What an honor to be able to witness this place! It's a sacred place for Hawaiian history and…read moreculture and I am so honored i got a glimpse of it. One hundred yards from the intersection of Whitmore Avenue and Highway 80 on the island of O'ahu lie a group of rocks known as the Kukaniloko Birthing Stones. This site has witnessed Hawai'i's royal births and powerful struggles for centuries, and which may have also served an astronomical function. When a new chief was to be born, the mother would be brought to the rocks and, under the watch of anywhere from 36 to 48 chiefs, the birth would take place. Most of the leaders were there to observe the births for the oral historical record, but a small number may have assisted with the birth. When the birthing was complete, the child would be swept away, not to be seen by the mother until they had reached maturity. This was practiced to reduce the chance of murder from rival chiefs. The important spot was also home to a number of battles between tribes that would decide the fates of their entire communities. Children born at Kukaniloko would learn leadership and the traditions of their ancestors at the sacred site and its surrounding lands. While the stones have been thought to have served a largely ritual purpose to native Hawaiians, recent research has uncovered patterns on the rocks that could have served an astrological purpose. It is now believed that the stones may have acted as a sort of Pacific Island henge.

A co-worker pointed out this sacred landmark as we were driving by one day. I took my mom's visit…read moreas an opportunity to see something other than the touristy stuff so we made it a stop while in the area. It's easy to drive by without noticing given the closed gate with "no parking" signs. One has to know to park safely on the road and walk past the closed gate to experience the birthing stones. There are no signs to indicate the history of the area which is a downside so one has to Google and read about it. As you walk down the dirt path you eventually run into a landscaped area bordered by rocks that contains the birthing stones and trees. There's nothing really to see beyond scattered stones while using your imagination in curiosity about what has occurred at this location. A site mentions a temple with a bell that would ring to announce the birth but it's nowhere to be found. A quick visit to see a piece of Hawaiian history. I give it three stars because while it's a landmark, it could do a better job at educating visitors. No signage, description, or images of what happened hinders the appreciation and knowledge of why it's a sacred landmark.

This is a great little venue with a real local flavor. The deal is that there is no middle man…read morehere - it comes straight from the farmer or the artist or the baker to YOU!! You can find the BEST local tropical fruit in season (say LYCHEE or Mango...ONolicious) or gorgeous orchids, heliconia, ginger plants and cut flowers. Found some great mosaic mirrors and porcelain gift tags that you can't find anywhere else. It's cool that you can talk straight to the artist that makes it - and it helps the local economy as well. Lots of locals buy their produce here every weekend, which should tell you something. Come early for the best selections - it usually breaks down by 1PM.

Pretty neat place but also a little sketchy…read more There is a no loitering sign above the tunnel - I did hear there was people who used to hang out in the tunnel and smoke in there (so luckily i was the only one there!) Its very easy to find with google maps/directions. You just park in the residential area and just walk right up. We didnt stay no more than 15 minutes here. Its not that big of a tunnel and there isnt much to see. Alot of the rainbow has been repainted white (probably from the graffiti)

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." --Maya Angelou…read more I saw this Mililani Rainbow Tunnel on Instagram and HAD TO see it for myself and get a few photos! The location is kind of vague. I drove around the perimeter of Mililani High School, but didn't see anything that resembled an entrance. Luckily, there were a couple of early morning joggers coming my way. I rolled down the window of my car and asked a woman if she knew where The Rainbow Tunnel was... Nope. She turned around and asked the guy behind her if he knew... Yes! He pointed behind me and said that I had to cross Kam Highway. Hmmm... I'm a townie. I have no idea about the layout of Mililani. It's confusing as heck! Luckily, there was an address attached to the Instagram page! It was quite accurate, so, I added it to this Yelp page. I parked on Hakupokano Loop when I could see the entrance to the Rainbow Tunnel. The other end of the tunnel is close to the Mililani High School football field on Kipapa Drive. However, there's no parking there and the entrance isn't visible from the street. Go to the Hakupokano side! This is a really cool landmark! No wonder it's an Instagram sensation! I didn't count how many photos there are of The Mililani Rainbow Tunnel... there are over 300 photos for sure. Note: There is also a Rainbow Tunnel in Canada, so make sure that you specify "Mililani Rainbow Tunnel" if you're searching online. Good luck, be happy, and enjoy!

I can't believe I haven't done this sooner. This hike was a great kid friendly fat burner. It is…read moreall uphill so we definitely felt the burn on the way in. The hike is about 0.5 mile each way so it's a relatively short hike to spectacular views. It is kid friendly BUT I cannot stress this enough - please please please stay near your children as it is on a ridge that does not have any guard rails so if you are not paying attention your child can lose their footing and tumble or fall down the ridge. We encountered too many kids not being supervised and I had to actually help someone else's child away from the ledge as he almost took a step and fell down. Personally my kids are experienced hikers but I am still sure to have them close especially on trails that are on ridges.

Vertical hike....don't look down! First the entrance is…read moreaccessed via Schofield Barracks so you'll need to know someone that can get in....drive all the way towards the back. Schofield is huge, so you'll go past the blue painted school on the left and training ground on the right. The road ends, you'll see a bunch of cars parked and a sign that says "Hiking trail". As with many trails, the start looks deceptively easy. If the trail is muddy, you'll slide. If it's dry like today, you'll slide and skid. So be sure to wear shoes with tread and gloves to grab branches and rocks as you climb up, and slide down. Vertical climb up....so be prepared. Gorgeous views of the ocean, mountains and beyond.

A very unique way of mixing ice cream and fruits to produce a very refreshing and lovely treat. The…read moresmell of the waffle cones is an indicator of sweet treats ahead!!! The friendly worker was able to make a tasty dessert with what looks like a deep earth digger machine from the movies. Within seconds very tasty treat to enjoy on a warm day!!! Definitely a highly recommended place for a cool treat!!! Then take a selfie at the Angel Wings mural just outside with your heavenly treat in hand!!!

Public Art in Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii…read more.. Colette Miller's Global Angel Wings Project appropriately began in 2012 in Los Angeles... The City of Angels. The purpose of her project was "...to remind humanity that We are the Angels of this Earth..." Wow... Isn't that a cool message? Besides in Los Angeles, these murals can be found all over the world - in such countries as Japan, Cuba, Australia, Kenya, Mexico, England, China, and Ukraine. There are two known Angel Wings murals in Hawaii. Both are on the Island of Oahu. One is in Honolulu, and the other is in Haleiwa. In 2015, Colette created the Angel Wings mural in Haleiwa, near the historic Bridge. Currently, the business next to the wall is an ice cream shop named "Sweet as...". All of the murals are interactive... meaning that people can pose in front of the murals and don Angel Wings temporarily. It's a fun, free activity for everyone! Go and find a pair of Wings near you using the locator: https://globalangelwingsproject.com/global-angel-wings-map Be an angel on earth!

After we finished eating dinner at the buffet, we went to stand in the lagoon line. That was a long…read moreline. I didn't realize how crazy it was going to be! It was literally a 2+ waiting line if you were all the way in the back. Luckily for Paul R. and I we came for a Yelp event, so we were able to pass the long line. GO YELP! This was my first time doing one of the Lagoon trips! I never have been to Haunted Lagoon (I KNOW RIGHT!) so I was excited to check out the Christmas Lagoon. I loved all the Christmas lights and decorations they did! You can tell they did a lot of work here. CHRISTMAS LAGOON. When you first start your journey on the canoe, they begin to tell you the story of Christmas in Hawaii. Super cute story and performances. I love all the children skits and dancing too! I don't know if this is going to sound stupid, but I was really surprised that they had real animals too! I mean for the skits and stuff they had horses and goats! WHAAA! I have no idea they had livestock at PCC!! ;P Overall: I had a great time here at PCC. I think the lagoon is a great place to take kids and families. Definitely something fun and different. It would also be fun to go with a bunch of friends, if you guys are up for the drive out there!

Come one, come all!!…read more We arrived at the Polynesian Cultural Center around 6 and decided to the buffet before the Christmas Lagoon opened. The buffet was a mix in quality. The prime rib was very good. The baked chicken was good was well. Wasn't really feeling the kabli short ribs or the fish. They were just a little dried out.. For carbs, I had the brown rice, the potatoes, and the taro rolls. The taro rolls were surprisingly really good!! I had to get another! Then it was dessert time. I was not as controlled as I should have been. This is why I don't do buffets, but I decided to go for it and wasn't let down. They had a good selection. A few different pies and some cupcakes. They were very good, so I didn't feel too bad about cheating. Now for the main event!!! We got in line, and oh boy was it long. LONG LONG LONG.. We made it to our canoe and the journey it begins. It started off with the introduction of Christmas to Hawaii, and then proceeded to do the nativity of Jesus. Ending with celebrations of Christmas and dances from around the world. It was very well put together. Good timing with everything. Everyone stayed in character very well. The children doing the dances were adorable. I enjoyed the length of the ride as well. I wasn't expecting it to be a short ride, but it was just nice. Great event. Great evening out. Good job, Polynesian Culture Center!!

Running 6.2 miles to just earn a banana at the finish line just doesn't cut it anymore. LOL. That's…read morewhy we sign up to do the Pineapple Run 10k in Wahiawa! To earn a pineapple at the finish line!! ;-) The main sponsor of this run is the Central Oahu Chief Petty Officers Association, so the event is on a much smaller scale than the other runs that bring international sponsors and participants. So, no Expo during bib pick up and not all participants are gauranteed a Finishers medal at the end. But, there's usually at least 1,000 registrants who all receive a shirt with a bib....and you guessed it....a pineapple! ;-) The Start and Finish line is at Ka'Ala Elementary, which is located in a residential area and mainly a flat course. But once you're out on Kamehameha Hwy and Kamananui Rd, there's nothing but hills. You think Diamond Head is tough. Running on the road along side the pineapple fields can be quite the challenge! The only downside about this run is that it starts at 7:00am, when the sun is already out to play. So, runners and walkers must be ready for the heat! Parking is available in the surrounding area, so if you'd rather park close instead of shuttling in....arrive early. Like 5:30am early. You snooze? You lose! Navy Federal Credit Union might have been the only vendor at the finish line. They gave away reusable bags, pens, hand fans, and koozies. Plenty of porta potties at the start line, but nothing on the course. Water stations were available at Mile 2 & 4. Plan ahead and mark your calendars for next year's event!

41st Annual Wahiawa Pineapple Run on May 14, 2016. This was my first organized race and I must say,…read moreit was great! I purchased the ticket online through active.com about 2 months before the race. It was $45, (plus $4.72 processing fee) however; the event supports the community of Wahiawa and Ka'ala Elementary School so it is for a good cause. I did not receive any reminders about the event so I made sure to "like" the Pineapple Run 10K page on Facebook. All the information was posted there including packet pick up information and other really good information. The person responding on behalf of the event page is very responsive. There were 3 days of packet pickups that were conveniently located at UFC Gym in Waikele, Runners HI in Aiea and The Running Room in Kapahulu- which is where I picked up my packet. The packet includes your T-shirt, bib with time chip on the back, and instructions for race day. There was also a coupon for Running Room which I thought was nice! I carpooled with a friend and we parked in the lot approximately 2 miles from the school. There was a "shuttle service" which were actual school buses which took us to the start line. I could see a bunch of portables set up for any last minute restroom breaks. Everyone was really friendly and supportive. I think there may have been about 1,000 runners of all ages. The weather was overcast so it was comfortable although a bit muggy. There were a couple of hills but they were not so bad. Most of the run is flat. I would consider myself an "intermediate" level runner but I trained for this race just with a focus of finishing strong and not fast! 10K is the farthest distance I had run and trained for so it was not so difficult. I really enjoyed the scene and did not feel overwhelmed. There were mile markers and the first water/aid station was at the 3rd mile marker. There was additional water/aid stations at the 4th mile marker and at the 5th mile marker. There was a scattering of people shouting their support upon approach to the finish line. After crossing the finish line we got our medals. The staff was handing out more water, bananas and of course, pineapples! We socialized for a bit and started heading to the pick up area for the shuttle bus. Over an hour after the race started and there was already a huge line of people waiting to be picked up. I thought it was strange that the bus was not already shuttling people back to the lot. After waiting for a while, it seemed the bus was not coming any time soon, so we were going to try to "uber" it back to the lot but ultimately decided to walk. That was the worst part about this event for me, because I was tired after running 6.2 miles and the idea of walking another 2 with a heavy pineapple was not a great thought for me! We made it though and all was well! I found out later from a comment on Facebook, that the bus was late because it was chartering another event. If this is true, I hope the event considers keeping the buses at the event so that early finishers can start getting back to their cars sooner, which would also alleviate the wait time for everyone else in general. Other than that, I'd still give the event 5 stars because it was a great first time run for me! If you are looking for a good first race, I would highly recommend the Pineapple Run 10K!