Memory: First Hawaii Trip

 Almost 50 years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Hawaii with my parents. I was just 14 years old, but was well traveled by automobile. My Dad and Mom both loved camping, and it was truly a family affair. My Mom always told me that my first time sleeping in a tent was before my first birthday. There were a  few trips to Canada, multiple trips to Maine and  a lot of camping along the highways between Vermont and Florida.

This particular trip would be different because it would be my first time on an airplane. I am not positive, but it may have also been the first plane trip for my Mom. But not just any airplane but the new 747 Jet. Truly it was a memorable trip.

But why am I writing about it now? There are a few reasons, but number one is that I have been scanning in the photos from my parents album they created of the trip. Number two is that this trip was to visit my sister Patsy and her new husband Brent, and the newest addition to the family, my niece Lori (who will be turning 50 in July 2021). The third reason is that my dad made notes on the trip, which I have been typing into the computer and would love to share a few. I have indented and used a larger font for all my Dad's notes.

Sun Feb 20, 1972

3:40 PM left Middlebury for Easthampton. Cold and windy, Stella, BJ, and I aboard Plymouth.  Arrived Easthampton at Ken's house approx. 7:00 PM.  Cold there - turkey and dressing for supper.

 Mon Feb 21

Got up shortly after 5 AM - coffee - on the road at 6:15 AM.  Nine degrees below zero at Ken's... Arrived Logan Field, Boston about 8:10 AM...Arrived Kennedy 10:33 AM...ETA Honolulu 6:15 PM. their time...Dinner steak - lunch hot pastrami on rye - stereo - movie - plenty of booze...touch down Honolulu 6:15 PM - 5000 miles and 11 hr 19 min from Kennedy nonstop - 5200 miles from Boston...were met by Brent, Patsy and Lori.  Picked up baggage and shortly thereafter were on our way to Haleiwa (hah-lay-ee-vah) 26 miles.  To bed at 10 PM, cloudy and warm.  A 22 hour day from Easthampton.

I assume the stewardess took this photo in our seats, our spot for over 11 hours in the air... 

The real reason for our trip was for my parents to meet their first grandchild. I can honestly say that they took more than just a few pictures. Here is one of my favorites...

Tues Feb 22, 1972

Cloudy, rainy, and warm.  Rode around North shore of island with Brent, Patsy, and Lori to Honolulu shopping center - shopped and ate lunch at Jap delicatessen restaurant.  BJ ate at McDonalds - Brent and Patsy picked us up and headed back for Haleiwa - had accident right at entrance to Pearl Harbor station at 2:30 PM.  Brent ran into rear of car stopped for traffic light - pavement slippery - no one hurt. After 2 hour delay were towed home by Jim - Brent's landlord.  Cracked radiator and damaged grill. To bed at 9 PM.

The way to read that is that the only vehicle we had to get around the island was no longer available. My sister had a couple bikes and we all took turns riding into Haleiwa which was about 2.5 miles from where we were staying. I remember the place was one home of many used by ranch hands at a large dairy farm. My sister's family was renting one of these small homes. My Dad liked to take photos that tell a story, here is BJ at 14 in front of the Haleiwa Post Office with the bike he rode to get there...

Without a car, there was plenty of hiking to do. Here is Dad with Lori on his back. Sorry that the photos have faded through the years, but I think the tree behind them is full of purple flowers. I tried brightening the photos using software but the damage has been done. My only hope is that a box somewhere in my home contains the negatives...(Another Project in retirement)

Wed Feb 23

Showered during night - partly cloudy in morning.  Rode Patsy's bicycle down to Haleiwa Post Office - 2 1/2 miles for mail and also shopping.  Sunshine mixed with showers most of morning. Went hiking in PM - Patsy, Lori, Stella, BJ and I.  Sun really broke out strong - nice and warm.  Hiked to cane field - broke out piece of cane.  Wrote out over 50 cards.  Seems nice just taking it easy.  BJ really takes to Lori - vice versa, but we all love her.  Played cards in evening - to bed about 10 PM.

The above photo is me with my sister Pat, retrieving some sugar cane. People always hear that Hawaii has no snakes and that is true, but they do have other poisonous creatures crawling around. A typical ride through the sugar cane on the way to Haleiwa we would see scorpions along the side of the rode. Here is me on the bike on the dirt road. I was pretty cool with my striped bell-bottom pants...

Here is Dad on his bike. The small shacks behind him was part of the group my sister and her family were living in. It would also be my home for two weeks.

Fri Feb 25

 In PM, Patsy, Lori, Stella, BJ, and I walked over to the beach.  Stopped at Delbert Potter's house - were invited to a luau for Saturday. Walked along beach. BJ and Patsy went in for a dip - sun was real hot.  Back to house and napped.  John called from Vermont - 32 degrees below zero last night and still cold.

BJ and I rode down main road again to village to shop.  Had fried shrimp for supper - very good.  Played cards in evening.  Saw a big stinging centipede cross the floor.  Shook everyone up but couldn't find it.  To bed at 10:30.

We visited the beach a few times during the trip so I am not sure which day is what for the pictures. I will include a few of the beach photos here. Little Lori getting a big smooch from Grandma Stella.

Grandpa Harold with a sleeping Lori while I and the Potter boys swim at Haleiwa.

Uncle BJ with his niece Lori and her mom, my sister, Patsy. You can see my mom over Pat's head.

BJ, Stella, Pat...

Pat, Lori, Harold...

Sat Feb 26, 1972

Bright and sunny this morn.  Woke up during the night to a pounding noise - BJ said a centipede was on his arm, and Patsy saw it during night.  Patsy killed it - three or four inches long.

Went over to luau at Del Potter's house - walked over about 10:30 AM.  Bright and sunny day all day long.  Luau held for 164th Army Band - 80 to 100 people - pig and turkey cooked in hole (imu) - barbecued chicken (huli-huli) and tuna - stewed pig guts and blood - raw fish (sashimi) - salads, and plenty of beer.  Army jazz band played then Hawaiians played and sang with ukuleles - good time. Home about 5 PM and snoozed. Repaired bicycle tire and played cards till 10 PM. met a lot of people - Hawaiians and haoles - to bed about 10 PM.

Here we are walking to a real luau at someone's private home. 

Some of the fish being grilled...

Some of the chickens on a small rotisserie...house was right on the ocean...

Under that sand a whole pig is roasting. I know they used lots of banana leaves around the food but not sure what they used to keep the sand out of the food. I think some kind of tarp...

Well, you can see me in the middle back watching them starting to remove the food. There definitely is a tarp there...

They removed all the pig meat by hand and left the bones behind. A photo as they finish up the process.

I have always been adventurous when it comes to food. I tried everything they had including the pigs guts cooked in the blood. I tried it and liked it. I got mom to try some but before she had swallowed I, being 14, told her what it was and she spit it out. A unique memory...

Sun Feb 27 

Rode down to store on bicycle - stopped at Mira's, Matsumoto's and Hardware store - after Steve took Patsy, Lori, BJ, Stella and me down to cockfights. Looked like Rutland Fair - food booths - fancy clothing - couldn't get near cockfight ring as people were six or seven deep standing around cockfight ring - many of them clutching bills, 5's, 10's and 20's ready to make bets. Suddenly all started to chatter, "Black, black, black," and the fight began - couldn't see a thing - suddenly the crowd parted, and there was a red cock lying in ring dead, so black must have won.  We left shortly after - Patsy asked how did it feel to be in a crowd and be a minority.  It was a funny, scary feeling as if you didn't dare offend anyone.  After we got back, BJ, Lori, Stella and I walked down to Pony Farm where Wayne was working - stayed a few minutes and then walked back. BJ went for a pony ride with Wayne. 

Dad use to tell the story that at the cockfights, he was the tallest person there because everyone else was shorter than 5 foot 6. I just had my first puberty sport and grew 8 inches in the previous summer. You know who the real tallest person was at the fair...

Here is the pony ride mentioned before, I am the chopped off rider on the left. I assume the other fella is Wayne...

Mon Feb 28 '72

BJ and I rode down to Post Office and store first thing in the morning.  Had card from bank - BJ had letter from David.

About 11 AM Patsy, Lori, Stella, BJ and I rode bus down to Honolulu - about 1 1/2 hour ride - 50 cents person each way. 81 degrees in Honolulu. Patsy stopped in employment office - had to check back at 2PM, so we stopped at Charlene's café to eat - ate sweet and sour pork chops, and fried cabbage with rice - $1.15 per plate.  Headed back to Haleiwa after Patsy had her appointment.  Lori showed off for everyone both ways.  We got back about 5 PM - hot and tired. Rode down to store about 6 PM and got back about 7 PM.  BJ went with Steve and Brent to watch them surf.  Full moon tonight - one week here and one week to go. Played hearts till about 10 PM.

In Honolulu, a picture of Grandpa Harold with Lori in front of the King Kamehameha statue...

Steve on the beach.  They took me to both Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline. They had a board for me but I had never been in waves so big. It was the end of February when the waves can be over 20 feet at Sunset. I did do some body surfing at a sandy part of the beach near Banzai. They surfed both places as I watched from shore.

Mon Mar 6, '72

Last day in Hawaii.  Broke off clear and nice. BJ and I rode to P.O. and store on bicycles - back to house to pack.  Jim and Jerry came over to house with car we could borrow - made our last good-byes to Steve and Pam...Drove down to Kemo'o Farms where Brent had done table tops - had drinks - Mai Tai - then on to Honolulu to deliver surf board at Surf Line - shortly after at Ala Moana shopping center car ran out of gas - Brent walked back for gas.  Then rode through Waikiki on to Koko Point...stopped at lookout - then back toward airport.  

Checked in our baggage, and got seats 14 C, D E, same seats we flew out on.  Then to steak house where BJ and I had steak and Stella had shrimp.  Out of there about 4:30 PM as we had to be at gate at 5:00 PM.  Back to airport and went to area 15 - took pictures of Brent, Patsy, Lori and ourselves.  

I hope you enjoyed the description of the adventure we had. I know, it was very memorable for me and it appeared that way for all involved. I would only make it back to Hawaii one more tome before Pat & Lori moved to Florida.