Kayaking Adventure.

On the day before our departure from Kauai, we had the first time experience of Kayaking as a family. The company we chose for our adventure happened to have kayaks that fit 3 people which was perfect for us. What an experience it was! First we kayaked, then we hiked one of the most beautiful places we have ever hiked at, then we ended at the Wailua waterfall. Gorgeous to look at indeed. It was one of those places that you photograph in your brain and never forget. Although the weather changed for the worse on the last 2 days of our stay in Kauai, we were grateful that it wasn't as sunny and hot because we didn't get as sunburned as we could of, even with the sunblock. Alec is still relying on the Aloe for the sunburn on his shoulders, but it could of been worse. Although the worst part was not the sunburn, it was paddling against the wind! We were a little sore...OK a lot! The wind, the threat of rain and the mud along the way on the hike, was all worth it to see the wonderful Wailua fall, an experience we would definitely repeat given the chance.

In the evening we had a wonderful dinner at Casa di Amici in the little town in Poipu, an Italian eatery that our Friend Stephani recommended. Back at the hotel at the Regency Club we enjoyed dessert and the company of our friends that recommended everything about this vacation. One of our best with out a doubt! We are immensely grateful for the recommendation of one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at. A truly wonderful unforgettable Hawaiian experience that we look forward to repeating someday again. Mahalo!

Whales in the Horizon

We needed the rain for old times sake. It would not have been a true Leyva vacation without a little bit of downpour. Since we had been having such nice weather we decided to get up at the crack of dawn today to witness a Hawaiian sunrise. Much to our dismay as soon as we got comfortable at our spot to witness the sunrise, it started POURING! Not a few drops, not a steady drizzle, but buckets. Fortunately we had already taken the couple of pictures that we have included in today's blog. One of the wonderful perks of having an ocean front room during this time of year in Hawaii is that we captured glimpses of the migrating whales while sitting in our balcony. What amazing creatures; tons of weight airborne as if they were light as a bird. What a spectacular sight for the eye to capture and the brain to store it it's memory bank. Once again we are truly grateful for a blessed day. Alec says it's one of the best days of his life. He says that every time we are on vacation. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go on a 4 hour Kayak trip, part hike, part kayak, ending in a waterfall. We will see if that becomes the best day in his "long" 9 year life. Aloha again, until tomorrow.

Finally After 15 Years!

It took us 15 years to finally make it to the Island of Kauai. It had nothing to do with our method of transportation ;-) As some of our closest family and friends know; our original honeymoon destination was Maui and Kauai, but because of unfortunate circumstances we were unable to visit our original honeymoon destination and we ended in Oahu (which was not bad, had it not been raining the whole time). Fifteen years later as we were planning our 15th anniversary celebration, we decided to visit Kauai for the first time (we made it to Maui about 5 years ago). It was certainly a long wait but well worth it!

We are extremely fortunate to be staying at the Grand Hyatt resort in the Po'ipu area. An enormous, beautiful and magnificent resort on the island. As if that wasn't enough, our friend Stephani upgraded us to Diamond Status, which means that we have an ocean view room with Regency room access and truly amazing service.

Yesterday we decided to explore the island and we drove up to the north shore. While we were there we got to see very green and lush scenery as well as breathtaking views. We even got to visit an old lighthouse. Alec loved the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt.

Today we decided to go for a "nice" hike to the Waimea area. We didn't hike the Waimea canyon, because that would have taken all year (Waimea is the Grand Canyon of Kauai), but we hiked alright! It was about 7 miles round trip with treacherous inclines and terrain that was like no other place we had hiked. fortunately for us we had an awesome breakfast at our resort, so we were fueled with extra unleaded! God was good to us today, we woke up to a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean from our room, we had good food, a great workout, a magnificent sunset, absolutely perfect weather (about 74 F. and breezy) and the opportunity to view and to wake up to something similar tomorrow. With more next time... Aloha!

Kauai in less than 2 weeks!

We are closer and closer to our departure to Hawaii. These next few days will be for planning and getting the things we need to make this trip a memorable experience.

Four More Weeks

As we approach the date of our departure to Kauai we become more anxious to personally see the many wonders we have been reading about. Majestic sights, the fun hiking trails, and wonderful beaches, to name a few. In the recent past a friend at work heard we were headed to Kaui so she was kind enough to use one of her Hotel upgrades, she upgraded us to Ocean view! One more thing to look forward to... four more weeks and counting.

Aloha Time

In seven short weeks we will be flying out to Kauai, Hawaii. We don't don't usually travel in the spring, but since this is our 15th wedding anniversary we have decided to celebrate going back to the Island we intended to visit on our honeymoon 15 years ago.

Final 2009 Summer Vacation Escape

Someone once said: "Vacations are a little like love- anticipated with relish, experienced with inconvenience and remembered with nostalgia" Without a doubt the fastest ten weeks of the year seem to be the ones when we are on summer break! We are overjoyed that the Lord has blessed us with the opportunity to have a wonderful summer this year. The memories will be cherished for many years to come. As a final little vacation farewell trip, we decided to drive to nearby Santa Barbara and escape the San Fernando Valley heat (and unhealthful air, due to the recent fires).

The weather was excellent! We could not hope for better climate than what we had. Although it was a holiday weekend we did not experience the huge crowds that we had anticipated. We concluded a wonderful summer break bursting with heartwarming memories. We had a fantastic day in one of our favorite places away from home. Until the next one...