Fumi's is the brightly painted, sunset shrimp truck. The menu is limited and the focus is definitely on the shrimp - as it should be. The garlic shrimp is by far my favorite. The service is unpredictable -- sometimes happy and helpful, other times grumpy and rude. On last visit, the shrimp was not de-veined. This absolutely grossed out my daughter. This is not my first choice of shrimp trucks on the north shore and unless your kids love shrimp - probably not the place the kids will be asking to go back to.

Shrimp trucks are springing up all over the island but this is one of the originals. The Shrimp Shack is one of the more famous shrimp trucks on the North Shore but not necessarily the one that I would recommend (I prefer Giovanni's or Mackey's). The menu at The Shrimp Shack is a bit more kid friendly than some of the other stands, offering corn dogs and other fare but recently it has been rumored that the Shrimp Shack isn't server Kahuku shrimp, but rather shrimp from Kauai. The Shrimp Shack has a very commercialized feel, which may also be part of the reason I prefer some of the others as well. Although the shrimp trucks are one of my favorite $10 plate lunches, I usually visit them without the kids, but that is just because my kids aren't big shrimp eaters. The food is good, the people are friendly, and the experience is unique. Definitely worth a visit -- part of the fun is visiting more than one truck and comparing them.

Ice Palace is mostly what you would expect an ice rink to be - with an island twist. The rink was warmer and more crowded than any rink I have ever been to. I realized very quickly, we were there as much to watch the crowd as we were there to skate. Watching people who have never woken up to a snowy morning before skating on ice is a hoot. People were clearly trying to bundle in the warmest clothes they had -- their longest board shorts, tube socks, and hoodies in many cases. I dressed my kids in sweatpants, sweatshirts and light knit gloves and they were warm but not hot. The rental skates at the rink were some of the best I have come across and they even had skates small enough for a three year old with tiny feet (I think they were a toddler size 9 equivalent). The beginner area of the ice is roped off and the rink offers sliding frames for those not yet willing to brave it alone. If your kids have never been ice skating before, this is as good of any place for a first time experience. If you have frequented mainland rinks, this experience, although entertaining, will likely be disappointing for the kids. In the case of my kids, this was their first time on ice with "real ice skates". They had fun, and although they ask to go there when we drive by, it never seems to be the activity they choose when given a choice.

Several notes: The bathrooms were disgusting, I would try to avoid at all costs. The open skate times at the rink are very generous but I do not recall the ability to re-enter after departing. You are allowed to take food and drinks in and I definitely would (check this policy before going, I recently heard it had changed).

Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlor is located in Ko Olina across the street from the new Disney Resort. Just visit their website and you will immediately realize what a little treasure this ice cream parlor is.

From the moment we walked in and saw the fancy tablecloths, porcelain teapots, balloons, and special room arrangement, we fell in love with this little shop. The kids were each presented with an ice cream sunday - bigger than most grownups could eat. The expression of girls' faces was absolutely priceless. The owner's, Pat and Nathan, made the experience absolutely perfect.

We frequently visit the ice cream parlor just for ice cream and find each time we are treated just as special. The service is great, the ice cream is to die for and includes local flavors as well as some traditional options, and the ambiance is precious. Definitely a great place to stop in if you are staying in Ko Olina or visiting the west side shores.

The Star of Honolulu is one of several whale watch cruises in the vicinity of Diamond Head / Honolulu. The tours run from December through April. The cruise line offers an early bird tour which has an option for breakfast and a midday tour which has an option for lunch. We chose the lunch tour because of the start time being more kid friendly (downtown traffic can be horrendous in the early mornings) and went ahead and sprung for the included lunch. The cruise line has an ongoing promo for a free kids ticket with an adult ticket purchase. The ship is huge and is barely filled -- which is awesome, the kids never stopped moving, they walked every stairwell and walkway, wandered through the all you can eat buffet line at least 3 times grabbing cookies and rolls and plates of pineapple, and were so excited when we actually saw whales - and not just an adult whale, but also a mommy teaching her baby how to swim. If you have never been on a whale watching tour and will be in Hawaii during whale season, this is just as good as any other and worth doing at least once. To keep the kids entertained, the cruise also includes lei making, hula lessons, ukulele lessons, and a brief introduction to whale watching - with pictures, demonstrations, and descriptions of whale behavior and what to look for when trying to spot a whale. The cruise definitely captured the kids attention for the three hours we were onboard.