A Windy Day at the Pali Lookout

We had some extra time in our schedule yesterday and as we drove over the Pali after a speech therapy appointment in town I was inspired to stop at the Pali Lookout.  With the extra wind we've been having lately I guessed that the lookout would live up to its windy reputation and I was not disappointed.

The wind was strong and very gusty.  It was definitely more windy than it's been on any of my previous stops there.  It blew our hair in every direction and pushed us along when we walked with our backs toward it.  My boy loved it but my girl, not so much.  She insisted I carry her the whole time which was probably a good thing.  I would have hated to have a sudden gust knock her over!

It was very hard to capture in pictures, but these were my attempts.  I even had my boy hold a tree branch to try and show the wind but you can see it didn't work as well as I'd hoped.  But really, these pictures aren't half bad considering I was carrying my girl, the wind was blowing my camera around a lot and my boy never stays in one spot for very long.  A movie clip would have been better for showing just how windy it was but I didn't think of that until later.  I'll remember that for next time.  

Do it yourself:

• You really can't miss the Pali Lookout, it's off of the Pali Hwy and is well marked in both directions.

• Something new is that they now charge for parking, but only for tourists.  How they know who's from where and whose car is whose and all of that I really don't know.  Friends who were there a few weeks ago said a parking attendant was checking IDs.  But when I was there the parking attendant wouldn't have been recognizable unless you were looking for her as she leaned up against her car next to the automated payment kiosk and when I asked about kama'aina payment she just said, "No need" but didn't ask for ID or where I was parked or anything else.  Confused?  Me too!

• Oh, and the view from the Pali is gorgeous/awesome/amazing, but we were having too much fun in the wind to really notice.

Punchbowl Cemetery

A cemetery may seem like an odd choice for an outing, especially with kids, but that’s where we went recently.  We were meeting friends visiting Oahu and the place we were meeting and the time frame we had made the Punchbowl the obvious choice for something to do.

The Punchbowl, officially called the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, has a couple of areas I usually visit.  This time we started by going through the memorial with its mosaic maps of famous battles from WW II.  This one is my favorite - a map of Saipan where I grew up.

Both of my kids could fit right through the protective railing and since no one was around I was irresponsible and let them march in and out of the railings.  They thought that was great! 

 

They also enjoyed going up and down all the stairs and checking out the water fountain in the center of the memorial.

We walked up to the viewpoint area next.  While I chatted with my friends, my kids both enjoyed climbing and walking on the various walls along the way.  There was a lot of vog so the view of Diamond Head and the view toward Pearl Harbor were not as clear as usual but we still had fun checking out downtown from that vantage point.

Do it yourself:

Punchbowl Cemetery is located between Prospect Street and the Pali Hwy.  You will go through neighborhoods to get there and may feel lost at times, but there are signs at the main turns and overall it’s pretty easy to find.

As you enter the cemetery, take a left and drive up behind the memorial where there is parking between the memorial and the viewpoint.  Entrance and parking are both free.

If your children like walking along the tops of walls like mine do, keep an eye on them.  In some places the ground next to the walls drops away and your children can suddenly be many more feet up in the air than is safe.

I did my best to teach my children respect for the cemetery and the service members whose lives it was built to remember and honor.  I hope you will do the same.

 

Fisher Hawaii

This ugly unassuming warehouse is the home to my new favorite store!  I can't believe it took me so long to discover it.  I lived here YEARS before even hearing about it, and when someone did mention it they failed to really tell me about it and months went by before I bothered to stop in.  What a mistake!  I want to save my Oahu readers from that same sadness so I am going to SHOUT about what a great place this is!!  If you're not on Oahu, keep reading anyway.  This will be part trip down memory lane, part self revelation and who knows what else.  Here goes:

I was intrigued with the store from the moment I stepped in it, but I truly fell in love when I came across the pens.  Boxes and boxes of pens in every color and style AND they're not all packaged in plastic.  You can pick one up and take it for a test drive on the nearest scrap of paper - just like the olden days.

Ah yes, the olden days.  As a kid, my favorite store was probably Modern Stationary.  If the internet can be trusted it's still making young children smile on the island of Saipan.  (Well the nerdy organized ones anyway.)  I remember their boxes of pens, their notepads, their Tripp Trapps -- no wait, that's a high chair...what were they called...Trapper Keepers, that's it!  Remember Trapper Keeper binders?  Do they still have those?  Ah yes, I LOVED going to Modern Stationary for back to school shopping.  I've always had a thing for office supplies for some reason.  When other kids were playing house, I was playing office.

So back to Fisher Hawaii.  It looks almost as warehouse-like on the inside as it does on the outside and has long aisles filled with office supplies and every other random thing you could imagine.  I truly mean every other random thing.  Gift bags, lots of office furniture, cleaning supplies, tools, backpacks, children's workbooks, arts & craft supplies, shell leis - you name it, they probably have it.

I went in to get a couple binders and came out with: two binders, a set of binder tab dividers, a portable 3-hole punch, stickers, (and here's where it starts getting more random) smiley face magnets, (and even more) a kitchen sponge, two children's outdoor folding chairs, and a package of 100 wooden chopsticks.  Tell me, where else could you find all of those things under one roof besides in a mall?  Oh, and every item has its own individual price tag!  Mind boggling really.

Side note: If your child is an escape artist, be warned that their shopping carts don't have any means for buckling your child in.  I had to keep a hand around my girl's ankle while I shopped.

The store is filled with employees in blue shirts so it's easy to find someone to ask for help/directions as you navigate the place.  That said, some of the employees are better at their job than others.  One young man told me he thought they were out of printer paper.  Out?!  A little searching and I found an ENTIRE AISLE of printer paper - every color and thickness you could hope for.  So although an employee will be easy to find, it may be a little harder to find a competent one.  Keep asking!

Their selection is pretty impressive and not for the indecisive.  Looking for some wire for your next project?  What color would you like?  Want a paint brush?  What size and style?  Watercolor paper?  Bound or not?  What size?

Shopping is much more fun at this store than at any big box office supply store.  Sure, some of the merchandise might be a bit dusty, but shopping here is an adventure.  Fun times, great selection and good prices too!  Parenthood has come between me and my office-supply-loving, organized self, but I have hope that with enough trips to Fisher Hawaii I'll be able to find a pen when I need one and something besides the back of an envelope to write on.

Do it yourself:

•  Here's their webpage.  It even includes a directory so you know what aisle to find certain items on.

• They have two locations, I've only been to the one on Cooke Street.

• Parking is in a lot next to the store.  It's often full but if you wait a few minutes a spot will usually open up.  There's also metered street parking.

• Check out your Midweek for sale fliers from the store.

Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation with Fisher Hawaii, in spite of the fact that Fisher used to be my last name.  I just love me a good office supply store and had to share.  

Kalama Beach Park

We went to the beach this weekend!  It's so sad that is a newsworthy event when we are surrounded by beautiful beaches.  We definitely don't get there as often as we should, especially in the winter.

We went late Saturday afternoon to Kalama Beach, our beach of choice for a short visit.  Our boy decided he wanted to surf (ride his boogie board actually, but he calls it surfing) and he actually carried the board himself all the way to, well, a few feet closer to the trees than he is in this picture.  Still well within sight of the parking lot!  Oh well.

It was on the cloudy side so the ocean wasn't as brilliant as it sometimes is, but it was still a beautiful day.  A group of our friends were already there and we joined them.  I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with my toes in the sand.  Our girl didn't seem to care whether or not she got in the water and since it was cooler and breezy I was happy to stay on the beach with her.

True to his plan, our boy got right in the water with his boogie board and his dad, who really didn't want to get wet but was a trooper and did it anyway.  My husband's such a good guy!

We left feeling refreshed and relaxed and determined to go back again soon!


Do it yourself on Oahu:

• Kalama Beach Park is in Kailua off of N. Kalaheo Avenue near the intersection of Hauoli St. and Kalaheo.
• There is a small parking lot there but it's often full on the weekends.  If that's the case, look for street parking on the side streets nearby.  If you do park in the lot, check the hours.  I think they lock the gate around 6PM.
• You can't see the beach from the parking lot but it's just a short walk away.
• The beach park has restrooms and showers.
• There is more shade here than many beaches on the island, but take an umbrella if you want to move away from the beach access where most of the shade is.
• The waves here are often good for boogie boarding and/or surfing.

Thanks to Steady Mom for hosting the Moms' 30-Minute Blog Challenge each week!