213.366 {2016}

 Capturing a rare moment of harmony between 3 sisters...

...even though the iPad is involved, I will take it!  :)

204.366-205.366 {2016} Saying good-bye to beautiful Hawaii, Kauai, Anini Beach,

Hawaii...you have been so good to us.  You have certainly exceeded every expectation we have had and can't wait to return!

 We went to Anini Beach for our last day.  The water was cool, pretty and had a large reef that broke up waves very far out.  

 The general consensus of how we all feel about our Hawaii trip ending...

 lunch at the Eastside

 While I packed in our condo, the girls had fun swimming at the condo pool and creating a few sand castles as well.  Such a beautiful ending to a fantastic 11 days.

 We all showered and had a last dinner in Kauai at the Oasis which is next to our condo.  It had the most amazing views and delicious food!!!  

We gathered on the beach for one last sunset.

 We took off from Lihue around 10:30 pm that evening.  We arrived in Los Angeles the next morning after a 5 hour 45 minute flight.  It is next to impossible to get any sleep on planes we have found so we were all very tired and groggy.  We had a 2 hour layover in LA where we found a Starbucks and breakfast and then had another 4 hour trip to Indy, where we arrived just before 5:00 pm.  

We have arrived.  It is always great to be home and we are thankful for our safe and fun adventure in the amazing state of Hawaii.  

203.366 {2016} Kalalau trail, another view of the Na Pali Coast, The Smith Family Garden Luau

We were getting used to Hawaiian time but I set an alarm every morning so I could witness the gorgeous sunrise.  

We couldn't believe our luck!  Another Hawaiian monk seal!

After our morning we drove north around the island past Hanalei and Princeville to the end of highway 560 where is far as you can go by car.

Our view looking through the windshield...

Views of the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge

We circled the parking lot of Ke'e beach and then drove about a mile down the road to park along side it.  Get there early is the mantra I always have and we didn't follow this day.  Many people had the same idea to hike the famous Kalalau Trail which is 11 miles long and full of beautiful scenery, difficult and  hazardous, has narrow trails and slippery rocks.    

Some were headed to the Ke'e Beach which is known for great snorkeling and swimming.  It also can get very crowded.  We noticed these signs near the parking lot.  Thank you for the warnings...eeek!

While it can be costly to get here and depending on where you choose to stay can be pricey, the parks, trails, beaches and ocean are all free.  If you would choose to visit national parks, the yearly pass for $60 for a family is well worth the cost.  We found that while staple groceries as bread and milk are expensive but that other things are not much more then your local store.  Getting the "card" for discounts at the grocery stores also saves a lot of money.  

 The trail was quite a challenge in some areas and we heard that much farther down the trail was difficult, steep with small walk-ways and sheer drop off.

 The higher we climbed the views got better and better.  It was so pretty.

A look at Ke'e beach

 A jungle!  Surprisingly there were few insects except we did see some GIANT spiders in the corners of the bathroom at the trail head.  

 The blossom of the o'hia tree

 0.5 miles into the Kalalau Trail was a beautiful view of the Na Pali coast.  We had sandwiches there and headed back down.  The first 2 miles of the trail lead to Hanakapi'ai Beach.  It takes most people 1 1/2-2 hours each way to hike just to that beach.  To take the entire, ultimate hike it is one of the most famous in Hawaii.  

lunch and a passer-by asked if we wanted a picture all perched along the cliff having our turkey and cheese sandwiches, chips and oreos.  

 Ke'e Beach

going down...in some ways almost more difficult then going up!

 We got there after 10 and not only was the parking lot completely overflowing, the sides of the road leading up to it were packed with not many optimal places to park (not like that stopped many from making some really questionable decisions).  We had to park about a mile from the trail itself.  We didn't stay at Ke'e beach as our beach gear was far away.

 The painted church, Wai'oli Hui'ia in Hanalei.

 We drove back and got ready for the night out at the luau.  We had transportation to the Smith's Tropical Paradise and we were all so excited to go to our first luau.

 They had abundant birds, plants and trees.  They had many peacocks strutting around the property as well.  We took a tram around the grounds before the luau began.

 Getting a shell lei and a greeting to start the evening.

The evening started with the Kalua pig emerging from the pit of where it was cooking.  They used conch shells to "call" in various directions.

The modern luau now is a feast with entertainment.  Earlier in history, this feast was called a 'aha'aina or pa'ina.  

The pig is cooked according to a traditional Hawaiian method that uses a type of underground oven called an imu.  They dig a dirt pit about 6 feet long and 3 feet deep.  They put rocks inside to maintain the head and vegetation like banana leaves.  They cook the pig for about 6 hours buried in layers of sand and soil.  They bring it out and, voila...one tasty cooked pig!

The served many dishes including poi (a thick tasteless porridge made from the  taro plant), fruits, cake,  and lomi salmon. 

They had mai tais and beer to drink for the grownups and hawaiian punch for the kids.  They had live music and even a time for you to get up and learn the luau on stage.

The entertainment consists of many different types of dances including Polynesian and Hawaiian tradition and stories.  It was fascinating and fun to watch!

Pele, the volcano goddess.

And fire dancing at the end!

We all loved it!  The girls were tired but all smiles!