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After striking out with Diamond Head the day before, we made sure to be up and out of the hotel at 6:30. That was the perfect time because the parking lot was mostly empty and the hiking trail to the top wasn't too crowded. But let me take a step back, in case you aren't familiar with Diamond Head. Also known as Lē'ahi State Monument, Diamond Head is an extinct volcano and is one of the most recognizable geographical features of Oahu. You can either walk into the park for $1 per person, or park your car in their tiny lot for $5 per car. Get their early, or late, to get a spot! The Diamond Head Summit Trail is 1.6 miles round trip. We did the whole thing in about an hour and fifteen minutes. The day we were there, we didn't see many other kids and we got a few comments about them being "brave." Honestly, parts of the trail are steep and there are a lot of stairs at the top, but the kids and their low centers of gravity were better able to handle the trail than I was! Plus they have all that kid energy. So go, take your kids, don't miss the views!  Yes, I know this photo is terrible, even for my skills. But I wanted to show you that most of the path is this broken, uneven surface. So wear sneakers!  Oh, what a beautiful morning.  We missed one week of Classical Conversations for this trip. The science for the week we missed was "4 types of volcanos" and we also were studying the parts of a volcano. So I took a minute to explain to the kids about the caldera and what makes a volcano "extinct." This is why we homeschool!  Waikiki Beach from the Diamond Head summit.  She couldn't resist a little bouldering. Having summited Diamond Head, we had a brunch to get to! I booked the Hale Koa brunch about a week before our trip and I was so glad I did. The brunch is only held on Sundays but is open to all military, not just those staying at the hotel. And let me tell you, the price is right. Adult are $39.95 and kids under 11 are $12.95! For Hawaii, that's a bargain. The adult price also includes a mimosa. The food was delicious. Sushi, fruit, carving stations, peel and eat shrimp, pancakes, omelet station, all the brunch staples. I was so busy eating I didn't take any pictures. Sorry!  Look at my handsome guys. For our final afternoon in Waikiki, we decided to rent beach loungers and let the kids run free. They spent their time frolicking and collecting invertebrates. It was Ryan's best day so far.  Diamond Head in the distance!  She wasn't licking the rock, I promise.  Ryan really thought we could keep them. Since we were leaving the next day to go to Aulani, I took about an hour and went up to our room to pack. I also took the opportunity to take photos of our room at the Outrigger Reef. I was really pleased with the room size at this hotel. We were never squished or felt like we were on top of each other. There was lots of storage. We could have spent a week in this room, no problem.    In one direction we could see the city of Waikiki.  In the other direction you could see Waikiki Beach and the Army Museum.  All three of those cabinets opened for storage. It was great! For our final meal in Waikiki, we headed down the beach to Duke's. This is an awesome restaurant and is famous for it's drinks and views of the sunset. Oh, and the Hula Pie is amazing, but I skipped it this time. We actually went at the worst possible time and had to wait about 45 minutes for a table. Dinner was worth it, though.  The kids fully embraced the shaka culture.  Mai Tai. Yes, please.  Just a few of our closest friends, gathered at Duke's for the sunset.  But what a sunset it was.  We stopped to let the kids climb in this tree. That was the end of our time at the Outrigger Reef and Waikiki Beach. I will admit, I was a little nervous. The kids looooved Waikiki and were not happy to leave. Would the magic of Disney's Aulani be enough to wipe away their tears?
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