The best part of travel is who you share it with.

Kauai 2024. This trip had its start Christmas 2023. With the kids we decided we needed a family trip and what better place than to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. We were all in agreement and now we needed to let the grandkids know. We planned a big “reveal” on Christmas Eve Day, but we weren’t just going to tell them….they would have to work to find out. First they had to complete a number of challenges….the search for the missing reindeer, collecting snowballs with reindeer hooves on, puzzles, trivia….and with each completed challenge, clues were given and finally the last clue opened the page letting then know we were heading to Hawaii this coming July.

And here is a little video of the reveal:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JLQFlMGsa4M

Now this is a really BIG deal, for one, this will be the first time all of us will be going on a trip together that requires an airplane to get to the destination, and secondly, for Cody and Bradley, they had never been on a jet plane across the ocean. They both have life threatening allergies and being trapped on a plane would be a scary proposition should either of them have a reaction. But all precautions will be made and as scary as it is, mom and dad decide it is time.

So all year we wait and prepare for the trip. Plane tickets are purchased, rental cars rented, bags packed, possible itineraries sketched out. And Jamie found a way to get a few days off of work and will be flying out to join us a few days after we arrive. In total, 11 of us….in Hawaii !!!!

July arrives and we all convened at our our departure gate at SeaTac…excitement is in the air. Alaska Airlines was amazing to work with. They allowed the boys to board early and for Amanda to wipe down the seats and area with disinfectant wipes. They announced over the intercom that there were people on-board with severe nut allergies and to reframe from eating nuts or seeds, and when we landed in Lihue, the boys received flying wings! Nice touch.

Touch down right on time in Lihue. It is always fun to get off the plane in Hawaii. You are immediately greeted with warm, tropical air. It feels good, and smells good. You know you have arrived!!!!

We found the perfect rental that comfortably held all 11 of us. It is a double-condo, situated on the cliffs above Kalapaki Beach, by Nawiliwili Bay. Originally these were two separate condos, a mirror image of each other. But the owners opened a wall between the two living rooms making it one large condo. We had two decks, two living rooms, two kitchens, four bedrooms, four bathrooms plus pull-out couches in each living room. Space for all of us to be together, and also to have some privacy. There was ample parking and best of all, the view over Kalapaki Beach. And this beach was perfect for activities….safe and gentle, lots of sand, surfing lessons, stand up paddle boards and outriggers to rent. Good for swimming and splashing in the surf. And several restaurants (Dukes, Italian, Pizza) and a high-end resort are located just beyond the sand….and the biggest hit of all, an ABC store right next door.

It was time to explore and enjoy the island…..and we decided early on that there would be times where we would all do things together and there would be times when we would go our separate ways.

One of the group activities we really enjoyed, was the Inner Tube excursion down the old sugar cane canals. Soooo much fun. We all drove to Kauai Backcountry Adventure headquarters, just out of Lihue, checked in, grabbed our gear (helmets and headlamps and gloves) and loaded onto a bus…and away we went…up towards Mt. Waialeale and the start of the irrigation ditches.

When we got there, we had a quick safety talk and then sat our butts down into inner-tubes and away we went…floating, twirling, sometimes crashing into each other. You go through three or four tunnels…all dug by hand and some over a quarter mile long. This is where your headlamp comes into play, and your gloves to push yourself off the walls.

At the end we were treated to a picnic lunch, then back into the bus for the return to headquarters. At the end of our time in Kauai, almost everyone agreed that this adventure was the most fun.

Each day was a new adventure and everybody found something they loved to do. Some took surfing lessons, others rented Stand-Up Paddleboards, or rode the waves on an outrigger canoe. Trips were made to waterfalls, to put-put golf, and to beaches.

As a group we went to Anini Beach on the North Shore and found some epic snorkeling….eels, huge turtles, trigger fish, parrot fish, damselfish, boxer fish, unicorn fish, urchins, massive sea cucumbers, brain coral….so much more. The water was so clear and the beach is protected by a long reef just offshore. The beach itself is pretty narrow, but lots of shade. Such a fun day of snorkeling!!!!

One day, Heidi, Jamie, and I went to a real secluded beach and found seals, crabs, and of course, chickens.

and of course when you finish a hard day in the sun….you need refreshments and food!!!

And in the evening….game night!!!!!!

And whenever we are on Kauai, we always find time to meet with our long-time, really good friend, Rachel Furutani. We have known Rachel and her family for over 20 years and it is always a joy to meet and catch up on all the happenings. And Rachel treated us to a HULA PIE…decadent, delicious and oh so filling!!!!

When all the kids and grandkids went home, Heidi and I stayed on the South Shore for a few more days. And mostly we just sat at the beach and shared memories of the past week with family. Definitely a trip to remember!!!!!