WW: A beautiful way to start the day

Our Visit to Aulani – A Disney Resort & Spa

I’ve always envied people like Cathi who are able to visit Disneyland on a whim. “Hmmm . . . what should we do today? How about going to Disneyland?” No planning, no packing, just get in the car and go. Well, today was kind of like that for Kaila and I.

I was at home trying to find our Disney Trading pins for our upcoming Disneyland trip when I realized it might be pretty cool to add some Aulani pins to the collection. I searched online and found that people were selling them at an outrageous price! However, I was desperate and even considered buying a few. But then I remembered, “Hey, I live 20 minutes away from Aulani! Why don’t I just go there and buy them myself?” Within 15 minutes Kaila and I were on the road headed to Ko’Olina.

Here we are pulling up to the hotel.

The beautiful “Rainbow Wall” behind the Registration Desk in the Maka’ala Lobby. These photos were taken by Hawaii students, grades K to 12. Their mission was to take a photo of something that they feel showcases our beautiful islands. Each submission had to focus on one color.

The view from the Maka’ala Lobby. Here you can see most of the property as well as the property’s Waikolohe Valley. This Valley includes various water activities. You can see a partial view of the Waikolohe Stream where visitors can take a relaxing tube ride along the 900-foot-long path.

The 3,800 square-foot Rainbow Reef where guests can snorkel with beautifully colored fish that live in the waters around the islands.

Or how would you like to get up close and personal with some friendly stingrays at the Makai Preserve?

Here’s the 2,200-square-foot Menehune Bridge where kids will have a blast playing on the bridges, slides, and waterfalls.

Or take a swim in the hotel’s main pool

You can even take a stroll to Ko’Olina Lagoons and spend the day on the beach.

I mean, who wouldn’t love to sit under these beautiful cabanas?

You may even get to see a concert under the stars.

Back in the lobby is where we found this cute little area for the kids.

And of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without meeting a few Disney characters. Stitch decided he was hungry and tried to eat some of Kaila’s cereal. She was definitely NOT happy about it and started to cry. He tried to kiss and make-up which brought a few smiles and in the end Kaila threw kisses to him as we left.

Mickey was another story. She just would not look at him!

The Aulani is a beautiful resort showcasing the largest collection of contemporary Hawaiian art in the world. At every turn, you’ll see beautiful Hawaiian flowers, artifacts, photos, painting, statues, and music. What I really liked was the laid-back feel that the hotel promotes. You just can’t help but relax as you slowly stroll through the property as the cast members greet you with smiles and Hawaiian greetings. It’s truly paradise.

WW: That’s One Big Snail!

Photo taken at The Bishop Museum

The Bishop Museum

I’m not sure why but I never really think to take my kids to the Bishop Museum. As a kid, I’ve visited the museum on numerous occasions while on field trips and enjoyed the various exhibits. So I thought it was time to finally take the girls so they could learn a little more about Hawaiian culture.

Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The Museum was established to house the extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, and has expanded to include millions of artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawai‘i and other Pacific island cultures.

Today, Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state and the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific, recognized throughout the world for its cultural collections, research projects, consulting services and public educational programs. It also has one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world. Serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians is a primary purpose of the Museum.

courtesy of Bishop Museum

Our first stop was the Hawaiian Hall where we went on a journey through Hawaiian history.

This building is 3 stories tall with life-sized ocean creatures suspended from the ceiling. The first floor shares the life of Hawaiians before they had any contact with the outside world. They have a life-sized hale (shack) which the girls found very interesting. They couldn’t imagine the entire family living in just one room!

The second floor showed artifacts and educated us on the lifestyle of the native people. There was also a very cool hands-on area where the girls could pound tapa cloth (used to make clothing), play musical instruments (pu ili, uli uli, ipu), learn to wrap a lau lau, pound (make believe) poi, and even see some colorful feathers up close through magnifying glass.

The third floor is dedicated to Hawaiian royalty and important events in Hawaiian history. You can also see the insides of a full sized whale up close and personal.

My favorite room was the Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike K?hili Room. It’s a small display room but it has such an amazing presence that you can’t help but feel in awe. Here you’ll find the precious K?hili (feather standards) of the Hawaiian Monarchy.

Of course, the girls favorite exhibit was the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center.

This huge exhibit is the perfect place for kids to get a little hands-on experience with sound & motion, lava flows, and wind power.

The kids were also able to walk through a lava tube filled with neon images, walk under a water tube, and slide down the side of a volcano.

Science on a Sphere provided us with a look at science, math, and geography in a way that’s easy to understand. In the middle of the room is a sphere that is 6 feet in diameter and shows an amazing look at planet Earth.

We didn’t get a chance to visit The Watumull Planetarium but it’s definitely on our list for our next visit. In fact, I think we’ll probably try to make it back when the museum is hosting the evening “The Sky Tonight” event where we’ll be able to learn more about the stars and constellations in the current sky.

Finally, The Bishop Museum is currently showcasing Sesame Street Presents: The Body where kids can learn about the human body and the way it works. There are tons of hands-on exhibits and familiar faces all housed in the world of Sesame Street. This exhibit runs from April 7 – July 30, 2012.

What a wonderful way to get the kids out of the house and expose them to some rich Hawaiian history.

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