July 2, 3 and 4, 2011: Weekend Events

Lots of ways to celebrate the 4th of July this weekend here in beautiful Hawaii!  I've listed the major fireworks shows, parades and other activities on the Weekend Events page so click on over there to find out all the details.  There are a few non-4th of July themed events listed there too.

Have a great weekend!

Fourth of July Fireworks, 2011

Wondering where to see fireworks on Oahu this fourth of July weekend?  Here's a list!  Many of these fireworks shows are part of all-day or partial-day celebration and that information is on the Weekend Events Page.





Friday, July 1, 2011

Hilton Hawaiian Village

Fireworks launch from the beach in front of the hotel, visible from Waikiki and Magic Island

Fireworks at 7:45pm

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Aloha Tower Marketplace
Fireworks launched from a barge between Sand Island and Aloha Tower
Fireworks at 8:45pm

Monday, July 4, 2011

Kailua

In the past, fireworks have been launched from a barge near Flat Island which is in front of Kailua Beach Park

Fireworks at 8pm

Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai
Fireworks launched from a barge in the bay
Fireworks at 8pm

Turtle Bay Resort
Fireworks at 8pm

Ala Moana Center's Show at Ala Moana Beach Park/Magic Island
Fireworks at 8:30pm

Schofield Barracks

Fireworks launched from the commissary parking lot.  Open to the public.

Fireworks at 8:30pm

If you know of any shows I have forgotten or see any errors in the above info please leave a comment for me and your fellow readers.  Mahalo!

Baby Makapu'u Beach

If you're looking for things to do with kids, I would recommend Baby Makapu'u Beach.  We spent a morning there last week and plan to go back soon!  

First off, it's a beautiful spot!  The contrast of the black rocks and the white sand, the blue ocean and Manana Island/Rabbit Island offshore, the sunlight sparkling on the water - you know you're in Hawaii!

Several of the tidepools have sandy bottoms, making them perfect kiddie pools.  The rocks are great for exploring (but watch out for the slippery ones) and my kids had fun finding crabs and other small creatures.  There were quite a few little fish and some of them nibbled our toes when we sat really still in one of the pools.  My son thought that was neat!

Although this was my first visit, it was obvious this is a popular place for families with children.  If you want to miss out on the crowds go early or head there later in the day when others have headed home for lunch and/or naptime.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  Off of Kalanianaole Hwy. (Hwy 72) across from Sea Life Park

Directions:  

• If you are coming from Honolulu/Waikiki drive through Hawaii Kai, past Hanauma Bay, Makapu'u Lighthouse and Makapu'u Beach Park.  You'll see the entrance to Sea Life Park on your left.  Continue until you see the exit to Sea Life Park.  The entrance to this beach is almost directly across from the exit to Sea Life Park.  Turn to the right (toward the ocean) and then when you have the choice to go right or left, turn left to get to the part of the beach pictured and described here.

• If you are coming from the windward side drive through Waimanalo, pass the entrance to Bellows Beach Park, pass the U.H. research pier on your left and look for the exit to Sea Life Park on your right.  The entrance to this beach is almost directly across from the exit to Sea Life Park.  Turn left here and then when you have the choice to go right or left, turn left to get to the part of the beach pictured and described here.

Parking:  There is a parking area here.  As always, do not leave valuables in your car.

Facilities:  There are no restrooms or showers at this part of the beach.  However, where the road splits if you turn to the right there is a restroom in that part of the parking area.

Other:  I've heard this is a great place to take kids tide pooling at low tide.  Wear water/reef shoes to protect your feet and be careful not to step on marine life.

Scenic Sunday: Kaneohe Sunset

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

The sky was brilliant over Kaneohe last night.

June 25 & 26, 2011 Weekend Events & Activities

Lots of fun events for children and families happening on Oahu this weekend!  This is the last weekend of the 50th State Fair, there are numerous library programs happening across the island, the aquarium is free for military members and the list goes on.  Head to the Weekend Events Page for all the details!

Also be sure to check out the list of ongoing summer events at the bottom of the weekend events page.  I've added information on the Honolulu Zoo's concert series as well as Foster Botanical Garden's concert series.

And lastly I have a favor to ask - if you find Oahu Mom to be a helpful resource, would you help spread the word about it by sharing it with your friends and encouraging them to come check it out?  Mahalo!

Hiking the Old Pali Road

When you are at the Pali Lookout you can see the old road going down the mountain to the right.  It's a great place for walking/hiking with the family and has great views and nice breezes.  We enjoy this spot for an easy afternoon hike and our favorite way to do it is from the bottom up.  We did this again recently with our kids and one of our son's friends.

For this hike we always park at the lookout at the Pali Highway's hairpin turn on the Windward side.  Once we've parked, we turn around and walk back to the entrance of the lookout and take the trail that begins at the gap between the guard rails.



This is the same place that the Maunawili Demonstration Trail begins.  The difference is, turning right up these stairs at this junction leads to the Old Pali Road and the Pali Lookout.

The first part of the trail is uphill and is a dirt trail.  The majority of it is in the shade and has a real tropical feel to it with lots of different plants and trees along the way.  There are a few places where the edges of the trail are a little steep but all the kids did just fine hiking on their own.

Although the trail is an uphill climb overall, it's gradual enough that a lot of the time I couldn't convince my boy we were hiking uphill.  There are some great views to be enjoyed along the way and lots of opportunities for kids to explore.

Our family saw a wild boar beside the trail and it stuck around just long enough for all the kids to get a peek and then ran away from us.  Another highlight of the hike was a clump of hau trees that the kids enjoyed climbing.

Eventually the dirt trail leads to the paved end of the Old Pali Road.  Our girl was excited to get there because we let her out of the backpack carrier and she got to hike on her own.  She could have hiked the whole trail, and did hike all the way back to the car, but keeping her in the carrier helped us have a faster pace on the way up.

We hiked part way up the paved part of the Old Pali Road with the goal of making it all the way to the Pali Lookout.  But after awhile the kids started complaining that they were tired and when a snack failed to revive them completely we turned around and headed back toward our car.  We decided having them enjoy the journey was more important than making it to our destination and a fun afternoon was had by all, with more exploring and climbing on the return part of our hike.

Do it yourself on Oahu
Location:  The hairpin turn on the Pali Highway is on the windward side about halfway between the tunnels and the stoplight at the junction with Kamehameha Hwy.
Directions:  From the leeward side, go through the tunnels and look for a pullout on your right just as you begin the hairpin turn.  To get there from the windward side you have to go past the hairpin, through the tunnels, exit at the Pali Lookout and get back on the Pali heading back toward Kailua.
Parking:  The lot can fill up on weekends, but we've always managed to find a spot.  Hope you do too!  If not, park in the lot at the Pali Lookout and do this hike in the opposite direction.
Facilities:  There are no restrooms at either end of the trail.  Take your own water.  You may want to take bug spray too.
Other:  • For a stroller friendly version of this hike, start at the Pali Lookout and go down as far as you can with a stroller.  You'll get some great views along the way.  • You can hike this one way if you park a car at the other end of the trail, or have faster members of your group do a round-trip hike and then pick up the rest of the group at the other end.
More info:  This hike overlaps with both the Maunawili Demonstration Trail and the hike from the Ko'olau Golf Course to the Pali Lookout.  Click on those trail names to read about those hikes.

Scenic Sunday: Happy Father's Day!

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

My dad and my daughter at Kalama Beach

Happy Father's Day to my dad, my husband, my father-in-law and all the grandpas, dads and uncles out there.

Ko Olina's Fourth Lagoon

It's been fun visiting the different lagoons at Ko Olina and comparing them to each other.  Lagoon Four was the one we spent time at most recently.

Lagoon 4 has, by far, the largest parking lot of any of the lagoons and since we were meeting up with a group on Memorial Day weekend we based our lagoon pick on the size of the lot.  There are parking lot attendants at Lagoon Four who regulate how many cars can go in based on the number of spots available.  We lucked out and a spot opened up just as we got there and they let us in.

The beach and water are very much like those at the other lagoons and the kids had fun building castles in the sand and splashing around in the ocean.  It's great for young children since the water is protected from large waves and it is relatively shallow around the edges.  There seemed to be less shade available at this lagoon than the others, but maybe that was just a feeling and not a fact.

There are no large hotel or time share buildings lining the beach here, but for some reason this lagoon is more highly monitored than the others.  Beach attendants (for lack of a better term) frequently drove by on their golf carts, stopping to enforce the rules - some of which were posted others that weren't.

We enjoyed our afternoon at Lagoon 4 and I'm sure we'll spend time there again.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  Ko Olina is located at the western end of the H1 freeway between Kapolei and Nanakuli.
Directions:  To get to Ko Olina, go west on the H-1 freeway.  You will pass Pearl Harbor, the junction with the H-2, the water park and Kapolei.  Take the Ko Olina exit and go left at the top of the off ramp.  This is a gated community but the beaches are open to the public.  At the guard house, let them know you are heading to the lagoons.  The turns for the lagoons will be on your right and are marked with signs.  The signs are not quite as clear for lagoon four as the others, but the entrance to the lagoon parking lot is just to the right of the entrance to the marina parking lot, so if you find the marina lot you're basically there.
Parking:  As mentioned, the parking lot for lagoon four is the largest.  The attendants will let you in if there is a spot available, otherwise you will be turned away.
Facilities:  There are public restrooms and outdoor showers available here.
More info:  Links to related Oahu Mom posts: Lagoon One at Ko Olina and Lagoon Three at Ko Olina

Father's Day Weekend Events: June 18 & 19, 2011

Father's Day Weekend is on its way!  There are lots of activities and events for the whole family happening this weekend.  Check out the updated Weekend Events page for all the details!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, Grandpas and Uncles out there!

Dinosaurs at the Bishop Museum

The Bishop Museum is currently hosting the traveling exhibit Dinosaurs Unearthed: Feathered Discoveries.  This has been at the museum since March and we finally got a chance to see it last week.

The main features of the exhibit are animatronic dinosaurs that move and make noise.  I had heard these scare a lot of kids so I did my best to prep mine ahead of time.  I told them the dinosaurs moved and made noise but were pretend and couldn't walk or get them.

There's a big dinosaur in the parking lot and a couple more outside in front of the exhibit hall which gave the kids a chance to see and get used to them in broad daylight.

The exhibit itself is more dimly lit which gives it a slightly eerie feel.  None of the kids in our group were overly scared by the dinosaurs, although some were more comfortable around them than others.  There was one little dinosaur that surprised the kids by screeching and moving when they weren't expecting it and they all jumped back from the rope in unison, but thankfully their leap was followed by laughter and not tears.

In addition to the animatronic dinosaurs there are skeletons on display, some small interactive information stations where you can learn more about the dinosaurs and a table where young explorers can unearth dinosaur bones.  There's also a hands-on fossil table.  Both of the hands-on exhibits were big hits with our group and we spent quite a bit of time at them.

We followed our time with the dinosaurs with a picnic on the museum's Great Lawn and a short visit to their Science Adventure Center before heading home for nap time.

Do it yourself on Oahu
This exhibit will be at the Bishop Museum until September 5 so there is lots of time left for you to take your keiki!
Location:  1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI  96817
Directions:  Why reinvent the wheel?  Click here for directions to the museum from wherever you might be.
Hours:  9am to 5pm Wednesday to Monday (i.e. closed on Tuesdays)  Closed on Christmas
Parking:  Plenty of free parking right in front of the museum.
Facilities:  Restrooms in each building.  Café and gift shop in the entrance building.
Cost:  Admission to the Bishop Museum which includes all permanent and visiting exhibits: Adults $17.95, Seniors (65 and over) $14.95, Children ages 4-12 $14.95, Children 3 and under are free.  They have reduced rates for kama'aina and military visitors with proper identification.  To save money, consider purchasing a membership (they are several levels available) or be on the lookout for free admission days - they have a couple a year and I try to post them on the Weekend Events page when they occur.
Other:  Since they have a café there I didn't know if they allowed outside food.  I asked a security guard if I could take a small cooler in for a picnic lunch.  He said that was no problem and that's what we did!
More info:  Bishop Museum Exhibitions
Also on Oahu Mom:  Bishop Museum's Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

Scenic Sunday: Sharks Cove

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

View of Oahu's North Shore from the beach at Sharks Cove

King Kamehameha Day Lei Draping

Last year I blogged about seeing the Kamehameha Statue draped in leis for King Kamehameha Day.  If you want to see this for yourself now is the time.

The lei draping ceremony will begin this Friday, June 10, at 3:30pm with a prelude concert by the Royal Hawaiian Band.

The ceremony occurs in front of Aliiolani Hale at 417 South King Street, across from the Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu.    (For Hawaii Five-0 fans, you'll recognize this location as "Five-0 Headquarters.")

If you don't make it to the ceremony, I would recommend at least stopping by sometime to see the leis.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Events: June 11 and 12, 2011

King Kamehameha Day Weekend is almost here.  When I was teaching I was always disappointed that this state holiday falls during summer vacation.  But enough about me.

This weekend the 50th State Fair continues and there are a couple parades to see including the King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade.  You can also learn about bugs at the Hawaii Nature Center and/or take your 6-12 year old (if you have one) to see a free movie.  All the details are on the Weekend Events Page.  When you're there, be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a list of ongoing summer activities and events that happen both on weekends and weekdays.

Have a great weekend!

Royal Mausoleum

Ever wonder where the royal families of Hawaii are buried?  The Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu Valley is the principal burial site for the Kamehameha and Kalakaua Dynasties.  I stumbled upon this place, called Mauna 'Ala (Fragrant Hills) in Hawaiian, when I was walking along Nu'uanu Road.  The beautiful black gates with gold accents caught my eye and last month I finally got a chance to stop in and visit.

On the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum there are a chapel, an underground burial vault and several free standing tombs.  The grounds are beautiful and peaceful and you forget how close you are to both downtown Honolulu and the Pali Hwy.  

The underground crypt is where the remains of many members of the royal family are kept, with their names and dates of birth and death marking their final resting place.  Many of the remains were transferred here after the mausoleum was finished in 1865.

There are free standing tombs and monuments both beside and behind the chapel.  As we walked around looking at them I had an opportunity to teach my children about graveyard etiquette and respect, as well as a bit of Hawaiian history.

We also saw many beautiful leis which had been left on the graves.  On May 2, leis from Lei Day competitions held on May 1 are ceremoniously placed on graves at the Royal Mausoleum.  Our visit was in the afternoon after the ceremony and the leis were intricate and beautiful.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  2261 Nu'uanu Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii

Directions:  From the Pali Hwy, take the Wyllie Street exit.  If you are coming from Honolulu, you will loop around to the right, crossing over the Pali, and come to an intersection where you will take a left at the stop sign.  If you are driving towards Honolulu, you will exit and arrive at the same intersection where you will go straight at the stop sign.  You will be on Nu'uanu Ave. and pass two churches on your left and the Mausoleum will be just after them and before the large cemetery.

Hours:  Mon-Fri, 8am to 4:30pm; Closed on weekends and holidays, except Memorial Day.

Parking:  Free and located along the loop inside the gates of the Mausoleum.

Facilities:  There are restrooms located behind the chapel.

Other:  Picnicing is not allowed on the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum.

More info:  For a brief history of the Mausoleum, read about it on Wikipedia


This post is part of the Carnival of Aloha at Homespun Honolulu.  Head there to find links to more posts about the Hawaiian islands.

Scenic Sunday: Sunset on Maui

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

Sunset seen from Ka'anapali, Maui

Just realized I never shared this photo from our Spring Break vacation.

This post is part of Scenic Sunday over at Delicious Baby.  Click on over to see other pictures from around the world.

Weekend Events: June 4 and 5, 2011

Surprise!  I posted my weekend events page earlier than usual and hopefully that will help you in your weekend planning.  All the details of this weekend's family friendly events and activities can be found by visiting my Weekend Events Page.  That's also the place where you can find information on the Hawaii State Public Library's summer reading program that is going on now.

As always, if there's something important I left out, please share it with everyone in the comments to this post.  I hope you enjoy the first weekend in June!