Gidget Goes Hawaiian- Kauai & Aulani 8/2012 TR- 3/1 updates!

[ABE4DISNEY]

Hi Ellen and Happy Anniversary! You have a real talent for writing a trip report....all of us are eagerly anticipating your next post!

Love your pics of the canyon! I visited there 30 years ago as a kid and I long to take my kids there as well one day. Maybe my 20th anniversary would do the trick?

Thanks again for sharing and have fun in the sun!

[podsnel]

Originally Posted by Jillpie

Simply GORGEOUS. We need more and more please.

Thanks! I'll try my best!

Originally Posted by englishrose47

Your pix are inspiring !!Mmmmm another free trip maybe !!!

Of all the free trips you could score, I would put Kauai at the top of the list!

Originally Posted by jenseib

Holy cow!!!! I have a feeling I am going to be saying that a lot. But Wowsa!!! Amazing views. Gorgeous colors. I don't even know how to comment on it. It's just stunning.
I also love how you've been an updating fool. I am always so slow writing TRs, but I love it when people post a lot fast.

It really was stunning- I saturated the colors on some of the pics because in person, it really WAS that vibrant! The haze is dulling it in my original pics-
And I love writing them fast- too bad life often gets in the way of that!

Originally Posted by dvc4life

What an absolutely beautiful TR so far. The pictures are just gorgeous and I'm sure they probably don't do what you seen justice. But I am enjoying them none the less. It just looks like you had an amazing time so far and it is only day 1.

Can't wait to see the rest of your trip.

Thanks, Chris- it was all just so breathtaking- more than any other place I have ever been- it truly feels like the garden of eden- paradise on earth...

Originally Posted by dizney4us

Thanks for posting a TR, really looking forward to reading it all! Also...Happy Anniversary!!

Thank-you!! I hope you like it!

Originally Posted by mouseketeer70

I'm in! your pictures are amazing! I can't imagine what it must be like in real life! So breathtaking!
I can't believe they have ox tail soup! My grandfather used to make it when I was growing up and my memories are of how absolutely delicious it was!!! That's a good reason I need to go to Hawaii.....

I couldn't believe what it was like to be there in real life either, and I WAS THERE!!! And yea- if you have a hankering for oxtail soup, apparently Tip Top's is the best- not that I have anything to compare it to-

[podsnel]

Originally Posted by dizneeat

[
We're still on vacation, so reading up will have to wait a bit, but I promise that I will catch up as soon as I am back home! [/COLOR][/FONT]

I was JUST thinking about you and wondering if you were still down there having fun!! So excited to see your new ticker, too!

Originally Posted by dallastxcpa

Just saw your trip link on Facebook. Looks wondeful so far. I can't wait to read more. Dave and I are thinking of Aulani for our 10 year anniversary next year.

Aulani is a beautiful resort. A great way to use our points!

Originally Posted by MAGICFOR2

Wow! Like JensieB said there are no words... Such amazing colors, and your outlook views are incredible. Thanks for the update! Hope Timmy got a good team. Ryan was doing his on Wed - must be a different league.

Timmy's league is an ESPN one with his friends from town. And thanks- Kauai is beyond words. I truly hope you will visit it the next time you go out to Hawaii- you won't even have to hike in mud to find a waterfall- they are just everywhere.....

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

Ellen your pictures are marvelous! You are making me edge closer to Hawaii for our fiftieth anniversary! What a beautiful place.

I'm anxious to see the resort. Love Tim & the chickens!

PLEASE go! It is incredible! And- my kids have a thing about chasing birds-

Originally Posted by ABE4DISNEY

Hi Ellen and Happy Anniversary! You have a real talent for writing a trip report....all of us are eagerly anticipating your next post!

Love your pics of the canyon! I visited there 30 years ago as a kid and I long to take my kids there as well one day. Maybe my 20th anniversary would do the trick?

Thanks again for sharing and have fun in the sun!

Thank-YOU for such a lovely compliment! I think Hawaii is perfect for a 20th! I think Hawaii is perfect for EVERYTHING (except maybe a quick weekend away from NJ!).

[podsnel]

Our next stop was Kalalau Valley Lookout. From here, you look down into the largest valley of the Napali to the Pacific Ocean- it is spectacularly beautiful, and you have probably seen this valley before. Because it is so lush and so dramatic, it is often seen in movies and on book covers. But, here's the thing- it gets socked in. Fog rolls in from the sea, or rolls off of Mount Waialeale- although, the ranger had said that today would be a good day to actually see it- even though the hiker said otherwise. She also said she has had people come into the museum and tell her they have been up there 4 times and STILL never seen it!

All of this was freaking me out.

So when we got up there- it was cloudy, but then it got better, and then the fog rolled in again.







We watched for a while, then got back in the car to head to the next (and last) lookout, Puu o kila, which most people don't go to because they think they're done after the first one.



Well, the second view was MUCH better!!







Click to play-


It was interesting how it changed from minute to minute because of the sun and the clouds.

You could also see Mount Waialeale, which was a miracle. This is one of the wettest points on earth- it gets more than 452" a year! Not a great place to spend your vacation!



All this rain results in the highest elevation swamp in the world, as well as the verdant rainforest that was everywhere around us. So much diversity in just one place!



We traded cameras with a group from Australia, who took a pic of us-



And then- it was time to hit the Pihea Trail-

click to play-

[jenseib]

I am just so jealous...I swear it gets better and better each post.

[podsnel]

The Pihea (Pee-hay) Trail is a moderate hike along the edge of the Kalalau Valley- there is a LOT of up and down involved, sometimes so much so that you were climbing like you were on a ladder- it was SO much fun!







Can you imagine trying to do this when it's wet? Mud mud and more mud!



Every so often, you would come to a beautiful viewpoint-

click to play-


Of course, i was always lagging behind because I kept taking pics and videos.
But sometimes they waited and let me catch up- at least on the way to the Pihea Vista, which was where we were ultimately going-



CRAP! I just posted and i wasn't done! My computer is acting SO WEIRD!

[WannaBeADisMom]

No speakers, so I can't hear the vidoes, but I'm loving these pictures on my HUGE monitor at work! Amazing color!

[podsnel]

What was surrounding us kept on changing. Here there were TONS of ferns everywhere- so lush and green-





click to play-








Then we were in a forest- the roots of the trees exposed all around- in some places, we had to climb over the roots, there was no other way to pass. Or sometimes, there were boards-



As a result of my picture taking-lagging behind, I got a lot of pictures of my family's butts in Kauai-



Of course, Monkey boy is nowhere in sight!






When we looked to the right, towards Mount Waialeale, it seemed to go on forever like this-



And...I'm frozen out of photobucket! GRRRRRRR.......

[WannaBeADisMom]

Originally Posted by podsnel

As a result of my picture taking-lagging behind, I got a lot of pictures of my family's butts in Kauai-SOOO many inappropriate comments waiting to be made!

Can you tell it's a quiet day at work?

[podsnel]

We made it to the Pihea Vista, and I can only say that they entire time I was saying, Thank- GOD for this beauty, thank GOD I go to the gym and thank GOD for my Keens! There were people trying to do this all around us with sneakers and even flip flops- and they were a wreck, falling all over the place, slipping and sliding. Really a bad idea, this is something you need hiking shoes for.









Someone asked if I kissed any monkeys on this trip?

Just the one-



Time to do it all in reverse! That means- what went up, must come down- and vice-versa. Not sure which is harder!







I really have one regret about all of this, though- I wish we had had more time, and a LOT more energy, because we were kind of draggin a little at the beginning of the trip, and I would have LOVED to have gone on to the Alakai Swamp- that's supposed to be very cool as well.

On the return, Timmy & Tyler ran ahead like bunny rabbits. Where did they go?





Eventually, we came upon tyler- sitting on the near edge of the cliff-







Where's Tim? Tyler says he's up ahead balancing on one foot on top of a rock, trying to get a better look.

[MEK]

OK, I said I wasn't going to post in the middle of your update, but since I can't see your pics right now, guess what? I am going to post in the middle of your update. Sorry!

[podsnel]

My stupid computer keeps posting before I'm done- it also keeps jumping my words around. I freaking HATE my Dell.













click to play-


This is me climbing back up (and Pods' thumb!)





And we were back from our hike above the clouds!



We all felt very accomplished- Pods had this ongoing joke,starting on this hike, which was "Pods, are ya bringing your sneakers?" I had been asking if he would be using them at the gym while we were away when I was packing.

Guess we're not goin to the gym this trip, huh?

Up next- fire and ice in Waimea-

[KristiMc]

These pictures are gorgeous! We really need to make it to Hawaii someday.

[Misskitty3]

Your pictures are amazing! Living in Seattle, we have often spent our vacation in Hawaii. The last 2 years we have gone to the Big island. I have never been to Kauai but your photos are really pushing it to the top of my list for our next Hawaii trip! It just looks amazing!

What hotel did you stay at? There is a photo with a water slide and sand entry into the pool - just wanting to know which property that is.


Just curious, with a 10.5 hour domestic flight, are meals provided by the airline or do you have to buy your own like other domestic flights? That is a loooong flight!!

[podsnel]

Originally Posted by jenseib

I am just so jealous...I swear it gets better and better each post.

Awww....shucks! And there is sooooo much to come!!!

Originally Posted by WannaBeADisMom

No speakers, so I can't hear the vidoes, but I'm loving these pictures on my HUGE monitor at work! Amazing color!

I am really jealous! I want to see them look like that!

Originally Posted by WannaBeADisMom

Can you tell it's a quiet day at work?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

A little- I just kissed our husband, LOL- they just left for the game.