Summer in Hawaii

Sorry it has taken so long to get anything posted from our summer in Hawaii. We've got a total of 900+ pictures so I just took a few to post on our blog. When my parents and our friend Jeff came out to visit the last week we went around the Island of Oahu and then over to Maui for a few days. One of the stops we made was at the Polynesian Cultural Center. What an amazing place! I can't believe how well organized it is and all the dancers and different cultures. My Aunt and Uncle went on their mission a few years back to start the banana tree farm for the PCC so that was a must see for us.

We also stopped at the Laie Temple. Wish we could have done a session but it is totally gutted! There were boards on the windows and everything. It won't be up and running until next year!

They have more than one type of tour you can do at Pearl Harbor. I totally suggest the USS Missouri. We ended up spending almost three hours there. It was amazing to go into the ship and see all the different rooms and what not. It makes you understand more that when those shipped were bombed and sunk that it would be almost impossible to find your way out. I can't wait to go back and get to do the Bowfin tour!


The USS Arizona Memorial is awesome. Cameron and I got to do it more than once. The video that is shown is really touching and a tear jerker! A must see if you are the Island of Oahu! and it's FREE!!! We also got a flag that was flown over the USS Arizona on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

While in Maui we "SURVIVED" the Road to Hana! I had heard that is was a really bad and windy road.. but that is an understatement! My dad drove and I told him I'll back him up for the next 15 years that he is a good driver and I won't let anyone take his license away!! haha But what a beautiful drive! To be down in the rain forest was so amazing! I can't wait to go back and do it again. We hiked into waterfalls and jumped off them into nature pools. Cameron became famous with the tourists as the guy that fell of one of them! He really did... HE ATE IT!

Lahaina was a fun little town to visit. My favorite thing there was the Huge Banyan Tree and the local guys we met that did the carvings we all got. "Got to support those hard working Return Missionaries"

Iao Valley was really so beautiful and the temperature up there was amazing! We got lots of cool pictures with the clouds down around the "Needle". We hiked for aways off the trail into the really thick forest where if you were lost you would never be seen!

Hanamua Bay was located on Oahu. We had lots of our athletes go there. Cameron and I ended up going 3 times! I really came to love snorkeling.. even though I'm not a big fan of the salt water (because I swallowed so much my first time snorkeling) While my parents and Jeff were there we went for a couple of hours to get some sun and see some fish. I couldn't get my mom to put her face in the water but my dad walked with her in the shallow and they saw lots of fish. So I count it as a success for all of us!

Waikiki was our home for the summer. It's a really busy city with lots of crazy people. Lots of places to eat, shop, and get drunk. Cameron and I ate at lots of different places but we found a favorite called Blazin Steaks - If you end up in Waikiki ever.. it's a street behind the Hyatt near the corner. LOVE IT!

We had a long summer with lots and lots of work. And some good playing! It was really nice to have my parents and Jeff come to spend that free week with us! I wouldn't have done it any other way! Thanks again for coming to play. Cameron fell in love with Hawaii and never wanted to leave. I on the other hand enjoyed it but has never been so happy to come back home! I'll have to go back in the winter sometime so give a real judgment because I hate the humidity and it's suppose to be much nicer not during the summer months. I'll do my best to do better now that I have my good internet back and a way to dump my pictures. Love you all!