Anniversary Part 1

We decided our actual anniversary day would be the day we would go to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We didn't start the PCC until noon, so we took the morning to stop in at the Kualoa Ranch.  The ranch has been raising cattle on the island since before WWII.  It has a bunch of acreage along the benches on the southeast side of Oahu.  They still raise cattle, but also have become a fairly big tourist stop that offers horseback riding and a few different tours.  Their land has been used for a bunch of different movie sets, so we took the movie site tour.

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  We are actual movie stars.  They really should have paid us to come:

This tree stump was used in Jurassic Park.  Roar.

And a bunch more movies were filmed here yada yada but all the pictures look similar.

After the attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941, the government seized a good chunk of the ranch's land for military stuff.  Among a bunch of random stuff, they built this huge bunker straight into the mountainside.  It was flanked with 2 huge guns that could shoot out an insane distance (which I have forgotten, of course).  They were never actually used.  Have no fear Hollywood fans, it was finally used many years later when it became the famous "hatch" from the TV series Lost.

And that's Kualoa in a big nutshell.

This is a random picture I have to add.  We passed this tattoo shop every day, and every day we passed this mannequin that was put out.  We affectionately called her, "Tatty Patty."  I really should have gotten a picture with my new ink friend.  But I would hate to make her look bad.

After this we headed over to spend the afternoon and evening at the Polynesian Cultural Center!  I was so excited for this.  I have loads of pictures.  So I'll gear up and hopefully finish this Hawaii trip soon....