Here is a view from the part of Hawaii where we stayed Ka'anapali
This is what I call a vacation...
My niece, Saraya and Uncle Avi before our first big family dinner at the wonderful steak and seafood restaurant at the hotel.
The highlight of the trip was definitely our snorkeling experiences. Avi and I snorkeled almost every day while we were there. We could walk right out from our hotel and it was just like you were swimming in an aquarium. Here is just one small glimpse of what we saw.
The coolest thing we did is swim amongst the sea turtles. Avi got a good picture here with our underwater camera to capture both me and the turtle.
A little closer...
Of course, you can't go to Hawaii without experiencing a luau. Here is Avi and I before we received our welcome leis and pina coladas .
Practicing with the hula girls.
Avi was brought up on stage by one of the dancers. Here he is showcasing his best moves. My niece, Saraya got this on film and told him she'd show the video to his kids someday! ;)
In an effort to see the different landscapes of Hawaii, Avi and I traveled the Road to Hana. While experiencing the single lane bridges and 600 twists and turns, we discovered amazingly beautiful sites. Here's just one of the hundreds of picturesque views. Avi an I went snorkeling at this site too.
Here's a view of the seven sacred pools and just one of the many waterfalls along the way.
One of my favorite stops along the way was an organic stand where they grow everything there and pick it fresh daily. The people there live off the land in huts. Here I am bellying up to the juice bar for my strawberry papaya coconut smoothie and raw pie. I wasn't hungry enough, but if you wanted, they would go and pick everything for your salad.
It was so interesting to hear how they lived. It made me really connect with nature and think about how fun it would be to experience this. Then I remembered how much I liked my shower and king size bed. :)
In order to get your smoothies blended, you had to ride a bike and that powered the blender. Here's a honeymooner who took on the challenge.
During the trip we celebrated my nieces Saraya and Jordyn's birthdays, 17 and 9. They were born on the same day, July 2nd.
We also enjoyed the "main event" with Jacki and Babu's wedding renewal. Here's a snapshot of the "big day!"
I can see why they picked the beach at Kapalua as the wedding spot.
I had told myself for seven years that I was going to learn how to surf. So, I FINALLY DID! And here's proof that I actually got up. I had a blast with the other 5 year olds in the class! :) No, really there were a few more adults.
Although I mostly relaxed and took it easy, I did enjoy some 1.5 mile swims from our hotel to the others' time share. That was a great adventure before a leisurely afternoon at the pool.
As a major spa fan, our trip to Grand Wailia and their top-rated spa was incredible. Before you even got your massage there were multiple types of jacuzzis, different spa baths plus you had your personal loofah attendant to get you ready. Hee, hee, this is GREAT! While you wait for your massage you sit out on the lanai. Here's a view from my lounge chair. Yeah, I could get used to this.
As the sun set on our vacation, we had many great memories and will look forward to returning to Hawaii again! : )
