Farris Family's Day Off

Day 1 - July 19 - Travel day

Kati wanted to go to Hawaii for her birthday, so we did! A few days before we departed we were tracking a hurricane going toward Oahu. We were hoping that it would dissipate by the time we flew. Luckily it passed through the area and only as a tropical depression before we left California. So we were off. We stayed at a hotel close to the airport where we also left our car. We decided to fly out of San Jose because it was worth it. After our 5-hour flight, we landed in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Within an hour we were at Aulani. It's one of our favorite places and we have been going there since it first opened in 2011. One of the towers wasn't even finished yet when we went for the first time!

We just enjoyed the resort for the rest of the day.

Our room, and I would request this room every time if I could, was on the first floor facing the luau grassy area. We had a sliding glass door that opened up and we could walk right into the area. Most people like to get the ocean view or pool view rooms, but this room is located in such a central area and very convenient to everything. We could sit out on our patio and watch the luau...kind of :) as you can see from the picture, it's somewhat obstructed. No problem since the luau actually cost money to attend.

Day 2 - July 20 - Kualoa Ranch

Today we visited Kualoa Ranch. It's a place we've been to many times. If you have never been there, it is where a lot of movies have been filmed. One of the well-known movies was Jurassic Park. There are a lot of activities to do there. Some of them include a movie tour by a bus, horseback riding, quad motorcycles, and more. The Kualoa Ranch has bunkers built during WWII that are now deactivated and people can take tours in them. They have movie props in them now to look at.

Day 3 - July 21 - Pool time with friends and the Polynesian Cultural Center

Today we met up with the group, and if you read the Highlights section you would know we did not plan a trip with them this time. Our vacations overlapped and we learned that information only a few months before our trip. So even when we don't plan vacations together, we plan vacations together, ha!

We hung out by the pool together and utilized the Aulani snorkeling pool where you can snorkel with fish. Personally I didn't sign up because I was interested in taking photos.

After the pool time, Kati, Mia, and I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, which we've never been to before. It was a lot of places to purchase Polynesian type gifts and take tours within the center. All the funds benefit the youth going to college and the center itself. It's a great place to visit. We took a nighttime paddle boarding tour through the cultural center to learn about the Polynesian culture.

Day 4 - July 22 - Shark cage diving, Waimea Falls, and pool time

Kati, Mia, and I went out on a boat about a mile or so off the west coast of Oahu to go shark cage diving. It was an experience I will never forget and happy that my daughter was able to experience it as a young kid. I tend to get seasick (mostly dizzy and sweats) on small boats in the ocean, but yet I still force myself!

Once we got out to the shark cages that were floating out in the ocean, the captain if the boat pulled the cages in towards the boat so we could get in. The tops of these cages were open and floated above water. As we approached the cages with the boat we could see the sharks swimming around. I think there were about seven Galapagos Sharks. Huge sharks around 10 feet long. The only thing that scared me about the situation was the depth of the water. We were in an area of the ocean where the water looking down was deep blue and there was no bottom. That said, the sharks were not aggressive, they didn't even touch the cage. They did swim close.

Here is a two-minute clip that I took with the GoPro

After our shark dive adventure we went to Waimea Falls. Once we parked in the parking lot it was a short walk to the gift shops, eateries, and entrance to the trail to Waimea Falls. The trail has an entrance fee. Once you get past the ticket booth, it's a 3/4 of a mile walk to the falls on a pretty flat, paved trail. Along the way there is plenty of flora to see. Including tall, large leaf palms, hibiscus flowers, even a stream that is fed from the falls.

When you arrive at the falls there is a life jacket stand. No matter if you are a good swimmer or not, you have to get a life jacket. It's required at the falls. They also have other rules, such as you have to stay away from the left side of the water because it's a towering cliff face with the potential of rocks falling. Plus the depth of the water at the falls is between 15-30 feet. There is a place to sit right next to the falls on a rock face. We did that a few times and jumped in from there.

Once we were done visiting the falls, we grabbed our stuff and headed back to the trail. Once we got back to the visitor center, we grabbed some lunch before heading to the car to head back to the resort.

There's one thing my family loves and that's water. Once we got back to Aulani, we hit the pool!

Day 5 - July 23 - Kati's Birthday

I woke up early in the morning before anyone was awake to walk to the store that was across the street from Aulani, to buy Kati a birthday cake. Luckily, they had small ones, which was perfect. I also had to stop by one of the stores inside Aulani to get her a Lounge Fly Aulani bag.

After we officially got up, we headed out to an excursion on a boat to snorkel and look for wildlife. During our boat ride we saw pilot whales and they were so close to the boat. It was so cool to watch them.

After we took the boat for I think an hour, we made it to the snorkel spot. Before we could get into the water, one of the crew had to get into the water to make sure the current wasn't too strong for those that weren't that strong of swimmers and to let us know what direction to swim in so we didn't get too far away. No big deal for us, we have done this many times before in other places around the world. While snorkeling we saw turtles and a lot of other tropical fish.

Kati and Mia took the opportunity to use the provided paddle board.

After our excursion, we headed back to Aulani for more pool time and beach time.

Later after the sunset and it was dark enough, we went to a presentation with people who were at the resort discussing astrology. We got to use their telescopes to look at different stars, nebulas, and more. it was pretty cool to see the world outside of ours.

This picture is what we saw through the telescopes they had pointing up at the stars.

Day 6 - July 24 - Lanikuhonua Lagoon and the Aulanu luau

Today was our last day on the island before the next day we had to fly back home. We had a relaxing day today. We went to the beach next to the Aulani resort, which is about an 8-minute walk. The beach is shielded by a reef so the waves don't exist. Sometimes sea turtles come up to the beach or in the lagoon.

Later in the day we attended the luau, which came with a meal, dancing, and a show. The typical luau with a Disney twist. There were fire dancers, stories of the culture, dancing, and music. And of course, earlier in the show, some Disney characters made an appearance.

We ended the trip with many more memories we can look back on and one more adventure behind us.

Day 7 - July 25 - Flight from Honolulu to San Jose

We headed back to the airport to take our flight back home.

Until our next adventure...!