The Husband and I lived in Hawaii for a short time. Turns out, it’s a little too much on island time for this NY girl. But our Hawaiian potluck dinner made me a little nostalgic about our time there. It was just such a gorgeous, fabulous place. To visit.
The view from our rental apartment in Honolulu.
One day, we decided to rent a car and have a daycation on the island. So we planned a day trip, hitting all the main sites on Oahu.
Our first stop was Nuuanu Pali State Park, because we heard from our ohana (in Hawaii, everyone is considered family, or ohana) that it has spectacular views all the way to the ocean.
Such a beautiful view.
Our next stop was the beautiful beach of Lanikai. Famous for it’s beautiful view of the twin islands of Na Mokulua, it is a popular spot for photo shoots.
Lanikai can make anyone look fabulous!
On our way to our next stop, we saw the island where Gilligan’s Island was filmed!
Gilligan’s Island!
We continued on to the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park. It’s a stunning burial ground, where people of any faith can be laid to rest. Sounds like a weird place to stop on a daycation but it was one of the prettiest places we have ever been. The Husband still talks about how amazing it was there.
Hard to take a photo while driving.
The highlight of the Valley of the Temples is the Japanese temple that was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrant to Hawaii.
Temple of Equality.
Our next stop was Kualoa Ranch. The Husband is a huuuuuuge movie buff. He loves movies. I mean, really really really loves watching movies. Which is one of our few disagreements, because I can think of about a million things I would rather do besides watch a movie. But it was his daycation too, so we headed to Kualoa Ranch to take a movie tour.
Lots of famous movies and TV shows where filmed here, including Lost, Jurassic Park, and Pearl Harbor,
Happy Husband.
The Husband behind the tree from Jurassic Park, when they are trying to hid from the dinosaurs.
Across from the ranch is Mokoli’i, or the Chinaman’s Hat. It’s a famous landmark in Oahu and seen in lots of movies, such as 50 First Dates and Karate Kid Part II.
And speaking of Lost, look who we saw at Turtle Bay Resort!
John Locke! I’m a firm believer in leaving famous people alone when they are on vacation, so this was the best photo I could get.
The entrance to Turtle Bay Resort, the only major resort on the North Shore. It’s where most of Forgetting Sarah Marshall was filmed.
The North Shore, known for the Banzai Pipeline and surfing. Known to me most for Jack Johnson, who I did not see while I was there. And trust me, I tried. I may or may not have even driven by his high school, in hopes that he would be spotted nearby.
This was the moment that I was done with sand. I refused to step foot on one more beach.
A trip around Oahu is not complete without waiting in line for Matsumoto shaved ice.
The Husband and his famous shaved ice. Worth the very long line we waited in to get it.
And our final stop was the Dole Plantation.
The Dole Plantation. So many pineapples.
Pineapples!
Pineapple Dole Whip with fresh crushed pineapples. So delicious!
And on our way back to Honolulu, we were treated to a rainbow over the pineapple fields!
Look close, you can see the rainbow,
And we made it back to the rental car place with SECONDS to spare before they closed! It was such a fabulous day trip and one of my favorite memories of Hawaii.
Saves Lives Will Travel 
John Locke!! Oh I’d have had to bother him. Love the pineapples