Mahalo Nui Loa! An open letter of thanks from the H50Fanatics

We've all heard about the whole "Aloha spirit" thing from our friends who have vacationed there and those who live there. Until we actually went to Hawaii and experienced it for ourselves, we never really understood what that meant. Aloha spirit is a culmination of cultures, people, smells, foods, and the beating of one giant heart. From the moment you set foot off of your flight, until the moment you go home, you're surrounded by it. The only way to describe it is this. You're wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, love and peace all at the same time. All the cares in the world are erased by a simple smile and greeting of "Aloha, welcome to Hawaii."

The people alone are so kind, gentle and do not judge you. Even though your only a visitor, (Haole) you're treated like one of the family. (Ohana) We've accumulated so many new friends from this adventure, we felt the need to say Mahalo (thanks) for making this the best vacation for us ever.

From Madaline:

To all of my Twitter friends that accepted me as a follower, let me into you lives, and enjoyed countless hours of talking about our favorite show, Hawaii Five-0, it's amazing cast, crew and producers...Mahalo! We're all now and forever bound together as Five-Ohana!

To Bruce Fisher and his wife Yaling, what can I say. If it weren't for you and Hawaii-Aloha travel I would have never been able to afford this trip. You found me on twitter struggling to make my plans for the Hawaii Five-0's premiere along with so many others. Your advice about the pay as you go plan, and help with booking my accommodations and flights, made this trip a reality. The many hours you've spent planning the four days of events have not gone without notice. I will never forget the hospitality or kindness you shared with me and the group the entire week we were there. Mahalo nui loa for making me feel so welcome.   \m/ ^_^ \m/

To Mike Gordon (a.k.a. @CrankyDad), thank you for taking an unknown woman from New Jersey and giving her the15 minutes of fame she thought she'd never have. Your article about my adventure with my twitter friends was truly amazing.  Mahalo

To Wendie Burbridge, H50undercover, (a.k.a. JBob) LisaLisa98 & Keith Sato, mahalo nui loa for making this haole part of your Ohana. You were all so kind to hang out with me and my new friends. I loved spending our H50 tour with all of you and learning all about your beautiful home state. Because of you, I've taken a piece of Hawaii home in my heart. I look forward to coming back to Hawaii and sharing new experiences with all of you over and over again. Please keep in touch!

To Amy Bakari for making SOTB a real adventure. I still can't believe the cajones on you girl! Got a palm tree moved! WOOT! You are truly an amazing and determined individual. I thank you for helping us with our "quest".

To Peter Lenkov for bringing back Hawaii Five-0. By utilizing social media to reach your fans, a group of people were brought together by talking about your show on Twitter and Facebook. Without this show, I would have never met my new Ohana. The cast camaraderie shows the true meaning of friendship, family and the aloha spirit each week through your great story telling. You and your writing staff continue to amaze me every week with the twist and turns thrown at us. Continued success with the show and with all of your new endeavors.  Mahalo!

To my new Ohana..Stacey, Deb and Ellen. Without you, I would have never made it to Hawaii. You all encouraged me to stay positive when I thought this trip was an impossibility. I'm so glad I listened to my heart and ignored the naysayers who thought I was crazy to jump on a plane, fly to Hawaii and meet perfect strangers. I love you all for making this the best vacation of my life. *MUAH*

From Ellen:


Overall, a lot has been said about the aloha spirit but I NEVER really understood or felt what that meant until we got to Hawaii.  The Aloha spirit is pervasive – like the smells and the feel of the islands – it’s in the strangers we met everywhere during our week in paradise.  But we felt it immediately with all the five0s that we “met” for the first time after chatting for months and those that we truly met for the first time who joined us on this adventure.

But of course a few stand out~

Bruce took this from the beginning to create something incredibly unique and done by fans for fans – which came to mean much more to me once we were there.  The feeling of Ohana was with the group from the minute we arrived and continues today.   Yaling welcomed all of us into her home with such grace, I’m so glad to have met her and look forward to staying in touch.

Wendie – you made Hawaii so real for us, not only on the tour but just by being who you are – a natural ambassador.

JBob – you were not what I expected, I’m glad you spent so much time with us, and wish you would have spent more (next year for sure!). *hugs*

Lisa-  you were so wonderful to us, I want your life – to be in Hawaii and welcome visitors who share in your love of all things five-0.  Keep it up girl !!! (and see you soon).

Keith - who can hold his own with this wild group - a special man for sure


Amy- You CRAZY Woman!  So glad we got to know each other, who knew you could get so close staking out a piece of sand on a beach!  Mahalo for everything - and I mean everything! Can't wait for next year.

Mike – who was a stranger to us and from the moment we “met” online we were all instantly put at ease.  Mahalo for helping to make this the week of a lifetime.

From Deb:

I struggled with the decision to go to SOTB2. The money, how would my husband, family, friends react to me wanting to do something really out of character for me. The more time I spent talking w/ Ellen, Maddy & Stacey and all the twitter/facebook Ohana, the more I wanted to go. I just knew this was something I had to be a part of. So I worked up my courage, broached the subject w/ my husband and the rest is history! This vacation is definitely one of the top 10 weeks of my life!

Meeting the other 3 H50fanatics and feeling like I've known them forever was amazing. I miss them every day, even tho we tweet, FB and text. The local Hawaii folks were so fun and welcoming. Thanks to Wendie (and Chief), Lisa, Keith, J-Bob,and Monica. Then there's Bruce and Yaling who got this whole thing off the ground! You all made it extra special. Oh almost forgot! Also Mike Gordon for our "15 minutes of fame" Really weird to get recognized on the street in a place you are visiting. Just a tiny, tiny sliver of what our favorite celebs have in their lives. One more, Kait, at Queen's Surf Cafe & Lanai....your food was delicious and well-priced!

Meeting and putting faces to all the other twitter/FB people equally incredible! I have a whole new circle of friends brought together by our common love (obsession??) for Hawaii Five-0. Not gonna name names for fear I'll miss someone. I look forward to staying in touch and seeing all of you again next year. I am already saving for it!

No more or I will start crying. SO looking forward to seeing all of you again next year or sooner. Planning a #H50 tweetup in Indianapolis some time in the next month to see Candy, Cindy and a couple other Midwesterners that weren't able to attend SOTB2. Tweet/FB if you want in!

In closing, I would say YES Alex, Twitter and Facebook can be used for good. Without them I wouldn't have had this fantastic experience (I understand why you don't want to though!) xoxoxoxo Special thanks to Maddy for all her hard work on telling "our" story!

From Stacey:

Where to begin?

When I set out on this journey back in September, I had no idea what to expect. I was getting on an airplane and flying thousands of miles to a place I’d never been, to meet three women I had never met in person (Maddy, Ellen, and Deb), room with one of them for 8 days, sit on a beach with 10,000 screaming fans to watch a premiere of my favorite television show, hoping to give a gift to my favorite actor, and if that wasn’t enough, have our adventure told in the local Hawaiian press. Wow, what an adventure I had planned for myself. If this was a test, I passed with flying colors!!

My adventure of a lifetime wouldn’t have been possible without the help and new friendships of several people. So I say MAHALO NUI LOA to…

Bruce and Yaling Fisher – for all you did to organize our trip and group activities. You spent tireless hours for a group of people you didn’t know, and yet pulled off a fantastic event!

My new Hawaiian Ohana (Wendie, J-Bob, Lisa, Keith, and Monica) – the tweetups, the tours (the Bayer Estate will always hold a special place in my heart and scrapbook!), and all of the time you spent entertaining us, YOU ROCK!

Mike Gordon – how you sold your editor on our story, I’ll never know. You took 4 women from completely different parts of the country and made them famous for a few days. The amount of people who recognized us and asked us about our quest in getting the quilt to Alex was amazing!

Amy Bakari – what can I say about you woman, you have GOT to be the most determined woman I have ever met. You helped us keep our eye on the ball and reminded us of what was important.

Kait from Queen’s Surf Café & Lanai – Our luau and brunch were amazing! But most of all, that homemade chili of yours was a scary doppelganger for my mom’s and made me feel at home. And seeing the expression on your face when I guessed the secret ingredient was priceless. By the way, the secret ingredient is… go ask Kait!

Peter Lenkov – To find new ways of entertaining critics and the general public is a tough task, one that you, your team of writers and production staff, not to mention the great talents of your cast, have mastered flawlessly. Thank you for giving us back our Mondays! Oh, and the cocopuffs at 6AM on the beach weren’t bad either.  And please... more shirtless McG!

Alex – Mahalo for giving me a reason (several reasons) to go on this journey. I’m glad you got the quilt. Enjoy it and enjoy all of the many successes coming your way. You deserve it!

And last but not least… I raise a glass (ok, it’s a Corona) and say cheers to my new lifelong friends: Maddy (roomie!), Ellen, and Deb. What can I say? I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love you ladies! And… WE DID IT!

A Little Bird told us..... 9-14-11

This was our last full day in Paradise. We had already decided that we wanted to see Pearl Harbor, the Arizona and the Mighty Mo.  We were well aware that we needed to get up and get moving to make sure we got a spot in line.  We had also gift wrapped the quilt, and had started taking it with us everywhere; knowing our opportunities to drop it off with someone connected with Hawaii Five-0 were getting slimmer by the hour.

A little bird had sent Madaline a Facebook chat message about the opportunity to see Hawaii Five-0 filming locally. Of course we dropped what we were doing, got dressed and headed out. There wasn’t any need to have a discussion. Pearl Harbor would be there the next time we came to Hawaii.  We hopped in our rental car and found the location where they were filming. They were at a restaurant called Shokudo, right down the street from the production offices. We saw extras walking in front of the restaurant being filmed in an outdoor scene several times. 

While we watched, Ellen spoke to a security guard and asked if there was anyone we could speak to about dropping off our quilt.  We were very thrilled and surprised when one of Alex’s “people” came over to speak to her. He remembered her from either the news article or the red carpet and immediately knew what she wanted. He and Ellen came over to the rest of us so he could speak to all of us at the same time. He suggested that we bring the quilt to the production offices. He stated he’d call ahead so that the quilt would be held for him and assured us that HE would make sure that Alex received the gift.  He was incredibly nice and Ellen trusted him completely. After we spoke to him, we were keeping an eye on the doors of the restaurant because we were told there were actors inside waiting to do their outside scene.

The extras milling around, were providing the realistic backdrop behind the restaurant windows, but we couldn’t see anyone inside the restaurant.  Soon enough, we were rewarded. The extras took a break and Alex (looking so hot in his blue t-shirt) walked out of the restaurant with Lauren German.  We watched as their make-up people got them prepped for the scene. They ran the scene several times from different angles. We were glued to the spot watching their every move. Although we were told not to take pictures, we did sneak one or two. How could you not sneak one of Alex in blue?  *SIGH* 

As filming began to wrap at that location, the actors were quickly led to vans awaiting them on the side street. They sped away quickly and it was obvious that the crew was breaking down the equipment for the day. We walked back to our car, and drove to the production office to drop off the quilt. As promised, they were notified ahead of time and were expecting us. They graciously accepted the quilt and told us that they’d give it to Alex’s people personally. Mission accomplished.

To celebrate the quilt quest being over, we decided to do lunch at the Tropics Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It was a combination of our relief in having accomplished our task, and being in a place where so many H50 scenes have been shot that we felt the need to splurge on lunch. Just eating and relishing in the day’s events was so much fun.  After lunch, we decided to walk around the grounds and check out the many shops on the Hilton property and do a little shopping.

All in all, we were very happy to have been able to see our beloved Hawaii Five-0 being filmed, even if it was for a short time.  Being able to see Alex in action before we left was the icing on the cake. Now, when we see episode 2.06 air, we can say…we were there.

Mahalo to the “little bird” that let us know where filming was that day. You know who you are.  

   \m/ ^_^ \m/ 

Road Trip! 9-13-2011

Today was the day we would leave Waikiki, which had served us well so far, but there was so much more we needed to see.   We decided to rent a car and set off towards the East.

Heading down Kalakaua Avenue, we passed by the Waikiki Aquarium, Queens Surf Café and Kapiolani Park. We made our way up Diamond Head Road overlooking Makalei Beach and Diamond Head Beach State Park.  We continued to follow the road which eventually brought us to the H1 highway. This led us to the windward side of the island. Past the Koko Crater, we pulled into the scenic overlook at Koko Head State Park.  Just below us was Hanauma Bay. Of course, pictures were taken. We were even lucky enough to have a very nice couple take a picture of the four of us together for a change.

 A little further down the road we stopped off at the Halona Blow Hole. Deb and Madaline got out hoping to get a picture or two of the water actually coming in through the blow hole. Their patience paid off.  After pictures there, we wound our way around the island past Makapu’u Point, the lighthouse and continued around to the windward side of the island. It was truly spectacular. Driving past Waimanalo Beach was just incredible. That part of the coastline is well worth the trip and we highly recommend making your way there.

We had heard that Hawaii Five-0 was filming today at the Paul Mitchell Estate over in Lanikai.  We knew it was going to be a closed set and we knew there was a snowballs chance in Hawaii that we’d see anything, but we headed that way anyhow. The neighborhood was really lovely. Although we didn’t see any of our H50 stars, we did see a part of Oahu, we all agreed, we’d be more than happy to move to, if we ever won the lottery.

After leaving Lanikai, we worked our way towards Kailua and Kualoa. We stopped at what was perhaps the single most beautiful place we found so far, Kualoa Beach Park.  The water was exquisite shades of turquoise green and blue. Chinaman’s Hat or Mokoli’i Island was sitting right in front of us. The 360 degree view was just spectacular. To one side was Kualoa Beach. When we turned around, we realized we were a stone’s throw from the Kualoa Ranch and the Kualoa Valley. It was here that we decided, was the perfect backdrop to take photographs of the quilt for Alex… which was still in our possession.  Being between the emerald green mountains of Kualoa and the shores of the Pacific was the true meaning of being in paradise. It’s hard to convey the sense of peace we found at this park.

While taking pictures, we glanced over and realized that we were probably looking at the home used as MaryAnn McGarrett’s rental house from the Hawaii Five-0 Ke Kinohi episode. We went back and forth about it for a few minutes and swore to check the season 1 dvd when we got home to verify.  Of course, we were right about the house. They don't call us H50fanatics for nothing.  :) 

Eventually we left that beautiful place and continued driving towards the north shore. We were ravenous at this point in the day and just had to eat. We came upon our first shrimp truck and decided to stop. The place we stopped at was called Mike’s Huli Huli shrimp truck. Just reading the menu made us drool. Each of us tried something different so we could sneak a taste from one another’s plates.  We couldn’t decide what tasted better, the chicken, pork or the shrimp, so we ordered all of them. 

After lunch we continued our drive along the north shore through Laie, Kahuku and around to Turtle Bay.  The scenery lulled Ellen to sleep. Madaline was still taking pictures and admiring the views along with Stacey and Deb. We decided to take the H2 back towards O’ahu. Ellen woke up somewhere around the Dole pineapple fields and plantation. 

The road wound its way back towards Pearl City through Aiea and on into the Waikiki area.  We decided we wanted to see Punchbowl. Once we got our bearings, we made our way through town and finally found it. Slowly, climbing up the hills and into Punchbowl.  It was a very solemn place to be. It amazed us to see so much beauty within a cemetery. There were these trees aligning the driveway, we'd never seen before that caught our attention. If any of you know what kind of trees they are, please leave us a comment. The 180 degree view of Waikiki below us in the valley was breathtaking. Knowing that our favorite show had filmed there several times wasn’t a bad thing either.

After a long day of site seeing, we realized we needed to gas up the car.  We did see Leonard’s Bakery when we wound our way through the local streets, but didn’t stop for malasadas or coco puffs. Our final tour stop was going to be at the Diamond Head Health Bar to taste one of Alex O’Loughlin’s favorite treats, an acai bowl.

After our snack we made our way towards Hawaii Kai. Our new friend, Bruce Fisher and his lovely wife Yaling, invited us over for cocktails. Some of the friends we met during SOTB were there. We all were very happy to see each other again. We’d all been doing our own tours and such around the island the last couple of days, so it was nice to catch up. We arrived there around sunset, so of course pictures were taken. The sunsets in Hawaii are just incredible. Every one of them is different from day to day. This was no exception. 

LisaLisa98 and Keith Sato showed up bearing gifts...malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery!  Not just one box, but 3 boxes of them. They were still hot too. Once they were opened, they were fair game. I think all 3 boxes were devoured in about 2 minutes. Simply delicious!

Bruce asked some of us if we wanted a tour of the area where he lived. It was an island community within the island of Oahu. The Kaupa Pond surrounded him. He took us for a twilight boat ride around and gave us a little history of the area.  It was very cool. Soon after we got back, we decided to head back to the hotel. So we said our goodbyes, cried some tears and left.

When we got back to the hotel, Deb and Ellen went back to their room to settle in for the night. Stacey and Madaline decided to grab a late night snack and a drink before turning in. They found Wendie, her husband, and several others hanging out at Lulu’s bar and decided to join them. Good conversation, good food and friends. What more could we ask for?

All in all, this was a great day. Beautiful scenery and spending the day with friends, (who felt more like family to us) made for some memories we’ll never forget.  

Here'a a link to more pictures of our tour.  Tour pictures

Fly Makani Kai...... Sept. 12, 2011

After four days of meeting new friends, laughing, partying, sweating on the beach at SOTB, touring our favorite Hawaii Five-0 filming locales, and doing some shopping, there was only one thing left to do....See Hawaii from the air!  Prior to going to Hawaii, Stacey and Madaline booked their tour online with Makani Kai Helicopters. Joining them was another twitter friend @TereseaLea. We were all looking forward to our 45 min tour of O'ahu.

The van arrived to pick us up at our hotel. Away we went towards Honolulu International Airport. En route to the airport, we watched our flight safety video and chatted with our driver, Rob. Upon arrival, we strapped on our life preservers and Rob guided us to the chopper. It wasn't 77H that's been used by Hawaii Five-0, but it was great just the same. After a few instructions from our pilot, Eiki Miyasato, we took off for 45 minutes of exploration.


 Our tour took us to places that we did not see on the ground yet. Honolulu Harbor, Magic Island, Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel were just the start. We continued over Waikiki Beach where we'd been all week. Down the coastline headed straight for Diamond Head crater. As we flew over it, we got to see the Army installation that was built inside. That was very cool!

Leaving Diamond Head behind us, we headed for the windward side of the island. Most of the locations we had driven by on our H50 tour were now being seen from the air. Here's a list of the beautiful places we flew over....and yes, there are plenty of pictures for you to enjoy. (see the link at the bottom of the page)

Sandy Beach
Makakpu'u Point
Sea Life Park
Sea Life Park
Mount Olomana
Nuuanu Pali (Pali Lookout)
Kaneohe Bay
Chinaman's Hat (Mokoli'i Island)
Ka'a'awa Valley (a.k.a. Jurassic Park Valley)
Sacred Falls
Polynesian Cultural Center
Mormon Temple
Sunset Beach
Waimea Bay
Dole Pineapple Plantation
Kukaniloko (a.k.a The Birthing Stones )
Pearl Harbor (which included The U.S.S Missouri & The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial)

Here's a link to our photo's from the flight. I hope you enjoy looking at them. We had a wonderful time.  If you ever get the chance to come to Hawaii, please call our friends at Makani Kai Helicopters to book a tour. You will not be disappointed.

Makani Kai Helicopter Tour


Mahalo to Rob Chiong, Eiki Miyasato, and Richard Schuman for making our afternoon flight such a wonderful experience.

H50 Fan Tour Sept. 11, 2011

Today we walked, drove and drooled through all the places our favorite 5-0 team has done filming for season one.  We all met at 9:30am in the lobby of the Park Shore Hotel; Starbucks in hand of course. As we awaited the bus to pick us up, we all had one place on our mind that was on the tour, The Bayer Estate.  McG's house in all it's glory. Unfortunately, we had to wait as it was the last stop of the day.

The bus arrived and we piled on. We were greeted by our favorite travel agent, Bruce Fisher and his lovely wife,Yaling along with our favorite Five-0 team, @LisaLisa98, @KeithSato, @WendieJoy & @H50Undercover. Remember, H50undercover  revealed his identity to us earlier this week; however we do not speak his real name (kinda like Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter). He is lovingly known to us as JBob.  JBob and Wendie led the tour with a colorful and entertaining commentary. Each location we'd pass by or stopped at included some intriguing ghost stories narrated by Wendie. Hawaiian folk lore at its best.

The list of places to see or stop at went something like this:

Ala Moana Park. Our beloved Five-0 cast films here a lot. Whenever you see the Wailoa Shave Ice or Kamekona's shave ice stand, this is where they are.

In addition to seeing the area around the park, we passed the yacht club used for the tsunami episode, Kai E'E,

the Wailana Coffee house (this was used not only in season 1 but recently in season 2 Epi 02).

The Hilton Hawaiian village, and The llikai Hotel. (This was used in the opening credits. McG does that head turn to look into the camera on the top floor of this hotel.)  Then we made our way past the heart of the Five-0 show, the production studios, 605 Kapiolani. It looked like any other bldg in town. The best parts were on the inside. All the sets, the green screen for the internal cargument segments, the computer table, the Five-0 HQ offices et al.

Slowly, we made our way through downtown. Yes, we're off to Five-0 HQ. All the major buildings  you'd see in the show. The post office, Ali'olani Hale, King Kamehameha Statue, and the I'olani Palace. Our driver pulled over on the side street and we all grabbed our cameras and headed out. With our jaws dragging on the ground, we slowly came upon the King Kamehameha statue. We were there. The place our favorite cast has walked so many times before. Of course we all stopped to take individual & groups pictures.

As we drove towards our next destination, we passed by The State Capitol, Washington Place, the Eternal Flame, and the Governor's Mansion.  Our tour had taken us past so many of Hawaii's well known landmarks. Then, we were in the presence of a landmark that all haloe tourists have on their list of places to see; the Aloha Tower. We didn't stop there, just did a drive-by. What a site to see. Since we had several minutes to kill before our next stop, we watched some H50 episode clips to remind us of what episodes we saw these locations in.                                                                                                           

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                  

As we drove down the H1, 2 or 3 (I can't remember which one?) we headed towards the Pali Lookout. We gradually made our way up the mountain. The bus driver found a shady spot to park and we made our way off the bus and up a long path. As we walked up the pathway to the top of the lookout, we could see a peek here and there of our surroundings. All around us were these amazing , lush,green mountains full of crevasses. They alone were so beautiful and majestic to look at. As we approached the overlook, we all just held our breath. At the end of the path was the most amazing view of Hawaii we've ever seen. There in front of us was Waimanalo Valley, the Pali Highway cutting through the valley below, and Hanauma Bay in the distance with its sparkling blue/green waters. Trust us when we say, these pictures do not do this or any other part of Hawaii justice. You've gotta see it for yourself.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

After taking in the view from above the valley, we soon boarded the bus once again and made our way into the valley, passing through Waimanalo, past the Makapu'u Beach and lighthouse, the Halona Blow Hole and Hanauma Bay. Just breathtakingly beautiful.

After driving around for an hour, it was time for lunch.  We stopped at the Koko Marina Shopping Center to eat. With a plethora of places to eat, we didn't know where to go first. Stacey, Deb and I decided to try the Loco Moco. Stacey had the traditional meat one. I had some kind of seafood combo and Deb had the chicken and shrimp. Ellen ate at a new cafe across the way. She had chicken of some kind. Do you really care? Just know everything we ate was delicious! After lunch some of us decided to have some ice cream. Bubbie's mochi ice cream was da bomb! I don't recall what flavor I had but it was so good. @LisaLisa98 insisted I try it and I'm glad she did. I also had a cup of mint chocolate chip. So much tastier than back home in New Jersey. Lunch was over and it was time to get back on the bus. Last stop, the Bayer Estate.

                                                                                                                                          

So we finally arrived at the The Bayer Estate.  As we all filed into the front yard through the gate shown above, a familiar sound filled our ears. You guessed it, The Hawaii Five-0 theme! It was rigged to go off when we came in. The family that now owns the estate, the Mirakitani Family, greeted us as we walked in. Even their dog got greeted us in true Five-0 fashion. In staying with tradition, we were asked to remove our shoes before entering their quaint home.

                      

So how familiar does all of this look to you? Then you can imagine how we all felt walking in the footsteps of McGarrett himself. It was so surreal! Looking at the staircase he walked down in Ke Kinohi, walking out through the doors out to the lanai into the backyard and seeing the famous "chairs" that he and Danny sat in having beers in the Pilot episode. (not exactly the same chairs but close enough) Of course, we all took turns taking pictures in them. LOL   

Oh yeah, and the view was beautiful from here.

After our pictures, we were invited to have refreshments, compliments of the family, on the lanai. Mochi ice cream and assorted beverages for all.

Then, we made our way back into the house. We floated around the dining room, back through the living room and into the kitchen. Just across the hall from the kitchen was McG's bedroom. (which in the H50 episodes it's shown upstairs.) When we walked into the bedroom, there it was...the brass bed McGarrett and Catherine were in together in Nalowale. Once again, many pictures were taken in this room and on this bed.  *wink wink* 

                                                                                                              

After lying in McG's bed and wishing he were there with us, some of us went back upstairs to look around. Again, very familiar rooms. Den, another bedroom and the balcony off the back of the house we see in many aerial shots of the home. 

Unfortunately, the time had come for us to go. Couldn't believe an hour could go by so fast. Some of us found the owners and thanked them for their hospitality and for allowing us to roam around freely taking pictures and drooling.  As we headed for the front door, one of the family members recognized us from the article that Mike Gordon (a.k.a. @CrankyDad) had done in Friday's Star Advertiser. She asked us to sign the article for her. Of course, we obliged. She also asked if we had seen "the bed" where McG had been. 2 of us did and 2 of us didn't. She insisted that we take a picture on the bed together before we left. It as a crowning moment to the day. The H50Fanatics were enjoying our 15 minutes of fame once again. 

We'd like to thank The Mirakitani Family for their hospitality, generosity, and for allowing us to invade their home for one glorious hour. Mahalo and Aloha nui loa to the entire family!

This had concluded our Hawaii Five-0 location tour. For their first attempt at a tour, Bruce, Yaling, Wendie, H50Undercover, Lisa and Keith had all done a wonderful job. It was very informative, interactive, and best of all, they gave a lot of Hawaii Five-0 fans memories to last a lifetime. Mahalo for the effort and Aloha nui loa one and all.