Aloha pt. 2 ~ A Birthday and the Road to Hana and Beyond

July 21, 2013 - Bill's 49th birthday and all he wanted was a day with the family, making memories and that's just what he got.

We headed to a little cafe in Kihei (in Maui) that was busy and full. We thought surely this was the best sign of a great breakfast. I'm not gonna lie...the food was wonderful but the service and welcome....not so much! 

We soon overlooked the rudeness when our plates arrived. Now I'm drooling and can't wait to dive my fork into my son's pancakes.

And this son's breakfast burrito...oh yea!!!

Or how about these biscuits and gravy? I'm totally in love! (burp)

You see, I order the 'healthy' Egg & Veggie Bowl, but take nibbles off everyone else's plates. That way, I don't feel so guilty. If I didn't order it, it doesn't count! (don't tell me it doesn't work like that)

Then we set out on our journey....the 'back road' to Hana. 

Hana is a small town that is quite challenging to get to. You can take the "road most traveled", or you can take the road that is "most treacherous" but shaves an hour off the time which is generally 3 or more hours. 

We chose the shorter, more interesting route and all of Bill's wishes came true. Here's some pictures to prove the journey and let's just say, I'm glad I packed our Life Savers.

You see, the back road is bumpy and narrow!

and there are sharp, hilly turns

and limited sight. 

and I mean, very limited sight!

But at any given moment, you get this in your sight.
(beautiful huh?)

And the view gets beyond intimidating! ("don't look down, don't look down!", I say to myself.)

And all of the sudden you're here with two additional vehicles wondering how to get around each other on a one lane road. (it get's tricky and you quickly recall the game of Chinese puzzles - trying to maneuver each car around making sure they fit...and stay on the road)

And you'll get plenty of helpful notes like this one.

and this one. They mean business or else.....

Or else you don't stop quick enough to avoid a collision.

and thus falling down here. (Things in this picture are scarier than they appear.)

But man, the view sucks you in and you keep going. (Not that you really have a choice anyway. There are NO u-turns available.)

And after a good hour or more of terrifying, nail biting, pee your pants kinda ride...you get back on a smooth paved road. 

It's still winding, but it's paved and that's progress!!! Real peace I tell ya!

And so, taking the "back road to Hana" brings you to the Haleakala National Park. And it's a good thing. It's the reason we decided to take on this day. It's the pay-off for this death defying journey.

We got out, stretched, took a deep sigh of relief and set out on a 2 mile hike to what is also know as the "seven pools".

Along the way you see breath taking falls.

And you walk through the most amazing rows of bamboo. 

I've never seen anything like this before. Tall thick stalks of bamboo. When the wind blows through they gently knock and clink together making this peaceful sound.

And from a distance, after hiking 2 miles you can catch a glimpse of a tall waterfall.

Get a little closer and you can hear the rush of the water.

Get even closer and you can feel the mist of the fall like a refreshing shower after a long, hot walk. This was our reward. We didn't want to leave and hike back. We just wanted to take it all in. 

We continued and got back on the road to Hana. Once we passed through Hana, we were on the road people normally take. It was long. It has 600 sharp turns and 59 one-way bridges. It took forever. We were all nauseous to say the least. (and we had no snacks...and the Life Savers were long gone.)

You can buy t-shirts that say "I survived the Road to Hana". But I think there needs to be a t-shirt that says "I survived the 'Back Road' to Hana." 

It was fun and it was exactly what Bill wanted. We have memories of all 5 of us screaming, hiking and laughing together. We ended the day at a great pizza place.....a very happy birthday!

Aloha Shopping

Aloha!

I love finding different things while away.
In Hawaii, you can find all sorts of different things.
Y'all know I have a habit of collecting kitchen towels. 
I have so many it's ridiculous. So, now I buy for my friends.

I'm passing this Hula girl, flour sack towel on to someone today....a little token reminder of the Hawaiian spirit. Isn't she beautiful? The polynesian women are gorgeous inside and out!

To enter, all you have do is leave a comment at the bottom here. Have you ever been to Hawaii? Have you ever hulaed before? (I have and I can promise you is wasn't pretty) Are you obsessed with cute kitchen towels? I just like to know I'm in good company! :)


Since I'm on Hawaii time (5 hours behind Texas), I'll announce the winner on Sunday, July 28th.

Happy Saturday and Mahalo!
AK

Aloha pt. 1

If one goes to Hawaii, one must post their incredible pictures because the truth is, there's no bad day in Hawaii.

This is our family vacation. This is a dream vacation. I've been to Hawaii several times in my life and I never take it for granted. 

It's absolutely magical. 
It's paradise. 
It's one of my very favorite places to rest and be inspired.

from Maui....

Seriously, God lives here!!! My heart is full and thankful!




The kids began with scuba lessons.

They are much braver than their momma who hung up her hot pink diving gear years ago.

Their father on the other hand is an expert! He's a my brave Hawaiian hero! :)

This is their awesome scuba instructor, Jerry! He takes all kinds of celebrities diving like Adam Sandler, Steven Tyler and Dog the Bounty Hunter. If you ever want to go with an instructor, Jerry is the man!

We ventured on the road to Hana. We've heard lots about it. It's suppose to be a long, grueling drive that people "survive". We weren't up for that just yet, so we stopped a great place to hike called Twin Falls.

Anything that begins with a farm stand is my kinda place. 


But first, a pit stop! 

(the expression says it all!)



Anyway, back to the trail. 

1 mile to a mystery destination.

Along the way there's beautiful scenery like Hawaiian flowers.

A cave that makes you curious to crawl into. (but we chickened out)

Finally, you come upon large rocks with a stream.

Here's the deciding factor. Do you just run across in your running shoes like my oldest who is a gazelle and can walk on water? What a talented kid I have!

Or do you just give in and go IN the water with your running shoes like Bill who is NOT the most coordinated person in the world? (he knows his limitations) 

Or, do you play it safe and remove your running shoes to go barefooted like my daughter and I?

I'm here to tell you that is NOT smart! The pain of each step is NOT worth saving your already dirty running shoes. 

Slowly and gingerly I made it to the end where plenty of people ahead of me were enjoying the refreshing water. 

It was beautiful and definitely worth the journey. Just wear water shoes, running shoes, flip flops...anything to save your bare feet!

More great advice and pictures from Hawaii to follow later! :)

Aloha~
AK

packin' up

Well summer vacation is almost here...yay!!!

We are taking the kids to Hawaii. (Or as my Grandmother used to say in her Texas drawl..."Hawaya"!) 

It's a dream vacation that we've talked about doing for a long time and we are finally going. If you have never been, you MUST put it on your bucket list.

It's by far one of my favorite places in the world. Not that I've seen the world, but trust me...it's just amazing!

I pulled out my suitcase and clothing earlier this week because usually I wait until the final hours to throw everything into my suitcase thus totally stressing myself out. (I'm getting wiser in my old age)

And, I usually pack way too much but I tell ya...I'm a girl and I like options!!! You just never know what mood you'll be in on any given Thursday night, or Monday morning, or Sunday afternoon. Am I right? 

So, I've got lots of things pulled out to "consider" taking. By this weekend, I'll have it all narrowed down to the exact "chosen ones" going on this trip.

I'm doing something different this year. I'm going to take along this tiny suitcase just for my workout clothes. Yes, I work out on vacation! Why? 

I enjoy exercising in different places and I have to counter balance all the calories I plan on taking in. And besides, working out in Hawaii is wayyyy
better than working out at home so I plan on doing it everyday. In the end, that will be a lot of stinky clothes!

Here's one other thing I'm taking for sure.

Hawaiian Tropics Shimmer Effect lotion. It's great! It gives you moisture along with a slight shimmer. 

I bought one for me and one for you...or for whoever enters and is chosen for this giveaway. 

Comment below to enter yourself. I'de like to know what favorite thing you like to take on vacation. How many suitcases or bags do you usually take? Are you like me and like to have options? Do you exercise on vacation? Are you taking a family vacation this year? All of these are my questions to you! One lucky winner will be chosen and announced Saturday July 13,2013. 

Stay tuned to the blog as I plan on sharing beautiful pics and stories from our trip.

Aloha!

Amy K