Booth Family Trip - O'ahu Hawaii 07'

ShowIt Online Slide Show - Booth Family Hawaiian Vacation
(a must see if you like any of these photos)

My family and I just returned from our trip to Hawaii. We were in Hawaii from August 1st to August 16th, just having hurricane Flossy miss our island by a mere 180 miles. We had so much fun. We first stayed in the Sans Souci for the first week. Once Mary Lou and Frank arrived, we moved on to the Queen Kapiolani hotel, Waikiki Beach. We ate our way around the island like a malasada donut. We found a new favorite plate lunch restaurant in downtown Honolulu that served 'Ono pork with gravy, rice, and macaroni salad..... Hawaiian people know how to eat. Besides visiting Pearl Harbor, Punch Bowl National Memorial Cemetery, Nuuanu Pali lookout, Sandy Beach, North Shore, and Mary's cousins in Kailua, the family enjoyed the wonderful, warm waters, shave ice, and shopping. The next time you visit O'ahu, be sure to get an original Hawaiian shave ice from Waiola Shave Ice. They have been in business since 1940 and have the most fluffy ice and will put a scoop of ice cream in the bottom for that extra touch. I got away one morning just as the hurricane was showing its effects on the island and shot the body boarding photos as seen below at Sandy Beach. You will see Blow Hole in the background on a few of the shots.
Notice the bubble coming from the swimmer in the above photo. I was amazed when I noticed this after looking on my screen... this just shows you how clear the water is in Hawaii.
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku lived from 1890-1968. He was born and raised in Waikiki and was a full-blooded Hawaiian, representing the culture to millions of people. He was an Olympic champion winning three gold, two silver, and one bronze metal in four Olympics between 1912 and 1922. He is known as the Father of International Surfing having introduced the sport to the Eastern seaboard. He is recognized as the "Hawaiian Ambassador of Aloha". During his lifetime, the Duke was a movie actor, political figure, and true hero. His statue is located on Waikiki Beach where many honor him by placing leis on his statue. "Mahape a ale wala'ua," Duke would say. "Don't talk -- keep it in your heart."

Punch Bowl National Memorial Cemetary, Honolulu. What a neat place to visit and reflect on what other people did to ensure our national freedom. We also enjoyed a visit to Pearl Harbor.