Tenth Anniversary of Big Hawaii Trip

Dean and Karen's Big Hawaii Trip – March, 2004 (thankfully I wrote this up just after the trip)

Day 1 - Saturday, March 13

-left Kris with Karen’s parents in Peoria, who took her up to Wisconsin

-flew from Peoria to Chicago to Honolulu, saw from air:

            -Lake Tahoe

            -Pacific Ocean

            -southern part of Oahu, including Pearl Harbor w/Arizona Memorial and Barbers Point

-a rainbow greeted us as we landed at the airport

-as we rode to Waikiki hotel we saw Tripler Hospital and Punchbowl Crater

-that night we saw a hula at the local mall

Day 2 – Sunday, March 14

-strolled to Waikiki Beach and saw Diamond Head

-went to Maui Divers orientation and tour

-stopped at Hilo Hatties and Kmart

-walked Waikiki Beach and saw the Royal Hawaiian Hotel

-visited the International Marketplace

-went to church at St. Augustine’s

Day 3 – Monday, March 15

-went to Hanauma Bay near the crack of dawn – beach closed soon after due to box jellyfish invasion – took sort of a scenic route back

-walked to Ala Wai canal from hotel to look at area Dean’s parents used to live

-took a bus tour of the southeast corner of the island and saw:

            -Diamond Head

            -Hanauma Bay

            -Blowhole

            -Nuuanu Pali Lookout

            -Tantalus

-went to the International Marketplace again

-had a Mai Tai near the beach

Day 4 – Tuesday, March 16

-took a bus tour of the middle and north sections of the island and saw:

            -went to Arizona Memorial and saw Ford Island

            -Dole Plantation and Kolekole Pass

            -North Shore (including Sunset Beach)

            -macadamia nut place near Kualoa Regional Park

            -Nuuanu Pali Lookout

-went swimming/body surfing at Waikiki Beach

-ate at Cheeseburgers in Paradise

-watched the sunset on Waikiki Beach

Day 5 – Wednesday, March 17

-packed up, walked around

-flew to the Big Island (saw other islands along the way)

-rented car at Kona Airport

-drove to and explored resort

-visited a local shopping center

Day 6 – Thursday, March 18

-drove southern half of island and saw:

            -South Point (southernmost point in the 50 states)

            -a black sand beach

            -Volcano Park Visitor Center

-drove to Hilo to take a single engine plane over Volcano Park:

            -saw older and newer cooled lava flows

            -flew near the active vent Pu’u O’o and caught a glimpse of orange lava when a “skylight” opened up in a new flow

-drove back from Hilo to Volcano Park and saw:

            -steam vents

            -Kilauea Caldera and the Jaggar Museum

            -Volcano Park Visitor Center

            -Thurston Lava Tube and fern grove

            -Devastation Trail

            -Chain of Craters road to where lava cut off the road in February, 2003

-dinner in the town of Volcano

Day 7 – Friday, March 19

-listened to a timeshare sales pitch to seriously discount the previous day’s plane ride

-snorkeled coral reef at Kahalu’u Beach Park

-went to luau and hula show in evening

Day 8 – Saturday, March 20

-snorkeled coral reef at Kahalu’u Beach Park

-drove northern half of island and saw:

            -white coral on black lava field graffiti (I really think I saw the my brother’s name “Dace” out there)

            -Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and lenticular clouds

            -Waimea

            -Waipio Valley

            -assorted gulches and waterfalls

            -went to St. Joseph’s Church in Hilo (turns out it was the Feast of St. Joseph)

            -incredible view of stars and Venus reflecting on the Pacific Ocean

-returned rental car at airport

-11 pm flight postponed due to computer crash

Day 9 – Sunday, March 21

-checked into really fancy Mauna Kea Hotel at 2:30 am

-phone call telling us plane was fixed at 6:30 am

-fancy breakfast at fancy hotel

-got to airport at 9 am, flight supposed to leave at 11 am left at 12:30 pm

-flew to Los Angeles and hung out at internet cafe

Day 10 – Monday, March 22

-flew from Los Angeles to Dallas to St. Louis to Peoria (11 am)

-arrived home in Peoria to find Kris with Dean’s parents, who brought her here from Wisconsin