Hawai'i Vacation Part 2: O'ahu
O'ahu
Our final destination of our Hawaiian vacation was the island of O'ahu, where were stayed in a boutique hotel in Waikiki. The location couldn't be better! We had gorgeous views of the beach from our upper-level hotel room and we were within walking distance of dozens of shops and restaurants. I did some window shopping at the high-end stores in Waikiki, sampled the famous cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company (I'm hooked!), ordered a macadamia nut latte, enjoyed a fresh poke bowl and pineapple boat for lunch, and bought some gifts and souvenirs, all within walking distance of our hotel. Across the street, right along the beach, there was a huge banyan tree where birds congregated. I couldn't believe how loud it was with birds chirping and talking to each other in the tree! Once again we were blessed with gorgeous sunsets over the ocean.
We only had a few days on O'ahu, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would considering how populated and touristy it is. Our primary destination on this island was to visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. The Memorial was powerful and triggered contemplation, appreciation, as well as a mix of emotions including sadness, grief, but also hope and pride at our country's rise in the face of adversity. I learned a lot about what happened during the attack, the nature of warfare at the time, the many forces that came into play on that fateful day, as well as a lot of information about the ships themselves. I never realized that the USS Arizona still remains at the bottom of the ocean, serving as a tomb for the bodies trapped inside. Visiting the site was deeply meaningful. We weren't allowed to step onto the actual Memorial during this visit, for whatever reason, but we did cruise around it on the boat.
On our final day of vacation we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, one of the most popular destinations on the island. There are supposedly over 400 kinds of fish in the bay. (I didn't spot quite that many...) We also drove up to the North Shore to spend time at the beach and watch the surfers.
If I ever get a chance to go back to O'ahu, and when Ady is older, I would love to go out on a sailboat or do some surfing in Waikiki!
As I reflect back on our wonderful vacation, here are my tips for traveling with babies or toddlers:
1) Don't let the entire trip revolve around Nap Time: While getting a good nap (or three) every day sets us up for a better night (and a happier morning the following day), we learned to be flexible with our time and let the baby sleep in the car or stroller sometimes so that we could continue with our plans for the day. Nap Time wasn't always at noon, it wasn't always in the Pack n' Play in a quiet room, and we didn't always get a chance to nurse before a nap, but we made it work. Bringing kids on vacation means incorporating kids into all the fun adventures that we want to share with them, not putting our own plans on hold to make the baby happy. Ady got to learn so much and see new things by being flexible with our schedule.
2) Be flexible with food: This was a big week for Ady as she was turning one year old and trying a wider variety of solid foods. I was initially nervous about being able to feed her enough while traveling because she is not satisfied with breast milk alone anymore (which was so easy when she was younger), and I knew I wouldn't have a change to stock up on Cheerios and organic fruit pouches, so she sampled whatever I was having for most meals (fresh seafood, rice, pineapple, papaya, pancakes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc.). She was such a good eater and did great with the variety, and it was less stressful than having to plan toddler meals for her.
3) Toys are not necessary: Worried that a bored toddler would be a terror, I packed WAY too many toys and books for her. While she had fun playing with Thomas the Train for all of 20 seconds and throwing blocks across the room, she was most entertained with the TV remote, rambutan fruit from the Farmers' Market, crumbs on the carpet, and opening and closing the door 78 times. Kids can have a blast on vacation without toys. Save room in your suitcase for more important things.
4) Take breaks: Being on 24/7 "baby duty" while tired and jetlagged is demanding and brutal at times, so staying sane requires balance, patience, and accepting help from others. We were so thankful to have Grandma and Grandpa on the trip with us to babysit while we went out to dinner and keep an eye on the baby so we could get a few things done. One thing I am constantly working on in my life is accepting help from others, and this trip was good practice with this.
5) And finally, some logistics: Having a Pack n' Play is a must in our lives. Some hotels have cribs to borrow, but I wouldn't count on it. Unfortunately we had to pay to check the Pack n' Play (as it was considered an additional piece of luggage) on Hawaiian Airlines, but it was worth it. I'm also glad we brought our own carseat, even though travel adds to the wear and tear on the seat. We never had to worry about getting the right carseat in a rental car, especially since we had three separate rental cars on this trip. It's also really helpful to have the padded backpack-style bag for the carseat so we can carry it along with all our other bags. On this trip we brought our Bob Revolution stroller, which was definitely a good idea. It's bulky and you need two hands to fold it up, but the pneumatic tires were a must on trails and uneven terrain. It was also helpful to pile luggage on the stroller to get through the airport and carry the baby in the Ergo carrier. I suggest keeping the baby's birth certificate handy at the airport, even though they don't always ask for it. I also downloaded several toddler books onto my Kindle so we could still read every day without having to bring a whole stack of books. Other things that were helpful to pack: lots of extra outfits and layers, sunscreen at all times, and multiple swimsuits and swim diapers so we never had to attempt to get a wet swimsuit on the wiggly baby.
Our final destination of our Hawaiian vacation was the island of O'ahu, where were stayed in a boutique hotel in Waikiki. The location couldn't be better! We had gorgeous views of the beach from our upper-level hotel room and we were within walking distance of dozens of shops and restaurants. I did some window shopping at the high-end stores in Waikiki, sampled the famous cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company (I'm hooked!), ordered a macadamia nut latte, enjoyed a fresh poke bowl and pineapple boat for lunch, and bought some gifts and souvenirs, all within walking distance of our hotel. Across the street, right along the beach, there was a huge banyan tree where birds congregated. I couldn't believe how loud it was with birds chirping and talking to each other in the tree! Once again we were blessed with gorgeous sunsets over the ocean.
We only had a few days on O'ahu, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would considering how populated and touristy it is. Our primary destination on this island was to visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. The Memorial was powerful and triggered contemplation, appreciation, as well as a mix of emotions including sadness, grief, but also hope and pride at our country's rise in the face of adversity. I learned a lot about what happened during the attack, the nature of warfare at the time, the many forces that came into play on that fateful day, as well as a lot of information about the ships themselves. I never realized that the USS Arizona still remains at the bottom of the ocean, serving as a tomb for the bodies trapped inside. Visiting the site was deeply meaningful. We weren't allowed to step onto the actual Memorial during this visit, for whatever reason, but we did cruise around it on the boat.
On our final day of vacation we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, one of the most popular destinations on the island. There are supposedly over 400 kinds of fish in the bay. (I didn't spot quite that many...) We also drove up to the North Shore to spend time at the beach and watch the surfers.
If I ever get a chance to go back to O'ahu, and when Ady is older, I would love to go out on a sailboat or do some surfing in Waikiki!
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| Waikiki |
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| View from our room |
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| Honolulu sunsets |
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| Beautiful banyan tree near the beach |
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| USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor |
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| Sand Baby |
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| Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve |
As I reflect back on our wonderful vacation, here are my tips for traveling with babies or toddlers:
1) Don't let the entire trip revolve around Nap Time: While getting a good nap (or three) every day sets us up for a better night (and a happier morning the following day), we learned to be flexible with our time and let the baby sleep in the car or stroller sometimes so that we could continue with our plans for the day. Nap Time wasn't always at noon, it wasn't always in the Pack n' Play in a quiet room, and we didn't always get a chance to nurse before a nap, but we made it work. Bringing kids on vacation means incorporating kids into all the fun adventures that we want to share with them, not putting our own plans on hold to make the baby happy. Ady got to learn so much and see new things by being flexible with our schedule.
2) Be flexible with food: This was a big week for Ady as she was turning one year old and trying a wider variety of solid foods. I was initially nervous about being able to feed her enough while traveling because she is not satisfied with breast milk alone anymore (which was so easy when she was younger), and I knew I wouldn't have a change to stock up on Cheerios and organic fruit pouches, so she sampled whatever I was having for most meals (fresh seafood, rice, pineapple, papaya, pancakes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc.). She was such a good eater and did great with the variety, and it was less stressful than having to plan toddler meals for her.
3) Toys are not necessary: Worried that a bored toddler would be a terror, I packed WAY too many toys and books for her. While she had fun playing with Thomas the Train for all of 20 seconds and throwing blocks across the room, she was most entertained with the TV remote, rambutan fruit from the Farmers' Market, crumbs on the carpet, and opening and closing the door 78 times. Kids can have a blast on vacation without toys. Save room in your suitcase for more important things.
4) Take breaks: Being on 24/7 "baby duty" while tired and jetlagged is demanding and brutal at times, so staying sane requires balance, patience, and accepting help from others. We were so thankful to have Grandma and Grandpa on the trip with us to babysit while we went out to dinner and keep an eye on the baby so we could get a few things done. One thing I am constantly working on in my life is accepting help from others, and this trip was good practice with this.
5) And finally, some logistics: Having a Pack n' Play is a must in our lives. Some hotels have cribs to borrow, but I wouldn't count on it. Unfortunately we had to pay to check the Pack n' Play (as it was considered an additional piece of luggage) on Hawaiian Airlines, but it was worth it. I'm also glad we brought our own carseat, even though travel adds to the wear and tear on the seat. We never had to worry about getting the right carseat in a rental car, especially since we had three separate rental cars on this trip. It's also really helpful to have the padded backpack-style bag for the carseat so we can carry it along with all our other bags. On this trip we brought our Bob Revolution stroller, which was definitely a good idea. It's bulky and you need two hands to fold it up, but the pneumatic tires were a must on trails and uneven terrain. It was also helpful to pile luggage on the stroller to get through the airport and carry the baby in the Ergo carrier. I suggest keeping the baby's birth certificate handy at the airport, even though they don't always ask for it. I also downloaded several toddler books onto my Kindle so we could still read every day without having to bring a whole stack of books. Other things that were helpful to pack: lots of extra outfits and layers, sunscreen at all times, and multiple swimsuits and swim diapers so we never had to attempt to get a wet swimsuit on the wiggly baby.
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