Hawaii, Here We Come

We drove down to the cities on Thursday night so we could stay with Doug at his apartment there. On this trip it's Sam, Lexie, Colin and I. When we left MSP we left about 30 minutes late. There were heavy thunderstorms that had rolled through that morning delaying a few flights. The flight from MSP to LAX was a good flight lasting about 3.5 hours. We were able to grab some lunch there before boarding our flight to Lihue, Hawaii. That flight was just under 5.5 hours. The sun was setting when we landed and it was very humid. I had been battling allergies for a couple of weeks. The air sent my system into overdrive. I am hoping that the humid air helps me kick them. I have never had plugged ears like I had with this flight. The time difference will be a struggle. We are five hours behind home. So even though I am completely exhausted and don't feel well, I woke up around 3:00 am Hawaii time. We are staying at an apartment/condo. It was dark when we got here last night. I'm excited to see our view this morning once the sun is up. (Tanya's travel journal)

View from our rental in Kauai.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

All of us had a very difficult time sleeping in this morning. I think we were all up around 4:00 am Hawaii time. We were able to sit around the rental drinking coffee and watching the sunrise before Lexie and I went to Java Kai to pick up more coffee and get some breakfast. After we ate, we got ready and walked to the grocery store and an ABC store for a few souvenirs. We came back to the rental, packed up and headed over to Poipu Beach. We swam, saw some mung seals, some sea turtles and just watched the waves crash at the beach.

Seals at Poipu Beach

We had Puka dogs with fresh lemonade for lunch. I had mine with jalapeno garlic sauce, mango relish and hawaiian mustard. For dessert, we shared some banana and coconut flavored shave ice. After the beach, we drove to the Koloa Rum Plantation and had some samples before leaving. The Island is beautiful. There are chickens running around everywhere. The waves were huge today, crashing along the shore. When we got back to the rental we made signs for Doug. He is running his first marathon tomorrow. Even though we aren't there in person, we want him to know how much we love him and that we are cheering him on 4,000 miles away. Tomorrow will be a long day for us as well as we are spending the day hiking. Sunday, October 1, 2023 Today, we hiked the Kalalau Trail up to Hanakapiai Falls. We were up early and ready to go. We were able to board our shuttle early. The ride to the entrance wasn't a very long ride, maybe 15 minutes but it certainly was beautiful. There is no cell service and the people that live around there are fighting to keep it that way. Once we arrived at the park area, there is a short walk through some small fields surrounded by the amazing view of the mountains. The hike starts out intense and never really changes. The paths are narrow, steep with lots of climbing rocks. The paths are muddy as we traveled over the stream several times. The first stretch is two miles to the beach. It maybe takes an hour per mile. The scenery is incredible and the pictures don't do it justice. Once we got to the beach, we sat and rested for a bit, had some snacks and just enjoyed the scenery.

The hike up Hanakapiai Falls.

There were some bathrooms there that were almost like a tree house style in the sense that they were up in the air and were biodegradable. After our time at the beach, we headed towards the waterfall (another two miles). We walked by clusters of bamboo, back and forth over the stream and up plenty of rocks. The final half-mile was intense with narrow pathways. Sometimes you couldn't see where the path was. The view at the end was worth it. We all cooled off in the clear water at the base of the falls. We swam across the lagoon and had a picnic lunch. The view looking up at the waterfall while swimming backwards was breathtaking. The hike back out was brutal. We are quite sure we'll be in bed super early. We put our bodies through some things today. (Tanya's travel journal) Monday, October 2, 2023 (Doug's Travel Journal)

After the Twin Cities Marathon was cancelled due to the heat, I drove back up to the farm to spend the day working on the greenhouse. I drove back to school early Monday morning. In first hour study hall, a buddy of mine (Brady) walked into my room and said "Why aren't you in Hawaii?" After giving it some thought, I looked up flight prices which were about $600 round trip. I texted Tanya at 8:30 am. There was a five hour time difference so I was hoping she was awake. She answered quickly and I asked "hey, if I can get the time off, should I come?" Her answer was a resounding "yes". She checked in with Lexie and the three of us began to formulate a plan. I asked my boss if it was even a possibility. She said "let me triage and I'll get back to you". I let Tanya know. Meanwhile, they got busy on the excursions. There was one spot left on the catamaran and the sugar plantation tubing adventure. We booked them. Meanwhile, I sort of had the feeling it was going to work out so I booked the flight before I got the okay from work. At about 9:30 am, I got the okay to go. The flight was scheduled to depart at 12:45 pm and I had to pack. I left Osseo like I was running for my life. A little too fast as it were as I was pulled over by one of Maple Grove's finest. When I rolled down my window and handed him my license, I asked how fast was I going? He said 52 in a 35. I gulped and said "I just found out I'm going to Hawaii with my girlfriend. Please be gentle". I had been talking to Tanya prior to being pulled over and when I hung up with her, I truly had no idea how fast I was going. The officer came back and handed me back my license and said "alright, slow down and have an amazing vacation". I obeyed all tragic laws on my way to the apartment to pack up. By pack, I mean throw things into a suitcase. I made it to the airport, parked and made it through security by 11:10 am. Plenty of time! I even had time to grab lunch and had been chatting with Tanya and she told me to shut off my Snapchat location because Colin had commented that I was back in the cities. We were trying to make my attendance on the trip a surprise and well, being new to Snap, I thought I had done it right but actually hadn't. After figuring out Ghost mode, I was good. I boarded my plane for a brief layover in Seattle then on to Kauai. The flights were amazingly easy and smooth. The girls were able to escape and told the boys they needed to make a Target run when in actuality they were circling the airport multiple times waiting for me. "I'm going to go around one more time," Lexie said and according to Tanya she said that about 13 times.. They were waiting for me when I arrived.

Made it to Kauai.

After making it to Kauai, we loaded the car and actually did head to Target to grab a couple of things that I had forgotten. We got what we needed and navigated back to the rental. It was well after dark so I didn't see anything the first night. We surprised the boys when we got back. It was great! That day will live with me as one of the most magical, crazy days I have ever experienced. The 24 hour period gave me every emotion. Disappointment of not running the marathon to landing in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The week ahead was going to be amazing. Tuesday, October 3, 2023 (Doug's Travel Journal) One thing about Hawaii....The time change will get you. I'm not sure I ever got acclimated. The one piece I did get used to were the amazing sunrises. The first one was breathtaking. Watching a new day begin with Tanya with a cup of coffee in our hands was about as good as it gets.

Breathtaking sunrise in Kauai.

We ventured to Waimea Canyon and had a beach day. The water was so warm. It was the first time that I ever swam in the Pacific Ocean. It didn't take long for relaxation to kick in. The fabulous five had an amazing day soaking up the sun and enjoying everything the island had to offer. We toured a coffee plantation which was great. Even for a "new to coffee" guy. After a great day in the sun, we headed back to the rental and then out to dinner at Dukes.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 We woke up Wednesday ready for our Kauai Backcountry Tubing adventure. Sitting on an old sugar plantation, this excursion, which is somewhere between a whitewater experience and a lazy river, takes you through twists and turns and takes you through tunnels. The ditches, tunnels and flumes were hand-dug by Chinese laborers to deliver water from the rainforest to sugar cane fields in Lihue.

Kauai Backcountry Tubing

The views during our excursion were spectacular especially inside of the caves. We were given helmets with a light to help us navigate as we made our way through.

Mt. Wai'ale'ale on a rare sunny day. Typically you can;'t see the summit due to clouds.

A shore lunch was provided which was the perfect cap to a great adventure. From there we headed back to the rental for our supper at Oasis.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

After another stunning sunrise, and breakfast at our rental, we headed out to explore the north shore of the island a little more. Our last excursion of the week was set for that evening, an amazing catamaran sunset dinner cruise. Touring the island was for sure my favorite part of the trip. Seeing the beauty of Kauai at every turn was so fun. I had never been on a catamaran before but let me tell you, if you are going to book only one excursion on your trip to Kauai, make it this one. We passed rock formations and locations that were used in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. You will for sure get wet during the trip, but the views and vibe of everything makes it so worth while.

View from the catamaran

Friday, October 6, 2023 Our last day on the island. We checked out of our rental and explored the island a little more before heading to the airport. Tanya, Lexie, Sam and Colin flew to Los Angeles while I flew to Seattle before getting back to Minneapolis. The fun part in landing was that my plane landed right after theirs so no one had to wait at the airport. We headed back home after an amazing week in the sun and a remarkable, unexpected trip.