Captain_Oblivious
DIS Dad #257, Galactic Salad Dodger
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
For those of you that wanted a Hawaii PTR, this will be it!
My wife's birthday was this past Saturday, and so I was able to spring a surprise on her: our wait list for Aulani came through! We'll be staying in a one-bedroom villa with an island-garden view. I had gotten her an AKL beach towel on our trip and gave that to her for her birthday, with the Aulani reservation wrapped up inside. The idea was that she would unwrap the towel and find the reservation. Well, instead she grabbed the towel and whipped it out of the box it was in, which scattered the documents around the room. So the execution of the surprise wasn't the smoothest, but nevertheless she was thrilled once she finally figured out what was going on.
So now that the secret is out and I can actually talk about it, the plans are taking shape pretty well. We've reserved all of our accommodations and most of our flights. We'll be scrimping and saving where we can, since everything is expensive in Hawaii and when you multiply some costs by 5 people it gets downright astronomical. Unfortunately that means there will be a few places where admission is charged that we won't be paying the freight.
We also won't be doing a lot of sit-down meals for the same reason. My usual source, Road Food, hasn't been much help as far as finding cheap dives to grab some grub, so I've been relying on my guidebooks and Trip Advisor and I think we've found a few possibilities.
So, here's how the trip plan looks:
Oahu
Tuesday: We fly out on a Tuesday from Dulles airport near D.C. (not as convenient for us as Philly or Baltimore, but they had the best rates). After flying all day with about 12 hours total travel time, we'll land at approximately 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time. With a 6-hour time difference, the jet lag is going to mess us up, I'm sure. Part of the reason I'm thrilled we got into Aulani is that I think the water park/pool area will be a big help for trying to keep everybody up late past what feels like our bedtime so we can adjust. We may go straight to Aulani from the airport, or we may take a detour to Waikiki Beach first thing so we can wander on the beach in mid-afternoon and enjoy the view, and the fact that we're actually there!
Possible dinner: Monkeypod Kitchen (conveniently located across the street from Aulani)
Wednesday: Although I'm sure we'll wake up at 4:00 in the morning or some ungodly hour, we'll hang out at the resort in the morning until rush hour comes and goes (which apparently in Honolulu is anywhere from 6-9 a.m.). I already reserved a spot online for a 10:30 a.m. tour of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. After that, we'll head into the city to get some lunch (maybe eat on the beach?) and then do a drive-by of Iolani Palace and the surrounding grounds. We probably will not do the tour due to time/cost considerations. From there, we'll check out Punchbowl Cemetery (basically the Arlington of the Pacific) and then the Nu'uanu Pali overlook. If we have time, we might also drive up some back roads on the mountain to check out the view at Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park. And then it'll be back to Aulani, with a possible stop on the way back at the Dole Plantation for Dole Whips or Leonard's Malasadamobile for donuts.
Possible lunch stop: Kua 'Aina Sandwich shop
Thursday: Again we'll wait out rush hour and then head for Diamond Head State Park to try and hike to the summit. Then we'll do a drive around the windward side of the island up to the North Shore, stopping along the way to see the Byodo-In Temple. We'll check out the famed surf beaches on the North Shore and hopefully see green sea turtles (Aye! sea turtles) there as well. Then we'll stop in the town of Haleiwa for either Matsumoto's or Aoki's Shave Ice.
And then, of course, back to Aulani for more fun there.
Possible lunch stop: Uncle Bobo's BBQ (how can you resist a name like that?)
Maui
Friday: Friday is a travel day, as we leave Oahu and head to Maui. Our plane leaves Honolulu around 9:30 a.m., so we may have to fight some traffic to get to the airport in time. Once we land, we'll probably head straight to Costco to load up on groceries for the week. According to our guidebook, Costco membership is a big help on the islands since it provides access to the cheapest groceries and gas. Most of our meals here will be of the homemade variety.
We'll be staying for a week on Maui with family, either at my cousin or my uncle's house. I haven't planned out each day here since we have plenty of time and flexibility, so we may just do as we please (shocking, coming from a DIS member, isn't it?).
At the very least, we'll have a couple of beach days. We'll spend one day driving the entirety of the notorious Hana Highway. We'll also visit Haleakala National Park, quite possibly to see the sunrise/sunset/nighttime sky as well as during the day. We'll spend some time driving around the west side of Maui and exploring the town of Lahaina, as well as the central Iao Valley.
Mostly we'll take our time and relax. Julie and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary on the island, so I'm looking for a good place for dinner. It seems that most of the restaurants are either burger joints (which we may end up in) or 5-star white-linens type places. If I can find a place with a good steak where I don't have to worry about which fork to use, it may end up being a winner.
Hawaii
It became apparent to me in my planning that I didn't give us enough time to properly explore the big island. Unfortunately, most of our other reservations and flights are set, so we'll just have to do the best we can with what we have.
I haven't booked this flight yet. The main carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, is double the price of everyone else for this leg. The only other alternatives are small 9-seat puddle-jumpers. Some reviews say they're fine and others say it's better to pay the cost and go with Hawaiian. I haven't decided what we'll do there yet.
Friday: we'll fly over to Kona from Maui. I found a good deal on a hotel in the area with an earlybird special. Dinner will involve sampling some Liquid Aloha at the Kona Brewing Co.
Saturday: this will be a long, long driving day. If we see everything we want to, we'll put a few hundred miles on the rental car, easily. So we'll probably get up extremely early. The main goal is to get to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and spend a good part of the day exploring. We may stop along the way at South Point (southernmost point in the U.S.) or a black sand beach. If time allows, we may do the extra drive to Hilo and a bit beyond to see Akaka Falls State Park, but that may be biting off more than we can chew. The volcanoes are the main attraction for this day. There is currently lava flowing, but no guarantee it will still be doing so when we get there. If it is, we'll have to see if there are any viewing areas that are reachable. Seeing a lava flow would probably be worth the cost of the trip by itself.
Sunday: We'll have most of the day to explore before flying out to Kauai in the afternoon. Stops will probably include the Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Site (a place of refuge for Hawaiian citizens). And then we might tour the Greenwell Coffee Farm (because being in Kona without having Kona coffee is a sin). Plus the tour is free, and as you all know, if it's free, it's for me.
Kauai
Monday: Kauai is our last stop, and we'll be staying in a condo near Princeville on the northern part of the island. It was cheaper than the hotels. Monday will most likely be spent driving to the south part of the island to see Waimea Canyon. And whatever else catches our fancy along the way.
Tuesday: We'll spend Tuesday morning hiking the first portion of the Kalalau Trail, which winds along the scenic Na Pali Coast. This is the only way to see it unless you're willing to hire a boat or helicopter tour. Hopefully the kids will hold up! In the evening I'd like to relax and watch the sunset at beautiful Hanalei Bay.
Possible road-food-type meals: Pat's Taqueria truck
Bubba's Burgers
Whew! That was one big info dump. For all of you who wanted to know what the plans were or perhaps steal some research for your own purposes, there it is! We have less than 100 days to go now, so we're getting very excited.
And that's about all I have to say about that.
My wife's birthday was this past Saturday, and so I was able to spring a surprise on her: our wait list for Aulani came through! We'll be staying in a one-bedroom villa with an island-garden view. I had gotten her an AKL beach towel on our trip and gave that to her for her birthday, with the Aulani reservation wrapped up inside. The idea was that she would unwrap the towel and find the reservation. Well, instead she grabbed the towel and whipped it out of the box it was in, which scattered the documents around the room. So the execution of the surprise wasn't the smoothest, but nevertheless she was thrilled once she finally figured out what was going on.
So now that the secret is out and I can actually talk about it, the plans are taking shape pretty well. We've reserved all of our accommodations and most of our flights. We'll be scrimping and saving where we can, since everything is expensive in Hawaii and when you multiply some costs by 5 people it gets downright astronomical. Unfortunately that means there will be a few places where admission is charged that we won't be paying the freight.
We also won't be doing a lot of sit-down meals for the same reason. My usual source, Road Food, hasn't been much help as far as finding cheap dives to grab some grub, so I've been relying on my guidebooks and Trip Advisor and I think we've found a few possibilities.
So, here's how the trip plan looks:
Oahu
Tuesday: We fly out on a Tuesday from Dulles airport near D.C. (not as convenient for us as Philly or Baltimore, but they had the best rates). After flying all day with about 12 hours total travel time, we'll land at approximately 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time. With a 6-hour time difference, the jet lag is going to mess us up, I'm sure. Part of the reason I'm thrilled we got into Aulani is that I think the water park/pool area will be a big help for trying to keep everybody up late past what feels like our bedtime so we can adjust. We may go straight to Aulani from the airport, or we may take a detour to Waikiki Beach first thing so we can wander on the beach in mid-afternoon and enjoy the view, and the fact that we're actually there!
Possible dinner: Monkeypod Kitchen (conveniently located across the street from Aulani)
Wednesday: Although I'm sure we'll wake up at 4:00 in the morning or some ungodly hour, we'll hang out at the resort in the morning until rush hour comes and goes (which apparently in Honolulu is anywhere from 6-9 a.m.). I already reserved a spot online for a 10:30 a.m. tour of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. After that, we'll head into the city to get some lunch (maybe eat on the beach?) and then do a drive-by of Iolani Palace and the surrounding grounds. We probably will not do the tour due to time/cost considerations. From there, we'll check out Punchbowl Cemetery (basically the Arlington of the Pacific) and then the Nu'uanu Pali overlook. If we have time, we might also drive up some back roads on the mountain to check out the view at Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park. And then it'll be back to Aulani, with a possible stop on the way back at the Dole Plantation for Dole Whips or Leonard's Malasadamobile for donuts.
Possible lunch stop: Kua 'Aina Sandwich shop
Thursday: Again we'll wait out rush hour and then head for Diamond Head State Park to try and hike to the summit. Then we'll do a drive around the windward side of the island up to the North Shore, stopping along the way to see the Byodo-In Temple. We'll check out the famed surf beaches on the North Shore and hopefully see green sea turtles (Aye! sea turtles) there as well. Then we'll stop in the town of Haleiwa for either Matsumoto's or Aoki's Shave Ice.
And then, of course, back to Aulani for more fun there.
Possible lunch stop: Uncle Bobo's BBQ (how can you resist a name like that?)
Maui
Friday: Friday is a travel day, as we leave Oahu and head to Maui. Our plane leaves Honolulu around 9:30 a.m., so we may have to fight some traffic to get to the airport in time. Once we land, we'll probably head straight to Costco to load up on groceries for the week. According to our guidebook, Costco membership is a big help on the islands since it provides access to the cheapest groceries and gas. Most of our meals here will be of the homemade variety.
We'll be staying for a week on Maui with family, either at my cousin or my uncle's house. I haven't planned out each day here since we have plenty of time and flexibility, so we may just do as we please (shocking, coming from a DIS member, isn't it?).
At the very least, we'll have a couple of beach days. We'll spend one day driving the entirety of the notorious Hana Highway. We'll also visit Haleakala National Park, quite possibly to see the sunrise/sunset/nighttime sky as well as during the day. We'll spend some time driving around the west side of Maui and exploring the town of Lahaina, as well as the central Iao Valley.
Mostly we'll take our time and relax. Julie and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary on the island, so I'm looking for a good place for dinner. It seems that most of the restaurants are either burger joints (which we may end up in) or 5-star white-linens type places. If I can find a place with a good steak where I don't have to worry about which fork to use, it may end up being a winner.
Hawaii
It became apparent to me in my planning that I didn't give us enough time to properly explore the big island. Unfortunately, most of our other reservations and flights are set, so we'll just have to do the best we can with what we have.
I haven't booked this flight yet. The main carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, is double the price of everyone else for this leg. The only other alternatives are small 9-seat puddle-jumpers. Some reviews say they're fine and others say it's better to pay the cost and go with Hawaiian. I haven't decided what we'll do there yet.
Friday: we'll fly over to Kona from Maui. I found a good deal on a hotel in the area with an earlybird special. Dinner will involve sampling some Liquid Aloha at the Kona Brewing Co.
Saturday: this will be a long, long driving day. If we see everything we want to, we'll put a few hundred miles on the rental car, easily. So we'll probably get up extremely early. The main goal is to get to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and spend a good part of the day exploring. We may stop along the way at South Point (southernmost point in the U.S.) or a black sand beach. If time allows, we may do the extra drive to Hilo and a bit beyond to see Akaka Falls State Park, but that may be biting off more than we can chew. The volcanoes are the main attraction for this day. There is currently lava flowing, but no guarantee it will still be doing so when we get there. If it is, we'll have to see if there are any viewing areas that are reachable. Seeing a lava flow would probably be worth the cost of the trip by itself.
Sunday: We'll have most of the day to explore before flying out to Kauai in the afternoon. Stops will probably include the Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Site (a place of refuge for Hawaiian citizens). And then we might tour the Greenwell Coffee Farm (because being in Kona without having Kona coffee is a sin). Plus the tour is free, and as you all know, if it's free, it's for me.
Kauai
Monday: Kauai is our last stop, and we'll be staying in a condo near Princeville on the northern part of the island. It was cheaper than the hotels. Monday will most likely be spent driving to the south part of the island to see Waimea Canyon. And whatever else catches our fancy along the way.
Tuesday: We'll spend Tuesday morning hiking the first portion of the Kalalau Trail, which winds along the scenic Na Pali Coast. This is the only way to see it unless you're willing to hire a boat or helicopter tour. Hopefully the kids will hold up! In the evening I'd like to relax and watch the sunset at beautiful Hanalei Bay.
Possible road-food-type meals: Pat's Taqueria truck
Bubba's Burgers
Whew! That was one big info dump. For all of you who wanted to know what the plans were or perhaps steal some research for your own purposes, there it is! We have less than 100 days to go now, so we're getting very excited.
And that's about all I have to say about that.
Just kidding. Actually, I'm thiking Oahu (Aulani), the big island, and Kauai. So, my apologies to your uncle and cousins that I won't be able to visit them on Maui. 
