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We recently got back from a family trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, where we spent 8 nights trying to escape the cold and wet Pacific Northwest. Naturally, right before the trip, the forecast started looking… a little questionable. Not just a little rain, but actual storms for the first three days, with more rain sprinkled throughout the rest of the week. Not exactly what you want to see when you’re heading somewhere for sun and warmth. But at that point, there’s not much you can do, so we went into it with the mindset of making the best of it—mentally preparing for rain, packing accordingly, and deciding we were going to have a good time either way.
As it turned out, the forecast was a little dramatic. We ended up getting just one real day of rain, and the rest of the trip was mostly dry, with a few days of some pretty intense sun mixed in. That first full day, though, it definitely delivered on the rain, and of course, that was the same day we had a tour scheduled at Kualoa Ranch. If you’ve never been, it’s an incredible place with a lot of movie history and some amazing views. Our tour was in an open-air vehicle, which meant we got a full experience of the weather as well. We were definitely wet by the end of it, but it was still a lot of fun and one of those moments that ends up being memorable for the wrong reasons in a good way.
After that, the weather turned around and it felt a lot more like the Hawaii we had in mind. Most of our days were pretty simple in the best way, pool time, beach time, and letting the kids decide what sounded fun. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which made all of that easy. It’s right by the beach, has plenty going on, and gives you quick access to both the busier part of Waikiki and an easy walk over to Ala Moana. It’s kind of the best of both worlds. You can jump into the action when you want to, and then step away when you’ve had enough.
One thing we always make time for is the Aloha Stadium swap meet. This time it was set up a little differently, with everything more condensed instead of spread all the way around the stadium like it used to be. It felt different, but also familiar at the same time. There were still plenty of vendors, plenty of things you didn’t plan on buying, and somehow you still walk away with a few random items you’re glad you picked up.
One day we decided to do something a little different and check out a couple spots that were new to all of us, the Hawaii State Capitol and Iolani Palace, which are right next to each other. The capitol building was actually really cool, with some great views and a unique design that’s open right through the middle. Not your typical government building. One side is the Senate, the other is the House, and the whole layout just feels a little different than what you might expect. Right next door is Iolani Palace, which is the only royal palace in the United States and was home to Hawaii’s royal family. We did a self-guided audio tour and ended up learning quite a bit more than we expected. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’ve got a few hours and want to mix in something a little different from the usual beach and pool routine.
We also tried another something new this trip, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. It was the first time for the kids, and it ended up being one of the highlights. It’s a great spot for beginners, and we saw all kinds of fish… along with quite a few other people doing the exact same thing. At one point, a monk seal came up onto the beach to rest, which was pretty cool to see and definitely not something you run into back home.
Of course, a big part of any trip for us is the food. We made it a point not to eat at the same place twice, and I think we stuck to that. It’s one of the best parts of traveling is eating things you just don’t have easy access to at home.
As usual, the trip went by fast. It’s always tough leaving, especially once you get used to the warm weather and slower pace, but there’s also something nice about getting home and sleeping in your own bed again. If there’s one thing this trip reinforced, it’s that expectations don’t always match reality and that’s not always a bad thing. That forecast could have easily set the tone for the whole trip, but instead, it turned into something better than we expected. Sometimes just going into things with a good attitude makes all the difference… even if it means getting rained on during an open-air tour.
