dolphins, sea turtles, seasickness, oh-my!

This morning Ryan and I woke up at 4:45am for a 7-1/2 hour snorkel tour of the Na Pali coast and Niihau Island. We checked in and hopped, barefoot, on the 60 foot catamaran. As we cruised up the Na Pali Coast, we enjoyed a bumpy breakfast complete with pineapple and tea (perfect for me!). The views were spectacular. We were even fortunate enough to see some dolphin pods and even a sea turtle or two. It was fantastic! Unfortunately the water was very choppy. Not only did poor Ryan get seasick, but we had to head back to port early without having snorkeled. Oh well, it was still a fun day (for me at least!)

Big Update from Kaua'i

We haven't posted an update in a little while, so we have a lot to cover.

First, Rosie and I decided to become full members of Shell Vacation Club. So, we are now proud owners of a time share. We are staying in one of our properties the next two nights. It is amazing! Here are some pictures. The last two pictures are of a monk seal we saw while taking a tour of our time share.Second, we went kayaking up the Wailua River. Part way up the river, we pulled up on shore and hiked to Secret Falls. It was a great site for a picnic which we brought with. No pictures from this part of the trip because we used a water proof camera.

Last, we went to a beautiful beach on the north shore. The beach is called Pali Ke Kua or Hideaways Beach. We had to hike down what they called stairs and a very slick, muddy trail. In the end, it was well worth it. Here are some pictures.

Rosie on the trail to the beach

Day 2 in Kauai

Yesterday was another amazing day here in Kaua'i. We went to the Kauai Coffee Company, the largest coffee plantation in Hawaii, and then went to the Waimea Canyon. It was really fun at the coffee planation because we were able to taste the different types of coffee they make there. They also had a coffee maze that we walked through. At the canyon, we got to see some breath-taking views and enjoy a different part of Kauai all together. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

Rough Riding

One of the funniest parts of our trip today was trying to drive to the elusive "Barking Sands Beach." Rumor has it that when the sand is VERY dry it sounds like barking dogs when you walk on it. Unfortunately we were unable to find out if this rumor was true or not. Instead of making it to the Barking Sands Beach, we found ourselves on a very rough road to what was a supposed state park. After getting whiplash while driving along the road, and getting our car stuck in a sand dune, we finally made it to a beautiful beach. The trip up there was quite the adventure. This short video clip shows you what I mean.

Kauai - First Day Photos

Rosie at Hanalei Valley Lookout. Those are all fields of taro.


Rosie and I finally see the Hawaiian State Bird, the Nene!

Rosie at Polihale State Park.

Polihale State Park

Rosie and Ryan driving back after a long first day on Kauai.

24 hours of Kauai

Rosie and I have been on Kauai for a little over 24 hours now and we have had a blast! Things started out a little rough when the airline lost Rosie's luggage, but we were determined to make the best of it. After a quick trip to Oahu and a little airshow from the Blue Angels, Rosie's luggage final made it to Kauai last night around 9pm.

Today we decided to do a driving tour of the island. We started off by driving as far north as we could, Haena State Park. From there, we turned around and headed to the other end of the island. We ended up at Polihale State Park at a beautiful sandy beach with Niihau in the distance. When then headed back to our suite for dinner. Rosie will post pictures later tonight.