May 6 - 7, 2015
May 6
Wednesday morning was dedicated to snorkeling. We went to Tunnels Beach and it was absolutely gorgeous - in and out of the water!
I went out snorkeling with James and Jordan. I felt much safer snorkeling with these two by my side.
Aren't we so cute in their snorkeling gear?
The fish were beautiful! They were large and brightly colored, and some even seemed to sparkle.
We were also fortunate enough to see three sea turtles! They were stunning! We just watched them roam around and feed off the coral. It was an incredible experience to say the least. (That's me waving to Ryan, our cameraman.
And all the boys in the back:
The highest point in Kauai is almost always covered with clouds, but it was so cool to be flying around through the clouds!
One of the best parts of the ride was flying over Jurassic Falls. If you understood what Jurassic Park meant to my family, you would understand what a culminating event this was for us. lol
The picture below is a of Waimea canyon which we got to hike later in our trip. I love the geographical diversity of Kauai. It has one of the wettest and one of the driest places in the world on one island!
In order to get to the beach we had to walk through a stream that lead to the ocean.
Right near our beach set up, there was a cute monk seal just chillin at the beach, getting his tan on. Lol
I'm so grateful I did have these two with me. There were a few times where snorkeling got tough for me and they were able to help me maneuver through the coral safely.
We were also fortunate enough to see three sea turtles! They were stunning! We just watched them roam around and feed off the coral. It was an incredible experience to say the least. (That's me waving to Ryan, our cameraman.
That evening, my parents went on a date to go see a performance of South Pacific. So Jordan and I decided to go on our own date. Jordan took me to a cute restaurant in Hanalei and then we tried to watch the sunset in Hanalei bay, but we were a few minutes too late. Then we just went and looked at all the cute little shops they had in town. It was so fun to be out on our own in such a beautiful place.
May 7
Because snorkeling at Tunnels Beach was so much fun, we went back the next morning. It was great because my mom was able to see the sea turtles this time! I hung out at the beach with our stuff because I was pretty tired from snorkeling the day before. Sitting on that gorgeous beach for a few hours was probably the most relaxing period of time I had during my pregnancy.
James and Jordan were trying to plan out where to take my mom snorkeling.
Jordan was making the most ridiculous faces and I thought it was the cutest thing in the world.
My mom was always way ahead of James and Jordan and I kept seeing her turn around to wait for the slowpokes. lol
I forgot to mention how difficult it was to come back to shore after snorkeling. Between the coral, the waves, and the flippers on your feet, you have to trudge through the last 50 yards to the shore. And in this picture, poor James is about to take a final dip in the water... but not by choice.
I started to get a little toasty on the beach, so I went to cool off with my mom and Jordan. Even in this shallow water I could still see the colorful fish swimming around me. Gosh, it was such a magical beach. :)
We also had an inner tube, so I also took advantage of that. Even though I felt ridiculous and clumsy trying to get in and out of that thing, you know being eight months pregnant and all. haha Jordan and I had a good laugh.
After snorkeling, we ran home, showered and got ready for our next epic adventure... a helicopter tour!!! We all got to be on the same helicopter and me and my mom got to sit in the front!!!
And all the boys in the back:
James was concentrating on the pilot's conversation with some of the other workers.
The helicopter ride was absolutely incredible. 80% of Kauai is only accessible by helicopter, so it was amazing to see the inner parts of the island. Our pilot was great, too. He showed us lots of places where movies were filmed and told us a lot about the history of the island. My family couldn't help humming the Jurassic Park theme song the whole ride. I think it made the experience that much more awesome. Here are some of the best pictures we took:
Here is a video to give you a little taste:
One of the best parts of the ride was flying over Jurassic Falls. If you understood what Jurassic Park meant to my family, you would understand what a culminating event this was for us. lol
From Waimea Canyon, our pilot took us over a ridge that dropped us right over the Na Pali coast. The view brought tears to my eyes, and to my mom's. Obviously the pictures don't do it justice, but it helps me remember the unforgettable view. In those moments, I realize how beautiful this world is and how God has blessed us with a breathtaking place to live in.
And here is a video of coming over that ridge:
As we were walking away, I was able to take a quick shot of our helicopter.
After our helicopter ride, we went home to eat a delicious dinner and then zoomed to Hanalei Bay to watch the sunset. It was most definitely one of the best sunsets I've ever seen.
It was one of the most memorable days of the trip, but the best part is that we still had a few days to go on more adventures!
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