Okinawa Pineapple Park

The family with the Pineapple Park mascot.

We traveled up north to check out the Okinawa Pineapple Park.  We got to ride around in a pineapple cart and learn about different kinds of pineapples and how they grow.  Did you know that there are both edible and ornamental pineapples?  We were very grateful the cart tour came with English translation.  My Japanese is just not extensive enough to cover the differences of various varieties of pineapples...yet. 

After the tour, we wound our way down into a gorgeous seashell museum.  I didn't know seashells came in so many different and very vibrant colors!  Almost makes me want to take up diving while we're here (Okinawa is known worldwide for its amazing coral reefs)...almost.  :) 

We made our way down into the Pineapple Winery where we taste-tested four types of wine (okay, I wasn't able to, but everyone else did), juices (pineapple, Okinawa lime, Okinawa bitter melon), and a large number of pineapple cakes, pineapple chocolate, and other pineapple sweets.  They also had pineapple lotions, perfumes, and skin care products for sale.  On our way out, we purchased pineapple ice cream, complete with a slice of fresh pineapple!

Later in the evening, when we were back at the apartment, we enjoyed two types of sweet pineapple wines we had purchased earlier in the day, a delicious pineapple pound cake, and Okinawa lime juice while we played Uno.  Lots of fun and good food!

After a wonderful week together, we had to say goodbye to the Carlson family Monday morning.  We hope they all had fun; we know we sure did!

---Arielle