Who was Herb Weatherwax?  Who wasn’t “Uncle Herb” Weatherwax?  “Uncle Herb” Weatherwax was one of the handful of remaining  local  and Native Hawaiian Pearl Harbor military survivors, whom passed away just days after the commemorative 75th anniversary of Peal Harbor in December 2017.  As with this “Greatest Generation”, Uncle Herb’s life was one lead with dignity and grace.

Big Island Native Weatherwax was drafted into the Army in June 1941 and was stationed at Schofield Barracks on Oahu.  On a weekend pass to Honolulu, Weatherwax bore witness to the events of December 7, 1941.   His military career would lead him to facing Germany’s Siegried Line and with his 272nd Regiment advancing into Germany, eventually freeing dying prisoners in labor camps.   After the war, Uncle Herb became a family man, business owner and ever-present Volunteer at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, helping to promote education and understanding.

“It is up to Survivors to perpetuate the history until we are gone. I am always learning from others and thought that someone might pick up one or two things from what I have gone through.” – Herb Weatherwax

On Saturday, June 3 2017, the National Parks Services at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center held a Celebration of Life in honor of their dedicated veteran, friend, uncle, volunteer, educator and legend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family, friends and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Employees gather for the celebration of Life!

An Auspicious date indeed as June 3 2017 would have been Uncle Herb’s 100th Birthday and June 2, 2017 would have been his 66th wedding anniversary!  Uncle Herb’s Wife was in attendance and got up several times to dance hula!

 

Musical Entertainment was provided by Navy service members and a delicious spread of local grinds awaited guests prior to the program.

I said delicious right?? Pictured here chicken katsu, kalua pork and lomi salmon from Kimo’s Akamai Catering.

At sunset the beautiful sound of the Pu (conchshell) and a marvelous ‘oli welcomed the guest of honor.  Uncle Herb’s photo was escorted in by the Knights of Columbus and a spirited program of song, dance, photos, and rememberance was to followed.

I would like to believe that the heaven’s and Uncle Herb thanked us and was there in spirit.  Look at that exquisite sunset!  It was truly an honor and a gift to be able to attend this event as a representative for Keawe Adventures.

 

Kalei Scoggins

Operations Manager

When I joined Keawe Adventures, I knew that an exciting fast-paced work environment was ahead of me.  I also knew that the company was a leader in personalized custom activity tours.  What I didn’t know was that on my SECOND day on the job, I would have the most epic adventure day ever!  Keawe Adventures was participating in a Yelp video shoot as well as creating new content for their website.  We had the privilege to take out some guests on a full excursion tour of Oahu Island and I got to tag along.  EEK! EPIC!

Check out the stops and some awesome shots from our adventure day below.

DIAMOND HEAD CRATER

Diamond Head, or as the locals call it Le’ahi, was once the first US Military base in Hawaii. The crater itself used to also be home to historical music festivals that featured the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Elvis.   Now visitors and residents alike can enjoy a brief hike up the face of the mountain to its peak bunker which offers 360 degree views of Honolulu.

My suggestion is go in the morning,  as there is not much shade or coverage on the trail.   While the trail is MOSTLY moderate, there is definitely  a steep bit of stairs at the end.   The view is definitely work all the physical work to get there!

FRESH CATCH

Ok, so what do most people want after some physical activity??  FOOD!!!  Luckily Makani Christensen, owner of Keawe Adventures, was keen on a great place to bring us.  Poke Bowls have long been a favorite in the islands, but have steadily been gaining popularity all over the world.  Fresh Catch hosts some of the best poke as well as variety on island.  It was delicious.

PALI LOOKOUT

After a quick bite to eat, it was off to Pali Lookout, which boasts fantastic views of the windward side.  As the name suggests, it is also a very windy spot on island!  The Pali lookout is also home to a historical battle for the island of Oahu.  

Did I mention that we were being carried around all day in a sweet ride?  Our chariot awaits!

BYODO-IN TEMPLE

After a quick hop over the windward mountains, we headed towards the Northeast side of the island and to Byodo-In Temple.  This temple was dedicated in August 1968 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.  Here you can find a large brass peace bell and serene surroundings.

Hey! There’s that awesome sprinter again!

LAIE POINT & TURTLE BAY

After the Temple, we still headed towards our next adventure activity, but not without making two quick stops for some photos at Laie Point and Turtle Bay.  Can you see our group on the point? HI MOM!

STAND UP PADDLE BOARD – HALEIWA NORTH SHORE

After some scenic stops, we finally made it to our next adventure activity – STAND UP PADDLE BOARD.  We were taken out on Haleiwa River which provided the perfect calm water for experts to novice to enjoy!  I have a weak ankle, however I was still able to go out with the group and enjoy the water.  Score!

DINNER – Haleiwa Beach House Restaurant

Again, after any physical activity what does one want??  FOOD!  AND NOW A COCKTAIL!  So off we went to Haleiwa Beach House Restaurant for exquisite provisions.  So exquisite that we ate it all before getting some proper photos. This restaurant boasts great service, a fantastic view across from Haleiwa beach (perfect for sunset) and amazing food.  All in all it was the perfect ending to a perfect and wonderful day.

If you are interested in an action-filled day I would definitely recommend this tour to you!  It certainly made for a memorable and epic second day on the job.  Adventure awaits everyone…..now go find it.

Kalei Scoggins

Operations Manager

 

 

On Monday, I came into work and started the normal daily routine we do every morning. Makani wasn’t in the office yet. I started ordering tickets for tours, replying to emails, and other normal office stuff that I knew that needed to be taken care of for the day. Makani came in and took one look at me, he said “Good you got on board shorts, we’re going fishing today!” (What a hard job right?) Makani then told me that we (and by “we” I mean Makani because he knows how and where to fish the specific type we targeting) were going to be filming for a T.V. show called “Hawaii Goes Fishing.” I started getting all the gear ready; fly-fishing rods, spinner rod, tabbies (hard felt sole shoes for walking on reef so you don’t cut up your feet), and two throw nets. After getting all the gear in the truck, we were off to a secret fishing spot to hopefully find and catch an Oio (pronounced o-e-o) or bonefish, a prized fish that people come from all over the world to fish for in Hawaii. Now, I grew up fishing all my life but that was in lakes, rivers, and creeks on the mainland, but in Hawaii I spearfish, which is a very different skill set than using rods and reels. I was excited and intrigued to learn a new way to catch fish.

On the ride to the “secret spot,” (all spots are secret when fishing) Makani and I spoke about various laws and bills trying to be passed that will affect fishing here in Hawaii. This is a big part of the Hawaiian culture and fishing in order to provide for your Ohana. We pulled into the secret spot and we were met and greeted by Margo, the hostess, and Dean, the camera man, from “Hawaii Goes Fishing.” After getting all set up Makani gave a lesson on how to use a fly-fishing rod to Margo (and me) on camera. Makani is a self-taught fly-fisherman, who’s been doing this for 10+ years and has caught some amazing fish using a fly-fishing set up. As he was going over how to cast the rod and fly to Margo, I was intently listening. I’ve tried, and failed horribly, to fly fish before but never in the ocean. After listening to Makani for 5 minutes, I learned more about fly-fishing how to’s, the do’s, and the don’ts than I have in my 20 something years of fishing. Now that Margo had the jest of it down, Makani then went over the basics of using a throw net, another method of fishing used here in Hawaii. We started to walk out to the reef, so Makani could show the crew how to use a throw net to catch fish. “10 minutes or less and I know we’ll have fish,” Makani said half jokingly as we walked out.

On the way out we were all keeping an eye out for signs of fish, such as the tails of the Oio breaking the surface when they eat in shallow water ranging from 10 inches to waist deep.  As we were walking Makani, who was in the lead with the net, stopped and pointed out a school of Manini or Convict Tangs (side note: Margo had stated that she loved Maninis as they brought back childhood memories of fishing). He slowly crept forward trying not to spook the fish. Then, he slightly bent at the knees and in one fluid movement threw the net in a perfect cast, or throw, and landed it right on the school of Manini. He had at least caught about 15 good, pan-fry sized fish, so it was back to the shore to change our gear. Walking back in I thought to myself, “Ha, Makani was right! Only about 15 minuets to get fish using just the throw net, and most of that time was used on the walk out to the reef.”

Now, we broke out the fly-fishing rod and a spinner rod. Using two types of rods would increase our chances of getting the elusively prized Oio. Makani took the fly fishing rod and Margo used the spinner rod, with a simple set up of a small lead, a small hook, and some shrimp for bait. It was now go time with all the fishing gear. With Dean and I following Makani and Margo set up, we were hopeful to catch an Oio. As we walked the reef waiting for a bite, I kept watching Makani and how he was using the fly rod, intensively studying his movements. We were waiting and talking story (local slang for having conversations or sharing old memoires) when Margo started to get a nibble! Makani told Margo to wait for just the right moment to set the hook, as fish would nibble at the bait for a little bit before they fully bite down.  At the perfect moment Makani told Margo to reel in the fish. As Margo did, she stated she thought the fish came off, but as she reeled the line in we could see the fish swimming in towards us still on the hook.  As the fish got closer I could tell it was a Weke or better known as a Goatfish. Makani went to unhook the Weke, it twitched and jumped off the hook. “Ha that makes it easy,” Makani  said jokingly. I thought that we got some good video footage of us catching fish, now we was to get the Oio.

We fished for a few hours and Dean stated that his battery had about an hour left and we hadn’t got an Oio yet, so unfortunately we decided to head in. Makani was determined to catch an Oio, so as he was walking back to the truck wading through the water he continued to fish.  Margo, Dean and I walked back on shore; we talked story about as we waited for Makani to get back to the truck. This is when Makani came walking up with a shine in his eyes. “BRAH, get the net I just seen a school of like 30+ Oio,” Makani stated excitedly. He grabbed the net and headed back out. I threw back on my tabbies and ran to catch up so I could help. Following behind Makani, I was slowly moving to make sure I never spooked the fish. Makani froze and said that the fish were right in front of him! Again with a perfect throw, he threw the net right on two Oio. CHEEHOO!! As we wrangled the fish out of the net and into the bag Makani said, “Bra, look another Oio!” Slowly creeping up on another school, Makani got prepared into his stance to throw. After a second or two, he threw the net and landed another Oio. Now, with three Oio in the bag we decided to head in.  We got in, cleaned off the gear with a quick rinse, got the fish in the cooler with ice and brine. Makani stressed that this last step was super important to keep the fish fresh. After saying our good byes to Margo and Dean, Makani and I got into the truck and headed home. Not a bad day of work, I got to learn the basics of fly-fishing and watch my boss catch some fish in a traditional Hawaiian way, and in my opinion pretty bad arse technique. Lucky we live Hawaii nei!

-Jack Wells is a tour guide at Keawe Adventures. Between 2005-2009 he served in the US Marine Infantry and is an Iraq veteran.

“KEAWE’S HERO”

Respected American writer and mythologist Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself.” I agree that a hero is somebody who is selfless, but he is also generous in spirit and tries to give back as much as possible and help those around him.

Keawe Adventures employs only the exceptional and those who demonstrate such desired attributes on a daily work basis. Former professional surfer Chris Gardner is such a man and he would be called into action on a calm morning of February 18, 2016. At mid morning a Bell 206 helicopter loudly grounded and slammed into the glassy waters of Pearl Harbor 20 feet from shore. Chief warrant officer Ryan Rohner, who also flies Black Hawks in the Hawaii National Guard piloted the aircraft and carried four passengers inside. After the hard impact of the crash, the helicopter quickly sank, trapping a 16-year-old Riley Dobson of Ontario and tragically claiming his life.

At the time however, Chris Gardner did not know the condition of the boy who was still strapped in his seat. What he did know, was that the mother was able to swim safely from the wreckage and screamed her son was inside the helicopter. Without hesitation two men and Chris dove into the murky waters, about 10 ft deep. They took turns cutting the teenager’s seat belt from the back of the aircraft with a knife provided by a federal officer and pulled his limp body out.

Although the heroic effort to save a young boy was in vain and ended tragically, what this incident demonstrates is that altruism emerges in many disasters and many forms. Defining a hero is more difficult than defining a coward as it is not the everyday man or woman who will run into a hellish glory of bullets without a second thought and at the risk of their own life. This is why it is with pride that I can say that Chris Gardner is a selfless hero. He does not ask for recognition for his deed and reflects on that traffic event with regret in that they were unable to save the young man. Nevertheless, Chris Gardner is a hero. Chris is a friend. And I am proud to work with him at Keawe Adventures.

 -Kate Bodendorfer is a historic guide for Pearl Harbor and battle sights at Keawe Adventures. She has worked for the five-year veteran owned company for three years and studied Asia Pacific and Military History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Here in Hawaii there is a saying, Broke Da Mouth, which means food is so good that it literally broke your mouth. This would be the perfect explanation to how I felt about lunch the other day!

Each day at Keawe Adventures brings something new. I’ve done incredibly exciting things like go to fish markets and visit pearl harbor to not so exciting, but ever important, things like filling out paper work and answering phones. You never really know what you are going to get coming into the office and this day was no exception.

Usually our days start off ordering tickets for the Pearl Harbor USS Arizona  and then generally I do some office related thing, which is my forte so I really enjoy that, however this day Makani had other things in mind. He told myself and Jack* that we were going to being going on a few errands, which I immediately dubbed a field trip.

First we needed gas so while Jack finished up his office work we ended up running to the gas station where only upon parking in front of the gas pump did we realize we had a full tank of gas. I mean at least we went to take the car for a test drive, right?

Well after going back and picking up Jack we started our field trip. Our first stop was to foodland where we picked up some great wine for some of our friends for christmas. We love our partners in this business and we can only hope we show how much we appreciate them and all they do for Keawe Adventures.

After our extremely exhausting and difficult morning, I mean lugging around wine is just SO strenuous, we were on our way back to the office when Makani saw a Korean Barbecue Place he really liked, Budnamujip (try saying that one 10 times fast), so we pulled in for lunch.

Now, I don’t know if you guys remember but I’m thoroughly inexperienced when it comes to foods found here in Hawaii. I mean I’m a Chick fil A and Chipotle girl all the way so this Korean barbecue stuff was a whole new ball game for me. When we walked in the first thing I noticed were what looked like stove tops on each table and these large cylinder things hanging from the ceiling. At the time I didn’t know but those large cylinder things were my saving grace, they sucked all the smoke up so we didn’t leave smelling like walking Barbeque.

I will admit, at first this place was a little scary I mean all the pictures on the menu were of raw meat and I don’t know about you guys but I don’t like my cow moving when I eat it. Needless to say I was a little weary when Makani ordered about 6 different RAW meats. Luckily they brought out the big pot of steaming coals and a grill to cook the meat on. After it was all nice and dead cooked it was absolutely amazing. I think they use only the nicest quality of beef which made for some awesome barbeque!

During lunch they brought out some interesting appetizers. The waiter told us that all their sides and appetizers were homemade every day. They were eccentric but it was nice to try things I have never had before. 

My first time trying tofu and I must say it was not bad at all. 

Successful use of chopsticks throughout the ENTIRE lunch. 

Treebark. 

Jack was a little more adventurous than I was but I am happy to say I tried most of them. There was even tree bark, yes you read that right like from a tree, that I successfully tried. I mean you can’t get this stuff in Texas that’s for sure.

Jack trying all the sides and appetizers.

After our delicious lunch we stopped by a few more places before returning to the office. The thing I love about Keawe Adventures is that no two days are alike, I have probably done more in the last month than I have in the last 6 months combined and all while getting to learn about the industry that I want to work in!

 

*Jack is a marine veteran who has served two tours in Iraq. Makani found that veterans have a hard time finding a job after they leave the military so he has started a company around providing jobs for military vets and affordable tours of Pearl Harbor for guests, called Infamy Tours. Jack is the first veteran he has brought on to work with the new company.*

-Becca

 

Being pretty new here (I’ll hit my two year Hawaii anniversary in February) there is still a lot of things I have not yet done.

I mean of course I’ve hit a few beaches and done a few things but not nearly as much as I would like to do.

This past summer was actually the last time I’ve ever been hiking and I’m sure if I had gone with Keawe Adventures I probably would have gone back hiking.

So my very best friend came in to town from Texas and we had planned this week long trip filled with beach days and hiking adventures. The first day we decided to tackle the big one, Koko Head. I had been before but I guess this time I wanted to be all big and bad and hike super fast and get up to the top. BAD IDEA.

If you’ve never done Koko Head it is 1,048 steps of pure torture bliss. The views are incredible and generally on a good day its breezy enough to not feel like your dying sweating. However this day was exceptionally hot. We made our way up in a miraculous 45 minutes (which is a big accomplishment for two girls who’s idea of exercise is opening wine bottles). Once there we took selfies galore for about 20 minutes and then made our way back down.

Going down is always easier and we thought everything was going great. We walked back to the car and started our hour drive home and then the worst thing happened. My very best friend who had come all the way to Hawaii for adventures had gotten heat exhaustion, not enough water and too much heat caused her to start throwing up and we had to pull over in H1 5pm traffic so she could recover. It was not a fun time. Needless to say I haven’t been hiking since.

Now here’s where Keawe Adventures comes in. Had I listened to Kahana, one of the wonderful hiking tour guides at Keawe adventures, we would have been much better off.

After interning here for about 2 weeks I got to talking with Kahana about Hiking tours he does including Diamond Head, Makapuu, Manoa Falls and many others at undisclosed locations. He was telling me the three most important things to remember when hiking.

1.) STAY ON THE TRAIL

I mean you know what they say *curiosity killed the cat*

2.) NEVER GO ALONE

I’m going to safely say this is never go without a tour guide like Kahana because after telling him this story he was like, yeah sometimes you get so caught up in hiking and the views and you forget to drink water and that’s where I come in.

3.) EMBRACE THE JOURNEY NOT THE DESTINATION

This was probably the most important one that I thought anyway. We spent the whole time trying to just get up the dang mountain that if we had just embraced the journey and enjoyed ourselves we probably wouldn’t have had that traumatic of an experience.

Overall, lesson learned. Always ask Kahana to go Hiking with you so you don’t get dehydrated and die pass out.

– Becca

Aloha, my name is Chelsea. I am one of the new interns at Keawe Adventures. I’m from Southern California and am currently attending University of Hawaii at Manoa and majoring in Travel Industry Management.

Fresh out of high school, I came to school in Hawaii not knowing anyone. The first couple of weeks were rough. I really missed my family and friends back home. However, when I met a solid group of friends and we started exploring the island, I knew this is where I was supposed to be.

I’ve only been in Hawaii for about a year and a half now, but I’ve already done so much. Whether it’s a day spent at the beach or an afternoon spent hiking, there’s never nothing to do here. When you are in Hawaii, there’s always an adventure waiting for you.

My friends and I have made it a goal to go on an adventure every weekend. That is of course if we get our school work done first 😉

A typical weekend might start off as early as 5:00am. I know what you’re thinking. What college student willingly wants to wake up at 5am on a weekend?! Well, the way I think about it is you that you have to make the most out of every hour of the day. Especially when you are in Hawaii.

So after rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn, we start our morning of with a sunrise hike. One of my favorite hikes is Koko Head arch. For breakfast we make a trip over to Diamond Head Health Bar for some delicious acas bowls.

Of course at this point you may be a little tired from waking up early and hiking. So the next best thing to do would be to take a quick little power nap at the beach. My car is always packed and ready for a beach day so after we finish our acai bowls we head over to Makua beach (West side of Oahu) to hang up some hammocks and fall asleep listening to the crashing waves.

After our quick power nap we have all the energy we need to start off our beach day. From playing frisbee and football in the sand to catching a wave on a blow-up whale, before you know it, the sun is already about to set.  Everyone stops what they’re doing to sit at the edge of the beach and enjoy beautiful sunset marking the end of another successful day.

Although the sun may have set, the day full of adventure isn’t over just yet. The night has just begun.

As the sky gets darker and darker, our only source of light comes from our blazing bonfire in the middle of our camp. With guitars and ukuleles in hand, everyone gathers around the fire to enjoy each other’s company while eating some delicious s’mores.

As our beach day draws to a close, you may be thinking our day of adventure is finally over. But we’re not done yet.

As we make our way back to campus we make a quick pit stop at Haunama Bay to hike up the ridge. Yes, a night hike. I believe the key to a successful day is to start the day with a hike and end the day with a hike. Some say I am crazy but I like it that way. At the top of the ridge we sit under the bright stars and talk story into the night.

Of course not every weekend looks like this. School and work are a priority, but when you get that break, you can never be bored here. There’s never nothing to do in Hawaii. There’s always an adventure waiting for you.