The HM: Hawaii Pt. 1

the tree of life

Well, babies. It's happening. It's really happening. I'm going to write about our honeymoon travels. I am trying to take a little time off for Christmas, so this is my only shot! If I don't do it now, then it will likely never happen. Let's face the facts. I suck at having a blog.

When we decided to plan the HM, we were slightly at odds. Ron wanted us to sit on our butts for an extended amount of time and I wanted to do things like ride elephants, eat weird fish, and try to speak mandarin. So, we compromised and did a little bit of both. Hawaii was our first stop!

We went to Maui for a little (much needed) R&R after our whirlwind of a wedding. The weeklong affair was AMAZING - don't get me wrong - but exhausting all the same.  When your emotions are running at an 11 for about a thousand days straight, you are bound to crash. Maui fixed us right up. We spent a few days hibernating at our resort and then set out on adventures. One of our favorite things was the Hana Highway, so let's get this party started there. Y'all, don't listen to the haters. This shit is legit. We rented a jeep and went to town (um, literally). You don't just drive to Hana, you stop along the way!

1. Hike to a waterfall and take a dip. Yep - the water is freezing. Guess who took the plunge first? Yep, this guy. There are a few to pick from... some easier than others, so just pick your adventure and enjoy!

2. When you see a hand painted sign that says "DA BEST BBQ IN HAWAII. FOR REAL" you sure as shit stop and taste it. When the lady in the trailer says "are you here for BBQ?" and you look around and wonder what else you could POSSIBLY be there for, you just smile and nod. FYI, this slice of heaven is called Ka Haku's Smoke Shack

3. Stop at a roadside fruit stand and get coconut chips. These little guys are INSANITY. 

4. Make a stop in Ke'anae. This town is not only adorable (there is virtually nothing there), but it's the best place to stop and have a picnic (also known as lunch #2 on this journey). The coastline is rocky and made from black lava rock. We had a blast just chilling out and watching the waves crash around us.

5. Black sand beaches. I mean.... I shouldn't even have to explain that this is one of the coolest places on earth. BONUS: some people give up and think the road to Hana is boring, so this place isn't too packed. This is Wai'anapanapa State Park:

6. Eat Hawaiian shave ice. No, it's not shaveD ice. It's shave ice. This is all over Hawaii, but this spot in particular is in Hana (hallelujah we made it). Also cute because Tutu is what we called my grandmother. She was the bomb.com and was also named Virginia. 

Have y'all had enough of my face yet??? So, there are plenty more spots to check out - some killer lookouts and a botanical garden (that happened to be CLOSED - ugh), more beaches, etc. Plus, the drive is just insanely gorgeous. I can't say enough about it.

OK - how was that? More to come from Hawaii... and Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong and Bali EEEEEK! Yeah - we totally killed it.

xoxo,

b