A Hawaiian Christmas 

By: Claire Emch

Christmas of 2022, as a big present to all of my family, we got a trip to Hawaii. We went to Hawaii in June of 2023. First, we went to Oahu for three days then flew to the big island for another three days before flying home. The flight to Oahu is five hours, then from Oahu another hour to the big island. 

We stayed in the Prince Waikiki hotel right in front of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. Ala Wai Yacht Harbor was featured in the 1980 sci-fi movie The Final Countdown. The first thing we did when we landed was drive to the beach and swim. I found all kinds of cute shells and little pieces of coral. During our time in Honolulu, we went shopping, went swimming at the beaches, walked around Honolulu, and even went to Pearl Harbor! We rode out on a boat and visited the USS Arizona Memorial. We also explored the USS Missouri and the USS Bowfin battleships. After staying in Oahu for 3 days we went to the big island where we stayed in an Airbnb. Our Airbnb had multiple acres of land that had lots of flowers, beautiful plants, and even a lychee grove. While on the big island, we went snorkeling, and swimming, and visited a black sand beach that had hot springs. I think snorkeling was and still is one of the best things I’ve experienced in my life. I saw lots of sea life and fish that I’d never seen before. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see a turtle or a dolphin but I got to see an octopus. I also got to try some new exotic fruits and ones I’ve already tried but are still the best I’ve tried. My only regrets from that trip were not trying Hawaiian shave ice and not getting one of those clear waterproof case things I could have used to take pictures of the sea life while snorkeling. One thing is for sure, Hawaii was a dream.