Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Brandi's Visit
My cute sister, Brandi, came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. I was so happy to have her here. In fact, shortly after we moved here I found myself at the "From Here to Eternity" beach, swimming in the waves and weeping because I wanted to share it with my sisters so bad. I know how much my sisters would love it here. We, as a family, have always been water people, loving to boat, ski, tube (down a river or behind a boat), scuba dive, snorkel, jump off things like bridges and rocks into water, and just plain swim; in Hawaii you can do pretty much all of these things. It breaks my heart that I can't share this beautiful place with my sisters more often. So, as you can imagine, Brandi's visit was a dream come true!
While she was here we went to a lot of beaches (she wore me out). We even visited one beach that was new for me and Zac. One of the beaches is close to the Halona Blowhole. Below the parking lot is a little cove that stays protected most of the time, making it a great place to swim. The bonus: rocks to jump off! The beach is famous for a romantic kiss scene in the movie, "From Here to Eternity," starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. I've heard the beach called many names including the "From Here to Eternity" beach, cockroach beach and Halona Blowhole Park beach. We, as a family, call it Cove Beach. It's one of our favorites!
I also took Brandi on the (paved) hike up to Makapu'u Lighthouse. On Wednesday mornings a few ladies in my church ward meet to walk together to get some good exercise and to chat. For the hike down, I took her down the side of the mountain to see the tide pools and the dragon nostrils (blowhole) me and the boys had found earlier. Brandi was a little overwhelmed by the steepness of the climb, but she was a good sport anyway.
Dragon's Nostrils:
The waves were huge that day! They crashed beautifully over the rocks created quite the show. We (or should I say I) sat in one of the tide pools and watched the power of the ocean crash nearby. Stunning!
The last picture shows the terrain (behind Brandi) we had to climb back up to get to the path. Once we reached the pavement, Brandi shouted out, "I did it! Aaron won't believe it!" I'll bet he would, he knows how awesome you are, but props to you Brandi! I love you. Thanks for a wonderful visit!
While she was here we went to a lot of beaches (she wore me out). We even visited one beach that was new for me and Zac. One of the beaches is close to the Halona Blowhole. Below the parking lot is a little cove that stays protected most of the time, making it a great place to swim. The bonus: rocks to jump off! The beach is famous for a romantic kiss scene in the movie, "From Here to Eternity," starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. I've heard the beach called many names including the "From Here to Eternity" beach, cockroach beach and Halona Blowhole Park beach. We, as a family, call it Cove Beach. It's one of our favorites!
I also took Brandi on the (paved) hike up to Makapu'u Lighthouse. On Wednesday mornings a few ladies in my church ward meet to walk together to get some good exercise and to chat. For the hike down, I took her down the side of the mountain to see the tide pools and the dragon nostrils (blowhole) me and the boys had found earlier. Brandi was a little overwhelmed by the steepness of the climb, but she was a good sport anyway.
Dragon's Nostrils:
The waves were huge that day! They crashed beautifully over the rocks created quite the show. We (or should I say I) sat in one of the tide pools and watched the power of the ocean crash nearby. Stunning!
The last picture shows the terrain (behind Brandi) we had to climb back up to get to the path. Once we reached the pavement, Brandi shouted out, "I did it! Aaron won't believe it!" I'll bet he would, he knows how awesome you are, but props to you Brandi! I love you. Thanks for a wonderful visit!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Beach Day
Back in October, I took the boys to Makapu'u Beach to soak up some sun, feel the breeze, and cool off in the ocean. It turned out to be a wonderful day!
Hiking in Hawaii--Part IV
I'm sorry for all of the hiking posts. I'm just trying to play catch up. We do things other than hike, but I don't often take the camera with me, thus I don't have pictures of too many other activities. I'll try and do better. In the meantime, let me share two other hikes with you.
The first picture comes from our most recent hike, two days ago. Zac, Tyson and I hiked up Mariner's Ridge. This hike is probably the closest to our home. The views were, once again, stunning and the breezes blowing around felt wonderful. On the way back, I found my second wind and raced Tyson down to the bottom. He won.
Here's Tyson courageously posing atop a ledge:
The other hike I wanted to blog about was actually taken the beginning of October. The trail is Makapu'u Point. Two trails diverge near the beginning, one trail paved and leading to the top of the point close to the lighthouse, and the other down toward a neat rock formation called Pelee's Chair. This Sunday afternoon we chose the lower trail down to the chair.
Pelee's Chair:
From there we began to climb along the rocks and wind our way around the base of Makapu'u Point. I'm pretty sure it's not part of any trail, in particular, but that didn't stop us. I was fondly reminded of how my sisters and I used to love to climb over boulders and rocks as children--so much fun!
The waves were crashing close nearby. We were careful to keep a safe distance to avoid being washed over the edge, but one wave caught Tyson and I off guard. We weren't washed away, but, well, just look what happened:
A little while later we came across another interesting rock formation; we're guessing it is the remains of a lava flow. We have to check with our favorite geologist to know if we're correct, but we assume that the circular rings in the rocks were made from lava flowing through a tube of some sort, and instead of an empty tube remaining the actual hardened lava flow from inside the tube can be seen. Realize this is all amateur conjecture, but it's interesting all the same. One of the pictures includes people (me and Zac) to help grasp the scale and size of this amazing geological feature.
The end of our hike we found a great view of the lighthouse on Makapu'u Point. Also, a few intriguing blow holes caught our attention; the rumble and mist seriously looked and sounded like a dragon, and come to find out the area is actually nicknamed, "dragon's nostrils."
But, have faith in me, we did not hike all the way back around to reach our car (would've taken hours); we hiked straight up the side of the hill to the paved lighthouse path and luxuriously walked down to the parking lot. Once home, we were greeted with a gorgeous sunset. Lucky for me, Zac snapped a picture.
What a way to end our day!
The first picture comes from our most recent hike, two days ago. Zac, Tyson and I hiked up Mariner's Ridge. This hike is probably the closest to our home. The views were, once again, stunning and the breezes blowing around felt wonderful. On the way back, I found my second wind and raced Tyson down to the bottom. He won.
Here's Tyson courageously posing atop a ledge:
The other hike I wanted to blog about was actually taken the beginning of October. The trail is Makapu'u Point. Two trails diverge near the beginning, one trail paved and leading to the top of the point close to the lighthouse, and the other down toward a neat rock formation called Pelee's Chair. This Sunday afternoon we chose the lower trail down to the chair.
Pelee's Chair:
From there we began to climb along the rocks and wind our way around the base of Makapu'u Point. I'm pretty sure it's not part of any trail, in particular, but that didn't stop us. I was fondly reminded of how my sisters and I used to love to climb over boulders and rocks as children--so much fun!
The waves were crashing close nearby. We were careful to keep a safe distance to avoid being washed over the edge, but one wave caught Tyson and I off guard. We weren't washed away, but, well, just look what happened:
A little while later we came across another interesting rock formation; we're guessing it is the remains of a lava flow. We have to check with our favorite geologist to know if we're correct, but we assume that the circular rings in the rocks were made from lava flowing through a tube of some sort, and instead of an empty tube remaining the actual hardened lava flow from inside the tube can be seen. Realize this is all amateur conjecture, but it's interesting all the same. One of the pictures includes people (me and Zac) to help grasp the scale and size of this amazing geological feature.
The end of our hike we found a great view of the lighthouse on Makapu'u Point. Also, a few intriguing blow holes caught our attention; the rumble and mist seriously looked and sounded like a dragon, and come to find out the area is actually nicknamed, "dragon's nostrils."
But, have faith in me, we did not hike all the way back around to reach our car (would've taken hours); we hiked straight up the side of the hill to the paved lighthouse path and luxuriously walked down to the parking lot. Once home, we were greeted with a gorgeous sunset. Lucky for me, Zac snapped a picture.
What a way to end our day!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Chillin' With Dickens
If you can tell me which Dickens' novel I just finished then I will send you an email with a smiley face. Okay, lame prize (I know), but after I give you the quotes it will be way too easy!
Here are they are:
"It was the best of times it was the worst of times..."
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
p.s. I'm open to suggestions for my next read.
Here are they are:
"It was the best of times it was the worst of times..."
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
p.s. I'm open to suggestions for my next read.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Hiking in Hawaii--Part III
A few weeks ago we hiked the Kuliouou Ridge Trail. It has been my favorite hike since moving here. The trail wasn't steep like Koko Head, and we didn't have to deal with mud or bugs, but it was still challenging. It seemed much longer than the other trails we've hiked, but the view at the top was breathtaking! I felt so pleased with myself for making the trek up to the top. I could literally say I was on the tip top of one of Oahu's steep mountains.
One cool section of the trail consisted of switchbacks in among a bunch of really interesting pines. Needles littered the path and created a layer of insulation; it almost looked like snow and an incredible silence enveloped us as we hiked through that section of the trail--pretty neat!
Near the top, the scenery began to grow more and more lush. As part of the trail, we came across an interesting staircase that seemed to grow out of the vegetation. The look, the lighting, the growth--everything made it so picturesque. My boys, who always have a somewhat different take on beauty of nature, nicknamed it the secret stair (think Lord of the Rings). Later, after we made it to the top, Tyson found a section he then called, Shelob's Lair, to continue the theme. They are creative afterall, but maybe we do watch too many movies.
Our Secret Stair:
Tyson caught in Shelob's Lair:
Anyway, at the top we had an amazing 360 degree view of the island. Incredible! I even took a picture of Koko Head to show how much higher up we were. That itty bitty mountain that looks so small in the picture nearly killed me a few weeks ago. What perspective!
Koko Head looks awful small now, doesn't it? Not so scary now, are you Koko Head?
As we crested, we saw a sign that said, "End of the Trail." However, we noticed a worn path leading down, off of the flattened top area, and continuing along the tip tops of the mountain. Of course we started to follow it a little further. I was even dumb enough to be in the lead! The wind was blowing like crazy and my adrenaline was pumping as we slowly made our way across tiny paths about 2 feet across with sheer drop-offs on either side. Eventually it even turned into some rock climbing, using ropes that had been left in strategic spots. Finally, I couldn't take it any more (I was pretty scared for my kids' safety) and Tyson and I opted to stay put in "Shelob's Lair" while Zac and Tim bravely continued. Watching Tim and Zac climb up and over another ridge, out of sight, was as close to going crazy with just pure worry that I think a person can get. Thankfully they made it back safely and without incident. They both remarked that this hike felt much more scary than at Angel's Landing (the hike the scouts took on their High Adventure in UT last year). I think that says something! Google images of Angel's Landing if you don't believe me. In the meantime, I'm going to feel really cool that I made it up Kuliouou Ridge.
One cool section of the trail consisted of switchbacks in among a bunch of really interesting pines. Needles littered the path and created a layer of insulation; it almost looked like snow and an incredible silence enveloped us as we hiked through that section of the trail--pretty neat!
Near the top, the scenery began to grow more and more lush. As part of the trail, we came across an interesting staircase that seemed to grow out of the vegetation. The look, the lighting, the growth--everything made it so picturesque. My boys, who always have a somewhat different take on beauty of nature, nicknamed it the secret stair (think Lord of the Rings). Later, after we made it to the top, Tyson found a section he then called, Shelob's Lair, to continue the theme. They are creative afterall, but maybe we do watch too many movies.
Our Secret Stair:
Tyson caught in Shelob's Lair:
Anyway, at the top we had an amazing 360 degree view of the island. Incredible! I even took a picture of Koko Head to show how much higher up we were. That itty bitty mountain that looks so small in the picture nearly killed me a few weeks ago. What perspective!
Koko Head looks awful small now, doesn't it? Not so scary now, are you Koko Head?
As we crested, we saw a sign that said, "End of the Trail." However, we noticed a worn path leading down, off of the flattened top area, and continuing along the tip tops of the mountain. Of course we started to follow it a little further. I was even dumb enough to be in the lead! The wind was blowing like crazy and my adrenaline was pumping as we slowly made our way across tiny paths about 2 feet across with sheer drop-offs on either side. Eventually it even turned into some rock climbing, using ropes that had been left in strategic spots. Finally, I couldn't take it any more (I was pretty scared for my kids' safety) and Tyson and I opted to stay put in "Shelob's Lair" while Zac and Tim bravely continued. Watching Tim and Zac climb up and over another ridge, out of sight, was as close to going crazy with just pure worry that I think a person can get. Thankfully they made it back safely and without incident. They both remarked that this hike felt much more scary than at Angel's Landing (the hike the scouts took on their High Adventure in UT last year). I think that says something! Google images of Angel's Landing if you don't believe me. In the meantime, I'm going to feel really cool that I made it up Kuliouou Ridge.
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