Last October, during the last twenty-four hours of my Hawaiʻi vacation, I spent most of my time visiting two cultural institutions on the island of Oʻahu: Iolani Palace and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Iolani Palace was my first stop: the only official royal residence in the United States, which is also registered as a National Historic Landmark. The palace was built by Hawai’i’s last king, David Kalākaua, and was last inhabited by Hawaiʻi’s final reigning monarch and Kalākaua’s sister, Queen Liliʻuokalani, before her illegal overthrow in 1893. The group that I was traveling with chose the self-led audio tour of the palace.

Prior to our visit, I had some knowledge about the Hawaiian monarchy through short article reads and YouTube documentaries (YouTube is a digital library).

I learned that there is an ongoing movement formed by a group of Native Hawaiians to restore sovereignty back to their people since their overthrow in 1893 by a group of White businessmen–mostly of American and European descent–known as the Committee of Safety.

Touring Iolani Palace was enlightening and saddening. I learned that under King Kalākaua’s reign, Iolani Palace received electricity four years before the White House. King Kalākaua also translated Hawaiʻi’s oral history into written language to preserve his nation’s legacy.

King Kalākaua was one of the most decorated monarchs in the world during his reign, traveling to various countries and being recognized by other monarchs, most notably the British monarchy (Queen Victoria was notably very friendly with the Hawaiian monarchy).

I was moved by the portraits of the ruling Hawaiian monarchs from King Kamehameha I—Hawaiʻi’s first king who united all the islands—to Queen Lili’uokalani. It was also intriguing to walk the same steps in a royal palace once inhabited and ruled by people of color.

I also snapped a few photos of the grand staircase, portraits of the ali’i (monarchs), and the famous black gown worn by Queen Liliʻuokalani.

The prison room, where Queen Liliʻuokalani was tried and sentenced—in her own home—for treason, displayed a large, encased quilt, for which she stitched Hawaiian history during her eight-month imprisonment.

Queen Liliʻuokalani was a renaissance woman: a gifted poet and songwriter, most notably penning one of Hawaiʻi’s earliest national anthems, “He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi” and Hawaiʻi’s farewell song, “Aloha ‘Oe.” If my memory is accurate, “Aloha ‘Oe” played through our audio device as a conclusion to our tour of Iolani Palace.

I am reading the queen’s autobiography, Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen to better understand the queen and her experience losing her beloved kingdom.

Before departing Iolani Palace, I purchased a few postcards of Queen Liliʻuokalani, King Kamehameha I, and King Kalākaua from the gift store to commemorate my tour of the palace and the ali’i’s indelible legacy across the Hawaiian Islands.

Polynesian Cultural Center

It took us about two hours to drive from Iolani Palace to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Only my friend’s brother, Saúl, and I decided to go from our group of five. Once we arrived, we stopped for lunch, which I must pause to highlight Tita’s Grill and Catering in Hukilau Marketplace, which served the BEST burger that I have tasted in life: the Hawaiian Pineapple Burger (coming from a New Orleans girl who originally would have ranked New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Co. burgers as the best).

After lunch, with less than a couple hours to explore, we decided to purchase tickets to the Islands of Polynesia, a tour package recommended by a local to experience the six islands of Polynesia: Hawaiʻi, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Samoa. The experience and price were worth it!

We first took a canoe through the village of Tonga, then walked to the village of Samoa to witness an interactive performance between the Samoan villagers and the audience. Then, we explored the village of Fiji, which I really enjoyed witnessing the beautiful young performers tell their history through song and dance.

One of our final stops was a canoe ride through the village of Hawaiʻi to experience a beautiful and whimsical storytelling of the Hawaiian Islands (I forgot our guide’s name, but he was funny).

Our next stop after the Islands of Polynesia was the Hawaiian Journey movie experience, where we experienced a gorgeous cinematic retelling of the birth of the Hawaiian Islands. In that moment, I wished to be transported to that breathtaking scenery, suspended in the air, living among the ‘āina.

We concluded our adventure at the Polynesian Cultural Center with a stop at Sweet as Laie, for vanilla ice cream with lilikoi (passion fruit), scooped into a homemade waffle cone (it was that tasty).

I was deeply captivated by my brief journey through the Islands of Polynesia. Earlier that week, during my first lūʻau experience (Chief’s Luau), I learned that in Samoa, it is more customary for the men to cook than the women. Although I sometimes enjoy cooking, I became amused and interested in booking a flight to Samoa to experience this culture firsthand.

My first experience in Hawaiʻi was so culturally enriching and, overall, gorgeously breathtaking (I do not undermine those words when describing its lands), that I hope to return.

I stay connected to Hawai’i by watching cultural programming such as Aloha Authentic and PBS Hawai’i to continue learning about island culture, and by watching Khon2 online to stay abreast of the local news.

For now, until I (hopefully) return, Aloha, ‘Oe, Hawaiʻi.