Visiting Hawaii: June 2013

Just got back from paradise. It's really not an exaggeration when referring to Hawaii. It was my family "duty" to go. My daughter moved out there last year with her husband, who is an officer in the Navy.

The fun starts when you step off the plane in Honolulu. There's a gorgeous garden in the middle of the airport complete with flowers, waterfalls and tropical birds. I thought the weather would be similar to North Carolina's summer.

The difference is humidity. North Carolina seems to have more of it. It rains a lot in Hawaii, but the showers are brief and you rarely hear thunder or see lightning. There's almost always a heavenly breeze blowing. And you don't have to worry about snakes or many insects.

In my home state's defense, you don't get the desirable change of seasons in Hawaii. It's pretty much perfect summer weather year round.

We spent a week in Oahu hiking steep trails, snorkeling coral reefs, looking for sea turtles and loading up on local culinary favorites. My two favorites were macadamia nut pancakes and shaved ice drenched in mango, lime, pineapple and caramel toppings.

I hope you enjoy this music video on Hawaii. The tune is one I wrote called Aqua Night. People are drawn to the water to watch dramatic sunrises and sunsets.

And the flowers! Everyone needs to stop and smell the plumerias of Hawaii.