Hawaii for Spring Break, Day 3

In our original planning, we intended on going to Pearl Harbor today.  We called about tickets on Wednesday and learned that there were no openings to schedule a visit until April 10th, four days after we were returning to Utah.  We could have gone and tried to get standby tickets, but with the kids, we didn't want to risk having to hang around for two hours waiting for our tour time.  So we changed our plans and decided we would hike Diamond Head instead.

The trail inside a volcanic crater was built in 1908 as part of a US Army defense system.  From the trailhead to the summit is .8 miles and climbs to a whoppingly high altitude of 761 feet above sea level.  There are lots of switchbacks and several sections with stairs, plus a tunnel carved out of the rock.  We  got a pretty early start on our hike, and fortunately, there was a nice breeze the whole time we hiked.

The kids were uncomplainingly good hikers and only required a couple of stops as we made our way, with what felt like 8000+ people, to the top of the mountain.  We had a fantastic view of Waikiki and Honolulu in one direction, and the tip of the island where we hiked two days ago in the other.  It was also very obvious at the top that we had hiked up through a crater.  There were fairly loud and rowdy youths at the summit, but we didn't let them deter us and muscled our way to a good view.  And to top off our lovely hike, we enjoyed a very tasty shaved ice when we got back to the start.

While I am certain we must have been hiking with 8,247 other people,

Kent thinks it was closer to 600.

Either way, there were lots of people on the mountain.

 

I quite like this picture.

View from the bunker at the summit. 

 

It was so nice to have Brenda along to take our picture as a whole family.

Having done our activity and had a shaved ice, it was off to the beach in the afternoon.  Brenda took us to Kailua Beach Park, a long, wide beach with calm water.  There were lots more people on the beach, but that meant there was more people watching to do.  Because of her sunburn, Blythe must have said 86 times, "I'm not going to the beach."  But because she is seven and we can't leave her home along (even if we might want to), she came along.  We told her she didn't have to play in the water at all and could sit with us reading or napping.  She wore a shirt and shorts rather than her swimsuit, and upon arrival, she started playing in the water and sand and never got out.  The kids floated around on the boogie boards (no waves to speak of), built stuff in the sand, and sort of made friends with a girl named Katelyn.  Katelyn wanted Blythe's boogie board and kept pulling it away from her and kicking away, but we worked that out and later she helped Brandt and Blythe did a large hole to make a fort.  I floated around a bit while Brenda read and Kent sat in the shade.  He has over-applied the sunscreen that ran into his eyes, making him fairly miserable.  Kailua Beach Park is the home of the canoe club and we watched a canoe full of boys paddle out a ways, then capsize.  Another canoe came to help them right themselves, but it provided entertainment for the adults for close to half an hour.  It was marvelous to be on the beach again.

Floating in the ocean, looking out to sea.

Katelyn, the "friend," helping build the fort.

The capsized canoe.

They are bailing.

Every Friday night at 7:45, the Hilton Hotel shoots off fireworks over Waikiki Beach.  Isn't that fun?  Brenda suggested we meet Brent downtown for dinner, and then all go sit on the beach and watch the fireworks.  Does it get any better than that?  

Nope.  It sure doesn't.

We had dinner at a tasty little place called Grylt, then followed it up with a gelato at a nearby shop.  Delicious all the way around.  And then, along with lots of other people, we made our way to the beach and watched the fireworks.  They were about 5 minutes long, the perfect amount of time to ooh and ahh without it being excessive.  The evening was beautiful, the sand was warm, and although we were on the beach with hundreds of other people, it was magical.  

We followed up the fireworks with a stop at the ABC Store, the perfect place to buy Hawaiian mementos.  The children have been desperate to spend their own money on something I picked out their very own selves, and they must have reminded us 67 times that we had to go to the ABC Store.  "Remember?"  YES! WE REMEMBER! QUIT TALKING ABOUT IT ALREADY!  They both made fun purchases.  Brandt got a cool shark tooth necklace and puka shell bracelet.  Blythe bought lots of little things, like a ring and a battery operated fan and a chappie and a necklace.  I bought them both a t-shirt, too, so they have something to wear to school to show off we've been to Hawaii.  We put the kids to bed when we got home, but Kent and I stayed up later and talked to Brent and Brenda.  It's been so fun to be with them.  Once again, we had another fabulous Hawaiian day!

Pilfered pictures from the internet.