Beach House and Wilua Falls

Headed out for some snorkeling at the Beach House at Poipo. It was spectacular. Saw all the fish you could imagine. Gus took bunches of pictures with the go pro, selfies with fish.

Next adventure, hike to Wilua waterfalls, on our way it down poured, not looking good for a dry hike.  The hike was not as hard as Sleeping Giant since I did not fall on this one. boots took a spill but survived. Gus decided to go in bare feet, that was really slippery, the main problem is that if you fall whatever you are wearing is stained red dirt for life.  So I decided to take off my shorts and go in my bathing suit. It was pretty rugged hiking, this time I had on my wet shoes and it was better than topsiders.

The falls and pool was beautiful, temperature was about the same as The Pool in Bay Finn, cold to the locals, but was fine for us. There was a rope swing to jump off into the pool. Gus and Kirk were successful, my jump I did not hold high enough, oops. The Mosquitos were out in mass so if you stayed near Haley you did just fine! she is the sweet blood. She stayed wrapped in a towel as much as possible.

Gus again had the gopro so we got loads of underwater pics!

Had a late start back to the taco place so we had mustgoes for dinner. The refig was full of leftovers so no one starved.

Christmas tree was up and decorated, gifts galore underneath it, so we are all set for Christmas.

One gift did not make it. Gus's smart phone, it has been a real challenge to get them here. But looks like Gus's phone will be chasing us across the country. Hopefully it will get home before we do.

Nawiliwili

Launched the hobie at Nawwiliwil in the harbor. Then sailed over to Kalapaki and made camp. The wind was up so the boat was great fun. Big waves outside the harbor and Kirk could finally surf, he stood up on the pontoon of the hobie and had the perfect form surfing down the wave.  This is sort of like surfing with training shells on. The waves were breaking up through the trampoline and we were going fast.

I went down the beach and found a yaro burger and Gus got a ahi sandwich , with a beautiful view of Kalapaki. Rented a surf board for Gus, waves were back to green circles.  Haley and Kirk went snorkeling and saw nothing much kind of cloudy. Then Haley and I took biggie boards over to the surf to check on Gus and he was good. So dad and Kevin picked us up in the hobie and we went out to surf the hobie again. Yee haw what fun.

Sun was setting so time to head in. Walked Buttons with Laurie and then home for turkey dinner delicious!

Power Vacation

Talk about power vacation, this is one.  Today we went out to Hanalei bay and sailed the hobie, dropped Gus and Kirk off in the surf and they snorkeled on the reef. They were within touching distance of Hanu's, many of them, huge turtles. Incredible sight

Haley and I went up town and checked out town, ate some mahi mahi eggs benedict, yummy yummy, just could not pass that up!

Kevin and Boots came back sailing through the surf and only two people wereon the boat.  Haley and I thought that they decided to get rid of two guests, but then we saw Gus and Kirk swimming in behind them.  

Had a picnic on the beach, went out sailing again. Then to finish off the day we headed over to the surf spot and did some boogie boarding.  I have never had so much exercise in all my life. This is a Power Vacation! 

Kilauea lighthouse and Hanalie Bay

Up before breakfast and headed to Hanalei Bay. That means we left at 9:45, that is a record!   We got a little distracted by Starbucks but only a short delay and made it to Hanalei Bay by 10:30.   The surf was up. A little different than Kaleiea Bay, monster waves! We rented a board for Gus and off we went.

Kirk, Kevin took boogie boards out and Gus took the surf board.  Gus got really good at pearling the board. That means getting to far forward and going ass over tea kettle over the front of the wave. Not something that is desirable. Gus's goal was to stand up, we'll he did that, now his goal is to get inside the wave. We'll he did that but not the standard way. He just ended up inside the way after it took him and shook him silly and then spit him out. The waves were brutal. He stayed out all day and keep it up. It was like being in the wash cycle, but he loved it.  

I did the ankle breakers, the ones close in on a bogie board. Really fun, all you had to do was jump on the wave and it would ride you all the way in.  Wahoo, what fun. 

Haley, boots and Laurie went to the second hand store and they stayed for 3 hours. Hlaey took buttons for a walk because there is only so much you can look at in the shop. Could not get Laurie out of there. Once they returned we had a picnic and Haley rolled up in her towel hiding from the sun. The back of her legs are sunburnt from surfing yesterday. 

We later went to Kileaua Lighthouse and got some pictures. Everywhere you look is a beautiful view.

Laurie made hawaian enchiladas for dinner,  they have mango in them, delicious! 

Surfs Up!

'Family surf day! Gus, Haley, and me, OMG. Got to Kalapaki Beach and surf was up.  We all went to rent boards and get a lesson.  Marlo was our teacher and he was great.

The explanation of surfing was a lot like skiing.  Go over here to catch the lift up and go over here to go down the hill. Do not, I say do not go up the hill where surfers are coming down the hill.  Bad idea.  He also informed us that today was not a green circle day but a blue square day for the waves.  Just what I needed, I really wanted a green circle day.

So out we went into the surf. Paddle , paddle, paddle, paddle, I still have not said this enough, I am not out of breath yet.  There were five people in our lessons, two mamas, and 3 kids.  So Marlo said ok mamas first, still out of breath and he wanted me to go first, I really needed a rest but no rest for the weary.  Marlo grabbed my board guided me over to the blue square waves. Gave me a few words of encouragement, and off I went. He pushed me and then pushed me again and told me to paddle eight times, oooooh noooooo off I went. Paddle , paddle, paddle....... Here we go, whoosh, as I went through all instructions, do I go back, forward, can not remember, going fast, big noise behind me, move forward and go faster to get away from the big wave behind me. Bad idea, move back, going faster, faster, now stand up, right!  One my knees, one foot up, ohhhhhhhh, wow cool, wobble, wobble, wobble, get back on my knees, hold on, whoosh, made it.   Ok now paddle , paddle, paddle, paddle over to the lift and back out to the surf.  What a thrill. Now that was the perfect run.

Haley and Gus were pros, all those dance and soccer lessons paying off. They made it look so easy, they were standing taking the waves on with style.

Dad showed up on a boogie board in the middle of the waves, and now, you have a target to miss, or hit depending on you ability, which of course I was very short on. Marlo pushed me down another wave and Kirk was watching me and not looking at the wave, Marlo was yelling at the boogie boarder to watch out, Kirk turns his head and a wave took him down, but his last view was of me.  Now I was having my own challenges, I missed the wave and slid down the backside, which would not of been so bad but a girl had caught the next wave and surfed right into me and wack went her surf board into my head and we tumbled head over heels. Bubble, bubble, splash, splash, and here comes the board to bash me in the head again. After I got out of the surf and I took a break, and laid on the board to catch my breath and hold my head. 

That was my only bad one, the next ones I did just fine. Time for Aleve and Excedrin. Headed back home for a nap, boy did I need a nap. Got a pretty blue bruise on the side of my head, matches my eyes. 

Headed out for Art Night in Hanapepe. All the stores were open and lots of art, everything decorated for Christmas.  All that was missing was the snow. We had Thai food for dinner and took home key lime pie, yummy, yummy. Got a great picture with the family and Christmas tree.

Back home to make a surfer gingerbread house. Thank you Haley! 

Humuhumunukunukuapua

Another beautiful day on the island. Headed for  Breneckes Beach. Stopped by Poipo and did a little tourist shopping. Found a nut tasting shop that had so many nuts after you tasted them you did not need lunch.  Found some nice trinkets and headed for Bobs surf shop and got snorkels and finns.

Lunch at the beach and then went great snorkeling in the bay. Everyone got to see the. Hawaian state fish, the humuhumunukunkkuapua! it is very colorful and shaped like a diamond.  The water was clear and there were loads of fish.  It felt like you were at the aquarium but swimming inside of it.

A huge turtle surfed onto the beach and sun bathed with us for a while and then went back to the sea. His eyes were so big and just kind of looked all around.

Headed out for some shaved ice then back home for burgers. Gus did a great job grilling and we had a delicious dinner.

Sleeping Giant Death March

I am sooo sore I think we will have to take a day off.   Every trip has to have its death march and today has topped them all. Seems like we are getting more and more adventurous as time goes by.  The plan changed quite a few times before we settled on climbing Sleeping Giant then picnicking at the beach.

Took a bit of time to get all 6 Arndts and 1 Lockwood in the car but we finally did and we're off and running by 11:30.  Sleeping giant is a mountian that looks from the road like a man with a big chin sleeping on his back. It is half way up the coast toward Hanalie Bay. It over looks Kelelia Beach.

The beginning of the hike was not so bad. We were hiking through a forest of north fork pines, then the trail turned to mud and more mud and steep and more steep. Slippery and sliding. Yes I had the most wipeouts, my orange pants will never be the same. I am sore. It had rained in the morning so the mountian was wet. Haley went ahead and and took a nice slide, and a gentlement hiker awarded her with war paint and called her the queen of mud. Slippery Switchbacks were  everywhere it was not a hike for the faint at heart. Boots made it to the top. Amazing. The picture is between two switchbacks, Laurie and boots at the bottom, Kevin and I on the middle and Krik , Gus up top, Haley taking the picture. Kirk saying I am not loosing any height for this picture. 

Gus Haley and Laurie went to the tip top where it said "do not go beyond this point." Gus posted a movie. The rest of us stayed and rested for the return hike.  They say that the mud, people pay big bucks for in Hollywood, will I got my mud bath but without the big bucks or cucumbers. 

The view was spectacular, over looking the ocean and a double rainbow.  But the worst was yet to come. 

Going down was a challenge. Haley and I were on the Vanguard while the rest were helping Boots down.  At one point as I was on a switchback and did a slow motion slid into the splits, as a fellow hiker coming up the mountian commented, " Interesting Yoga position", Haley was helping me but could not help me avoid this fall, yes, I fell again. I was not the only one. We were covered in mud by the time we got back to the car. My nice orange pants were now brown red mud. 

Time to head for the beach, stopped by the farmers market and tasted some Jack Fruit, it tasted like juicy fruit gum. Huge big ugly looking thing, also tried some red spiny onion looking fruit that was sweet.

Got to Kelelia Bay and had a picnic while a double rainbow appeared over the ocean. Gus and Haley went for a swim to get the mud off.  Gus went boogie boarding and we watched the sun set over the Sleeping Giant as we sat on the beach. That muddy beast makes for a long day.

Hanalei Bay

Amazing..... The Arndts got up and going for sailing at Hanalei Bay at 9:00. Everyone was excited. Kevin has a Hobie 16 and we were all ready for a sail on the ocean.  The drive up the coast was beautiful, incredible views.  It was about an hour drive along the coast.  We have now driven almost around the island, from going to Wiamae Canyon to Hanalei Bay.  There is not a road all the way around because the volcano cliffs on the rest of the island are real steep and go directly down to the ocean.

Arrived at Hanalei Bay and  everything was perfect, sunny, windy and some good waves. Kevin rigged the boat and we launched it off the beach. The boat has racks so it is real comfortable. The boys went out first and sailed out to the trade winds and they went all over the bay.  They saw some porpoises and turtles.

Picnic lunch next on the beach then the girls went out. Driving the hobie was great, the wind was blowing and you could catch a wave and surf in. It was great. Boots sat up front and took the load of the waves over the bow but loved it.

 Kirk, Kevin, Gus and Haley went out for one last run. They were looking out for rocks and Gus thought he saw a rock on top of the water, Kirk and Kevin just started  laughing, it was a turtle.

Gus was driving and going into a tack, everyone was looking forward making sure not to run into anyone. Then they heard "uh-oh" and Gus was switching sides , missed the boat and fell over board backwards. Laughter took over and then the rescue started. They tacked around and pulled him back on board.

They came in and we packed up the boat. We headed for Hanalei and the end of the island looking for  shaved ice. Found some in Hanalei, it had ice cream in the shaved ice, delicious. Stopped in Kappaa for  dinner at Taco Feliz for fish tacos. Best on the island.

Got home around 7 and everyone was beat, we will all sleep well tonight.

On the go again!

The snow started falling, oh no we were still in Indiana, call the troops and get out of town now.  There was no way we were going to get stuck in West Lafayette when we we're suppose to be on a flight to Hawaii tomorrow.  So why wait, Got Gus and Haley and we left town in blowing freezing snow. Stayed with Marsha for a few hours and then got to the airport in plenty of time. Still snowing like a mad dog.

Got to Dallas and had no cellphone , what a way to start a vacation. Used phone finder and it was at the front of the airport terminal in Indy, wow called the American terminal and found it. Miracle, get to pick it up when I return.  Probably just as well, no cell phone on the trip. It took Haley, Gus, Elena and me to locate it. Great group effort.

Flights delayed, and by the time we touched down in Lihue,  it took 24 hours if you count leaving early because of the snow. But boy it is beautiful. Arrived late 10:30, 70 degrees.

Staying with Kevin and Laurie in a beautiful home, first time the kids have had their own bathroom, they are excited, not to mention they are in Hawaii!

Went hiking to a light house and swimming on the beach close to the house. Water is warm and so soft. Napped in the afternoon and took another walk on the beach, heavenly!

Next day Went to Waimea Canyon, beautiful views, the tropical Grand Canyon. Could see all the way to Niihau, the last island In the chain of Hawaiian islands. Then off to Salt Ponds for boogie boarding and snorkeling. Gus founds some waves and Kirk found some fish.

Next stop Spouting Horn, which is holes in the lava rocks and when the wave surge comes in you have old faithful. Gus renamed it the bidet. Watched a beautiful sunset and moon rise. Then back to Kevin's and Laurie's for dinner. 

Life could not be better! Good food, good company, and 70 degrees!