Aloha!

Aloha!

Stanley and I took a long 10 day vacation to Hawaii! The correct way to pronounce Hawaii is to say the "v" sounds instead of the "w" sound. It would sound like Ha-vai-ee. We learned this from our tour guide, David. Hawaii's state flower is the yellow hibiscus.

There are 8 main islands that make up the state of Hawaii (Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Kauai and Niihau). There is one additional small island (Kaala) near Niihau that is often overlooked. Stanley and I went to Maui and Kauai. While on Maui, we found Maui's hook in many jewelry stores. We bought a Maui hook necklace because it reminded us of the movie Moana, which we loved! Also on the island of Maui, we traveled on the road to Hana. Hana is a small town on the top of a mountain in Maui. The road to Hana was scary! There were a lot of twists, turns, and curves. At many point there was NO cell phone service. We knew all this information before traveling, so we decided to take a bus tour on the road to Hana. That is where David, the tour guide, taught us a lot about the island. On Maui we saw black sand beaches and some caves. We also learned how to play the ukulele. Well, I only know 3 chords, but I will keep practicing. We saw a luau on Maui. A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast or party with entertainment such as hula dancing and drums and singing. There was a lot of food and a pig dinner. They cook the pig all day in an underground oven called an emu.

On Kauai, Stanley and I saw so many CHICKENS! Chickens were everywhere. You know how there are pigeons everywhere in New York? Well, in Kauai, there are chickens all over the place. Kauai was beautiful. We hiked in Waimea Canyons. They are called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We hiked a long and slippery trail. We were so thankful that it was not raining. There were a lot of narrow paths and steep hills up and down. We were on the edge of a cliff at some point. But it was worth it to see the secret waterfall at the end of the trail. We also found a Secret Beach on Kauai. We had to hike down a trail that was hidden between two houses. The beach was beautiful and empty.

The water in the Pacific Ocean was so rough. Waves were crashing nonstop. Stanley was a little afraid of all of the waves. We just stood back to watch and listen to the waves. Sometimes, when the water calmed down, we walked along the shore.

Hawaii was absolutely beautiful. We would love to go back there one day. Now Stanley and I have traveled to 14 of the 50 states. We still have a long way to go to travel to all 50 states. Stick around for more adventures.