Hawaii: Oahu & Kauai

School was over and summer was beginning. The first thing on my list. Hawaii. I was so psyched!! We hadn't been since I was 16 in high school, it'd been over 5 years and I couldn't have been more excited! Finally!!!

It was Oahu and Kauai, split between 17 days, two spent for travel. So 15 full days to play between the two islands. It was my mom, Aaron, Jared and I... and it couldn't have been more fun! No set schedule, not many plans. Just a plane ticket, a place to stay, and the beautiful beaches of Hawaii!! 

First stop, Oahu. 

The plane ride over was awful. Period. But to back up even a little more, we left work early the day of the 3rd and drove to Hurricane. We spent the night there and got to hang out with Sherri, Wesley and Mark for a day and night. We then left the next evening to Vegas-- it was cheaper and a straight flight from there. We parked in Vegas and hopped on the plane. To say the least, I didn't get a hint of sleep on that plane. I couldn't lean my chair back, everything seemed so loud and obnoxious, and the person in front of me was pretty much sleeping in my lap. I was squished and claustrophobic!!l! Longest 6 hour flight of my life. 

As you can see, I was more than ready to finally be in the islands!!! We finally made it, all still breathing, luckily! It was nearly 5am, so we hit the baggage claim, rent-a-car and out to find breakfast was our morning agenda. After breakfast we went to the Aloha Stadium to do some early morning, weekend shopping! There are little booths set-up all around the stadium, two layers deep! It is crazy and huge, and so much fun! 

Hale Koa was our next stop. We got checked in and then it was a little walk on the beach! The Pali Lookout came soon after and then everything after that sort of just became a big blur. A good blur, but a blur! 

We moved over to Bellows the next evening and were able to stay in a beach cabin there for a week. AMAZING!! We never wanted to leave. We spent every second we could just out laying around, playing on that beach and in the warm, crystal clear, blue water! I could not get enough. I was in-love again. I had not felt more relaxed in many, many months. I felt like I was home, finally.

After a blissful 8 days we headed off to Kauai. It was a short, sweet flight. We got our car and began our way up the coast up to Princeton... on the one lane road that goes around the entire island. Yes, there is only one road to get from one side of the island to the other. At least it's beautiful scenery!

Great scenery, not much to do! The beaches were beautiful as well. Our favorite was "Secrets Beach". It was a local beach that we had to hike down to with soft, warm sand, beautiful aqua water and big white waves. It was amazing and sooo private! There were maybe five or six other people on the beach, and no one treated us rudely or told us to leave (you've heard the stories), because they thought we were locals! Lucky us.

Besides sun bathing, we went to the Polynesian Culture Center, the Temple grounds, did a lot of shopping, scenic driving, ate ice cream at the Dole Plantation, saw the Grand Canyon of Kauai, ate lots of shrimp and yummy fruit, and laughed, a lot.

I was also able to catch on some reading... for pleasure! I made it through The Notebook in just a two day sitting of long hours on the beach. I couldn't even remember the last book I'd read for pleasure!


Usually when you are on a trip, you get on your last few days and you say to yourself, it went by way too fast!! For some reason, this trip didn't. It was perfect. The days were long and spent, well spent. Relaxed and with my family. Of course now that we are home, all I want to do is go back, but I am so grateful we were able to go when we did!! Such a great last little family trip with these two little brothers of mine.