A Week in Paradise...Hawaii!

We headed to the airport for a very early morning flight.  On the short flight over to Seattle, I slept most of the time, but did wake up when they made a special announcement to congratulate Andrea and Parker who who just got married and are on their honeymoon.  Of course everyone clapped and the airlines even gave us a free bottle of wine.  It was just the beginning of many special bonuses and recognitions we received over the next week.

From Seattle, we had a direct flight to Kaua'i, where we arrived in the afternoon due to all the time zone changes.  It was warm and sunny.  We picked up our rental car, checked into the resort, and then headed for the beach.

 

There is a definite reason they call it the Garden Island.  There were mountains, waterfalls, lush rainforests, fertile farmland, and white sandy beaches.  There is also a rule that nothing on the island can be taller than a coconut tree (aka a 4-story building).  Seriously, it was a little slice of heaven!

 

Spouting Horn

 

 

My amazing husband had planned and saved for the whole trip, so we ate out every meal.  I'll never forget our first dinner out at Brennecke's Beach Broiler, when Parker realized that there was no glass on the windows...just open air!

Parker was so thoughtful to bring our own coffee beans and he brewed us delicious coffee each morning.  We even ordered breakfast in bed one morning.

It wouldn't be a trip to Hawaii without many sunrise and sunset experiences.  My favorite sunset was at Polihale State Park on the western shore.  We had a pretty stinkin' amazing view of the sunrise from our resort.

 

 

 

Our major splurge was a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour of the island.  It felt like one of those crazy dates on The Bachelorette, only better, because I married this man!  Parker's favorite part of the tour was when they played the Jurassic Park theme song as we descended into the valley with the waterfall where they first landed in the movie.  Personally, I felt like I was going to be hunted by a dinosaur!

 

 

The beautiful north Na Pali Coast

 

 

We also went on an adventure via the water.  We rented kayaks, paddled 3.5 miles up the Wailua River, and then hiked in the rainforest to a "secret" waterfall. 

papyrus

walking trees...they can actually move up to 30 ft. over a lifetime

the awapuhi plant...the gel feels better than aloe vera

We had one super fancy dinner at The Beach House just after sunset.  It was another restaurant with no glass on the windows.  Clyde, our server, was awesome and even brought us out candles on our mango creme brulee and he gave us a special marriage blessing.  We both had amazing fish...mine was macadamia nut crusted.  We alternated every dinner between seafood and pizza.  Can't go wrong with that!

The Hawaiian experience wouldn't be complete with out a fresh coconut from a roadside stand, snorkeling, body boarding, or shaved ice, so we did those too!

rainbow shaved ice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside...amazing!

banana, mango, and pineapple shaved ice...the color probably reminds you of something less appetizing

a slew of wild chickens on the island redistributed from a hurricane

 

We did find Nemo!

Wet and dry caves

 

A trip to Kaua'i also wouldn't be complete without a look at the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" AKA Waimea Canyon.  We spent a good chunk of the day on the west side of the island as we went from sea level to 4,000 feet.  Let's just say that we both felt a little queasy driving as we zoomed up the curvy road.  The views were definitely worth it though.

 

 

 

One of our favorite places on the island was definitely Hanalei Bay on the North Shore.  The 2-mile-long crescent shaped white sandy beach with bright teal water and mountains with waterfalls as the backdrop was paradise.  We went here several times and enjoyed the cute shops, quaint little church, and even a restaurant in the old school.  

 

 

 

 

We concluded our week in paradise with a day trip over to Oahu.  Parker really wanted to see Pearl Harbor if we went to the islands for our honeymoon, so we included a stop.  I had never been either, so I agreed.  It was a very moving experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was a quick hike up to the top of Diamond Head Crater.  It sprinkled rain on us a little, but the views from the 760-foot volcanic cone were worth it.  

the Hawaiian version of the Incline

 

 

 

Our grand finale was to make a stop at the famous Waikiki Beach and a walk through all the fancy shops.  And of course our daily ice cream indulgence. 

 

 

And that was our week in paradise!