Category Archives: Adventures

Various activites throughout the islands.

The Hawaii Nature Center

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Today for work we went to the Hawaii Nature Center to explore the trails there. We spent over two hours fishing in the stream, observing the plants in the area and searching for “decomposers” (bugs such as millipedes, beetles, roaches and worms that decompose the leaves and make soil). It was really cool to learn all about the different types of wildlife in the stream. We caught tons of freshwater shrimp…they are incredibly small..and see-through!

The stream at the beginning of our hike.
The trail.
Canopy of trees.
Allspice tree..the leaves smelled like gingerbread cookies.
There was a huge beehive in this tree.
Tons of heliconias.
Bridge over the stream.
Freshwater shrimp and snails.
Skeleton leaf.
Banyan tree
With all the rain and wind this past winter, this huge tree came tumbling down. This is the root structure of the tree. Pretty neat.
Fungus of sorts growing on the tree.

Hanauma Bay

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Today, our field trip was Hanauma Bay (which is where everyone goes snorkeling on Oahu). Hanamua Bay is actually a volcanic crater (possibly the last volcanic action on Oahu). The ocean eventually cut through the low wall of the crater, which formed the bay. I hadn’t been yet, so I was pretty excited to go. It was beautiful! I even went snorkeling with the help of some of my kids (seriously one of them held my hand). For those who know me and how afraid of the ocean I am, this is big news! I didn’t last long but I made it far enough out to see a few different kinds of fish and coral. Then I started to panic, so I went in :). Baby steps…

So beautiful!

Mom’s Visit: Part Two

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On Monday after I got off work, we went and hiked Manoa Falls so my mom could see a waterfall. I have done this hike a few times and it is usually muddy..but NOTHING compared to what it was this time. People were going barefoot because it was easier. The mud was pulling my shoes off my feet and it was very easy to fall! However, the hiking through the mud was definitely worth it…the waterfall at the end was amazing. It’s normally just a light trickle of water…but it was flowing beautifully when we got there! After that, we headed home to take a shower and went to have drinks and dinner. We ate pizza at JJ Dolan’s, drank well-earned drinks and had dessert at Du Vin.

Mom and the giant Banyan tree at the beginning of Manoa Falls.
Looking up through the trees.
Standing under the tree arch in the mud.
SO MUDDY!
My mom in the bamboo forest.
Manoa Falls. So beautiful!
Drinks at JJ’s.
Chocolate Soufflé for dessert.

 

Today after work, we ventured out around downtown and wandered through some of the stores. We also stopped at a crêpe place for lunch. For dinner, we had Cuban food (probably my favorite restaurant here) and tried a few new things that Josh and I hadn’t had yet. Everything was wonderful!

Banana, strawberry, nutella crêpe.
Mojitos.
Cuban appetizer sampler: croquetas de jaiba, papa rellena and platanos.
Josh’s dinner: pargo a la cubana
My mom’s dinner: ropa vieja
My dinner: fricase de pollo

Mom’s Visit: Part One

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My mom arrived on Thursday and since then we have been taking her all over the island doing as many things as possible! I picked her up on Thursday and in complete tourist fashion, got her a beautiful lei from Chinatown! We then stopped by the apartment before heading to the Kailua Farmers’ Market where we met Josh for dinner. After that, we headed home and called it a night!

Lei from Chinatown.
So happy she’s here!

 

On Friday, we stopped by Spitting Caves, hiked to Makapuʻu Lighthouse and then headed to Serg’s for fish tacos. It started raining so we headed back to Honolulu and wandered through Chinatown for a bit. For dinner, we were touristy and had dinner at Duke’s in Waikiki. They are famous for their Mai Tais and we decided my mom needed to try one! Dinner was delicious and was a perfect way to end a busy first day!

My mom at Spitting Caves. Super happy to be there!
My mom and I at the top of Makapuʻu Lighthouse trail.
Josh and I at Duke’s.
Crab Wontons…our delicious appetizer!
My mom and I split fish. So good!
Josh had ahi..also amazing!

 

Saturday, we headed to the North Shore for some shrimp, açai bowls and shave ice. Our first stop was Giovanni’s. We had corn and shrimp (so good). After enjoying a fantastic lunch, we headed to Haleiwa for dessert. First, we all split an açai bowl (my mom’s first one) then headed across the street for Matsumoto’s famous shave ice. We all picked one flavor and split (mom: tangerine, Josh: coconut creme, me: cherry). Delicious! After our tour of food, we went off-roading on the trail to Kaena Point. It was an extremely bumpy ride with a beautiful rewards at the end. We wandered around Kaena Point and took pictures of the incredible scenery and the endangered birds (albatrosses and shearwaters). We then made our way back to Honolulu for my mom’s first experience of Shabu Shabu!

Our buddy hanging out with us while we enjoy our açai bowl.
Shave Ice!
Me napping on Josh on our way to Kaena Point. I was tired!
My mom and I and Josh’s car on our way to Kaena Point.
My mom and I at Kaena Point.
Vegetable Shabu Shabu. So good!

 

On Sunday, we hiked Mariner’s Ridge. It was cloudy and rainy but we still had a decent view at the top! After that, we went to Kailua to have lunch at Kalapawai Cafe and then Josh gave my mom a tour of base. We ended the day with dinner at home and some time enjoying the hot tub! First few days of her trip have been a blast :).

Josh and I hiking to the top of Mariner’s Ridge.
Josh at the top of Mariner’s Ridge enjoying the view.
My mom and I at the top of Mariner’s Ridge.

 

Maui: Trip 1 – Day 4

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On our last day in Maui, we finally got to sleep past 6:00 a.m. It was glorious. We got up and had breakfast on our balcony (which was gorgeous) and then headed down to enjoy the resort pool and Kāʻanapali Beach. We swam for a bit, walked on the beach and played some ping pong. The resort had different games set up on the lawn outside our hotel room (ping pong and a few others). It was so fun. We then checked out and headed to downtown Lahaina to wander around and grab lunch before we headed to the airport. Lahaina is an old whaling town and has a lot of character. This was our last stop before heading to the airport. We had SUCH an amazing time and I cannot wait to go back for Laura and Jim’s wedding in July!

Breakfast on the balcony.
Kāʻanapali Beach
The lawn games viewed from our balcony.
Lahaina
Downtown Lahaina.

Maui: Trip 1 – Day 3

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For our third day on Maui, Josh and I woke up at 2:15 a.m. to catch the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park. We viewed the sunrise at 10,023 feet above sea-level at the summit of Haleakalā well above the clouds. It was absolutely FREEZING at the top, but so worth it for the amazing view we received. The pictures below are in the order they were taken. The amazing thing is the clouds kept moving, so it constantly changed how much of the sun we saw. By the time the sun was in the sky, too many clouds had moved in to see it. It was a surreal view.

 

After the sunrise, we took a nap in the car at the visitor center. Our next activity was a horseback ride to the Haleakalā crater floor, but we had a few hours. We met the guide at the visitor center at the summit around 9:15 a.m. He handed out some rain suits for us to wear. He only had sizes L and XL, so needless to say I looked absolutely ridiculous. Our group had eight people in it and Josh and I somehow ended up on the two horses that liked to hang out in the back. At times, it was like we were on our own tour by ourselves…it was pretty comical. After awhile, it was just Josh by himself wayyyyy in the back as I had caught up to the person in front of me. Our view going down to the crater floor was incredible. Pictures cannot do the views justice. We rode down and had lunch on the crater floor and looked around a bit. Then we headed back up to the top. On the way up, the clouds started to come in and it got pretty chilly and misted a bit. By the time we got to the top, I was ready to be in a warm car again! The horseback ride was definitely worth it. Josh and I both decided that hiking it would have been too boring.

The horses arrived in a truck…very interesting.
My giant rain suit.
Josh and Rocky
Me and Trace
The beginning when we were close to the group.
Gorgeous views.
The clouds were amazing!
These plants are called silver swords. They are very unique looking.
Josh’s horse decided to stop moving. He didn’t seem to like going down the steep rock areas.
The view from the crater floor.
Lunch: turkey sandwich, pineapple and chips.
The change in elevation made the chip bag balloon up.

 

After our amazing day at Haleakalā, we went back to the hotel and showered and changed and headed to Mama’s Fish House. We were both really excited about dinner as this restaurant was supposed to be one of the best on Maui. We were absolutely blown away. I think it is the best meal I have ever had in my life. The atmosphere was so unique, the service was great and the food was amazing. We had so much fun and it was a great way to end a tiring day!

The drink menu.
The flowers in the restaurant was beautiful.
Delicious drinks. Almost like a piña colada but with a hint of chocolate.
Pre-appetizer: Asparagus bisque.
Appetizer: Wasabi calamari.
My dinner: Snapper with mushrooms, capers and lemon butter sauce with grilled veggies and rice.
Josh’s Dinner: Mahimahi stuffed with crab and asparagus.
After dinner towels and a mini coconut dessert.

Maui: Trip 1 – Day 2

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On Saturday, Josh and I decided to do the road to Hana, which is an entire day trip (we left around 7:00 a.m.). Our first few stops were Upper Puohokamoa Falls, Haipua`ena Falls and Lower Puohokamoa Falls. We missed Lower Puohokamoa Falls at first, but it was definitely the most impressive waterfall we saw all day at 200 feet. We backtracked about a mile and found the short trail to an incredible view of the impressive falls. The other two falls were beautiful as well, but much shorter.

Beautiful view early in the morning on the start of our trip to Hana.
View of the valley at our first stop.
Old bridge.
Josh on the trail to Upper Puohokamoa Falls.
Upper Puohokamoa Falls.
Stream that Upper Puohokamoa Falls flows in to.
Hana Highway
Gorgeous flowers growing everywhere.
Haipua`ena Falls
Old bridge. Love this picture.
Heliconia..they were growing everywhere along the way to Hana.
Cool shot of fallen petals on the rocks.
More heliconias.
Just breathtaking.
Trail to Lower Puohokamoa Falls.
Lower Puohokamoa Falls.
Incredible! Lower Puohokamoa Falls.
Flowers and trees along the road at our stop to see Lower Puohokamoa Falls.

 

We continued along the coast and made a variety of stops that included capturing some amazing shots of the Ke`anae Coast, the ribbon of the highway cut into the cliffs and Ching’s Pond. Ching’s Pond was filled with people jumping into it from the bridge along the highway. After watching a few people jump, we continued on and stopped at an adorable stand a few miles down the road called Halfway to Hana for a midmorning snack.

Ke`anae Coast
Hana Highway
Hana Highway
Hana Highway..amazing turn in the road.
Hana Highway cutting along the cliffs.
Ching’s Pond.
Halfway to Hana!
Our treat! I picked this out…Josh had egg salad sandwiches :).

 

After our snacks, we continued on and stopped near the town of Wailua to check out the views from there. We climbed up some stairs at the Wailua Valley State Wayside and had a beautiful view of the Ko`olau Gap on one side an a great view of the tiny settlement of Wailua on the other side. After that, we drove about a mile and stopped at Upper Waikani Falls (sometimes called Three Bears Falls).

More heliconias
Ko`olau Gap
Coast off of Wailua
Hana Highway
Tiny town of Wailua.
Rocks seeping water at Upper Waikani Falls.
Upper Waikani Falls

 

Our two stops were Hanawi Falls and Makapipi Falls (seriously so many falls). Makapipi Falls was unique because we stood on the bridge directly over it and could see how it fell into a large pool below. Different than the other waterfalls we had seen that day. Next to Makapipi Falls is Nahiku Road which lead to the community of Nahiku. Everything was so incredibly green and there were tons of beautiful flowers. After driving through the beautiful plants, we came to the end and had a beautiful view of the shoreline all the way to Ke`anae. We took a little path to a small waterfall and a pool that eventually lead to the ocean. After taking in the gorgeous views around us, we headed back up to Hana Highway to continue on.

Hanawi Falls
Standing above Makapipi Falls.
At the end of Nahiku Road. Gorgeous!
Close up of a heliconia.
Small waterfall and pool.
So beautiful!
Love this photo.
It looked like there used to be a bridge over the river here.
Nahiku Road leading away from the shoreline.
Nahiku Road and Hana Highway intersection.

 

Our next stop was at Coconut Glen’s for some dairy-free ice cream (made from coconut milk). It was sooooo good. We split the coconut ice cream and picked up some of their famous coconut candy. It was an interesting stop…Glen loves Willy Wonka and had decorated in that way…fairly odd but charming. After that, we stopped at Wai`anapanapa Park and explored Pa`iloa Black Sand Beach and found a really cool cave. There was also a sea arch and other lava tube caves to explore, but we didn’t have a flashlight or the time to stop.

Coconut Glen’s sign
More of Coconut Glen’s signs.
Coconut Glen’s ice cream bar/shack.
Coconut Ice Cream. Unbelievably fantastic.
Coconut Candy.
Pa`iloa Black Sand Beach
Pa`iloa Black Sand Beach
Cool cave..the ocean is coming in behind us.
Sea Arch

 

We left Wai`anapanapa Park and finally made it to Hana! Our first stop in Hana was Hana Bay where tons of locals were swimming. The Pier was closed, but we knew there was a trail to a hidden red sand beach near there. This was probably my favorite part of our Hana trip. The trail leads about 200 yards along Ka`uiki Head that had a plaque at the end of the trail marking the spot near a cave where Ka`ahumanu (King Kamehameha the Great’s favorite wife) was born. It was so unreal to see this plaque in the middle of no where. There was also a small light beacon near the end of the trail and tons of amazing rocks to climb on.

Hana Bay
This log was actually pretty high up…I was practicing my balancing.
Amazing red sand beach.
Along the trail near the red sand beach.
Ka`ahumanu’s plaque.
Cove
Josh on the rock at the end of the trail.
Josh taking a picture of the light beacon.
Light Beacon.
Me on the rock enjoying the magnificent view.
The plaque and it’s surroundings.
Hana Pier

 

After we hiked back to the car at Hana Bay, we headed to Red Sand Beach (Kaihalulu). The trail to the beach was on the side of a hill and was a bit rough in a few places, but nothing too difficult (much easier than the trail to the other red sand beach). This beach was much larger and there were people laying out, relaxing and enjoying the views. At the beginning of the trail to the beach, there is an ancient Japanese cemetery that was pretty interesting to see.

Trail to the red sand beach.
Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach.
Treacherous rocks near the beach.
Japanese Cemetery.

 

After the read sand beach, we headed out of Hana into Southeast Maui and stopped at (no surprise here!) Wailua Falls…yet another beautiful waterfall. Then we continued on to ‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools) where you can sometimes swim and enjoy the multiple waterfalls right by the ocean. They were closed to the public that day because it was raining, but they were still beautiful from up above!

Wailua Falls
‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)
The road becomes a bit more narrow and less paved….
Waterfall flowing into the ocean from afar.

 

After this, the landscape changed drastically from rainforest and incredibly lush to dry and desolate. Very different, but still very pretty. We drove all the way around Southeast Maui and continued into upcountry and back through Kahului. We stopped and had a MUCH anticipated dinner (our first real meal for the day) at Buzz’s Wharf. We were both starving and VERY ready to be out of the car! The Road to Hana definitely lived up to it’s amazing reputation. I’m sure we missed so many things along the way, but what we did get to stop at and enjoy was phenomenal.

Southeast Maui
Road in Southeast Maui
Rainbow over the ocean! LOVE this picture.
Our view from our table at Buzz’s.
Clam Chowder
Snapper (my dinner).
Steak and prawns (Josh’s dinner).

 

Maui: Trip 1 – Day 1

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This past weekend, Josh and I traveled to Maui for the first time. I expected it to be very similar to Oahu and was excited to see a new island, but didn’t expect to be blown away. Instead, I was completely blown away and in awe of everything we saw. Maui was…incredible.

We landed late on Thursday and traveled to the Sheraton in Kāʻanapali on Maui’s West Coast. It was dark, but we could already tell it was beautiful!

In the morning, we woke up early and went zip lining in West Maui. We went with Flyin Hawaiian Zipline, which has the longest zipline in Hawaii and is the most extreme course on Maui. I had never been ziplining and it was awesome! We had great tour guides and our group was a blast! I also loved their focus on conservation. Along the way, we watered yellow hibiscus flowers that they had planted to help restore their presence in Hawaii (they are an endangered plant).

First line! Getting ready to go.
After the first line, ready for the second.
An area where we hiked between lines. Beautiful!
Landing!
Aloha!
Josh landing!
Admiring the beauty.
Getting ready to go backwards!
Watering the yellow hibiscus.
Ready to go!
No hands!

 

After a wonderful time flying through the trees, we grabbed lunch at Beach Bums BBQ in the harbor nearby (It was recommended to us by our guides). The food was pretty good. We split chicken wings and fish tacos…we were starving and so happy to be eating! After that, we ran back to the hotel to change and drop a few things off and then started our tour of West Maui.

Delicious chicken wings!
Fish tacos
A beautiful picture of the view off of our balcony. I’m pretty sure we couldn’t have asked for anything nicer!

 

The drive around the West Coast of Maui was gorgeous. So much ocean! We had great views of Molokai on the way. We stopped at Nakalele Blowhole where the ocean has undercut the shoreline and pounds underneath the ground and shoots through a man-size hole. It was incredibly powerful and you could get so close!

View of the coast.
Beach along the West Coast.
Love the red against the blue contrast.
Welcome to the blowhole!
View of the blowhole from up above.
Blowhole warning sign.
The unique wear on the rock from the force of the water.
Josh and the blowhole in action!
Admiring the insane power of the ocean.
Intense!

 

After the blowhole, we continued our tour around West Maui and headed towards Kahakuloa Village. The one-lane road leading to the isolated village was pretty ridiculous. It was pretty much impossible to capture on camera. We stopped in Kahakuloa to get some banana bread that is supposed to be the best on the planet (Josh and I both decided that even though the bread was pretty good, both of our moms made better banana bread). After our stop, we headed around the top of West Maui and made our way into Wailuku, which was a pretty cute little town.

A view of the blowhole from down the road.
The road heading into Kahakuloa Village.
Cute stop in Kahakuloa.
Julia’s banana bread stand.
Banana Bread!
View of Kahakuloa village.
Gorgeous view.

 

We made it back to the hotel in time to shower and head out to the pool bar to watch the sunset torch lighting ceremony at Black Rock. The Black Rock (conveniently located right by the Sheraton) is a result of one of West Maui’s final eruptions. The ancient Hawaiians believed Black Rock (Pu`u Keka`a) was the jumping off point for their spirits leaving the world to join their ancestors forever. We had a great seat for the ceremony and celebrated the end of our first day in Maui with fun cocktails, the Black Rock ceremony and a sunset walk on the beach!

Preparing.
Taking the lei off.
Tossing the lei into the ocean.
Jumping off!
Our delicious cocktails for the evening!