 |
| Can't you tell we're all sisters? They're basically my favorite girls. I can't complain about the view either! |
Alas, the vacation I had been planning for and looking forward to for so many months has come and gone. But now I have so many good memories!! My dad put me in charge of our itinerary, so I had the fun responsibility of coming up with the activities for all of us seven to do during our week on the island of Kauai. I'm not going to lie; I spent a lot of time planning and researching all the things one could do in Kauai, and I somehow managed to find a handful of things that would satisfy everyone. I don't have all of the pictures from the trip, as most of them are on my dad's camera (who is still vacationing in Hawaii!), but I did get some on my phone. The rest will just have to be on another post!
Saturday May 25th:
-We all arrived in Kauai in the late afternoon. Right when I stepped out of the airport and felt the humid & warm air, I remembered how badly I had missed humidity. Dry air and Jenessa just don't get along very well. The highlight of day #1 was eating dinner with my two sisters and husband at the poolside grill and swimming in the pool at the resort while my parents went to pick up my older brother from his late flight. We hadn't all been together for many months, so it was a wonderful way to start the vacation.
Our Hotel at the Point at Poipu:
This picture was taken at sunrise on my last day,
but I just love the scene from our hotel!
Sunday May 26th:
-Driving around the island takes forever! On a map it doesn't seem far at all, but with a two lane highway and speeds ranging from 35-55mph, you don't get anywhere quickly. The church in Kauai was amazing. And we even saw a lady who we knew in California when we lived there when I was young! Small world. Today was basically a "sneak peak" for the week, as we drove around and stopped at various sites, took walks along the beach, and of course Sunday naps with the fresh tropical air blowing through the widows :)
 |
| My Adorable family. (You see the leis we are wearing? We got them at church in Relief Society :) Nice!) |
Monday May 27th:
-Highlight for today was definitely Surfing lessons from two dark Hawaiian boys with the Margo Oberg Surf School. The best part was that all of us, even mom, were able to stand up and surf on our own! Granted the waves were small, but it was our first time.
- Snorkeling at Baby Beach: pretty good sea life, but nothing like what we would see on Wednesday!
-Ukulele lessons at the resort's activity center
-Shopping in the evening because we had had enough sun!
My Sister is a model.
Not really, but she is gorgeous, and I love her!
Enjoying the sun before snorkeling.
We realized when we got back how very sunburned we were. I burned the backs of my legs so badly that my evening run along the beach with Marshall was kinda painful! The next morning was pretty bad too...I couldn't walk when I first got out of bed.
Tuesday May 28th:
-Hiked at Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We hiked an 8 mile loop, connecting the Canyon trail, Kumuwela Trail, and Halemanu-Koke'e Trails. I would say this hike was a success...until about half way through, when nature decided to downpour on us for the remainder of the hike. It wouldn't have been so bad if my legs weren't so burnt--every time I brushed past the twigs and leaves (which was a lot because the trail was narrow), my burns were scratched and aggravated. I was so cold when we got back to the hotel because I was soaking wet that all I wanted to do was jump in the hot tub, but the hot water scorched my burns and I couldn't get in past the bottoms of my feet.
My Favorite Part is the photo bomb, peaking his head in :)
I have the best siblings!
Obviously these pictures were taken before the downpour...
Another sister picture. I just love this one!
Funny how we are all nearly the same height.
-Marshall and I got our own hotel at the Kauai Sands Hotel for one night so that we could have "us" time. As much as I love my family, it is important to have one on one time with my sweetheart. My dad dropped us off at our hotel and then we walked to dinner at Mema's Thai Cuisine Restaurant, which was very good and cheap! I was craving ice cream so we walked to a delicious ice cream parlor called Lappert's Ice Cream and barely got there in time before closing. Surprisingly, I picked my single scoop of pineapple coconut ice cream in a waffle cone without requesting a sample taste!
Wednesday May 29th:
Secret Beach:
We had to hike down a really
muddy hill to get here, but it was a GORGEOUS beach!!
Ke'e Beach:
Look at that view! (Besides my incredibly handsome husband)
The Northern Coast of Kauai is known as the Na Pali Coast,
and the only way to experience it is to hike, boat, or helicopter.
It's breathtaking in real life.
I wish the lighting was better!
-Hiked the Hanakapi'ai Trail (4 miles one-way) to Hanakapi'ai Beach (2 miles) and then the falls at the 4 mile mark. I chose not to go to the falls (which would have been an 8 mile round-trip hike) because my knee was bugging me and I just wanted to relax a bit. So Marshall, my mom, and I hung out at the Hanakapi'ai Beach and then hiked the last two miles at a very relaxed pace. We then snorkeled at Ke'e beach until the others returned. The snorkeling was amazing. Marshall found sea turtles, and when I took my mom out to see them, there were nine!! They were close enough to touch and so amazing. I can't wait to see the pictures my dad took.
Love my sister Kristina! (Ke'e Beach)
Thursday May 30th:
Today was relax day! I went to the gym in the morning with my sister and brother, and then Marshall, Kristina, and I walked 1.5 miles to some stores to window shop before lunch. Although we didn't get anything, it was just so fun to be with my little sister and get outside. We came back to the resort and shared an order of Kalua Nachos at the poolside grill, and then rested up and got ready for the Luau at Smith's Family Garden Luau. What a perfect and marvelous evening! (The food was amazing too)
Mmmm...my favorite person!
Just being silly with my sis!
See? A natural model!
(look at her arms and it's obvious she is a Varsity swimmer!)
Big Brother & Little Sister. Best buds.
Photo Shoots are fun!
Haha! Look at all of us trying to fix something. I was just
trying to keep Hannah's hair from getting into her poi!
Finally we got a good one :)
Friday May 31, 2013:
Our last day on Kauai! We went kayaking on the Wailua River, as well as hiked to Secret Falls. We rented our boats from the Kamokila Hawaiian Village and then kayaked a little ways up the river to a bank where we parked our boats. Then was a 2 mile hike through the river and lots of red mud to Secret Falls. See Hannah's super attractive picture? It gives you an idea of the mud :)
Trying to get across the river
My attempt at taking my own picture with
the falls behind me...
This picture makes me so happy for some reason!
Okay, this tree below was AWESOME. There was a branch that was looped around another tree. A Hawaiian hiker passed by and said, "I didn't know we had albino monkeys here!" It was hilarious.
The river and mountains were so pretty!
This is a video of Kristina, Nate, and Hannah
jumping off the bluff along the river.
Kristina was the most fun to watch :)
After cleaning up from our muddy kayak trip, I had to take my last pictures with my sisters before heading back to good old Fairbanks, Alaska. And I had to get a picture with my sister before she leaves on her mission in one month! I am going to miss texting her about everything. And "liking" every post on facebook :) Luckily I have another sister to do this while she is gone.
I didn't know how much I needed this vacation. It was so nice to be disconnected from my phone/emails/facebook for a week. Time with family was priceless. I have been fortunate to visit so many incredible places in my life with my family, including Japan, Guam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico. Each place has been unique, and each time I am reminded of the incredible love and care my Heavenly Father has for me. Why would he create such a beautiful Earth if he didn't love us? So wherever you live or are, get out and enjoy what is around you :)
5:55AM
Poipu Point, Kauai
So fun to hear about your trip & see photos! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletelove this :)
ReplyDelete