HAWAII DAY 1

 

Steve at Pali Point

 

Canal show at the PCC.

 

A waterfall at the PCC.

 

The LDS Temple in Laie.

That’s right folks, we’re in Hawaii. It is a bit unbelievable to us, too. This trip has been in the works for over 2 years, and it’s actually happening. We kissed the kids good bye last night, and left early this morning for the airport. We survived the 5+ hour flight (thinking of our other family members who each will have LONGER flights), and arrived at Honolulu International Airport at about 10:30am Hawaii time. We rented a car (which got upgraded, by the way), and headed for a scenic lookout we’d heard about from some friends. It was called Pali Point. It was a panoramic view of one side of the Island (I wish I knew which side). We snapped some photos and headed for a store. Checking luggage was so expensive, we decided to carry on our bags. That meant that we had to get a few products (such as sun screen) in smaller sizes. We found a Longs Drugs with no trouble (we brought our GPS), and soon we were on our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). The drive there was AMAZING. The houses are literally inches from the ocean. It’s a wonder to behold. The ocean is so gorgeous!

The PCC was a wonderful experience. We got to learn about each of the sets of islands in Polynesia. That included Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii, Tonga, Aotearoa. We learned a little about their culture, and saw each of their dancing. We enjoyed a buffet dinner and the night show called “The Horizons”. By the end of the show, we were both fading fast since it’s 3 hours earlier here and it’s been a long day, but we are having a great time.

As part of our day, we saw a 40 minute IMAX presentation, and went on a tour of Laie, saw the BYU-Hawaii Campus, and went to the LDS Temple Visitor Center. (The temple is closed for renovations until next June).

We got to talk to the kids twice. We miss them already – we love you guys!

More tomorrow….

PS Our hotel’s a dump, but it came with free breakfast and free internet, so we’re surviving. We’re looking forward to our 5 star accommodations in Kauai starting on Monday night, when the rest of my family flies in.

PPS I am consistently feeling our baby, now, and that is very fun for me. The baby wasn’t very happy about the seat belt on the air plane, and right now I’m laying on my belly on the bed, and the baby is quite active.