Before our Luau we took a little road trip and found this enchanting trail leading to a hidden bay. I had to take picture with this tree because it matched my dress so well!

We finally made it to the front of the line at The Gazebo for breakfast. It was worth a celebratory picture.

I visited Hawaii for the first time this past week (can I just pause and squeal for a sec?!) and Wow! I'm in love.

Two of my very best friends joined me on this trip and I am so grateful they were able to come along! It is always much nicer to experience a new place with someone else. Lauren and Rebecca are two of the sweetest girls I've ever met. They were so fun to relax by the pool with and be adventurous with!!

Once we landed, we grabbed our rental car and headed across the island to our resort. The drive along the coast was so pretty, but we started noticing a huge cloud of smoke ahead of us!! The side of a mountain was on fire and had been for a few days. The radio advised all drivers to avoid the highway we were traveling down, but we kept going anyway. (We figured the police would turn us around if we really needed to stay away!) It worked out! We passed by without having to turn around. The fire department seemed to be getting it back under control slowly, but surely.

Our resort, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, is beautiful! We spent the first afternoon exploring the property: three tiered pools, the beach, and the trail to a Hawaiian burial ground (eek!). The first picture is from he first day we were there. We loooved going to that beach right in front of the resort for the rest of our time there. I'm pretty sure went to bed soon after that picture was taken. We were exhausted from the time change.

1. Snorkel

For our first full day in Hawaii we took a snorkel trip out to Molokini Crater! It's one of only three craters in the world that a boat can drive into. There is another in Hawaii and the third is in the Mediterranean. That snorkel trip was the day I realized I really want a go pro or something to capture everything going on beneath the surface. The waves rocked heavily inside the crater that day, but as soon as I stuck my goggles into the water, it was so calm beneath! The schools of black fish with thin white/purple pin stripes, yellow fish, and more came so close to us. We even saw an eel swimming like a ribbon along the coral. So cool!!

BONUS: The Gazebo in Kapalua

The Napali beach was right next to us and we ate breakfast one morning at a famous spot called The Gazebo. It's octagon shape allows for ocean views on all sides while you eat, which is really nice. But get there early! We waited in line for more than 45 minutes to get to their famous Macadamia nut pancakes. Yum!

2. Luau

One night we went to a luau, (you just have to at least once!) which was so fun!! We all were given pretty fuchsia leis (which you apparently can't bring back through the airport with you because of agricultural reasons... So sad.)! We watched the Hawaiians unwrap a huge pig they had been cooking all day long and then we wandered around doing some of the other fun activities they had around for us, like playing games and crafting and taking pictures, until the performances started! As the sun set, the dancers came out!! Those hula dancers are super talented... and gorgeous! It was such a fun time and you have GOT to try it, if you are ever in Hawaii!

3. Surfing

Our last big adventure was a surfing lesson! Lauren and Rebecca rocked it! They got up so fast and easily that they are definitely pro surfers compared to me. I, on the other hand, fell off - no jumped off - nearly every single time. I even jumped OVER the instructor once when he rode with me to keep me going! lol Finally, the instructor was so smart that he distracted me with another subject while we were waiting for the next wave so I wouldn't think about it too much! One moment he was talking about his favorite fish to eat and the next he yelled "SWIM!" And I did and i surfed like a pro too!! haha

Hawaii was wonderful and we were sad to leave, but also ready to get back to our home and our friends and families. I hope you get to travel to Hawaii someday! What would be your favorite thing to try? If you've already been, what is something you just HAVE to do while you're there? I'd love to hear your comments below!!

If you want to see more adventures here are three posts you should read next:

Cape Cod, Massachusettes

Banff, Alberta, Canada

Anaheim, California

Thanks for stopping by,