While I was planning a recent getaway to Kauai, I was envisioning a relaxing escape with beautiful beaches, awesome outdoor activities and friendly Hawaiian people. Kauai was exactly what I had hoped it would be, and once we arrived, I quickly fell in love with the island! Nicknamed "the Garden Isle" due to the majority of it being covered with tropical rainforest, Kauai has a population of just 65,000 people (and many more wild roosters roaming everywhere you turn!). I really got the sense that the people from there are proud of their island, and I love how connected they are to the land that they call home. That respect for the earth, love for the ocean, and pride in eating local food and supporting local business is something that I think is missing from much of mainland America ... [Read More]
hawaii
Hiking in Kauai: Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge’s Okolehao Trail Recap
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." - John Muir Aloha friends! Two weeks ago, my husband and I jetted off to Hawaii for a getaway. Having only been to Oahu before, I had been wanting to explore a more remote island in Hawaii for awhile now. After doing some research, Kauai seemed like a perfect paradise to visit for an adventurous and relaxing trip. Naturally, we planned on spending our days outdoors doing active things. Surfing was on the top of his list, and hiking was on the top of mine. I'm going to share my favorite parts of the trip overall in another post soon, but today I want to recap one of the hikes that we had a chance to do in Kauai. We stayed on the eastern side of the island in Kapaa, and rented a car so that we could ... [Read More]
Thursday Travel Throwback: Hawaii
Hello, hello! Welcome to Part 2 of my Thursday Travel Throwback series. Last week I featured my time in Sicily, and this week I'm talking about... Hawaii! During my Marine's first deployment, I met him for a week in Waikiki. It was 8 months after our civil ceremony and 6 months before our big wedding shindig, so we consider our Hawaii vacation to have been our honeymoon. Naturally, we spent a lot of time lounging on the beach relaxing... We also did some touring around the island to some cool spots, including Hanuama Bay... ...and this gorgeous lookout point: I love that photo so much, I had it blown up into a canvas picture that is now hanging in my kitchen! In Hawaii, I was pretty much obsessed with getting flowers arrangements made to wear in my hair. They were so ... [Read More]