Seniors Stop In Waipahu, On O’ahu

I read in the paper today that back in 2010 the Little League Baseball team from Waipahu played Japan for the world championship (LLWS). So today, get your coffee, we senior travelers are going for a visit to Hawaii.

I discovered that the early Hawaiians considered Waipahu to be the capital of the island and  Hawaiian royalty used to gather here to enjoy the fresh clean spring water. Potable springs were always important when surrounded by the salt water of the Pacific Ocean.

So, Aloha From Waipahu, Hawaii.  Aloha is a greeting as well as a farewell and is often accompanied by a Skaka. Know what that is? Seniors who have visited the islands have no doubt seen the famous hand gesture coupled with the greeting “shaka, brah!”

The first and last digits are held up and rotated rapidly back and forth. Originally it meant to “hang loose “, or to chill out and be laid back and is most often used as a positive reinforcement.

  Seniors Discover A Former Sugar Plantation Town

Waipahu is a former sugar plantation town and now census-designated place located in the ʻEwa District on the island of Oʻahu with a population of just under 40,000. The name Waipahu is derived from wai, meaning water, and pahū, meaning “burst or explode”… “water forced up (as out of a spring)”.

I’ve studied the Hawaiian language some having taught languages for over 30 years and found it to be fascinating. The Hawaiian language, or Olelo Hawaii, is one of the oldest living languages in the world with, get this… only 8 consonants and five vowels – much simpler than English.

So let’s explore Waipahu, and Hawaii’s Plantation Village is a great place to start, perfect location for family, and all ages to explore a living history museum and botanical garden. A visit here opens a door to a time of true hospitality and cultural sharing that sprung from Hawaii’s plantation life.

Seniors Find Outlets, Museums and Golf Courses

Waipahu is close to Pearl Harbor on Oʻahu’s southern short. A big draw for many senior visitors is shopping and the Waikele Outlets fits the bill very well. What else to do? Senior visitors enjoy the Contemporary Museum, U.S. Army Museum, USS Bowfin and Submarine Museum and Park.

Theater lovers can enjoy the Hawaii Theater. Those interested in golf can play a round or two at the Waikele Golf Club, Ted Makalena Golf Course, or Pali Municipal Golf Course.

There are several institutions of higher learning in Waipahu that include Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, and Brigham Young University – Hawaii Campus.

So Welcome to Waipahu and perhaps you too can take in a LLWS contender by watching a game of baseball to add to your list of memories on Oʻahu.  Enjoy Waipahu. -jeb