kauai part 1

at the end of april, jana, hazel, and i went to kauai for 10 days.  it was amazing!  it was my first time there, and jana's first in a long time.  and it was also hazel's first trip to hawaii, first trip in an airplane, first time on vacation, and first time hanging out with both of her loving parents for 10 days straight since she was just 6 weeks old! 

i have to admit, on the second day there, after the first day had been spent mostly trying to avoid hazel-crankiness, and after the second morning started off much the same, i wondered aloud why we had spent all that money and effort to get all the way to kauai when we couldn't actually do anything once we got there... but that was dumb!  hazy was just really tired from the 6-hour flight and the jet lag (3 hour difference), and by the end of day two she was pretty much adjusted and pretty much very excited to be on vacation!  we spent the rest of the week doing lots of fun things... pool time, beach time, a few hikes, lots of delicous food and drinks, and lots of super quality time with our little family.  hazy also had her first time in the pool and first time in the ocean, which she liked very much!  she also licked a few fruits- her first taste of solid food!

oh, and in addition to jana being cool with me going off to go snorkeling a few times while she and hazel lounged/napped, she also was cool with (and strongly encouraged!) me going on a helicopter tour of the island.  i was beyond excited about that, so of course i did!  and of course i chose the doors-off completely open-sided helicopter where the whole side of your body is just hanging out in space while you fly over the most beautiful scenery imaginable!  see some pictures of that stuff below.... and thanks jana!!

ok, on to the pictures...

hazel licking a kiwi, and even getting a bit in her mouth!  i don't think she's totally sold on the idea...  this is her first solid food!  (although she didn't actually "eat" it, and she had licked a watermelon the day before, if you want to get technical).

hazel was a liiiiittle tentative about the pool at first....

but then she got used to it, and was very intrigued!

first pool trip... success!!

bein' cute in some pink pants with mom...

helicopter waterfall

but wait, why have just one waterfall when you could have FOUR?!?!

one of several ridonkulous valleys at the south end of the na pali coast

na pali coast!

hazy and i on one of our morning sunrise walks...

super amazing banyan (i think?) trees along the road into our hotel- one of hazel's (and my) favorite morning walk destinations!  this tree ate that whole fence.  ate it right up.

hazel's second hike ever!  along the amazingly beautiful cliffs of the south kauai coast on the maha'ulepu heritage trail.  i'm pretty sure this sign was just kidding.

in the water at poipu beach park... hazel's first ocean experience!

beach number 2- maha'ulepu beach, which required a 2-mile drive on some verrrrry bumpy roads (we only broke the rental car a little bit).  oops.  but it was very beautiful... until hazy got cranky 10 minutes after we got there and we um, had to leave.

pool time with dad

and now for some hot tub foot dunking!

 

at waimea canyon, "the grand canyon of the pacific" (seriously!!)

at the start of the kalalau trail on the na pali coast.  this one is super rigorous and sketchy in parts, and is mostly for hard core hikey people (without babies).  but the beginning section is just tiring, not scary (well, it's slightly scary).  we went all of 3/4 mile before we turned back.... and that was pretty tiring in itself!

na pali coast from the furthest point we got to on on the hike.  this is why the trail is really hard.