Hiking The Okolehao Trail

Posted on January 31, 2013 by meinteam

The other day when the waves were too big to surf, we hiked the Okolehao trail. It was muddy and a bit slippery, but very rewarding. We saw an assortment of native plants including a wild orchid. I had just put the camera away and was too lazy to take it out again. I am still regretting not taking a picture of it. At the top of the hike we were rewarded with a view of the Kilauea Lighthouse, waterfalls and beautiful set waves rolling into Hanalei Bay. On our way down, Willie got up close and personal with a spider the size of a squirrel.

Fifty Shades of Blue, Sunset Beach, Oahu

Posted on January 30, 2013 by meinteam

I was out for a morning run on sunset beach when the sun finally came out. It was the first day the ocean and sky went from 50 shades of grey to 50 shades of blue. I called the kids at the house and told them to run down to the beach with their bathing suits and camera. The waves were huge and so beautiful. Normally, it is ill advised to swim when the waves are that big, but this little area had no rip. The kids have been swimming in big waves since they were very little and know how to avoid being pummeled. We all jumped in and got tossed around for the next hour. Image the wave pool at Water World with overhead waves. We fell to the shore with sand in our ears and smiles on our faces.Fifty shades of blue.

Gecko

Posted on January 30, 2013 by meinteam

This was a very cool gecko and his buddy in the background.

Rombuton

Posted on January 30, 2013 by meinteam

Rombutons are a local fruit on the Hawaiian Islands. If you peel off the beautiful thick red outer skin, there is a big grape like fruit inside. We buy large bags of these at the local farmers market. We are lucky if there are any left by the time we get home.

Awesome Meal

Posted on January 30, 2013 by meinteam

Trying to cook locally. Organic beet salad with Macadamia nuts and mixed greens, pork ribs, and macaroni salad…..Yummy!

Richele surfing at Hanalei

Posted on January 26, 2013 by meinteam

Wylie shredding at Kapaa

Posted on January 26, 2013 by meinteam

A National Geographic Moment

Posted on January 26, 2013 by meinteam

A special treat at Kapaa

We were all out surfing at Kapaa, Kauai when people on the beach started pointing. For the next hour, we witnessed a pod of whales putting on a show of a lifetime. I was so glad I invested in a good camera and lens for this trip!

The humpback whales migrate 3000 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to Hawaii to breed and give birth to their calves in the warm shallow waters of the Hawaiian islands. Their average weight is 45 tons and length is 45 feet! Because they give birth in Hawaii, they are considered native born. The peak viewing time is January to early April.