I reluctantly left the lush land of abundant vowels for home, where the land is white, and my skin is dry. That said, the skier in me is thrilled we got half a foot of new powder overnight. Snow only adds to the beauty of the historic town where I live.
Here’s the Col. Robert Means mansion in Amherst. The Federalist-style home was built in 1785, and it served as the venue for a wedding when future president Franklin Pierce married the colonel’s granddaughter in the home.
I wanted to stay forever in paradise, but I needed to work. The saddest part of the return flight to Boston was waving goodbye to my daughter. A close second was the moment the pilot turned off the seatbelt light and everyone sprang from their seats. One by one, passengers unzipped bags, pulled out coats and hats and covered their tans and tropical shirts. None of us needed a thermometer to know which season waited for us outside the airplane.
Here are my final trip notes from Oahu:
Luau
On my daughter’s recommendation, we booked the Toa Luau one evening. It’s billed as the best luau around. You’re greeted with a lei and a choice of local drinks. We then walked to the lawn where we watched a peacock strutting nearby while we got a lesson on how to scrape the inside of a coconut. At another station, guests learned to braid palm leaves and create homemade crowns. We also watched a guy climb a palm tree. Oh to be in that kind of shape!
After the demonstrations, we sat down to a typical dinner.
The Polynesian show of dancers and drummers was one of my favorite parts of the evening.
Diamond Head
When you fly to Honolulu, you can’t miss the volcanic tuff cone known as Diamond Head. An eruption created the crater around 300,000 years ago. The view from its rim was the most expansive I’d seen on the trip. The trail leading to the lookout point is wide and well-worn and takes you up steep stairs and through a 225-foot tunnel.
From the rim, you can see Honolulu and Pearl Harbor plus the shoreline from Koko Head to Waianae.
Near the lighthouse, we also saw surfers.
Kaena Point
On another day, we hiked part of the Kaena Point Trail, sandwiched between the coastline and the Waianae mountain range. The path leads to the westernmost point of Oahu. It’s remote and romantic.
Along the way, we saw a monk seal sleeping on the beach! The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest species on Earth, and only 1,500 are estimated to be living across the islands.
Waimano Falls
We also hiked to Waimano Falls. It’s a technical hike with a bunch of exposed tree roots and some scrambling, but it’s worth it to cool off in the waterfall or drop from a rope swing into the swimming hole.
Food
I’m not one to take food photos at restaurants, so this part of the essay is somewhat bare. I was surprised and mortified to learn that Hawaii leads the nation in Spam consumption at 7 million cans per year. I associate Spam with cheap childhood meals and soldier field rations, so I can’t bring myself to eat it as an adult. You see iterations of it everywhere in Hawaii, even on sushi and macadamia nuts.
Poke bowls are a Hawaiian staple, and they’re easy to assemble for a healthy lunch or dinner. A basic recipe includes diced, raw fish, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions and seaweed. Pair it with a can of Bikini Blonde lager like I did.
For dessert one day, we shared a pineapple whip. There are variations, but the basic recipe consists of frozen pineapple, coconut milk, sugar, lemon, lime and salt.
Another local treat is shave ice. It’s especially good when drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. Matsumoto’s in Haleiwa often has lines out the door.
You know those cell phone towers you see that are disguised as trees? They’re grown in Hawaii! I found these fir trees growing in the parking lot at the Dole Plantation.
I’ll leave you with a rainbow, captured by my daughter, Arielle.
Only you could make Hawaii even better!