Sometimes the best adventures you can have are those which are spontaneous and don't require elaborate planning.   This happened to be the case for our Lake Luau as we decided on a Monday that on a Tuesday we wanted to pick up the tent and just go camping. 

Being outdoors is a feeling like no other, especially when just getting together with a group of friends be it for a bbq or a camping trip.    Finding adventure near your home however can sometimes pose a challenge for those which lack creative ambition or simply don't know where to begin.   So my suggestion when taking on camping near home is set a theme and go from there.

Sure just getting out is the excitement in itself, but if there is a theme involved it tends to be a more light hearted way to have a good time with friends.    When looking around a local store I found some silly leis and hula skirts and just knew I needed a good reason to pull the trigger on making this into a Hawaiian themed camping trip.

From there it came pretty organically, Hawaii away from home would evolve into our Lake Luau including campfire and camping right on the water.   And then we would add the menu for a playful take on Hawaiian cuisine to our campsite in North Texas.

Really any adventure is what you make it so we dove in head first with out "Luau Lake Scavenger Hunt" a hunt at the local grocer for all things Hawaiian which could also be cooked on our camp stove.  The irony of planning this was I actually learned a few facts about the island state along the way, so much like when traveling to other states and picking up pieces of knowledge this spontaneous trip had turned into somewhat of a learning experience.

Our List & What I Learned:

Hawaii's Favorite Meat:  SPAM

Yep, I wasn't excited about this one, as I personally don't like the canned highly salted "meat" but it appears that SPAM is actually a delicacy in Hawaii.   It first made its appearance during WWII when American Troops were not able to get the quantity of fresh meats required to sustain troops so the government began shipping in the canned meat product.    The natives, a diverse culture of many nations, quickly picked up on the over shipments and began top evolve the product into a variety of differing dishes.    It now is noted for its integration into the culture and is even featured in its own holiday for the islands.

Fruit With Plantation In Hawaii:  Pineapple

Dole Plantation once stood as a humble fruit stand in the 1950s but has long since evolved into one of the largest tourist destinations in Hawaii.   Producing some of the most vivid pineapple and several novelty products, the Dole fruit empire holds one of the leading exports of the islands.   Now you can go to Oahu and navigate through the World's Largest Maze, take a plantation garden tour or eat some of the finest and freshest foods on the island here.

Bread Fit For A Hawaiian King:  King's Hawaiian Rolls

A Japanese born immigrant in the 1950s began the empire which now is served up hot with almost every meal around the American table.    Now one of the leading exports of the island of Hilo, the rolls are served up in both white and wheat versions and have been combined with ham and pineapples as noted Hawaiian cuisine.

Drink Or Mix With Hawaii On It:  Hawaiian Punch

Even though it's name suggests it is Hawaiian in nature, the punch itself was developed in California before it was marketed to major labels and sold multiple times.   Unlike the drink it now has become it was developed to be an ice cream topping in 1934,  but was later discovered to be more pleasing when mixed with water into a beverage.

Other Items on our list: 

Sauce With Hawaii In Name on On Packaging

Bonus Item With Hawaii On Package

Sweet Treat With Beach Theme

We also opted to have two options for dinner, either a sandwich type option with the rolls or a rice option, which is most typically how Hawaiians chose to serve their SPAM dishes.

I was eager to find out just how much we could do with these ingredients toward putting together a meal on a camp stove, so as we embarked on our hunt I really grew excited.  The hunt in combination with our theme would make this one of the best ways to spend a random spontaneous Tuesday on the lake!