A Glimpse Into The 50th State In The Nation

Kalakaua Avenue Waikiki Beach HawaiiWe’re featuring “All Things Hawaiian”! Also check out our post on what “The Aloha Spirit” really means, a reflection on our travels in O’ahu, why Kona coffee is the most valued coffee in the world, what makes the Plumeria flower so special, a glimpse into Mark Twain’s “Letters From Hawaii” and the history behind legendary Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

Our travels in Hawai’i brought us to…

  • the popular destination of Waikiki Beach (picture 1 below)
  • the volcanic crater of Diamond Head (2)
  • the historic landmark of Pearl Harbor (3)
  • the Polynesian Cultural Center (4); and
  • the beautiful waters of Kaaawa (5)

We witnessed at least 20 Japanese weddings, experienced an Easter church service with beautiful Hawaiian music (6), dined at the two oldest hotels in Waikiki (the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider) (7), ate Malasadas (Portugese doughnuts) at Hawai’i’s original malasada bakery (8), sailed on a catamaran with Captain Riki and his son Kapono (which means “the righteous way”) (9) and saw some of the funniest, yet deeply powerful t-shirt sayings throughout our stay (10).

Below is a glimpse into the things we learned about Hawai’i, accompanied by some of our favorite pictures. Stay tuned for further details and more pictures in upcoming posts!

Fun facts about Hawai’i:
  • The state of Hawai’i consists of eight main islands: The Big Island, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Niihau, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe
  • Hawai’i is the only state in the U.S. that grows coffee, cacao and vanilla beans, and is the only state with tropical rain forests
  • More than one-third of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawai’i
  • The Hawaiian alphabet contains only 12 letters (A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, P, W) (and nearly every street begins with K!)
  • Hawai’i is the widest state in the U.S. (from east to west), measuring 1,500 miles from the island of Ni’iheau to the Big Island; yet, it would take approximately 40 Hawai’i’s to match the total size of Texas
  • Hawai’i has its own time zone and does not observe Daylight Savings Time
  • The State of Hawai’i is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth
  • 1.5 million populate the state of Hawai’i; 100,000 live in Oahu; Honolulu is the nation’s 11th largest metropolitan area
  • The Hawaiian Islands are the projecting tops of the biggest mountain ranges in the world
  • Hawai’i has the highest life expectancy in the U.S. (81.3 years old)
  • Hawai’i is one of the four U.S. states that has outlawed billboards (the others are Alaska, Maine and Vermont)
Photos of the above mentioned places:
Waikiki Beach Oahu Hawaii
1. Waikiki Beach; O’ahu, Hawai’i
Diamond Head Waikiki Beach Hawaii
2. Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach; O’ahu, Hawai’i
USS Arizona Pearl Harbor Hawaii
3. View looking out from USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor Museum
3. Quote on display in Pearl Harbor Museum
Pearl Harbor Museum Hawaii
3. Quote on display in Pearl Harbor Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Hawaiian lei
4. Handmade lei from the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie; O’ahu, Hawai’i
Oahu Hawaii
5. Waters of Kaaawa on East Coast of O’ahu, Hawai’i
Catholic Church Waikiki Beach Hawaii
6. St. Augustine By-The-Sea (1854); Waikiki Beach, O’ahu, Hawai’i
Catholic Church Waikiki Beach Hawaii
6. St. Augustine By-The-Sea (1854); Waikiki Beach, O’ahu, Hawai’i

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Royal Hawaiian Hotel Dinner
7. View from dinner at Azure; Royal Hawaiian Hotel, second oldest in Waikiki (1929); O’ahu, Hawaii
Royal Hawaiian Hotel Waikiki Beach Hawaii
7. Royal Hawaiian Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leonard's Malasadas Hawaii
8. Coconut-filled malasada from Leonard’s, Hawai’i’s original malasada bakery (1952)
Catamaran Rides in Waikiki Beach Hawaii
9. Catamaran ride with Captain Riki and his son Kapono (“the righteous way”); Waikiki Beach
Funny t-shirt saying
10. One of the many noticeable interesting t-shirts we saw during our visit

3 thoughts on “A Glimpse Into The 50th State In The Nation

  • April 21, 2015 at 12:59 am
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    Thank you for the glimpse into Oahu. We are traveling there in June with the family to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. None of us have ever visited Hawaii and I have to say we have very high expectations. Can’t wait to see it all for myself!!
    Your trip looks fantastic. So glad you were able to enjoy the adventure together.
    Jenna

    Reply
    • April 21, 2015 at 5:55 pm
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      Hi, Jenna-
      Thank you so much for your comment. We were so delightfully surprised by O’ahu and have no doubt you’ll enjoy it just as much. Happy 25th anniversary – and wishes for a wonderful, relaxing trip! (If you’d like any further information or recommendations, we’d be happy to share with you).
      Jennifer & Katharine

      Reply
  • April 20, 2015 at 3:28 pm
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    Awesome pictures !!! Sounds like a great trip! : )

    Reply

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