Mele Kalikimaka 2

A vacation isn't a vacation if you don't get some relaxing time in.  There was plenty of reading, swimming at the condo pool and some screen time too.

Some of our down time included Turtle Bay beach, where we used the boogie boards and snorkeling masks available at our condo and saw our first turtle of the vacation, along with some really cool looking fish.  And you really can't go to the beach without burying someone.

The sand in Hawaii is sand and shell. The shell pieces are a little harder to remove from skin and clothing than the sand is.

We decided to visit Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens and hike to Waimea Falls.  There were interesting and beautiful flowers, trees, bushes, grasses and more.  We took quite a lot of pictures, but for some reason I can't find all of them.  At the end of our hike the boys braved the freezing water at Waimea Falls (life jacket required) and swam under/through the falls.

After the garden hike, we played around at Waimea Bay Beach with the boogie boards (can't find these pictures either).  The current was weak enough to swim in, but strong enough to throw you around a bit.  The boys had a lot of fun in the waves, it was so fun to watch.  We came away with smiles and the relaxation that comes with being by the water.  We did not come away with a pair a water shoes or a completely pain-free back (Spencer). 

On Christmas Eve we visited Pearl Harbor and took the ferry to visit the USS Arizona memorial.  I was impressed that even thought this is a tourist attraction, most were very quiet and respectful.  It felt sacred and it was humbling.

We also visited the USS Missouri and were amazed at the workings of a large ship!

I had to get a picture of the library! I had just finished reading, "When Books Went to War," which is about how the distribution of books to soldiers throughout WWII helped to spark and maintain morale, normalcy, memories of better times and gave them a little escape.  So I appreciated the ship's library even more!

Perhaps we don't look as natural as the couple behind us, but the feeling is there!

On this spot on the USS Missouri, leaders of Japan signed a surrender to the allied forces which signaled the end of WWII.  Another humbling spot when I considered how many lives were lost up to that point because of the war.

Our next activity was on another boat, the Makani Catamaran.  We relaxed on the bough, got a little wet, saw a few seconds of a whale above water, saw some flying fish and just enjoyed the atmosphere.