Dole Plantation

This weekend we went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, cause we're pretty touristy. 

crossed paths with my spirit animal

First we went on a train tour, the Pineapple Express.

Before we got on, they took a picture of us with our new pineapple baby... because why not, I guess...

 It went through parts of the plantation and talked about the history and whatnot, I'm sure it was super educational...  but mostly I just took pictures of the plants and old farming machines

 All the machines had name signs, and for the most part I guess that was called for because they had weird random names. Except this one, the "Wheeled Tractor".

 Obviously I was born to hula

The Dole Plantation boasts 2008 Guinness Book of World Records "World's Largest Maze". So of course we had to do that.

"Created in 1997. Expanded in 2007. Area: 3.15 acres. 2.46 miles of pathway. Made of 14,000 local Hawaiian plants"

There are 8 stations inside the maze that the map helps you find. When you get there you trace the stencil from the station onto your ticket. Once you get them all, you head back out. Apparently if you do it super fast you also get your picture taken and hung up and get to sign your name on maze entrance sign.

We finished in a little less than an hour, but that wasn't fast enough to be cool... Last time Allan was there (like 8th grade I think he said) they didn't have maps to help you find your way, so it took them like 3 hours to finish!

We took turns leading the way between stations and I only got us turned around like twice and not even for very long. So I'm pretty good at this maze business I think.

After the maze we were pretty hot, so we took an ice cream break. They have a Pineapple Split that uses a pineapple cut lengthwise as a bowl with three towers of ice cream, chunks of pineapple, and strawberry, chocolate and caramel sauces drizzled on top. it was like $25.00 so we didn't get that.

 That is a "Dole Whip", aka pineapple ice cream that tastes approximately 700% stronger of pineapple than the fresh pineapple chunks around it. It was pretty intense. Allan couldn't finish his cone cause it was so pineapple-y. (I, however, am a champion and devoured mine.) 

 Allan refused to pose in this giant pineapple, despite my warning him if he didn't I was going to photoshop him into it. You can see what he chose... Or maybe not, on account of my skills being quite exceptional.

Then we went on a self guided tour through their gardens. They had audio wands, but I didn't care about listening to those

 This is a... uhm... min-DON-ohh... tree... "meen-da-NOW" that's a Filipino word 

Mindanoa gum tree. Probably my new favorite tree because it doesn't even look real. It looks painted and its bark peels like plastic wrap. So weird. I Love it.

 I think these are ti plants

wussup little frog

papaya

kukui tree

bananas

bananas with... I don't know what that purple thing is

On the way home I was finally able to get a good picture of one of my most favorite views.

These are my favorite mountains ever, but only from this side. From the other side they are much more "rolling, hills" rounded type mountains, not so intimidating at all. But from this side they are so sharp and mysterious. Every time I see them I can't help but think King Kong is on the other side doing giant gorilla things.

Also this weekend I finally got my library card! so I guess you could say it was a pretty good one :)