There’s No Place Like Hawaii

A few years ago Tiffany and I decided to call a bit of time out in Life. Three kids and a business can be taxing so we thought it would be a nice change of pace for us and finally take the vacation we have always wanted to take. After all, this year makes 10 wonderful years that we have been married and there is no time like the present and no place like Hawaii.

Like I said this was always the vacation we dreamed but always put off until next year or special occasion. But one of the many perks of being married to a travel agent is their relentless search for the best deal. Tiffany scored us some amazing airfare and we both knew we couldn’t pass this up. A lot of dreaming, research, and six months later we were off. Now Louisiana to Hawaii isn’t necessarily a short flight but knowing what is ahead of you makes it very tolerable. Just think palm trees and it goes by quicker than you think. Now Hawaii in itself is a very broad topic so I am going to venture outside of my usual format so I can make sure I don’t miss a thing.

1. The first thing you notice is simply enough, Hawaii itself. From the first sight of the islands through that tiny window on the plane, you see it. Hawaii is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The scenery is absolutely amazing and you often find yourself walking in a postcard. I have often gotten caught up in the debate/internal struggle of the mountains vs the beach which makes Hawaii the perfect storm. I was in awe of the mountainous view and this point we hadn’t even left the airport. Instantly you start to get a feel for the culture and the people and a “real” feeling. I have been to other places where it kinda feels like the culture is put on a bit for the sake of tourism. That was not the case at all for me in Hawaii which is important for me. I find experiencing different cultures to be fascinating and it this the reason I love to travel. I instantly fell in love with the uniqueness of the Islands. The drive to the resort was not too far but one of great anticipation. We had both seen pictures but knew we were in for quite the surprise if the rest of Oahu was any indication and we were not let down. From the first view of Aulani, we were hooked.

2.  I do not plan to go into much detail about Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa right now. Tiffany has written a blog the storytelling of Resort itself here so I do not want to spoil too much so I will leave this section very simple. We chose Aulani originally because it was a Disney resort. Disney has a reputation and we knew it would be something that we were somewhat familiar with and wouldn’t be let down. And while we were not let down in the LEAST bit, I do have to say that this place was not at all what I was expecting. This is not your typical Disney vacation. What I mean by that is if it were not for the great service and exception attention to detail that we had come to know and love from Disney, you wouldn’t know you are at a Disney resort. Disney understands that people come to Hawaii for Hawaii, not Mickey. So Hawaii is what they give you. Like I said Tiffany is going to give you way more detail, but when you stay at Aulani you are getting the real deal.

3.   I had planned on moving this section down a little but I can no longer wait to talk about the food. I always like to try the local cuisine when I am on vacation. Growing up in South Louisiana food is a very big deal. We can’t do anything without having food involved so when given the chance I like to try different things even if it is just a different take on familiar foods. I’m just going to come out and say that Hawaii did not disappoint. From the food from the restaurants on Resort to the ones outside we did not have a bad meal on the trip. My favorite was from a little place across the street from Aulani called MonkeyPod. Just about everything on the menu is handmade or grown from local farmers and fishermen. I am a sucker for fish tacos and I am pretty sure I will never look at one the same again when it is made with handmade tortillas and fish that was caught that morning. (ok, I am getting hungry!!!) Dining was something we looked forward to on this vacation maybe more than any. So in summary food in Hawaii is amazing.

4.  Now, this was a trip that we wanted to be relaxing, but we did want to experience more than the pool. Being that we were on Oahu and I have always wanted to see Pearl Harbor we booked this as our first excursion. Now I love history but I can guarantee that even if you don’t this is a place you will enjoy and need to see. Our tour started out on the USS Missouri. Now if you know your history you may already know this, but the USS Missouri is where WWII came to an end. Aboard you are given a tour of what just seems to be a massive battleship appropriately nicknamed Big MO. As the tour progresses you are taken to the surrender deck where in September of 1945 in Tokyo Bay, WWII officially came to an end thus making this ship one of two bookends in Pearl Harbor. While the war may have ended on Missouri, the US involvement began on the USS Arizona which is the next stop on the tour. The USS Arizona was sunk during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 along with many other ships. Most all the other ships were able to be repaired but the USS Arizona still remains where it came to its final resting place along with 1,177 officers and crewman who still remain inside the vessel to this day. I have to say of all the historic places I have seen in my life none affected me in quite the way that this one did. It is definitely a place I recommend that everyone take part in seeing some part of their life.

The rest of our trip went pretty much on point. Being that Tiffany and I are divers we took advantage of the location and wanted to get a dive in. Now I would definitely not call Hawaii a dive destination and there are far better dives in the world, but by all means, it was a good dive. I brought some of my own equipment but would not recommend doing that to anyone else just because of the luggage constraints and the fact that the dive company has everything you need. With only a week we realized we could not get in everything that Hawaii had to offer so we decided to slow it down a bit. We rented a car for the day and set off on our own to explore the island. This may have been our favorite day on the island. We started the day at Diamond Head State Park. If you are up for the hike it is well worth the trek to the top where you are rewarded with an awesome view of Oahu. From there we decided to just put the top down and cruise. We had no timeline and were able to just freely explore the island which consisted of beautiful coastline drives and gorgeous mountainous scenery. Oahu/Hawaii’s geography is so diverse it never gets old and always seems to have something new to offer you. We were able to get a true feel for what life was like here and get away from the tourist areas and have a completely unique experience.

5.  When we told people that we were going to Hawaii a common question we were often asked was if we were bringing our kids. Being that we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary our answer was no. Besides that, we did not really feel that they would fully appreciate the fact that it was Hawaii. After all, would my 6 year old know the difference between the beaches of Hawaii and the beaches of Florida? So we decided that this was going to be our trip and one day when the kids were older we would bring them. After going I feel like I have a slightly different take on it. The Aulani Resort offers so much offer for both kids and adults alike. With numerous pools and hot tubs throughout the property, it never feels overcrowded. They even have an adult-only pool and hot tub if you just want to relax in a much more peaceful setting leaving the kids to the two other pools, hot tub, water slides, lazy river, Aunties Beach House, and KeiKi Cove. In addition to that, they also have the Rainbow Reef which is Aulani’s own 3800 sq ft artificial saltwater reef. Home to thousands of tropical fish the reef offers a unique snorkeling experience where parents and kids alike can get up close and personal with some of Hawaii’s finest marine life. From there we move down to the beach were Aulani has a bit more to offer than the rest. Along with watercraft rentals, Disney is the only resort on the islands to actually own their beach. In Hawaii all beaches are granted public access accept for Aulani, thus making this beach the only beach where alcohol can be served once again setting Aulani apart from the rest.
This was a trip that I could write page after page about. Of all the places I have been none have quite had the effect on me that Hawaii has. It was not simply a vacation to enjoy as much as it was to experience. From the culture to the food, the sights, and entertainment Hawaii is a place like no other and I strongly recommend you not taking my word for it and seeing this one for yourself.

Have you ever thought about going to Hawaii? Is it on your bucket list? Have you been to Hawaii? Let us know your favorite things either in the comments or over on our Facebook page.