Studying

Adventures with Erv

Big Erv and I managed to get out on our own for a few sweet hikes while he was on island. The first was the Po'omau Canyon Ditch trail which I hiked in the late fall last year, but it might as well have been a completely different trail back then. The winter rains had fueled the streams and waterfalls, I mean big waterfalls, were everywhere.
We got a bit wet on our hike from some light rains, but were rewarded with rainbows over the waterfalls.


A couple days later, actually the morning of their departure, Erv and I did the "secret" falls kayak and hike. .

We paddled upriver and met with some significant current near the takeout for the hike. Erv rolled his kayak here, but tragedy was averted. We started hiking and I encountered my own tragedy in the form of thick nasty mud while I was wearing only slippers (that's Hawaiian for flip-flops). I had no choice, but to go "hippie" on this hike and just walk it barefoot. Surprisingly, the mud was soft enough that I don't think I got a single cut

In any case, after some slipping and sliding, we made it to the "secret" waterfall which was raging.

I took a quick swim to cool down after the frustrating hike and then back into the mud toward the kayaks.

It was a rewarding hike and a very rewarding visit from my family. Their departure that evening involved tears, but all were consoled by the idea that we'd be back in Cincy within 2 weeks.

The (Delayed) Arrival of Big Erv

We had a few friends over on Saturday night when we got a call from Big Erv saying his flight was delayed and he was probably going to miss his interisland flight. Bad news for everyone, especially Big Erv who had to spend a buck and a quarter on a closet...I mean, Honolulu hotel room to sleep in. Fortunately, he would catch an early flight Saturday.

The Grandmas were kind enough to pick him up at the airport so Em and I could catch a few extra Zs. Big Erv arrived in good spirits despite his unanticipated stay in Honolulu and was clearly overjoyed to hold his new granddaughter.

We headed to the north shore again and caught a few of the sights on the way there. We stopped by Wailua falls which had turned into a raging torrent from the recent rains and also saw Opaekaa falls (where the hikers fell). We grabbed burritos in Kapaa and continued on to Hanalei Colony Resort where we had a booked a room. The room was decent, very close to the beach which was average, but very nice views of the surrounding mountains. Happy hour with beer, wine and margaritas was enjoyed by all while Great Grandma T prepared a meal of chicken (no turkeys at the grocery store), stuffing, gravy and corn. It's pretty awesome when your grandma travels 5000 miles to visit her great granddaughter and still has the energy to prepare a great meal for the whole family.
The evening was filled with margarita-fueled hijinks (that's right, I said hijinks) involving carrying my infant daughter in a wicker basket.
The following day was spent enjoying the sunshine and wandering along the nearby beaches.

Relaxation was the key word. In the late afternoon we retreated to the condo and enjoyed happy hour again. From there we headed to the mediterranean restaurant on site where Big Erv and I enjoyed the special, Paella for 2 (at a price tag of $100 unbeknownst to us until the bill arrived). A bit of a surprise despite the massive portion. I recovered from the sticker shock more quickly than Erv, but that's because he paid. In any case we enjoyed our meal immensely. I even managed to fling a chunk of crab claw meat into Maddie's seat while she slept - she didn't mind.

In the morning, after a continental breakfast, we checked out and visited Hanalei Bay beach for some more sunshine. A bit later Em and I took advantage of our visitors and left Maddie for a few hours while we hiked to Queen's bath and I snorkeled at Hideaways beach. From there we visited Kilauea Lighthouse on the way home. Oddly enough, I ran into a former attending physician who taught me at UT. We talked awhile, enjoyed the sights and headed home. The trip was a nice diversion from day to day life and a perfect way to enjoy a few days with my family.

Grandma G and Great Grandma T

We got to spend about 4 days with Maddie before she was scooped from our arms for another week and a half - that's right, the Grandmas were in town. The first few days of their visit were dominated by spending time with Madeline while it rained frequently. Great Grandma T passed the time by hitting the bottle. They did get to spend time on the lanai in some intermittent sunshine with temps in the 70s (which should satisfy anyone from Cincinnati in February). They also went with Em and Maddie to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens where they were kicked off the tour since Maddie was too young(?????). Despite this, they did a walking tour and managed to see some beautiful garden areas from what I can gather.

On Saturday morning I had planned on hiking to the Jurassic Park waterfall, but torrential downpours throughout the night continuing during the morning required canceling this adventure. We headed to Salt Pond beach in the late afternoon to get outside and catch a few rays.
We watched the sunset and I walked with Maddie along the beach. We headed home and awaited Big Erv's arrival at the airport that evening.

Where to Begin...

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Lots of visitors, busy at work, new baby - take whichever excuse you like. In any case I'll try to remember some of the highlights, but going through the pictures should help. I didn't even get a chance to finish up comments on Grandma and Grandpa D's trip to Hawaii. The Thursday before they left, big Den and I took a NaPali Coast tour with Blue Dolphin. It consisted of starting from Port Allen on the southwest side of the island, heading west to the NaPali coast and then some snorkeling off the coast. It was an enjoyable trip and the day was beautiful. We caught up with some spinner dolphins and they cruised alongside the boat. Views of NaPali were gorgeous although the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped due to the backlight from the sun.

After turning around near Honopu (ridgeline pictured on the title page of blog viewed from Honopu trail), we anchored for snorkeling which was, at best, below average. 'Nuff said. Big Den said the same for scuba. We ate some lunch and I had a few beers, while we enjoyed watching some of the other passengers blow chow off the back of the boat. As the afternoon progressed, the wind picked up, the seas got rougher, more and more people retreated to the stern to puke. We found great joy in watching others suffer - call us mean if you'd like, but we had fun. The next day at the airport, good byes were difficult, but buffered by the thought that we'd be in Cincinnati with Maddie in a month's time. Only 4 days until Great Grandma T, Grandpa and Grandma G arrive.