Queen Emma's Summer Palace

Over the weekend I got to visit Queen Emma's Summer Palace. I've been meaning to go for quite a while now, but I haven't had the chance.

The back of the palace

The palace was a place of retreat and comfort for Queen Emma Kaleleonalani Rooke, King Kamehameha IV and their son Prince Albert between 1857-1885.

The house was built in 1848 by John Lewis. The house was sold to Queen Emma's uncle, John Young II for only $6,000. The house was then given the name Hanaiakamalama which means foster child of the moon. In 1857, John Young II left the house to his niece, Queen Emma, in his will.

In 1885, after Queen Emma's death, the home was bought by the monarchical government and leased. In the early 1900's it was bought by the Daughters of Hawai'i and was restored, in an effort to preserve a piece of Hawaiian history.

Upon entering the palace, you are asked to remove your shoes. Photos are allowed, but don't use flash.

The house is filled with beautiful portraits of the royal family. About 80% of the furniture in the house is original and belonged to the royal family, many of which were gifted to the family by other royalty throughout the world.

The Front Bedroom

The entry hallway

The beautiful 3 tiered cabinet in the Edinburgh Room

The Edinburgh Room

In the back bedroom, there is a tall glass display case. In the display case is a small fireman's jacket. It belonged to Prince Albert, who died at the age of 4 due to sudden illness. He became an honorary member of the Honolulu Fire Department.

The house is filled with so much history and it was a great honor to be able to see the furniture that the royal family had and to be able to walk in the rooms that they once filled.

If you're ever in Hawai'i I recommend visiting.

2913 Pali Hwy
Honolulu Hi 96817

What's your favorite museum you've visited?

A Unique and Fun Experience on Oahu

This weekend I had an amazing opportunity to do something I've never done before. I'm always looking for new and unique coffee shops to try. Well, this weekend I got to go to Oahu's new and only Cat Cafe. It was so much fun!

So anyone who knows me knows I'm allergic to cats. But I wasn't about to let that stop me from having this incredible experience. So I put on my battle armor (a hoodie, long pants and closed toe shoes), took allergy medicine and walked into the cafe.

The Cat Cafe partners with the SPCA. All the cats are available for adoption. In the two weeks and three weekends that they have been open, they've been able to adopt out, I believe, 17 cats. That's amazing!

The cafe itself is cute. Their menu board is shaped like a cat head.

They have various coffees and pastries you can order. I ordered my coffee and paid for my half hour to spend with the cats.

Before going into the cat area, you have to sign a waiver saying that they aren't responsible if you get hurt or if you have an allergy. But trust me, none of these adorable cats were mean in the slightest. I sat at a table and played with a couple of kittens. I mostly spent the time watching them play.

This cat was sleeping. How cute is she?

These are the kittens I played with!

Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time at the Cat Cafe. I would highly recommend visiting.

This is me in my "battle armor."

Hawai'i Cat Cafe
415 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu Hi 96815

What's the most unique cafe you've been to?

How to Make Your Travel More Eco Friendly

It's no secret that our planet is being overrun by garbage and pollution. It honestly breaks my heart to know that humans have done such damage to our planet and done so much harm to the animals that inhabit it,

But it's important to remember that all hope isn't lost. We can each make small changes in our lives that have a huge impact on the environment. There may even be things that you haven't thought about. So I wanted to take the time to share with you all the small things that I like to do while traveling.

• Bring your own water bottle. 

When traveling I always carry a water bottle with me. I keep it empty when I go through security at the airport and then fill it up at a fountain or even at a restaurant in the airport. Not only does it help me save money (I mean who really wants to pay $5 for a bottle of water?) but I don't add to the plastic waste that is ending up in our oceans and landfills. I personally use this water bottle. It doesn't leak and it keeps my water cold.

• Reusable cups, mugs or jars. 

If you're a regular reader on my blog, then you know how much I love coffee. One of the first things I do when I go someplace new, is find a small coffee shop to try out. One day I was sitting in a coffee shop, drinking out of my paper cup and I realized that I've added so much waste to our planet simply by drinking coffee. Sure paper is biodegradable, but the plastic lids are not. So I've made a conscious effort to bring my own cup when I buy coffee. In fact, a lot of places even offer a small discount for doing it!

• Reusable straws. 

I'm sure you've all seen the image of the sea turtle with a straw in its nose. If that doesn't bread your heart, I don't know what will. Some scientists estimate that there are 7.5 MILLION straws currently polluting the US Shorelines alone. That doesn't include other countries or the straws that have washed away. You may think that you making a change to not use straws won't help the planet. But think of it this way: on average each person uses 2 straws a day. That's 14 straws a week, 56 straws a month and 672 straws a year. That means there will be 672 less straws in the ocean if YOU refuse to use them. Think of the change we could make if we get our friends and family members to also not use them.

• Reusable produce bags. 

When I travel I love visiting farmers markets or local markets. I love trying all the produce that different places have to offer. I noticed that quite a few stands I'd visit would give me plastic bags to hold the produce that I bought. I hated that I would get so much plastic. So I bought reusable produce bags to take with me. They're sturdy, don't take up much room and super easy to wash. I use these and I absolutely love them.

• Reusable shopping bags. 

When I travel I like to bring a reusable shopping bag with me. I don't usually buy a lot, but I like to have it with me just in case. I carry it in my purse that way I have it if I need it.

These are just small changes that each of us can make while traveling and even in our daily lives.

What are ways that you help stay eco-friendly while traveling?



 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive compensation. Your purchases help me to continue to share tips and adventures with you. But as always, all views and opinions are my own. 

Perfect Date Night

So I recently had the opportunity to try out the Pravette Projector C7 Series.

The size is a little too big for me. I think it's perfect for a date night at home or even a movie on the lawn night with your family. But I don't think it'd be good for taking on trips. You couldn't really take it camping with you due to the fact it needs an external power source.

But I do think this projector is pretty good. The image quality is great and even the built in speaker is pretty good. If you plan on using it outside or in a large room, you may want to use external speakers to make it a little louder.

Overall, I think the Pravette Projector C7 Series is a great buy for the price.

Pros:

• Good built in audio. Pretty loud
• Great image quality. Bright, clear and vivid.
• Uses multiple sources for the movies (HDMI, USB, etc)
• Has a remote so there's no need to get up to change any settings.
• Perfect for an at home date night.

Cons:

• A little too big and not great for travel.
• Requires an outside power source. 

So go ahead and pop some popcorn, grab your lawn chairs and have your very own "drive in" in the comfort of your back yard. 

Click here if you'd like to purchase you're own Pravette Projector C7 Series.

Disclosure: I have received compensation in the form of free or discounted products for this post, but as always, the views and opinions are my own. 

More of the Best Coffee Shops on Oahu

Since writing my previous post The Best Coffee Shops on Oahu I've discovered a couple more hidden gems. I mean, I'm sure that comes as no surprise for any of you, since you all know how much I love coffee! 

Honestly, most of these I just happened to drive by and I had to try them. 

• Ali'i Coffee Co

I was driving around downtown and I looked over and happened to see it. I immediately pulled over into a nearby parking area and went in. 

They have tons of unique options of drinks (they're known for their cold brew). I decided to try the  iced Taro Ube Latte. 

The barista shook my drink as though it was a cocktail and handed it to me. The vibrantly purple drink was absolutely delicious! If you're ever in Honolulu I totally recommend trying it. 

35 S. Beretania St

Honolulu Hi 96813

Also, they offer reusable straws for $1. You should totally get one! Help save the environment!

• Drive Thru Joe

Drive Thru Joe is a local coffee truck. They offer unique takes on cold brew coffee, such as Caramel Cream and Hawaiian Tropic.

Caramel Cream Cold Brew

 All of their coffee is delicious! And the owners are absolutely lovely people.

Drive Thru Joe is currently located at Schofield Barracks. You will need base access to try their delicious coffee. 

Here's their Facebook where you can see any updates or changes in location.

• Chad Lou Coffee Roasters

This small, cozy coffee shop is hidden in Kailua Town. It's the perfect place to stop and get a coffee and just hang out. 

 They even offer bagged coffee for purchase, that is roasted in store.

45 Kihapai St

Kailua Hi 96734

• Morning Brew

Morning Brew just opened in downtown Kaka'ako. The coffee shop itself is very modern and clean. They have local art displayed on the walls.

The view from upstairs in Morning Brew

The coffee is amazing! They also offer a pretty large food menu that includes waffles and sandwiches. It's a great place to hang out with friends or even bring you laptop and do some work. 

685 Auahi St 

#113

Honolulu Hi 96813

Have you tried any of these coffee shops?