woven basket out of it.  The food had decent variety and quality.  Once we finished eating, we began to head outside of the center, at the entrance.  The Baby had a diaper leak, so Mother, Father, and I took him to the car to change him.  After that, Ha: the Breath of Life show was going to start soon so we made our way to the theater.

The show was pretty long but very enjoyable.  It told a story of a boy named Mana, growing up into a man and how the fire of life is inside all of us.  Afterwords, we all left leisurely.  There was definitely a crowd while coming out, so we didn't want to rush in case we got split up.  After that was the drive back to the room, which passed by quickly thanks to some good laughs.

Once back at the room, everyone got ready to retire and planned for tomorrow before going to bed.

Hello (again) Oahu!

So, I'm cramming 3 days into one post, since we are no longer in Kauai and are now in Oahu!

The first day, we went on the Smith's Boat Ride to get a look at the fern grotto.  It was a quick outing and we had a very pleasant time.  There was hula dancing on the boat ride and everybody got up to hula as well.  The grotto was very pretty and so was the small walk there.  Afterwords, we returned back to the cottage and began to pack.

The second day was very stressful since we had to pack the rest of our things and drive to the airport, but we made it 2 hours early.  So we just waited at our gate until it was time to board, all of us, except for Father, on our electronics.  When the plane did come, we all boarded without problem.  Nothing too exciting happened in the 40 minutes we were on the plane.  While we were descending, some of us got a little motion sickness, but other than that everything went smoothly.

Afterwords, we picked up our car.  Instead of getting 2 small cars, Mother and Father decided to splurge and get 1 big car that could seat all of us.  Once we loaded everything into the car, we decided to go to Chinatown to eat.  The place we wanted to go to, Hong Kong Noodle, was supposed to be open until 5, but the day we decided to eat there, it closed at 3.  We could've laughed at the irony, but we were all too hungry.  So we had to eat at Pho 88, which was one of the only places open.  Luckily, the food was good and we all liked it.  The Baby was asleep so we could all eat in peace.

Once we finished stuffing ourselves, we drove to the place we are staying at and unloaded.  Since the Baby had slept through dinner, Mother and I had to go out to get some food for him.  Along the way, we stopped at Sephora to make some returns and Mother bought some things.  We also stopped at Nature Republic and bought some stuff.  Then, we took a look at the Crocs store but didn't buy anything and continued to get the food.  By now, I was also hungry so Mother bought some more food and we went back to the room.  Brother #1 was also hungry so he ate with me.  The other Brothers were all asleep and after eating, so was I.

The next day, Father woke us up a little early and we all got ready for the day.  Mother wanted to go to the Legend Seafood Restaurant for brunch since she heard that they have very good dim sum and she's been wanting it lately.  So we drove there to eat.  We had to wait around 10 minutes to be seated, but the food was worth the wait.  One of the downsides of living in Florida is that there isn't an abundance of places to get good Asian food, so Mother and Father (mostly Mother) were in heaven.  I enjoyed the food as well and stuffed myself, perhaps a little too much.

The Dole Plantation was our next stop.  Once we got there, Mother and Father wanted us to go through the maze.  Unfortunately, Brother #2 and I were not feeling well and decided to not go through the maze, but Brothers #1, 3, and 4 were all for it.

The rest of us went to the gift-shop and bought some candy and a customized ornament.  Mother also got me and the Baby a bracelet with our name, Hawaiian name, and a flower engraved into it.  Brother #2 wasn't sure if he should get one or not, so he decided to wait.  A lot of time passed as we looked at everything in the gift-shop and eventually, we had to go on the train since there wouldn't be any more rides after 5:30.  So I went into the maze and got the rest of the brothers before we made our way to the train. In the entrance, there were some pretty plants and pineapple plants growing.

The Baby was probably the most excited for the ride, but so was I.  The weather today was very nice, a little on the hot side, but still nice.  I got to see some pretty scenery as the train went through the fields.  The ride was only 20 minutes, but it felt shorter.

After that, we decided to get some ice cream with pineapple toppings, which was very good.  Once most of us were finished, Mother decided to take the Brothers to get a bracelet as well.  In the end, Brother #2 decided not to get one, so he got to hang out with me while Father watched the Baby.  We looked around more at the plants and goofed around when the Baby suddenly ran up to us with neither Mother or Father in sight.  Then the rest of the Brothers came and we all hung around, until the Baby got passed the gate into the restricted area!

I didn't bother to stop him from opening the gate, since it looked chained up.  But the chain was only wrapped around the gate and not locked at all! Everyone else was too afraid to run after him so I did, but while I was getting him, a worker came.  What luck, am I right? He told us that the area was restricted and for authorized personnel only before "locking" the gate back up and walking away.  Soon after that, Mother and Father came and I explained what happened.  They didn't care too much and we made our way back to the car.  We stopped at Chinatown and ate at the Pho 88 again, which filled everyone up.  Then, it was time to head back to the room.  Along the way, Brother #2 and I had some pretty epic rap battles, which gave everyone a good laugh.

Once we got here, Mother took me grocery shopping with Brother #3.  We walked there with our backpacks and got a few things before returning.  Now that everything was unloaded into the fridge, it was time to retire for the night to rest for tomorrows luau!

Blowhorn+Beach Day

I woke up a little later than everyone else today, but got ready for the day very quickly.  Brother #3 was still feeling unwell, but he said he was good enough to leave the house.  We made our way to the Sprouting Horn, but stopped to buy some coconuts along the way.  After getting them cut up, we continued to the horn, which wasn't blowing too high since the tide was low, but it was still fun to watch.

Brother #1 was anxious to get to the beach since we were bringing the boogie-boards, so we continued to drive there.  Luckily, the one we were going to was only a mile away from the Horn.  After we got there, we settled under a palm tree in the shade.  The Brothers ran to the water with their boogie-boards and so did the Baby.  Brother #3 stayed out of the water, however, and so did I.  I sat and chat with my friend over the phone while drawing.

I snacked a little bit before setting my things down and building sandcastles with my Brothers.  Unfortunately, the Baby kept on destroying our masterpieces.  But it was still fun to do.  After that, I took a stroll down the beach with Brother #3 before it was time to go.

Once we loaded everything in the car and washed off, we went back to the cottage and got ready for bed before having a nice dinner and relaxed for the night.

Zip-lining Adventures

Last night, I stayed up a little late watching a movie so I woke up a little later than usual today.  However, after waking up, I quickly got ready for the day and so did everyone else.  Unfortunately, Brother #3 woke up with a very high fever and had to rest a little bit before we drove to the zip-lining place.  We were a few minutes late, but it didn't matter.

Only the kids and Mother went zip-lining while Father and the Baby stayed behind since the first time we went zip-lining in Belize, Father came with us and the second time in Maui neither of them came.  On the first line, Mother was very nervous since it was her first time but managed to not freak out and after that she was totally fine.

There were a total of 9 lines and we all enjoyed every one of them.  After the 8th line, we had lunch and took a quick dip in a large pool that was part of a stream and a small waterfall let out to.  Lunch was sandwiches that we made ourselves, water, chips, and a cookie.  The water in the stream was very cool and refreshing.  They gave us tubes to use and float around in.  We were allowed to jump into the pool from a high elevation, since the pool was 20 feet deep.  Mother didn't go in but everyone else did.

After that, we went to the last line which dried us off, before driving back to our car and driving home.  Once we had dinner and showered, Mother took me to the store and bought me a tablet.  Then, we all relaxed for the rest of the night.

Yet Another Beach Day

Fun at the playground

I woke up extra early and got ready for the day as everyone else slowly got up as well.  There was an incident with the Baby involving chocolate milk and a bed, but we cleaned everything up and continued with our day.  After a light snack, we made our way to Costco to buy some zip-lining tickets and some food.

Once we had all gotten our fill, we took a 1 hour drive to the Poipu area, which is in the West side.  We got to ride through the Tree Tunnel again and went to the Poipu Beach Park.  We stayed near the more calm waters and playground so that the Baby could have fun while the Brothers took our boogie-boards to the more rough waves.  I had some great bonding time with Mother and the Baby made some friends.  Mother also packed some snacks that I ate, although the Brothers weren't interested.  After around 3 hours, I rode around in the rough waves for a little bit and saw that the Brothers also made a friend.  There were also some little pools filled with ocean water that the waves pushed in and were filled with some small fish that caught my eye

I only played around for 10 minutes until it was time to go.  We packed  up all our stuff and dried off before heading back to the car and drove back home.  The drive back was shorter since we didn't make any pit stops.  When we were back at the cottage, Father started grilling some chicken while everyone else showered.  Afterwords, we had dinner and some root-beer floats before relaxing for the rest of the night.

Accidental Beach Day!

It was a late start for me today since I stayed up last night watching a movie with Mother.  But I managed to get ready fairly quickly.  Unfortunately, Brother #4 had a high fever and Mother and Father suspected that he caught a cold.  He got some medicine and we made our way out, hoping to find the Secret Lava Pools described in the Ultimate Guidebook to Kauai, and along the way we stopped for some shave ice at the same place we stopped yesterday.

The wait was long and it took a while to eat the shave ice, so it took around 1 hour for the whole affair.  Mother also split from the group to get some coconuts, but she saved some for us.  Then we drove towards the North side and then tried to find the Lava Pools.  Unfortunately, the path was blocked off by "No Trespassing" signs, so we decided to skip out on that.  Then we decided to stop by Anini Beach, where we stayed for 3 hours.

The waters were calm and perfect for the Baby.  The Brothers wished the waves were a little more dramatic since they wanted to whip out their boogie-boards.  But we still had a fun time lazying around in the water.  Although, it started to rain a little, but it was very brief.  Afterwords there was a rainbow, which was quite evanescent but still pretty.



Eventually, we dried off and ate some snacks before heading back to our cottage, where we got ready for bed and planned the next day.

The Queens Bath

I woke up a little earlier than everyone else except Father.  He was on the computer working.  So I got ready for the day as everyone slowly got up and did the same.

Awesome shave ice!

Then we had some yogurt for breakfast and Brother #1 and I volunteered with to to go with Mother to get the food for the rest of our stay in Hawaii.  While there, we got some snacks for ourselves as we got some gas and drove back to the cottage.

A myriad of options to choose from!

Then everyone piled into our cars and we stopped for some delicious shave ice.  This was the brothers first shave ice and they loved it.  Afterwords, we took a quick look at the Kilauea Lighthouse, but we didn't go into the actual lighthouse.  Our last quick stop was at a lookout that offered an extremely nice view.  Then we finally made our way to the summertime only treat; the Queen's Bath.  The last time I went to Kauai, it was winter so I couldn't come here.  But now that it's summer, I was very excited to check it out.  The walk there was a little difficult for Father since he had to hold the Baby and for Mother since she was holding the bags for us.  Whenever we offered to carry them, she passed, saying she didn't want us to fall because we were carrying the bags.

The actual pool was a little crowded but it was still fun to swim in.  We even got to jump off a tall rock into the pool which was very exciting.  The water was around 7 feet so no one got hurt, luckily.  After swimming around a bit, me, Brother #1, and Mother kept on walking and found another pool.  However, Mother felt uneasy about it so she only let me swim in it for a short amount of time.  Brother #1 was also uneasy about it so he didn't swim.  When we began to head back, Father and the rest of the brothers met us halfway and we waited on some rocks while Father took a look at the other pool.  While waiting, Mother placed the Baby on a big rock that he couldn't get down from or stand up from.  He was laughing/screaming and it gave the rest of us a good laugh.

While heading back, Father led the way and I was right behind him.  He had some trouble getting in between two rocks but when he finally did, he was met with a surprise.  Someone had decided to take a dump at the Queen's Bath!  He immediately turned around and went through the harder part.  I, however, continued to where he was going, unaware, and unfortunately had to see the reason Father turned around.

That incident aside, nothing much happened during the walk back.  We got a look at two mini waterfalls where we washed off a bit.  When we got to the car, we had a quick little lunch  before heading farther up north the island and stopped at the Ha'ena Beach Park, where we stayed until the sunset, which wasn't too long.

After washing off in the river by the beach, we went back to the cottage and relaxed in the room, making some plans for tomorrow.

All the kids having fun jumping in!

Waterfalls and Beach Days

Pretty View

Yesterday, we didn't do much since we were still so tired out from the other days hike, so we lounged around all day.  However, Mother didn't want to waste a whole day so we quickly drove out to see 2 waterfalls from some lookouts.  The falls were a little muddy since it was raining earlier, but there was a rainbow under the first one that really caught everyone's eye.

Today, I got up little before 6 and went to see the sunrise with Mother at Baby Beach, which is a walking distance form our cottage.  Unfortunately, since it was so cloudy, it wasn't the best view so we just went back and fell back asleep.  I woke up again a few hours later and got ready for the beach day.  I also discovered that Mother's computer was broken, which was unfortunate, but luckily I can use my Fathers.

Buried in the sand

After a "healthy" breakfast of some sugary cereal and yogurt, we took a 10 minute drive to Lydgate Beach Park and played around a bit in the playground where we had to deal with some rude people.  Luckily, we didn't have to deal with them too long since we went to the beach soon afterwords.  We settled in a shady spot and dashed to the water.

The Beac

Everyone went in except for Mother who was staying behind, reading her book.  She tried to some in but it was too cold and she doesn't like to swim.  The Baby really enjoyed the beach since it was pretty shallow and everyone else did as well.  We even buried ourselves in sand!

Lunch was some chicken and grapes, which I liked.  After that, we played around more in the water.  But I came out and dried off early, eating some snacks.  Brother #4 got in a differ with another boy, but we managed to get him to calm down and talk about it.  After that, we went back to the cottage and got ready for the night.

The Waimea Canyon

The stream

Today, I got to go on my first real hike.

But let's backtrack a little.  I woke up a little late since I stayed up so late last night before getting ready to go to the Waimea Canyon, which is around an hour away.  After breakfast, we all began the drive which was filled with pleasant conversation.  When we got there, we stopped at some view points and got a beautiful look at the canyon, which looked a lot more lush than the last time I was here in February.

View of the canyon

On the first stop, we ate a little bit of lunch and got a look at a pretty stream that was running through the canyon.  We looked around a bit before moving on.  Then we went to the Puu hinahina Lookout, where we went on the Waimea Canyon trail.

The waterfall we swam in

The trail offered some great opportunities to see great views of the canyon and some waterfalls.  It took almost 2 hours to reach the first waterfall, which was pretty small but we could swim under it in the chilly water, which was totally refreshing.  We couldn't stay for long, but it was nice to wash off and get cooled off.  After getting out of the water, we made our way to the top of another fall, Waipo'po Falls.  It was really interesting to stand at the top of the waterfall since I haven'y done that before and to see the pretty scenery.  Unfortunately, we couldn't linger for too long since it was beginning to get dark, so we began to head back.

The Baby on top of the waterfall

The walk back felt quicker since there was less anticipation, but we were all hungry and tired so we tried to hurry back.  Once we got back to the car, we drove until we stopped a a grocery store and got some food.  We ate in the car for an hour before continuing back to the cottage.  When we did get back, we got ready for bed and lazed around for the night.