Back on the Mainland

We got back from Kaua'i on Monday after a full day/night of traveling. Our Na Pali Coast kayak trip was spectacular. We had great guides and beautiful views the whole way. Our trip began at 6am sharp. We had to meet the group at the shop to sign the release forms, payment and to get all our belongings in dry-bags for the journey, take seasickness medication, as well as hand over our dry clothes and towel for after the kayak. Then we set off to Ha'ena Beach Park to unload the trailer, get some safety and paddling instructions and to launch. We were fortunate to have such calm seas for our trip and despite our fears, Mike and I didn't argue once. We actually made a great paddling team.

We entered 3 or 4 sea caves, a couple with swimming breaks. We were fortunate to see several sea turtles and even a family pod of Spinner Dolphins, complete with babies! The shoreline took our breaths away and it just kept getting better and better as we went along. We would both turn and look back and be overwhelmed by its beauty. The trip was a total of 17miles of paddling and we went 12 miles before lunch and we couldn't wait for the break. The food was good and the naps refreshing. Our break was 1.5 hrs long before we set off again for the remaining 5 miles to Polihale Beach. The last leg was the hardest, mostly because we were in direct sun the whole way and because we were staring at the beach for 4 miles without it looking any closer. After more turtle sightings we made it ashore, lugged our kayaks up the beach to the trailer and took a well deserved shower. Fresh water never felt so good and then to be DRY! We had been soaked through from the waist down pretty much the whole way (you couldn't stop some swells from crashing into the boat)

We were grateful for polarized sunglasses as they kept the glare off the water and allowed us to actually see the depths below for this same reason. We were also grateful for the wonderful sunscreen we had (zinc oxide). At the end we had a sunburn contest and Mike had pink tops of his feet, the tops of my legs were a little pink and the guy who won looked like a cooked lobster. He'd already taken advil because of pain and I imagine the rest of his time in Kaua'i was not very pleasant. I think Mike and I are probably the only people who go to Hawaii, swim, snorkel, stay out in the sun and don't get burned our much darker than we were when we started.

When we loaded up and started off, I realized why we'd taken the seasickness medication. It wasn't for the kayaking it was for the car ride back. On the map you'll see a brown road that says 'rough road' they're not kidding. People were pulled over with flats, busted axles, you name it. It took 2 hrs to get back to the shop in Hanalei because the highway only goes 3/4 of the way around the island. The Na Pali Coast is a protected national park so there is absolutely no road access, which means we had to drive all the way around the island. We came ashore around 5:30pm, hit the road around 6pm and arrived in Hanalei at just after 8pm. During the drive, we were astounded to hear one of our guides calling people for a midnight kayak to Kalalau Beach (the end of the 11mi Na Pali hike) for camping and partying for the full moon. WHAT?? We just kayaked 17mi and you want to add another 6? and partying? A true Hawaiian. We're sure he went and partied. Mike and I, however, got back to the room around 8:30, ate some dinner and were asleep by 9:30pm. Exhausted.


The next morning we were sore, but we decided to go snorkeling for our last day. Having already used 4 underwater cameras we decided not to buy another. MISTAKE. The snorkeling at Tunnels Beach was phenomenal, the best yet and we were swimming with sea turtles, not more than 3 ft away. Nice. The coral and fish were also the best we had seen. Too bad. We don't have any documentation of it, but we swear it happened. We watched another spectacular sunset at Ke'e Beach and then returned to pack.

After watching the sunrise at Anini Beach, we checked out Sunday morning but didn't have a flight until Sun late afternoon. So we went to a local farmer's market (mostly fruit, handmade crafts, and clothes) bought a couple things, had lunch and drove to Wailua Falls. On the way I spotted the only wildlife we hadn't seen on Kaua'i yet. Monk seals! They were beautiful, complete with a rainbow for our fond send off. Then we headed to the airport and bade Kaua'i farewell. Our flights were fine and we even glimpsed the full moon as we flew out of O'ahu. Wow. We couldn't get any pictures but we took some night shots on Kaua'i I thought I'd share.

Waimea Canyon

Tuesday we went to a lu'au at the Kilohana plantation that included a show. Since we had already been to the lu'au at the Polynesian Cultural Center on O'ahu, we were comparing the two. We had great seats for the show and the dinner was really good. Overall, we felt the show at the Polynesian Cultural Center was better but the food between the two were comparable. The fire dances were by far the best part.

Wednesday we got up early and drove to the South Shore to hike Waimea Canyon. Mike had gone through the guide book and found a couple he was interested in and we decided to find out about the trail conditions from the rangers before making a final decision. The one he was most interested in was 11.3 mi--including the 2mi hike back to the car because it wasn't a complete loop. We decided to do just the first and longest part, which was the Nu'alolo trail. As we were told by the ranger, this was the most difficult trail in Waimea because it's 1500ft of elevation you lose at the beginning...and has to be done at the end. Going steeply downhill didn't seem to bad at first, but your legs tire pretty quickly. We had some spectacular views of the canyon, spires and ocean, but the best was the last 0.5mi of the 3.8mi trail. This trail had you walking on the tip top of the mountains to a lookout point. I was petrified, especially because the trail is mostly loose, crumbly rock. But it was worth it. The view was amazing. We could see the Na Pali Coast stretching out before us and the canyon swallowing helicopters one by one. Thank goodness for the gorillapod because we were able to get some shots with the gorillapod wrapped around a bent sign.


The way back was HARD, we were going uphill nearly the entire way, with the steepest part at the very end. We ran out of water and were glad that we hadn't done the extra 4 miles. Something we both noticed was the quiet. We only saw 8 other hikers on this trail, all but one hiking in as we were hiking out. We stopped a few times and just listened and all you could hear were the sounds of the birds, the wind in the trees and the buzzing of bees. Occasionally there would be helicopter noise from an air tour but there was absolutely no road noise. Our feet were pretty torn up by the end of the hike and we were tired, but we still made it to a few lookout points to get a glimpse of the other parts of the canyon.


The first lookout we went to, we noticed that it looked like it was raining, but when we got up to it, there wasn't any rain. Then Mike proclaimed 'we're in a cloud!' Cool, except we couldn't see anything. At all. However, for a brief moment, like Avalon appearing out of the mist we could see some of the canyon and snapped a few shots to prove we were actually there. The other lookouts were far more rewarding. We were also able to get some great shots of the sunset last night, the sky was crimson and beautiful, and being inspired we decided to get up early to see the sunrise. Didn't work out the way we planned. We thought we'd go to Kilauea Lighthouse but it was closed and we could see beautiful sky, but no sun. So we raced to another beach that was 20mins away. We caught the tail end and unfortunately saw a wild pig fall victim to the morning commute. (It was gone when we were coming back so I'm thinking someone was having Kalua--pit roasted--pork for dinner). We tried for the sunset tonight, but rain clouds prevented another stunning night like last night, so we'll have to try again. Tomorrow is the Na Pali Kayak trip...gulp. Only waterproof cameras for that one though, so we'll all be waiting to see how they turn out.

Kaua'i

We are now 8 days in to our 11 day honeymoon, having arrived in Kaua'i on Sunday. It was raining but as we drove on the weather cleared and we were shown the beauty and majesty of the North Shore Mountains. After early check-in (we couldn't go to the room because we were 3 hrs too early), we drove to Hanalei Bay and walked along the beach, then drove back and went grocery shopping. Our hearts stopped briefly upon seeing the final price at check-out. Our room is glorious, once again. We have a full kitchen, spectacular view of the mountains from our living/dining room windows and a full porch. The entire complex is open air and we have heard many a rooster crowing at all hours. I will say though, they are beautiful and thanks to some ear plugs and Mike being a heavy sleeper we have not been woken once by a 'cock-a-doodle-doo!' at 1am. (Our view)

Day 2 of Kaua'i we decided to do a hike to the Hanakapi'ai Beach and falls, 4 mi one way and the start of the Kalalau Trail (the famous Na Pali Coast hike). Thanks to Rocky Mt training, we were at the trailhead early and fortunate to get a parking spot at Ke'e Beach Park. The trail started with a steep incline, leveling out and offering a SPECTACULAR view of Ke'e beach within 1/2 mi. Eventually, we started on a decline with amazing views and unbelievable ocean blues, only to find ourselves sinking into Kaua'i's famous red mud. Our shoes were heavy with it, our legs stained from it and our muscles quivering from slipping and sliding down the slope. We met some people along the hike, Heinekens in hand and pack full of more who became our unofficial photographers. We forded a river, relieving our feet of the mud weights, and were greeted by a pleasant beach with crashing waves. A sign earlier had warned of the dangerous surf with a tally of the number of people who had been killed--it was over 20. Before and after:


We didn't linger long, but continued the next 2 mi to the falls. It was a loooong 2 mi, complete with 4 river crossing, questionable trail markings, a lot more mud and narrow paths. We were able to see the falls about a 3/4 mi away and it seemed like we'd never get there. Many people passed us and assured us it was worth it and they were true to their word. When we finally reached the falls, our breaths were taken away. A 300ft cascading fall with a glistening rock wall cool blue pool, and our beer drinking comrades were waiting for us. Mike took a dip, I did not due to reports that it was very cold.

Then the really hard part. Going back. We lost the trail and crossed the river a couple extra times before finding the trail again. Amazingly, the few hours of sunshine were enough to completely dry out the trail and we made short work of the journey back, though our feet were sore and blistered. To end the day--it was already 3:30pm--we went snorkeling at Ke'e Beach, one of the best snorkeling spots on the North Shore. It was Mike's first time and he couldn't stop talking about how much he enjoyed it--thanks Kevin for letting us borrow your snorkel gear!

O'ahu

We are two days in to our 4 days on O'ahu and truly feel like we've landed in paradise. The water is unbelievably clear and ever changing shades of blue. When we arrived (after 9+hrs of traveling) we were welcomed with seashell leis and given our welcome packets before heading up to our room. We're on the 10th floor with a view of the ocean from one window and the mountains from the other. We have a balcony that stretches the 2 rooms, a full kitchen, living room and king sized bed. We then headed out for cocktails and dinner at a beachfront restaurant and watched the sunset. Thanks so much to Mom, Dad and the Perry's for their generous donation to the Mike and Laura honeymoon fund.
Yesterday we rented a car and hiked up Diamond Head Crater. The view was spectacular, though a bit crowded in the tiny viewing area. We started out early, getting started at the trail by 9am (we had to pick up the car) and we were glad to be making our way back down about 45 mins later. It was getting hot and very crowded on the trail.

Afterwards, we drove around the entire island, stopping at Sandy Beach Park where Mike got 'worked' by a wave. It was pretty rough surf so I hung back and instructed him on how to dive under the waves. We also stopped at Waimea Bay, thanks to a recommendation by the grill master at the Shorebird Restaurant, and found the beach with hardly any waves, crystal clear and blue as could be. Apparently, the north shore is really rough in the winter with 20ft+ swells and is where the pipeline surfing competition is competed.

We also stopped at the Dole plantation and did a walking tour where we found out that Dole and DelMonte have pulled out of Hawaii for their pineapples about 4 yrs ago because they take too long to mature (~20 months). The farms near the plantation are privately owned and Dole is now investing in coffee and chocolate.

Today we went to Pearl Harbor and toured the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri. It was moving and awesome to see the Battleship at the bottom of the harbor and knowing there are over 900 people entombed within its hull. I'm happy to say that neither Mike or I have suffered trip changing sunburns! We love you zinc oxide! We're taking it easy for the rest of the day and planning to go out for dinner and a stroll on the beach to watch the sunset. Tomorrow we head to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the afternoon/evening to visit the 7 villages and to see the Ha! Breath of Life luau.

Finally

Well everyone, there has been a long hiatus from my last post and a lot has happened since. As of Wednesday, I am finally done with my nursing program. It has been a long and at times tumultuous year. My last 6 weeks were spent doing a role transition, in which I worked full time (nights) with a preceptor, doing everything she did. I was assigned to labor and delivery and I think I know more about the laboring and delivery process than anyone might want to. I did well and got great reviews from my preceptor during my evaluation. On several instances she insisted I would make a great L&D nurse and I learned a lot about how I wanted to act as a nurse.

Many know that I have been stressing about getting a job. I started applying last December and have had very little in the way of a response. Last month I got a call to interview at Mt. Nittany Medical, which is the only hospital within 30mins of State College. I felt the interview went well and was assured I would hear back about a decision in 2 weeks time. Well 2 weeks went by, then 3 and I still hadn't hear anything. When I called there seemed to have been a disconnect between the interviewer and the HR office. I was pretty discouraged, despite the fact that the HR rep said she had received good feedback from the interviewer. By week 4 I gave up hope and started applying again to hospitals in Pittsburgh and Philly (a good 3.5hr drive).

Well. On Wed, after my final, I found I had a voicemail on phone. It was Mt. Nittany. Offering me a job!!!!!!!!!!!!! Following successful completion and passing the NCLEX (nursing boards) I will be working on a Med/Surg Orthopedic floor doing a graduate nurse internship for 6 months. After that, I will start interviewing for a permanent position within the hospital.

On top of all that, the wedding is only a week away, then Hawaii, then moving to PA and THEN taking and passing the NCLEX. No problem...maybe. Needless to say, a little chaotic but it will be fun. Can't wait to see everyone! I'm so excited!