Hawaii Trip 2009

For our Hawaii trip in 2007, click here.

Aloha. We got back from Hawaii last Friday night and boy did we have a great time. I would venture to say that this trip was even better than the last. As you can tell, I was not able to do the 3 PM in Hawaii thing that I wanted to do. I didn't have easy access to a computer, but I really wasn't complaining. It was nice not having to deal with technology for that last week and a half. I had a ton of e-mails waiting for me at work. Any guesses on how many I had? I might take that 3 PM photo idea and do something else with it.

For this entry, I wrote a little bit about each day and then posted pictures from that particular day with captions. If you'd rather not read my 38 page report and just skip to my gallery of pictures, you can go here. I think there is something stuck in my camera lens, so sometimes you will see a dark area in some pictures. Try to ignore that. I'm already looking into buying a new camera. If you'd like to read a slightly shorter trip report, head over to Bethany's blog. Keith and Joyce have pictures as well located here.


We left on Thursday, April 16th. Juliana didn't do all that well on the plane. She was constantly wiggly, and while we were sitting close to our family, we had to keep passing her over other people to get her to where she wanted to go. At one point, it was my turn to change her. The plane ride had been quite smooth and someone joked how terrible it would be to change a baby during turbulence. Sure enough, I get in the lavatory and the captain turns on the fasten seat belt sign. Then he comes on the speakers and lets us know that we will be experiencing some rough weather. Perfect timing, right? So, I change Jelly's diaper while being tossed around in the cramped little restroom. Oh, what fun that was. Jelly also had a hard time taking a nap on the plane. I guess she really could have been worse because a lot of the nearby passengers said that they didn't hear her during the whole flight. I was thinking to myself, "You must have been sitting in a soundproof box at the back of the plane."

We were greeted by one of our old neighbors from San Angelo, Nelson, outside of baggage claim. He took an extended lunch break from work and we immediately took Bethany, Juliana, and I to the Pearl Harbor NEX (Navy Exchange) for lunch. We had never gone there before and I'm not sure why. Meanwhile, Keith, Joyce, and Tawnya caught a shuttle to their hotel. The food court is the biggest military food court I've ever seen and the commissary is huge. It's open to the public, except you need an ID to buy stuff. Bethany and I both ate at the Hawaiian food stall. She had kalua pork and cabbage while I had chicken katsu curry. Nelson took us back to his house on Hickam Air Force Base where we dropped off our bags real quick. Then, we got back in the van and dropped Nelson off at his office. After that, we took the van and headed into Honolulu. He and Christy let us use their van during the entire trip. We learned from the first trip that it's really nice to have a vehicle on Oahu. Everywhere on the island is accessible within an hours time, so having your own car cuts out a lot of the time you would spend waiting for a bus or taxi. Having a van was even more awesome since there was a total of six of us traveling around together. If you ever visit Oahu and you are going to spend more than three or four days there, I highly suggest considering renting a car for a few days so you can visit the North Shore and eastern part of the island.

Anyway, we spent the rest of the day on the beach of Fort DeRussy which is where the Hale Koa hotel is located. Joyce, Keith, and Tawnya stayed together there. This is where Juliana got to go in the ocean for the first time ever. She quickly warmed up to being in the water with me and pretty soon I was throwing her up in the air, letting her kick the water, and putting her on my back. When the sun went down, we all went to the Ala Moana Center to eat dinner. Bethany, Tawnya, and I had some curry from Curry House CoCo Ichibanya. I love their curry so much! After a quick stroll through the mall, we dropped off T, Keith, and Joyce and then went to Nelson and Christy's. We finally got to see Christy and went inside to talk for a long time.

April 16 pictures:

Bethany and Jelly at Sea-Tac Airport waiting for the tram to take us to our terminal.

Our airplane. Northwest has been purchased by Delta, so it was really operated by Delta airlines. While I don't enjoy paying $15 for checked baggage, I do like how Delta still does soda and snacks on the plane. This is becoming more rare these days.

Joyce, Jelly, and Keith about to board the plane.

View of Oahu from the plane.

This was going to be my first 3 PM picture. We were just getting off the plane. When the smell of the sweet Hawaiian air hits your nose, it's bliss.

Arriving at the Honolulu Airport.

On the ceiling of the main area of the NEX was a mural drawn by the famous painter Wyland. He's got murals everywhere. Chances are you've seen his work.

Also inside the NEX is a nice fountain right next to the escalators. If the escalators temporarily break down, they become stairs. Fancy. >.>

Jelly's first encounter with the ocean. It had to be well documented. She didn't like the rough sand of Waikiki, but she loved swimming in the ocean with us.

Jelly is a noodle maniac just like her daddy.

My delicious, delicious beef curry. Spicy.

On Friday, April 17th, Jelly woke up around 7:30 a.m. and we watched TV together in the morning. I fell in love with Boomerang which is a sister channel of Cartoon Network that plays classic cartoons. Comcast pretends like the channel doesn't exist here in Seattle, so I forgot how much I missed it. We watched great cartoons like The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and Huckleberry Hound. I don't think Jelly understood the awesomeness behind these classic shows, so eventually I changed it to Ni Hao, Kai-Lan. If you don't know about Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, it's basically Dora the Explorer, but Chinese instead of Spanish. It's a great show and I enjoy watching it with Jelly. I've told Bethany to start watching it with her more on the weekdays. She has already picked up some simple words. Very cool.

Anyway, back to the trip. We had to have malasadas ASAP, so we picked up the rest of the fam' and went to Leonard's Bakery. There are other places that make malasadas, but Leonard's is hands down the best place to get them. They were amazing and immediately sent me back to the first time I had them. If you've never heard of them before, imagine a big doughnut ball covered in sugar. It's ecstasy. After that, we headed up to Manoa Falls. It's not too far from downtown Honolulu. You hike up a 0.8 mile trail that actually feels more like a mile and a half. Guide books may say that it is family friendly, but I beg to differ. I really enjoyed the hike though; it was right up my ally. I carried Jelly through most of the way since the trail was really muddy and had some steep steps. It's completely worth it when you make it to the top and see the 150 foot waterfall.

Since we were all sweaty and muddy from the hike, we decided to head back to the Hale Koa and visit the beach again. Bethany and I had a great time playing with Juliana in the ocean some more. Jelly also played with her sand bucket that the bellhops at the hotel gave her. We had dinner at some overpriced cheeseburger place that I won't even bother mentioning. The food was good, but I am adamant about not paying $9 for a burger that doesn't even include fries. Keith, Joyce, and Tawnya wanted to help us get some sleep by taking Jelly every other night in Hawaii. So, she slept with them that night. It helped out a lot.

April 17 pictures:

Nelson and Christy's doggies, Colt and Sammy. Jelly was kind of intimidated by them at first, but by the end of the trip she was laughing at them, giving them hugs, and kissing them. I have a feeling that we're going to be getting a dog when she gets older.

At Leonard's to get some fresh hot malasadas. They sell a bunch of merch including t-shirts, mugs, and these cute little malasada plushies.

Joyce found some bamboo walking sticks before our hike up to Manoa Falls. They were actually quite helpful. Here is me and Jelly before the hike.

The hike passes through many ecosystems and feels like an arboretum. Lots of areas looked like they could have been shooting locations for Lost.

Before you reach the trail head, you hike up a paved road, and then on a gravel trail that has a man-made bridge going over a creek.

Joyce, Tawnya, and Jelly at the trail head.

Giant leaves. People call them "elephant ears".

Tawnya and Jelly find another creek to walk over on the trail.

"I has a flower."

"We have to go back to the island!"

The fam' tucked in a tree.

Me, Bethany, and Jelly walking through the trees.

Me just hangin' around.

Keith and Joyce doing the same.

Some parts of the trail are muddy year around, so they had to build some platforms.

Manoa Falls is tall.

The fam' in front of the waterfall.

There's a small pool at the bottom, but they don't let you go to it. I've read that some people have been able to wade in there.

See? Doesn't it look like they are survivors from Lost?

Jelly and I got way ahead of the rest of the group.

Jelly scoopin' up some sand to fill her bucket.

Bethany happy to be on the beach.

"Beach is serious business."

Fishies near Bibas restaurant at the Hale Koa.

On the way to dinner, we found a bunch of fallen plumerias. Naturally, we put them in Jelly's hair.

On Saturday, Bethany, Juliana, and I spent the entire day with Christy and Nelson since they were both off work. We went to Boots and Kimo's Homestyle Kitchen in Kailua on the east side of the island for breakfast. They had the best pancakes I have ever tasted in my entire life. I didn't think any food on Oahu could be better than malasadas, but Boots and Kimo's did it. Their banana macadamia nut pancakes are like crack. They put this sauce on top of it that tastes like melted macadamia/vanilla ice cream. It's kind of hard to explain, but trust me, they are the best! If you ever find yourself on Oahu, this is a must visit! It's a unique restaurant also. The inside is decorated in all sorts of sports gear. When you arrive, you go inside to put you name down because there are only 12 tables and chances are the place is already packed. Then, you sit outside and scan the menu. They take your order and then you wait for a table to open. When it's finally your turn, they seat you and your food is already being cooked. I really love Christy and Nelson for showing us this awesome local hotspot. Apparently they've seen some Lost stars eat there.

After the great breakfast, they took us to Don Quijote which I would describe as being like a Japanese version of Fred Meyer. They have everything from produce to clothing to frozen foods to tools to Asian snacks. It's awesome. It is there that Christy introduced us to the highly addictive candy Hi-chew. They taste like Starburst except the texture is more like gum. They are also like crack. I have seen them before in other Asian stores, but had never tried them. Christy also showed us these drops that you put in your toilet before or after you do a #2 that's supposed to make it not smell. It's called Kobayashi Powerful One-Drop. We didn't buy any, but I wanted to. Christy swore by them and I've read a ton of reviews that claim they work like a miracle. I hope they have them here in Seattle somewhere. Christy and Nelson also bought Juliana's first aloha dress. It's purple and uber cute.

We tried to visit Kailua Beach that day, but it was way too busy. We did, however, see a parked van on the side of the road with a woman selling freshly picked Kahuku corn which is a sweet corn. We decided to head back to Hickam and use the corn later for a BBQ. First, we went to the beach on base. Juliana and I played together in the water again. She had lots of fun picking up leaves in the water only to throw them and retrieve them again. Then, we went to the BX to look at souvenirs. I bought a really cool aloha shirt. I've never really been into them because of how flashy they are, but I found one that's not too bad. We went to the commissary after that to get some short ribs, sausage, and chips for dinner. Nelson grilled up the meat back home and we had one of the best dinners on our vacation.

April 18 pictures:

The sign for Boots and Kimo's. Pretty creative and funny.

Nelson, Christy, Juliana, and Bethany waiting outside to go in.

B&K's banana mac nut pancakes. Crack covered in liquid crack.

Jelly at the Hickam AFB beach with Christy and Nelson.

Everyone on the beach. I like Nelson's tattoo. He said that the small island in the middle of his chest hurt the most. He says he shouldn't have gotten it because no one cares about that island anyway. lolz.

Looking out towards the water.

"I not sure if I like this."

"Run away!"

Keith and Joyce on the beach at sunset. Probably missing Jelly at this time.

Looking towards the Hilton Hawaiian Village during sunset.

We hung out with Nelson and Christy on Sunday also, but this time with the rest of the family. They took us to this Chinese restaurant in Aiea called Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory. Definitely some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. The highlight is definitely all their "starch" items. The udon noodles were so awesome and their bacon fried rice was also very good. By the way, their portions are humongous! If you are looking for good Chinese on Oahu, definitely hit up this place. After lunch, we went to Pearlridge Center which is the mall in Aiea. It's not as busy because it's a little further away from the city, which can be a good thing. The mall is kind of split up into separate buildings with a small monorail connecting the two. Nelson and Christy also had to buy a jade bracelet for Jelly as it is apparently tradition for visitors of the island. Then, we went to the Waikele Center because they wanted us to try what they think is the best shave ice on the island. After just one bite of it, I agreed with them 100%. Mountain Magic Shave Ice Co. is located just in front of Sports Authority and doesn't look like much. It's just an open stall with a poorly designed sign. It's run by a woman everyone knows as Auntie Jenny or the Shave Ice Lady. What makes her shave ice the best is the portions, flavor, and texture. The portions are gigantic. I can barely finish a small. The large is just ridiculous. The price is really good, too. The syrup Auntie Jenny uses are much more flavorful compared to most shave ice places. She mixes them herself. After tasting her's, everyone else's just tasted like sugar. She always makes her own fresh mochi balls that some customers get in their shave ice. The texture in Jenny's shave ice is very fine and really tastes like fresh snow powder. It makes everything else feel like a sno-cone. I've tried eight different places on Oahu and Auntie Jenny's is by far the best.

There was also a Leonard's Jr. in the parking lot, so we had some more fresh hot malasadas. After that, Christy and Nelson went home and the rest of us spent some time on Hickam shopping. After picking up a few items, we went back to the Hale Koa and went swimming in the kiddie pool. This was the first time to be in a pool for Juliana. Tawnya bought her a little floaty that she really enjoyed. The kiddie pool was only a foot and a half deep, so she could actually stand in it and walk around. We ate our leftovers from Chun Wah Kam that night and took a little stroll on the beach.

April 19 pictures:

The sign for Chun Wah Kam. You must go there if you want good Chinese food. Be sure to try the udon noodles.

Juliana looking cute in the Pearlridge Center.

The view from the monorail. There is a family owned watercress field next to the mall. They have been given lots of offers for their land, but refuse to sell. Good on them, but I have to believe that they lost out on some high prices.

Me in front of the best shave ice place in the world. That's right... the world!

Me and Jelly in the kiddie pool at the Hale Koa.

Layin' the smack down on Jelly.

Family photo! I think it's funny how Bethany and I are looking up at a different camera. It kind of reminds me of the Step Brothers poster.

I wish I lived in an area where palm trees could grow and survive.

Bethany climbed a tree along Waikiki Beach. I wanted to take a picture and then run away to make it look like she was a crazy person in a tree.

On Monday, we decided to hit the North Shore. We packed up the van and hit the H2 up to Haleiwa. We had lunch at Cholo's Homestyle Mexican Restaurant based on a suggestion from Nelson's friends. It was pretty good Mexican food. Not the best I've ever had, but better than average. Probably the best on the island. After filling ourselves up, we headed to the Waimea Valley park. It's actually a paved trail that you take through botanical gardens and contains 35 distinct collections, representing some 5,000 taxa from around the world. It leads you to the very popular Waimea Falls. Lost fans may recognize this waterfall. It has been used a few times in the show. Once when Kate and Sawyer go swimming and they find the Halliburton case, another time when Nikki and Paolo look for their missing diamonds, and just in this season when Ajira Airways Flight 316 crashed on the island and Jack dove in to help Hurley. You are allowed to swim out to the waterfall, but I forgot my bathing suit. Most of the people getting out said the water was really cold anyway.

After hiking back down, we drove across the street to Waimea Bay. We went there last time to find huge waves, but this time the waves were much smaller. Tawnya and I got out there and swam around for a bit. The waves are very intimidating. You have to time getting out just right or you'll either get pushed out to sea further, or get toppled over by waves. The weather started turning bad, so we got in the car to drive up to Turtle Bay. Before we got there, the rain really started coming down, so we just turned around and headed back to Waikiki. We made a quick stop at Matsumoto which is the most famous shave ice place on Oahu. At one time, they might have been the best, but after having Autie Jenny's, there's just no comparison. Honestly, Matsumoto's tastes like a sno-cone compared to Mountain Magic. It's overrated at this point and the only reason to have a shave ice there is just to say that you did it. Of course, on the other side of the mountains, the weather was clear as can be. The mountains of Oahu work just like the Cascades do here in the Northwest. It can be pouring on one side and crystal clear on the other because the mountains break up or block the clouds.

April 20 pictures:

Outside the General Store in Haleiwa. They had this really nice smelling lotion that Tawnya bought, but accidentally packed in her carry-on bag, and they had to make her throw it away.

Bethany enjoying a tropical margarita at Cholo's.

They had a little mini village set up near the Waimea Valley parking lot.

There are lots of free roaming peacocks in Waimea Valley. I think I've only seen one other peacock spread out like this in real life.

There are a few different free tours you can take when you are inside the park. One of them teaches you Hawaiian pronunciation.

The peacocks really aren't scared of you at all. They get up to you pretty close.

They have a hibiscus garden with some huge flowers.

Bethany, Joyce, and Tawnya in the park.

A chicken with her chicks. Jelly liked watching the chickies.

A rare sight in public. Joyce and Keith holding hands!

A rooster claiming his land. Obviously lots of chickens roaming around the area, too.

Travellers Palm are one of my favorite palm trees because of their unique look.

Waimea Falls from far away.

I put together this little comparison of Waimea Falls to the waterfall you see on Lost. Click on it to see the large view.

Another view of the waterfall. See people swimming out there. I wish I had remembered to bring my swimsuit.

Joyce and Bethany sticking their feet in the cool water.

Me and Jelly at the falls.

Tawnya and Jelly. The lifeguard made Julie wear a life vest if she was going to be close to the water.

My family in front of Waimea Falls.

Joyce, Keith, and Tawnya on the bridge at the falls.

Each person on a rock in front of a crazy tree.

Bethany's bamboo tatt' in front of some bamboo trees.

Bethany's family with Jelly.

- Keith, + me.

Keith and Joyce walking with Jelly in the sand of Waimea Bay.

Jelly and I at Waimea Bay.

Bethany at Waimea Bay.

Julie and I looking out at the big crashing waves.

The sign outside Matsumoto. You wouldn't really be missing much if you didn't make it there.

On Tuesday, we decided that Keith, Joyce, and Tawnya needed to try the pancakes at Boots and Kimo's. So, we headed over to Kailua again and did just that. The wait was a little bit longer than last time, but the food was just as yummy. It's best to hit the restaurant between breakfast and lunch time, but we were a little later than usual. After that, we checked out Kailua Beach for a little bit. The weather was still pretty crummy on the other side of the mountains, so we didn't want to stay long. After that, we went to find Lanikai Beach. It was a little hard to find, but once we did, we liked it a lot. The sand is the softest I have felt on the island. It's like walking in confectioner's sugar. For lunch, we ate at Teddy's Bigger Burgers which is a '50s style burger joint. They've been voted Hawaii's Best Burger for the past five years in a row. It was pretty good.

Avoiding the bad weather, we went back to the Hale Koa and swam in the pool. Jelly got to float around in the big pool with us and then we went back to the kiddie pool. She spent a lot of time out of her floaty just walking around in the water. She would fall over a few times and go underwater, but we would quickly pick her back up. She never really cried or coughed from it. In fact, we think she liked going underwater because she would try to do it herself later. There is video of this. At one point, she got into this fun cycle of getting out of the pool, saying hi to the family, and then jumping back into the pool in my arms. She did this routine about 20 times. It was awesome.

At night, we strolled down Kalakaua Avenue which is the main street parallel to Waikiki Beach. We looked at the shops and the street performers. We had dinner at Moose McGillycuddy's where they had a happy hour going on. They had tacos for $2.50. I had a mahi mahi taco and a kalua pork taco. We also had a few tasty drinks there. Keith and Joyce took the Jelly back to their hotel room and the rest of us bought some more drinks at one of the ABC Stores and went to the beach to get our drink on.

April 21 pictures:

Kailua Beach.

Tawnya walking along Kailua Beach.

Keith heading down to the sand behind some loungers.

Keith walking down the path to Lanikai Beach.

Looking down the south part of Lanikai.

North side. Best sand on any beach I've ever been to. I would have loved to have been able to spend more time on Lanikai. It is one of the best beaches of Oahu.

Me and Tawnya on Lanikai. Behind us are the islands of Nā Mokulua. My dad camped out there when he was younger.

Intersection of Mokulua Drive and Kuailima Drive where you can access Lanikai. There are other access trails, but this is the one we spotted.

Swimming around in the big pool at the Hale Koa.

Back in the kiddie pool where Jelly has a lot more fun.

On Wednesday, it was finally time to hit Hanauma Bay. The last time we went there, we only had about 30 minutes to swim around. This time, we got there around noon and didn't leave until closing time. When you visit Hanauma Bay, you have to sit through an orientation film. It tells you not to touch the sea animals, or stand on the coral and stuff like that. We had already bought some snorkel gear at the Exchange so we were all ready to go. I saw lots of colorful fish. At one point, two giant fish crossed my path and I was astounded. They were about the size of tuna! Tawnya and I went really far out where the waves were crashing at one point and I spotted a puffer fish. It was not puffed up though, but you could still see its spines. We were just about to get out when we heard someone say that they saw a turtle. I quickly swam out there and, sure enough, a medium-sized sea turtle was there gliding along. Tawnya and I swam with it for a solid 10 minutes before it ditched us in some deep coral. It was definitely the highlight of the whole trip! I wish I had an underwater camera with me. Oh well, at least I have a witness.

On the way back to Christy and Nelson's, Bethany and I stopped at Curry House for dinner. We also went inside 7-Eleven based on a suggestion from our friends. 7-Eleven is much more respected in Hawaii. They actually make some pretty good food there; they even cater for parties and stuff. I believe this is because they are run as Japanese locations as a subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. It seems that their standards for cleanliness and quality are much higher than those on the mainland. It's a shame because I think they would do really well here and would be a lot more respected. Bethany got a cha siu manapua which is basically a steamed pork bun. It was pretty yummy.

April 22 pictures:

Looking down at Hanauma Bay from the road.

Looking at the beach.

Pretty busy for a weekday. I don't even want to think about how busy it would be in the summer or on the weekend.

Looking at how busy it is on the other side of the beach.

The fam' at Hanauma Bay.

Holding Juliana up from getting knocked over by the waves.

Me and Jelly with Tawnya and Bethany before they go snorkeling.

Playing with Jelly and her sand bucket. The sand was the perfect consistency for building sand castles there.

I threw Jelly up in the air a lot when playing in the ocean. She always giggled.

Looking at the little hill south of the bay.

Bethany's turn to play with Jelly in the water.

Joyce and Jelly on the beach.

Wearing something on your feet is vital if you're going to snorkel in Hanauma Bay. Just in case you have to stand on the coral or rocks, you won't slice your feet.

Look at how clear the water is. Perfect snorkeling conditions.

Bethany searched for a lot of sea glass on the beach. She'll probably make something creative out of them.

Jelly walking around. Totally used to the sand by now.

Lifeguard tower with people leaving early to beat traffic in the background.

Speaking of lifeguards and rescue, when we first got down to the beach, we saw lifeguards doing CPR on what appeared to be a giant white balloon. Unfortunately, it was actually a really fat guy. He got put in an ambulance and driven to the hospital. Not sure how he ended up, but if they were still pounding on his chest by the time the ambulance got there, it couldn't have been very good.

Joyce and Keith posing in front of Hanauma Bay.

Jelly is all smiles when she's pouring sand in her bucket.

Having lots of fun.

Makin' a goofy face.

When you look at the bay from above, you can clearly see where the coral is and isn't. It's much harder when you're actually in that stuff.

The whole family on the way out.

One with just Bethany, Jelly, and I.

Just me.

Okay, one more with Joyce and Keith.

We stopped at Costco and Jelly loved playing the ukulele.

Since we had pretty much done everything that we really wanted to do, we used Thursday, our last full day, to visit some of our favorite places. For lunch, we went back to Chun Wah Kam for more Chinese food and to taste the udon noodles one last time. We also went back to Auntie Jenny's shave ice stand. Right across the street was the Waikele Premium Outlets, so we shopped around for a bit. After that, we went back to the hotel so we could all take some pictures in our aloha clothes. For dinner, we met up with Christy and Nelson at Dave and Buster's. I love that place. I don't know why they don't buy the Gameworks in Seattle and change it to a D&B's. We played a bunch of ticket games there and won some gifts to take home. It was a nice ending to a great trip.

April 23 pictures:

"Paper go down the hole."

Jelly eatin' up those noodles at Chun Wah Kam.

Jelly riding in that Flintstones car.

She didn't want to get out of that thing. One question, why is the wheel on the other side of the car? We're in America and I'm pretty sure Fred sat on the left side.

The girls in the lobby of the Hale Koa.

The whole fam' in aloha gear.

Joyce and Keith.

My little family.

Bethany and Tawnya's Over Under shot glasses. You get to keep them after you drink them. I think Bethany had a pink lemonade and Tawnya had the Cheesecake.

Jelly has been drinking water and juice out of a straw for a long time now. She picked up on it pretty quick.

One of the many ticket games we played at D&B's. Deal or No Deal was a pretty fun ticket game.

Nelson took us to the airport on Friday afternoon. Jelly did a lot better on the plane ride home. She slept for about two hours on my lap and didn't complain too much. I played a lot of Tawnya's Rhythm Heaven game for the DS. It's a really fun game; I highly recommend it. We arrived in Seattle at about 11 p.m. where my parents picked Bethany, Jelly, and I up and took us home.

I'm piecing together a Hawaii video out of all the clips we took during the trip, so be looking forward to that soon. I made a Google Map that shows all the places we visited in Hawaii. Check it out. I've also updated the "Where Jelly has been" map, which now shows that she's visited 12 states and D.C. Overall, I thought our trip this time was much better than last time because we had our own car and got a lot of suggestions from our friends who live there. It was certainly the vacation that I needed. I'm not in a hurry to go back to Oahu, but I would like to see some of the other islands one day. Perhaps we'll go on an island hopping cruise in a few years. I'm already starting to think about where we'll go on vacation next year.