Hawaii

Ever since we have returned from our trip to Hawaii, I have wanted to take a minute to journal/blog about some impressions and favorite memories. But, it feels so overwhelming. It was such a fun, action-packed week. Where to begin? I decided today to give a quick overview and then just choose a day and talk about it.

We visited Kailua, Oahu, which is on the east side of the island. We have good friends who used to live in Kailua, so they gave us "the scoop" about everything from the best restaurants, best shave ice, best beaches, best sites to see, etc. That was immensely helpful!

We rented a home (with a pool) for a really great price - as much as it would be to get a hotel room big enough for our family. Kailua is a truly lovely place. It is not touristy at all and it has two fantastic beaches - Kailua and Lanikai. It is very green and lovely on this side of the island, with towering, uniquely carved mountain peaks.
The weather was great almost all the time. There was some rain, but we Washingtonians can handle a bit of rain. The locals thought it was a "bit chilly." We thought the 70 - 75 degree weather was perfect.

Our last day in Kailua we were scheduled to check out and leave for the airport by 11. We just couldn't leave without going to "our" beach one more time. We packed up the night before and then drove to Lanikai Beach shortly after sunrise. This beach has the softest sand I have ever squished between my toes. It feels like talcum powder. The variegated shades of blue and aquamarine of the water are indescribable. The waves roll in very gently on Lanikai and the water is quite shallow, so it is perfect for kids to play in.
After spending the morning at the beach we quickly showered and then went to our FAVORITE shave ice shop for one last time - Island Snow, right off Kailua Beach. We will never enjoy a normal snow cone the same again. The ice was so smooth and the flavors were incredible. My favorite combo was passion fruit/snozzberry/mango. Yum! As we drove to the airport we enjoyed our last few bites of Hawaii heaven.