Day 10 - Hiking Diamond Head and Home

On our last day in Hawaii we got up early to hike Diamond Head.  We have hiked it once before and it is a good workout with an amazing view at the top.  Here is a view of the mountain from our sailing trip the day before...........

Day 9 - Sailing!

Waiting by the sail boat for our early morning sail.....

Day 8 - Lost Beach Camp

 The next morning in Oahu we decided to rent another kayak, so we went to a concierge desk.  She called several companies, but none of them would rent to us because there aren't rivers so they take the kayaks on the open ocean.  It sounded really fun because they kayak out to this little island to explore scenic beaches and picnic.  Finally one place said that they would let us rent the next day, but it was like 3 times the price of the kayaking place we rented from in Kaua'i, so we passed and booked a sailing trip for the morning instead which was cheaper than renting a kayak.  Partly because we have sailed with then 5 times and they know us and give us a good deal :)  After that we hit up Starbucks before going to the LOST beach camp to see if there was anything left...........

Day 6 & 7 - Kayaking to Secret Falls

 

 Jeremiah in the kayak.  We wanted to kayak the river up to Secret Falls.  But we had a baby.  But we wanted to kayak.  So we decided to not let having a baby get in the way or our fun!  We had to rent a kayak and go it alone because none of the guided groups allowed babies, but it worked out for the better because we got to explore much more on our own.  It was quite the kayaking trip upstream while Mike did most of the paddling and I paddled sometimes and entertained the baby sometimes.  Jeremiah did a GREAT job and we would totally do it again!!  Once we finally got to the place where land your kayak we tumbled out and began the hike to the falls.  It was actually the perfect day to be in a river and then be sprayed by a waterfall because it rained.  All day.  We were drenched!!  Jeremiah was a really good sport about being wet........

Kaua'i - Day 5 - Kipu Falls

Kipu falls was a place I really wanted to see, but our guidebook didn't give directions because the locals she talked to asked her not to so they could keep it more private and not over run with tourists............

Kaua'i - Day 4 - Lydgate Beach

I have my rashgaurd and my spf hat on and my bottle.  I am ready for the day!!!

We hung around the condo for a while relaxing this morning, so we got a later start to the day.  We loaded Jeremiah in the car and drove a short way to downtown Kapa'a to browse the unique shops.  It was fun and we stopped at Bubba's burgers for lunch.  Jeremiah was totally sacked out in his stroller the whole time...........

Kauai - Day 3 - The North Shore

Jeremiah had been waking up at 5am every morning because it was 8am at home.  Mike took baby duty the morning before, so this morning I got up with the annoying little early riser and we went out to watch the sun rise at the beach.

 Me and the little guy watching the sunrise.

Kauai - Day 2 - Waimea Canyon

 On our first full day in Kauai we decided to go see the Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of Hawaii.  You drive drive all the way around the island toward Waimea almost until the road ends in that direction, then go up a mountain.
There is a river that snakes through at the bottom.  This is the view from one of the pull-outs on the way up.

Kauai - Day 1

I absolutely loved Kauai!!  We left our house at 4:30 in the morning and we had to take 2 connecting flights.  The lame part was that Alaska Air made us stop in Portland.  Apparently the only direct flights to Honolulu are in the late afternoon and we wanted to fly in the morning.  Then we had to get on an island hopper to Kauai.  With all of that, because of the time change we still made it to Kauai before noon!
Our first order of business after checking in to our condo was checking out the beach!  The complex was on a beautiful stretch of Pacific, but sadly there was not much beach.

That did not stop us from enjoying it though!

The Emerald Isle: Guinness and Glendalough

Our first stop of the morning was The Hugh Lane Gallery. I had read about the gallery and wanted to visit because of some of the fameous impressionist artist's paintings on display. We had tried the day before, but they were closed. Some of my favorites were Degas - Young Woman with a white headdress, Monet - Watercourt under snow, Walter Osborne - Tea in the Garden (this one was fascinating because it was never finished, but it was still stunning and left some of the scene to your imagination.), and JB Corot - The Punt. I loved slowly making my way through the gallery's and looking at breathtaking paintings painted by renound artists over 100 years ago.
Next we headed to tea. Mike was going a bit crosseyed after spending so much time in an art gallery with me, but considering how long we spent at the Guinness factory, I really have no sympathy :) Tea was fabulous. We ate at this little cafe around the corner and I had a pot of tea with my soup. We didn't stay very long though because we wanted to make it to the Guinness factory before we headed to Glendalough for the rest of the day.

I loved all of the languages of "Welcome" on the door.

The famous 9000 year lease.

Arthur Guinness was the founder of the Guinness brewery business. In 1759, Guinness got a 9,000 year lease on the four-acre brewery at St. James's Gate for an annual rent of £45, which was a lot back then, but is now the equivalent of about $65.21 per year! Crazy!!

In the 20th century the Guinness family continued to lead the business until the last member of the Guinness family resigned as chairman in 1986. From the 1940s to 1980s a major overhaul of brewing machinery took place, making the brewery one of the most technologically advanced in the world.
Today, 10 million glasses of GUINNESS are enjoyed daily around the world. (Wikipedia)

After about an hour of learning the ins and outs of making this stout beer I was bored out of my mind!!!! so I left Mike to enjoy the rest of the factory and went up to the top floor for my complimentary Guinness (ya, I opted for a soda) and enjoyed the views from the completely glass room and wrote in my travel journal until Mike showed up for his beer :)

On our way back to the car we saw this elderly gentleman with a horse and cart parked next to the sidewalk.

Apparently he used to work for the Guinness factory when he was a younger man, but now he is too old and makes his money by posing for pictures with his horse for tourists. He won't let you take a picture unless you pay him first. He was a really nice man. He spoke limited English, but with hand motions and broken English we were able to communicate. He was very interested in knowing how we were enjoying Ireland and what we thought about America's new President Obama. He told us that he was the last surviving member of his family and now survived by tourists paying for pictures. We had spent almost all of the last of our euros for admission to the ridiculously expensive Guinness Factory tour, but I gave him the last few euros I had and snapped a picture. His story made my heart ache and I remembered him in my prayers for a long time after meeting him.
After visiting a cash machine we were on our way to Glendalugh which my cousin told me was not to be missed! Our little rental car had to climb way up into the mountains to get there, but the views were worth it!

I love how the rock walls become overgrown with greenery and look more like rows of bushes than rock walls.

We pulled off to the side of the road to enjoy the views and take some pictures.

Stanly :)

Glendalough means glen or valley of two lakes

The round tower in the distance. Glendalough is a truly beautiful place!

The round tower through a graveyard.

The most visible monument at Glendalough is the fine round tower, rising about 30 meters high. In medieval Ireland, round towers served as landmarks, bell towers, storehouses and places of refuge in times of attack. The tower is about 30 meters high with the door is about 3.5 meters from the ground, which was common practice as a means of protection for the people and treasures inside.
The story of Glendalough begins with St Kevin who, as a young man, went to live at Glendalough “in the hollow of a tree.” He returned later with a small group of followers. After a life of sleeping on stones, wearing animal skins, barely eating and (according to legend) making friends with birds and animals, Kevin died in about 618. Glendalough flourished for the next 600 years. In its heyday, the settlement included not only churches and monastic cells but also workshops, guesthouses, an infirmary, farm buildings and houses. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. (Sacred Destinations)

A close up of the door. It was up really high as a means of protection during raids. To get in there was a rope ladder lowered down from someone inside and then pulled back up.

It is such an old place some of the gravestones are worn smooth, The inscriptions having disappeared with the passage of time leaving behind only a wordless marker of a life once lived.

I loved the inscription on this headstone belonging to Luke Toole who passed away in 1775. Part of the inscription is "he was a friend to the unprotected, a father to the orphan and his door was always open to the poor." I don't think there is a better legacy to leave than that. It makes me wonder how old that other headstone is since this one is over 300 years old and the writing is still very clear. I know Glendalough was founded around 600AD.

Spray painted sheep.

After exploring the ruins we decided to go on a hike to the upper lake. It was a longer walk than I had anticipated.

It was a really warm day and I was glad when we finally got to the lake. I took my shoes off and waded in. It felt heavenly to cool off!! In the picture Mike is doing his favorite thing to do around any body of water. Skip rocks!

We decided to take the shorter way back (on the way to the upper lake we didn't know there was a long and a short way) and hiked to the lower part of the falls. It was getting late though and we wanted to have dinner before the hour long drive back to Dublin, so we didn't go up to the best view at the top.

After we left we went for a stroll in the little village nearby. I bought my Mom a beautiful hand spun and hand woven scarf (I had bought myself a similar one at a shop by the Cliffs of Moher and I love it!!) Then we went in search of food. We asked around about a nice restaurant to eat since this was our last night and we had mostly eaten at pubs and bistros. Everyone recommended the Wicklow Heather. We opted to eat outside on the stone patio. It was a gorgeous day. The patio was beautiful and the food was even better. It was soooo good. We sipped our drinks and shared our food and soaked in the last few rays of sunshine and talked about what a wonderful time we had had. We relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere and finally, reluctantly got up to leave so we would not be driving back in the dark. Mike was unlocking the car when I suddenly realized we had not paid!!! I was sooo embarrassed! We hurried back to the restaurant and told the waiter we had completely forgotten to pay and he was so impressed that we came back he gave us each a glass of Irish Cream to enjoy at our table while he got our check. If you ever make it to Glendalough I would definitely recommend The Wicklow Heather!

Kualoa Ranch

Hawai'i Continued:
On Monday Morning after waking up we walked to the Shorebird Restaurant and Beach Bar in the Outrigger Reef Hotel. It is one of our favorite places for breakfast in O'ahu. It is right on the Waikiki beach. The wall facing the beach is only about 3 feet tall with shutters above that that are always open, so it is like eating right on the beach. It is called the Shorebird for a reason too. Last year we managed to get a prime table right next to the ocean for breakfast. After I sat down I realized I forgot my OJ, so I went back to get and when I came back there were 8 pigeons ON my breakfast plate eating MY food! I was soooo annoyed! I had managed to get a table with an amazing view only to have my food strewn all over the table, chairs, the floor, everywhere by those stupid birds! We ended up eating at the bar, which, by the way, also has an amazing view. Looking back now it is pretty funny! Those birds were lying in wait for someone to momentarily abandon their breakfast so they could swoop in. After all, why migrate when you could live in paradise year round and eat tourist's breakfasts! Luckily breakfast on this trip was much less eventful. And the pineapple was fabulous! After breakfast we walked all the way to the end of Waikiki beach at the Hilton. The gardens on the grounds of the Hilton are beautiful! There are so many beautiful flowers and birds of paradise, and koi ponds.
We had a long walk back up to Kuhio Ave. from there to visit our travel agent who booked us a trip to the Movie Set Tour at Kualoa Ranch where several movies and tv shows were/are filmed including Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Godzilla, Pearl Harbor, You Me and Dupree, MacGyver, Hawaii 5 O, and best of all LOST!!!!! Being the LOST fan that I am this was one thing that I couldn't miss!! So, we drove up past Sea Life Park once again to our favorite little town and found Kualoa Ranch. We grabbed a rather uninspired lunch at the ranch and and then were off on a really fun tour!
Yes, that was the actual bus we went on. It was as bad as it looks, but we had so much fun!!!
The entrance to one of the hatches. There is a scene with Matthew Fox (Jack) in front of this door. :)Scouts for LOST driving away after we arrived for a closer look at the hatch.
The tour guide took this picture of us at our first stop. Gotta love the view!

Hurley's golf course location. Breathtaking. I love these mountains!

Me! Look what I found!
Yes, we may look like geeks, but I has sooooo much fun!
Remember the episode in Season 3 when Hurley found the VW Bus with the dead guy and all the beer in it? That ridge in the pic. on the front on the mountain is where Hurley had the guys shove the van down the cliff with him and Charlie in it in order to try to push start it. That scene cracks me up! I LOVE Charlie in it. I love Charlie though!
The Starbucks where Matthew Fox gets his coffee on the way to work. I'm not a stalker. Really. Actually I don't really care that much. Now, if it was the Starbucks where Charlie got his Starbucks, that would be another story!
Blurry Pearl Harbor Picture.
Mike with the Pearl Harbor sign.
And on we go to Jurassic Park. Above are a few of the scenes filmed at Kualoa Ranch.
The log that the Archaeologist guy and the two kids hide behind to get away from a stampede of dinosaurs. Then a T-Rex comes out of the bushes to the side and eats one. Of the dinosaurs, not the kids.
Ain't we cute?
Here we are hiding from the stampeding Dinosaurs!

Godzilla and a footprint from the giant lizard.
Another footprint. Funny story, the footprints were originally 6 feet deep for the movie, but the cows from the ranch kept falling in them during the night and the ranch hands would have to haul them out in the morning. :0 I thought that was soooo funny! They got tired of doing this over and over and they didn't want the cows to get hurt, so they backfilled the footprints so they are only about a food deep now.
A series of footprints and the bus leaving without us. Several of us had run up a big hill to take a closer look at Hurley's golf course. The tour guide loaded the bus and was on his way back to get us, but I thought he was leaving without us! I told him this when he picked us up. He was like oh, then you would have been Lost. He had a cheesy sense of humor. :)
After our tour of Kualoa Ranch ended we decided to take the scenic ride back to the condo and drive around the entire island and back to Honolulu. Our only time restraint was we had reservations at Dukes for dinner at 9pm. The drive around the island of O'ahu was beautiful! We stopped at some deserted beaches and saw amazing mountain views. Mikes favorite stop was at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. The tour guide said it was the best shrimp on the island. I personally am not all that into food that comes out of a camper retrofitted to be a kitchen, but whatever. I like shrimp as much as the next guy. So we ordered the garlic shrimp. Anyway, they comes out in this garlic butter sauce that they have been cooked in and they are still in their shell things. ICK! I thought that was really gross. I always take the shell thing off shrimp before I cook them and have never been anywhere else where it was served that way. Mike really liked it though. I shared mine with a local cat who really seemed to like it as well.
My favorite stop was an amazing beach on the North Shore not all that far from Turtle Beach. The sand was the softest, finest, whitest sand I have ever seen. It loved it! (Unfortunately I used up all of the camera's memory at the ranch, so I couldn't take any pictures.) Mike and I walked along the beach hand in hand with the sun setting in the background and the surf playing tag with our feet. After a while Mike went and sat down in the sand and I continued to walk along in the surf. But I was not going to get wet. We had dinner reservations. That resolution didn't last too long though. It was too perfect of a night not to play in the ocean! I had a bating suit on under my clothes, so I was in the water within moments. Mike joined me and we has so much fun! I felt like a kid again. I did not want to leave that beach. Ever. But it was getting late and we still had almost a 2 hour drive back to Honolulu.
We made it back in time for our dinner reservations at Dukes. Dukes is my favorite place in Hawaii to eat.
It is named after Duke Kahanamoku the famous surfer and winner of several US Olympic gold medals in swimming. The food at Dukes is fabulous. My steak and garlic mashed potatoes were great, but my favorite thing for dinner is their famous Cesar salad. I had no idea how a Cesar salad could be famous until tasting theirs.
Mike at the dinner table while we waited for our food. He is sooo hot!

The two of us at Dukes. Some pictures our waiter took. We are so in love!
We had a fabulous day. I think it was my favorite day of our vacation. After dinner we had a romantic moonlit walk back "home."