Family Fun Time

Hooray, it's my 100th blog post!!

I have been to the Honolulu airport far more than all other airports combined by this point. But I am excited to be there this time because...

I am picking up my parents for a visit.

I decided I should really get their visit started off right. Their first morning here it was time to hike to the top of Diamond Head!

It was a beautiful day for a hike. This is a picture of the inside of Diamond Head crater.

The Royal Hawaiian hotel is the pink building along Waikiki beach.

Headed back down. This is the spiral staircase inside the mountain. 

This is a picture of Pele's Chair looking toward the big island where she now resides. 

Diamond Head was just the start of this event filled first day in hawaii for my parents. 

This is at the spitting cave of Portlock

We stopped at a scenic overlook to get a view of the Manana (Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu (Black/Turtle) Islands.

Checking out the beautiful blue water at Kailua.

Drinks and food are often left at the graves of loved ones. Here is a Pepsi and a beer. 

Ringing the bell for good fortune.

Wearing the chinaman's hat.

Moving right along the windward side of the island we visit Tropical Farms to crack open some macadamia nuts. 

Cruising all the way around the north part of the island we make it to "Turtle Beach" to say hello to these guys. 

And we end with a sunset on the north shore. 

Good-Bye Kauai

After the helicopter ride we just had a few hours left on kauai. To make the best of it we headed to a beach.

First we stopped at Saint Catherine Church in Kapaa.

Cruise boats are Big! One day I'll take a trip on one.

This is Lydgate State Park Beach.

My shadow sitting on the beach.

There was a lot of driftwood on this beach and clearly someone wanted to put it to use. 

This is a tiny crab in my footprint. 

Rock walls created calm pools for easy swimming.

Driving through town there where coconuts everywhere.

At the airport waiting for the plane.

It was a great trip to a kauai. I'm looking forward to seeing the other islands!

Flying High in Kauai

My first time flying in a helicopter and I was pretty excited. I found Blue Hawaiian to be the best deal for kama'aina (Hawaii resident) so I went with them. 

We took off from Lihue in the Southeast quarter of the the island and headed West. This is Nawiliwili Harbor and Hoary Head Ridge in the background.

Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club looks like an awesome place to stay.

Fling over the middle of the island now.

There is a lot of green on Kauai.

This is a long stretch of trees that I forgot the name of. 

One of the many waterfalls.

It makes sense there are so many waterfalls because the center of the island is one of the rainiest places on the planet.

Waimea Canyon

Thankfully it was a much clearer day than my first day here.

Hanging out above the clouds as we make our way to the North shore.

Honopu Beach. 

The pilot didn't seem to have a care in the world as he pointed us straight at the ocean floor. 

Cathedral ridges along Na Pali coast. 

"Na Pali Coast with fourteen miles of jagged, rainbow-dappled cliffs ascending 3,000 feet above surging white surf, with its sheer-walled valleys filled with a cornucopia of flowers, with its untouched shoreline and beaches, the Na Pali Coast has defied all of man's feeble attempts to tame it; because of this, no road can circle the island." -Blue Hawaiian Helicopters

This is the valley we camped in just a day ago. 

Ke'e Beach is as far as the road will take you. 

You shouldn't text and drive, but texting and flying is okay. 

Here is a quick video flying around some mountains. The bouncing black border is because I can't hold a camera steady and YouTube smoothed it out for me. 

Coming in for the landing soon.