After a delicious breakfast at the famous Courtyard Marriott IHOP, we hopped on our tour bus with our lovely tour guide Carlos to make our way to the beautiful botanical garden in the Waimea Valley. Our wonderful bus driver Aunty Lehua brought us on a tour of the island and showed us famous movie sets such as Jurassic Park, Baywatch, and 50 First Dates. She also taught us more about the culture of the island as we overlooked beautiful water, mountains, and towns. We called our tour guide Aunty to show respect and represent that we are all a family. In Hawaiian culture, it also shows how everyone is welcome and everyone is family. While driving to our next destination, we saw the Stairway to Heaven, which hasn’t been taken care of since the 1940s. All of the steps will be taken down soon because it is so dangerous to walk up, although it gives some of the best views in Hawaii. She taught us different Hawaiian words such as ono pupu, which means very delicious appetizer. On the tour, we had a great time learning about the different cultures in Hawaii while overlooking breathtaking views.
Aunty Lehua brought us to see Sunset Beach which is very well-known. It is located near the Banzai Pipeline, a famous surf reef where the water breaks in the shallow reef. Surfers all around the world come here for the great waves and crystal blue water. As we looked into the ocean, we saw a huge whale flipping its tail out, which was amazing to watch. We then drove to our next destination, which was the botanical garden.
When we arrived at the botanical gardens we found out we were in a dead zone, meaning we had no access to social media on our phones. This was great because it allowed us to admire the breathtaking nature around us. It was a calm and peaceful walk letting us find our inner tranquility. The scenery caused a feeling of relaxation and helped us appreciate the outdoors. We learned about plants we have never heard of, and it was as if we were in a different world. At the end of the walk, we were greeted by a small but beautiful waterfall. Taking group photos really connected our group in a different way than we were used to. After the waterfall visit it was time to leave for lunch.
Aunty Lehua showed us around North Shore pointing out the delicious food options we had. There was a plethora of choices including tacos, freshly cooked rotisserie chicken, and poke bowls. I got a traditional Hawaiian poke bowl that consisted of fresh salmon, seaweed salad, and other toppings. The combination of flavors made me appreciate the Hawaiian food culture. To go with my poke bowl, I bought pineapple orange juice, which went with the bowl perfectly.
We then made our way to the Dole pineapple plantation. The first thing we did was buy the fresh pineapple ice cream. This was a smart move because that same line tripled in size by the time we were leaving. The pineapple ice cream was fruity and tasted like real pineapple rather than artificial. We explored the Dole maze a.k.a the world’s largest maze. It was confusing but fun with all my friends.
Before dinner, we had free time to walk around the town and get ready for dinner. We went to a bunch of local shops and discovered more about Waikiki. Then we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. For dinner, we walked to Giovanni Pastrami, which was located downtown off of the main strip. We had Hawaiian pizza and there was a local artist playing live music. We had lots of fun and then went back to the hotel to go into the pool. – Connor & Angelica