Day 2 of our trip......yes, I know....I should start with day 1, but day 2 was an interesting day. We started out that day at Sea Level, visiting the waterfalls and black sand beach, basking in the sun in Waipio Valley and ended up on Mauna Kea at elevations of 13,000+ ft and surrounded by snow!
My husband surprised me back in October with this fabulous vacation package to Hawaii. I have never been to Hawaii and have always wanted to go, so it was a great and exciting surprise. However, I was secretly very nervous about getting on a plane.....make that 3 plane changes there and 3 plane changes back!!! I was also VERY worried about leaving our 3 children with anyone for the 10 days we would be gone. You know, no one is going to care for your kids like you do! Plus, I have never left my youngest two for more than one night! I am so glad I fought back the urge to say no! This was the most fabulous 10 days I have ever spent with my husband. We really got to reconnect and act like we were young again (you know, like before we had kids!!).
It was an absolutely amazing trip and so thankful my husband brought me to Hawaii and we got to experience all that we did. We were up and out almost everyday making it a huge adventure. We wanted to see all that the island and its culture had to offer. We did get to get a little (much needed) relaxation in 2 of the days!! We have only been back now for roughly 2 weeks and I miss it already!!!
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| Our footprints in the black sand beach of Waipio Valley |
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Black Sand Beach in Waipio Valley
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| My husband and I enjoying our time together in Waipio Valley |
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| Me, amazed at the snow (Mauna Kea) in Hawaii in May!! |
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| Driving 13,000+ ft up a mountain isn't exactly what I had pictured when my husband said we were going to Hawaii!!! |
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| Yes, we are above the clouds here..... |
One of my friends asked me if the trip was worth the 14 hour flight time. She wanted to know if it was worth it or if I thought a trip to Europe would have been more rewarding. My answer was.....ABSOLUTELY worth the 14 hour flight time. It was beautiful, amazing, relaxing, rich in culture and history. If you like to get out and venture your surroundings like we do, it is well worth it! If you are a type of vacationer that likes to sit by the pool or relax on the beach the whole vacation (which I needed for at least one day!), then maybe not. You might want more of an all-inclusive type of vacation or at least something that doesn't take an entire day of travel. But for us, we say it is worth the time! Oh and our kids survived (so did we!!). It was a long time to be away from them, I don't think I will be able to leave them that long again (at least not for a long time).
Check out the book below to help you plan your next Big Island vacation!! It is a HUGE help in planning out your trip.
