Aulani ~ 7.3

 

Well, for those that don't know, I've started working at another facility, in addition to my just about full time hours at my current one. Add the passing of our furbaby Lola last weekend to this and I just haven't had a lot of time to work on my blog (or much of anything at this point, lol), but this is only temporary while I complete my orientation at the new facility.

So, we left off in the middle of our North Shore Loop. We did so many stops this day and they are starting to fade, which frustrates me as I wanted to do this blog while everything was still fresh.

After a couple beach stops along the North Shore, we will soon be heading 'south' along the east coast.  

But a few more stops first... Ted's Bakery. They are known for their amazing cream pies. We got a chocolate one and Dale of course got a coffee. It was so much warmer along the North Shore than by Aulani.

Next up, Virgil Fruit Stand (got to balance out the snacks with good stuff). And oddly, Dale got a coffee there too. I had some fresh watermelon and Dale also got the Banana bread that so many people have raved about but he actually wasn't thrilled with. Afterwards, we walked right across the street to a 'driveway' where these trees formed a pretty canopy. I think it may have lead further down to the ocean but we were still parked at the fruit stand and didn't want to venture to far away.

We were then heading south along the east coast of the island. The ocean is so beautiful but there were no safe places to pull off to get better photos.

We started driving by the Kualoa Ranch, known for their Jurassic Park tours. This is where some of the movie was filmed with their lush green mountains.

Next up, Mkokli'i also known as Chinaman's Hat. We just stopped to take a quick look at the little park there, but you can actually kayak out to the island.

Now it's time to head back. It was getting late in the afternoon and we knew we would probably be hitting rush hour traffic on the highway. This side of the island does have so much green lush mountains. It was very beautiful. Maybe next trip, we will spend a little more time over here. 

We got back to Aulani and freshen up and decided to check out the Mekkio Cantina for dinner. Another restaurant right across the street. We had dinner and drinks and then back to Aulani to settle in, it had been a long day.

But, don't go!!!! You have to see this. In the lobby of Aulani there are lots of authentic items on display. There is also a little 'hidden magic' as Disney is know for. If you pass this cabinet walking towards the Ewa Tower, stop and take a look! Get down on your knees and LOOK into the keyhole!!! All around Aulani are the Menehune. There is actually a game you can play finding them and following their adventures. But inside this little keyhole you could see them!