Saturday, November 29, 2008
In late October, Connor and I went with a group of friends on our second annual trip to Ganyard Farms Pumpkin Patch! Connor enjoyed all the activities there were to explore, although he was a bit overwhelmed by all the kids around!
Look how much Connor has grown since last years trip to Ganyard Farms
Connor always enjoys a chance to be around his friend Elise!
Playing on the haypile- wasn't as much fun without Daddy to help! Mom (well on her way to seven months pregnant) couldn't climb up to help as easily as Daddy would have been able to!
Connor kept taking off his hat and trying to put it on himself- here he is looking for cotton puffs.
We took a break from searching for a pumpkin to take some photos! It was a beatiful sunny day- a little chilly to get us in the mood for winter! Happy Fall!
"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."
Look how much Connor has grown since last years trip to Ganyard Farms
Connor always enjoys a chance to be around his friend Elise!
Playing on the haypile- wasn't as much fun without Daddy to help! Mom (well on her way to seven months pregnant) couldn't climb up to help as easily as Daddy would have been able to!
Connor kept taking off his hat and trying to put it on himself- here he is looking for cotton puffs.
We took a break from searching for a pumpkin to take some photos! It was a beatiful sunny day- a little chilly to get us in the mood for winter! Happy Fall!
"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Living Aloha- Kauai style Part II
On Thursday, our last full day in Kauai, we started off with a leisurely morning by the pool before heading as far west as we could go. We set off to drive towards the furthest point we could go to the other end of the Na Pali Coast (a section of the island without roads).
Waimea Canyon is the largest canyon in the Pacific- over 10 miles miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3500 feet deep. The lines in the canyon walls depict different volcanic eruptions and lava flows over centuries. The elevation changes as you drive up through the canyon and the overlook at the end is often enshrouded in clouds. We had decided to start out later than we originally planned, so we knew we ran the risk of missing the final view, but along the 10 mile drive, there were several overlooks that offered amazing colorful views. Connor was a bit frustrated that he could not run around free at the overlooks... he's just starting to show his independence and was not interested in holding hands. And since I was not interested in him falling into the canyon, we had a bit of a clash...welcome toddlerhood!
After seeing the beauty of the canyon, we wanted some more beach time... which ended up being a BIG adventure! We wanted to go to the furthest point which was Polihale Beach State Park, where you can see the start of the Na Pali Coast and also can see the privately owned island of Niihau. After driving down dirt roads through farmland and despite advice to watch out for the dirt road turning to soft sand, we drove a little too far towards the beach and got buried in the sand when we tried to turn back to park. But the experience gave us a taste of Aloha, as the few other people on the beach came to our rescue and helped push the rental car out of the sand. Believe it or not, the day was saved by Connors beach toys, which we used to dig sand out from around the tires. Once we were safely parked, we discovered Queens Pool, or a nearby tidepool protected from the otherwise rough surf that was unswimable. We spent some time visiting with a local Kauaian and the visitor she had brought to the beach, who just happened to also be visiting from NC. It is a small world!
We wanted to watch the sunset on the west coast on our last night, but decided we didn't still want to be on Polihale Beach at dark, especially as we were getting hungry and had already decided on McDonalds for dinner (to see what fries cooked in lard taste like). So we actually drove back into the Waimea Canyon to an overlook to watch the sun set behind Niihau. Unfortunately it was a bit spoiled by the clouds that always gather over the small island, but still a beautiful and peaceful sight.
Friday- our last day in Kauai. We spent more time by the pool until check out time and Connor took a nap snuggling with me. He enjoyed every second of our adventure... he got big laughs from a walk on the beach one evening by the hotel where we found washed up coconuts... Scott cracked a coconut husk by throwing it against a rock, and then cracked the coconut the same way. Connor loved the sound of the coconut hitting the rock and the crack... and loved seeing Scott gagging from the smell of rotten coconut milk. We all just laughed and laughed and then made him do it again just to see Connor's reaction!
Opaekaa Falls
Wailua River Overlook
We spent the afternoon at Lydgate State Park- a family oriented park with a protected swimming area, a snorkeling area, and a great playground. The surf was still surprisingly rough, even in the protected swimming area, so we mostly played in the sand and on the playground. It was the largest jungle gym/fort I'd ever seen and Connor enjoyed exploring it and checking out all the slides... but of course not as much as he liked the roosters, so we fed cheerios to the birds.
Our last meal in Kauai was a nice seafood dinner, sitting outdoors just prior to a rainstorm. The restaurant has a friendly donkey next door who comes by at dinner time for a feeding! Connor tasted everything we ordered, but was most interested in the lemons in our waters. We got to the airport in perfect time, Scott was able to return the rental car with no comments on how we trashed it (sand and mud EVERYWHERE, and floor mats ruined from trying to get out of the sand). That left us with just one day left of our vacation to enjoy back in Oahu...
Back in Oahu, we drove through the island towards Mandy's favorite sailing spot. We then revisiting Makapu'u Beach were Scott and I got married Dec 30th, 2005. It definitely was a different atmosphere with swimmers, fisherman, and hanggliders above! We were all worn out from our wonderful vacation and sad to return home, but happy that we had such a wonderful time together. It was a great experience and we already look forward to making another trip in a couple of years, possibly hitting the Big Island.
"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."- Hans Christian Andersen
Waimea Canyon is the largest canyon in the Pacific- over 10 miles miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3500 feet deep. The lines in the canyon walls depict different volcanic eruptions and lava flows over centuries. The elevation changes as you drive up through the canyon and the overlook at the end is often enshrouded in clouds. We had decided to start out later than we originally planned, so we knew we ran the risk of missing the final view, but along the 10 mile drive, there were several overlooks that offered amazing colorful views. Connor was a bit frustrated that he could not run around free at the overlooks... he's just starting to show his independence and was not interested in holding hands. And since I was not interested in him falling into the canyon, we had a bit of a clash...welcome toddlerhood!
After seeing the beauty of the canyon, we wanted some more beach time... which ended up being a BIG adventure! We wanted to go to the furthest point which was Polihale Beach State Park, where you can see the start of the Na Pali Coast and also can see the privately owned island of Niihau. After driving down dirt roads through farmland and despite advice to watch out for the dirt road turning to soft sand, we drove a little too far towards the beach and got buried in the sand when we tried to turn back to park. But the experience gave us a taste of Aloha, as the few other people on the beach came to our rescue and helped push the rental car out of the sand. Believe it or not, the day was saved by Connors beach toys, which we used to dig sand out from around the tires. Once we were safely parked, we discovered Queens Pool, or a nearby tidepool protected from the otherwise rough surf that was unswimable. We spent some time visiting with a local Kauaian and the visitor she had brought to the beach, who just happened to also be visiting from NC. It is a small world!
We wanted to watch the sunset on the west coast on our last night, but decided we didn't still want to be on Polihale Beach at dark, especially as we were getting hungry and had already decided on McDonalds for dinner (to see what fries cooked in lard taste like). So we actually drove back into the Waimea Canyon to an overlook to watch the sun set behind Niihau. Unfortunately it was a bit spoiled by the clouds that always gather over the small island, but still a beautiful and peaceful sight.
Friday- our last day in Kauai. We spent more time by the pool until check out time and Connor took a nap snuggling with me. He enjoyed every second of our adventure... he got big laughs from a walk on the beach one evening by the hotel where we found washed up coconuts... Scott cracked a coconut husk by throwing it against a rock, and then cracked the coconut the same way. Connor loved the sound of the coconut hitting the rock and the crack... and loved seeing Scott gagging from the smell of rotten coconut milk. We all just laughed and laughed and then made him do it again just to see Connor's reaction!
Opaekaa Falls
Wailua River Overlook
We spent the afternoon at Lydgate State Park- a family oriented park with a protected swimming area, a snorkeling area, and a great playground. The surf was still surprisingly rough, even in the protected swimming area, so we mostly played in the sand and on the playground. It was the largest jungle gym/fort I'd ever seen and Connor enjoyed exploring it and checking out all the slides... but of course not as much as he liked the roosters, so we fed cheerios to the birds.
Our last meal in Kauai was a nice seafood dinner, sitting outdoors just prior to a rainstorm. The restaurant has a friendly donkey next door who comes by at dinner time for a feeding! Connor tasted everything we ordered, but was most interested in the lemons in our waters. We got to the airport in perfect time, Scott was able to return the rental car with no comments on how we trashed it (sand and mud EVERYWHERE, and floor mats ruined from trying to get out of the sand). That left us with just one day left of our vacation to enjoy back in Oahu...
Back in Oahu, we drove through the island towards Mandy's favorite sailing spot. We then revisiting Makapu'u Beach were Scott and I got married Dec 30th, 2005. It definitely was a different atmosphere with swimmers, fisherman, and hanggliders above! We were all worn out from our wonderful vacation and sad to return home, but happy that we had such a wonderful time together. It was a great experience and we already look forward to making another trip in a couple of years, possibly hitting the Big Island.
"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."- Hans Christian Andersen
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