Plan your Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day Plans:

Labor Day is one of the last weekends that tourists visit the islands and for you to end your summer with some patriotic fun! With this said, you will have to decide if you are okay with the crowds or if you want to stay away from all the people and do something at home. Either way we have you covered with plans that will make your weekend unforgettable!

Embrace the People:

If you decide to go with the flow and embrace the crowds, we recommend Diamond Head Beach State Park. The sand is soft, parking is ample, and the surf is always perfect. This beach for some reason is not usually very crowded so you might get lucky and have the beach to yourself! But most likely you will be sharing the sand and surf with fellow sun lovers. Bring a volleyball and a frisbie and start a friendly game with your beach neighbors.

Family Beaching:

If you are looking to beach it up with your family for the weekend, try out Ala Moana. This beach park spans 100 acres and is located between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki across from the famed Ala Moana outdoor mall. Ala Moana is well known as a great family beach spot and offers something for everyone. To make your experience easy Ala Moana Beach is equipped with public restrooms, tons of shady trees to sit under, and plenty of picnic tables for everyone looking to set up camp for the day. The kids will appreciate the concession stands scattered throughout the park when it gets too hot, because what kid doesn’t love ice cream!? Kids aren’t the only one who will be enjoying themselves here though, Dad can go surfing while mom lays out and watches the tikes, and when it’s Dad’s turn to watch the kids, mom can go stand up paddle boarding or walk across the street for some top notch shopping.

Foster Botanical Gardens:

If you haven’t checked out this oasis then it’s time you do. Parking is free and the entrance fee is only $3 for residents and $5 for everyone else, which is a real bargain! The park is 13.5 acres and you can bring a blanket and picnic basket to lay out and enjoy the peaceful gardens. There is so much to stimulate your senses here; exotic smells, beautiful plants, and soft grass. Some people come just for the corpse flower which smells like rotting flesh (scary we know)! Others come to smell the wonderful aromas of coffee. Whatever your reason, this park is a must visit!

Looking for some fun things to bring with you to your Labor Day BBQ? We have some interesting recipes for you to try!

Watermelon salsa:

3 cups finely diced seedless watermelon

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup finely minced red onion

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Shake all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Parmesan Garlic Corn:

Produce

4 ears Corn, fresh

1 clove Garlic

1 tbsp Parsley

Dairy

2 tbsp Butter

1/4 cup Parmesan

First cook the corn on the grill for 15 minutes, while you are doing this melt the butter and garlic together and then brush the cooked corn with the melted garlic butter, after that sprinkle parmesan on top and serve while hot!

3 ingredient pulled pork:

2 pounds of pork tenderloin

1 12 can of root beer

1 18 ounce of BBQ sauce

8 hamburger buns

Mix the pork and root beer into a slow cooker and then leave for 6 hours. At the end of the 6 hours drain any remaining root beer out and then add your favorite BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Serve hot on burger buns.

Red White and Blue chocolate bark

1 12 oz package of white chocolate

2 dark chocolate bars

2 large bag of peanut M&Ms (Leave one bag whole and chop up the other bag of peanut M&M

First, line a baking sheet with wax paper. Then place the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Stir and then microwave for 30 more seconds, check it and if not fully melted continue to stir and microwave in 15 second intervals. After the white chocolate is fully melted pour into the baking sheet and let sit. Do the same melting method with the dark chocolate and after drizzle over the white chocolate. Sprinkle the chopped and whole peanut M&Ms over the chocolate and then place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes or until the chocolate back is hard. Break the bark into uneven pieces and enjoy!

Now that you know the when, the where, and what, invite the who, and have a fantastic Labor Day!