Hawaii!!

Earlier this month, we traveled to Hawaii and it was just wonderful. We got to add a new state to our list, see some beloved and missed friends and enjoyed a much needed vacation!

Friday

This day was supposed to be a beach day with our friend, Ryan, and then a luau with Ryan, her husband (Daniel) and their baby daughter (Hollynn) later that night. However, it rained pretty much all day. So, instead, Ryan played tour guide and drove us around a very hip, cool part of the island, North Shore, where we had lunch and then went back to their neighborhood where we got to visit Daniel at work, hang out and have dinner. It was so good to see the Schwendemans!!

Visiting Daniel at Work

Dinner with the Schwendemans

Saturday

Saturday we hiked up Diamond Head, which is a dormant volcano. It was a great workout and there were fantastic views from the hike up/around the crater.

After our morning hike, we got to hang out on the beach for a bit and then got to see the Schwendemans (again!) for happy hour and dinner.

Sunday

Sunday was our water day. We started the morning with a trip to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling. The bay is beautiful and we got to see some interesting and colorful fish.

In the afternoon, Matt and I had our first ever surfing lesson. It was so awesome! We booked a group class (supposed to have about 4-6 people) but we were the only ones who booked it. So, we pretty much had our own private lesson. Matt got up on his board the first time, and I got up on my second try. But after that, we both pretty much got up on each try with only a few falls. It was so much fun! However, surfing is hard work and we were exhausted afterward.

But, we weren't too tired to have a Hawaiian date night :) We had dinner at Nobu and stopped by a cozy Italian wine bar on the way back to the hotel.

Monday

Monday morning we got up bright and early to make our way to Pearl Harbor, hoping to get tickets to see the USS Arizona Memorial. We were able to get tickets for the 11:15am viewing. It was a very moving experience, and I am glad we got to visit the memorial.

That night we met up again with Ryan, hoping to go to the luau in their neighborhood. And, again, we were rained out. Experiencing a luau just wasn't in the cards for us this trip, but we will be back! Instead of a luau, we got to have dinner with Ryan and her daughter, Hollynn, at the Disney resort in their community. It was such a good time getting to hang out with our friend (again! ) :)

We ended our vacation sitting on the beach at night, sipping champagne and watching the waves roll in.... lovely :)

It was a fantastic trip and we keep talking about going back. Here's to planning our next Hawaiian adventure!