Fact or Fiction? Shaved Ice Vendor Experimenting with Sushi Flavors

Haleiwa Shaved Ice

The following submission is either completely fictional or is fact-based.  Please post a comment noting whether you think it is True or False with your own entertaining or supporting commentary.  The answer will be revealed in a future comment on this post.

Our stay on Oahu and Maui is reaching its conclusion and somehow we nearly missed out on a Hawaiian islands’ tradition, shaved ice - That tasty treat known in Ohio (where we grew up) as snow cones.  Luckily, our travels this week took us to the little town of Haleiwa where we encountered Matsumoto’s Haleiwa Shaved Ice.

This legendary shaved ice hot spot was hard to miss with its long line of customers cascading onto the sidewalk.  We spotted a camera crew from the local news outlet and quickly learned that Matsumoto’s supplemented its traditional syrup flavors (i.e.: cherry and banana) with more creative offerings such as green tea and pickled mango, but that wasn’t what had attracted the media.  Further investigation revealed that the owners were experimenting with a new flavor based on sushi grade ahi tuna which was presented with an optional dollop of fresh wasabi.

When asked about the creative offering, the shop’s representative informed us that it was created in an effort to appeal to the Japanese tourist community which contributes strongly to their business.  While sales of the unique flavor have not been significant, it has garnered positive press and increased foot traffic to this local institution which currently sells more than 1,000 shaved ices each day.

Pearl Harbor

Waterfront Memorial with the USS Bowfin submarine in the background

Moving…Memorable…Peaceful - These are the words that describe our trip to Pearl Harbor’s portion of the Pacific National Monument, in particular, the USS Arizona Memorial.  The national park is configured well, providing a variety of sites and experiences that are free of charge supplemented by for-purchase packages to historic treasures such as the USS Bowfin submarine, the Battleship Missouri, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.

We arrived around 1:00 PM and located convenient on-site parking.  The park doesn’t allow any “items that offer concealment” including handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, etc.  Once we figured this out, Jenn returned to the car where she stored her purse in the trunk.  Alternatively, personal items can be stored on-site for a $3 charge.

Upon entry into the park we inquired about our options and were handed two free tickets to the 3 PM tour of the USS Arizona.  We occupied our few hours of free time prior to the tour by exploring the grounds containing lovely monuments to fallen heroes as well as survivors of the December 7^th, 1941 attacks.  We also learned about history in the open air museums which described how “a date which will live in infamy” started WWII.  Lastly, we explored a variety of submarine and artillery items that were on display.

The time passed quickly and before we knew it the tour was ready to start.  After watching an informative 30 minute film, we boarded a US Navy operated boat that shuttled us to the USS Arizona’s resting place.  It is a beautiful memorial to the fallen; the ship below, fish swimming and nesting on it, a flag flying overhead, and the names on the wall dedicated “To the memory of the gallant men here entombed and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941 on the USS Arizona.”  It was quite moving.

If you find yourself on Oahu, reserve a little time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country by making an educational, yet moving visit to Pearl Harbor.  You’ll be glad you did.

Albatross Courtship Dance - Ka'ena Point, Oahu, HI

Our 2.5 mile hike from Yokohama Bay to the Ka'ena Point Nature Area Reserve on the island of Oahu, HI was rewarded when we witnessed the courtship dance of two Laysan Albatrosses.