It’s official – a Jacobs has made it to a 48th state! Emma traveled to Hawaii this week and her Mother’s Day gift to me was to write this week’s essay. Of course, her real gift is her. She has made all my dreams come true of being a beautiful, bright, kind, loving, hard working, and wonderful person-and traveler.❤️🌺 We hope you enjoy her essay this week. Happy Mother’s Day.
Emma
I was lucky enough to visit Hawaii this past week with my best friend’s family to celebrate her graduation (and acceptance to law school!) which means I’ve visited a new state. I always viewed Hawaii and Alaska as the extras – we would get to them when we could. Who would have thought I would make it to Hawaii before North Dakota?
My expectations for this new state were high. I took the week off from work and was ready to relax, but I also wanted to take advantage of every minute. I was also interested to see what it would be like to travel a different way. On Jacobs family trips, we go from hotel to hotel, barely unpacking and constantly moving to make sure we don’t miss ANYTHING (like literally anything). On this trip, we were staying in one place the entire time: an AirBnB located in a high rise in Waikiki, steps from the touristy strip of resort hotels and ABC stores, and the ocean. Now that we’re at the end of the trip, I can confidently say that there are pros and cons to both ways of traveling, but on a beach vacation a certain amount of peace is brought by staying in one place.
Let’s start with the must-do experiences.
The Lagoon at the Disney Aulani Resort
First, if you have the luxury to stay at this resort, I bet it would be amazing. It is so lush and luxurious while also still having that comforting feeling Disney always brings. But the real must was the lagoon (open to the public with free parking) located just a mile down the road from the resort. The water was a beautiful light blue, crystal clear, and so still. It was serene. We went during the week so there were only a few other families on the small strip of beach. The shallowness and stillness is perfect for children (and tipsy adults). Everyone in the group wanted to go back a second time, but we ran out of time.
Waimea Falls
This botanical gardens and nature reserve was one of the most beautiful and incredibly accessible nature spaces I have visited. Essentially, a wide stretch of pavement takes you from the gift shop and snack bar through an incredibly lush forest-like landscape to a gorgeous waterfall that plunges into a 30 feet deep pool. The walk there is less than a mile and has plenty of benches to stop to rest or take pictures. There’s also a tram that can take you to the waterfall and back. Once you reach the waterfall, you can swim in the waterfall if you wear a life jacket which they will provide to you. We refused to wear water shoes because they’re just not cute, but they definitely would have helped with getting into the waterfall (it’s a miracle I didn’t fall). The water was ice cold and refreshing after walking in the heat and humidity. Overall, it was a really accessible way to experience the beautiful Hawaiian landscape, especially if you aren’t big into hiking but want to be close to nature.
Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
If you have never been snorkeling before, this was a great way to get a feel for it while also having the option to relax on the beach. This nature reserve had a beautiful beach where you could lay out and relax, but once you waded further out into the water, there were coral reefs everywhere with huge fish swimming all around. We were able to walk right into the water with our flippers and snorkel gear on and swim out to wear the coral reefs were. It was comforting to still be able to see the shore while swimming around looking for fish. Again, it was a great way to experience snorkeling for the first time.
Okay, now onto food.
Herringbone
Everyone in the group agreed that this was probably the best meal of the trip. The restaurant was only a short walk from where we were staying and had some of the best seafood I have ever had. We splurged on the Yacht seafood tower and I will be thinking about it for the rest of my life. The drinks and other food were delicious too, but that seafood tower was a show-stopper.
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck
Everyone and their mother was telling us we needed to go here when we went to the North Shore of Oahu. And they were right. Skip the lemon butter shrimp and just get the shrimp scampi, which is the dish they’re known for. It was delicious, fresh, and incredibly flavorful. The other nearby trucks had some good options too, but this place was clearly the best.
Duke’s Waikiki
This is another restaurant that is definitely worth the hype. They have a location in Malibu, but the Waikiki location is much more laid-back and really makes you feel like you’re in Hawaii and on island time. The coconut shrimp were huge, crispy, and delicious. If you eat at the Sand Bar, you are steps away from the ocean. At one point, we got up from the table to jump in the water because it was so hot then came back to our food. It was awesome!
Overall, Hawaii did not disappoint. We got to see so much of O’ahu in such a short amount of time, but it still felt like we had barely scratched the surface. The trip was a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure, and I think that’s exactly the point of traveling to Hawaii. It has so many different experiences to offer especially if you’re able to branch out from Waikiki. Mahalo!!