Hawaii: The Exciting Conclusion

Welcome to the continuing adventures of our vacation. Forgive me the detail, but someday I'm going to be old and I will forget all this. My blog is my insurance against the forgetfulness that will surely come with age.

Take a Hike

Hiking in Hawaii is incredible for a few reasons:

1) It's so pleasantly warm that you don't even care if it rains.

2) NO snakes!

3) NO bears!

All this makes it lovely to tramp through the wilderness.

We went on two hikes while on the islands. The first was on Oahu. It was a short hike on Diamondhead, which is a crater - the rim of which offers spectacular views of the island. This hike was brought to us courtesy of Flossie, which cancelled our evening at the Polynesian Cultural Center. I'm not sure I would have traded this experience for a luau.

Yeah... check out these views. The Rockies are pretty cool, but this is a whole different kind of experience.

Even if they wouldn't let us bring our trash cans along for the ride.

Our second hike took a bit longer and was really memorable. It was in Waimea Canyon on Kauai. It is nicknamed "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". It did not disappoint.

Now this is Chris' personal heaven: a tasty sandwich eaten at the rim of one of the most beautiful sights in the world. 

A Pearl of History

We were privileged to be able to visit Pearl Harbor while we were on Oahu. The USS Arizona Memorial lies in the middle of the harbor - built over the wreckage of the Arizona, where most of the men who died on the ship during the attack still lay. It was a very somber experience during which I felt both heartbreak for the lives lost and pride that our country rallied together and came back stronger after the attack. Inside the memorial, it was nearly silent, although filled with visitors. It was an awe inspiring visit.

A Pig in the Ground is Worth Two in the Bush

By the time Flossie left Oahu, so had we. But never fear, this trip ends with a pig, just as it should. We attended a lovely luau on Kauai. 

This is a vacated imu oven, where they cook the pig. 

These young men are digging a freshly cooked pig out of a nearby oven.

Here it is - delish. At this point in the show, there was a woman who gasped and exclaimed, "How sad!" I think she wasn't expecting the pig to still have its face. I also think she was probably from California or New York.  

During dinner, we were serenaded. 

The pork was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. I wish I could have filled my pockets with it. The poi was a different story. I wish I could have filled my enemies' pockets with it. 

After dinner came the dancers. 

I can't imagine how a luau could be any better, so I don't feel like we missed out when our original plans got flossed out. 

Odds and Ends

A few points that don't fit elsewhere:

Hanalei Bay is so beautiful that it seems like it's not real.

We drove to the end of the road on the north shore of Kauai, over several bridges that were only wide enough for one lane of traffic. We were rewarded by this super cool cave that was just sitting by the side of the road.

There are chickens everywhere in Hawaii. I mean, everywhere. They wander around like pigeons. No joke. It's almost like they think they're real birds.

Don't tell the kids, but we ate ice cream for lunch several times. Not after lunch. For lunch.

Sorry, Michelle, but I couldn't not run in paradise. I mean, look at this. If it's any consolation, I was sweating so much I wouldn't have even needed to turn the water on to use a slip 'n slide. 

Home - It's a Reeeeaaaaly Long Way From Hawaii

Our home-bound flight was delayed twice. Once in Kauai (not so sad) and once at LAX (give me some Valium now). Just so you know, this is what LAX feels like at 8 a.m. when you have been awake since the previous morning and your body is telling you it's only 5 a.m. and you're facing a 5 hour layover that was only supposed to be an hour and a half. Oh and also you haven't showered since the previous morning. Not a high point of our trip. 

Finally, we landed in Denver 6 hours later than originally scheduled at the same time a tornado touched down in Weld county. Flying over a thunderstorm over the Rockies may be one of my top 10 most frightening experiences of all time. 

But we finally landed and this was a great moment. 

I always love exiting the airport, but never more than when I've been "secure" for the last 14 hours. 

In the end it turned out to be a blessing that our flight was delayed because my fantastic, long suffering parents volunteered to keep the girls another night, which was for the best because we could hardly stay awake for the drive home. If we would have had to keep on driving that day, I am afraid the trip could have ended tragically. 

It's a good thing we had views like this full on double rainbow to keep us awake til we got home and it was fantastic getting to see the kids the next day. While I loved our trip, I missed them.  

Hawaii was incredible. One of the best weeks of my life and I am so happy I got to see it with the love of my life. Now to decide where we want to go two years from now... 

Thanks Chris! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Chris and Rachael's Island Adventure: Part the First

Every other year, Chris and I take a vacation together. I think it could possibly be the best thing a couple can do for their marriage. It's important to us to get away together and we would have a great time even if we went to Wamsutter. But we didn't go to Wamsutter. We went somewhere slightly more awesome.

I want to thank my parents from the bottom of my heart for watching the girls while we go on our biennial vacations as well as the occasional overnight getaway. It means the world to us.

Back when Chris and I first got married, we wanted to go to Hawaii on our honeymoon, but our college student incomes wouldn't support that kind of awesome. So we put it off a few years. Like twelve. It was worth the wait.

So... where to start?

Hawaii - It's a Reeeeeaaaly Long Way Away

Google maps tells me Hawaii is about 3000 miles away. That means that you have to be on an airplane a really long time to get there. Now, I am really scared of flying. Like embarrassing scared. Always have been, but I try not to let my fears stand in the way of things I really want to do. So, we set out on the 2.5 hour flight to Seattle, ate at a joint in the airport that claimed to be inhabited by Bigfoot and hopped a 5.5 hour flight to Honolulu.

Now, let me say that I believe that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and I do not judge based on appearance. But appearance is one thing and sitting next to someone (not Chris) on a super long flight who doesn't fit between the armrests is another thing. By the time we got to Honolulu, I was exhausted and my back and legs were screaming out in pain. On the bright side, my discomfort distracted me from my fear of flying.

Water - Don't Look Now, But I Think We're Surrounded

I am sure we looked like stupid tourists the first time we saw the ocean. We just had to get in - despite the fact we didn't have our swimsuits with us.

This is not a good idea when you haven't put on sunscreen. Or so I learned that night.

We had two attempts at snorkeling. The first, the waves were crazy and scary, thanks to circumstances beyond our control (more on that later). I walked away with the impression that snorkeling had bested me and I couldn't leave it at that. 

                                    

So on the second attempt, we successfully snorkeled in this beautiful, crystal clear water (heavy sarcasm intended). Let's just say the days during and following a tropical storm were not the best to introduce ourselves to the waters of the pacific. We did our best, but in the end, this wasn't a great vacation for water activities. However, we did see the same six fish several times. The water was so murky, they could have been trigger fish or trout for all we knew, but they were definitely fish. 

However, the weather conditions didn't stop us from swimming in an aquarium that was home to sharks. The following is the after photo because we weren't able to take a "during" shot. It was pretty cool, but Chris was mad when he found out he wasn't allowed to punch the sharks.

I think my favorite water moment was walking barefoot on Waikiki beach at night. Chris bought me a lei. It was pretty spectacular.

Just today I realized we didn't spend any time sitting on the beach. I'm not sure I care. I've never been much of a sit-around-er.

However, all this water fun led to some stark realizations about skin that is completely lacking any natural sun protection (a.k.a. pigmentation) and the sad limitations of waterproof sunscreen.

Flossie is a Stupid Name

Tropical storm "Flossie" hit our second day in Hawaii. The only thing more disappointing than having a tropical storm put a crimp in your plans is having a tropical storm with an idiotic name put a crimp in your plans. Thank goodness it wasn't severe. Can you imagine having to tell everyone a relative had been killed by something named Flossie?

The entire state freaked out pretty bad over this storm, but when it hit we were on Oahu and were more annoyed than scared. Honestly, it wasn't even as bad as a good old fashioned midwest thunderstorm on any given summer afternoon. Still, it made the sea rough, the waters murky and it cancelled our plans at the Polynesian cultural center that night. I was seriously heartbroken about this because getting to eat a pig that had been cooked in the ground was on my list of va-cay must haves. 

Before Chris and I leave on vacation, we always make an agreement to see everything as an adventure. Good, bad, disastrous, it's all an adventure we'll talk about for the rest of our lives. Flossie was just another adventure.

So we made the best of things and made a reservation at a luau on Kauai. Then we got out and hiked Diamondhead, which gave us some breathtaking views of the island - followed by some truly memorable cheeseburgers on Waikiki. Which brings me to my next point:

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Chris and I are both big fans of eating, so we had scoped out several eating establishments in advance. Some of our meals were planned weeks in advance and others were just happy accidents, yet others unhappy accidents. They were all adventures in eating.

I'll share a few of those meals, while trying not to become one of those people that instagrams every bite.

The meal we had planned the longest was Duke's. I wanted the tourist experience. Tiki torches, ukulele players, and waves crashing on the beach while we ate local seafood. Duke's had it all. It was transcendent. So, transcendent as a matter of fact that we ate there on Waikiki

                                      

 and again when we got to Kauai.

We enjoyed fine dining on both islands, but some of our favorite fare was more.... um... casual. Food trucks are big on the islands and one of our first meals came out of a food truck called "Mike's Huli Huli Chicken". It was everything one would wish it to be. 

Behold the wonder of the "plate lunch". It typically contains two scoops of rice, some sort of meat and (oddly enough) macaroni salad. Because nothing says "island living" like elbow mac. 

My least favorite meal on the island occurred after we went to the temple (which, p.s. was incredible but happened in a downpour and we didn't get any good pictures). Anyway, the Hukilau Cafe (not related to the one from 50 First Dates) was one of those greasy spoons that sometimes have awesome food and sometimes make you nauseated all day. For me, this one was the nauseated variety. 

Chris didn't mind as much and he indulged in an island specialty called the "loco moco". Personally, I think he was loco for eating it. Allow me to take you on a tour. A hamburger patty rests on a bed of rice. It is topped by an egg with a runny yolk and brown gravy is poured over the entire thing. I believe "loco" in Hawaiian means "indigestion" and "moco" means "constipation".

One greasy spoon that fell into the awesome category was Teddy's Bigger Burgers on Waikiki. Who wouldn't love a burger topped with fresh locally grown pineapple?

Speaking of pineapple, the drive to the Dole plantation (which was lame) was worth it for the Dole Whips. Yes, the very same ones served outside the Tiki Room. Perfection.    

                                         

Another frigid treat that helped us cool down in the tropics was shave ice. Now, lest you should be confused, this ain't no mainland sno cone. The Hawaiians do this one up right. They start with ice cream, top it with ice, flavored syrup and then a "snow cap", which is evaporated milk. Delightful. Seriously delightful. 

A Room With a View

I am quickly realizing that this trip, as narrated by me, cannot possibly be crammed into one blog, so I will leave you with a view from our room on Oahu

And one from our room on Kauai. 

                                       

Paradise.

To be continued....