Time to go...

DSC_6713ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6715ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

It was time to go home, so we packed up our stuff and headed back to the Kauai Marriott for lunch at Dukes (again!). It was so good the evening before, and the Kauai Marriott was very close to the airport, and Greg's parents missed our dinner the evening before, so we HAD to go back. Well, that and Wesley wanted to say goodbye to the swans. After a yummy lunch, and a brief pit stop for a baby bottle because I forgot them in the hotel fridge (eergh!), we headed over to the airport. Our flight was at a different time, so we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and we headed to Oahu.

One in Oahu, we checked in for our flight to Chicago. That leg of the trip went very well, we took off a little late (6pm - time was supposed to be 5:21) but Wesley did GREAT! He was awake for the first 2 hours or so and then he slept the entire way to Chicago. Too bad Greg and I couldn't sleep! In Chicago we had a 2.5 hour layover and we got some breakfast. Wesley was sleepy, but ate some food and after everyone was settled into their seats I nursed him and he fell asleep in my arms before take off. The plane did eventually take off and once we were cruising, we gently placed him in his car seat. He slept the ENTIRE flight. Did not wake up until after we landed! I am so glad we got him his own seat! It would not have been fun for ANYONE if he had to stay on our laps for 15+ hours. We could not have asked for a better flight home. He is such a good little traveler!

It was a GREAT vacation! Vacationing with Wesley is so different and our trip to Hawaii was a perfect example of how things have changed since our honeymoon trip in 2006. Traveling is different, packing, the stress of getting there, working around nap times and feedings, trying to find toddler appropriate activities while enjoying ourselves. But being anyplace with Wesley is just a different kind of fun that is new and rewarding in it's own way. Seeing him happy and learning and watching and experiencing all that is new and different adds a whole new dimension to life, including vacationing.

It is VERY important to add, we were so VERY lucky to have Greg's parents hosting our trip!!! Their help with EVERY ASPECT of our vacation has helped make our vacation so enjoyable. This vacation would not have been possible without their help and we are so thankful and appreciative. They helped carry bags, change diapers, feed Wesley, allowed us to sleep in and even babysat a few times so Greg and I would be able to have dinner dates and go on our boat tour. They did so much more for us, but those are some of the big things. We hope they enjoyed their vacation as much as we did! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

Lydgate Park and then off to Dukes

DSC_6523ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

It was our last full day, so we decided to go to Lydgate Park, which is home to one of the coolest playgrounds I've ever seen. It had a large wooden structure with a maze of nooks and crannies perfect for kids to climb around, slides, swings and all kinds of neat things. It was also really nicely decorated with education in mind with a Hawaiian theme. It was perfect for Wesley!

DSC_6478ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6501ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6557ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6560ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6584ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

After romping around on the playground, we headed over to the attached beach. Previously Wesley would not go near the water. The swimming area at Lydgate Park is surrounded by large lava rocks, making the swimming area calm enough for even the littlest beach goers. Wesley was much more receptive to walking into the water! He was fascinated by the fine sand slipping between his fingers... and yeah, he even got some in him mouth. It was getting to be lunch time and nap time, so we didn't stay long, but we had a really nice time.

DSC_6643ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6633ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

After Wesley had some lunch and a nap and then we went to Duke's Canoe Club at the Kauai Marriott. We had a great dinner at Duke's in Oahu, so we figured we couldn't go wrong with a meal at the sister restaurant. And we were right! First of all, the grounds at the Marriott were awesome. They even had swans in their courtyard, which Wesley loved! But our meals were great! We even had the please of a Ukulele trio come to our table and sing a couple songs. One for Wesley and one for Greg and I. Wesley LOVED the singers! He watched them go to every table around us and danced a little in his high chair when they came to our table. It was so sweet! The perfect ending to our last evening in paradise!

The Na Pali Coast

This was the day of our boat tour, a catamaran charter from Holo Holo, of the Na Pali Coast. Na Pali has been featured in Jurassic Park, as well as in King Kong, South Pacific, and many other movies. It is characterized by these huge cliffs that lead into the sea with a few isolated beaches tucked between the cliffs. The photos do not do it justice! The cliffs reached way up to the clouds, it was just awe inspiring.

DSC_6370ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6372ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6385ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6402ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

The famous stone arch of Honopū Beach, which has been featured in numerous films, most notable was the 1976 remake of King Kong, in which the arch served as the gateway to Kong's kingdom. Yeah, I had to look that tid bit up for the blog.
DSC_6420ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6433ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

We even saw some whales! It was a distance away, but could this be a momma and a baby?

DSC_6435ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

A whale of a tale!

DSC_6446, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6455ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

After our cruise, we had a WONDERFUL dinner at The Beach House. I had the best macadamia nut crusted mahimahi EVER. I swear, it was the best fish I ever had in my entire life! And the view was gorgeous. Definitely one of the best meals we had in Kauai.

Kamokila Hawaiian Village and Coconut Marketplace

DSC_6142ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6149ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.
Wesley with a tiki statue at the entrance to Kamokila Hawaiian Village, an authentic Hawaiian village. It is a neat recreated village where visitors can learn about ancient Hawaiian history.

DSC_6161, originally uploaded by gailpaul.
Wesley really liked the food demonstration!

DSC_6212ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

After our lesson in culture and history, we went home, got cleaned up and headed over to the Coconut Marketplace, where they have a free hula show every Wednesday evening.

DSC_6266ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

This was the first public performance for these little guys. They did a great job!

This one is out of order...

DSC_5277, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

I was going through some more of our pics and I saw this one of Greg and Wesley from our sunrise at Diamondhead and I had to share. Wesley just did NOT want to go in the water and Greg was so patient with him. Such a sweet pic, I had to share.

Not your average walk

After visiting the lighthouse, we returned to our resort. Greg's parents were taking a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast. Since they took the rental car, we went for a spectacular walk down toward the Princeville Hotel.

DSC_5983ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Along the way we saw an albatross.

DSC_6006ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

And a trail that lead to a VERY steep staircase leading down from the cliffs to the beach wayyy down below. Appropriately named, the stairs lead to Hidden Beach. We had Wesley with us and dinner was calling, so we opted not to trek down the scary stairs. But the view from the landing was just spectacular.

DSC_6040ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_6094ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

This last picture is actually part of the grounds of the resort we stayed at. It was dusk and I was able to get this pic using a slow shutter speed.

Kilauea Lighthouse

The Kilauea Lighthouse is the northernmost point in all of Hawaii and we heard there was a bird sanctuary there. Since Wesley proved to be an avid bird watcher, and we were staying in Princeville, we took the short ten minute drive to the lighthouse and took a tour.

DSC_5776ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5865ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

I LOVE how this picture demonstrates the stage of toddlerhood Wesley is in. His world is so small, the small stick is so intriguing, he just doesn't see the beautiful landscape right behind him.

DSC_5900ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5828ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5820ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

The colors of the sky were just unreal! I could hardly believe the color of the sky the entire time we were in Kauai! I commented on the gorgeous sky countless times during our trip. So surreal!

DSC_5936ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

The bird sanctuary was off on a neighboring cliff. You could see the birds, but they were too far away for Wesley to really see. But we did see a few endangered nene, the state bird of Hawaii.

What is with the chickens?

DSC_5592, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5731cropps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

When we got to our unit, the sign on our fridge tipped us off that something may be amiss... or amuck. Sure enough, Kauai is FULL of chickens. Some sources say cockfighting used to be quite prevalent on the island, but a hurricane destroyed the pens and coops and set so many chickens free. There aren't many natural chicken predators on the island, so the population proliferated. Needless to say, they are ALL OVER THE PLACE! Cock-a-doodle-doo-ing all over, our resort, the side of the road, people's yards. Just everywhere. Wesley thought they were simply cool and really enjoyed watching them. He would grin and wave and we'd all reply "Hi Bird!" It was great fun watching him get excited about animals. We also had a few other birdie visitors to our Kauai home, including this Red-Crested Cardinal, and many of his friends.

DSC_5749pss, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Waimea Canyon

DSC_5635ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Kauai's nickname is the garden island and it is also known to be home to the grand canyon of the pacific. Put those two concepts together and you can imagine one breathtaking view! So, we loaded into the car and drove almost the entire way around the island to get to the Waimea Canyon.

DSC_5649, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5695ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5712ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5670ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Simply gorgous!

A quiet day and dinner with a view

DSC_5568ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Our first full day in Kauai, and we woke up to a beautiful sunrise! After all the hustle and bustle of packing up, flying, and then unpacking, we opted for a quiet day at the pool. Our resort had a sandy bottom pool (you can kinda see it in the pic below), but Wesley was NOT a fan. As soon as we put him down, he would resist, hang onto our arms and start to whimper. So, we carried him over to the hot tub and he was much happier just relaxing in our arms in the warm water.

DSC_5575, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5622, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5613ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

All that splashing around in the hot tub and relaxing in our unit left us hungry, so we went to Bouchons for a yummy dinner. I had some good sushi and Wesley had a few bites! I'm not sure if he really enjoyed the sushi or just the novelty of me feeding him with chopsticks, but we had a great dinner. And we had a fabulous view! Well, I had the best view from my seat, both the tropical outdoors and my loving husband.

DSC_5617ps, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Heading to Kauai

DSC_5539, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5553, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

DSC_5563, originally uploaded by gailpaul.

Today was our transition day. We packed up our stuff and headed to the airport for a quick flight to Kauai. We had a long check in process, but eventually got into our beautiful unit. Then we swung by the Paradise Bar and Grill for some dinner, everyone had some yummy fish and chips except Wesley, who ate a little hot dog. It was a very low key day with so much excitement moving all our stuff and settling in to our new digs.