09 January 2009
Mele Kalikimaka!
This year I decided to spend Christmas and much needed holiday in Hawaii with Sam. I was a bit sad about not getting to spend the holidays with my family in Chicago. However I think that the world works in strange enough ways. Perhaps the snow storms hitting the rest of the country was Mother Natures way of telling me to go to warmer parts of the world this season, as my plane may not have made it to the midwest (well, not without spending a portion of my time in airports).
I cant remember the last time I was this relaxed. I spent the next two weeks getting double digit sleeps every night, drinking at least one gin and tonic daily, swimming a minimum of one mile in the ocean each day (see videos introducing our swimming beach below), and being attached at the hip with Sam for two whole weeks. What more could a girl ask for? Of course, Sam and I did more than just sleep, drink and swim. We also road bikes! Surprised?! The rides started off as relatively minor bike rides with destinations, such as the 1200
steps to the top of KoKo head, a trip out to Makapu'u Beach, but then we got more ambitious and decided to bike to the North Shore. T
his ride was a bit longer, as it took us around the entire island of Oahu (see inserted map showing our route). We started off in Kai Muki (near Waikiki - letter B), headed up the windward side (C, D), to the North Shore (E), and then back down the middle (F-I), through Honolulu/Pearl City (J,K,L), and back to Waikiki. The first half was relatively flat with a very strong tailwind. However the second half took us up and over the island, AGAINST the wind. In all, it was a fantastic ride (except for the dead toad in the bike lane that almost took me out since Sam thought it was just a coconut husk and didnt feel the need to warn me!) and I would do it again in a heart beat. I cant think of a better way to see the island. Or a better way to ride a century (except perhaps on sweet single track). We took loads more pics, if you haven't gotten enough yet.
As I mentioned, each day included an ocean swim. But rather than explain it, you can check it out in the videos below, where we take you along our walk across the park on our way to Kaimana Beach, and then talk about our swimming experiences while on Kaimana Beach just before getting into the the water:
Sam and I also paid a visit to my great friend
Carol who lives on Maui. We met tons of great people, like her roommate Johauna, her neighbors Katie, Waimea, and Makena, and her good friends Aviva, Jonah, Hugo and Eunis. And of course the pooches Duke and Juniper. We went for a lovely, cruisey hike to some water falls one day, checked out the surf site Jaws, followed by Paia Fish Market Ahi (Tuna) Burgers (YUM). This meal was devoured due to the lack of food throughout the day as discussed in the video below.
The next day, we had a lovely snorkel at Mackenna Landing, where we saw the most gorgeous turtles and fishes and sea urchins. And then we hung out the rest of the day at Little Beach, where we had lunch (a gorgeous salad that Johana created, accompanied by Poke, Mackerel and seaweed salad, and a few beers - a true oceanic feast!), played in the waves, scrambled across the rocks, and lied in the sand. Here are a few more of the videos that Sam and I took to entertain ourselves. You can always ignore them if you are sick of watching us - but the one of the girls building sandcastles is pretty cute. And Sam shows us his mad skills and gives us the ins and and outs of skimboarding on a boogie board.
Carol saw us off in true style by taking us to Sensei for yummy cocktails and the best sushi in THE WORLD, so that our tummy's were full and minds afloat for the brief 40 minute plane ride back to Oahu.
In all, a wonderfully relaxing, fun, and active trip where I got to spend some quality time with Sam. Now we just need to get him back to Santa Cruz (but perhaps after it warms up a bit...on that thought, perhaps I should plan to go back to Hawaii sometime soon?!).
I cant remember the last time I was this relaxed. I spent the next two weeks getting double digit sleeps every night, drinking at least one gin and tonic daily, swimming a minimum of one mile in the ocean each day (see videos introducing our swimming beach below), and being attached at the hip with Sam for two whole weeks. What more could a girl ask for? Of course, Sam and I did more than just sleep, drink and swim. We also road bikes! Surprised?! The rides started off as relatively minor bike rides with destinations, such as the 1200
steps to the top of KoKo head, a trip out to Makapu'u Beach, but then we got more ambitious and decided to bike to the North Shore. T
his ride was a bit longer, as it took us around the entire island of Oahu (see inserted map showing our route). We started off in Kai Muki (near Waikiki - letter B), headed up the windward side (C, D), to the North Shore (E), and then back down the middle (F-I), through Honolulu/Pearl City (J,K,L), and back to Waikiki. The first half was relatively flat with a very strong tailwind. However the second half took us up and over the island, AGAINST the wind. In all, it was a fantastic ride (except for the dead toad in the bike lane that almost took me out since Sam thought it was just a coconut husk and didnt feel the need to warn me!) and I would do it again in a heart beat. I cant think of a better way to see the island. Or a better way to ride a century (except perhaps on sweet single track). We took loads more pics, if you haven't gotten enough yet.
As I mentioned, each day included an ocean swim. But rather than explain it, you can check it out in the videos below, where we take you along our walk across the park on our way to Kaimana Beach, and then talk about our swimming experiences while on Kaimana Beach just before getting into the the water:
Sam and I also paid a visit to my great friend
Carol who lives on Maui. We met tons of great people, like her roommate Johauna, her neighbors Katie, Waimea, and Makena, and her good friends Aviva, Jonah, Hugo and Eunis. And of course the pooches Duke and Juniper. We went for a lovely, cruisey hike to some water falls one day, checked out the surf site Jaws, followed by Paia Fish Market Ahi (Tuna) Burgers (YUM). This meal was devoured due to the lack of food throughout the day as discussed in the video below.The next day, we had a lovely snorkel at Mackenna Landing, where we saw the most gorgeous turtles and fishes and sea urchins. And then we hung out the rest of the day at Little Beach, where we had lunch (a gorgeous salad that Johana created, accompanied by Poke, Mackerel and seaweed salad, and a few beers - a true oceanic feast!), played in the waves, scrambled across the rocks, and lied in the sand. Here are a few more of the videos that Sam and I took to entertain ourselves. You can always ignore them if you are sick of watching us - but the one of the girls building sandcastles is pretty cute. And Sam shows us his mad skills and gives us the ins and and outs of skimboarding on a boogie board.
Carol saw us off in true style by taking us to Sensei for yummy cocktails and the best sushi in THE WORLD, so that our tummy's were full and minds afloat for the brief 40 minute plane ride back to Oahu.
In all, a wonderfully relaxing, fun, and active trip where I got to spend some quality time with Sam. Now we just need to get him back to Santa Cruz (but perhaps after it warms up a bit...on that thought, perhaps I should plan to go back to Hawaii sometime soon?!).
# posted by Nicole @ 8:59 PM
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