We spent a lot of time in Waikiki on our trip, there is so much to do there! We had a picnic outside Iolani Palace, & took a private tour of Washington Place, which was the Queen’s home. 

Kaden & Landon took surfing lessons & loved it, and Alia tried lei making and Keiki Hula, both of which were highlights of her trip. 

We had brunch at the Moana one morning, and that was delicious. We hung out at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (or the “Pink Palace”) a good bit too (and spent the afternoon on Mother’s Day at their Spa), which was beautiful. 

The kids and I did a lot of reading about Hawaiian culture and history before our trip, which we all really enjoyed. I think it enriches the experience of visiting a place so much to know the history of it.

Some of our favorite books were…

Kids

Kamehameha, the Boy who became a Warrior King

Little Princess Kaiulani in her Garden by the Sea

Surfer of the Century: Duke Kahanamoku

What Was Pearl Harbor? (Kaden read this one over and over!)

Attack on Pearl Harbor (audiobook)

Myself

Mark Twain: Letters from Hawaii (I listened to this one on audiobook, so good)

The Royal Diaries: Kaiulani

The Hawaiian Monarchy