Located near the eastern shore of Oahu in the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, the Byodo-In Temple in Hawaii is a non-denomination shrine and half-sized replica of the Byodo-In Buddhist Temple found in Kyoto, Japan. It was constructed in 1968 to commemorate the centennial of the first Japanese immigrants to come to Hawaii.
During my road trip around Oahu, I stopped at the Byodo-In Temple to tour the lush gardens. Massive koi ponds surround the temple, and a number of onlookers tossed fish food into the ponds stirring the koi into a frenzy. The scenery, architecture, and peacefulness of the surroundings made exploring the Byodo-In Temple a really memorable experience.
Constructed between 1879-1882, the Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii was the official residence of the royal family of Hawaii until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. The palace is the only official state residence of royalty located on US soil and features decorative plaster ornamentation throughout the interior and a beautiful koa wood staircase in the grand hall.
Following the overthrow, the palace then served as the capitol building of the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and eventually the State of Hawaii up until 1969 when the new capitol was constructed. Today the Iolani Palace is a museum that's open for public tours and has been stunningly restored and maintained as a National Historic Site.
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| Iolani Palace ca. 1880s |
