Duke’s Waikiki
Image
2
Tag Archives: family
Tripler Ridge to Haiku Stairs
On Saturday, we hiked Tripler Ridge to Haiku Stairs. This is a hike that Josh and I both wanted to do, but hadn’t done yet (we’ve both hiked the stairway at night/early a.m. but not hiked to it then down it during the day). Since Bailey and Kyle were here, we thought it would be a great time to go so they could join in on the fun. Josh’s friend Tony also volunteered to come and be our tour guide since he had just completed the hike a few weeks before. It turned out to be one of the BEST hikes on the island yet. It took us about six hours to complete from start to finish. We hiked from Tripler hospital up the mountain on the ridges and back down the Haiku stairs on the other side of the island to Josh’s car (which Tony and Josh had staged the night before). It was EXTREMELY muddy and we were covered by the time we were finished (Bailey and I maybe slipped and fell a few times…). The views were unbeatable from the top and the pictures can’t even begin to do them justice. With the views, came a few scary portions along the ridge. We definitely put Kyle’s fear of heights to the test, but he made it the whole way without any issues! It was such an awesome way to spend a Saturday and we could not have asked for better weather!
The beginning of the hike looking through the fence at Tripler.
Bailey hiking through the woods.
The start of seriously scratching our legs up. TONS of thorns!
Kyle…he didn’t even know what was ahead of him yet :).
Pretty picture of the valley.
Cool moss along the trail.
Cool tree along the trail.
Josh hiking under a tree.
Group shot!
I think this picture is hilarious. Josh and I are both making ridiculous faces.
Bailey and I tended to be a bit slower as we were trying not to fall…so we stopped and took a selfie :).
Love the shadows of the clouds on the mountains.
Kyle and Josh hiking.
Hiking into the clouds!
Kyle concentrating!
The trail looking back.
Kyle doing a celebratory dance at completing part of the hike. Little did he know what lied ahead.
Incredible views before the scary ridge hike to the top of Haiku stairs.
Bailey and I.
Bailey and Kyle.
Josh and I holding our blow pops that Bailey provided for all of us!
Love this picture. Waiting for Kyle to join us.
Cousins plus Josh!
Josh and Tony..holding hands…
The start of the tough stuff…my favorite part!
Heading towards that power line.
Kyle and Bailey hiking along the ridge.
Looking down!
Made it to a bit of a platform with some old radio tower or something.
This looks much less scary than it actually was. it was SUPER steep and even I started to freak myself out a bit. Josh said “pause right there”. Oh ok no big deal Josh.
Bailey climbing along.
We made it to the top of the stairs!
SUPER muddy. Somehow I think I was the worst out of all of us.
Josh making PB sandwiches at the top…it was difficult b/c it was SO windy.
LOVE this one!
Starting to head down the stairs.
Loving spending time with her!
Bailey heading down the stairs.
The H3 tunnels and highway.
Heading down.
First platform on the way down.
View of Josh’s base.
Tony leading us down.
Pretty flower along the stairs.
A piece of the wooden ladder. What the stairs used to be made of…that would be terrifying!
The bottom of the stairs looking back up!
Josh and Tony in the bamboo forest.
The bamboo forest…where I slipped multiple times the first time I hiked the stairway
The entrance to the stairway.
Shark’s Cove
Today, we went out for our second round of snorkeling at Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. Neither Josh nor I had been snorkeling here, so we were excited to go and check it out. From everything we had heard, it was a million times better than Hanauma Bay. It definitely did NOT disappoint! We saw tons of beautiful fish and coral and got to swim with a sea turtle. It was significantly less crowded than Hanauma Bay as well, so we basically had the area we were snorkeling in to ourselves. Plus, I continued to conquer my fear of the ocean :). I compiled all of our video footage into one video (it’s long but great footage of the turtle!).
Hanauma Bay Round Two
We ventured to Hanauma Bay last Friday so Bailey and Kyle could snorkel and see all the beautiful sea life. This was my second time here, but this time I really got to explore and enjoy snorkeling myself (last time I was on a field trip). We saw some amazing things! TONS of beautiful fish (some were HUGE) and Bailey and Kyle saw an eel! It was the second time using our Go Pro and I got some pretty cool videos (some of them ended up being corrupted…still learning 🙂 ).
Hanauma Bay Video 1
Hanauma Bay Video 2
Hanauma Bay Video 3
Hanauma Bay Video 4
Hanauma Bay Video 5
Bailey and Kyle preparing to snorkel!
Paradise Cove Luau
This evening, we all headed to the Paradise Cove Luau. It’s one of the more popular luaus on the island and Bailey wanted to go to one while she was here….this worked out well for me too as it is something I wanted to cross off my list! We had fun relaxing and enjoying the food and entertainment. Success!
Josh and I.
Bailey and I with our lava flows.
Bailey and Kyle.
Dinner performance.
Evening performance.
The fire entertainment…by far the coolest thing…the picture didn’t really turn out too well.
The final act of the evening.
The Cousins Have Arrived!
Image
29!
Today, I turned 29 and I could not have had a better day….I feel so loved! Both Josh and my mom were so thoughtful..from flowers…to gifts…to cards and celebrating. They are incredible :). I could not begin to thank them enough for making me feel so special!
Presents!
From Josh 🙂
BEST BOYFRIEND EVER!
Practicing our smiling.
Still practicing our smiling.
A good one!
Mom and I at my birthday dinner 🙂
Our delicious appetizer!
My mom’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
My French Onion Soup
Josh’s fish and veggies.
Salad!
The pretty centerpiece 🙂
Key Lime Cheesecake dessert!
Mom’s Visit: Part Two
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
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.
Cerellebrating!
Image
Today, my family celebrated my Aunt Cerelle (thank you Krista for the title of my blog post). Olivia and Owen wore their Hawaiian outfits I gave them when I went home a few weeks ago.
365 Days Of Hawaii 