Hawaiian Islands Vacation / Oahu Day 3

 We woke up on our third day in Oahu ready for a day of relaxation and family fun at the beach.  We got out to the lagoon early enough to snag a good seat under a grass umbrella so we would have plenty of chance to slip into the shade.  We brought along sand toys, a kite and some fresh papaya.

 Zion had so much fun flying her first kite.  I was pleased with my decision to grab this $1 kite from the dollar spot at Target in the days leading up to our trip.  There was never a dull moment in our time at the beach, from building sand walls to snorkeling to relaxing and taking in the scenery - its incredible the amount of activities you can come up with as a family when you are on vacation.

 Before we left the beach, we rented a water hammock and floated around for a bit.  Have you ever tried one of these?  Zion was a little unsure at first, but in no time she was loving being out in the ocean with Jerry and I.  She even bravely jumped off the side in her life jacket once.

 After lunch and naps and picking up our rental car, we ventured toward the windward side of the island to Bayview Mini Putt & Zip Line.  Jerry and I had been talking about playing mini golf for months (I have never been) and I was determined to make it happen in Hawaii.  We chose Bayview because of their boast about being the only zip line in Oahu and thinking it might be fun to go ziplining for the first time as well.

Though the Zipline was short and sweet, it was great for our first time.  I definitely want to do more Ziplining!  It is a huge rush.  Zion loved seeing each of us zoom down as well.  Afterwards, Jerry taught Zion how to putt while I fumbled my way through the course.  I had no idea mini golf was so fun!  Unfortunately for me, our fun was cut short by the infestation of mosquitos at this course - in an hour I got about 15 bites and they gave me huge welts all over my legs!

We made it through about 15 holes before giving in to the mosquitos.  After that we were hungry (and I was itchy) so we asked the staff at Bayview for local food recommendations.  We ended up heading to a burger joint called Teddy's Bigger Burger - and were happy we did.  I chose the Kaneohe burger which was super tasty, along with parmesan garlic fries and an obligatory chocolate peanut butter milkshake.

More of our Hawaii Vacation:

Oahu Day 2

Oahu Day 1

A Tour of Our Ko Olina Resort

Trip Itinerary

      

Hawaiian Islands Vacation / Oahu Day 2

 Our second full day in Hawaii began with a dip in the resort swimming pool.  I was lucky enough to get sunburned on our first day so I stayed under the umbrella while these two had a good time swimming.  Our agenda was pretty simple for the day, we opted into a timeshare presentation at the nearby Marriott Vacation Beach Club, partly because we were genuinely interested in their program, and partly to gain a huge discount on that evening's Paradise Cove Luau (our gift for attending).

 The views from the beach club were amazing.  And can you believe that swimming pool?!  We were actually really impressed by the rooms at the beach club - though we decided not to buy in at this moment in time.  I think with our desire to travel extensively in the future, a timeshare might be a good option down the road.

 After our presentation, it was time for lunch and naptime for Zion, so we headed back to our suite and ordered room service.  The food was so delicious!  I had a seafood bisque and Jerry had a burger, we split some coconut shrimp and then nibbled on a decadent chocolate macadamia nut mousse pie.

 We arrived at the Luau shortly after they opened and took the counsel of our timeshare presenter heading directly to the activities area.  We went on a canoe ride, had polynesian body art tattooed upon our arms, made floral headbands with giant tropical leaves and snagged good viewing position for the presentations.

The cultural presentations were really fun!  From climbing a palm tree for the "Shower of Flowers" to a little hula dancing on the beach, they really immersed us in the Polynesian culture.  We learned the right way to open a coconut and Zion and I had a chance to learn a special hula dance.  I had no idea that a Luau is so much more than just a banquet and a show!

 As the sun started to set it was time for our dinner and the main presentation - which by the time we sat down to eat, unfortunately it was so dark I didn't really capture much of the stage performance on camera.  The performers were very entertaining, the food was alright (I had limited options due to my dietary restrictions) but my favorite part of the evening was the sunset!

More of our Hawaii Vacation:

Oahu Day 1

A Tour of Our Ko Olina Resort

Trip Itinerary

      

Hawaiian Islands Vacation / Oahu Day 1

I have to apologize for my delay in getting these Hawaii posts going - it has been such a crazy time of going and going for us, one that won't be slowing down for a while yet!  Our first day in Oahu started with a little trip to see the beach and a fish feeding in the lagoon.  Zion got her handful of fish feed and a chart of the potential types of fish she might see, and quickly headed to the water.  The fish were super fast, so a few minutes later as we turned to head up the beach for breakfast, we were surrounded by birds hoping to get the feed that would wash up on shore.

For breakfast we ate on the resort at Naupaka Terrace, the on-site casual dining restaurant.  There was an extensive Sunday buffet as an option as well as their regular buffet and menu ordering.  Right before I left on this trip I found out I was allergic to chicken, so I opted for the buffet which included red meat and seafood options.  This was our best resort dining experience, aside from the in-room meals I will share with you later in the trip.

One of the best things about dining at the Naupaka Terrace was the location in proximity to the shark pool.  We could literally watch the sharks swimming around from our table.  And let me just tell you about eating fresh Papaya in Hawaii!! I've had papaya a few times in other places, but never did it taste as delicious as the fresh papaya readily available here!

After our breakfast we did some hangout time at the beach and then shortly after, took a walk along the beachwalk.  The trees and plants in Oahu are beautiful and unique.  I love the fragrance that is in the air, a mix of salty ocean and fragrant fruits and florals!  There are so many plants and trees and flowers that caught my attention while there!

For dinner, we headed off the resort to a delicious mexican restaurant called "Just Tacos" and, no, they didn't serve only Tacos.  We feasted on nachos, beans and rice and chipotle buttered shrimp before heading back to our room for the evening.  Our first day in the sun left me a bit red, and all of us quite tired, so we had a relaxing time on our balcony before bed.

I have several Hawaii posts planned for this week, I hope you will enjoy seeing the island of Oahu through our eyes!