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Day 1: Arrival
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 View from the lanai at the condo. |
 View from the condo as night approaches. |
 Waikiki shopping district at night. It was beautifully lit and very active. We enjoyed exploring the interesting shops both during the day and at night. Thanks, Jack & Verna! |
| Day 2: Norm's Old Stomping Grounds |
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 After stopping to pick up some cream puffs (Fresh from the puffer), we drove out to Hanauma Bay, where we enjoyed the view of this snorkeler's paradise. |
  The Pali (cliffs) of O'ahu. It is incredibly windy here and the view down the valley is gorgeous. |
 Norm's aunt, Cynthia, treated us to a delicious dinner at Mariposa at Neiman Marcus. Great atmosphere and wonderful company. Thanks Aunt Cynthia! |
| Day 3: Bishop Museum |
 The Bishop Museum. This was a neat museum, both for it's historic architecture and the contents of the museum. We enjoyed both the organized tours and exploring on our own. Thanks, Todd & Lelisa and Steve & Shari!! |
 Alene and Norm stand at the entrance to the Bishop Museum. Might be a good time for those sunglasses. |
 A whale skeleton is suspended inside the Bishop museum. |
 That night, an authentic traditional Hawaiian meal at Ono's Cafe. Can you name these food items? Poi, Laulau, Haupia, Chicken Luau, Pipikaula, Lomi Salmon, Kalua pig, and rice. |
| Day 4: Waimea Canyon Audubon Center |
 On a snorkeling trip we discovered the Waimea Canyon Audubon Center and spent most of the day there. This is a hei'au temple for the God Lono. |
 Beautiful trees and plants, which grow to immense size, can be found throughout the park. |
The flowers were gorgeous. Alene took several hundred photos. |
We toured a historic replica of a village (left) and swam in a natural pool at the base of a waterfall (right). |
 Waimea falls, the end of the trail and our swimming hole. Waimea means Red Water. When there are heavy rains, the iron rich red soil turns the waters red. |
| Day 5: Polynesian Cultural Center |
 On the drive to the Polynesian Cultural Center we stopped at the beach just off the road. |
 The Polynesian cultural center has many themed areas covering the various nations of Polynesia. 
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An outrigger canoe. Beautiful! |
We saw examples of the architecture, furnishings, and tools of the historic Polynesians. |
A live demonstration of fire starting. There were many demonstrations of various skills, from music and dancing to coconut tree climbing. Of course its the Samoans who play with fire. |
 Us havin' fun at the Luau that evening at the Cultural Center! We had a great time this day. Thanks, Sean & Michelle!! |
| Day 6: Pearl Harbor |
 A somber feeling surrounds us at the USS Arizona memorial. Many thanks to Todd & Lelisa for our visit here. |
On the boat ride to the memorial. |
 The attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor brought the US into WWII. The Hawaiian Islands were still a territory and not yet State. |
A diagram showing how the memorial sits in relation to the sunken USS Arizona. |
You can see parts of the ship just below the water surface. |
 The names of those who lost their lives on the Arizona. 1,177 perished that day, many of which are still entombed within the hull of the Arizona. |
We had a lovely dinner that evening with Cynthia. |
| Day 7: Iolani Palace and the Moana Surfrider |
The Iolani Palace, built by King Kalakaua. It is here that the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown by a splintergroup of businessmen who longed for annexation with the US. Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned here, as President Dole forever changed the political future of the Hawaiian Islands. Alene loved the interior architecture here. Thanks, Patrick and Denise for our visit! |
The Banyon tree within the courtyard at the Moana Surfider Hotel. We had a delicious afternoon snack here and a tour of the historic hotel. |
Sunset at the Moana Surfrider hotel, during our tour of this gorgeous hotel. |
King's Village, a Victorian style shopping area. |
The King's Guard perform the flag lowering ceremony in the Village. The guard is a drill team based on the original Royal House old Guards who protected the Hawaiian royalty.
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We came back to the Moana Surfrider for dinner in the Banyon courtyard. Incredible food, beautiful setting, and live entertainment! A perfect last night on Oahu! Thanks Beth and Margaret! |
