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!