Aloha!

This post is a few months delayed, but we thought you would like a quick rundown of our honeymoon to Hawaii. Our first week was spent on the Big Island of Hawaii. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort in Waikoloa, just north of Kona on the west coast of the island. We spent our time snorkeling, cruising in our rented Jeep, shopping, hiking, and trying all of the great restaurants at our resort. Being a geology nerd, I was especially excited for our trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We hiked out after dark to see the flowing lava. It was beautiful, but also a little scary. The four mile hike back in the pitch dark through glowing lava, sharp volcanic rocks, and other lost tourists was especially nerve-wracking. One of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island was a two-hour helicoptor tour of the island. We flew over ancient lava fields, spurting volcanic vents, lava flowing into the ocean, and narrow waterfalls that were hundreds of feet high.

For our second week, we traveled to the Island of Kauai, also called the Garden Island. It is the oldest of all the Hawaiian Islands, so it is covered in rainforest and lush greenery. Our condo was located on the north shore near the town of Princeville. We snorkeled with sea turtles, drove up Waimea Canyon, went to an traditional luau, spent time at Poipu Beach, and took in the beautiful scenery of Bali Hai (think South Pacific).

We took one day trip to the Island of Oahu. There we went on a shark cage dive off the famed North Shore of Oahu. After getting over the initial fear of jumping into a floating cage four miles offshore, it was amazing. We were immediately surrounded by about 30 Galapagos sharks, ranging in size from 8 to 10 feet long. It was a wonderful experience that we will never forget.