weekendadventurer

[weekendadventurer]

[Big Island Trip Recap] Day 9 - 10/14/21 | Headed back home :(

We checked out of our hotel around 8AM and had a little bit of time before we had to drive back across the island to Kona for our flight home. We stopped by Coconut Island, which was right next to our hotel. I read that this place is good for swimming/snorkeling, but the waters were still pretty murky from the storms the past week. But it was easily accessible via bridge, so we just took a quick walk around the small island.

After that quick detour, we started our drive to Kona. It was a much clearer day today and pretty much sunny the whole way across. We grabbed our last meal in Hawaii from Da Poke Shack and got there right before they opened at 10AM. There was already a small line that formed outside the door. I got a bowl with Pele’s Kiss (tuna with spicy Hawaiian chili pepper aioli), Spicy garlic sesame (tuna with spicy Hawaiian chili pepper, garlic and sesame seeds) with a side of potato mac salad. We took our poke to a spot where we could sit by the water and enjoy our food.

After lunch, it was almost time to return our rental car, so we filled up on gas (around $4.50/gal) . We took the free shuttle from the rental car place to the airport and went through security with no delays or issues. Since we only had carry-ons, once we got to our gate, they had us put our luggage through a scanner to check for any restricted food products. I thought it was pretty cool how the airport is partially outdoors!

Our flight was on-time and we landed back in LAX around 9:30PM. After a week and half in Hawaii, we had to welcome ourselves back to California with good old In-N-Out.

If you made it to the end of this essay long trip report - congratulations! Haha I hope you found some useful information and thank you for coming along with me on our adventures. Feel free to drop any questions down below!

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Big Island Recap] Day 8 - 10/13/21 | Back to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park!

After a slightly disappointing view of the volcano at night the other day, we decided to make another day trip to the Volcano park. But not before we fueled up with some breakfast from Hawaiian Style Cafe! We arrived around 7:30AM to find the place still closed. The hours online did not match what they had posted on the door; so there were also several cars parked outside waiting for the restaurant to open. They eventually opened at 8AM and we were one of the first ones in line, so we got seated quickly. We ordered Kalua hash and eggs and the Puna’ulu Sweet bread french toast.

I enjoyed the Kalua has and eggs but though the french toast could've been sweeter! I actually liked the pancakes, that came on the side of the Kalua hash, a lot more. For a “side” of pancakes, they were huge!

The first hike we did was actually just outside the entrance of Volcano park. We hiked Kipukapuaulu trail (easy 1.5 mile round trip loop) and did a self-guided tour using the trail guide that you can buy for $2 at the trailhead. Parking was a little confusing since there were no signs, but you can park in the loop, right by the trailhead entrance. There are no bathrooms nearby, aside from an outhouse - so I would suggest stopping by the Visitor center first if you need the restroom.

The main activity for the day was the Chain of Craters Road drive, which would take us all the way to the coast. We stopped by each point of interest guided by the NPS app. We saw multiple craters, evidence of lava flow, and expansive cooled lava fields. We stopped at Pu'uloa and hiked the 1.4 mile round trip to see some petroglyphs! It was amazing to see evidence of past inhabitants right before our eyes. Last on our stop was the Holei Sea Arch! Overall, it was fun to cruise across the park and all the way to the ocean.

It took about 45 minutes to drive back to the visitor center. Here is where we heard a park ranger talking about where to view the volcano eruption. He mentioned that the only place to view visible lava would be at Keanakako’i Overlook. He also advised that from 4:00PM-7:00PM it can get pretty crowded. It was around 4:00PM when we heard this, so we left immediately for the overlook. To get to the outlook, you have to park at the Devastation Trail parking lot and walk about 1 mile. The parking lot was full when we arrived but after a little bit of waiting, we were able to grab a spot. When we got to the outlook, it was a bit foggy from the rain and steam but as it cleared up, we were able to see the lava!!! After a few minutes, it got even more vibrant and we witnessed some fountains. The volcanic activity we could see was pretty far in the distance, but I’ll take what I can get! I was very happy and satisfied that we actually got to see lava coming out of a volcano in real life!

We finished our day with dinner at Testumen Ramen. I ordered miso chashu ramen and did not expect each slice of chashu to be so THICK. It came with 5 pieces and I struggled to eat even 3. It was very fatty and delicious.

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Big Island Trip Recap] Day 7 - 10/12/21 | Chasing waterfalls! Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Boiling Pots

We had breakfast at Ken’s Pancakes and ordered macadamia nut pancakes and corned beef loco moco. I really enjoyed the loco moco but the pancakes themselves were alright. The pancakes did come with 4 different syrups (Lilikoi, Boysenberry, Haupia, and Maple), which made it a bit more special.

On this day, we planned to see all the waterfalls! First on our list was Akaka Falls. The parking lot here is also really small; it was filled up by the time we left. There are a few spots you can also park along the street though. This was a short loop trail as well where you can actually see another waterfall (Kahuna Falls) although it was much smaller and farther away. It started to rain pretty hard, so we busted out our ponchos for the first time! But it was so hot and humid that wearing the poncho made me sweat so much, I don’t know if it really made a difference haha

Next, we went to Hawai‘i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. It’s $25/person, a bit pricey but the gardens take you all the way to the ocean which I thought was really neat. It also started to pour while we were there, but we had our ponchos!

For lunch, we went back to Hilo and grabbed some poke from Suisan Market! We got kimchi tako poke and shoyu hamachi poke. Fresh and delicious. Make sure you check their hours because they close pretty early.

After eating our poke, we stopped by the Two Ladies Kitchen to get some mochi! The line wasn’t too bad when we got there and it took about 20 minutes after we ordered to get our mochi. We got an variety of different ones to try. They even threw in an extra strawberry one!

We stopped for another snack at Kula Shave Ice. We got sour sop and lilikoi flavors topped with condensed milk and and poi! It was my first time trying poi and the texture is a bit new to me but I enjoyed the flavor!

We continued our waterfall chasing adventure with Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots which are just down the street from each other. Easy sight-seeing activity where you just park and walk right up to the viewpoints, no hikes needed.

We finished our outdoor activities with a visit to Kaumana Caves. There’s a small lot across the street you can park at. The stairs that take you down to the cave openings are really steep. There are two cave openings; we went to the one right of the stairs first (picture below). It had rained a lot the night before, so the cave was filled with a shallow river of water. This was unlike the Thurston lava tubes, where most of the ground was flat; here the Kaumana caves floor was more rocky. The cave tapered to a small opening where the ceiling was about 3 ft high. We ended up going through the opening (the ceiling opened up after) to a point where the water was too high for us to comfortably cross. You definitely need flashlights or a headlamp for this activity. There are no lights and it is pitch dark.

After our mini spelunking adventure, we went back to our hotel to wash up for dinner. We made reservations at Izakaya Miyo for an omakase dinner to celebrate my birthday on the Big Island :) There are few fine dining options in Hilo, but we decided on this one because we had never had an omakase type dinner before. Chef Louis was awesome and everything was delicious; highly recommended if you’re looking for something a little fancier in Hilo.

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Big Island Trip Recap] Day 6 - 10/11/21 - My Birthday! + Full Day at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

We began our day with some breakfast from 7/11! The food selection at Hawaii 7/11s is next level compared to the ones we have on the mainland. We grabbed some sushi hand rolls and musubi for a quick breakfast before heading to the park.

We arrived at Volcano park just before 9AM but there was no one at entrance ticket booth. We stopped by the visitor center and found that you can pay for your ticket by putting cash or your credit card information in a provided envelope. Neither of us had cash, so we put down our card info; Highly recommend bringing cash and a pen (to fill out the envelope). It’s $30/car, good for 7 days.

First on our list was to hit up the Thurston Lava Tubes! We read that parking can be tough but when we got there, there was barely anyone there. You are limited to only 30 minutes in the lava tube parking lot, so if you find it’s full, try to come back again later. The trail was so short that we ended up going around the loop twice. The lava tubes are lit up from 8AM to 8PM, so a flashlight is not really necessary.

We followed Crater Rim drive to Pu’upua’i overlook and got an awesome view down into the Kilauea Iki Crater.

The parking lot here connects to the Devastation Trail, so we decided to do the short 1 mile round trip walk.

Next, we parked at the Kilauea Iki overlook and started our hike down to the bottom of the crater. This was a 4.0 mile round trip down and across the crater floor. Compared to the other hikes we did on the trip so far, this one was not difficult, but it was long and the weather constantly changed; one moment it was sunny, then windy, then raining, and a combination of all three haha. Be sure to pack accordingly!

Walking across the crater floor!

By the time we finished the Kilauea Iki crater hike, it was lunch time! We decided to stay in the park and headed to Volcano House and ate at Uncle George’s. The sit-in dining area is very small, but we only waited for about 15 minutes before we got seated. We got a table right by the windows and had a great view of the steaming volcano!

After lunch, we worked our way across the northern part of the park and stopped by Steaming Vents and Bluff, and the Sulphur Banks. We parked at the steaming vents and walked over to the sulphur banks. Since it was raining on and off all day, there was a ton of steam coming out of the ground!

We went back to the visitor center to check out the bookstore/gift shop and bought some souvenirs. By this time, it was around 4:30PM and I was worried the parking lot to view the volcano at night would be filled up soon since it gets dark earlier. I had read online that the closest view of the volcano would be at Uekahuna (the old Jaggar museum) so we decided to head there early and grab a parking spot and wait it out.

As soon as we got there, we saw the most vibrant rainbow we had ever seen! There was also a faint second rainbow next to it. DOUBLE RAINBOW! I was almost more hyped for this rainbow than the actual volcano haha

We expected crowds of people, but there was so much room for people to view the volcano and parking turned out to not be an issue. (But keep in mind this was on a Monday) We later learned that currently, from Uekahuna, you CANNOT see the lava. We only managed to view a faint red glow (photo below show it much brighter than we saw in person), but it was still pretty awesome. Afterwards, we tried to go to a different viewpoint (at Keanakako’i Overlook) but they closed the roads :/ probably due to that spot being more crowded. We decided that if we had time on our last day, we would come back.

We drove back to Hilo and it was pouring rain and dark out. It was so hard to see the lines on the road. Please drive steadily and carefully! We grabbed dinner at Hilo Town Tavern. On the day we went, they had an open mic night, so it was pretty crowded. Luckily, we got seated in about 10 minutes. I had wings with Tavern sauce (I think it was like a Hawaiian chili mayo) and my boyfriend got Kalua pork sliders.

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Big Island Trip Recap] Day 5 - 10/10/21 - Headed to Kona from Oahu!

Our flight was at 10:30AM but we had to return our rental car, so we got to the airport around 8:30AM. There is no inter-island vaccination check requirement. We breeze right through security and grabbed some breakfast as we waited for our flight with Hawaiian Airlines to the Big Island.

Saw an awesome view of Hanauma Bay from the plane!

We landed in Kona around 11:30AM and took the free shuttle bus to our car rental place (Alamo). They also let us pick our car again (Is this a common thing in other places too? haha)

For Lunch, we went to Umeke's! As we were waiting to be seated, we felt the earthquake that shook the island! I honestly thought it was just a large truck that drove by lol

I got their poke bowl with the Sweetie sauce and lomi lomi salad. My boyfriend had tempura fish tacos. Both were really good. At this point, if I don't mention anything bad about the food, you can assume we enjoyed it! haha

We asked our waitress for shaved ice recommendations and she directed us to Scandinavian Shaved Ice. It's located right by the water near the pier, so it was a perfect spot to walk around too. There is also free parking right behind the shaved ice place.

We got the "Pink Lady" flavor combination which was Guava, Pink Lemonade, and Pineapple This ice was closer to your "traditional(?)" Hawaiian shaved ice and not as fluffy as Shimazu, which we preferred, but still good!

After walking around for a bit we left to go to Costco to check out their selection of Hawaii exclusive snacks. There were a ton to choose from, but because we only had carry on luggage, we only got one item. This squid snack is apparently also available in SoCal but not in spicy form!

After our quick Costco trip, we headed across the island to Hilo to our hotel. It was about 1hr and 30min drive through rain and later darkness. I was really worried about this drive after reading some reviews about how scary it can be. But my boyfriend is a trooper and I slept almost the whole way across haha. The roads are nicely paved and are pretty straightforward - no super windy roads or anything like that. But it did help that we started when there was still light out.

We arrived to our hotel around 6PM and immediately I got 2 bug bites. Definitely have bug spray for the Big Island. I had no issues in Oahu for the activities we did.

We stayed at the Grand Naniloa and got a room with ocean view on the top floor. It's a decent hotel, and I can't compare to other Hilo hotels, but there were so many bugs. They were coming through the hallway windows and under our hotel room floor...It didn't really bother us that much but definitely something to note. The giant bathtub in the middle of the room kinda made up for the bugs haha

Not many places were open late for dinner in Hilo. Luckily, we found a well reviewed placed called Pineapples that was still open. It took about 30 minutes to be seated but it was worth it. I ordered the Pineapple burger, and my boyfriend had their Fish (with furikake) and Chips. We subbed for sweet potato fries, since it comes with steak fries which we do not like. We also ordered two drinks: Pele Hot & Spicy Margarita (with Li hing mui rim) and Pineapple cider. I tend to order things that sound unique and interesting and the margarita was made with a jalapeno infused vodka. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad - it was interesting...Would I get it again? Probably not.

The pineapple burger and sweet potato fries were delicious. Server was great; and there was even some live entertainment. Highly recommend Pineapples!

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Oahu Trip Recap] Day 4 - 10/9/21 | Last day in Oahu! - Diamond Head & Kualoa Ranch

We started our day with the Diamond Head hike! We arrived around 7:30AM and the parking lot was already full. However, they have a car waiting line and direct you to parking spots as people leave. At 7:30AM, there were already a lot of people leaving, so we were able to get a spot pretty quickly.

This hike is not as intense as Pillbox but it does have some inclines and a few stairs to climb. You also have to go through a short dark tunnel (with your mask on). When you're almost to the top, I recommend taking the tall yellow stairs to the right for a more interesting experience :D Here are some views from the top!

Next to the parking lot, they sell dole whip and other pineapple treats. So be sure to treat yourself after that long hike! We got the Dole whip soft serve and sprinkled li hing mui on top. YUM.

Across the street from Diamond Head is the KCC Farmer's market (which only happens on Saturdays). The free parking lot was pretty full but because food consumption is not allowed on premises, there were a lot of people coming and going and we were able to find parking quickly. We ended up getting some baked abalone and fresh squeezed sugar cane juice! Both were a bit pricey but delicious.

Since we only stopped by the farmer's market for a post-hike snack, we headed for Ono's Seafood (below left) to pick up some poke for lunch! I got their Hawaiian style Ahi Tuna. We also stopped by Fresh Catch because we saw it featured on Diner's, Drive Ins, and Dives on TV in the hotel room just the night before haha. Here we got their Smoked Tako (below right) - and omg. It was probably my favorite poke we had all trip.

On the same street was also Lenoard's. It took almost an hour but it was worth the wait. We tried their Guava, Macadamia and Li Hing Mui malasadas.

Our next stop was Nu'uanu Pali lookout. It was extremely windy (see below) and a bit rainy so we didn't stick around for too long. The views were nice but it was also really cloudy. Parking was also $7. I would suggest just doing the scenic drive instead if the weather isn't great.

We moved on up the east coast to Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden which has free admission! We didn't have too much time to spend here so we only walked to the pond. Here we saw a large group of gold fish, where some guy was feeding them. We then took a short drive up to a lookout point and snapped a few photos before heading out to Kualoa Ranch!

We booked the Kualoa Ranch 2-Hour ATV Raptor Tour and arrived just in time for our check in. The name of the tour is misleading since we would drive UTVs not ATVs but it was still so much fun. Our tour guides were friendly and funny (we had Robert and Paulo!) and helped us take pictures when we stopped by each scenic point. My boyfriend and I were also able to switch driving at each stopping point too. They also had an 1-hour tour option, but I felt like you definitely need the 2 hours; time went by so fast!

Before heading back to Wakiki, we stopped by Adela's Country Eatery to pick up some cheesecake. They had a ton of different flavors. But we only grabbed one because each slice is huge. We tried the Lilikoi cheesecake and it was so so good. Highly recommend stopping by here if you can.

We ended our day with dinner at Shiro's Saimin. My boyfriend and I got the Chashu saimin and I got one that came with a cheeseburger on the side at the suggestion of a friend. YUP. A cheeseburger. Apparently that's a thing the locals do and I was so shocked that it actually paired really well. I almost liked the cheeseburger more than the saimin itself! haha

This was our last full day in Oahu. The next day, we headed for the Big Island! Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

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[Oahu Trip Recap] Day 3 - 10/8/21 | Snorkeling Day! Waikiki & Hanauma Bay

We booked a morning Turtle Canyon Snorkel tour with Hawaii Nautical. Overall, this tour was honestly pretty disappointing; mostly due to my lack of swimming/snorkeling skills. I didn't do enough research, so I was not aware of how far we would have to swim to get to the Turtle Canyon (which is underwater). It was also extremely windy that morning which made the waves pretty rough. So, unfortunately I didn't make it to the Turtle Canyon but I did see a few turtles from the boat! However, the staff were awesome and made sure everyone was safe; I just wish they were more transparent about the swim skills needed. I will definitely want to try again some day when the waters are calmer, and I'm a better swimmer. We got a pretty nice view of Waikiki from the ocean though :)

After using all my will power to avoid seasickness on the boat tour, we went to Rainbow's Drive In for lunch!

Lunch: I got the BBQ Pork plate which comes with 2 scoops of rice and mac salad. The pork was really good but I thought Zippy's was better. My boyfriend got their mixed plate (because he really liked my Zip Pac and hoped Rainbow's would be just as good) but it just couldn't compare to Zippy's.

Dessert: Right next door to Rainbow's is Shimazu Shave Ice. We got their "Small" size and it was the size of my head. The ice was so fluffy. Adding condensed milk is a must!

After lunch we headed for Hanauma Bay for our reservation at 1:30PM. There was a security guard at the entrance checking for reservations; they weren't letting people in without one (even though once we got down to the parking lot, there was a tent for walk-ins? Not sure how that works.) Parking is $3 for non-residents. I was a little worried about finding parking, but there was plenty when we got there.

We got in line for our reservation window but they let us in early around 12:45PM. After purchasing our tickets ($25/person), we waited a few minutes until they moved us to a room to view a quick educational video on the history and safety rules of the bay. Afterwards, we took the free open air tram (but masks still required on the tram) down to the beach.

Since I am not a strong swimmer and a beginner snorkeler (see Turtle Canyon experience above lol), we stayed in the water where I could touch the ground. If you're looking out towards the ocean, the left side of the bay has a reef near the shore that you can easily snorkel over. I was able to see a ton of fish here without having to swim very far! There was also a monk seal that was sleeping on the beach when were there. Highly recommend Hanauma Bay for beginner snorkelers.

We were some of the last ones on the beach and were able to take some great pictures without any people in them!

For dinner, we made reservations for Roy's (Waikiki) since I wanted one fancy dinner in Oahu. They gave me a kid's party hat (which I thought was cute and hilarious) since I noted in my reservation it was for my birthday.

We ordered the Flying Dragon Roll, HK Crab Cakes, Misoyaki Butterfish, Tetsuyaki Beef plate, and the Chocolate Souffle. They also gave us a free dessert for my birthday.

I really enjoyed everything we had with the exception of the beef plate. We ordered it because a waiter had walked by with it and it just smelled so good. But it was just a large plate of beef chunks on a hot plate with a little bit of mushrooms and onions (which were really good, but it needed more veggies!).

Across the street from Roy's is another Iyasume Musubi store, so we stopped by after dinner to pick up some musubi for breakfast the next day. The store clerk was super friendly and noticed the party hat I was holding and wished me a happy birthday. :) If you order one of the items that is not already made and ready to go, they will make it fresh! I got a takuan musubi and ume onigiri.

That concludes our 3rd day!

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Oahu Trip Recap] Day 2 - 10/7/21 | Sunrise Lanikai Pillbox Hike and Kayaking

We woke up super early to do the Pillbox hike in Lanikai to catch the sunrise. There is no parking allowed in Lanikai right now from 8:30AM to 4:00PM. But since we started so early, we were able to easily find parking close to the trailhead. I recommend bring a headlamp or flashlight - We started the hike when it was still dark out but as we kept going, it did get brighter. It is an intense hike with many steep parts. But the views were so worth it.

After our hike, we treated ourselves to some malasadas from Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop. It's a food truck located in a small parking lot. They were fresh, hot, and so fluffy!

It was in this little parking lot that we saw the first rainbow of our trip!

For breakfast, we went to Boot's and Kimo's. They opened at 8AM, so we arrived a bit early but were first in line! As soon as 8AM hit, lots of people came out from their cars to line up. So be sure to get there early.

My boyfriend and I shared their famous banana and macadamia nut cream pancakes and the Shrimp Alfredo omelette. Both dishes were delicious. The pancakes comes in 2 sizes, short stack (2 pancakes) or tall (3). We got the tall and could barely finished it. I was really sad we couldn't take it to go since we were gonna be out all day.

After breakfast, we had reservations for a kayak rental from Two Good Kayaks. We were planning to kayak to the Mokolua Islands off of Lanikai beach but the winds were really strong that day. The lady at the shop did not recommend us to do it since we are inexperienced kayakers. She did provide several alternate locations for us which was super helpful. We ended up taking our kayak up the east coast to Kahana bay where you can kayak in the ocean for a bit and it goes into a river surrounded by trees. It was a nice way to still get some ocean kayaking without the major arm workout. The lady at the shop also suggested kayaking to Chinaman's hat (second image below), so we stopped by but deemed the winds were still too strong there.

Chinaman’s Hat!

We returned our kayak and headed for Lanikai beach. Since there is no parking currently allowed in the surrounding neighborhood, we parked at the Kailua boat loading parking lot and walked about 10 minutes over to Lanikai. Kailua beach is just as nice with much easier access, but I wanted to see the two islands as I swam in the water haha. The sand was also a lot softer over at Lanikai. :)

For dinner, we got Zippy's! I got the "Zip Pac" and omg I loved it so much. Each item was way better than what I expected from a chain restaurant. Even the pre-packaged tartar sauce was amazing. I would even say this was one of the top meals I had during this trip.

My boyfriend got the Chili Loco Moco and it's a hefty meal. If you like chili, you’ll love this meal.

We wanted to go to Tantalus Lookout after dinner to see the city night view, but had gotten to the gate 15 minutes too late. They closed at 6:45PM (even though we read online it was at 7:45PM). Hours probably changed as it gets darker earlier these days. Although we couldn't go to the lookout point, we pulled over to the side at a turnout on the way down and still got a pretty awesome view.

We returned to the hotel and I proceeded to knock out by 8PM and would not wake up until 6AM the next morning... Onward to the next day!

Trip Reports: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

[Oahu Trip Recap] Day 1 - 10/6/21 | First Day!!

This is the first of several blog posts recapping my very first trip to Hawaii! Every day was jam packed with food and activities, so I wanted to break out each day into its own post for easier reading. Let’s go!

We flew out of LAX with United Airlines. To get the Hawaii pre-check wristbands, we had to go to the Customer Service counter (not at the gate like I read on the United website). Just be sure to get there early and ask someone. We only found out about 15 minutes before boarding but luckily was one of the first ones in line. We showed them our Safe Travels QR code and vaccination card (I showed them my physical copy).

After we landed, we just flashed our wristbands and we were on our way out! We went across the street where a free shuttle took us to our rental car place (Alamo). I haven't rented many cars before, but found it really interesting that they let us choose our car. (We chose a fuel efficient Nissan Altima ;)) 

We arrived in Oahu around 12:30PM, so we had some time before our hotel check in at 3:00PM. We headed for Ala Moana mall first to grab some food and shop around.

Lunch: Poke from Foodland - so many options! Wish we had this at our groceries stores in CA. The poke itself was good/not bad. Would definitely eat much better poke in the later days; but it was a good first meal in Hawaii!

Snack: We also grabbed some musubi and onigiri from Iyasume Musubi Cafe. We got a bit lost trying to find this place in the mall. It's located on the 2nd floor in the corner. Ala Moana mall in general was hard to navigate. Reminds me a bit of the old Horton Plaza mall in San Diego, if anyone is familiar. Shopping: We stopped by Target to pick up some reef-friendly sunscreen (We got the Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Lotion) and double checked the ingredients to make sure it does not contain any harmful ingredients. We also grabbed bug spray but ended up not needing this for the activities we planned. They also do not have plastic reusable bags, so be sure to bring one or you'll be carrying things in your arms around the mall like we did haha

We stayed at Prince Waikiki for our time in Oahu. The main reason we chose this hotel was due to the fact that did not have to pay for parking and that it was still relatively close to the main Waikiki area. We got assigned room 808 :D and loved our hotel room. We had a great view of the water (although with lots of boats haha). 

It was a spacious room with a small couch, heated toilet seat(!) with bidet(!!), shower AND bath tub. Would definitely stay here again. I loved that they also offered 2 free water bottles every day. I had mentioned in the hotel reservation that this stay was part of my birthday celebration; and the hotel gifted us a bottle of Martinelli's with a birthday card. Super nice gesture!

After we got settled in, we made our way to Waikiki. We parked in a parking garage (Waikiki Business Parking) that was $9 flat for up to 5 hours. We didn't really look around for other parking options, but found that this spot worked well for where we wanted to go.

Shopping: Stopped by 88 tees to pick up some souvenir shirts. They have a TON of shirt designs, definitely recommend coming here if you're looking for some cute T-shirts to gift friends and family. There is also a cute little Frenchie that roams around.

Dinner: We wanted to grab some drinks so we went to The Mai Tai Bar. Unfortunately, but understandably, due to COVID their menu has been severely reduced, including their drink menu. We ended up ordering a Mai Tai and a margarita, which were both super strong!

We weren't too hungry, so we got some truffle fries and Ahi tuna poke.

Overall, would come back for just the drinks. The restaurant itself is located right next to the beach, so you get an awesome view.. The restaurant had live entertainment and is located right next to the beach, so you do get an awesome view and vibes.

That’s the end of day 1! I’d say it was a pretty solid start :) Be sure to check out the rest of my trip reports here: Honolulu, Oahu Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Kona/Hilo, Big Island, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9

[weekendadventurer]

Zion National Park - 3 Day Trip Report

Hello friends! I actually wrote this whole blog about a year ago and I never got around to posting it. I figured now would be a good time with Spring coming to an end and Summer just around the corner. Maybe this will inspire you to take an extended weekend trip to Zion National park! (:

Let’s go!

We were in Zion for 3 days and 3 nights. We arrived Thursday afternoon and left Sunday morning.

Getting to Zion

I drove with my 2 of my friends from San Diego to Vegas on Wednesday night. So, cost of this is just gas money. I had a friend in Vegas who let us crash for the night, since we didn’t want to drive the 7-9 hours from SD to Zion.

One of my friends flew in from SD to Vegas - I think round trip was about $300.  And then from Vegas it took about 3 hours.

Arriving in Zion

We ended up getting to Zion pretty late on Thursday - around 1:00PM. Also, remember that Utah is in a different time zone, they are 1 hour ahead, if you’re coming from California.

We wanted to do the Narrows first and ended up renting some gear. We went to Zion Guru since it was really close to our hotel.

Very friendly staff. I rented the full package (~$40) which included:

Hiking Shoes

Neoprene socks -- highly recommended, they’ll keep your feet nice and warm

Dry Pants

Hiking Stick

I think we got a small discount because we were staying at a hotel nearby. Depending on the weather, the Narrows may or may not be open - so be sure to check the weather conditions!

Getting Around

There’s two parts of Zion - Springdale and Zion Canyon (the actual park).

There is a free shuttle for both parts. Most guides have a map of all the stops and where you need to go for which hike.

To get into the actual park, you’ll need to take the Springdale shuttle to the Visitor center, then switch over to the Zion shuttle (pictured above). At this point you’ll need to pay an entrance fee of $30 and this is good for 7 days for 2+ people.

If you are not staying in Springdale, you also have the option to park your car in the lot for $20 - or if you can, try to find street parking. You also have the option to drive straight into the park, same entrance fee applies.

If you drive into the park, there are several places you can park along the way. But at one point, you won’t be able to go any further and will need to shuttle the rest of the way. We never did this and just did the shuttle. But if you’re really short on time, this could save you time depending on how crowded it is.

Hotel

We stayed at Best Western Plus. It came out to be about $800 for the 3 days and 3 nights. Split among 4 people, about $200 per person. We had two queen size beds, so it was perfect for 4 people. We also got free breakfast every morning. There was also a pool and Jacuzzi.

Not sure how this price compares to other places, since my friend booked the place. I think Zion Lodge is the most popular place since it’s actually in the Park, but that one gets filled up pretty quickly.  

There are also campgrounds near the entrance of the park. Unfortunately for us, they were all booked when we wanted to go. So the earlier you plan the better, if you want to camp!

Food

The first night we ate at Meme’s Cafe (pronounced Mimi not ‘meems’ unfortunately haha) and the food was so good! It was our favorite out of the 3 places we ate at.

We also went to Blondies, food was alright. We went here because it was right next to our hotel.

On our last night we went to Pizza and Noodle. Pizza was good, bit pricey since they were more specialty pizzas haha.

I’d recommend checking out Meme’s for sure! and then try some other places :p

What we did:

The Narrows

The Narrows is one of the most popular hikes at Zion! It’ll take at least 4 hours round trip if you want to get to the iconic spot, “Wall Street.” Unfortunately, we started too late, since we got to Zion so late on Thursday, and wasn’t able to go all the way in. It’s not a long hike only 6 miles round trip, but since you’re basically going to be in the water the whole time, it’ll take some time.

On the day we went, it took about 30 minutes to get on to the Zion shuttle. Then, unfortunately our bus broke down! Luckily, a new shuttle came by pretty quickly, To get to the Narrows from the Visitor center will take about 45 minutes, since it’s the very last stop. So, be sure to factor in the time it takes to get to the trailhead.

Angel’s Landing

We woke up bright and early to catch the first shuttle at 7AM for this hike. We went into the park (past the entrance booth) and parked at the Visitor Center. You also have the option of driving into the park and parking as well, but you’ll still need to take a shuttle to the Angel’s Landing stop.

Since we got on the first bus, we were able to get to the trailhead quickly and started around 7:20AM.

We also took around 4 hours for this hike and this includes plenty of rest stops/water breaks and about 20 minutes at the summit just taking pictures :) This hike is definitely not for those afraid of heights! It’s also pretty much inclined the whole way. You do have a cable line to hold on to for the more steep and narrow parts, so it’s relatively safe. I’d recommend bringing gloves of some sort to help grip the cable/chains!

When we went it was super crowded, but at least you won’t get lost. Also, remember to just take it slow and easy. Don’t feel rushed!

Bryce Canyon National Park

There are plenty of shorter hikes in Zion that we could’ve opted to do, but instead we did the ~2hr drive to Bryce Canyon.

There is also a $30 entrance fee per vehicle here.  

There are also shuttles for Bryce but they weren’t running at the time, so we just drove around. We didn’t go too far and just went to Sunset Point. From here you can see the iconic and picturesque Bryce Canyon view along with Thor’s Hammer! We hiked down the trail and just took our time taking pictures. We spent about 2 hours here and then headed back to Zion.

I think it’s definitely worth the trip! But if it’s not something your group is interested in there are lots of other cool hikes in Zion :)

The Subway (Bottom-Up)

Our last hike for the trip was to the Subway. This is a permit only hike! Although when we went, no one was there to check for our permit...but I would not recommend going without one in case you do run into a park ranger.  

Permits are available online and only a limited number are available. If you can’t get one, try out for the lottery online. Or you can try to get one the day before/day of at the Visitor Center.

This trek took 8 hours round-trip! We started at 8:00AM and got back around 4:00PM. So, it’ll pretty much take up your whole day. While most of the hike was relatively flat, there’s a lot of crossing the river back and forth. So, I’d recommend neoprene socks again. You’re gonna get wet, so it’s just easier to walk in the river than try to avoid it.

I also used the free AllTrails app to help guide the way because it can get a little confusing. You can use it without internet/data! And it shows the exact trail, it was really helpful but we still got lost a few times haha.

About half-way to the Subway, you’ll come across this giant slab of rock that has actual dinosaur footprints/fossils in it!

You’ll also come across several waterfalls and two ‘staircase’ falls. They were absolutely beautiful. You’ll need to climb/walk up the second staircase falls to continue to the Subway.

This blog can explain the exact trail in much better detail than I can haha. https://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/lowersubway.cfm

There is also the Top-Down hike for Subway, but that requires canyoneering equipment and experience.

Weather

Since we went at the beginning of Spring, temperatures were relatively cool. From 30s to 40s in the morning, reaching nice 60s-70s in the afternoon.

If by the time you’re reading this, and preparing for Summer - be prepared for much warmer weather. Good news is that water levels are probably lower. So, for hikes like the Narrows, you won’t need dry pants/dry suits to stay warm and dry haha. You could probably get away with just wearing shorts!

But, watch out for flash floods and summer storms. In those cases, do not attempt to do any of the water hikes!

I think that covers everything...but if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer them! :)

[weekendadventurer]

Visiting the Museum of Ice Cream! - Los Angeles

Like a true millennial, I just had to see what all the buzz was about surrounding the Museum of Ice Cream. It also made me question the definition of the word museum.

mu·se·um

a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.

Alright, I think it checks out. This place was definitely filled with objects of artistic and (pop) cultural interest :P Some may even say all these pop up art museums are simply Instagram factories. And I really can’t argue with that. But I have no shame in partaking in these type of activities simply to #doitforthegram.

Now, on with the recap of my visit!

We arrived at the place around 10:15AM and opted to do the valet parking option. It’s $6 for 2 hours and then $2 per hour after that. They DON’T mention this second part on their website. We ended up paying $10 total for parking because we tipped the guy a few bucks.

Since our tickets were for 11AM, we were directed towards a waiting area adjacent to the museum. We had the whole place to ourselves for a good 5 minutes or so and snapped some pretty pics to warm up my amateur modeling skills.

They also painted the outside of the place pink! Including the adjacent building. So we of course, took some more pictures.

Promptly at 11AM, they lined us up and scanned our tickets and will check for photo ID. As long as ONE person in your party’s name is on the tickets, you’re good to go. This is useful if someone couldn’t go last minute, you can invite someone else. Can’t let the tickets go to waste!

They let you into the museum in small groups - about 15 or so. And do a pretty good job of hyping you up and getting you excited. They also make you promise not to touch the bananas and the popsicles. But everything else seemed fair game. (You can totally hug the gummy bears! Cause I did.)

You first enter a small room where you get a piece of chocolate. There was cute pink wall decorated with sweets in an organized pattern. Audrey snapped a quick photo of me here. The lighting was weird in this room, but I made it work. :p

Moving on to the next room, wall to wall mirrored tiles! You can take as much as time as you want in each room, only thing is you can’t go backwards! So, don’t feel rushed to take that perfect selfie :) This room wasn’t as shiny as I hoped it’d be. I think I saw in the San Francisco MOIC, the floors were tiled too, but not here.

Next, we entered a more spacious room, where you’re treated with a generous sample of ice cream! I believe the flavors change, so when we went it was a vanilla and cotton candy flavor. Super delicious~ There was a beautiful pink palm tree wallpaper on one side and the Museum of Ice Cream in the style of the Hollywood sign on the other. The floor also had stars in the style of Hollywood Walk of Fame but the names have changed to include some sweet puns. 

Of course, we then had to take a cute pic on the swings with the banana backdrop. Apparently the bananas on the wall were scratch and sniff, but when I tried it I couldn’t smell anything.

Right next to the swings was a small room with a bajillion pink and yellow bananas hanging from the ceiling. Right in the center where the two colors met, was the perfect photo op spot.

As we headed into the next room, we passed by a ice cream cone wall textured wall that I thought was pretty fun.

This next room was one of my favorites because everything was MINT COLORED, one of my favorite colors. The room also smelled like fresh mint and chocolate! We got a tasty sample of mint chocolate chip ice cream mochi!

Then, I followed the rainbow path to a brightly colored room! Another fun photo opportunity. (But, I mean the whole museum is a just full of fun photo ops) I then proceeded to scream into an old school payphone to try and get some more ice cream. It didn’t work.

I then felt 3 inches tall as I entered the next room with giant popsicles stuck to all the walls.

We then danced on over to the disco party in the next room. I immediately hugged one of the giant gummy bears and pretended to be one too.

You get a handful of gummy bears in this room; which brought back memories of when I used to bite off each little arm and leg first and then the head. Audrey said she would bite off the heads and then combine two different colors. Don’t let that cute face fool you, she’s the real monster.

We then queued up for more treats! But little did I know I would be roped into a challenge that I wasn’t allowed out of. We each got a fat piece of black licorice (GROSS), a sour black cherry gummy (less gross, but I don’t like cherry), and two pieces of chocolate. Then, we were instructed to eat all of them at once and it would be ‘delicious’....it was NOT BAD... but 10/10 would not do again.

We finally reached the climax of this ice cream adventure story, the SPRINKLE POOL~~~! You have to take off your shoes, but there are lockers you can put your bag and shoes in. Then the Sprinkle King hypes you up for your ultimate sprinkle pool experience. You only get 2 minutes in here, so get your poses and cameras ready!

As you exit the pool, try to shake off as much sprinkles as you can. However, you’re guaranteed to find them in random places for the next few days.

We then end our delicious journey in a large open room, where you get one last sweet treat! You can relax on a giant Neapolitan ice cream bar swing, play some ping pong, or Foosball. And of course, one last photo op under the neon Museum of Ice Cream sign.

There is also a small gift shop where you can purchase cute souvenirs like mugs, shirts, pens, ice cream scooper, fidget spinners; you know the usual gift shop items. I was debating about getting a pin and now I’m kinda regretting it. But, we took LOTS of pictures and had a great time with my bestie<3, so that’s better than any souvenir :D #cheesy

Have you gone to the MOIC? Are you planning to go? Let me know if you have any questions or comments below! :D

[weekendadventurer]

Skydiving for my 25th Birthday! - GoJump Oceanside

Skydiving was definitely one of the most extreme things I’ve done to date. I’ve gone ziplining, and bungee jumping, but those two things don’t compare to the scale of danger that is involved with skydiving. But thanks to Groupon, it made this a much more affordable experience that I will never forget. (P.S. I am not sponsored by Groupon, but I’m open to it - jus sayin’)

To celebrate my 25th birthday and being a quarter of a century old, I enlisted 5 of my friends to jump off a plane with me. We signed up for the 8AM time slot, so we had to get up bright and early!

Parking is available in a small lot or on the street. Since we were one of the first ones, there was plenty of parking. When you go into the office, they’ll ask you to sign your life away, I mean, sign a waiver, using the iPads. They also have a scale so you can provide your exact weight.

Once you sign your waivers, they’ll check for your ID and groupon ticket, so make sure you bring both! After you’re checked in, they’ll start calling out people’s names to get geared up!

My instructor was Sparky. When I asked him how long he had been doing this, he jokingly said 2 days; which didn’t help my nerves but definitely made me laugh. He assured me that he had over couple thousand jumps and have been doing this for over 10 years. Regardless, I was still pretty nervous.

As we were waiting, we took a bunch of ‘before’ pictures in our gear. Then, as everyone was all geared up, those of us who purchased the video option were ‘interviewed’ for our videos. The guys made it really fun and hyped us up before we got onto the plane.

Our group was the first plane of the day, and I went in last to be the first jump. I was afraid to watch my friends jump out first, so I volunteered to be first. It was a tight fit into the plane with 6 people, 6 instructors, and 1 extra instructor for my third person video footage. The plane ride was only about 15 minutes but it was the longest 15 minutes of my life.

When the time came to jump, it all happened so fast, all I could remember thinking was “DONT LOOK DOWN.” I kept my head up and back and off we went…

Free falling was definitely the coolest part. We even did a few spins! (You can see it in the video) I refrained from constantly screaming so I can control my breathing. I also had a trouble using my arms to make hand signals but I had a smile plastered on my face the whole time! When the parachute opened, it’ll definitely jerk you up and that hurt a little, kinda like a pinch. And I felt like the part when you’re drifting down was way scarier than free falling. I was also a little worried it was going to be freezing but for early October in San Diego, the weather was perfect.

It was amazing to see my friends in parachutes all around me in the sky. You can see the ocean, freeway, houses below, etc. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Unfortunately, I stumbled when I landed. I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to stand up and we tripped a bit. But it’s all good~ haha We had landed safely and that’s all that mattered.

Even though I was first out of the plane, I was second to last to land. Not sure why. But after everyone landed, they shuttled us in a bus back to the office.

Overall, it only took about 1hr and 30 min from the time we arrived to the time we left! Super quick! I think that everyone should skydive at least ONCE in their life. Truly a unique experience that will make you want to go again and again.

Let me know if you have any questions about my adventure!

--

Cost: $149 for the jump with a Groupon Additional/Optional: $145 for handcam and third person perspective camera Tip: $40 Total Cost: $334 Once in a Lifetime experience? Priceless :p

[weekendadventurer]

Knott’s Scary Farm vs. Six Flags Fright Fest

We’re a full two weeks into October and I’m so excited for all the adventures this month! Kicking off the festivities, I did another Halloween scare fest; this time at Knott’s Scary Farm~ Since I recently went to Six Flag’s Fright Fest, I wanted to do a little comparison of the two.

Mazes

We’ll start right away with the mazes. Knott’s had 9 haunted mazes. That’s only one more than Six Flags. However, the three we managed to go in were each very unique.

Shadowlands - An samurai/Japanese themed maze that went on for a good amount of time. The one cool thing about this was the use of harnesses on the actors which gave them a lot of mobility. Not just your regular jump out from behind the corner type scares.

Trick or Treat - Before you enter the maze, they give you an actual flashlight. This flashlight is “faulty” and will not work properly, the light blinks on and off, it changes colors, and even vibrates. I thought it was pretty fun and interactive. Although it wasn’t as dark in the maze as I thought it’d be.

Infected - This was one was crazy fun. You get actual laser guns to shoot at the zombies. The zombies have sensors on them and the actors would act accordingly when they got shot! Of course, they’ll jump at you and try to eat you, so you do get in quite a few scares. Our group was literally running through the maze and ducking under structures. If you look at your gun before you turn it in, there will be a score for how many zombies you hit. Unfortunately, I didn’t know this until later and didn’t get to see my score. Overall, this maze was super interactive and very different.

I definitely feel Knott’s takes the mazes to the next level compared to Six Flags. Aside from the awesome 3D/Neon Toyz of Terror maze, all the other mazes we did at Six Flags seemed to be the same

Rogue Scarers

I’m referring to the characters that walk in the crowds and jump at you as you walk by. There weren’t as many scarers walking around as I thought there would be. There were a lot of dark areas but there weren’t any scarers there. They were mostly near the mazes in lighted places.

There was also a lot of fog used, maybe they were hiding in there.

You also aren’t allowed to take pictures with the scarers until 30 minutes before closing.

Lines/Wait Times

The lines were significantly longer at Knott’s versus Six Flags. I feel like without a front of the line pass, you can get through most of the mazes at Six Flags. However, if that’s something you’d like to do at Knott’s, then you will definitely need the front of the line pass.

The park is open from 7PM to 2AM. We got into the park around 7:30 and decided to go on a ride, Silver Bullet, which took about 1 hr.

We waited about 1 hr for Shadowlands, even though the guy at the front said it would take 40 minutes.

Trick or Treat was nearly 2 hours! We managed to get in Infected with 1 hr wait time, even though an employee said it would take 15-20 min, since it was the end of the night.

However, if you do get into a line for a maze right before 2:00AM (when they close), you’ll be allowed to still go through the maze.

Cost

Price depends on the day of the week you go. Weekends are more expensive, especially Saturdays and days closer to Halloween.

We went on a Saturday in early October, so our price was $50 + processing fee.

If you’re a Six Flags season pass member, it’s more expensive. A Maze pass for Six Flags is less than $20. If you’re not a Six Flags season pass member, you have to pay for park admission and a maze pass. So, it’s definitely cheaper to go to Knott’s Scary Farm since you get access to both the mazes and the park.

If you’re looking to get a front of the line pass - those start at $80 per person. It’s worth it if you really want to go on every maze in a single night. It’s also cheaper than Universal Studios Horror Night’s regular admission.

Overall

Personally, I enjoyed Knott’s Scary Farm more than Six Flags, simply for it’s unique mazes. Each maze we did was unlike the other and I really enjoyed that. Make the whole experience more engaging and fun rather than just being spooked the same way every time.

Knott’s Scary Farm happens every Friday through Sunday until the end of October! So grab your friends and let me know how your trip went! :)

[weekendadventurer]

San Diego International Dragon Boat Festival 2017 - Recap

This past weekend, I attended the San Diego International Dragon Boat Festival 2017! Phew, that is a mouthful! It took place at Mission Bay right across from Fiesta Island. Two full days of non-stop races and adrenaline. My good friend was participating in the competition, and I was merely there to enjoy the festivities.

Teams from all over the world had come to compete for a spot in next year’s big race, which will take place in Hungary. Only the team that takes first place overall get’s to move on to the bigger competition. Unfortunately my friend’s team did not make it, but they were so close! They won second place! Go AeroDragons!

My friend’s team had two rowing machines set up for warming up and practice. They’ve been modified to fit the needs of a dragon boat rower. As complete newbies at dragon boat rowing, my friend showed us the basics and had us give it a try.

We tried rowing for 30 seconds straight to see how far we could go. And that was already tiring enough. But then, we got peer pressured in doing a full 2 minutes; because to make it onto the AeroDragons team, they test how far you can row in 2 minutes. Since there were two machines, we turned it into a little competition and decided to race against each other.

All my friends each gave it a try! The team members were watching and coaching us as we rowed. Thanks to their words of encouragement, I made it through the whole 2 minutes. Unfortunately, I did not beat my friend but was complimented on my form! So, I’ll take that. But overall, it was really fun! I have even more respect for everyone who does dragon boat. It definitely is an endurance sport.

There were also a few food trucks and booths to help feed all the hungry dragon boat rowers! I grabbed a delicious pulled pork sandwich from Simply Fresh SD! (Food picture credits to @Noms.Daily)

For dessert, I got a waffle cone with summer fruit gelato from Sicilian Breeze. The lady was very friendly and you can sample the flavors!

We ended up staying until the end of the festival, which means we got to see a beautiful sunset.

I believe this festival takes place around the same time each year, so if you’d like to watch some awesome dragon boat races in San Diego. This is the event to go to! :)

[weekendadventurer]

How to Survive Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest - 5 Tips to Avoid the Crowds!

Fall has officially started and this means Halloween is just around the corner! I went to celebrate the start of the season with a few friends by attending Six Flag’s Fright Fest. 

Fright Fest is Six Flags’ take on haunted mazes and horror themed events. With 7 mazes to walk (or shuffle behind friends) through and multiple scare zones scattered all around the park, it’s the perfect event to jump start your annual Halloween activities! Here are 5 tips to help you conquer your fears and the horrific crowds.

1. Arrive Early!  While the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins don’t come out until 7:00 PM, you’ll save yourself time waiting in lines if you head to the park early. Even though you may arrive at the park at 6:30 PM, parking, getting to the entrance, going through security, and finally getting into the park can take a solid 30 minutes. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to make it in by 7:00 PM.

2. Buy tickets online!  I am amazed by how many people buy their tickets at the park. Not only are they more expensive, but you also have to wait in yet another line. So do yourself a favor and buy your tickets ahead of time online! As a season pass member, I only had to buy the maze pass which was $17.00. (It’s $22 on some days closer to Halloween)

If you’re not a pass member, you’ll need to buy a park ticket AND a maze pass. If you have a friend who is a season pass member, ask them to look out for a special coupon (see below) that lets you into the park for only $14.99 (but you’ll still need to buy the separate maze pass).  

If you buy your tickets online, you get to skip the long lines and pick up your wristband in a separate place. Just walk straight ahead after entering the park and you should see a sign for online pick-up. You can either print your ticket or use your phone!

3. Use the bathroom before you head to the park! Unfortunately for ladies, the lines are ridiculously long. Guys are lucky and have little to no wait. If you really need to use the restroom, go to the ones farther from the entrance/in the back of the park; the lines there are much shorter.

4. Eat beforehand or bring snacks! Expect there to be a line for pretty much anything. So, try to eat beforehand or pack some snacks to ease the hangriness.

5. Buy an Express Maze Pass If you really want to avoid the crowds, there’s an option of an express maze pass that gets you to the front of the line. Cost: $32 - $52 depending on the date you choose.

Maze ‘Review’

Of course, dodging the crowds is great, but the real fun is in the haunted mazes! Here are some of my thoughts on each of the 4 mazes we went through (without spoiling anything!). To get an idea of how to judge my scare factor, I get scared pretty easily; but I also stood in the back of my friends for almost of them haha

Chupacabra (outside entrance to X2) This was the first one we went on. As the least scary one out of all of them, I felt like this one was good, short warm up maze.

Scare Factor: 4/10

Wait time: ~15 minutes

Willoughby’s Resurrection (Next to Ninja entrance) This maze has a classic haunted mansion theme. Last year, they had a scare right in the beginning that would take your picture at the same time. I was a bit disappointed, they didn’t do that this year. We got a great picture out of it last year.

Scare Factor: 6/10

Wait time: 20-30 minutes

Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising (to the left of Apocalypse) This one is the the largest maze and it’s outdoors! Even though it’s not pitch dark when you’re walking through it, like the other ones, I guarantee you’ll be just as scared. I felt like this one really incorporated its story the best into the maze. Also, the way they used fog was on point.

Scare Factor: 8/10

Wait: less than 10 min

Toyz of Terror 3D (In between High Octane Wings and Full Throttle Sports Bar) This one is a 3D haunted maze. You read that right. THREE. DEE. Not only that, it uses the magic of black light to its full ability! Personally, this one is by far my favorite; not for being most scary, but simply for how cool it looks! So, before you enter the maze, be sure to grab a pair of 3D glasses or your experience will not be the same! This maze will have you feeling both amazed and scared at the same time.

Wait time: 45 minutes

Scare Factor: 6/10

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get to the other 3 mazes:

Dead End

Red’s Revenge

Vault 666

However, if you come right when the event starts, and plan accordingly, you should be able to make it on to most of the mazes! Last year, we went through 6 out of 7 mazes and the park was still open for one more hour, but we decided to head home early.

Hope these tips help you survive a night full of scares! If you’ve already gone, let me know which mazes you went on! :)