2012 Great Aloha Run & Keiki Run

My husband and son just decided to do the Great Aloha Run this year, the annual event that begins at the Aloha Tower and ends at Aloha Stadium.  Some readers may remember they did the Great Aloha Run a couple years ago and our son only walked about .5 miles of the 8 mile course and my husband carried him the other 7.5 miles.  At first my husband was excited to make it a yearly tradition but then changed his mind and decided to wait.  This is the year to try it again.  Our son just ran/walked 8.25 miles for his school's two hour jog-a-thon so we know that if he's motivated he can do it.  Here's hoping for motivation on race day!

Me?  I'll be home when the race begins.  Our girl is not a happy camper early in the morning, not a happy camper when she has to be in a stroller against her will and not a happy camper when she has to walk against her will.  Eight miles with an unhappy camper just doesn't sound fun so I'm going to sacrifice and sleep in, I mean stay home, with her.

This is a very family friendly race and you'll be in good company if you are there with a stroller.  If you want to give it a try this year, January 27 (that's this coming Friday) is the last day for regular entries to the Great Aloha Run to be postmarked.  After that you must register in person and the price increases significantly.

In addition to the race on President's Day there will also be a special 1.5 mile Keiki Run on Saturday, February 18.  Registration for that is online through January 31.

Here are some links for more information and to register:
Kaiser Permanente's Great Aloha Run
Hawaii 5210, Let's Go Keiki Run

Pumpkin Patch at Waimanalo Country Farms

This is the last weekend the pumpkin patches are open, so just in case anyone still wants to go and is trying to decide which one to go to, I thought I'd post about the pumpkin patch at Waimanalo Country Farms where my son's class went for a field trip.

Waimanalo Country Farms has a beautiful location up against the Ko'olau Mountains with a view of the ocean.  Going on the hay ride there lets you enjoy this view even more than just hanging out by the pumpkin patch.

That's what we started with, the hay ride.  It was narrated by the driver who told about the history of this family owned farm and talked about their mission there.  He also played a couple songs he'd written and recorded.

They have some animals on the farm and we looked at the goats and donkeys and a scary looking goose.  I think on the weekend you can feed the animals, but we just looked at them and petted a couple that were next to the fence.  Then we took a walk through the corn maze.

Last but not least we headed to the pumpkin patch to choose our pumpkins.  Nearby there was a giant Matson container where they were unloading crates of pumpkins from California.  The bare ground and the Matson container made the pumpkin patch feel artificial to me but the kids didn't seem to mind.

In comparing experiences and stories with others, it sounds like the pumpkin patch field trip experience is different from the family day experience at both Aloun Farms and Waimanalo Country Farms.  At Waimanalo Country Farms I hear they also have face painting, various pumpkin games and activities as well as food and shave ice for sale on the weekends.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  41-225 Lupe Street, Waimanalo (Across from Waimanalo Beach Park)

Hours: 2011 hours are 9am to 5pm Saturdays and Sundays in October

Parking:  Parking in one of their fields.

Facilities:  Porta-potties available

More info:  Waimanalo Country Farms or call 808-306-4381

Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch this past weekend.  Admittedly that's not a very original idea for family outing this month but we had a good time.  I'm sure many of you have already made the journey to one of the pumpkin patches here on Oahu, but if by chance you haven't let me tell you about our morning at Aloun Farms.

We decided to start the morning with a hayride and save pumpkin picking for later so we wouldn't have to carry our pumpkins around the whole time.  We got our tickets and joined the line.  We had to wait for a bit and the water and granola bar I had in my bag kept the kids happy while we waited.  

I'd seen a sign that said you could take the hay ride out to the self pick corn area and sure enough, the first stop on the hay ride was a corn field.  We decided to get off and soon we were in the middle of a corn field with a big bucket to fill.  

Our daughter decided she'd rather hang out on Daddy's shoulders than pick corn but our son was excited to find big ears of corn and twist them off and drop them into the bucket.  We filled our bucket and headed back to pay for it and get back on the hay ride.  

The next stop on the hay ride was a pumpkin patch but we decided not to get off there.  It seemed like it would be easier to get pumpkins closer to the parking area than balance pumpkins, bags of corn and kids on the hay ride.

The pumpkin fields closer to the entrance weren't as green as the ones farther out but there were still pumpkins actually attached to the vine in addition to the ones they set in there to replenish the fields.  Our son had fun hunting for the perfect pumpkin.  Our rule was that he had to be able to carry the one he picked.  Our daughter wasn't interested in the pumpkins but she had fun sitting and playing in the dirt.  Go figure!

Speaking of dirt, it was very dusty out there.  Don't wash your kids or your car before you head to the pumpkin patch, you'll just be wasting your time!

There are bouncy houses and a few carnival type rides for little kids but we skipped those and instead had shave ice and then headed home.  A good time was had by all!

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  91-1440 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707

Hours:  8:30am to 5pm Saturdays and Sundays through October 30

Cost:  Cash only!  No checks or credit cards and no ATM there.  $1 admission (children under 2 are free).  I think the hayride was $1 per person too.  After that it depends on how much you purchase.  We spent $8 on pumpkins (one medium size, two small ones) and $10 for a bucket of corn.  Snacks, shave ice, bouncy houses and rides are all additional fees.

Parking:  The parking is in one of their fields and it's dusty!

Facilities:  • They have porta-potties and a place to rinse off your hands.  • In the main area there are tents with carpet or chairs under them so you can take a break in the shade if you need to.  • There are food and drinks available for purchase including chips, soda, water, grilled corn, hot dogs and shave ice.

Other:  Thankfully there was a nice breeze blowing when we were there but the pumpkin patch can get hot!  I'd recommend taking water, wearing sunscreen and hats and trying to avoid going in the middle of the day.  We didn't take a stroller but it looked like people who had strollers with small wheels where having a hard time with them.  It looked like a jogger stroller or wagon would work better. 

More info:  Aloun Farms Pumpkin Patch 2011

Summer Concert at the Zoo

Every summer the Honolulu Zoo holds a summer concert series.  We finally got the chance to head there to hear some music last week and hopefully we'll make it back a time or two before their final summer concert on August 10, 2011.

The concerts are held on the zoo's large lawn area.  Seating is on the grass, so take a blanket and/or some chairs to sit on.  You can only see flamingos and elephants at this time of the day as the rest of the zoo is closed off, so if you're taking kids you can let them know they won't be seeing many animals on this zoo trip.

After we got there and had seen the flamingos and elephants we checked out the keiki coloring contest tent but they'd already run out of pictures to color.  We looked at the animal skeletons and snake skins they had on display and then found a spot to eat our picnic supper and listen to the music.  The featured artist the evening we were there was Kelly Boy Delima.  You can listen to samples of his music at this link: Jus Kelly Boy.  He was joined by his two daughters and you can hear samples of their family singing together here: Kupu A'e.

You can take your own food for a picnic supper or you can purchase food there.  Here's what they had available last week.  I assume this stays the same from week to week, but can't promise that.

Except for the fact that both of our kids were in a whiney mood (and by whiney I mean unhappy, grumpy and miserable to hang out with) it was a lovely evening.  (Just keeping it real for all the other parents out there who are reading this.)  If you haven't already, check out a concert at the zoo!

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  On the corner of Kapahulu and Kalakaua Aves. at 151 Kapahulu Avenue, Waikiki, Hawaii 

Hours:  Gates open for the concerts at 4:35pm.  Music is from 6-7pm.

Parking:  The zoo parking lot is adjacent to the zoo along Kapahulu Ave.  This lot is metered parking.  If you park here, enter through the zoo's main entrance.  You can also park for free in the Waikiki Shell parking lot which is along Monsarrat on the other side of the zoo.  For the concerts a side gate across from this parking lot is opened, so enter there if you park on that side of the zoo.

Facilities:  There are restrooms that are not too far from the lawn where the concerts are held.  I didn't see a baby changing station in them.

Cost:  $3 per person (members and non-members)

Other:  High back chairs are not allowed, though when we were there this wasn't enforced.  Alcohol is not allowed either.

More info:  To see a list of the musical guests and other information, visit Wildest Show Concert Series

Pet Walk at Ala Moana Beach Park

The following post was written by Oahu Mom reader Karla Merry, dog owner, beloved "auntie" to my kids and also my favorite realtor.  Yes, I know her in real life and she's almost as cool as her dog.  

The paws hit the pavement at the Humane Society's 20th Annual Pet Walk at Ala Moana Beach Park this week-end.  We took our pooch and were joined by several of his doggy friends.  The festivities opened at 7:00 a.m. with live music, vendor booths, and a wide array of pets meandering around at Magic Island.  By 8:00 they kicked off the walk complete with a balloon encrusted starting gate, cheerleaders from Hawaii Pacific University and Girl Scout Helpers.  Our dogs decided that the Girl Scouts were the best as they had their hands free to provide an encouraging pat.

One could choose between the short 1/2 mile walk around Magic Island or a longer two to three mile loop around Ala Moana Beach Park.  There were teen volunteers along the routes to provide poop patrol baggies and supervise water stations for the dogs.  Several dogs decided that a dip in the water station was a good idea, thus we were glad that we had taken our own water for our dog.

The festivities continued at the mainstage with costume contests and other prize giveaways, but after socializing, sniffing, and strolling, the dogs were tired and so we headed for home. 

Do it yourself on Oahu

• Check out the Humane Society website for details on upcoming pet events at www.hawaiianhumane.org.  Most events just ask for a donation at your discretion.
• The pet walk is an annual event at Ala Moana Beach Park with registration and the main stage at Magic Island.  It is usually held in October and is fun for anyone who likes pets, mostly dogs.  There were some bunnies, cats, and even birds being pushed around in strollers, but the pooches ruled the day.  

• The Humane Society provides great volunteer opportunities for teens who like pets.