Tropical Paradise

We fly back from Hawaii today. Yep, I finally left the mainland and ventured out over the ocean to the great state of Hawaii. I thought I'd share a few things that I loved while I was here.

The above picture is of Hanauma Bay, where I went snorkling. The water is blue and clear and full of sea life. It was great!

One of the best days was the day we spent at Pearl Harbor. I cried through the whole day. This is a picture of the oil that still leaks to the surface from the USS Arizona. You can watch the black bubbles of oil make their way to the surface and then explode, making the black design in the center. I was so moved by the stories and experiences I learned about while there. We do live in the greatest land.

Mel and I went to the Dole Plantation and rode the Pineapple Express! The little train, similar to the Casey Jr train from Disneyland, takes you on a tour of the pineapple plantation and gives you a great history of farming on the island. We bought a freshly picked pineapple, the greatest pineapple I've ever had, and had pineapple ice cream! YUMMY!

The Polynesian Cultural Center was amazing! I dragged Melody there early so we could spend every minute there that we could and it was completely worth it. We had a great time and learned a lot. We went to our first Luau and ate fresh coconut bread. It was great!

We had a great time but are definitely glad to be going home. It just doesn't seem like Christmas in the warm tropic weather here. Plus I want to set up my Christmas tree!!