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Back on the Mainland
Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY IN: ORANGE COUNTY, CA
Well hellooooo there!
I cannot believe that I am already back home!! We had a marvelous time with our adventures in Hawaii, but boy does time fly when you are having fun. How on Earth am I already back in SoCal?! As we were walking back from getting our breakfast on Saturday (DELICIOUS Ube Smoothies from Sunrise Shack), I was just telling Cosette - that I could do this everyday - be on vacation that is. She actually disagreed. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since she was the almost 6 year old who was already burnt out of traveling non-stop. And as a teen she had wanted to set the record straight and let everyone know that it takes hard work to be my child. "It's not all sunshine and rainbows. You have to be able to keep up! It's hard and exhausting and wear on your body even at the age of 15!" If I didn't give birth to her at home and if she wasn't such a mini-me about so many other things, I would really have to question - Who are you?! LOL Joking joking. To each his or her own. But I guess I haven't lost my (unintentional) way of tiring out my fellow travel mates... And this was a total laid back relaxed trip! Here's what I'll do, I will give you a quick recap today of what the trip was about and then I'll do a more detailed recap later on. TUESDAY - LAX - HNL DOWN TO EARTH, NIU and PLANTED We pick up Lynn and SURPRISE Kali from HNL Enjoy resort Walk around Waikiki HAWAIIAN CANE JUICE Dinner: MUSUBI CAFE 
Quick stop at the Ala Moana Center (c)travelincousins.com
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: SUNRISE SHACK Hike - MANOA FALLS TRAIL & LANAKAI PILLBOX Lunch: DOWN TO EARTH Show: ROCK N' HULA Dinner: MONKEY POD 
Hiking (c)travelincousins.com
THURSDAY
Breakfast: RAISED BY WAVES Zip lining: CLIMBWORKS Banzai Pipeline - Pictures Snorkling: Sharks Cove Lunch: NO. 7 JAPANESE FOOD TRUCK MATSUMOTO SHAVED ICE Shopping in Haleiwa Town Best place to find Sea Turtles: Laniakea Beach Dinner: FLORARIA PIZZA 
Sea Turtle (c)travelincousins.com
FRIDAY
Breakfast: ISLAND VINTAGE COFFEE Shopping and Beach Day in Waikiki Firework Show at Hilton Hawaiian Village Dinner: MARUGAME UDON 
Aloha (c)travelincousins.com
SATURDAY
Breakfast: SUNRISE SHACK Snorkling in Waikiki Lunch: HULA DOGS Aloha Festival Dinner: ISLAND VINTAGE WINE BAR 
What a view! (c)travelincousins.com
SUNDAY
Breakfast Shopping Pick up snacks for the flight Head to airport to go home 
Runway meets the ocean (c)travelincousins.com
I really just can't get enough of Hawaii! Anyhow, I guess I need to get back to my busy schedule. Next trip is in 17 days! Ciao 4 Now, -Travelin' Tanya |
Celebrating the Aloha Festivals in Hawaii
Elisa's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY IN: LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
Hey Guys!!
Happy Monday!! If you've been following Tanya and I for a while ,you know that Mondays are my favorite day of the week. It just feels like a whole new beginning with so much to look forward to in the week to come. This is one of the reasons I chose to have my podcast, The High VIBE. Show on Mondays. My weekend was pretty mellow. I caught up on a number of household chores and spent time with my fur babies! 
Punkin is my forever companion and follows me around the house all day! (c)travelincousins.com
Wylan and Kaz are brothers an Wylan, while he is a cat - is very much like a dog! Obsessed with food! (c)travelincousins.com
Kaz is my "work" buddy. He sits right next to me while I do work on my laptop! (c)travelincousins.com
AND HERE WE GO TO...HAWAII!!! Today, I wanted to piggy back on Tanya's trip to Hawaii this past week. Each year in the month of September, comes the annual Aloha Festivals in the great state of Hawaii. This year marked the 70th Aloha Festival. 
The Aloha Festivals are a non-profit organization that features over 100 events, including parades, street parties, and cultural displays across on the six major Hawaiian islands every September.
The festival was originally called "Aloha Week" when it began in 1946 as a way to celebrate Hawaiian culture, music, and dance. This is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation with approximately 30,000 people that volunteer to plan, organize, and provide labor for the Aloha Festivals each year. Their efforts entertain over 1,000,000 people from throughout the state and visitors from all over the world. Aloha Festivals is comprised of three main signature events that occur from throughout September on the island of O‘ahu. 
(c)travelincousins.com
Royal Court Investiture & Opening Ceremony
According to the official site, The Festivals "begin in a stately ceremony that honors Hawaiʻi’s aliʻi (ruling chiefs) as this year’s Aloha Festivals Royal Court will don regalia worn only by aliʻi of the highest rank. As representatives of Hawaiʻi’s past, the Aloha Festivals Royal Court ensures the festival is rooted in the most cherished traditions of Hawaiʻi. " The court is selected from a pool of applicants, all of whom must be of Hawaiian ancestry and of certain ages. The festival itself begins with the presentation of the royal court during the opening ceremony. The ceremony takes place at Helumoa, a section of Waikiki near the Royal Hawaiian Center. Hoʻolauleʻa The Hoʻolauleʻa is essentially a huge block party held in Waikiki. Kalākaua Avenue is transformed with booths showcasing Hawai‘i cuisine, crafts and culture stretching as far as the eye can see. There is entertainment galore featuring multiple stages with entertainment by top local artists, award-winning hālau hula, and more. Attendance to this event is typically in the thousands. 2024 marks the 70th Annual Waikīkī Ho‘olaule‘a. Floral Parade The Floral Parade marks the end of the Aloha Festivals with intricate floats decorated with a rainbow of fresh flowers and men and women on horseback showcasing the traditional art of pāʻū riding, marching bands, hula halaus, and that year's Aloha Festival Royal Court. Tanya has truly become a Hawaii aficionado as she has visited the Aloha state more than ten times! This trip she managed to catch the royal procession at the Ho’olaule’a! What fun! Well, I'm going to bid you "aloha". Until next time, -Travelin' Elisa 
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