Aloha Aina,, Aloha Kai (Part 1)

Love of the land, love of the sea

This past trip to Hawaii, my paradise, was my 38th trip.  Place I visit the most for sure. This time was different for a couple of reasons.  One I'll keep for myself.  Another was because someone finally stopped making the same excuses everyone makes and went with me.  

My guest this time fell in love with it same way I did all those years ago.  It wasn't a couple of days into the trip and we were sitting out on our lanai watching the sunset and they said something I say to myself all the time as I look at the beauty there. First, most beautiful thing I've ever seen and no matter where you look, the beauty is there.  Second, how can you look at that beauty, not man-made, and not believe in God and that the creation of that came from something we can't understand. No human could make or replicate the beauty that nature is there.

My next two trips are paid for minus airfare and what you buy and I wonder am I going to ask someone again or go alone and will they say yes if I do?

So, I'll shut up because the pictures really say it all. 

 First there was my stop in LA and the day spent at Venice Beach.....someplace I'd always wanted to go.  Check that off the list.  

 So glad I picked the hotel I picked in LA to stay at.  Best view ever of the entrance into LAX and one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in.

Another check off the list of places to go......spent the day in Venice and didn't give up until I found THE bridge in the Venice Canal neighborhood that a scene from one of my favorite shows was filmed on.  Californication....now I've been two places they filmed scenes at on that show. 

Now on to Hawaii.....
I took over 1,000 pics so this is just a few.  

The black swan, Newman, greeted me first thing as I went to sit and wait for my room to be ready.  I love Newman.  He's so friendly and he knows his name. 

First night's sunset did not disappoint and gave me my new favorite palm tree/sunset pictures I've ever taken.  

Came back to our room and there was a special treat from the manager of the resort with a nice card.  A surprise but I guess after April and the problem I had that certainly didn't get resolved to my satisfaction, I shouldn't have been surprised.  They probably never thought I would come back after I got through telling them exactly what I thought about the way they handled that problem. 

Just a few of the amazing sunset pictures from the two weeks we were there

Road to Hana Trip

(way too many waterfalls to share them all and just a few pics of my favorite places)

Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach Cave-yes, I climbed down it and about gave myself a concussion three times hitting my head on the top of it and things got scary once when the water came in fast, furious, and higher than  liked.

I adore this beach you can't swim at because the waves are way too wild pounding against the volcanic rocks all along the shore.  

It is a waterfall right now but if one of the two volcanoes on island were to erupt then it would become a lava tube and lava would run through it.  

So many breathtaking waterfalls on The Road to Hana.  This one is called Three Falls.  

Hiking in Haleakala State Park

My favorite hike has a little path going off the main one that takes you to my favorite place on island.  Naming this place as the most beautiful says a lot considering that all there is there is beauty. It reminds me of Australia. 

Homoa Beach

Our guide on The Road to Hana trip thinks this is the most beautiful beach.  He explained something I never knew.  The beaches that are so blue that they are amazing are the ones that have no river water flowing into them at all.  River water makes them not as blue.  It was truly a beautiful beach and it made me wish I hadn't decided not to bring my swimsuit on this trip......didn't know we'd be going some place like this.  The lucky ones who did got to swim there.  

So, that's a start on the pictures from my trip.  Part 2 coming later.  

I just hope the next person I ask to go to my special place says yes and realizes how special they are to me to be asked.  People say money can't buy happiness.  I disagree because this is my happiness and if I didn't have money then I wouldn't be able to go there twice a year at least or take someone with me if I choose.