Harmony Ohana Hawaiian Tour 2019 - Day Two

 THURSDAY, AUGUST 8. - Day Two

AM Breakfast on your own (student cost). You can get breakfast at the hotel but I recommend heading out and getting a local breakfast. There are great coffee shops everywhere. Hawaii grows some of the finest coffee in the world and there are coffee shops on every corner, from Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and a wonderful coffee shop a few blocks up Kalakaua Blvd at the Moana Hotel. Here you can get some of the freshest Hawaiian coffee around. There is nothing like a good coffee and some fresh Hawaiian banana bread or some fresh fruit. There are also some local places that serve eggs and Portuguese Sausage. excellent!

9:30 AM Load motor coach; depart for Koaloha Ukulele Factory

        1234 Kona Street

PM Tour of factory (group broken down into 2 groups to tour)

PM Short performance for the factory workers 

        PM.  Pops and Moms have invited us to have Lunch with the KoAloha Ohana

 3:00 PM Load motor coach; depart for Ala Moana Center

Ala Moana Center, Hawaii’s largest shopping center located in Honolulu just minutes from Waikiki, is an open-air shopping oasis. Here you’ll find over 290 merchants including luxury brands, local specialty stores, fine dining restaurants and an international food court.  Spend an hour or the entire day.  You’ll discover why Ala Moana is Hawaii’s Center!

6:00 PM Access to the Green Room at Ala Moana Center

7:00 PM Mainstage Harmony Show Choir performance at the Ala Moana Center

  

  PM Dinner on your own (student cost)- plenty of options at ala Moana Food Court

8:30 PM Load motor coach; return to the hotel

 Some thoughts and Insights on our Second Day of Tour

During the last tour, our visit to KoAloha Ukulele Factory was one of the biggest surprises of the trip. It was an emotional day being the last day in Hawaii, the last performance for the seniors, and meeting Pops and Moms Okami, who have since become great friends to me, Harmony, and Mainstage. I spoke with Pops last night and he was in tears of joy that we were coming back. I also asked if he would join us on the stage at Ala Moana Center to perform his song AMERICA'S SONG. 

KoAloha Ukulele is one of the finest ukulele in the world and Pops is a bonafide legend. There have been numerous movies made about Pops. Actually, my connection with KoAloha came about when I was asked by a filmmaker to present a concert of KoAloha Artists in Philadelphia when the documentary MY KOALOHA STORY premiered and won the Philadelphia Film Festival. It came in first place.

Here is a picture of an ukulele that Pops made for me. Pops also has made an ukulele that he calls the Harmony Wow, named in honor of the Harmony Show Choir.

After our visit with KoAloha, we will head over to the Ala Moana Center, the largest outdoor Mall in the World. It is so large that you could spend a day there. In addition to fabulous stores, there are restaurants and a giant food court with every kind of food imaginable. There is great, great chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Hawaiian food here. Be sure to try some.

TIP: Don't get the Philly Cheesesteak. I promise you will not be happy with it.
Another dinner option is Side Street Cafe. The food is wonderful-- more than wonderful, actually. Some of us went there on the last tour and it was just a great night. You get plenty of great food for very little money, all served family style -- so great for sharing. This place is in the same building as KoAloha Ukulele

We will perform at the Ala Moana stage. There is usually a very good crowd there. I invited Pops to perform AMERICA'S SONG with us. After the performance, we will have some time to explore the mall a bit then head back to the hotel