The day after our stargazing excursion we got up bright and early to go ziplining at Umauma Falls. The last time we went ziplining as a family was high up in the trees in chilly Alaska. This time we were zipping in summery clothes with an awesome view of the ocean in front of us.
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| John-Michael (brother), Sky, me, Andy, Vicki (mom), Pete (dad), Katie (sister) and Todd |
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| umm... it doesn't look like I'm wearing pants. eek! |
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| Todd and Katie zipping - check out that gorgeous ocean view! |
After ziplining we had lunch in Hilo and checked out some nearby waterfalls.
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| my dad will forever be young at heart |
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| thanks for the zoom lens, daddy! |
All eight of us agreed that driving to the Waipio Valley was a highlight of our vacation. Before we got to the valley we stopped for smoothies at a cute roadside shop.
We had rented two Jeep Wranglers for our vacation, so we were able to make the VERY steep drive from the lookout point down to the valley. If you don't have 4 wheel drive then you have to hoof it. I can't imagine how exhausting that hike would be! According to Wikipedia, "If classified as a road, it would be the steepest road of its length in the United States and possibly the world." The road is where the picture says "hike down." First, we headed left towards Hilawe Falls.
The back part of the valley and the taro farms were lush and so green. And there were horsies!
The road towards the beach was riddled with water-filled craters, which made for an exciting ride. We parked the cars to the left of the river outlet and spent a while traipsing about and checking out the insane view.
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| a note for my guy |
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We saw several rainbows in Hawaii, but this was the most magnificent.
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| John-Michael and Todd making the trek across the river
Lazily strolling the beach was such a relaxing way to end our day on the eastern side of the island. Watching the surfers and seeing that rainbow... I felt like I was in a dream. If we ever go back (crossing my fingers) I'd love to pack a picnic, make a fire and gaze at another breathtaking sunset. Want to come?
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are they hanging UPSIDE DOWN on that zipline? whoa.
ReplyDeletethose rainbow pics are stunning!
take me with you next time please. :)
This is so incredible looking! I never really had the Hawaii bug until I saw The Descendants and this reminds me of the land the family is deciding whether to keep.
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