Hawaii Mom Blog

THE LATEST

June 24, 2026

Visit Alaska: Phillips Cruises 26 Glacier Tour


We had a phenomenal time on the Phillips Cruises 26 Glaciers Tour (mahalo for the discount!), which took us through Prince William Sound.

Aboard a 120-foot high-speed catamaran named the Bravest, we cruised in comfort through ice-filled waters to see a number of glaciers, as well an abundance of wildlife, such as humpback whales, bald eagles, kittiwakes, and sea otters.
Upon checking in, you are given your boarding pass, meal cards, and a slip with your table number.   Each party is assigned a table (depending on the size of your party, you may end up sharing with another).  Lunch is included and served shortly after boarding and you can choose from salmon chowder or vegetarian chili (a hot dog meal is available for kids). 

Meal cards are placed on the table so a crew member knows which meals to place on your table
Vegetarian Chili
Salmon Chowder

The Salmon Chowder was really delicious!  Meals come with crackers, bread, butter, cheese, gummies, and a mint chocolate. 

Complimentary coffee, water, and tea are provided onboard, and there is also a full bar where you can purchase alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, snacks, and more. 


Hot chocolate

Soft drink in a souvenir cup

The cruise is 5.25 hours long (they also have a shorter 3.75-hour cruise), and even though we brought snacks, my kids wanted something more substantial halfway through, so we bought some food.

Cheeseburger
Buffalo Hot Dog

There are USB ports available at each table.  Our ports did not seem to be working, but fortunately there were a couple of empty tables where we could charge our phones. 

As for the glaciers - that was simply amazing to see.  





The captain and crew did a fabulous job in explaining to us about the tidewater glaciers, their names, the colors, and more.

One of the crew members said there was a lot more ice than they normally see. 

Speaking of ice, the crew will fish for glacier ice for you to try or add to your drink.
Although we were equipped with ginger candy and anti-motion sickness bands and patches, the cruise was smooth thanks to the calm waters, and Phillips Cruises even has a No Seasickness Guarantee!




Breaching whale
Near the end of the cruise, everyone was given cookies!
Tips:

  • Dress in layers & don't forget gloves, beanies — it's extremely cold on deck (even more so when the boat is moving)
  • If you prefer, you may also remain in the comfort of the cabin to see the glaciers, which has plenty of large, clear viewing windows (although those on deck may block your view).
  • You can bring extra snacks / food / drinks (no alcohol allowed)
  • Bring binoculars
  • The website provides lots of handy information as to how to get to the ship terminal.

Getting to see the glaciers was an amazing way for us to wrap up our 50-state adventure.  

It was simply breathtaking, and to be surrounded by such beauty was something we did not take for granted. 

Read More

Holey Grail

If I'm at Ward Village, it's hard for me to resist getting some Holey Grail Donuts.  


Pictured from top L-R

•Black Sabbath

•Original Sin

•Chocolate Crunch

•Strawberry Fields

•Reincarnated

•Hot Single

•Saffron Snickerdoodle

•Hail Mary

•Liliko‘i


These donuts are so good, with a Hawaiian taro base and the incorporation of locally-sourced ingredients to create an amazing, imaginative assortment of flavors. 


My fave, however, is the Hot Single, which @deniset73 told me about.  It's simply local honey and sea salt flakes.  Simple, but so delicious.  

That's what you get when quality ingredients are used.  

Holey Grail Donuts
1001 Queen St #101
Honolulu, HI 96814

 

Read More

June 23, 2026

Visit Anchorage: Carrs

After exploring Anchorage one morning, my kids were hungry, and we decided to stop at the nearest grocery store, Carrs, for some snacks.

As soon as I stepped in and noticed the price tags on the shelves, I realized it was an Alaska counterpart to Safeway.

Even the deli had a lot of foods I'm familiar with from Safeway, and it's from the deli that we ended up getting lunch.  

We got the "Carrs Double Breaded Famous Chicken" Family Meal, which consisted of 8 pieces of chicken, 1 lb of a side (we got macaroni & cheese), and 4 King's Hawaiian Rolls.


The chicken was really good!  The skin was nice and crispy, and the meat tender and juicy.

It was just $16 for all of that food!

 

Read More

Celebrating 17 years of marriage at House Without a Key


To celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary, I wanted to take the boys to the place where it all began. Seventeen years ago, my husband and I exchanged vows at the Halekulani, and it remains one of our favorite places on Oahu. What better way to celebrate than with lunch at House Without a Key, the hotel's beautiful poolside restaurant?

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. The weather was gorgeous, and the setting was every bit as beautiful as the day we got married. 

We started with a Plantation Iced Tea while we looked over the menu.

Shortly after ordering, our server brought out complimentary bread rolls accompanied by lilikoi butter. The bread was warm, soft, and absolutely satisfying. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that our server kindly brought us a second basket, which disappeared just as quickly as the first!


For our entrees, I decided to splurge on the House Without a Key Burger, while my husband ordered the "Joy" Crab Sandwich. 



The twins shared the Melted Memories Four Cheese Pizza and a Jr. Cheeseburger from the Keiki Menu.



Everything we ordered was flavorful and beautifully prepared. The menu offers something for everyone, making it a great option for families.

Of course, no anniversary celebration would be complete without dessert. One of the twins had his eye on the Old Fashioned Waialua Chocolate Cake, while my husband and I shared Halekulani's signature Coconut Cake.

If you've ever had their coconut cake, you know it's a coconut cake like no other. Light, moist, and packed with coconut flavor.

In fact, it's one of the reasons I wanted to get married at the Halekulani all those years ago! Every bite brought back wonderful memories of our wedding day.

Between the beautiful setting, delicious food, and the opportunity to share a special place with our boys, it was the perfect way to celebrate 17 years of marriage. 





Click HERE to make a reservation on Open Table.


A HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY 
Halekulani Hotel 
2199 KALIA WAY




 

Read More

June 22, 2026

Rice Box Cafe

Rice Box Cafe is one of my faves in Mililani. The elevated plate lunches, featuring local, Japanese fare, are consistently good.  Ever since my first visit a few years ago, the food and service have never waivered.

My go-to is the Chicken Katsu, which is topped with a tsukemono aioli + katsu sauce.

Chicken Katsu


Furikake Garlic Chicken
Dynamite Chicken

Tonkatsu Sandwich (comes with a Side Salad)

Our family loves Rice Box!

Rice Box Cafe
95-1840 Meheula Pkwy e4
Mililani, HI 96789


Read More

June 20, 2026

Visit Hokkaido: Noboribetsu Bear Park

The bears are ready for you to feed them!

On our first trip to Sapporo, we spent one night in Noboribetsu -  a small town renowned for its natural hot springs. We would be spending most of our time at the hotel and the neighboring Jigokudani hell valley, but we had some free time the morning before heading back to Sapporo. 

One of the popular activities is the Noboribetsu Bear Park. Located atop of “Bear Mountain” in the Lake Kuttara area, the park is accessible via a scenic ropeway ride. The park is home to over sixty Hokkaido brown bears. The highlight of our trip was feeding the bears with special bear cookies available for purchase. It was so fun tossing the treats to the bears and watching them catch it.  

The bear park is also home to the world’s only Brown Bear Museum, established in 1958, and Yukara-no-Sato, a recreated Ainu village. 

First enclosure where we tossed the bear cookies,

The kids looking into the cub enclosure.

Several of the cubs playing around.

The kids taking a closer look at Lake Kuttara.

Fun ropeway ride is included in the admission to the Bear Park.

For more information, visit their site




Read More
The posts published on Hawaii Mom Blog are personal experiences and opinions only. Press releases and other information from business are shared if believed they may be of interest to Hawaii Mom Blog readers. Press releases/information from businesses do not reflect personal opinions. Unless otherwise specified, products are provided by the sponsor free of charge, and no monetary compensation is received. Hawaii Mom Blog assumes no liability for any malfunction, injury, or other loss or damage, whether direct, consequential, or incidental, arising out of services, companies, or products that have been featured, reviewed, given away, advertised, or written about on Hawaii Mom Blog. Click here for the Terms of Use.