Hawaii: Kualoa Ranch

The beautiful view at Kualoa Ranch while we were waiting for the short bus

We were looking for something a little different to do with the kiddos while in Hawaii. After looking at a few different options we decided to try the Zip & Dip at Kualoa Ranch. We purchased all our tickets at the MWR office during our visit to Fort Shafter. I recommend anyone who is active duty or retired military to get any tickets they can at the MWR, you'll get better pricing. Unfortunately for us, the Zip & Dip was sold out, but we were able to purchase just the Zip portion (Treetop Canopy Zipline Tour).

The drive from Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch took us about an hour and we had to get up fairly early to make it there by 8:00AM, the kiddos weren't too happy about that. Plugging the address into the GPS was easy enough and we found it without issues. The first thing we noticed was how beautiful the place was. Once we checked in we waited for our short bus to give us a ride to the ziplines. The ranch actually offers several activities you can sign up for. I wish we came across this place earlier in our trip, we probably would have signed up for a few more things (Horseback Tours, ATV Tours, Movie Site Tour, and more)

Nine of us headed out on the short bus. Our driver gave us a guided tour of the Kualoa Ranch during the ride showing us where various movies have been filmed such as Jurassic World and 50 first dates (and many more - there have been more than 50 Hollywood movies and TV shows filmed at the ranch) Once we arrived at the zipline arrival area, we all got off the short bus and geared up with the help of the 3 guides that were there to help. The gear includes a harness and a helmet. They have free lockers for anyone who wanted to leave items there. We were told we can take pictures and do whatever, but if anything is dropped it will be lost forever. (we used our iPhones to snap pictures and short videos while on the waiting area for each of the ziplines, I also had my son use our GoPro during the zipline with express instructions to hold it with a death grip!). The zipline adventure includes 7 ziplines ranging from 200 feet to a quarter mile in length!

Our guides were awesome and the ziplines were a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed the views, which were so beautiful...we all just soaked them in. We couldn't stop taking pictures of everything around us the entire time. I would recommend checking out Kualoa Ranch to anyone interested in movie history or just wanting to have some fun and adventure. We all had a complete blast!!

Another view while at the ranch waiting for our short bus

One of the amazing views during our Treetop Canopy Zipline Tour


 

My son making his way down the zipline

A photo to show you one of the short trails we took to one of the stations

This was the start of the quarter mile zipline

Watching my kids do "the coconut" down the quarter mile zipline


 

One of the suspension bridges we crossed

Another view of us ziplining


 

A picture we took with the GoPro of the entire valley
You can see some of the trail and 
one of the zipline stations below 
 
 

On the short bus ride back to the ranch...a view of
Mokoliʻi (Chinaman's Hat)

Hawaii: Pearl Harbor

One thing is for sure...when we visited Hawaii, I wanted to make sure the kiddos took a little break from the beach and visited Pearl Harbor. They knew what they had learned in history class and what they've seen in the movie Pearl Harbor, but I wanted them to take in a little bit of history. I wanted them to see Pearl Harbor. Walk around where the attacks took place and let all of what happened really sink in.

Pearl Harbor is Hawaii's largest tourist attraction! Some of it's free and some places do cost a small fee. The first thing I did was start planning my trip. I didn't want any surprises when we arrived. The first (and very important) thing I learned was that even though the USS Arizona Memorial is free, it is very important to reserve your tickets! The tickets are free, but they only give out a limited number each day. I went through a little bit of a panic when I tried to reserve my tickets online a few days before our planned trip and there were none available. After a little more reading though I found out that there are also next day tickets available starting at 7AM the day prior to your visit. I promptly set my alarm for 7AM and I was able to reserve tickets for the family...crisis averted!! Tickets book up quickly, so I suggest getting them early...up to 2 months in advance.

To reserve tickets go online at: www.recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777. (There is also 1,300 walk-in tickets available at the Pearl Harbor Visitor's center, but I'm sure those are gone pretty quickly...so I wouldn't recommend taking that gamble unless you have no other alternative. The visitor center opens at 7AM)

We took our rental car there and easily found parking, although it was a good walk to get to the entrance. Once there we headed to the ticket counter and picked up our USS Arizona Memorial tickets and I also purchased USS Bowfin & USS Missouri tickets as well. There is also the Pacific Aviation Museum, but we chose not to partake.

The USS Bowfin

Our first stop was the USS Bowfin. The USS Bowfin is a WWII submarine. We were given audio headphones to use while touring the submarine. Each of the areas had a different number we could punch in and we would hear an audio presentation that pertained to that particular area. The tour was pretty cool I think. You get to walk around the sub at your own pace and see how small and cramped everyone must have been while working on it. It's pretty crazy to imagine!

On the deck of the USS Bowfin

Looking back to the shore from the deck of the USS Bowfin

After the USS Bowfin, we slowly made our way to the USS Arizona Memorial theatre. Each ticket group has a designated time slot for the tour. The start of the tour is actually a 23 minute documentary film inside the theatre. The documentary shows everything that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and then the attack itself. It really set the tone for what we were about to see next.

After the documentary we all gathered onto a passenger shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial.

The view of the USS Missouri from our shuttle boat 

heading towards the USS Arizona Memorial

The documentary was great and the memorial is nice, but I wished you could see a little more of the actual ship. The USS Arizona Memorial is placed directly above where the USS Arizona sank. You can see bits and pieces of the ship, but not much. I've seen photos taken from the air and it's pretty amazing seeing the entire ship under water. Unfortunately there is not much to see from the memorial itself. There is a list of names of the crew members that died, that ended up being a little too much for my wife who couldn't stay in that portion too long. It just hit her a little too hard after watching the documentary and knowing that all those sailors died in the ship and are still down there.

 

 The Shrine Room containing the list of names of the 

USS Arizona crew that perished

Inside the USS Arizona Memorial

Looking up at the US Flag flying above the USS Arizona Memorial

After a set period of time (plenty of time to take it all in), the shuttle boat takes everyone back to the Pearl Harbor visitors center. We got off and had a little lunch next where the USS Bowfin is located. They sell hotdogs and there are vending machines selling all kinds of drinks. Not the healthiest lunch, but it did the job.

Finally we headed to the USS Missouri Memorial. To get there we had to board a shuttle bus that drove us over to Ford Island. This is the only way to get there as a civilian. The shuttle buses are constantly making a round trip with stops at the Pacific Aviation Museum as well. We got off and headed to the "Mighty Mo".

Walking toward the Battleship Missouri

The USS Missouri was actually located at the naval shipyard in Bremerton where I'm from. I remember as a kid going on the decks and playing around on it. There was a lot of controversy and uproar in the local community as it was "stolen" from us and moved to Pearl Harbor. Even though it sucks that we no longer have it in the Pacific Northwest, I think having it in Pearl Harbor makes it available to a much larger audience. There are a lot more people that see it now than there ever was at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.

Once on the USS Missouri you can choose to either walk around and explore on your own, use an audio device similar to the ones we used on the USS Bowfin earlier, or go on a guided tour. We chose to use the audio devices and just explore on our own. The kiddos took off and I didn't see them again until we where finished. We slowly made our way on deck of the battleship and then went through the inside where you can see where and how all the sailors lived and worked on the ship. It was all pretty cool, although not as many areas to access the audio tour as the USS Bowfin had. It was all interesting...I think if we didn't have the kiddos with us, we probably would have went on one of the guided tours just to hear some additional information.

The big guns on the deck of the USS Missouri

 

Bunk beds and lockers the sailors had to use...still cramped,

but not as bad as the USS Bowfin!

 

A room for the higher ranking obviously

 

Looking out over the big guns to the USS Arizona Memorial

 

A closer view of the USS Arizona Memorial from the deck of the USS Missouri

All in all the trip to Pearl Harbor was a great trip. I recommend this trip to anyone who is visiting Hawaii. Great to see the history up close and personal.

Hawaii: Diamond Head Hike

The amazing view at the top of Diamond Head

While in Hawaii and especially while walking around Waikiki you can't help but notice Diamond Head. It's one of Hawaii's most recognized landmark. My wife and I wanted to make sure we scheduled a time to hike Diamond Head and see what we were sure were going to be some incredible views. After doing a little research we found out that it's not an extremely difficult hike, but be sure to go as early as possible just to avoid the heat. Not to say the hike is easy...I would say it's more of a moderate hike. We saw everyone from old people down to young kids on the hike. We even saw people in their sandals and flip flops (which I wouldn't recommend). There were a lot of people, but not too many to make it too crowded. I'm sure if we left earlier than we did, we would have missed the larger crowds.

Diamond Head is actually part of a large volcanic crater. To get to the hike, you have to drive inside the crater to the trail head and parking area. Hours are 6AM to 6PM (with the last entrance to hike the trails at 4:30PM. Parking costs $5.00 per car. The trail head also has a gift shop. The trail and bunkers were originally built by the military, but are now accessible to the public.

The view from the parking area to the top of the Diamond Head hike

The start of the hiking path is cement, but quickly turns into a 
dirt/gravel path like this with hand rails.

Looking up you can see the switchbacks heading up to the top

A little better view of the switchbacks and the folks hiking up

The start of a lit tunnel during the hike

Inside the lit tunnel portion of the hike




The end of the tunnel...we're getting closer




Now a lot of stairs to climb!




On the final leg of the hike to the top...this is where
it starts to get a little more congested, but during
our hike everyone moved along and polite

 Now for some of the views....



This was taken during one of the break points where we stopped
and grabbed a quick drink and took a few pics




Looking straight out at the Pacific Ocean




Zoomed in a bit for a shot of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head




Looking out straight ahead from the top of Diamond Head




A "no zoomed" view of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head
This view will never get old!




A view of one of the bunkers with Honolulu in the background
from the top of Diamond Head




 Inside the military's "Fire Control Station" at the top of Diamond Head





Looking out of the military's "Fire Control Station" at the top of Diamond Head




The view from the top of Diamond Head looking down into
the crater where we started




On the way back down...a look at the final set of ascending stairs




 On the way back down...looking at the beautiful ocean
along with a lighthouse that you can barely see in this picture




My wife's arm...along with a view of the switchbacks
on the way down




Looking down at the trail on our way back


 

On the top of each of those peaks are more bunkers

The hike was awesome and the views were amazing. I recommend this hike to anyone that is visiting Oahu!

Hawaii: Hanauma Bay

The view of Hanauma Bay from the top near the parking lot & entrance

While vacationing in Hawaii we wanted to make sure we took the kiddos snorkeling. I've been snorkeling before in Hawaii, but I've never visited Hanauma Bay. I've heard that it has some great snorkeling, so I thought this would be the perfect place to take the family.

As always I did a little research before we just headed out there and I'm glad I did. I read many reviews that said get there early! The parking lot fills up and due to the conservation efforts, they do not allow anyone else in when the lot is full. So if you get there late you will have to wait until enough cars leave before you're allowed to get in.

We arrived early...right when the park opened at 6AM! The kiddos weren't too happy, but I wanted to make sure we were able to get in and have a great time. One of the benefits of getting there when the park opened is we didn't have to pay for parking or even admission!

**Normally when you arrive parking is cheap (only $1) and admission is $7.50**

There is a tram that can take you up and down the short hill from the parking lot to the beach for a small fee ($1 for a ride down & $1.25 for a ride up). The hill isn't that bad and the scenery is great, so we just walked it.

The view while walking down the hill isn't bad :)

You can bring your own food and drinks and you can rent all the snorkeling equipment there if you don't have your own. We rented masks and snorkels for about $15 each. I was surprised that the quality of the equipment was excellent. I'm used to getting sub-par equipment when it comes to rentals, so this was indeed a pleasant surprise.

The view of the beach and Hanauma Bay at the bottom of the hill

 

Some people get there early, claim their spot, and then nap!

 

When we actually started snorkeling it really felt like we were all swimming in a large aquarium. Another nice thing is that you don't even have to go out very far before you start seeing some of the fish. There were colorful fish everywhere! We heard if you're lucky you may even see a sea turtle, but unfortunately none were around while we were out. The whole family had a lot of fun. It may get a little crowded, but definitely worth checking out if you're vacationing in Oahu.

Just a couple of the photos we took with the GoPro underwater