Hawaii!

Hawaii was amazing!  Truly is a paradise...perfect climate, friendly people, beautiful surrounding...and no bugs!  Mareesha and I took a 7 day cruise and visited the four main islands - Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (the Big Island), and Kauai.  Each island is very unique and we enjoyed getting to see each of them.

On the Big Island we drove to Volcano's National Park and hiked in a crater!  Later that day our ship sailed past the lava entering the ocean...very cool! 

We had two days in Maui.  The first day was spent exploring the beauty of the island in a convertible - I loved that!  The second day we went surfing!  It was a lot of fun and actually easier than I thought it would be.  Before we hit the beach the second day we drove up to view the sunrise from the highest point on Maui.  Spectacular! 

Our third stop took us back to the Big Island, this time to the opposite side in Kona.  Mareesha took an expedition to go snorkeling, while I played it safer and took a guided outrigger tour of the coastline.  After all the wonderful fish and sea life she saw, I regret not going with her.

Our final stop before port was Kauai - the Garden Island.  From the moment we stepped off the ship we were in awe of the beauty.  Mareesha's good friend Larissa grew up on Kauai and just happened to be home for Christmas.  She graciously hosted us for two days, showing us her favorite spots and filling us in on a bit of Hawaii's history.  She even took us to a beach and taught us how to "boogie board" - it was a lot of fun!  Before returning to Oahu, the cruise ship sailed us past the Nepali Coast...this was scene for many famous movies like Jurassic Park and King Kong. 

After the cruise ended we spent 3 days on Oahu before flying home.  We stayed in a hotel on Waikiki and were able to journey up and down the beach and enjoy the fun shops, interesting people, and breathtaking beach.  While on Oahu we spent one day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We also drove around part of the island and enjoyed the amazing beauty of the island beaches and mountains.  Our final day was spent touring Pearl Harbor.  It was a somber reminder of the terror that took place 65 years ago.  A sad but important way to end our stay in Hawaii.

This is only a brief description of our stay in Hawaii.  We had such a great time and we can't wait to go back!  Check out a few of our pictures in the photo album to the right. 

Aloha!