Reset search
Hawaii Vacation
  • Mark Goodell
  • Susan Goodell
  • Mark Goodell
  • Susan Goodell

Hawaii Vacation

A 12-day adventure by Mark & Susan Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
InsightsCalendarPhotos
  • Trip start
    July 15, 2026
    Hawaii Vacation

    Day 1 - Arrival

    July 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We are in Hawaii. We landed around 5:30pm and arrived at our hotel about an hour and a half later. We quickly changed into beach attire and got some nice sunset pictures at Waikiki beach which is conveniently right across the street from our hotel. We then did a little looking around, found a nice dinner spot and prepared for a big day tomorrow.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    I found it especially exciting to see the exceptional female fire dancers.The evening buffet. The robot dish collectors really caught our eye and interest.1This was an amazing show. We could not take pictures or video during the performance, so this is aft

    Day 2- Polynesian Cultural Center

    July 16 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    What an absolutely incredible day at the Polynesian Cultural Center! We walked away with a much deeper understanding and profound appreciation for the rich heritage, traditions, and diverse cultures of the Pacific islands.
    ​From start to finish, every single detail was top-notch.
    ​The Villages & Activities: The interactive programs, hands-on activities, and cultural demonstrations in each island village were engaging, educational, and so much fun.
    ​The Gateway Buffet: A delicious, feast paired with live music and welcoming hospitality.
    ​"Hā: Breath of Life": The evening show was nothing short of spectacular. The storytelling, music, and breathtaking fire-knife dancing left us absolutely spellbound.
    ​There is so much to see and do here that it’s impossible to fit it all into a single day. We are already hoping to come back in the future to experience everything we didn't quite have time for this around! 🤙🍍    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 2- Dole Pineapple Plantation

    July 16 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    This was a fun stop on the way to the PCC. One thing we learned is that pineapple is not native to Hawaii but they sure do grow well here. The Dole whip with fresh pineapple on top was tasty 😋

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 3- Pearl Harbor

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    We spent the day exploring Pearl Harbor, and the entire experience was incredibly powerful.
    ​The museums, historical exhibits, and outdoor displays are all exceptionally well done and informative. They do a remarkable job of bringing the history to life, honoring those who served, and capturing the gravity of what happened here.
    ​It is a somber but vital piece of history, and we are so glad we took the time to visit and pay our respects. 🛡️✈️    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 3 - Ford Island Aviation Museum

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    This was one of the first locations attacked by the first wave that was targeting anti aircraft and aviation installations. Now there is a nice aviation museum with a good collection of older military aircraft.
    The control tower in the picture may look familiar to anyone who watched the movie "Pearl Harbor". Turns out that was some Hollywood creativity since the tower didn't exist in 1941.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 3 - Exploring Waikiki

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We had a few hours left in the evening to do some exploring on our own.
    - First, the tour group did a quick pass through the National Cemetery. This was very fitting with the theme for the day since many of the service men killed in Pacific Theater, including those from the Pearl Harbor attack, are buried here. There was a beautiful view of the Honolulu skyline on the way to the cemetery.
    - When walking around in the evening, we came across a Hula festival near our hotel. That was fun to watch.
    - We ended the day with fireworks on the beach which is a weekly occurrence each Friday night.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 3- Arizona Memorial

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    This was a somber and moving visit as we remembered and honored those who gave their lives in Dec 1941.
    The attack on Pearl Harbor claimed 2,390 American lives. Nearly half of those casualties occurred on this single ship, the Arizona, with 1,177 sailors and Marines killed when a bomb triggered a catastrophic explosion. 900 crew members could never be recovered. They remain forever entombed in the wreckage below.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 3 - Exploring Waikiki

    July 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We had a few hours in the evening to do some more exploring on our own.
    - First, our tour group drove through the National Cemetery. This was fitting for our theme today as many of the service men from the Pacific theater, including casualties from the Pearl Harbor attack are buried here. There was a beautiful view of the Honolulu skyline on the way to the cemetery
    - We came across a hula festival that was near our hotel. That was fun.
    - The day ended with Fireworks on the beach, which is a weekly occurrence on Fridays.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 4 - Southern Shore

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Beautiful views of the beach on the way to the other stops. We drove past expensive $20M homes on the south east side. First time we have seen a coastal blow hole. That was pretty cool.

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 4 - Byodo-In Temple

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    A replica of a historic temple in Japan, the Byodo-In temple has a huge Buda statue on very peaceful grounds. The many koi in the ponds were fun to watch.
    We rang the big bell (bon-sho) to bring peace, happiness, and blessings for a long life.
    The temple is located on large cemetery grounds. There are advertisements by the 'Eternal Resorts' company. If you are interested,you can get your own resort plot for a reasonable $1M to $10M depending on location and view. Hmmmm 🤔    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 4 - Kualoa Ranch

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Today we toured Jurassic Park. It definitely looks like some of the scenes from that movie. But then it also has some familiar areas from Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle, Kong - Skull Island, Pearl Harbor (the scene when they crash land in China), 50 Fist Dates, and some 200 other movies. It is a very scenic area and is easy to see why it was selected for so many movie scenes.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 4 - Cruising

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 82 °F

    After a fun day of touring, it was time to embark on our cruise ship that will be home for the next week. We are sailing on the Norwegian 'Pride of America.'. It is an older cruise ship but is still very nice. It will be a fun way to travel to some of the other Islands. We did a pretty good job of touring Oahu. Tomorrow we will be in Maui.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 4- Macadamia Nut Farm

    July 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We stopped at a Macadamia Nut Farm. The best part was all the free samples. They have a lot of different flavors. After some careful testing we found the garlic/onion and cinnamon flavors to be the best 😋
    There was also a large bin of raw nuts that you can crack open and sample. Half the fun was completing with the chickens that would try to grab the nuts once you had them cracked open. Apparently chickens really like macadamia nuts as well.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    We were a part of a touching Aloha for a sister missionary who was leaving.

    Day 5 - Maui Road to Hana

    July 19 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Today is Sunday and we were able to attend a church service at a chapel that was only a few blocks from the port. The ward we attended was very nice and they are very welcoming for the visitors they have every Sunday.
    After church, we drove the Road to Hana, all 620 curves and 53 one-way bridges each way. There were spectacular views, black sand beaches, and lots of beautiful waterfalls. We can check off that box since Mark is fine not driving that road again.
    The rental company upgraded our car to an electric Mustang for an even more fun experience.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    This is what we were hoping to seeThis is what it was like on top. Windy, cloudy, and mistySuccessful Lei making class

    Day 6 - Haleakala Crater

    July 20 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Some days don't go quite as planned. We were looking forward to beautiful views from the summit of Mt Haleakala. Instead, the summit was covered over with clouds so the spectacular views were obscured...so sad. It was still fun driving to the top. We also stopped by a fun cowboy town 'Makawao' for some sightseeing on the way back.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 7 Hilo and Volcano National Park

    July 21 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    The primary focus for today was seeing an active volcano. The Kilauea volcano has been erupting on average every two weeks for about eight hours shooting lava over a thousand feet in the air. We didn't get to see that but we did see all the steam and smoke pouring out of the ground all around the huge crater. There is steam pouring out of the ground in a lot of places. We saw a big sulfer field and walked through a lava tube. Even without an eruption, this was still an amazing visit.
    After the volcano tour, we headed back to Hilo for some shopping and a side trip to Rainbow Falls.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    Kona - this is as close as we gotMolokini crater, a great place for snorkelingMolokai cliffs

    Day 8 - Unexpected Day at Sea

    July 22 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Today’s stop in Kona got washed out! The swells were too high to safely load the tender boats, so shore plans—including our planned snorkeling—were canceled.

    It turned into a great pivot, though. We spent a relaxing day on board as the captain rerouted us past Molokini crater and along the spectacular northern coast of Molokai. The massive sea cliffs were incredible to see, with super high waterfalls and cliffs that are among the highest in the world.Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    Spouting horn blowholeThere are wild chickens everywhere. They are a pest here.Apparently chickens like coconutWailua BeachOpaeka'a FallsWaimea Canyon

    Day 9 - Exploring Kauai

    July 23 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We continued with some more incredible views, this time on Kauai! From the dramatic, sweeping coastal cliffs to the deep reds and greens of Waimea Canyon, this island is a paradise. We had the best time just stopping to take it all in. Another highlight was the blowhole at Spouting Horn—it put on the best show we’ve seen so far!Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation

    Day 9 - Luau Kalamaku

    July 23 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We started our vacation with a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Now we get to end with the Luau Kalamaku. This was another fabulous way to enjoy the Hawaiian culture. Everything was fantastic, the location, food and entertainment. We watched the kalua pig as it was pulled from the underground oven. It was roasted to perfection and very tasty. Mark practically needed to be rolled out after the dinner (like we haven't been eating enough already on the ship). 😋
    What a fun way to close out our Hawaiian vacation even though we still have two more fun days to go.    Read more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    An endangered Nene goose. These are only found in Hawaii

    Day 10 - Relaxing day in Lihue, Kauai

    July 24 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 77 °F

    After considering several adventurous options for today, we decided that a relaxed day on the beach was in order. Kalapaki beach is a short walk from the pier along with some good shopping locations. We had a very enjoyable day bobbing in the waves. We found a really nice botanical garden with massive Koi fish. Shopping for some last minute goodies and trinkets was fun as wellRead more

  • Hawaii Vacation
    Electric BeachMark diving for lost treasureMermaid caveInside Mermaid caveHigh tide had nearly filled the caveSurfer beach, there were some impressive waves hereAir Force tracking station. Mark visited this site many years ago while in the AFReviews said this was a lava tube. It didn't go back very far.Enjoying some local cuisine, this is a Loco Moco, Egg, steak, rice, gravy, noodle salad. YummyOur first ever Hawaiian shaved ice in HawaiiAn amazing sunset

    Day 11 - Oahu West Coast

    July 25 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Today we enjoyed our last pass through the breakfast buffet and disembarked from Pride of America. That was a great cruise, too bad we can't stay for another week!

    Since our return flight didn't depart until 11:30pm, we rented a car and explored the Oahu west coast. Mark's priority was to find a good snorkeling spot, especially since we missed out on snorkeling in Kona. We went to 'electric beach' where the warm water from a nearby power plant attracts fish. This turned out to be a fun adventure as the waves coming in through the narrow channel were pretty big. With some good timing, Mark dodged the waves and got his chance to look at some fish.

    Following some recommendations from Google maps, we found some other great beaches and picture worthy locations. We ended the day at the Ka'olina lagoons where Mark did some more snorkeling and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. That was a great way to end our Hawaiian vacation.    Read more

    Trip end
    July 26, 2026