Nana Porcupine: "ALOHA" Hawaiian Adventure #1 Friends

This is the very first blog of many for our March 2015 Hawaiian Adventure. I have chosen to title the first blog friends since this was the high point and most valuable memories for me and my husband. We treasured this 10 days with our friends from over 40 years ago. We are so thankful that three years ago our friends invited us to join them on this Hawaiian Adventure.

I will never forget that joyous feeling as we met up with our friends at Denver Air Port.
We would all six be on the same flight to Hawaii.

You see, 40 1/2 years ago, when we found out we had orders to Malmstrom Air Force Base from Grand Forks A F B, we would move our trailer house to Red Wheel Trailer Court at Great Falls. Our home pastor from Niagara where we lived in ND, called ahead to a Great falls Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and ask the pastor there if he could send a young couple with young children who lived in that same area to invite us to church in Great falls. And so they did, YES, they both lived in the same Red Wheel Trailer park and came to visit with a plate of delicious cookies. And so our friendship started and has continued ever since. YES, we attended the same Peace LCMS for the time we were there. We moved from there 3 years latter and have only seen the Wirths a few times and have never seen the Martins in the 37 years. So you understand how very special this gathering was for us as old friends. It was as we had never been apart.
Memories! Memories! Memories!

ALOHA, and our adventure begins. We arrived at the Honolulu, Hawaii -Island of Oahu about 3 PM (Hawaii time).

The three guys heading to the luggage pickup.

We found it, every bag made it with no problems.

After calling for the Hotel van and walking a very beautiful garden pathway, we did a lot of visiting as we waited the half hour for the van.

So much fun to be together again.

Notice the special shell lei that I am wearing?
Betsy put this on me as soon as we landed in Hawaii.

Now at the Hotel, I will share some memorable pictures of us with our friends. Above, walking on the 70 acre Hale Koa Hotel grounds. Below, enjoying a drink at the Barefoot Bar just a few feet off the beautiful Waikiki beach.

Jeff and I standing on Waikiki Beach
with the famous Diamond Head Mountain in background.

This was our meeting place in the open air lobby on main floor of the Hale Koa Hotel every morning and before leaving for every event or tour. What a joy to meet up with our friends every day for 10 days.

There were craft locals who came in to the open air lobby for a craft fair every Monday and Friday.These crafts were all to be made in Hawaii and made with things from Hawaii. This was so very interesting and the vender's were so friendly, taking time to explain everything. Below, even the guy's sparked a bit of interest in these craft booths.

We did a lot of walking with our friends. Here we are leaving the Hotel to find a local restaurant in Honolulu.

Very popular place for Breakfast. More visiting as we wait our turn.

Ordering and eating. Very good food and the Coconut syrup was delicious. We soon found out that all the employees from any store or restaurant, even the hotels all wore the same Hawaiian print shirts.

Above, here we are resting after a mile long hike to a trickling waterfall. I wasn't going to go all the way to Hawaii without seeing a water fall. Lots of good quality visiting time though.

Below, we are at a bus stop as we learnt how to plan our ride. Seniors with a medicare card can ride for only $1 each way.

After our men retired to the room, normally about 9 PM, Us gal's had a ball. We got together in the Hotel floor sitting room at the end of hall and visited, did our nails with pretty stick-on decals that i brought along for show and tell.

Showing off our beautiful nails along with a popular Hawaiian flower that fell of one of the dead looking trees they grow on. This is a Pumeria flower and many times in season, these are used for Hawaiian leis. They were few and far in-between as not quite in season. They come in white, pink, cream and other light colors.

Another evening, us gal's met at the end of the hall sitting room to decorate big floppy hats that I brought from stateside as a gift for my friends. We spent some time at a flea market finding just the right silk flowers to decorate our hats. It was a fun time, We reminisced, laughed and cried, like most friends.

I just had to share this very cute picture of our friends
who we hadn't seen for 37 years. Mitch and Val.

This was St Patrick's Day "also our youngest daughters 40th birthday" as we got ready to head out for the Parade. Notice the cute shamrock necklaces. We are sitting in front of the open air lobby Easter display. I felt like I was at a Walmart. I preferred the previous lobby decorations of real live Orchids and plants.

I just had to snap this picture of my friends, they looked so cute in Down town Honolulu.

OK, time to share a few pictures of the guy's. Here is Mitch relaxing with a Hawaiian Beer (no, not green) after the warm walk home from the Parade. The temp never got warmer then 85 degrees and mostly was mid 70's.

Above is my husband of almost 43 years. He enjoyed just siting, relaxing and visiting.

To the right is our friend Arnie, He had already taken off his shiny green St Patrick's necklace. Enjoying some live music , tropical drink samples, shade and the view of the beach.

Betsy and Arnie

Now I will be sharing some of my favorite pictures of our friends and ourselves as we were all dressed up for the Hawaiian Luau. I will be sharing much more about each days events in the upcoming blog's. I will also include a blog about flowers and about birds. The good part is if you get tired of looking and reading, you can just exit out of my blog. I will never know. LOL

Valerie and Mitch

Diane and Jeff

Betsy and Arnie

I just had to include these two pictures, top of Besty and below me. Notice my real live flower Lei, it smelt very strong but I wasn't going all the way to Hawaii and not have a real flower LEI!

Mitch's favorite place, The Barefoot bar!

Sorry for all the pictures to come, it was very hard to chose which to include. A sweet couple who were walking on the beach, who we did not know, offered to take a few pictures of us. 30 some very good pictures latter, I have choices to make but I am so thankful for them all.