It's good to be home! Hawaii is gorgeous, and I would enjoy living there, but home is home, and it's so sweet to be back! We've included some of our favorite pictures and experiences. If you would like to see all 521 photos, let me know! I'll cook us up a luau and we'll walk through our vacation!
This is "rural" Maui. The island has about two main roads, and the one we took from the airport to Kahana, where we stayed, was curvy, hilly, and a car-sick person's nightmare! I got a little icky, but the view was definately worth it! This is one of the many scenic rest stops. Off in the distance, beyond the brave sailor, you can see Haleakala, the volcano that we biked. It's a gorgeous volcano/mountain, isn't it?
This is the Maui Aquarium, home of some of the most colorful and unusual salt-water animals I've ever seen! We aren't the "colorful and unusual animals," but we did have a blast!
At the luau, we were able to watch the host unearth the roasted pig from a sand firepit near the beach. In case you couldn't see, they hauled the cooked and browned pig to the stage - got a good look? The process and presentation may have been gross, but the meat was really good!
What would a luau be without the dancing hula girls? It was an equal opportunity skin-fest, and there were dancing boys too, but the hula girls just seemed more Hawaiian. I think they're missing hip bones or something - your body should not naturally move like that!
Andy and I drank our fair share of Mai-Tai's and Blue Hawaii's. We also witnessed the king of all firedancers, and the hula boys and girls twirl fire batons. It was a neat show!
Andy and Duane went golfing on Friday while Linda and I shopped. Of course, they didn't keep score, just like they didn't take a camera. "Men don't take pictures," was all I got in response to "will you take the camera?" I guess not! We shopped up and down the strip, going in alleyway spots, and off the beaten path to a Farmer's Market. We got the best deals and lots of Hawaiian goodies!
This is the volcano that helped form Maui, Haleakala (pronounced, "Holly-ah-kah-la"). This point in 10,000 feet above sea level, and super windy. This crater was the amazing! Looking over the sides, above the clouds and down over Maui, was awesome!
The group of about 16 of us got on bikes, donned helmets, and biked from the summit to this point (8,000 feet) with a guide. We had to stay within 20 yards of one another, and rode at a steady pace of about 25 - 30 miles per hour. It was fast enough to smack bugs on your face, and be a little unsettling when you looked over the edge. We had to stop here to let cars pass us, and to check the tires of the bike the "guy in yellow" was riding. Duane was having some tire troubles, but Tim and Jim got them taken care of.
Around 4,000 feet, we had to pull over to let cars pass and take photos. Andy, Duane, and I are ready to bike the remaining 3,999 feet back to town. But, my butt ached at this point!
We flew from Maui to Oahu. Talk about "night and day!" Oahu is packed with tourists and visitors! The Asians are big fans of recording their memories. I am too, but I prefer a hundred photos, as opposed to their constant video taping of "memories" such as their mother eating chicken at a corner restaurant, or their sister talking gibberish along the store front. They're crazy!
Of course we went to the Honolulu Zoo! Wouldn't miss it! It started slow, but was really cool! Andy and I liked the giraffe exhibit very much!
This is Wakiki Beach, the surfing spot of the world. Some areas of the beach are calmer, but not anywhere close to our hotel! This place was packed with surfers, snorklers, splashers, sunbathers, and - of course! - Asians. And I'm sure, if you look closely, you'll find an Asian video taping!
We toured the Pearl Harbor memorial. I don't really know a lot about the events that occured on December 7, 1941, what led up to that moment, or the events the proceeded the bombing, but experiencing the memorial was a sobering one. It was a time to really think about all the people who risk everything to keep us protected and free. I might not like what Shirley Phelps-Roper (google her - you'll be floored with her "words of wisdom!") has to say, but I can appreciate that she has the right to say it, thanks to the men (and more recently, woman) who fight to protect our liberties. I went into the memorial not knowing a lot, but I took away a lot of information, and will continue my research over the summer.
We also got to tour the USS Missouri, a retired battleship. It was neat to see the inner workings of a real-life naval ship. Before entering, we all had to have our pictures taken, and rather than pay for my picture ...
After our tour of the USS Arizona and Missouri, our tour guide took us on a tour of the island (or, at least that's what I hear. I could not stay awake, and slept through most of it! Rude, I know, but 5am is early for a tour!). He brought us here, a spot north of our hotel, on Wakiki Beach. You can see the busy coastline, and Diamondback, the volcano that helped shape Oahu in the background. It was a gorgeous spot!
The sunset (and sunrise, I'm sure, but don't know for sure! Why is "sunrise" so stinking early?!?) of Hawaii was beautiful! The shopping, eating, and relaxing was such a blast! It was a great time with great company, but it was incredibly hard to be 5 time zones, and nearly 4,000 miles away from Carter. I'm glad to be home, back to "normal," and back to Baby!
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