Our first trip to the tropics, just the two of us. I would say that getting away from everything was the healthiest thing we have done in a long time. I was so anxious to leave my kids, but once I made it to the sand, sun, and waves, I had an easier time relaxing! After a pretty crazy year, including becoming parents to two, we took off to a much-needed vacation to paradise... here are a few shots of the beauty we found there.
This beach was called Secret Beach, you had to hike this steep, tiny trail to get there, we ended up sliding down the whole thing. It was pretty hilarious, my backside was covered in mud by the time we made it to the beach. There were just a few people at this beach (like 6) all spread out. We steered clear of the Secret Lava Pools where we found some nudest beach bathers (yuck!)
Just before we left Utah, my dad said, "Remember what I always say, Kauai is for lovers!" That phrase was a little awkward coming from my dad, but we joked about it the whole time. This sign seemed to fit right into our mantra for the trip!
We ran into a "winter storm" while we were there, meaning that it rained off and on every day, averaging 80-85 degrees with sunshine. Once we got home to snowy mountains, the storm didn't seem so bad.
We hiked 4 miles along the Napali Coast to another pristine beach our last day. The scenery was breathtaking, and we hiked through rain and sun. I have been dreaming of taking Jon here since I went with my family in 2005. He loved it and thought that this was the best day of the trip.
LOVE this beach... 15 miles of sand dunes backed by tropical lava cliffs, we called it "our beach" because we had to 4 wheel in the jeep to get there, only to find it pristinely void of ANYONE but us. SO cool!
We had a perfect mix of relaxation and adventure, and I came to appreciate God's creations even more. Hawaii is so beautiful! Happy 5 (and a half) years of marriage, graduation, 2 babies, and surviving 2011. We have learned and grown a lot this year. One thing we have learned is that we will definitely be going back to Kauai!
