Guam Museum and Talo’fo’fo Falls

Yesterday we had field trip Friday on Thursday and went to the Guam Museum. Debby joked that she was going as a chaperone. Our expectations for this museum were pretty low, as reviews said it was very small and there wasn’t much to see. We were pleasantly surprised and all really loved it! The man at the information desk was so nice and enthusiastically blew a conch shell horn to announce our arrival.

The first floor had two separate rooms of art by local artists. One room was completely dedicated to a single artist. Her exhibit is called ‘Tree Talk’ and her intention was to simply focus on their beauty. I loved what this plaque said. I sent this to my sister who is a very talented artist in her free time.

The second floor focused on the history of Guam. The layout guides you through Guam’s history, with the walking path unfolding in chronological order. We learned so much! It even had a small exhibit about WWII soldier Shoichi Yokoi—the same figure Alexis just finished a project on.

Into the Jungle – Exploring Talo’fo’fo Falls

Today we visited Talo’fo’fo Falls. They are an amazing natural attraction here on Guam. There are two cascading waterfalls set in a lush jungle valley. Unlike most waterfalls on Guam that require a hike, this one is accessible by cable car gondola. Braxton was very excited about the cable car ride and the falls were absolutely stunning!

There was a bridge that took you across the river and gave a spectacular view of the upper waterfall.

Yakoi’s Cave

There was a replica of Shoichi Yokoi’s cave that we hiked down to see. His original cave was built along the Talo’fo’fo River, however it was later destroyed by a typhoon. We hiked through some very dense jungle and came out with a lot of mosquito bites, but the cave was pretty cool. This diagram shows what his cave looked like.

An Oddly Placed Haunted House

After taking the gondola back up we saw a haunted house we could go through. It seemed like an odd thing, but we gave it a try (minus Debby). It was underground, which added a new level to its scare factor for me. The kids were freaked out by the darkness and various attractions coming on as you walked by. I mostly hated how long it was and being underground. Dave’s the only real horror fan in our family.

Our time with Debby is nearing its end. We are planning to celebrate an early Thanksgiving tomorrow, which the kids are very excited about. Dave and I went shopping today and found all the traditional food. We are so thankful for the time we’ve had with her!