Pro Photos

In November, our little darling was 18 months, and we took some pro shots to prepare for Christmas and celebrate the event!

We took the opportunity to take our first pro family shot since we arrived from India as well!

Hawaii!!!!

From Oct 31-Nov 9 our family (minus Jayakar, who insisted I take the opportunity to collect my 49th state in spite of the fact that he needed to stay home and work) made a trip to Hawaii! We've always wanted to see what we thought of America's island state, and thanks to frequent flier miles and hotel points, we were able to do so reasonably :). Our trip included the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii (the Big Island). I think if I could pick one word to describe our vacation it would be...surprise. We were quite unprepared for many of the things that we encountered. Hawaii has done an amazing 'selling job' for itself- probably one of the best advertisement schemes I've ever come across. The islands are NOT tropical paradise from one side to the other, nor are there beaches and palm trees at every bend. Pictures of Hawaii are very selective, excluding the miles of bleak lava flows, barren desert (much like the empty stretches of Wyoming or Eastern Colorado), and comparitive lack of green on much of the islands. That said, we had a wonderful family time, and enjoyed our trip- it just wasn't what we expected from all the pictures we've always seen. Below are some pictures from places we really enjoyed:

OAHU

We kept our Iowa schedule while in Hawaii, partly for Liberty's sake- it made the transition back to home timings much easier- and since there was little to do once the sun set, it worked really well. We were up at 4-5 every morning, then went to bed between 7-8. Certainly gave us all the daylight to go touring :). So...a picture of our first Oahu sunrise!
Famous Waikiki beach! The surf was a lot more than we expected on all parts of the islands, except where protected by manmade barriers. This part of the beach was near the Hilton, so we were able to get into the water with Liberty and enjoy it.
We took the hike up to the top of Diamond Head, which overlooks the ocean, Waikiki beach, and Honolulu. We were grateful for the cloud cover, as it would have been terribly hot to do the hike in the blazing sun! It was quite strenuous, with several sets of steps (99 on one), tunnels, and steep trail. We had a lot of fun- Dad took Liberty most of the way, which was quite a feat!

HAWAII (THE BIG ISLAND)

After flying into Hilo, we took the eastern coast road, and came to one of our three favorite places. Akaka Falls SP was an experience in natural beauty. The vegetation was incredible- so lush I doubt I could have hiked through it without the path! Truly tropical paradise...

Favorite place #2 was on the same day. Laupahoehoe Point Beach SP was spectacular. The waves roll in and pound the black lava rocks, while the landscape is lush and green. We stayed for a couple hours, just watching the surf, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the blue of the water.

We were amazed at the change in scenery from one side of this island to the other. The windward side is lush, green, and utterly tropical. But as we rounded the north point, we entered Wyoming- only there was an ocean in view. The resort we stayed at was located on the Kona side of the island. The resorts like it there because it is always sunny. Below is a picture of the lagoon (no natural beach) that Hilton Waikaloa built for swimming. It was an amazing resort, one of the most incredible places I've ever been. Its motto seemed to be 'no expense spared'.

We toured the island and saw the Hawaii Volcanoes NP. It's an active volcano, though only steam is occurring at this time. Had the chance to walk through a lava tube and a giant fern forest. Quite unique and beautiful.

As we circled the island, we stopped at a famous black sand beach. The waves have crushed the lava rock into sand, and it was very pretty.

MAUI

While on Maui, I took a few hours and traveled by myself to the top of Haleakala, a 10,000 foot dormant volcano. It is a famous place to view the sunrise, and I made it! While not the most spectacular sunrise I've ever seen, it was lovely with the clouds in the valley below, and I really enjoyed it. It was also impressive to see the black lava valley once the sun had risen, and see the complete devastation of the landscape!

We took no pictures of our third favorite place. That's because we were busy enjoying the sun and water, and didn't want to take a chance with our cameras. Kihei/Wailea on Maui is the one place we all agreed we could go back to and stay for several days. It was tropical, great beaches, sunny, and so pleasant. We were glad to have had a day there, though I came home with a slight burn due to two hours in the water :). We packed up a happy, tired car that day!