La'ie point

La'ie point is at the northeast corner of the island. La'ie point offers a great view of part of the northshore/ windward coast and the rock formations are pretty neat.

Diamondhead

Diamondhead is a volcanic crater on the southeast edge of Waikiki in Honolulu. There is a lookout point at the top of the crater with a great view of the ocean and of Waikiki.

Kailua

Kailua may be the most beautiful place on this earth. I was asking my mother why God didn't just make every place in the world look like Kailua, but came to the conclusion that probably it is because we do need corn fields, ski slopes, and dirt bike trails so now it all makes sense. While in Kailua one day, the urge to paddleboard overcame me. Paddleboarding is great, and pretty self-explanatory. You get a great big surf board, a paddle, and paddle away. There is a canal that runs through the town that is very calm and winds through a residential area, where people can sit out in their backyards and watch you paddling down the river, or falling in the river, or whatever you may be doing on (or off) your board at the moment. Paddleboarding in the ocean is also fun, but much more work. The waves are continually testing your balance. There is a small island off of Kailua beach called flat Island that you can paddleboard or Kayak to, or if you are crazy like my husband, swim out to with a piece of crap boogie board (which, by the way, he bought me for Christmas-it broke- I took it back to Walmart- they told me it was worth $11.00- I will remember this next Christmas).

My sister visits Waikiki!

While my sister Jennifer was visiting, the first thing we did was go to Waikiki. Waikiki is a must. It is where the party gets started. We introduced her to our favorite bums in the area, as well as our favorite beaches. Oh, I think my baby may have been getting baptised in the water when I wasn't looking..or I was taking a picture...or something.

My sister's dreams come true! Mahalo, Hawaii!!

My sister, Jennifer, visited Hawaii in February, 2010. We were fortunate to have sunny days every day of her visit. At Sea Life Park,She fulfilled her lifelong dream of swimming with the dolphins. At Germaine's Luau, she fulfilled her other lifelong dreams of eating a pineapple without using her hands and seeing large men in skirts dancing. On the North Shore, she was photographed repeatedly by Japanese tourists who for some reason found her irresistible.

Waimea Falls

I visited Waimea Valley in March, 2010, with my mother and my son. The hike was easy and there is a main path leading up to the waterfall that is paved the entire way. Swimming in the pool of water at the base of the waterfall is allowed. I got in to my waist but was not brave enough to swim over to the falls because the water was freezing! I told my mother that with a little heckling and peer pressure I would have done it. She said she would heckle me but by then I had already put my clothes back on and dried off, so instead we went to the gift shop to blow our money on crap, which is always a great time.

Manoa Falls Trail

Manoa Falls Trail is in Honolulu, Hawaii. The .08 mile trail ascends through a rainforest up to Manoa Falls. Here are some pictures from the hike to the waterfall. The hike was fairly easy, and would have been easier had I not had a 22 lb baby hanging from my shoulders in a baby bjorn. Near the top of the hike the path became a bit slippery, rocky, and inclined. Had I fallen, Jacob would have gone face first into the mud and rocks. I was thinking I may be a bad mother for bringing him along, however we made it to the Falls and back without any problems and on the way down I passed another "bjorned" baby with its father, and he looked like a very good father and a safety conscious man so I felt a lot better after seeing him.