Hawaii for Spring Break, Day 1

Brandt woke this morning at 4:00am.  I knew this was going to happen.  He is a naturally early riser, and his internal clock was telling him it was 8:00am, very late sleeping for him.  I had prepared the night before by getting out the book we are reading together, so that we could sneak out of the bedroom and have something to do until the rest of the world woke up.

We read several chapters, but then I suggested we go out and walk around Brent and Brenda's complex.  Out we went in our bare feet and pajamas.  I didn't want to wake Kent and Blythe trying to find clothes or flip flops, and it was still early and dark outside, so I didn't think we were likely to run into lots of people.  Even at 5:00am, Hawaii is beautiful.  The air was cool and smelled fresh and everything was greenly lush.  We talked and walked and only saw a security guard drive by in a golf cart.  Apparently a mom and boy wandering around in pajamas doesn't look very suspicious.

When we got back, it was pretty close to six when Brent and Brenda got up.  Kent and Blythe were up before 7:00 and we were able to get started with our day.  When Brenda had asked what we wanted to do when we came, I told her we wanted to hike and go to the beach.  So first thing, she took us on her favorite hike, the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail.  It was a short drive from her house and then a not-too-long-or-too-steep hike to a beautiful overlook where you can see a lighthouse.

The kids were great hikers.  Shortly after we started, Brenda said, "The sea is very calm, and although it is late in the year, we might see whales if we look closely.  Watch for their spouts."  Not two minutes afterwards, at the first overlook on the trail, we saw whales!  There was a small pod of four and we could see them off and on the whole way to the top.  They came around the tip where the lighthouse was, and so even at the top we saw them spouting many times. How cool is that!  From the top we also saw Rabbit Island and another smaller island the kids named Bear Island.  We saw interesting birds, lots of cactus and other flora, and just enjoyed being in the sun and watching the ocean.  Ah! The ocean!  Blythe hiked with Brenda.  The two of them raced off ahead of Brandt, Kent, and me, and beat us handily to the top.

About our hike, Brandt said, "It was awesome! But tiring. And fun also."
Blythe said, "It was the greatest!"

 

Near the beginning of the trail.

I love that you can see the volcanic crater behind my shoulder.

I wish I remembered what they called that one. 

I need Brenda with me as I blog.

 

 

First whale sighting.

That spray is from a blowhole.

Trying to get a close-up view of the whales. 

They were hard to see because they were moving,

 but we could easily see a fisherman on his boat.

 

The lighthouse for which the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail is named.

It is a working lighthouse.

The grey spot in the water is the whales.

We weren't really seeing them up close and personal.

 

The view from the top.

Rabbit Island in the back, "Bear Island" in the front.

At the top with Rabbit Island in the background. 

 

After our hike, we did a bit of planning.  We looked at the week, what we wanted to do, and how we could best see and play.  We set up a schedule that was pretty much activity-beach-shaved ice or beach-activity-shaved ice, with the option of having the shaved ice between.  Kent had said we could stay five or six days.  I decided on six, but didn't count either travel day nor Sunday because you can't really get out and play on Sunday.  So we mapped out our week, made good plans that worked well, and then, having done our activity portion of the day with our hike to Makapu'u, packed lunch and headed for the beach.

Brenda took us to Waimanalo Beach.  It was so beautiful.  The water was warm, the sand was soft, and the waves were perfect for boogie boarding.  We stayed for several hours and boogie boarded most of them.  It was so much fun.  The waves weren't so big that they knocked the kids over every time, but they were big enough that you could ride them fast and pretty far.  Brandt was especially good at it.  Blythe got tumbled early on and sort of gave up, though she did play in the water.  When we weren't swimming or boogie boarding, we dug in the sand, building a large volcano with a deep moat surrounding it so it wouldn't be washed away by the waves.  There were very few people on the beach as it is on the east side of the island, well away from the touristy part of Honolulu.  It was relaxing and fun and we were delighted we had more beach fun on the schedule for tomorrow.  The post swim shaved ice was delish!  The only downside to our outing was that we all got sunburned.  We sun screened lots and lots, but our white, pasty, winter skin was apparently stunned by all the sun it suddenly received, and we all came away with red faces, shoulders, and legs.

That's Kent.

He's swimming.

This is Brenda.

She got tumbled by a wave.

Our fellow beach goers. 

See how few?

That's Rabbit Island, the same one we saw from our hike this morning.

Swimming siblings.

Is there a nicer place to catch up than floating in the ocean?

 

Headed out to catch some more waves.

As Brandt and I were out in the water boogie boarding, he said, "I love this!"  

My sentiments exactly!

While Brandt and I did a bit more boogie boarding, Brenda and Blythe took a long walk down the beach.

While they walked up and back the same distance, Blythe's walk was twice as long.

She danced around, running in and out of the water, looking for bits of coral and other interesting things.

They talked about growing up, artists, and sea things.

What a great aunt Blythe has in Brenda.

On our way home, we stopped at the Halona Blowhole.  It was formed by lava tubes that run to the ocean, and when the surf is right, shoot a spray of water up to 30 feet in the air.  We were there at a pretty good time because we did see several large sprays.  The coast by the blowhole is very dangerous but very beautiful.  Watching the waves come pounding in was mesmerizing.  

 

 

We were tired after our active day and the time difference.  I had asked Kent if we could get a water-proof camera before our trip and he didn't warm to the idea.  However, as we were in the ocean today, and he was swimming with Blythe, I said, "This would make a super cute picture if we had a waterproof camera."  He thought I had wanted the camera only to take pictures while we were snorkeling, but realized we could use it for much, much more.  So after we got home, Brenda and I cleaned up a bit, then went to Costco for a waterproof camera and foodstuffs for the week.  We picked up delicious Thai food from a local restaurant, and enjoyed a relaxing evening talking.  Unfortunately, Brent had to work late, then couldn't get home in the bus or find a taxi, so we were in bed before he was home.  After our early, early start to the day, an early night was very welcome.