Nearly three months after April and I had departed for Hawaii for the first time, we got to fly back home for my sister Hope’s high school graduation. We were so proud of her accomplishment, and with much excitement we were able to take Hope back with us to Hawaii for a week as a post-graduation trip! During that week we explored the island of Oahu together, and hit up a few of our favorite spots as well as had some new experiences along the way.
First things first, it was off to Waikiki Beach where we enjoyed the soft sand, cool blue water, and also fancy drinks and a hula pie at Duke’s!
Leonard’s Bakery was next on our list, the best place in Oahu to get some delicious Malasadas, a rendition of a Portuguese donut . We all have our own happy reactions to these puffed delights.
Heading to the north shore, we set out to explore the ocean-side town of Haleiwa, and visit the Honu at Laniakea beach. We caught some great weather and some fantastic views of the sunbathing sea turtles!
Working up an appetite, we headed to Breakers restaurant to grab a bite to eat. I think the surfboards hanging on the ceiling are a pretty sweet representation of the area and surrounding beaches!
We also took Hope to one of my favorite places to visit, the Dole Pineapple Plantation. However, no pineapples were consumed this time around since it is the one food Hope is allergic to.
One of Hope’s favorite things to do while in Hawaii was to go to the beach, usually in hopes of getting a good tan. Although not totally conducive to her tanning goals, going to Haleiwa beach gave us some nice views and a relaxing time.
If there is one place I like even more than the Dole Plantation, it’s Manoa Falls. Here we found super lush tropical forests and some of the most vividly colored plants you’ll ever see. All of this topped off with a great view of the beautiful waterfall!
Along our hike down from the falls, we came across a couple that Hope thought was adorable and #goals. We took a picture to remember them.
What’s a Hawaiian adventure without snorkeling? One morning we took a shuttle from our apartment in Honolulu and traveled down to Hanauma Bay to swim with the fishes.
Of course we had to have a “Congratulations for Graduating High School!!” celebration dinner at The Cheesecake Factory!
Some epic lookout point pics were obviously necessary, so Tantalus lookout was a destination-must.
And of course there were plenty of sibling shenanigans along the way as always…
We had a wonderful time with this graduate! We hope that she left with some great memories and experiences before heading back to the mainland where new adventures of a new season of life await!
Ok bye!
Simply Sojourners 
You must be logged in to post a comment.