Bailey's Sweet 16 Jan 3rd



YAY for waking up in Oahu!  We had a much different feel this morning.  We couldn't wait to get out and see some stuff!  Our first stop was Pearl Harbor.  I do feel slightly SLIGHTLY bad for Bailey.  She was ready to be on a beach relaxing and her Dad is ready to drag her through a War Memorial and Grave Site.  Now even though this isn't what she imagined as a dream vacation she went, she learned and she enjoyed it.  She wasn't really getting too much into it until Nathan explained to her that her Grandpa's Dad (so her great grandpa) had actually been at Pearl Harbor and was shot.  That brought it home and made this all a little more real to know she herself had history at this very humbling memorial.

 



Torpedo's are cool no matter what the story is behind them

Our first view of the USS Arizona Memorial from a distance

While waiting for our boat time to head out to the USS Arizona, we decided to pay the fee and walk through the USS Bowfin (an actual submarine with many artifacts still in tact).  We were so glad we did, this was one of the many cool things we seen this day!  Here is Nathan and Bailey making their way onto the submarine

Once inside I was shocked to find how enclosed it was.  I mean I know it is underwater and they can live their for months at a time, but I think it was quite tiny by anyone's standards.  Here is Bailey going from one room to another.

Can you see the date on this?  10/10/1942 I loved to see the dates on things.

Sleeping quarters.  The headphones Nathan is sporting was a recording of what room you were in and explained what it was like living here.  The beds were too small to even spread out completely and there were not enough beds for each man on board.

Nathan ducking through one of the doors.  I was really taken by these doors I tell you!  Especially since I can get a bit claustrophobic.  I kept wondering if there was an exit on the other side or if I would have to come back out through all these tiny doors.  As you can tell....I am not made to live underwater for any period of time at all!

Again, torpedo's are cool with no story associated.  Especially when you can see where they launch them!

Just enjoying the sun and waiting for our boat to the memorial

Bailey and Nathan while everyone loads.  Nervous as I was to be taking this boat ride, I really liked the seating.

Crossing my fingers we make it and don't have to test my ability to swim...

The fact we were able to see this ship that has been underwater for just over 71 years and is now a memorial for everyone entombed was...well I hate to use the word humbling again, but that is exactly what it was.  I kept trying to imagine the fear that I would feel put in that position.  I am sure these hero's handled it much better than I would.

And this....there is still oil constantly coming up from below.  How?!  You would think it would eventually run out.  

Anytime I am faced with a wall like this I get very teary.  I am so grateful for the men and women who give their lives for our great Country.

More pictures of what you could see of the ship

If you have never been here or to DC, make the trip.  Both have the same feel, both are just as equally great to see.  I think it should actually be required that High School students visit one of these places (or ground zero or something equal).  It becomes more than just a page in a history book when you are looking at it.

Now I feel bad even jumping from Pearl Harbor to The Polynesian Cultural Center, but the truth of it is...we had 1 day on Oahu and did both.  So you are getting it just like that.  I hope you don't think that means I have any less respect for the items above.  However we were on vacation....so let's get to it.

 

PCC is broke up into different Polynesian Islands.  Don't ask me to tell you where we were during each of the following pictures, I would fail miserably!  I could fake it and you wouldn't know though anyway.  This guy was showing us how to break open a coconut and then make a fire with the husk while drinking the milk and shredding the meat.  He was very funny and it was crazy to watch him do something we have tried to do ourselves.  Cracking a coconut is difficult!  Making fire by getting rubbing 2 sticks together, DIFFICULT!

Hey, if you don't believe me...you can try yourselfs.  The most these 2 were able to do was make the wood feel slightly warm.

If he could have thought of a plan on how to fly this home, I promise you my friends it would be in my living room.  Instead I just have the skull from Disneyland.

Grandma thought Bailey's first day in Hawaii required a Lei, we agreed!

Absolutely beautiful!

My parents

Bailey, we were just loving the view and trust me that is not something we got over the entire trip.

FIJI I remember.  Because these guys were cool!  The tattoos were fun and he wouldn't take a picture with Bailey unless she would say she was single.

He is getting ready to put Bailey's tattoo on.

Don't worry it's not permanent.  I'm on vacation, NOT crazy!

I want to say this was Tonga, but I'm not even sure why I am guessing at this point.  Bailey was having a lot of fun participating in the activities on each "island".

Bailey: "Grandma, I have never been on a kayak"

Grandma: "Ok, lets do it and lets convince our group to race the other kayaks back"

That is not actually something they do, but their guide was all for it.  So they raced, they won, they celebrated!

Samples of different ways they make their homes.  I can not imagine living in a home made solely of rock.

 

River ride with my gorgeous daughter and amazing husband

Then we went to the luau.

Bailey eating wonderfully yummy purple rolls made out of taro root.  So sweet and good!

The show was very good and so fun to watch while we ate super yummy food!

The pig, thanks for being so yummy!

 

I love how beautiful the ladies look while dancing.  It's very graceful and subtle.

Bailey letting us know the food is thumbs up!

This was popular.  Should we get one of these hats, better try them on first.  No, not this time I will put it away.

Here is the guy from before.  He is a coconut cracking fool, a fire maker, a tree climber and a painter.  Nathan picked up one of his paintings as a souvenier so he signed it form him.

I asked him if we could take him home with us instead he said no, just the painting.  Too bad.

Now as much as I did not love the busy life that happens on Oahu, I highly recommend visiting both of these places.  They were wonderful in very different ways!  Trip so far has been great!