Friday, May 10, 2013

Enough Hawaii already

One more post and we're finished with Hawaii!

Since returning to the real world, we've mown the lawn umpteen times, I've swept countless piles of dog hair out of the house, the boys have taken about eight spelling tests between them and the Spouse had three business trips (Nashville, Northbrook, Northbrook).

But back in Honolulu, we visited Pearl Harbor.  We didn't get onto the U.S.S Missouri or look down through the water at the Arizona (sequestration!!) but we toured the excellent museum and poked around the U.S.S. Bowfin, a submarine they call the "Pearl Harbor avenger" because it sank so many enemy ships during WWII.

 
"Look, Mom, it's the dinner bell!"
 
Speaking of food, the submarine galley fascinated me.  While the Spouse studied the torpedo tubes and all the zillion gauges, levers and dials in the sub, I looked at the kitchen and imagined trying to cook in there.  They posted a copy of the menu:

 
Being underwater in a sub would be bad enough, but to smell that cooking?  And then to have to eat it?  At least there was apple pie to wash it down.

A couple days later while the Spouse worked, the boys and I walked to the Honolulu Zoo.  I failed to read my guidebook beforehand, which said the zoo is only "so-so," and warns against visiting at mid-day due to heat.  Well, we stomped around there in the middle of the day.  I felt hot and awful, and I suspect one of the zoo animals had escaped earlier and gone doo-doo near the hippo display. It might've even been the hippo.  The stench did nothing to alleviate my suffering.

I would say the Honolulu Zoo is worse than so-so.  The animal pens are full of weeds, and the animals look annoyed.  Besides, I forgot my camera.  I did get one picture with my phone.

 
"You get away from me NOW!"
 
We liked the Waikiki Aquarium better.  Besides, most of the displays were indoors, out of the sun.




This little yellow fish was only about an inch long.


"You get away from me now!" 
 
Just kidding!  With that I'll end my spring break posts. We feel grateful and blessed to have gone; the boys have several pleasant memories to enjoy.  It was a great trip.