This day was bittersweet because we had a beautiful time at this beach, but we knew we were LEAVING that night!  Our time in Hawaii was WONDERFUL!  We all want to come back! Today we went to Pololu Valley.  It was a very pretty drive through pine forest to get here.  From the parking area, we hiked down on a switch back trail, about 1.5 miles to get to the black sand beach.  The waves here were pretty powerful, so we got our feet wet, but didn't plan on … [Read more...]

Today we left the Kona (west) side of the island to travel all the way around to Hilo (east side of the island), but we took our time getting there because there were lots of great stops along the way!  We drove north about 30 minutes and went through Waimea to go to Waipio Valley Overlook.  This was our view down into the valley...   See all those specks in the water near the bottom of the picture?  Those are bunches of surfers.  The waves were pretty big here! … [Read more...]

This beach, Makalawena Beach, is really a hidden gem.  You drive off of the highway onto a dirt road the goes back and forth through black lava fields for about 15 minutes.  Then you walk for about five minutes through some more lava field, and then it opens up into this lush, oasis of gorgeousness!  It's pretty empty here.  So, so, so pretty.  The water wasn't as clear as some of the other beaches for snorkeling purposes, but the color and the sand were beautiful.  … [Read more...]

Today we started by renting two 3-person kayaks to paddle one mile across Kealakekua Bay (a trip that took about 30 minutes) to reach Captain Cook Monument.  The great thing about this bay is that it is a resting place for 100's of dolphin pods.  Scores of them come here, and today was no exception!  We got to see them pop up close to our kayaks!  There were mommy and daddy dolphins swimming through the water while around them, their baby spinner dolphins were jumping way out … [Read more...]

Today we went to Hapuna Beach State Park.  So BEAUTIFUL!  We parked ourselves in that beautiful sand, played, snorkeled, ate, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Mark staying out of the sun... That night was an experience that was also a favorite of our trip - a once in a lifetime experience!  Our family went out on a boat at night, with the smallest sliver of a moon (pitch black out on the water) with about 9 other people.  They … [Read more...]

Today was our first day on the Big Island of Hawaii!  We stayed about 30 minutes north of Kona, on the west side of the island.  This is the dry side and has several beaches listed in the top 5 of the world!  We actually rented a house in a residential neighborhood for cheaper than it would have been to stay in a hotel.  Best thing we could have done!  It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house - and it was nice!  We will definitely stay here again! The beaches here are … [Read more...]

Today was Sunday, and we decided it would be appropriate to pay our respects to the servicemen and women at Pearl Harbor.  We packed everything up at the condo, because at the end of today we were going to be flying to The Big Island for the remainder of our trip.  The drive was once again, GORGEOUS!   Once we parked, we were taken by bus over to Ford Island.  We started by seeing the USS Arizona Memorial...There were veterans there who talked to us about that day … [Read more...]

Today we were up before dawn to drive the hour or so from our condo back through Honolulu to Waikiki Beach for our surf lessons!  We wanted to be there when the sun came up at 7am because there was an Early Bird deal that let our whole family get an hour long surf lesson for much cheaper than later in the day.  It was so worth it!  The water was perfect and we beat the crowds that show up later.  Mark, Bryan, and I had one instructor, and Morgan, Colton, and Kyle had … [Read more...]

I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS TRIP!  Neither Mark, nor I, had ever been to Hawaii, and I've ALWAYS wanted to go!  We have a friend who is from Hawaii, but lives near us now, and he and his wife sat down with me and helped us plan our vacation.  It was perfect!  We got to see two islands and PACKED every single day with fun things to see and do.  I feel like we got to do everything we could possibly have wanted to.  It was SO FUN!! As much as I try to get my kids … [Read more...]