Kauai Trip final update...better late than never :)

Sorry I've been a bad blogger!  We got home on Tuesday, but boy oh boy are we tired!!!  Combining a red eye flight with a 6 hour time change makes life difficult with Little Lion.  He still hasn't gotten on a normal daytime schedule yet!  Hopefully in a few days ;)  Ok onto the good stuff!!!!

WAIMEA CANYON "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific" 

 We drove 2 hours to the end of the highway which coincidently is only a few miles from where we stayed just the highway doesn't go completely around the island.  It was beautiful!  We were 4,000 feet up.  Along the drive there were various lookout points which we stopped at.  These pictures really do it no justice!  

Notice in the 3rd picture that you can't tell where the ocean ends and the sky begins!!  The last picture is of my Dad walking into the mountain which is covered by a cloud :)

QUEEN'S BATH **Mr. E's Favorite Spot***

Queen's bath is a pool of ocean water that was formed by lava rock.  It was a hike to get down there and then a hike over lava rock.  Little Lion didn't come with us since we wouldn't have made it (thanks to T for the tip).  However, the hike passed a beautiful waterfall that we took advantage of after swimming/jumping into the bath.  You first come across a large very scary lagoon.  The tide was high and the ocean was fierce making the waves coming in fast and strong.  When they did they created a waterfall in this lagoon.  Also when a wave came in the water level rose 5 feet.  

It looked awesome and we were in awe watching the waves come in.  Shortly after arriving a couple of  YOUNG teenagers came and started jumping into the lagoon.  If I was their mother, I would have had a heart attack!!!!

**All 3 of these pictures are of the same location**See the difference in water level between the 1st and 2nd picture.  See the kids standing under the waterfall.  When a wave comes in the water level is ABOVE their heads while standing in the same place.  They were jumping off the cliffs at least 30 feet into this pool!!  And of course Mr. E needed to show his manhood and *had* to jump in.  It didn't help that these tweens told him that the "OLD PEOPLE one is farther down."  I begged and pleaded him not too, but he didn't care.  So he jumped in at the safer (if that is even possible) end.

He survived....thankfully ;)  Then we headed over to the "older people one" ie the real queen's bath ;)  I guess I'm old people because I was brave enough to jump in.  This was only 10-15 feet up.

 



You felt like you were on the edge of the world :) What paradise!!!

HELICOPTER RIDE **with door OFF!!!***

Let me start out saying if I was in charge of taking pictures during the helicopter ride, we would have ZERO pictures!  It was SCARY!!!!!  I was holding on for dear life!  Yes I was wearing a seatbelt and I know that's not possible and the company is very safe, but I felt very unsecured!  It was the most breathtaking thing I've ever done as well!  I would recommend it highly...maybe with the doors on though ;)  We saw over a 100 waterfalls and fantastic scenery!

Do you see that you have to wear life preservers around your waist and my lovely hair blown hair :)

LYDGATE PARK

This was Little Lion's favorite beach because of the Keikei lagoon.  He also became a little daredevil like his father and cliff dived :)

SUNSETS

Our condo was the best place to watch sunsets on Bali Hai which was named from the movie shot there "South Pacific."

 

A GREAT FAMILY VACATION
On a end note......A FUN SHOT OF ME..... at lunch at Ziplining

Where should we go next??????

***NOW WITH PITCTURES****Update w/o pictures...for now :)

Aloha!!!!  I can't believe we've been here a week already!  We've done so much and the weather has been PERFECT!!!!  (knock on wood!!)

Saturday, we went ziplining.  Sooooo much fun!!!!!  I loved it!!  I think I could zip all day long!  We went to Princeville Ranch Adventures.  There was 8 ziplines.  We started off on small lines and made it to 600 feet across zip over the valley.  I wish they were longer.  Just when you get a good view of what you want to see you are already at the other end.  I think it's the closest thing to flying you'll ever get to ;)  We took video too as well as self portraits while zipping....pics to come later ;)  Sorry, we haven't downloaded pictures yet.  After 7 lines we stopped at a waterhole to cliff jump into the *refreshing* water....70 degrees!!!!  They also had a suspension bridge to cross over.  The goal was to walk 8 steps with out holding onto the rope.  Mr. E and I made it about 12 steps before it was too wobbly for us ;)  As you can tell I really enjoyed it, however, Mr. E preferred the ATV since he thought there was too much downtime on ziplining since you have to wait for the rest of your group to zip before moving on.  He has no patience :)

Sunday, my parents went tubing at Kauai Backcounty.  Mr. E and decided since they have been such great babysitters of Little Lion that they should have a day to themselves.  I spent the day laying out on the deck over looking the ocean and bali hai and drinking pina coladas ;)  Grandma and Pop enjoyed the tubing of the sugarcane tunnels.  They thought it was the perfect adventure for the nonadventurers.....ie slow!  So basically the young kids and old folks would love it.

Today we headed to the south shore of Poipu and Sprouting Horn.  Sprouting Horn was neat to see the waves causing the sprout out through the rocks.  Little Lion enjoyed it because there was a little area to chase the chickens ;)  For lunch we ate at Puka Dogs.  You get your choice of relishes for your polish sausage.  I had pineapple.  Mr. E had mango.  Two thumbs up ;)  The beach at Poipu was a 4 star beach.  However, it had a great area for kids with lots of minnow to chase.  Little Lion enjoyed it and actually was getting brave enough to walk around in the water at the shore.  The next lagoon area was for snorkeling, but it was very rocky/corally!!!  But the fish were AMAZING!!!!  Just a few feet from shore you could see Angel fish, brightly colored Wresse, and an even an eel which was my cue to go in ;)  

Not sure what's on the agenda tomorrow.  I do know that we are going to go for a helicopter ride and check out Waimea Canyon "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific".

Kauai Trip update ;)

Whew!  What a week so far!!  We've done so much and enjoyed the interesting weather here.  It is crazy.  Over the mountains it looks like it is always raining, so you think it's going to move over to the beach area.....NOPE....it stays over the mountains most of the time while sunny over on the beach side.  However, when it does rain, it rains for a short time and then a beautiful rainbow appears!  We've had great rainbows outside our condo.  What a sight to behold, surfers and rainbows all while sipping a cocktail on the deck!  Heaven!!!!

We've hit a few beaches.  Our condo is on a cliff overlooking Hideaways beach.  It's a small beach with great snorkeling.  The downside is that walk down is STEEP!  

We also went to Hanalei Bay which has a spectacular view of Bali Hai.  The waves were great to jump.  Leo enjoyed jumping them with Pop Pop until a HUGE wave came and went right over both of their heads!!!  That was the end of the ocean for him.  

Today we went to Lyndgate Park.  This is a state park that is suited for keikeis (kids).  It has 2 coves that are filled with fish that are very friendly.  One has very little waves and the other is for beginning snorkelers.  Leo was much happier in the waveless ocean ;)  Sorry we haven't downloaded those pics yet :(

Mr. E and I also did an ATV tour at Kipu Ranch.  After a safety lesson where we learned how to roll or not to roll off the thing, we were on our way.  WOW was the land beautiful!!!!  Mr. E and I both drove our own ATV.  It was a much harder trail than I would have thought.  Plus it had rained earlier in the day.   Our first stop was where Jurassic Park was filmed.  

Our next stop was where Indiana Jones was filmed.  It was the rope swing into the river.  Mr. E was brave enough to jump in.  I, however, wanted to, but a lady went first and fell in!!!!!!  So I was a little stand offish.  Here is Mr. E as Indiana Jones which he now wants me to call him. LOL

You're thinking wow everything is going well....no troubles....no worries. Well, I was following an ATV down the hill and he braked and I was going down and didn't want to run into him.  So instead I *almost* ran into the tree.  Mr. E insisted taking a picture!  I was also stuck and had to have him push me out.  The guides came to see if I was ok and Mr. E told them I HIT the tree!!!  As you can see I did not!  Remember that safety lesson :)  LOL  When we did finish the guide was checking over my ATV looking for damage (that we'd have to pay for) since I hit the tree!  He didn't realize Mr. E was joking!!!!!

We ended our tour with a lookout from the top of the mountain!  Breathtaking!!

Well we're off to eat dinner and watch the sunset......ziplining tomorrow :)  ALOHA!!!

ALOHA!!!! From the Northside of Kauai!

We're here!!!  Thought I'd post a quick hello :)  So far it has been great!!  The first class plane ride was wonderful.  It's amazing to get decent food, your own tv, free mai tais, and comfy seats!  Little Lion was very good on the flight and didn't have any major breakdowns until we were waiting for our luggage.  But it was 1am Florida time...wayyyyyyyyy past his bedtime.  

Our condo is just as we expected.  We don't have air, so it was HOT inside.  We through on the fans and by 1am Hawaii time, I was freezing ;)  Today is better inside since the air has been circulating.  The view is amazing!!!!  Bali Hai to one side and Pacific all around.  We are on a cliff so the walk down to the beach is a trek!  You have to hold onto the railing as well as a rope.  However, once you get there it is worth it!  It isn't called Hideaway Beach for nothing ;)  

Today we went to Costco and Foodlion to get food/drinks.  We also hit up the Hanalei farmers market for fresh bananas, pineapple, and starfruit. And now drinks on the deck.  Here's my first pic :)  Sorry it's via the computer.

Hawaii Bound Tomorrow!!

Wooooo Whoooo!!  It's finally here!  We are leaving tomorrow!!  My posts will probably be sparse since I'll be drinking lots of mai tais on the beach.  But don't worry, I'll of course post pictures and a trip report on Kauai when we get home!  

ALOHA!!!!!!!

UGH...Weather!

The internet can be a great thing.  However, it also can make you crazy!  I have been checking the weather for our Hawaii trip everyday for the past couple days since they show the 10 day forecast.  Well what I've learned is that different weather websites give way different forecasts.  I've also learned that the tiny island of Hawaii has different weather in areas as close as 30 miles.  Let me give you an example.

Weather.com for Princeville, HI     VS. Wunderground.com for Princeville

Monday....90 degrees 30% chance of rain VS. 87 degrees 70% chance of rain  

That's a big difference in rain chances!!

Tuesday...89 degrees 30% chance of rain VS. 87 degrees 20% chance of rain

Whew a little better :)  

Weather.com for Lihue, HI               VS. Wunderground.com for Lihue, HI

Monday...83 degrees 30% chance of rain VS. 87 degrees 70% chance of rain

OK wunderground seems accurate for the 30 mile distance btwn cities. But 7 degrees difference with weather.com btwn cities seems a lot to me!

Tuesday...83 degrees 30% chance of rain VS. 87 degrees 20% chance of rain

Same as before...

OK so which do you think is more accurate???  Or should I assume that the weather will be hot and may or may not rain....LOL!  I think I'll look at the one with the best weather.  What can I say, I want beautiful sun shiney weather!!!!!  

My future Daughter-in-Law :)

One of my great college friends and her family came to visit this week from NY!  She has an adorable 1 year old daughter O ;)  O is a doll and has been VERY interested in Little Lion!  Little Lion is an active boy which provides lots of entertainment for O.  Today we went to SeaWorld.  The kids had fun looking at the polar bears, beluga whales, walrus, and most importantly the ducks and squirrels who are rather friendly.  One squirrel tried very hard to get into our pictures or should I say get into LL's stroller since he was eating a sandwich.  I had to keep shooshing him away.  If you look at my friend's family picture, O was looking at the squirrel :)  

We didn't get through the whole park since we have to work around nap schedules, but plan to head back later this week.  

HAWAII UPDATE...............ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hawaii and Alone!

YIPPEEEEEE!!!!!!!  2 WEEKS TODAY UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR HAWAII!!!!!!!!!  I am sooo excited!!!  This is our beach that the condo is located on;o)  Anyone want to come in our suitcase??? 

Since we are leaving soon, and we have friends visiting next week, I had to get some shopping done.  We needed travel items and some new clothes and shoes.  The problem with this is that shopping with a toddler is not so fun!  Mr.E had this brain idea to let me go shopping ALONE while he took care of LL yesterday.  Mr. E tells me that I need a day to myself....You're awwwwwing right now.  What a sweet guy! ....But his ulterior motive was to watch football while LL naps.  Yes I know he's a typical guy, but I'm grateful.  So off I go.

My first stop is Marshalls.  I scored a few terrific deals here!!!  I bought myself a pair of Lucky capris for.............$3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And a pair of Nautica shorts for...........$5!!!!!  My next item I bought cost a little more.....$10......, but was a NECESSITY!!! 

Little lion has become obsessed with a blue pair of Carters shoes with yellow straps.  He only will wear these shoes.  I think he likes them because he can put them on himself.  Doesn't he know that mommy is a fashionista and blue shoes don't go with every outfit???  Don't get me wrong they are cute, but boy they STINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  For someone so small, he sure has big odor!!  I have to throw these shoes in the wash every week! So I had to find something similar that LL will be able to put on himself and have more breathing room.  I ended up buying him a pair of Pirate of the Caribbean Red Crocs.  I also bought a pair of plain blue Crocs too for Hawaii....he won't know the difference....hopefully. I also bought him a pair of black Reef sandals (75% off..$5.50)  So we have Red, Blue, and Black shoes ;) Here is Little Lions showing off his new Crocs. Notice how much better he looks since last post.....His back molar made an appearance! Sleep is better now;o)

My *SO-CALLED* Friends

I've been getting various emails from my *so-called* friends today.  They've all been wishing me a "happy last week in my 20's" and "you've only got 4 more days to go"!  HMPF!!  Do I need to be reminded????  I don't think so!!!  However, that also means 4 days until my PAR-TAY!!!  We'll be celebrating at Royal Pacific's Wantilan Luau.  I figure they can't come to Hawaii, I'll bring a little Hawaii to my party.  I'm ready to get my *30* hula on and drink lots of mei teis!!!

But first things first, Mr. E's birthday is tomorrow.  This means I need to make a cake and wrap presents for him.  No big party this year since I'm celebrating the *BIG* birthday..blah :)  I'm hoping to make a fancy cake....red velvet which cream cheese frosting...which he didn't really want, he wanted German chocolate...... but I needed white frosting to decorate the way I want.  Hopefully it'll turn out well and I'll post pictures.  

2 months minus 1 day...

Until Paradise!!!!  I thought today I'd share where we are staying for our 2 glorious weeks in Kauai.   We are staying at Pu'u Po'a condos on the northside in Princeville.  Here is the view from our lanai.

Here is our beach outside the condo.  This is the view from the movie South Pacific too;)

Are you jealous yet????

Wii fit update

I bet you are wondering how my wii fit workout has been going.  Well, I haven't lost or gained any weight in 3 weeks.  I have, however, managed to be as young as 21 and as old as 49 as my wii fit age. I wonder how this is an accurate picture of my strength.  I have unlocked most of the activities expect 3.  And to Mr. E's dismay, I'm pretty much number 1 in all of the activities :)  But to his defense, the novelty of the wii fit has worn off and he hasn't used it in a while....like in 2 weeks.  Well we'll know who will be in Hawaii shape and who will not.  This will be us.

DISCLAIMER:  Mr. E is not even close to being this big and there is no way in H3LL would I wear a thong in public :)  And of course I love Mr. E just the way he is ;)

5 Months Until HAWAII

That's right!  We leave for Kauai on September 22!  We finally have airline tickets that hopefully won't be cancelled.  US Air is NOT our friend!!!!  My parents decided they wanted to go first class since it's a 12-13 hour flight.  Well if they are going first class then we wanted to go first class.....ok by we I mean Mr. E.  It is a bigger expense, but with this lovely tax refund coming, it'll pay for the difference.  Plus Little Lion is still free.  And of course I'm sure we'll get dirty looks having a toddler in first class, but oh well.  There will be 4 of us to keep him entertained and he can lap hop.  I was debating for quite some time on if having him be a lap child or buying him his own seat in coach with us.  So I researched.....www.seatguru.com  The seats in first class are the same size as my recliner chair which the two of us can fit comfortably in side by side.  So I won't feel the need to *have* to hold him the entire time.  

Another plus side of flying first class is that we get access to their Executive Room during our lay over.  The layover is 4 hours....free drinks and snacks and comfy chairs sounds like a good idea to me ;)  Oh and did I mention that you get to check TWO bags for FREE.  Yes that is unheard of now a days, but oh so important when flying with a lap child.  This way Little Lion gets his own suitcase.  Can you tell I'm justifying my purchase?  I'm sure it'll be worth it and make the vacation all the more special!

Drum Roll.............The airline of choice is................

ALASKA AIR!!!