Memorial Day Remembrance

As we all know 5/30 is Memorial Day here in the United States, so i want to take a moment to honor all those who have served in the Armed Forces.


To remember Memorial Day, i went with my Boy Scout Troop to the National Cemetery for the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl Cemetery.

Here, we met up with thousands of other scouts state-wide Punchbowl Good Turn. We started with a 20-minute ceremony commemorating the date. Then, we place flags and flower leis at every single grave.

This annual tradition started 56 years ago. Memorial Day it self is thought to have started during the Civil War. After the liberation of a prison camp, escaped slaves would return to the old camp and place flowers (that they picked along the way) at the graves of Union soldiers that died during captivity. This was later expanded to commemorate all the soldiers that died in action.

Friday Fun with the Aliens

Yesterday, David and I were forced to "sight see" with aliens (i.e., parents).  My mother is obsessed with seeing the island.  First stop, the Byodo-In Temple near Kaneohe Bay. Built on June 7, 1968 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.. It is a scale model of the temple in Uji, Japan constructed over 900 years ago. The Byodo-In temple is built without any nails, and is incorporated into the plots of many T.V. shows, including Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I.

La'ie Point is a great spot for views of the North Shore.  Just a short amount of time after the Polynesian Cultural Center, this point is shrouded by legend:

The tip of  La'ie Point

The Legend of La'ie Point:





Laniloa, The Mo'o
      This point of land that extends out into the ocean is called Laniloa. According to legend. This peninsula was originally a "Mo'o" or giant lizard. Standing upright ready to kill any intruder.

      After Kana (a legendary warrior) and his brother had rescued their mother from Moloka'i and had taken her back to Hawaii. Kana set out on a journey to kill all the Mo'o in the islands. In time, he arrived in La'ie where the Mo'o had been killing many people. Kana easily defeated the Mo'o taking its head. He chopped it into five pieces and flung them into the ocean. The pieces of the lizard's head can still be seen today as five small islands lying off-shore.  Their original names were Kihewamoku, Moluaaniwa, Pulemoku, Malualai and Keauakaluapa'a'a

Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau

"Hill of Escape"

Located on the north shore town of Pupukea, this site is located on a cliff overlooking Waimea Bay. After a 5 minute hike, you come to a beautiful view that is for miles. Also on the mountainside that the heiau is located on is a Boy Scout Campsite.  This heiau may also have been a site of human sacrifice.

We stopped for lunch at a local burger stand/ surf shop at the foot of the mountain.

On the western tip of Oahu is Kaena Point was our next stop. The only way to get there is to hike. There are two trailheads: From the south side, or Leeward Coast side, begin your hike from Kaena Beach State Park. From the north side, or Mokuleia side, drive to the very end of Farrington Highway and park at the trailhead. We did not hike this, but it is sopposedly one of the most butiful things you can see. 

The four of us then decided it was time to head home. On the way, we stopped at Matsumoto's Grocery Store. But it's more known for it's great shave ice. My Dad and i found out there are over 14,000  flavor combinations from the flavors they offer!

As we passed the Dole plantation on the way home, we passed the Birthing stones. After turning around and returning to the spot, we found them. These are the stones on which the kings would be born.