Hawaii
Drum, guitar and ukulele music sets hula skirts swishing in the "Spirit of Aloha" exhibit. The Aumakua Tower, 80 feet high, with a ring of flaming torches at the 55-foot level, forms the gateway to a complex of structures: the Aloha Theme Pavilion, a Tourism and Industrial Exhibits building, the Five Volcanos Restaurant, an arcade of shops, an ancient village and the enclosed Aloha Theater. The area is landscaped with coconut and hala trees, orchids and other tropical plants.
The nation's newest state showcased dances and plants not generally seen on the mainland. One can only wonder what they did with the palm trees between seasons of the Fair. (CD #23 Set 125 #11)
Guests entering the Fair at the River Gate were treated to a view of the thatched roof buildings of the Hawaii pavilion. (CD #15 Set 75 #8)
Culture of the Islands. The exhibition hall in the hexagonal Aloha Theme Pavilion has numerous displays of the islands' history and culture, including carved reproductions of the old Polynesian gods, thrones of the monarchy and views of the state today. One exhibit depicts the influx over the centuries of peoples from many Pacific islands. (CD #29 Set 151 #28)
The Charm of Old Hawaii. In the Ancient Hawaiian Village, craftsmen demonstrate native skills: how to construct a grass hut, shape stones into tools, and weave blossoms, seeds and strands into leis without thread or needles. Beach boys offer rides in outrigger canoes. (CD #TBD Set 271 #20)
Hawaiian Extravaganza. A one-hour show featuring entertainers from the islands is presented six times daily in the Alohatheatre, built on a man-made peninsula jutting into Meadow Lake. (CD #20 Set 105 #56)
Restaurants. The Five Volcanoes Restaurant, representing the volcanic origin of the Hawaiian Islands, has an indoor dining room, a Lava Pit Bar and an outdoor area seating 500, where there are daily buffet luncheons. Four nights a week, a three-hour, 12-course luau is held outdoors, complete with traditional dishes, rituals and dances. For snacks, the Sandwich Isle Bar offers fruits, nuts and other dishes from the islands. (CD #TBD Set 361 #71)
There was also a colorful display of something you don't see every day - pineapples growing in New York. Look as much as you want, but please don't touch! (CD #TBD Set TBD #1)
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